Chapter 107: A Place That Should Have Been

“To think… this was actually possible….”

The place we emerged from through the back door of the gate was a rather unfamiliar neighborhood.

At a glance, it wasn’t a familiar landscape.

Seeing that not only the buildings but also what could be called roads were all destroyed, it seemed to be an uninhabitable area.

Seeing the rusted signpost among the collapsed debris, I could roughly guess that we were somewhere near Gyeonggi Province.

“Isn’t that obvious?

Don’t tell me you thought it was a lie…?”

Strange.

Is Jaeyul not happy to be out?

For some reason, his expression is not as good as when we were inside the gate.

He even seems a little disappointed….

No, that can’t be.

There’s no way he would like the dark and gloomy gate.

He must just be flustered to have come out of the gate in a way he hadn’t expected.

“Well… now that we’re out, we can’t do anything… no, it’s a good thing.

Of course it’s good.

We can just ride Poppy to near Seoul, right?”

I think our kid… is lying.

Unlike his words, his expression is not happy at all.

The way he’s speaking out of context too.

“That’s true, but let’s rest a bit before we leave.”

“Are you sick somewhere?

Your head?

Your leg?

Your stomach…?”

“No!

I’m really fine.

So please, stop making a fuss.”

I don’t know how many times he had asked about my condition inside the gate.

Saying we should rest after walking for just a little while, or how about riding on Poppy’s back.

He must have been quite surprised to see me collapse and fall asleep.

Without having a clue that he was the one who had made me like that.

But it’s not that I’m lying to Jaeyul.

At the time of… that act, my body felt like it was about to die, but after a good night’s sleep, I returned to a normal state, as if I had never been tired.

Except for one place that my hands can’t reach.

“There’s no hurry now, so let’s think about what we should do from now on, and if possible, shouldn’t we find out what the current situation is before we move?”

“Hmm… if that’s what you want, let’s do that.

No, that would be better.

Let’s go slowly, slowly.”

Is his rut not properly over yet….

Or did I help too late and some aftereffects remain?

Jaeyul’s mood is fluctuating.

The kid who had been lethargic until just a moment ago suddenly regained his energy.

I really can’t figure out the emotions of young people these days….

Alright, as long as you’re happy.

“Strange.”

“…Right.

Strange.”

Fortunately, the signal seemed to have been restored to normal, so we could use our phones.

Just in case, I turned on both my phone and Jaeyul’s in a state where only the internet was available.

It was out of concern that the fact that we were alive could become a huge piece of information for the other side.

Jaeyul had a rather incomprehensible expression at my words, but he soon did as he was told.

While searching for what had happened while we were gone on our phones, something strange caught my eye.

Jaeyul also seemed to feel a sense of strangeness at the same part.

“How did they subjugate the Busan gate in three days?

There shouldn’t be anyone with that kind of skill.”

“How can there be no mention of us at all… what?”

What is this kid saying?

He said this situation was strange too, so I thought he was thinking the same thing as me, but I don’t know what he’s talking about with the Busan gate all of a sudden.

“Ah, what are you looking at, hyung?

That there’s no news about us at all?”

“Yeah….

How can it be so hard to find not only any mention of being missing or an accident, but even news of the Seoul gate subjugation?”

“They must have done it on purpose.

To report on the Seoul gate subjugation, they would have to report on what damage was sustained and what achievements were made, but they couldn’t have lied.

And to publish a subjugation article, they would have to include at least a line about me, the subjugation team leader, but since they couldn’t do that, they probably left it out altogether.”

It seems that Jaeyul is right.

Although the Busan gate was also successfully subjugated as quickly as the Seoul gate, there were quite a few fatalities.

It’s right that attention should be focused on the Seoul gate, where everyone returned without any fatalities, rather than such news.

We can only assume that they are intentionally hiding the news of the Seoul gate.

“And behind the scenes, they’re busy looking for you?”

“I think so.

They probably plan to break the news of your disappearance then too….”

“Hmm… right….

To be honest, I still don’t know what they’re thinking.”

Even if I’m not an esper, I’m the only SS-rank guide in Korea.

There’s a world of difference between having one SS-rank and two.

Let’s concede a hundred times and say that the Agency Head agreed with Ri-hyun’s opinion.

If he announced that I was dead or missing, would people just accept it?

They wouldn’t.

If it were another matter, maybe, but since it’s a problem directly related to their own safety, it’s obvious that they would struggle to know the exact reason.

The Agency Head I know is not the type to take such a risk, so it was even harder to figure out his intentions.

“Let’s think about the complicated things later.

Look over there, hyung.”

Jaeyul, sitting next to me, stretched out his arm and pointed to one place.

My gaze naturally followed the tip of his finger.

Thanks to the sight that unfolded before my eyes, I was able to shake off the stray thoughts.

“…Wow….”

An exclamation of awe came out on its own.

Jaeyul had found a very good place to rest.

It was a coastline that must have had resorts or hotels in the past.

Sitting on the rubble of a collapsed building and watching the sunset, I felt as if I had reached the end of a ruined world.

The horizon and the sky, dyed in a red light.

Even though I know it’s just the end of a single day among the endlessly repeating days, for some reason, the fading day leaves a sense of regret.

I wish that red sunset would last a little longer.

“It’s pretty, really.”

Just like that setting sun, I now have to completely forget what happened inside the gate.

Thinking that, it only makes me more regretful.

Funnily enough, those difficult moments have become quite a good memory.

To be honest, it was a memory I didn’t want to forget.

Although it’s a secret I can’t tell anyone, at least it was a moment I wasn’t ashamed of.

And yet, I know I must forget.

I have to, if I want to remain as family by Jaeyul’s side.

I wish the sun would set just a little slower.

So that the memory of this moment can remain in my heart for a long time.

“That’s right.

It’s pretty.”

When I turned my head, my eyes met Jaeyul’s.

“Really pretty.”

A pleasant smile spread across Jaeyul’s face.

Soon, the sun completely disappeared below the horizon.

And yet, strangely, I don’t feel regretful.

I felt like the world would end when that sun set, but I’m fine now.

It’s probably because Jaeyul’s eyes, which seemed to have taken on the color of the burning red sunset, are still directed at me.

“To think we were in the gate for three days.”

“Right.

I really don’t think it was that long.”

When we checked the time we had spent in the gate, it was exactly three days.

It can be said to be an incredibly long time.

Only now do I understand why I had collapsed as if I had fainted.

To have done that thing for at least two days, it’s a wonder I didn’t die.

After coming out of the gate, we used the cover of darkness to come home and rested for two full days.

It was a time when we shouldn’t meet anyone yet.

We washed with warm water at home and slept in a comfortable bed, stretched out.

When we were hungry, we made and ate a lot of delicious food and didn’t think about any troublesome things.

“Hoo… it’s just like my first day at the Center.”

“You’re just a chick who hasn’t been at the Center for long.

You talk as if you’re telling an old story.”

…A kid who still has milk on his lips is ignoring me.

A chick?

I’m an archaeopteryx, you punk!

Anyway, it means I’m as nervous as I was then.

Why?

Because today is finally the day we return to the Center.

I don’t know how antsy I was to get to work quickly and face Ri-hyun’s group.

To be honest, I wanted to rest a little more, but a reason why I couldn’t had come up.

To the point that the kid Jaeyul, who had said we should take our time and rest at home, was more angry than I was and urged us to return quickly.

While we were at home, I deliberately didn’t ask Jaeyul about what would happen next.

About how he would deal with not only Ri-hyun but also his friends.

It seemed he was as shocked as I was to have been backstabbed by someone he had trusted, so I didn’t think I needed to ask.

Jaeyul will probably cause some trouble even if I don’t step in.

Especially Ri-hyun won’t be safe.

“Then I’m going in?”

“Yeah.

You go first, Jaeyul.

Don’t make too scary of a face, okay?”

“You think I can’t even control my emotions that much?

I’m going.”

Jaeyul went into our office first.

I stood quietly outside the door and just observed the situation inside.

For a moment, no sound was heard, and then, soon, loud voices mixed and came through the office wall.

There was an intense welcome, and a mixture of reprimand and worry.

Overall, it seemed they were welcoming the safely returned Jaeyul.

I waited for a moment without disturbing their reunion.

So they could feel relieved to their heart’s content.

This time, it’s my turn.

I opened the office door and stepped inside.

Perhaps because the sound of the door was small, the team members didn’t even look in my direction and were surrounding Jaeyul.

“…Huh…?”

Park Bomyung was the first to spot me.

“You, you…!

You traitorous bastard!

Where do you think you are, coming here!”

A huge rage that felt like it would tear my eardrums was directed at me.

And a fierce face, as if he were about to smash his fist into me, was a bonus.

I understand.

It’s natural for Park Bomyung or Yoo Eden to be so angry at me.

“Wait a minute.”

I patted the fuming Park Bomyung’s shoulder and passed by.

This kid isn’t the problem right now.

“…Hyung….”

I stood in front of Ri-hyun and smiled.

It wasn’t a forced smile, but a truly uncontrollable laugh came out.

How could I not laugh, seeing Ri-hyun’s group so surprised to see me, as if they had seen a ghost?

Especially Ri-hyun, who had been smiling brightly at the returned Jaeyul, had his face turn pale white when he saw me.

His eyes were even trembling in all directions, as if he was flustered.

“Hello, Ri-hyun-ah?”

Now I finally understand why Ri-hyun had smiled so brightly on the day I left for Busan.

I, too, have no way of hiding the smile that is leaking out.

It’s crazily enjoyable.