Chapter 24: The Call That Didn’t End

Calling Yoo Hee-ro every evening had now become routine for Sung Ji-woo. At first, they contacted each other every two or three days, but the frequency gradually increased, and before long it settled into a fixed schedule.

Because Yoo Hee-ro was using a phone for the first time and wasn’t familiar with texting, they agreed to stick to voice calls. At the beginning, talking on the phone with someone felt strange—his body would stiffen, he had no idea what to say, and everything felt awkward. But after a few tries, he got used to it; soon he could chat casually while doing simple chores.

Things like laundry, cleaning, washing dishes.

Ji-woo put his phone on speaker on the desk and walked around, while Hee-ro quietly talked about the day’s training. Like a child reporting homework, his updates were always earnest.

Ji-woo would respond with a “Good job,” “That must’ve been tiring,” or “Next time, try doing it like this.” Whatever he said, Hee-ro accepted with joy. Today as well, Ji-woo took the call while hanging laundry.

“Did you have dinner?”

— Yes. Did you, sunbae?

As always, the small talk started and ended with a question about food.

“Yeah, of course I ate. How was today’s training?”

— Good. I hit a target that was farther than yesterday.

“That’s great. Nothing too difficult?”

— Mm… it’s hard to explain in words, but… once the distance gets farther, accuracy drops.

“That’s normal.”

There were limits to human eyesight. It would’ve been great if he could magnify the target…

“Actually, I don’t know. Maybe you can overcome it?”

— How? Will it get better if I keep practicing?

“No, not through practice. More like… using something physical.”

He remembered the special glasses Gam Joo-an had made recently. Long-range dealers had asked for customized lenses that let them see far distances.

Hee-ro was a close-range dealer, so maybe they could make a monocle-style version to balance things? That could widen his visible range significantly.

“Hold on.”

Ji-woo started jotting down some ideas in his phone’s memo app. He’d talk to Gam Joo-an tomorrow at work.

— Huh? Are you busy…?

“Hm? No, no. You can talk.”

— …Sunbae, when are you coming back?

Ji-woo let out a small, incredulous laugh.

“What kind of question is that? About two weeks left until school starts.”

— Two weeks…

“Yeah. It’ll pass quickly.”

— Feels like a long time to me…

“Really? I felt like time went by fast.”

— …Without you here, sunbae, each day feels really slow for me.

“What? Are you trying to be cute?”

— Yes.

The way Hee-ro no longer hid or stuttered about such things was just funny.

“All done.”

Ji-woo dusted off his hands after hanging the laundry neatly. After brushing his teeth and washing up, he lay on his bed. The call still hadn’t ended.

— I’ve been eating well lately.

“…Really? That’s good.”

— I’ve grown a lot taller too.

“…You grew even more?”

With his eyes closed, Ji-woo answered with a soft, sleepy voice. His words were slurred. The call kept going, stretching longer and longer, until finally they passed the two-hour mark.

“Hee-ro, I’m sleepy…”

At almost 10 p.m., Ji-woo could no longer fight his fatigue. Ever since starting his internship, he’d gotten used to falling asleep around that time.

— …Are you going to sleep?

“…Mm.”

He drawled the reply—his voice heavy with sleep.

— Good night.

“Yeah, you too…”

Ji-woo closed his eyes, assuming Hee-ro had hung up on his own. But when he checked in the morning, the call log showed nearly 12 hours.

He almost fainted when, while leaving the bathroom after brushing his teeth, he suddenly heard a small voice:

— You’re awake now?

And when he realized the call was still ongoing, he nearly collapsed again.

“What—why didn’t you hang up?!”

— Um… how do you hang up?

He had forgotten again that this was Hee-ro’s first time using a phone. Ji-woo rubbed his aching forehead. Come to think of it, he’d always been the one to hang up. Hee-ro had never been the one to initiate or end a call.

“Wow. Sorry. Didn’t realize you couldn’t do it.”

— It’s okay. Are you getting ready for work?

“Yeah. I’m gonna dry my hair now, so I’ll hang up.”

— Why? Can’t we talk until you get there?

“The dryer’s loud.”

— I’ll turn my volume down.

“…Well, if you insist.”

While Ji-woo hurried to get ready for work, Hee-ro truly said nothing and simply stayed on the line. Ji-woo even had to ask several times, “You still there?”

“I’m almost at the guild.”

— Can’t you hang up after you go inside?

Enjoying the small talk, Ji-woo stayed on the call until he reached the building entrance.

“Oh, Ji-woo. You’re here?”
Go Min-ah saw him and waved.

“Morning.”

He returned the greeting naturally.

— Whose voice is that? I haven’t heard it before…

“Oh, a friend who’s interning with me. I really gotta go. I’ll call you later.”

He pressed the end-call button, thinking it was time to stop.

Ah, I forgot to teach him how to hang up again…

“Who were you talking to since morning? That friend group you walk around with?”

“The kids I walk around with?”

“Yeah. Shin Won-jae and Lee Hye-bin, was it?”

“Shin Yoon-jae and Lee Hye-rin?”

“Ah, right. Close enough.”

“No, it wasn’t them. It was the kid I’m mentoring.”

Min-ah stopped halfway up the stairs and looked back.

“You mean Yoo Hee-ro?”

“You know him?”

“Who doesn’t? He’s almost as famous as you.”

“…Even if you say that, I don’t really know.”

“Yeah, yeah. Must be nice being humble.”

Even when she teased him, Ji-woo now understood that Min-ah didn’t mean anything bad by it. She had once said she liked that Ji-woo wasn’t overly nice.

“So, how is he? There are so many rumors.”

“Well… he’s nice. Cute, too?”

“Hmm, really?”

“Why? Doesn’t seem that way?”

“No idea. I only saw him a few times in passing.”

They entered the office.

“But I always saw him in front of the Research Wing.”

“The Research Wing?”

“Yeah. I pass by there for training because of my spirit. I kept seeing him, so I thought he was a long-range dealer at first. Turns out he wasn’t.”

“Well, he’s close-range.”

Ji-woo didn’t think much of it at first.

“Yeah. But later I realized he wasn’t heading to the outdoor training area… he was going into the Research Wing.”

“What?”

The unexpected detail made Ji-woo freeze. Min-ah casually walked off to her desk, but Ji-woo hurried after her.

“Wait—was that only recently?”

“Huh? No. Since the day I transferred. I saw him once or twice a week. Around evening training hours.”

“…Why would he go there?”

There was no reason for Hee-ro to go to the Research Wing at that time. Especially not in the evening, when all the researchers had already gone home.

Min-ah continued as she tidied her desk.

“Oh, I saw him recently too. The day the fire broke out. During lunch, I saw him coming out.”

Something felt wrong. Ji-woo waited anxiously for her to finish.

“Well, he went in and out so often… And the researchers were saying something like ‘Hiro or Heero or whatever is missing.’ Don’t know if it was about him, but…”

“When did you hear that?”

“My spirit ability is water, so I helped put out the fire. I overheard the researchers talking there.”

Could Hee-ro really have some connection to the Research Wing? Something beyond simple treatment and check-ups after the gate incident?

Ji-woo felt a chill.

Min-ah waved him away.
“If that’s all, move. You’re blocking my desk.”

“…That’s really what you heard?”

“Why would I lie?”

She had no reason to. That made it worse.

It’s just a coincidence… He has an alibi. Min-ah said she saw him an hour before the fire started.

Even if Hee-ro had some link to the Research Wing, it shouldn’t be related to the fire.
It couldn’t be.

Zzz—Zzz.

Ji-woo’s phone vibrated. Hee-ro. Two missed calls already. He must’ve ignored the vibration while talking to Min-ah. Ji-woo stepped outside the guild and answered.

— You suddenly hung up earlier… I called back but you didn’t pick up.

“Hee-ro.”

— Yes? Sunbae, is something wrong? Your voice sounds different…

“Tell me honestly. That day—did you go to the Research Wing?”

— …

There was silence. For a long, long moment.