Stray away

A bird was perched on a thick tree branch. It was a place where the dense leaves hid its body well. The day was clear, but the wind was slightly chilly. As autumn deepened, a faint cold could be felt once night fell.

Before all the fallen leaves disappeared and the snow came down to hide even the little food that remained, it had to put on fat and fluff up its feathers. So the bird intended to move busily—if not for the grumbling voice it suddenly heard.

“…Where is this place?”

Crunch. Fallen leaves were crushed underfoot and shattered. The bird opened its black eyes wide. The thing walking along the mountain path was a creature that did not exist anywhere in the bird’s young memories. It was quite large. Its body color was mottled and dark, and only parts of its head had feathers.

“People say leaving home is tough.”

Its chirping was also very peculiar. The bird listened closely to the sound.

“To think I’d end up getting lost.”

Home. Road. The bird opened and closed its beak repeatedly. Home. Road.

Cheep!

Before it knew it, another bird had flown over beside it. The two birds made sounds together.

Cheep, cheep, home, home.

Han Yoojin stopped counting after his third time running away from home. To begin with, the phrase running away from home itself was strange. He was a perfectly capable adult and had confidence that he could live well anywhere he went. So this was simply an outing, and while wandering outside he might just happen to find a new home.

As if I can’t live without my younger brother.

“That brat Yoohyun is getting more and more cheeky.”

The nagging had increased a lot too. Don’t do this. Make sure you do that. Let’s fix your lifestyle habits. No alcohol. No late-night snacks. And recently—

“What do you mean you’re going to do a medical checkup? You’re a quack doctor!”

His younger brother had started looking through medical textbooks on his own, then suddenly declared he would check his brother’s health. Han Yoojin acknowledged his brother’s intelligence and had always been proud of it. But this was too much. If the dungeon outbreak hadn’t happened, he firmly believed his brother would have entered medical school without difficulty—but still, self-study wasn’t the same. Becoming a doctor wasn’t that easy.

“If I get hurt, I can just use a potion. But he keeps going on and on…”

His brother stared intently while talking about joints, inflammation, blood sugar and the like, to the point it gave him chills. That was why Han Yoojin had left home. If he stayed any longer, he had the uneasy feeling he might drink juice mixed with sleeping pills and wake up stripped naked on an examination table.

“Damn it, maybe I should just burn down every medical school.”

Why were there still so many things left behind? All sorts of books, not to mention countless videos, were still intact. And that wasn’t all—medical machines still worked perfectly. It hadn’t been long since the world had become a dungeon world and then a new kind of world afterward, so as long as generators ran, most machines still functioned normally.

“If the world turned into a dungeon, shouldn’t information like this have been wiped out too? Why is everything still fine? Maybe it’s because I used to be a monster.”

If a new intelligent species appeared in this state, wouldn’t they learn advanced knowledge too quickly? The thought crossed his mind briefly. Han Yoojin stretched his back and looked up at the sky. The edge of the high, bright blue sky was slowly turning red.

“…I don’t want to spend the night camping in the mountains.”

He was starting to get hungry too. His younger brother wouldn’t even let him eat ramen. In the end all those precious things would just expire.

Han Yoojin pouted his lips. Seriously, instant food was so valuable—why couldn’t he eat it? Just wait ten more years and there probably wouldn’t even be many canned foods left.

Han Yoojin let out a deep sigh. He and his brother had grown distant for a while, but they had still lived together continuously for over ten years. In all that time, they had hardly ever clashed.

‘Like that guy said, Yoohyun probably endured a lot.’

Han Yoojin thought of another Han Yoojin. It had already been over a month since he last saw that guy.

‘Well, he’s probably doing fine.’

The other one had looked miserable, like he might have lost his younger brother again somehow, but Han Yoojin still thought he’d manage. If anyone should be worrying, it would be that world’s younger brother taking care of him. That one was even younger too.

“…That part I’m a little jealous of.”

He said something about regression and reconciling with his twenty-year-old younger brother. Meanwhile, Han Yoojin only had memories of barely being able to face twenty-year-old Yoohyun at all, he grumbled. Twenty-one, twenty-two, even twenty-three.

Thinking about it like that suddenly made him miss his brother. Han Yoojin looked around. There was no sign of anyone.

But—

“Aah!”

He deliberately slipped on the fallen leaves and shouted loudly. His body staggered backward, and just before his head hit the ground—

“Hyung, you have to be careful.”

Han Yoohyun caught the back of Han Yoojin’s head with his hand and pulled him upright in one swift motion.

“Wet leaves are slippery. What if you hit your head wrong and got a concussion?”

“…Let’s keep it to one lecture. Just one. Otherwise I’m going to want to run away again.”

Weren’t you once famous as a taciturn S-rank hunter, Yoohyun? Han Yoojin muttered, recalling not-so-distant memories. People used to say it was hard to hear him speak even once, but now his nagging was top-tier.

“Since when were you following me?”

“From the beginning.”

Han Yoohyun stretched out both arms and pulled his brother into a hug. The way he clung to him was so natural, like a child who had found his parents. Han Yoojin, who still clearly remembered the stiffness from before, roughly ruffled his younger brother’s hair.

“I’m hungry. Let’s go home.”

“Okay, Hyung.”

“It’s getting chilly too—should we catch a chicken? If you make baeksuk again I’m leaving the house. I want something fried—seasoned or plain, I don’t care!”

“But fried food isn’t good for your health. Kkokko probably wanted to become baeksuk.”

“…No, I think it just didn’t want to die.”

After the day Kkokko—whom he had grown somewhat attached to—met its end at his brother’s hands, Han Yoojin had shouted that he hadn’t planned to eat Kkokko and had a huge fight with him. After that, he stopped giving chickens names.

Han Yoohyun didn’t feel even a trace of affection for living things other than Han Yoojin. Because they had spent so long apart, he still had difficulty understanding Han Yoojin’s more human emotions.

In the past, Han Yoojin would have tried to force his brother to become more humane. But now he compromised somewhat. That was thanks to advice he had heard from the other Han Yoojin. So, to make things easier for his brother to recognize, he clearly separated livestock meant for eating from livestock meant to keep, and tried not to grow too attached to the former.

“Let’s hurry home.”

Just as Han Yoojin tapped the arm of the brother who was hugging him—

“—Home!”

Something popped out with a high-pitched voice. Han Yoojin’s eyes widened.

“What the—did that just speak… a bird?”

“—Home!”

“—Home! Home!”

They were birds slightly larger than chickens. Two mottled brown birds stared straight at Han Yoojin, shouting “home.”

“…I’ve never seen that species before. Some kind of parrot?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t remember it either.”

Han Yoohyun had studied wild animals—their types, characteristics, and whether they were edible—in case food supplies ever ran out unexpectedly. Thanks to that, if not the entire world, he at least knew every animal living in Korea.

“—Home!”

“Uh, yeah. Home. The house my younger brother and I live in…”

“—Younger brother?”

“—Younger brother!”

One bird fluttered its wings and pointed at the other with the tip.

“—Younger brother!”

“…Wait, could it be…”

Do they understand the meaning of words? Han Yoojin and Han Yoohyun looked at each other.

“Could the new intelligent species… be those birds?”

“It’s not certain yet. The way intelligent species emerge varies, and sometimes several subspecies appear at the same time. Subspecies usually stop developing at a lower level.”

“Oh, right.”

The two round little birds looked at them with curiosity shining in their eyes. Looking at them, Han Yoojin whispered quietly to his brother,

“If birds become the new human species… does that mean we can’t eat chicken anymore?”

“That probably won’t happen, Hyung. Humans eat monkeys too.”

“…Most people don’t.”

“If we broaden it to mammals, we eat cows and pigs too.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true.”

Han Yoojin examined the birds again closely, then whispered once more.

“Didn’t they say intelligent species need fingers or something equivalent? Then will those guys grow hands? Or maybe arms?”

“Who knows. But that would mean they’d move away from the basic bird form. Their wings are basically arms already.”

“But angels have wings and arms separately. If they evolve into a human form, maybe bird arms will grow. Ah—what if flying becomes the basic way of moving? They won’t look down on me for not being able to fly, right?”

Han Yoohyun quietly looked at Han Yoojin, who was worrying about strange things, then spoke.

“Then should I get rid of them?”

“…What?”

“They’re still basically just birds for now. If we wipe out that species entirely, another species of new humanity will probably appear.”

“No, forget it. Just leave them alone. Let’s go home.”

“Okay, Hyung.”

Han Yoojin glanced at the birds and turned around. After walking a few steps—

“—Home!”

“—Younger brother!”

“—Hyung!”

The birds followed them.

At the same time, black flames surged from Han Yoohyun’s fingertips. Whoosh— the dark fire streaked long across the birds’ path, leaving a blackened trail.

“Hey!”

“—Hey!”

“—Hey! Hyung!”

“What are you doing! I told you not to kill them! And what if you start a forest fire?”

“That level of control is easy.”

“Anyway, you—Yoohyun-ah!”

As Han Yoojin scolded him, Han Yoohyun drooped the corners of his eyes and pretended to look pitiful.

“But Hyung, those things followed you.”

“That can happen!”

“I don’t like that Hyung is showing interest in a new intelligent species.”

Han Yoohyun said it with obvious dissatisfaction.

“Hyung will definitely grow attached to them. And maybe… you might end up liking them a lot.”

He honestly revealed that he disliked the idea, especially after finally getting his brother all to himself.

Watching his sulking younger brother, Han Yoojin clicked his tongue. The more he thought about it, the more amazing it seemed that this guy had managed to live apart from him for so long.

“It’s impressive you didn’t just burn all of Korea down.”

He could have destroyed everything and left just the two of them behind, according to his own desires. Han Yoojin couldn’t decide whether that restraint was admirable or foolish.

Han Yoojin spread his arms wide. As if waiting for it, Han Yoohyun immediately hugged him.

“Whether they become humans or stay birds doesn’t make much difference. If they can talk, I might care about them a little more. But they’re still not the same species as us. At most, it’ll just make me feel a bit awkward every time I eat chicken.”

Wouldn’t he inevitably start wondering things like whether it was okay to raise chickens and eat them, or pluck feathers from ducks?

“Meanwhile, Yoohyun, you’ll always be my one and only younger brother. Now you’re basically my only fellow human too. How could I possibly compare you to birds like that? The one I liii—um—the one I like the most will always be you.”

Han Yoojin cleared his throat awkwardly. How did the other Han Yoojin say ‘I love you’ so easily? Even if it was between family, wasn’t it embarrassing?

“Okay, Hyung.”

Han Yoohyun nodded, curling himself tightly.

“After hearing your words, I think birds, reptiles, or fish would be better. Mammals might become too similar to us.”

“…Yeah, I guess snakes would be easier not to get attached to.”

“Then should I kill those birds after all?”

“No. Let’s just go home. Can’t you hear my stomach growling?”

“Okay.”

Han Yoohyun suddenly lifted Han Yoojin up in his arms. Ignoring his brother’s shout of ‘I can walk!’, he leapt forward, scattering willow leaves.

“I told you I hate being carried around!”

“But you’re really hungry.”

“I’d rather starve!”

“That’s not allowed.”

Han Yoojin, who still disliked being carried around by his younger brother despite being the older one, complained the whole way home.

Han Yoohyun eventually landed in front of a spacious country house. It had a separate water tank, solar panels, and a generator, so most facilities could still be used normally.

On one side of the yard was a chicken coop, and there was also a small vegetable garden. Proper farmland was set up nearby as well. They had worried whether their first attempt at farming would work, but the crops had grown surprisingly well. Now, in autumn, golden waves of grain swayed beautifully, tempting flocks of birds. It was more than enough food for the two of them to live on.

“Hyung, I’ll quickly—”

Han Yoohyun suddenly stopped mid-sentence and looked somewhere. Then he spoke again.

“I’ll make roasted bird.”

“You’re roasting chicken? That’s better than baeksuk, but wait—Han Yoohyun!”

Han Yoojin hurriedly grabbed his brother’s arm. Two birds had somehow followed them and were now sitting on top of the wall.

“—Roasted bird?”

“No! That’s not what he meant!”

“Let’s eat them after all. Look, they’re nice and plump.”

“—Plump!”

“Calm down, Yoohyun. Calm down!”

At this rate, the first intelligent species born into the new world might end up roasted whole and served on the dinner table. To prevent such a tragic event, Han Yoojin desperately tried to soothe his brother.

“So what you’re saying is we should educate them as livestock in advance?”

“…That’s not exactly the same, but if you don’t like them following us around, we can just teach them to keep their distance.”

“Got it. Then I’ll just gently singe their feathers.”

“Gently! Gently!”

Han Yoohyun slowly approached the birds on the wall. The two birds tilted their heads innocently, unaware of anything.

As time passed, the number of birds that could understand words gradually increased. However, continued observation showed they still weren’t capable of proper conversation. It was only slightly better than a toddler’s babbling.

“Maybe it’s only just beginning.”

Watching the birds scatter in panic the moment they saw Han Yoohyun, Han Yoojin spoke.

“Humans in the old world probably didn’t start speaking fluently and walking upright overnight either.”

“But I heard humans were especially gifted with language among living beings. Since speech wasn’t recorded, we can’t know when various languages started appearing.”

“Maybe it happened suddenly like this.”

Creatures beginning to evolve into intelligent beings under the influence of the Source. Would this world become a world of birds? Or were there other animals somewhere that had also awakened language?

“I heard translation items don’t work even on monsters that are very intelligent and form groups.”

There had been people who tried communicating with monsters. But even items capable of translating almost any language were useless against them.

Maybe language—and someday writing—was what separated intelligent beings from those that weren’t.

Han Yoojin watched the birds chatting happily with short words, then suddenly said,

“Hey, they’re speaking Korean. Maybe it’s because we’re in Korea… or maybe it’s because of us?”

“That’s possible.”

“Then if we travel to other countries, will they all start speaking Korean too? Maybe even writing Hangul?”

Han Yoojin’s eyes sparkled. There were translation items but not translation tools for written language, so if the new intelligent species used Hangul, it would be convenient in many ways.

“Yoohyun, you said you can fly a helicopter, right? Can you pilot planes too?”

“Yeah. After Haeyeon got a private jet, I learned just in case. I can pilot small planes too.”

“Then let’s take this chance to travel around the world. Winter’s coming anyway, so there’s not much to do.”

They could just leave plenty of feed in the greenhouse for the chickens and prepare similarly for the other livestock.

“Where should we go first? China or Japan since they’re close? Yoohyun, where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere you go, Hyung.”

“Hey, I’m asking for your opinion. The Haeyeon Guild Master is famous for never leaving Korea. You’ve never even been overseas, have you?”

“No. I’d be worried about leaving you behind. I didn’t even want to go into dungeons.”

“If you hated it that much, you should’ve just quit and run away with me. Maybe we should start with Russia before it gets colder. The north might already feel like winter.”

Han Yoojin spoke excitedly about finishing the harvest quickly and preparing for the trip. Han Yoohyun looked pleased as well.

Context: Set during an arc where Yoojin and the gang split into 2 groups (Yoojin’s team and Sung Hyunje’s team) and have to compete in the “Game of Life” where they get transported into a different world and roll dices to determine which course of action to take and whether the action will go well. Yoojin and Yoohyun are in the same group.

.

“Uhm, Yoohyun-ah.”

My younger brother looked at me. As I met his eyes, which were filled with trust and affection, I found it hard to open my mouth. But this was something I couldn’t avoid, so I let out a deep sigh and, through the growing embarrassment, finally confessed.

“It seems that… your hyung has to get married.”

“…Huh?”

Yoohyun-ie tilted his head, clearly not understanding what I meant.

“I mean, this damn system!”

Seriously, this stupid system.

“The result of the dice I just rolled says I have to get married. You know, it’s that game of life thing. It’s not real since it’s just a game. I mean, it is just a game, but…”

Still, marriage was marriage. It meant I had to marry someone whom I had a connection with. The faces of the people who had come to this world with me floated past my eyes one after another. Me, standing in formal wear at a wedding hall, and someone beside me…

A dry laugh slipped out before I knew it.

“Marrying? You? With whom?”

“They say it just has to be someone I have a connection with… And there’s also this condition that if I choose someone as the partner, they will absolutely develop love for me… Seriously, isn’t that insane? Isn’t that basically mind control?!”

So if I just confessed, the other person would fall in love with me? Even someone like Sung Hyunje or Official Song.

…Though maybe it wouldn’t work on Sung Hyunje?

For a moment, I wondered what he would be like if he fell in love. If the person wasn’t me but someone else, that might actually be interesting to watch.

Ah, but my kids are out of the question too (regarding Sung Hyunje falling in love with them). The people around me—the ones I’m close to—are out as well. Regardless of who it might be, Official Song would probably have a hard time processing it. This would also include the people from Sesung Guild, including Soyoung-ssi.

Hmm. Honestly, it might be better for the world—and for humanity—if Sung Hyunje just never fell in love at all.

He’d be a nuisance in more ways than one.

“If such feeling disappears once the game ends, then that’s at least a relief. But if it stays even after that, it’ll be a huge problem.”

“That’s right, hyung.”

Yoohyun nodded seriously, then continued.

“So marry me.”

“…What…?”

Even though I knew this marriage is something that happens inside a game and not in real life, I still found myself momentarily flustered.

Well, I mean, when playing games, you usually don’t think much about the people on the other side of the phone or monitor anyway. Some of my classmates were even married in-game. Didn’t they say you got some extra bonuses if you got married in games or something like that? At first, when I heard them saying we got married without realizing it was a game, I thought they’d all gone crazy.

Anyway, if I’d just been playing games normally with my younger brother, I might’ve even agreed to marry him in-game for Yoohyun’s sake, since he’d probably have no social skills in games either.

Still…

“That would be the safest option.”

“…Huh? Ah, um.”

“Everyone here is S-rank, so them developing those feelings may affect you, hyung, in a threatening way. If those feelings continue even after the game, it would be even more dangerous. But I already love you, hyung, so nothing would change.”

…Even if it’s called love, I feel like familial love and that kind of love are a bit different. Though, if you get married you become one family anyway, so maybe it’s roughly the same.

“Also, unlike other people, I wouldn’t try to impose the marriage from here back into the real world. Someone else might want to keep their marriage with you, hyung, even after we leave. And you probably wouldn’t be able to push them away easily, right? Since you’d technically be married.”

“Th-that’s probably true.”

If someone said, ‘Marriage is marriage, so take responsibility!’, I’d find it hard to refuse. Even aside from that, I couldn’t marry someone while manipulating their feelings.

There isn’t really anyone else suitable either… Noah-ssi is too young, Marie-ssi and Samir-ssi and I are still too awkward with each other to get married, I’d feel bad toward Official Song, it’d be troublesome for Hyuna-ssi, Liette is dangerous, and Sung Hyunje is scary.

“Irin should like Yuhyeon the most, so that’s not allowed!”

Ah, right. Irin, you’re a spirit to begin with, so… Wait a second.

I don’t necessarily have to get married with a human, do I?

Just looking at the Transcendents, there were all sorts of different races, so the system probably wouldn’t oppose interspecies marriage either.

In that case, the best possible marriage partner would obviously be—

“Pongpong-ie!”

The very plant that slept with me, ate with me, rode in the car with me everywhere, and did everything together with me. Yes, Pongpong definitely qualified.

Pongpong probably likes me too. I’ve taken such good care of it, after all. And I like Pongpong too.

.

“If it’s Pongpong-ie then…”

At my shout, my younger brother tilted his head.

“…The flowerpot?”

“Yeah, our cute Pongpong-ie. System, my bride is Pongpong-ie!”

Wait, what gender was Pongpong again? Ah, whatever, this is an age where people don’t really care about that anymore, right? It doesn’t matter anyway. Pongpong, I’ll even put a veil on you, and a bouquet— actually… from Pongpong’s perspective, wouldn’t that make it a horror-like wedding? Maybe we should skip the bouquet or replace it with artificial flowers.

[Error! Marriage with a partner that does not possess emotions is impossible!]

“…What? Hey, isn’t this discrimination against plants?! I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that plants have emotions, so why are you ignoring our Pongpong-ie? There are even plants among the Transcendents!”

You know, that Tree guy. As I protested, another message window appeared.

[It requires a significant amount of time to cultivate a target so that they can feel love. Even so, if you truly love them, you may consume some accumulated points to proceed with the marriage♡]

“I’ll pass. Cancel.”

I do like Pongpong, but not by that much. Sorry, Pongpong-ie. Let’s just stay friends like we are now.

They said the partner’s feelings for me would be guaranteed, but this is a scam.

So that meant the truck I adore, or a kick scooter, or a house, or even money couldn’t be marriage partners either. What a narrow-minded system.

“If plants aren’t allowed, then wouldn’t I be the best option?”, Yoohyun said calmly.

But still… even if it’s just a game for me, I can’t make my younger brother get married. I’d feel sorry for my future sister-in-law too. The real wedding he’ll have someday should be his first…

Though it does feel like my little brother probably isn’t the type to get married at all.

Anyway, it’s just a game, and I’ve even said before that I’d participate in a marriage reality show if asked… Still, it feels a bit uncomfortable.

“Hmmm… about my marriage partner… would it be possible to pick Han Yoohyun? We don’t actually have to hold a full ceremony, right?”

If we just quickly and simply finished it with Irin acting as both the officiant and a guest, without anyone else knowing, wouldn’t that work?

[Error! Marriage with a partner that does not possess emotions is impossible!]

“…What? Hey, why not my younger brother?! What do you mean Yoohyun-ie doesn’t have emotions!”

[Due to the characteristics of the target’s species, emotions cannot manifest. One’s innate essence cannot be changed even if all accumulated points are consumed. Please find another partner~☆ Also, the wedding ceremony requires five citizen witnesses!]

Species characteristics, huh. Maybe because he’s practically fire itself. It sounded like plants could develop emotions if they grew enough to gain intelligence, but fire couldn’t.

But Yoohyun laughs, cries, and gets angry like anyone else.

“I thought it might be possible since I can feel emotions when it comes to you, hyung. I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?! It’s the system that’s being discriminatory. If the system says it’s impossible, does that mean you’re immune to emotion-related mental skills too?”

“I’ve never tested it, but I think so. Monster skills definitely didn’t work on me. At the time, I thought it was just because my rank was higher.”

“Well, that’s actually a good thing.”

In the end, Yoohyun-ie was eliminated as well. Though once the requirement of inviting five guests came up, the whole wedding had already become impossible anyway.

Why does a wedding even need guests in the first place? As long as the two people involved are happy, that should be enough. This system is so old-fashioned.

* * *

“So, I need to find a marriage partner.”

“Huh? Ahjussi, you’re getting married?”

Yerim’s mouth fell open in surprise. Since I couldn’t think of anyone suitable right away, and since the system said there had to be wedding guests too, we decided to go back home and think about it together.

“It says I have to decide within 24 hours. Since the marriage’s not real, it doesn’t really matter who it is, but the problem is that it manipulates the other person’s emotions. And the feelings may be lasting.”

After checking with the system, it said that depending on the target’s abilities, the effect could last anywhere from a week to several decades. Yerim nodded with a serious expression.

“That is a problem. Otherwise you could just confess to Hyuna-unni.”

“…Why Hyuna -ssi?”

“Because ahjussi likes Hyuna-unni.”

“I-I like her as a person! I’m not interested in her in that manner!”

I said quickly, shaking my head. …To be honest, it’s not like I have absolutely no feelings for her, but it’s not to the point where I’d want to date her or marry her… right. Ahem.

Yerim laughed and said, “Okay, I’ll believe you.”

No, Yerim—when it’s someone like Hyuna -ssi, isn’t it actually harder not to have any feelings at all? You know what I mean. Ahjussi just has a kind of natural fondness for her, that’s all. Really. I’ve never even shown it.

“Darling, I have feelings for you!”

Liette suddenly shot her hand up.

“So marry me!”

“Noona!”

“Hyung!”

As Liette lunged toward me, Noah grabbed her to hold her back while Yoohyun quickly stepped in front of me, shielding me behind him.

“Hey, Liette! The marriage is fake, fake! It’s not real!”

“But it’s still a wedding, so we should go on a honeymoon and spend the first night together, right? I’ll treat you well~.”

“W-What nonsense are you talking about! We’ll just hold the ceremony and that’s it!”

“Yoojin-ssi, noona is too dangerous!”

“Uh, I don’t think Liette-unni is a good idea either.”

“I’m against it too.” (This is Yoohyun)

She is already like that now, so if the emotion of love got added on top of it, I felt like she’d literally devour me.

After calming the disappointed Liette down, Noah turned to look at me.

“Is it impossible with people here (the people in the game world) who aren’t part of our group? There are people who know you, even if only briefly, Yoojin-ssi.”

“There are, but…”

I tried to recall the balloon-people I’d interacted with enough to call acquaintances. Hmm…

“So, ahjussi? Is there someone you like?”

“Well, before that, most of them are already married. They’re married.”

Comes with the job, you know. Most of the senior council members I met often were fairly old and already married. Same with my former business partners.

“Even if this isn’t the real world, manipulating someone’s emotions already feels wrong. I can’t exactly go and commit adultery too.”

“Since your looks work here, ahjussi, how about going out and trying to date someone right now?”

“That’s not allowed”, Yoohyun said disapprovingly.

“Knowing hyung’s personality, if he got married like that, it would stay on his mind for a long time. It’d be better to just capture a criminal and manipulate their emotions instead.”

“Ah, yeah. Ahjussi could probably do that.”

A criminal… guys, even if it’s fake, a marriage is still a marriage.

But just like Yoohyun said, even if I dated someone briefly for a day, I’d still feel sorry toward them and keep thinking about it afterward.

“The issue right now is the emotional manipulation, right? If the duration depends on ability stats, wouldn’t the Sesung Guild leader have the shortest duration?”, Noah said.

If it were Sung Hyunje, the effect definitely wouldn’t last very long.

“If it’s similar to a skill, Hunter Song Taewon might be able to weaken the effect as well.”

“Ah, that’s true.”

If we take into account Official Song’s Plundering skill, it might work. Or maybe my curse resistance would work too. In that case, targeting Sung Hyunje, who probably has the strongest resistance to mental manipulation…would be the better option, but…

“…Wouldn’t Sung Hyunje be even more dangerous than Liette?”

Even if it’s only for a short time on the wedding day. Yoohyun, Yerim, Noah, and even Liette all nodded.

More than anything, that guy would probably feel extremely offended just by the idea of someone manipulating his emotions.

“Right now, the Sesung-ahjussi here isn’t the same as our Sesung ahjussi. I think he’d be even more dangerous.”

(Highlight for explanation in white text: To prevent a hostile party from competing against them, Sung Hyunje reverts to his pre-regression status where his contract with the filial piety addicts are still intact and assumes the role of opponent team leader.)

“Yeah, that sounds about right. Even when I’m just standing still, he picks fights with me all the time. I doubt he’d even allow someone to mess with his emotions.”

“If we really have to choose someone, I think Hunter Moon Hyuna and Official Song Taewon would be the safest partners for hyung. It would’ve been better if Peace were here.”

Yoohyun said reluctantly.

Yoohyun… you really think highly of Peace as a marriage partner, huh. Monsters might count as marriage candidates too, but Peace… Ah!

“The octopus!”

“The octopus?”

Everyone looked at me with puzzled expressions. Yes, that’s right. There was an octopus. My rival!

(Highlight for explanation in white text: Basically in one of the turns Yoojin works as a fisherman and had this… intense battle with an octopus. Thus referring to it as a rival)

Octopuses are intelligent animals. And if it’s an octopus big enough to be my rival, it would surely be able to feel clear emotions, unlike plants.

So I came to the seaside, carrying a bundle of fresh fish.

“…Hyung.”

“…Ahjussi.”

“…Yoojin-ssi.”

“So that’s your taste. If it transforms into a human, is one tail not enough for you?”

Liette, please shut up for a bit.

Sunlight sparkled over the morning sea. As I watched the rippling waves, a sigh slipped out on its own.

Why does our team only have four members? Since we need citizen witnesses, Irin and Pongpong weren’t options. The people in this town would definitely think we were crazy and refuse, so we’d have to call Sung Hyunje’s group instead…

Just imagining sending out wedding invitations made my vision go blank.

Should I just go capture a criminal even now? An octopus or a criminal… Since I’d have to build some familiarity first, that would mean dating a criminal… No, let’s just go with the octopus.

“I’ll marry the octopus—my rival chosen by fate.”

[☆We support your love!!★]

With the system message, whooosh, a wave surged up. Between the waves, the octopus’s tentacles wriggled, gleaming under the sunlight.

Ah… that’s dazzling.

The giant octopus stretched a long tentacle toward me on land.

Please spare me.

“…Yerim-ah, could you… place it in the tank… carefully.”

“I refuse to acknowledge you as my in-law!”

Shouting something that sounded straight out of a drama line, Yerim scooped the octopus, along with the seawater, into the tank. Being careful not to touch the tentacles, I quickly tossed the bundle of fish toward it.

“Well, um… even if it’s only a short relationship, I look forward to working with you.”

“I still don’t like the idea of hyung getting married.”

“Unlike Han Yoohyun, if ahjussi got married I was planning to congratulate him no matter what—but not with an octopus. I don’t like the idea of ahjussi marrying an octopus either.”

Standing side by side, Yoohyun and Yerim spoke bluntly.

Looks like the in-laws are strongly opposed.

I felt a bit sorry for the octopus that had been forcibly brought here by the system, but I couldn’t really see it as a marriage partner either. It just felt like a fresh ingredient for seafood stew sitting in a tank.

“Let’s load it onto the truck.”

It felt like we should be heading to a sashimi restaurant instead of a wedding hall, but anyway—

Context: After successfully defeating Chatterbox and having his pre-regression memories revealed to the world, Yoojin disappeared. Sung Hyunje also went missing (kidnapped by Cresent Moon gang to prepare for his “wedding”).

.

Han Yoojin had gone missing. It was said that he was somewhere on Earth, but his whereabouts were unknown.

Han Yoojin was not an ordinary F-rank Hunter. Even setting aside his abilities as a Hunter, he had plenty of social experience and excellent interpersonal skills. Song Taewon believed that no matter where in the world Han Yoojin might end up in, he was the kind of person who could at least take care of himself. This assessment was very different from when Song Taewon had first met him.

However, at the same time, Han Yoojin was still stat F. He wasn’t the kind of person who would be easily crushed by high-rank Hunters, but his rank definitely meant he stood on the disadvantaged side. Even if you trusted him, it was impossible not to worry.

“Yes, I see. As expected.”

And to make matters worse, this was right after information about the time regression had been revealed. High-rank Hunters whose memories hadn’t been completely erased had begun making moves to search for Han Yoojin.

So, they needed to track down Han Yoojin’s location as quickly as possible.

“Hunter Han Yoohyun.”

Song Taewon couldn’t take his eyes off the Korean Hunters other than Han Yoojin either. Han Yoohyun showed no reaction at all, as if he hadn’t heard Song Taewon’s voice.

Before he could leave the hotel, Song Taewon spoke again.

“On behalf of Han Yoojin-ssi… I want to say this.”

Song Taewon’s voice hesitated for a moment before continuing quickly.

“Han Yoojin-ssi would not want Hunter Han Yoohyun to act recklessly and on his own.”

“Hyung would say it’s fine no matter what I do, as long as I come back safely.”

With the Transcendents temporarily withdrawn, there was currently no one in this world who could threaten Han Yoohyun. So whatever he chose to do didn’t really matter.

Even so, his response did not sound arrogant or overly confident. Han Yoohyun was simply stating what he believed to be an obvious fact.

“That may well be true. However, Han Yoojin-ssi would likely try to personally clean up after whatever you do, Hunter Han Yoohyun. And since this is the United States rather than Korea, the situation would inevitably become more complicated. There is a strong possibility that he could end up tied down here for a long time.”

He had exaggerated slightly, but it was not a lie. Han Yoojin would never leave Han Yoohyun’s mess unattended. And the American Hunter community would hardly pass up a good opportunity to keep Han Yoojin tied down.

“But Hunter Han Yoohyun will likely have to return to Korea. You have duties as a Guild Master, and the United States will probably demand that you leave the country. That would make it easier for them to approach Han Yoojin-ssi.”

“Don’t you have a duty to protect the Hunters of your own country?”

Han Yoohyun turned his body toward Song Taewon. It seemed he had finally decided to listen properly.

Inside, Song Taewon swallowed a sigh.

“You wouldn’t allow hyung to remain in the United States. The Korean government and the Hunter Association feel the same.”

“Of course, we will do our utmost to protect Hunter Han Yoojin. However, there are limits. Hunter Han Yoohyun. If you intend to live within society rather than apart from it, please follow the proper procedures.”

Contrary to what Song Taewon had said, with the abilities of Han Yoojin and Han Yoohyun, it wouldn’t actually be difficult for them to smooth over most incidents. It was society that needed them, not the other way around. Especially Han Yoohyun.

However, Song Taewon had a duty to stop Han Yoohyun’s unilateral actions somehow. If he let the other go like this, a clash with the high-ranking Hunters targeting Han Yoojin would inevitably occur. And that clash would happen right in the middle of Manhattan.

Han Yoohyun didn’t deliberately harm civilians. Rather, he simply had no interest in them at all. In that sense, among S-class Hunters he could even be considered relatively moderate.

However, if it involved his hyung, that was a different matter. When it came to Han Yoojin, there was no such thing as a reasonable limit. Letting him loose like this would make him even more dangerous.

“You’re well aware that Han Yoojin-ssi wishes to adjust to society and blend into it appropriately, if only for the sake of his children.”

Han Yoohyun’s gaze briefly fell upon the back of his own hand. The skin was clean and unblemished.

“I trust hyung.”

Not your words.

There were flaws in Song Taewon’s persuasion, and it wasn’t enough to stop Han Yoohyun. But the part that was lacking could be filled by Han Yoohyun’s trust in and respect for Han Yoojin.

Hyung had even escaped safely from that Chatterbox’s grasp. So there was no way he would fall victim to mere humans in this world.

Han Yoohyun desperately wanted to find his hyung and stay by his side as soon as possible, even if it was only for a moment longer. But he decided to endure a little more. Just as Song Taewon had said, his hyung wanted to live in this world’s society together with him.

“I won’t wait long.”

“Yes. I’ll obtain permission and cooperation for the search operation as quickly as possible.”

Saying he would wait, Han Yoohyun called over Peace, who had been standing near the hotel entrance. Though Peace showed dissatisfaction and confusion, it followed the command and went up to the room with Han Yoohyun.

“…Ha...”

Song Taewon finally let out a short sigh he had been holding back.

For now, the biggest hurdle had been overcome. Moon Hyuna was cooperative, and since Park Yerim, who tended to stay within the bounds of common sense, had left together with her, that was another worry off his shoulders. Noah and Liette belonged to the European Hunter Federation, and since that side had agreed to handle them, they were outside Song Taewon’s authority. Evelyn and Kang Soyoung had decided to return home first.

Regarding the last remaining person.

‘Hunter Sung Hyunje…’

As Song Taewon contacted the American Hunter Association, the face of the one other person who had disappeared came to mind.

It was a daunting thought.

* * *

Song Taewon, Director of the Korean Awakened Management Office, moved busily around the United States.

His top priority was obtaining permission for Hunters Han Yoohyun and Park Yerim to conduct a search operation for Han Yoojin. Even convincing them (the Management office of the States) of the clear reason, that Dodam Breeding Farm maintained close relations with Haeyeon and that Han Yoojin was family, required a mountain of paperwork.

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, the terrorist activities of the Prophet faction had begun, allowing Han Yoohyun to quickly receive combat authorization within the city under the pretext of dealing with them.

However, there was still no news of Han Yoojin or Sung Hyunje.

“Apparently it’s nothing but false reports again today!”

Park Yerim, who had taken over communications with Haeyeon while Han Yoohyun pursued the terrorists, grumbled. Then, she looked at Song Taewon with concern.

“Public servant ahjusshi, you stayed up all night again, didn’t you?”

“I’m fine.”

“What do you mean fine! Even if you’re S-class, they said you still need to sleep a little. People at the Awakened Management Office said that even S-class Hunters feel fatigue if they overwork—and that Director Song is the living proof of it!”

“I’m still fine.”

“You’re not fine. What if you find ahjusshi later but you’re in bad condition? Hyuna-unni said there’s definitely going to be a huge fight.”

Given how heated the situation was, she said it would be hard for things to end quietly with everyone simply going home. Park Yerim crossed her arms and looked straight at Song Taewon.

“More importantly, public servant ahjusshi is my team member!”

“…Excuse me?”

“Yes, the Yesong Team. This is an order from the team leader. You must sleep tonight!”

(Context, highlight to read the white text: Song Taewon and Yerim participated in the Chatterbox game as a team. Yoojin competed on his own.)

Was Park Yerim the team leader? More importantly, had there even been a team leader? Song Taewon thought blankly. Perhaps he wanted to forget as quickly as possible, because the events from the party already felt hazy, like something from over ten years ago.

In any case, it was true that once Han Yoojin’s location was found, a clash between Hunters would be unavoidable. Above all, the movements of the terrorist organization were far from ordinary.

Because of that, Song Taewon decided he would at least get a little sleep.

* * *

“Since we came all the way to the United States, it’d be a shame not to do some sightseeing in Paris~.”

Han Yoojin was standing atop the head of a swaying gondola (a type of boat similar to the ones used in the canals of Venice). Beside him, Sung Hyunje slowly fanned himself. Both of them were dressed in Rococo-era clothing, as if they were about to attend a grand masquerade ball.

Song Taewon felt relieved. So they were sightseeing together. The fact that the two of them were together made him uneasy, but at least they were safe. They didn’t seem to have caused any particular trouble either.

“But it’s a pity it’s only the two of us.”

“We were about to blow up the Eiffel Tower, yet there are so few spectators.”

The Eiffel Tower… Song Taewon’s heart began to pound. Of course, it wasn’t from anticipation.

The Eiffel Tower appeared in front of the two of them. Han Yoojin laughed brightly, giggling with delight. Sung Hyunje lifted an opera glass and looked toward the tower.

“The bombs are stacked quite beautifully.”

“My skills have improved a lot in the meantime~.”

Han Yoojin raised a classic-looking bomb switch high into the air. Reflexively, Song Taewon reached out his hand.

But his body wouldn’t move, as if it were tightly bound in chains.

‘Han Yoojin-ssi!’

Even his voice wouldn’t come out. Sung Hyunje poured wine into a glass. Han Yoojin’s finger descended toward the red switch.

Click.

And then—boom!

Song Taewon’s eyes flew open.

“……”

The dim ceiling of the hotel room came into view. The blanket he had unconsciously gripped tightly had been torn in a long rip.

‘…A dream.’

Song Taewon calmed his pounding heart. He normally didn’t dream much, but with both Han Yoojin and Sung Hyunje missing, the situation must have been stressing him more than he realized.

‘…Han Yoojin-ssi would never do something like that.’

He had caused plenty of trouble before, but he wasn’t the kind of person who would harm others for no reason, just as a prank.

A dream was only a dream.

Song Taewon picked up his phone to check the time and tried to go back to sleep.

But sleep didn’t come easily.

* * *

On the fifth day since Han Yoojin and Sung Hyunje went missing, the whereabouts of the two were finally revealed, along with news of Sung Hyunje’s marriage.

The circumstances were unclear, but Song Taewon immediately began negotiations to head to Africa. Fortunately, both the United States and the Hunter Association in Egypt, where he was heading, were fairly cooperative.

“It’s a shame you’re leaving already.”

An employee of the New York Hunter Association, who had come to see Song Taewon off at the airport, spoke with sincere regret. Song Taewon gave a polite bow of his head.

“Thank you for your cooperation during this time.”

“No, we’re the ones who should be thankful. Whenever Director Song visits, things stay peaceful.”

The association employee continued with a sigh.

“In the United States, not only in public office but even within the association, it’s rare to have even A-rank Hunters, let alone S-rank ones. S-ranks only sign short-term contracts at best. Meanwhile, most Hunters in the association are mid-rank or lower. But New York, especially Manhattan, has a high population density, so the dungeon occurrence rate is high, which means there are many high-rank Hunters as well… and they’re quite forceful.”

The more important Hunters became, the greater their influence tended to be. As a result, the ones who suffered the most were the relevant departments and association staff.

“If we just had even one S-rank Hunter staying with us, things would be much easier.”

Song Taewon calmly brushed aside the gaze that carried not just admiration but outright desire. It was something he encountered in almost every country. Thanks to that, there had even been times when working overseas felt easier than working in Korea.

“Even with a direct flight, Egypt is quite far, so please get some rest on the way.”

Leaving behind the lingering farewell asking him to visit again anytime, Song Taewon boarded the plane.

Han Yoohyun and Park Yerim would likely have slipped aboard quietly as well, but boarding the private jet alone still felt extremely awkward.

Song Taewon sat in the spacious seat and checked his phone. After once again reviewing the photo of a cat presumed to be Han Yoojin and the information on Samir and Isabella, he leaned back deeply against the seat.

‘Han Yoojin-ssi seems to be safe for now, but…’

The photo uploaded by Isabella did not appear to have been taken under coercion. Rather, it was more likely that Han Yoojin himself had requested it be taken so that his location could be revealed.

In other words, the relationship between the two S-class Hunters and Han Yoojin was likely friendly, or at the very least a contractual alliance.

‘Both S-class Hunters had decent evaluations as well.’

Even if their relationship soured, they weren’t the kind of people who would harm Han Yoojin, or so he had been told. The information couldn’t be trusted unconditionally, but for now, it seemed safe enough to feel reassured about Han Yoojin’s side.

But as for Sung Hyunje…

A deep crease formed between Song Taewon’s brows.

‘Marriage…?’

If, like Huanglin had joked, Sung Hyunje’s marriage partner was Han Yoojin, it would almost make sense. But otherwise, there was absolutely no one he could imagine.

‘He’s not the type to marry someone he doesn’t find worthy just for the sake of a goal…’

Sung Hyunje occasionally did incomprehensible and absurd things, but he rarely behaved in a way that diminished his own value. At least, that was the kind of person Song Taewon believed him to be.

The plane began rolling down the runway, and amid the vibrations Song Taewon searched through his memories. But still, marriage—

“Public servant ajhusshi!”

Bang— the door connecting to the bedroom area flew open as Park Yerim walked in.

“You know, regarding Sesung ahjusshi’s marriage partner— if it isn’t our ahjusshi, then who else could it be? Honestly, the only people Sesung ahjusshi shows interest in are our ahjusshi and public servant ahjusshi. Soyoung-unni said public servant ahjusshi might know.”

Saying that Soyoung-unni had also been extremely shocked, Park Yerim hopped over to the seat beside Song Taewon.

“I don’t know either.”

“Then maybe it’s just a rumor! What if Sesung-ahjusshi also turned into a cat and is traveling around with our ahjusshi?”

For a moment, Song Taewon thought he would rather that be the case. If Sung Hyunje were a cat, the worst trouble he might cause would probably be bullying neighborhood dogs.

“For now… if it were Hunter Sung Hyunje, he would have personally announced his marriage.”

“That’s true.”

“So if the marriage news is real, it’s likely there’s another reason or objective behind it. Or… it could even be a forced marriage.”

“Sesung ahjusshi in a forced marriage?”

Park Yerim first looked startled, then let out a long sigh.

“Well, Sesung ahjusshi does look kind of sickly sometimes. Like with our ahjusshi, someone might’ve just picked him up somewhere strange and decided to marry him just because of his face.” (She’s calling out Yoojin for being a face-con..)

“…I don’t think a marriage like that should happen.”

Not just for Sung Hyunje’s sake, but for the other person’s as well.

Park Yerim nodded in agreement.

“They said it’ll take ten hours to get to Egypt, so public servant ahjusshi should sleep too. Han Yoohyun is in the innermost bedroom. I’ll use the bedroom farthest from there.”

After Park Yerim left her seat, Song Taewon found a blanket and covered himself. Simply reclining the chair was enough.

Song Taewon closed his eyes, trying to calm the chaotic thoughts racing through his mind.

* * *

“Director Song, it really suits you!”

Han Yoojin, dressed in formal wedding attire, said with a bright smile. Song Taewon stared at him blankly.

Everything around them was brilliantly white. Flower petals fluttered down from somewhere.

“Oh dear, your expression is far too stiff. Try smiling naturally.”

“You’re probably just nervous. That would make sense.”

Sung Hyunje was also wearing a white, ornate ceremonial outfit like Han Yoojin. Song Taewon slowly blinked his eyes. The blurred scenery around him gradually came into clearer focus.

A place filled with flowers… a wedding hall…?

“Marriage……”

Before he could even finish thinking surely not those two, Han Yoojin suddenly grabbed one of Song Taewon’s arms.

“Yes, it’s Director Song’s wedding!”

“…Excuse me?!”

“Isn’t Song Taewon-ssi the main character of today?”

His other arm was seized by Sung Hyunje. Startled, Song Taewon tried to pull himself free from where he stood. But he couldn’t escape - not from Sung Hyunje, and not even from the grip of F-rank Han Yoojin.

“Wait a moment—who exactly am I marrying—!”

“Congratulations on public servant ahjusshi’s marriage!”

“Maa-eh!” (Songyi!!)

From the sky, Park Yerim and a black baby lamb descended with angel wings attached. Park Yerim scattered flower petals everywhere.

Before he knew it, the guest seats were filled with employees from the Awakened Management Office. Han Yoohyun, Moon Hyuna, Kang Soyoung, and even Peace were visible. Kang Soyoung suddenly sprang to her feet and pulled a party popper, which exploded loudly. Amid the applause of the guests, Han Yoojin and Sung Hyunje began dragging Song Taewon forward.

“Stop this, I—!”

.

Hah—!

With a sharp gasp for breath, Song Taewon’s eyes flew open.

The sound of the airplane engine rang in his ears like applause. Taking a deep breath, Song Taewon looked around his seat. Fortunately, it seemed he hadn’t destroyed the airplane while half-asleep.

‘…What was that?’

A chill ran down the back of his neck. Song Taewon slowly brushed back his disheveled hair.

Perhaps the stress and fatigue had piled up more than he thought.

Still—

‘It was just a dream.’

He was relieved it had only been a dream. The mere thought of himself dressed in pure white wedding attire sent a shiver down his spine.

Song Taewon checked the time and looked out the window.

He felt like he should rest a bit more, but he didn’t want to sleep. If he closed his eyes, it felt like Han Yoojin and Sung Hyunje would grab him again and drag him back into that wedding hall. Their delighted expressions were still vivid in his mind.

‘It’s better when they’re somewhere I can see…’

Both Han Yoojin and Sung Hyunje. It was better that way. He almost found himself missing the chaos back in Korea. At the very least, if one of them was nearby— but with both of them far away, he couldn’t help feeling unsettled.

Still, Han Yoojin would be joining them soon.

Though he had a premonition the process wouldn’t be easy, Song Taewon tried to relax his body and get some rest.

“No.”

Han Yoojin said firmly.

“Yoohyun-ah, hyung has told you several times already that you can’t get a part-time job.”

Han Yoojin was extremely soft when it came to his kind and adorable younger brother, but there were a few matters where he was absolutely strict. One of them was his young brother trying to earn money.

“A student’s duty is to study. And to eat well, sleep well, play well, and grow up healthy.”

Han Yoohyun stared quietly at his hyung, who recited the same words every time with a stern expression as if reading from a book, then spoke.

“But hyung, these days after-school activities are important too.”

“…Huh?”

“They say universities, and even employers, value diverse experiences.”

At his younger brother’s crisp explanation, Han Yoojin blinked.

Although he had left school before going through the process of entering university, he wasn’t completely ignorant about things like early admissions or interviews.

“Uh, I’ve heard a bit about that too… Still, wouldn’t it be better to go to places like museums or exhibitions? Hyung can give you more allowance.”

Han Yoohyun shook his head briefly.

“We can go to places like that anytime. There are plenty of museums with free admission too. Let’s go together next time, when you’re resting, hyung.”

“Eh, why would I go?”

“And saying I followed hyung to help where he works, that kind of story would score well.”

Han Yoohyun spoke while recalling the behavioral patterns of the humans he had observed so far. Most of that information had been related to Han Yoojin, but it was still more than enough.

“It’s touching. People like that kind of thing.”

Hyung had liked it too. When Yoohyun first tried to help with housework, hadn’t he praised him endlessly?

Hearing his brother’s reasoning, Han Yoojin looked thoughtful.

“Hmmm… maybe that’s true? It might be good to include in something like a job application essay. But wait, do you even write those if you go to medical school?”

“You never know.”

“That’s true. You never know what might happen in life.”

Han Yoojin nodded and picked up his old cellphone. Since it was for the sake of preparing his precious younger brother’s future, he could no longer refuse.

“Still, I’m only allowing it because it’s the school’s anniversary holiday and it connects to the weekend, so you’ll have several days off. Otherwise, don’t even think about doing part-time work.”

“Okay. Got it, hyung.”

“I’ll ask the boss, but it might not work out. It’s a ‘no-guest day’ today so there’s a lot of work—we’re short on hands…”

On the other hand, because they were busy, a beginner could end up being more of a hindrance.

Han Yoojin called the moving company boss.

“Hello, boss~. Actually, it’s about something…”

He politely explained that his younger brother wanted to see where he worked and asked if it would be alright to treat it like a sort of field experience.

The boss readily agreed.

“Just have him organize small things. Both houses today are big and they have lots of books. Tell him to come eat and take some pocket money too.”

“Oh wow, thank you so much~. My younger brother is smart and careful though, so he won’t make many mistakes.”

Han Yoojin hung up and turned to his brother.

“They said you can come. Be polite and stick close to hyung.”

“Okay, hyung.”

“Since we have to leave early, go to bed early the night before.”

Han Yoohyun nodded while looking straight at his brother.

* * *

“When you’re moving around a lot, you get hungry quickly, so you have to eat a good meal.”

Han Yoojin said this while placing a pot of stew on the stove and pouring oil into a frying pan.

Beside him, Han Yoohyun followed his instructions and filled a rice bowl to the brim.

They ate breakfast, washed up, and changed into comfortable clothes.

“It’s nice going out together with hyung.”

Putting on his sneakers, Han Yoohyun smiled brightly.

Because Han Yoojin usually left for work early and came home late, Yoohyun always had to leave the house alone and return to an empty home.

Feeling sorry and apologetic toward his younger brother, Han Yoojin gently ruffled his curly black hair.

“Yoohyun, you’ve really grown a lot. Aren’t you taller than hyung now?”

It felt like just yesterday when he had been this tiny. Kids grow up too quickly, Han Yoojin thought with a smile.

Han Yoohyun smiled back.

When they stepped outside and looked up, the sky was still dim. The air, only recently touched by sunlight, was slightly cool.

The sound of footsteps along the road now had one extra person walking beside him.

For some reason, that simple fact filled Han Yoojin with warmth.

He kept glancing at the younger brother walking beside him.

Just walking together like this made him feel softly excited.

They waited by the main road, and before long a small van appeared.

The door slid open with a rattle and the moving company boss and an employee stuck their heads out.

“Wow, Yoojin’s younger brother is really tall and handsome.”

“Haven’t I told you that several times already? You didn’t listen?”

“My ears are clogged from hearing about your brother too much. Hurry and get in.”

“Fine. Yoohyun, say hello.”

“Hello. My name is Han Yoohyun.”

The two climbed into the back seat side by side. Once the van started moving, the employee spoke.

“The first job is just moving stuff to another unit on the same apartment floor. No need for a truck. The layouts are identical, so we just move everything exactly as it is.”

“That sounds easy. Please take care of us again today.”

Han Yoojin bowed his head politely.

Han Yoohyun watched him as if observing him carefully.

* * *

“I’ll take the study room with my younger brother~.”

Han Yoojin said this when they arrived at the house they were moving into.

The study was filled wall-to-wall with large bookshelves. All kinds of books packed the shelves.

Han Yoojin wheeled in a cart stacked with empty boxes and set them down.

“Books are heavy, but they won’t break or get damaged, so at least we don’t have to worry about that. Since it’s just the two of us, we can take it slow.”

“We’re moving the items here exactly as they are, right?”

Han Yoohyun asked while looking over the bookshelves and desk.

“Yeah. They’re going to unit 3101. Yoohyun, you just pack the books. Don’t overdo it—you could hurt your wrist. Since lifting a full box of books is heavy, put one empty box on the cart first like this, fill it with books, then stack another empty box on top and fill that.”

“Okay. Got it, hyung.”

“No! I said don’t overdo it.”

Seeing Han Yoohyun grab an armful of books from the shelf, Han Yoojin hurriedly stopped him.

Reluctantly, Yoohyun only carried half of what he had originally picked up and placed them in the box.

“Good, that’s better. Take it slow.”

Han Yoojin also began moving books.

One box filled quickly. Then the next. And the next. Soon, the cart was stacked high with boxes of books.

Han Yoojin pulled over another empty cart and said to his brother,

“Hyung will go put these away first, so just take it easy from here.”

“Okay. Don’t worry.”

Han Yoojin left the study carrying the boxes of books. The moment his hyung’s figure disappeared, Han Yoohyun lifted an entire wide section of books from the shelf at once and moved them.

Han Yoojin had been fussing about him getting hurt, but this amount of weight didn’t burden Yoohyun at all.

The empty boxes filled quickly. Just as the cart was stacked high with book boxes, Han Yoojin returned.

“I told you to take it slow!”

Han Yoojin exclaimed in surprise when he saw the pile of boxes. Yoohyun smiled and lightly rotated both of his wrists.

“I’m totally fine. Really.”

“You might be fine now, but you’ll get tired quickly like that. Yoohyun, moving isn’t a quick job—it a job that takes time.”

While lecturing him, Han Yoojin set down the empty cart and dragged the full one away again.

Yoohyun once again moved the books quickly. After repeating that a few times, the bookshelf was completely empty. Han Yoojin shook his head when he saw his younger brother without even a trace of fatigue.

“Yoohyun, you’ve got better stamina than I thought. Are you really okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Then let’s move the bookshelf now. Step aside over there.”

Even with all the books removed, the bookshelf was still burdensome simply because of its size. Moving it without bumping anything required some technique.

Han Yoojin tilted the shelf and pushed a blanket underneath it with his foot. Yoohyun watched closely as his brother dragged it across the floor so it wouldn’t scratch the surface.

“You’re already moving the shelf?”

“Yeah! Once we finish the books, you can help with the desk!”

He pushed the bookshelf all the way to the entrance and lifted it onto the cart. Then he stood in front of the elevator.

Six bookshelves.

Up and down six times. Even organizing a single room wasn’t easy. Still, with his younger brother helping, it was much easier—Yoojin was smiling to himself when—

“Hyung.”

“…Huh?!”

Yoohyun’s voice came from right beside him.

And on top of the cart Yoohyun was pulling… there was a bookshelf.

Han Yoojin’s eyes widened.

“I told you to rest! How did you even move the shelf?!”

“It felt light without the books. If we do it together, we only have to go back and forth three times.”

“…Light? It’s not that light.”

Han Yoojin stared at Yoohyun in surprise.

His younger brother had grown more than he thought. His shoulders were broader now, and his arms were thicker and strong.

“Yoohyun, at this rate, you’ll really end up way bigger than hyung.”

As he pushed the shelf into the elevator, Han Yoojin said with satisfaction.

A kind, smart, handsome young man who was tall and physically strong.

Standing beside his brother, Yoohyun smiled silently.

“Even if I get much bigger, you’re still my hyung.”

“Of course, you brat.”

The brothers moved all the shelves and began putting the books back.

Yoohyun organized them quickly, placing every book back exactly where it had originally been.

Watching his younger brother fill the shelves without any sign of exhaustion, Han Yoojin muttered to himself that youth really was great.

Of course, he himself was also young—almost still a kid—but still.

“We finished really fast!”

Placing the final book, Han Yoojin stretched his back.

“Now we only need to move the desk and one cabinet, and the study’s done. The desk is big, so I’ll move it with one of the other guys. Yoohyun, you handle the cabinet. Don’t forget to take the drawers out.”

“I can lift the desk too.”

“Don’t even think about it. Strength alone isn’t enough. Don’t get hurt—just do what hyung said.”

At Han Yoojin’s explanation that technique mattered, Yoohyun quietly nodded.

But he hadn’t actually been convinced.

Han Yoojin thought of his younger brother as nothing more than an ordinary kid. In truth, Han Yoohyun was far from ordinary.

He didn’t need “technique.” Yoohyun instinctively understood how to use his strength. And even if he didn’t, he could still move things far faster and easier than Han Yoojin.

In terms of raw physical ability, Han Yoohyun had already surpassed what was normal.

But was there any reason to tell his hyung that?

To his hyung, even though his younger brother had grown tall and strong, he still looked like a baby bird in a nest.

There was no reason for Yoohyun to teach him that this chick could actually survive outside the nest as a bird of prey.

Because to Han Yoohyun, Han Yoojin’s small nest was his eternal and only refuge.

So for Han Yoojin, it was enough if Yoohyun was simply sturdy enough not to worry about.

“Take the drawers out like this and mark the order with these number stickers, okay? Hey, Hyung-nim! We need to move the desk! The big wooden one!”

Han Yoohyun stared blankly at the man lifting the desk with his brother. The two of them left the study.

Yoohyun blinked once and continued organizing the cabinet.

* * *

“I only told you to bring him so I could give him some pocket money, but he did more than a full worker’s worth!”

Even though the house was large, they finished before lunchtime.

Thanks to that, they could start the next job earlier, the moving company boss said cheerfully, asking the brothers what they wanted to eat.

“What do kids like these days? Chicken? Pizza?”

“We’ve got another house to go to, so something filling is better than fried food or flour-based stuff~.”

Han Yoojin replied with a bright smile, secretly wanting to give his younger brother something nourishing.

“Then how about samgyetang? Kids might not like it though.”

“I like it.”

Sitting right beside Yoojin, Yoohyun answered politely.

Yoohyun also wanted his hyung to eat something healthy.

So they had samgyetang for lunch and rested for a short while. Han Yoojin bought ice cream bars and shared them with his brother.

* * *

The second house was even bigger than the first.

The boss joked that they might end up eating dinner there at this rate, promising extra pay. Since it was a wealthy house, some of the furniture was expensive, so he repeatedly warned them to be careful.

Once again, Yoojin and Yoohyun were assigned to the study.

“This time we’ll need to load the stuff into the truck. It’s not that far, but it’ll take much longer than this morning, so around four or five you should go home first.”

“No.”

“Carrying stuff all day isn’t easy. Just go.”

“But hyung will keep working.”

“Hey, you and I aren’t the same. I’m used to this.”

“I’ll go home with hyung.”

Yoohyun said firmly.

He clearly had no intention of backing down. Since he couldn’t exactly tie up his large younger brother and send him home, Han Yoojin sighed.

“I’m telling you, it’s different when you’re not used to working. When hyung first started, I got sick from exhaustion.”

“Yeah. I took care of you.”

“After skipping school to do it. Honestly.”

The book boxes filled quickly again.

This time, though, they had to load them onto the truck, so it took longer going back and forth.

Yoohyun stacked the boxes rapidly.

That was when—

“Don’t drag it—lift it!”

A gruff voice from an unfamiliar man rang out.

He seemed to be the homeowner.

“You can’t even lift this and you call yourself movers? If you’re stupid, at least be strong.”

The man clicked his tongue repeatedly.

Even though the boss explained that dragging the furniture was safer and less likely to damage it, the man didn’t listen.

He kept interfering everywhere, treating the workers with blatant condescension.

“Yoohyun, don’t even make eye contact with people like that.”

Realizing the situation, Han Yoojin whispered quietly to his brother.

“Just think of him like a mad dog and avoid it.”

“Do you meet people like that often, hyung?”

“Sometimes. Most customers are good, though. Our boss and the workers are all careful and honest, so people like that are the ones who lose out. It’s not like we will move for them again.”

Problem customers weren’t accepted again anyway, Yoojin added with a shrug.

“There are plenty of shady companies too, so it’s disadvantageous for them to ruin relationships with a trustworthy one. Anyway, I’m not saying you should live so kindly that people take advantage of you, but at the very least you should treat others with basic respect. You never know when or where you’ll run into someone again.”

“Okay, hyung.”

Yoohyun nodded obediently.

He had no interest in other humans.

Even if civilization disappeared entirely, he had the instinctive certainty he could live without inconvenience.

But his hyung was different.

His hyung lived among humans, and Yoohyun lived together with him.

So following his hyung’s words was the right choice.

***

“Alright, let’s go!”

The moving truck started to move. The distance wasn’t far. About thirty minutes later, the truck stopped and the belongings were unloaded.

“Yoohyun, you stay here and organize the books.”

After moving the books in first, Han Yoojin said this. Yoohyun nodded and began putting the books on the shelves.

Since there was so much luggage, the area outside the study was noisy. Unlike the previous house, the layout was also being changed, making things even busier. In between, the nagging voice of the homeowner could be heard.

“Where are your eyes? I said it goes here!”

Complaints kept coming—wasn’t the scratch on the furniture their fault, were they goldfish-brained for not remembering which room things belonged to, were they so slow that they wouldn’t finish by today, and so on.

Naturally, the atmosphere gradually grew more hostile. When a large employee finally lost his patience and glared fiercely, the homeowner flinched and stepped back. Clicking his tongue in irritation, the man backed toward the hallway, and his eyes fell on a boy inside the study, organizing books alone.

The boy’s build was already comparable to that of an adult. He looked tall as well. But he had clearly heard that he was a student, the younger brother of one of the workers.

How poor must they be to bring their younger brother to a place like this? On a weekday, too. Were they not even sending him to school? The worker who was supposedly his brother looked young too. Did they not have parents?

Having found what looked like easy prey, the man stepped into the study. The boy’s handsome face irritated him even more at a glance.

“Hey, shouldn’t you put the books back exactly the way they were? Take them all out and do it again. Again.”

Han Yoohyun’s memory was precise. The man was simply being unreasonable. He had never even opened a single book on the shelf, but that didn’t matter. He only intended to make the boy take the books out and put them back over and over until his mood improved.

“Didn’t you hear me? Hurry—.”

Han Yoohyun lifted his head.

Beyond indifference, a pair of completely emotionless black eyes—like dark glass beads—turned toward the man.

The moment their eyes met, the man couldn’t move.

What… was that?

Suddenly, chills ran down his spine. Every hair on his body stood on end, and his throat and mouth went bone-dry. A fear without reason. A terror in which instinct screamed a dying scream.

Han Yoohyun slowly rose to his feet.

The man still couldn’t move. Like a weak victim trapped in a nightmare, he couldn’t even turn his head. And then, for a fleeting moment, he had the illusion that something red flickered deep within the boy’s black eyes.

“…Aaaah!”

The man screamed and bolted out of the study. Running blindly, he slammed his head into the wall with a bang and collapsed.

“What the—!”

“What happened?”

At the sudden scream, the moving company workers rushed over to the man. Yoojin, who had been carrying furniture with another worker, looked around in confusion.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. He suddenly screamed and ran out.”

The front of the man’s pants was wet. The workers coughed awkwardly and looked away.

“Looks like he came out of the study.”

“The study?”

Startled, Yoojin quickly ran into the room where his brother was.

Han Yoohyun greeted him with a clear, calm face.

“Hyung.”

“Yoohyun, did the homeowner come in here?”

“Yeah. But he suddenly screamed and ran out.”

“Suddenly?”

Yoojin frowned as he looked around the study. Was there a ghost here or something? Did that guy move into the wrong house?

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. I think he’s just a weird person.”

“…Well, that’s a relief then.”

After confirming that his brother was unharmed, Yoojin let out a short sigh. The homeowner seemed completely out of sorts. Soon an ambulance arrived and took him away.

“Is it okay to just send him off like that?” someone asked.

“From the beginning, it wasn’t even the husband who hired us—it was the wife. She said she got our number from an acquaintance who recommended us, said we worked carefully and never mishandled items. She said she was busy and told us to just arrange everything ourselves. That guy was just going around trying to pick faults.”

Clicking tongues could be heard here and there. Still, saying it was actually for the best, everyone returned to work.

.

“You were startled, weren’t you?”

Yoojin said this while finishing up the study with his younger brother. Yoohyun shook his head.

“No.”

“Maybe he was weaker than he looked and started seeing things.”

Yoohyun said nothing and continued putting the books back on the shelf.

As he lived alongside his brother, he had gradually grown used to hiding his own presence. People still felt an inexplicable unease or fear whenever they saw him, but when his brother was nearby, even that faded.

But there had been no need to hide it from that man earlier, so he had merely let it show for a moment.

If he had left him alone, the man would surely have started trouble with his brother as well.

Yoohyun thought it was fortunate that the man had approached while his brother wasn’t there. If Yoojin had been present, he would probably have lowered himself to the homeowner just to protect him.

“…I don’t like it.”

Han Yoohyun muttered to himself.

That faint, fragile emotion—those feelings that moved only because of his brother—squirmed unpleasantly inside him.

If everything in the world disappeared except for his brother and himself…

Then in the end, even his brother and he would—

“Yoohyun, you really were startled after all.”

At that moment, Han Yoojin’s hand gently patted and stroked his back.

“You don’t look well. Go get some rest.”

A gentle warmth seeped in through his palm.

“…No, hyung. I’m really okay.”

He was okay now. Yoohyun smiled and reassured his worried brother once again that he was perfectly fine.

“Good work, everyone~.”

“Thanks for all your hard work.”

Maybe because the troublesome meddler was gone, they finished the move before evening.

The boss, who had given the brothers a ride to near their home, smiled as he handed envelopes to Han Yoojin and Han Yoohyun.

“I put a full day’s pay in for the younger brother too.”

“Oh, thank you so much!”

“He did more than a full person’s share anyway. I also included dinner money, so you two go buy something tasty. We’re going out for a drink.”

“Get home safely~.”

“Take care.”

The van door closed and the vehicle drove away.

Yoojin turned to his younger brother with a bright smile.

“Let’s buy meat and grill it! Or is there something else you want to eat?”

“Whatever hyung wants.”

“Geez, you good kid. Let’s go.”

They walked side by side.

The moon hung faintly in the sky.

Warm air carried Han Yoojin’s cheerful voice right beside him.

“You’ve really grown up. Still, hyung won’t take the money you earned. It’d be a waste.”

“If I become a doctor like you said, I’ll earn much more.”

“By then you’ll have your own family.”

“You’re my family, hyung.”

Han Yoojin laughed out loud.

“When you grow up more, you might think differently. If you move out someday, I’ll feel lonely already.”

“I won’t move out.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“…Hyung won’t leave either, right?”

“Of course not! Until you say you’re leaving, I’ll stay by your side.”

Han Yoojin ruffled his brother’s hair with a smile.

For a moment, Yoohyun’s face had stiffened, but now it softened again.

“Okay. That’s enough.”

To Han Yoohyun, Han Yoojin was his only family—his home itself.

As long as his hyung remained by his side, that was enough.

“Hyung, hyung, Yoojin-hyung! I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”

Park Hayul, who appeared as a flower, swayed as if it were dancing while speaking. Even in this situation, where the Gardener’s garden was raging right in front of us and we had been fighting nonstop without even properly feeling the passage of time, that flower-head was still ridiculously cheerful.

“Just say anything.”

I replied while bundling several bombs together. My voice was thick with exhaustion. Thanks to Sung Hyunje and Director Song’s consideration, I was able to sleep a little, but of course it wasn’t real rest. At best I’d managed to doze for a short while.

—Bad news! My territory has shrunk to only part of East Asia now~ Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan, and half of China!

“That’s practically all of East Asia.”

Well, half of China was still much bigger than the other countries combined.

“What’s the good news?”

—Since there’s less area left to cover, my power has become more concentrated and stronger! That means it’s easier to hold out! And since the Earth is round, not every place can be night at the same time, right?

“That’s true.”

If it’s daytime where we are, it’s nighttime on the other side of the planet.

—But the remaining area doesn’t have much time difference, so I can turn it all into night! When it’s night, the dream world gets stronger, so I can block the garden by myself. That means your group can rest~ Not for long though, about one night.

So the dream world had mostly been wiped out, but because of that it was easier to hold the line and even created some breathing room. Not bad. Though it did feel a bit like a final burst before dying.

I turned my head toward Sung Hyunje and Director Song. Both of them were S-class, so compared to me they looked fine, but there was no way they weren’t accumulating fatigue. Sung Hyunje was clearly conserving mana compared to before, and Director Song, who had to move his body constantly, was noticeably slower.

 It’s about time we take a break. 

We had no idea how much longer we would need to endure. I looked back at the swaying Hayul flower.

“Can you split the rest time up?”

—Nope. Creating the night itself costs the most power~ If I do that, it has to be all in one night.

So we’d rest properly and then run again afterward.

I waved at Sung Hyunje and Director Song.

“You both heard that, right? Let’s take a short break!”

Both men nodded at the same time. Then Park Hayul began shaking its leaves and performing something like a dance.

—The sun sets~ The moon rises~

Did it really have to dance?

The already cloud-filled sky darkened even more. The clouds slowly parted and stars appeared faintly between them, but the moonlight was nowhere to be seen. Streetlights around us flicked on one after another.

Thud!  

A gigantic mass of plants slammed into an invisible barrier and bounced back. Park Hayul proudly stretched out its leaves.

—See? Now you can relax and rest~ I’ll set an alarm before sunrise.

“Thanks. I’m going to sleep first. You two come over quickly!”

Even S-class people needed sleep. Sung Hyunje withdrew his chains, and Director Song lowered his weapon. When I saw a burnt leaf stuck in Sung Hyunje’s hair, I couldn’t help but laugh.

We looked like a complete mess. Would there be time for a shower at least? Washing up did help with fatigue recovery.

“If the three of us are going to sleep together, we’ll need a very big bed.”

Guildmaster Sung of the Sesung Guild suddenly spouted nonsense. Looks like lack of sleep was affecting his brain too.

“Usually… it’d be smaller, but one queen and two kings should do.” (bed sizes…)

“So my partner was a queen.”

…What the hell was he even saying? I just wanted to sleep comfortably.

“If you’re jealous, Sung-ssi, you can use a queen too. It’d suit you way better than me.”

Queen or king—it’d look perfect on him either way. Maybe I should ask Hayul to find him fancy dress pajamas too. And a crown.

“Going to a hotel is a bit much. Hayul, about the bed—”

“One big enough for the three of us.”

Sung Hyunje suddenly cut me off.

I glared at him. Why did he keep saying weird things? His golden eyes widened in an innocent expression.

“Forget it. Three kings.”

“…That’s cruel. (Sleeping together with you two) is on my bucket list.”

“Your bucket what?”

“A list of things you want to do before you die.”

He said that with a silent smile.

Damn it.

“…You just mean sleeping together, right?”

After hearing that, I couldn’t heartlessly tell him to get lost. It wasn’t difficult anyway, and Director Song looked slightly tempted too. So I asked Park Hayul to bring a very large bed.

—Okay!

Poof.  A gigantic bed large enough for five or six people appeared right in the middle of the road. It looked clean and soft. Just seeing it made sleepiness crash over me.

“I’d like to at least wash my face before sleeping.”

Climbing into that white bed looking like this felt wrong. Even if I wasn’t the one who had to clean it later.

“Bathing together with Han Yoojin-gun and Director Song Taewon-nim would be my second—”

“In this situation you’re talking about leisurely baths? We can have a quick shower at most.”

And definitely with proper partitions. Standing between those two would make me look like a kid. Even if nobody else was watching, I’d hate it.

“Director Song, what do you think?”

“…I don’t mind either way.”

Wait, when had he moved that far away? Director Song had quietly stepped several paces back and was watching the writhing garden. We don’t need to fight them right now.

“Then let’s just take quick showers. I feel gross too. Hayul, is there somewhere nearby to wash?”

—There’s a bathhouse right behind you, Hyung! Plenty of water too!

“Thanks. Watch over this place for us. Contact us immediately if something happens.”

—I’m going to wash too, though?

The Park Hayul flower tapped its petals with its leaves.

—I need to hydrate or I’ll dry out. Look how rough my petals are.

“…Alright.”

Park Hayul, you really abandoned your identity as a human pretty easily. You’re basically a full flower now.

Anyway, we headed toward the bathhouse.

“What else is on that bucket list of yours? We don’t have much time, so just tell us everything.”

I didn’t think Sung Hyunje was going to die, but when someone’s life was hanging by a thread, you were supposed to grant their wishes.

His golden eyes shifted between me and Director Song.

“Many of them are difficult to do right now.”

“Like what?”

“First, killing Han Yoojin.”

“Rejected. Killing Director Song isn’t allowed either.”

I only had one life, and Director Song did too.

Director Song, who had been walking slightly further away from us, quietly moved closer to my side, as if he wanted to keep space between me and Sung Hyunje. Like Sung Hyunje would strangle me in this situation.

…Actually, choking me just short of death might be possible.

“Pick something legal and wholesome.”

“There are only adults here.”

“Only all-ages content allowed. Bloodshed is limited to blood donation.”

“That’s too restrictive.”

Sung Hyunje pouted. He grumbled that 90% of his bucket list would have to be deleted.

What kind of bucket list loses  90% of its entries when you add legal and all-ages restrictions? And most of them probably involved me and Director Song too. What exactly had this guy wanted to do?

By then, we had reached the bathhouse. An old-looking building and sign came into view.

“Sung Hyunje-ssi, have you ever been to a bathhouse like this?”

“I’ve destroyed one.”

—Hyung, hyung! I also prepared banana milk! And hot bars and roasted eggs!

“Oh, good job.”

It had been a long time since I’d visited a classic public bath like this. After my regression, the Haeyeon Guild bathhouse was completely modern, and before my regression, I avoided crowded places where people could see my bare face.

“Director Song, you probably used public baths often—no, actually it must’ve been a while.”

It seemed to suit him somehow, but he was still S-class.

“Yes, that’s true. After awakening, I usually wash up in the association’s official quarters or at home.”

“He washed at the Sesung Guild a few times too.”

Sung Hyunje said. Did he invite Director Song over and dump flour on him or something?

Anyway, we entered the bathhouse. At the empty counter, we picked up locker keys and bath supplies. Entering the men’s bath area, I saw a wide wooden platform.

—There’s clean underwear, clothes, and sauna outfits too!

The Park Hayul flower walked over and piled a stack of clothes onto the platform.

—I brought them from the nursery, the Sesung Guild, and the civil servant’s house! Here are towels too!

“Thanks. Sung Hyunje-ssi, what are you doing? Hurry up and go in. Put the key on your wrist. See that ladle in front of the glass door? Take one with you. Here’s a bath towel. If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask Director Song.”

“Is Han Yoojin not coming in with us?”

“I’ll wash on my own, so please go ahead.”

I just don’t want to walk in with you two.

After sending Sung Hyunje and Director Song in first, I checked out the small shop tucked in the corner. Seeing the banana milk made me think of the kids.

…They’re doing well, right?

Kids, Dad will bring Uncle back and come home soon. I’ll bring Sung Hyunje along too. Yerim, I’m sorry. I’ll apologize properly when I get home. Peace, take good care of the others with Yerim.

After a refreshing wash and filling our stomachs, we returned to the bed. Since he claimed to have a bucket list, Sung Hyunje had already taken the middle spot on the bed.

Then he said,

“Arm pillows are included.” (in his bucketlist)

Ah, yes, of course.

“Stretch your arms out.”

“Both of you should do it for me.”

Director Song and I stared at him at the same time. I suddenly had the urge to wrap him up in the blanket and throw him at the Gardener.

“Though Han Yoojin’s arm probably won’t even reach my head.”

Without a word, I threw one of the five pillows straight at his face.

Yeah, my arms are thin. But how many people in Korea even have thicker arms than Director Song? I’ve got muscles too—above average, thank you very much. Sung Hyunje easily dodged it, which annoyed me enough that I grabbed another one.

“If this one doesn’t hit, you’re not getting an arm pillow.”

Thump.

The pillow I threw smacked Sung Hyunje on the head.

Don’t pretend to be pitiful, old man.

—Hurry up and lie down~ I’ll turn off the lights~

The three of us lay down side by side while looking at the writhing garden in the distance. Compared to Director Song’s thick arm beside mine, Sung Hyunje’s hair only barely brushed my arm.

Well, technically it counts as touching.

The streetlights turned off, and the sky filled with countless stars grew even darker. The starlight shone brighter too. It was a strange outdoor sleep in a situation where we couldn’t guarantee even a few more days of life, but it wasn’t bad.

Park Hayul added the sound of crickets as background noise.

Hey, it’s winter right now. Not that I’m asking for snow, though.

The temperature was perfect for sleeping.

“After tonight, we don’t know when we’ll get to rest again.”

Or… there was also a chance we might rest forever.

“So if there’s anything else you want to do, say it now.”

“What about you, Han Yoojin?”

Me? Well…

“I just want to go home with my little brother and eat something delicious together with everyone.”

If possible, I’d bring all my brothers along.

Then I’d have no regrets… well, not exactly. If things ended well like that, I’d want to live as long as possible.

“Director Song, don’t you have anything? I mean… you never know.”

If Sung Hyunje’s life was in danger, Director Song’s was probably similar.

“…I hope everyone remains safe.”

“That’s obvious. I mean something you definitely want to do. You seem like the type to have at least one.”

“I’m not sure.”

“How about venting your anger at Sung Hyunje? Swearing at him, complaining, or punching him?”

“I’ve already experienced the latter two.”

So he hadn’t sworn at him, huh. Director Song really was saint-like.

“Then make finding something you want to do the thing you accomplish before you die. Not actual work, not something for others, and not something that harms yourself.”

“Director Song Taewon-nim will live a very long life then.”

No way it was that extreme. Director Song had changed quite a lot already.

I yawned softly. My eyelids were starting to grow heavy.

“Sung Hyunje… your bucket list…”

“I had planned to… ..together with Han Yoojin-gun…”

His voice sounded faint. It broke off in places and became hard to hear. Soon it faded away completely.

“…What was he saying?”

Morning—well, actually still the middle of the night. When I opened my eyes, the scent of flowers filled my nose.

Had the garden invaded this far?

I quickly sat up, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Azaleas, forsythias, magnolias, cherry blossoms, flowers of all kinds were blooming everywhere, and Park Hayul’s flower was dancing among them.

—It’s Guildmaster Sung’s bucket list~

…A crazy flower dancing in a flower field?

That’s certainly unique taste.

Sung Hyunje, who had apparently woken up earlier, was wearing an apron and preparing breakfast. Director Song explained the bizarre situation instead.

“He said he wanted to greet spring with you, Han Yoojin-ssi. He said the two of you had already spent summer, autumn, and winter together.”

“Ah…”

When I first met Sung Hyunje after regressing, it had been early summer. Whether we’d survive to see spring together wasn’t certain. So he apparently decided to hold a flower-viewing session now instead.

Sometimes he could be weirdly sentimental.

I got out of bed and changed out of my pajamas. Sung Hyunje was skillfully making omelets.

“You’re not suggesting celebrating my birthday early.”

“A birthday is a birthday. Sit down with Song Taewon-ssi.”

“Yes, yes.”

Director Song and I sat at the table side by side. Under the night sky, flower petals drifted gently in the breeze.

“Hayul, how much time is left?”

—About two hours.

Eat, rest a little, and that would be it. This sweet break would likely be the last.

Sung Hyunje personally brought the appetizing breakfast to the table.

“Celery–carrot juice for Han Yoojin.”

“Why exactly? In a moment like this you give me vegetable juice? Don’t you have soda? Or fruit? Just not oranges.”

“Strawberry–banana juice for Director Song Taewon.”

“Thank you.”

…Did he switch the menu? Director Song seemed like the one who’d prefer celery–carrot juice.

Noticing my gaze, Director Song pushed his juice toward me.

“Please drink it.”

“No, it’s fine. Vegetables are good. Healthy and all.”

The strong grassy smell hit me. Still drinkable, though.

There was a cheese omelet, grilled asparagus and tomatoes, mashed potatoes, bacon, soft bread with butter and jam.

Meanwhile, Sung Hyunje was carefully cutting the crust off the bread.

Bread crusts were supposed to be healthier, weren’t they? He’s forcing vegetable juice on me while being picky himself?

“Why don’t you add ‘stop being picky and eat bread crusts’ to the last line of your bucket list?”

“You want me to force down unpleasant food right before dying? Han Yoojin, you’re colder than I expected.”

“…Yes, yes. Enjoy being picky and eating delicious food to your heart’s content.”

He never lost an argument, seriously.

We leisurely ate breakfast while looking at the beautifully blooming spring flowers. With the little time remaining, we checked our weapons and items. As we prepared for battle, the sky slowly began to brighten.

The three of us looked up at the clearing sky at the same time.

“Let the last line of the bucket list be returning home safely.”

“Funny enough, that’s the same as mine. Though once I get home, I plan to live a very long time.”

“If I had to choose one, mine would be the same.”

—Me too! I want to go to Hyung’s house too!

“Your home is here.”

—Waaah!

The sky that had briefly brightened was swallowed once again by thick dark clouds.

We picked up our weapons.

The barrier blocking the garden disappeared, and the forest surged forward.

CRACK—!

Lightning struck, announcing the start of battle.

No matter how long this fight continued, we would endure and endure again—

and we would return home.

All of us together.

Han Yoojin

Luck: 3 / 5 (1 before the return) 

Social skills: 4 / 5

Defense: 1 / 5 (5 when using Eunhye)

Attack power: 1 / 5 

Adaptability: 5 / 5

Han Yoohyun

Luck: 2 / 5 

Social skills: 0 / 5 (5 when facing hyung)

Defense: 5 / 5 

Attack power: 5 / 5 

Devotion to hyung: 5 / 5

Park Yerim

Luck: 4 / 5 

Social skills: 5 / 5

Defense: 4 / 5 

Attack power: 4.5 / 5 

Academics: 3.5 / 5

Sung Hyunje

Luck: 1 / 5 

Social skills: 2 / 5

Defense: 5 / 5

Attack power: 5 / 5 

Ability to observe: 5 / 5

Song Taewon

Luck: 0 / 5 

Social skills: 2 / 5

Defense: 5 / 5

Attack power: 4 / 5 

Working overtime: 5 / 5

Moon Hyuna

Luck: 3 / 5 

Social skills: 4 / 5

Defense: 4 / 5 

Attack power: 4.5 / 5 

Leadership: 5 / 5

Yoo Myungwoo

Luck: 2 / 5 

Social skills: 1 / 5

Defense: 1 / 5

Attack power: 1 / 5 

Talent: 5 / 5

Noah

Luck: 2 / 5 

Social skills: 3 / 5

Defense: 4 / 5

Attack power: 3.5 / 5 

Support abilities: 5 / 5

Liette

Luck: 4 / 5 

Social skills: 4 / 5

Defense: 5 / 5 

Attack power: 5 / 5 

Etiquette: 1 / 5

Kang Soyoung

Luck: 5 / 5 

Social skills: 4 / 5 (5 when facing dragons)

Defense: 3 / 5 

Attack power: 3.5 / 5 

Dragon-riding ability: 4.5 / 5

Kim Sunghan

Luck: 4 / 5 

Social skills: 4 / 5

Defense: 4 / 5

Attack power: 3 / 5 

Filial piety: 4 / 5

Peace

Luck: 3 / 5 

Social skills: 1 / 5 (4 when facing Dad)

Defense: 4 / 5

Attack power: 4.5 / 5 

Intelligence: 5 / 5

Chirpie

Luck: 5 / 5 

Social skills: 5 / 5

Defense: 5 / 5

Attack power: 0 / 5 

Wisdom: 1 / 5

Blue

Luck: 3 / 5 

Social skills: 5 / 5

Defense: 4 / 5

Attack power: 4 / 5 

Han Yoojin: Clothes that are comfortable and easy to move in, with simple and timeless designs

Han Yoohyun: At the guild, he mostly chooses a mature and sophisticated style to make himself appear less youthful; at home, his style is similar to his hyung's

Park Yerim: Prefers clothes that allow easy movement, often wearing pants rather than skirts; the guild’s stylist often dresses her in a sporty style

Sung Hyunje: Comfortable/formal suits

Song Taewon: Since his clothes often get dirty or damaged, he mainly wears dark-colored and inexpensive suits

Moon Hyuna: Prefers a relaxed and sporty style, but as the guildmaster, she’s required to dress formally. She usually compiles (to the formal style), but occasionally she’ll rebel and dress very flamboyantly

Yoo Myungwoo: As long as it’s comfortable, has absolutely no interest in fashion

Noah Luire: To present a dignified image, he primarily wears formal or semi-formal suits. However, he also occasionally wears casual outfits appropriate for his age

Liette: Prefers clothes that allow for freedom of movement, isn’t bulky, and fits well

Kang Soyoung: Always revolves around racing gear, though she’s determined that one day she will ride a dragon instead of a motorcycle