Chapter 167 Even the Almighty is New to Being a Dad Chapter 168
Even the Absolute One Is New to Fatherhood Episode 168
After the recent incident had been resolved...
Flip, flip—
Kang-jun, who had been turning the thick pages of the Parenting Encyclopedia, glanced sideways at Go Du-yeol's pale face as he lay in deep slumber.
Whenever he had free time, Kang-jun would often visit the VIP ward of the Awakened-only hospital in Seoul where Du-yeol was hospitalized.
"What a weakling..."
Kang-jun recalled the events of that day.
"Don't move, any of you!"
It was the moment when Alpha Boom's cyborg had been about to unleash a dangerous-looking attack.
"I'll protect you, brother!"
That short shout had carried such resolve that Kang-jun had instinctively stepped back without realizing it.
And this was the result.
Go Du-yeol had taken the cyborg's attack alone, and as a result, he still hadn't regained consciousness after several days.
"Who's protecting whom here...?"
Just then.
"My lord."
Iriel entered the hospital room.
"There's no need to worry so much."
Kang-jun responded to her words.
"Who's worried?"
Then, with a series of flip, flip sounds, he began flipping through the book pages again, pretending to be absorbed in reading.
"I know you're concerned."
Iriel added.
"For the past few days, whenever you've had time, you've been coming to this room, staring at his condition endlessly before leaving again, haven't you?"
Kang-jun answered quietly.
"You see right through me."
A brief silence followed.
"My resolve crumbled."
At Kang-jun's short reply, Iriel asked softly,
"What resolve do you mean?"
Kang-jun looked down at the deeply sleeping Du-yeol.
"The resolve not to grow attached to humans who would just grow old or fall ill and leave my side. It crumbled."
Hadn't he immersed himself in dark magic because he hated being left alone?
Hadn't he vowed never to form attachments to any human?
"Well, family is unavoidable."
"Yes..."
"But even those who aren't family."
All the people who had gradually seeped into his life were like that now.
He cared about them.
He wanted them all to live with as much laughter and as few tears as possible.
"Minister of the Royal Household."
"Yes, my lord."
"Why do I..."
Kang-jun closed the book.
"...keep repeating the same mistakes?"
For a moment, an oppressive silence filled the hospital room.
"Uuugh—"
Du-yeol furrowed his brow and let out a groan.
Upon closer inspection, beads of cold sweat dotted his forehead.
"It seems he's struggling to recover."
Kang-jun's concern deepened.
"Looking at his condition, even if it doesn't require an 'Elixir,' procuring a few rare medicinal herbs might help considerably..."
Iriel responded to this.
"According to the attending physician in charge of his treatment, the injuries from last time have mostly healed already."
"Then?"
"He's showing symptoms of mana poisoning from using excessive amounts in a short period, I've been told."
Kang-jun replied briefly.
"That's fortunate then."
Another silence ensued.
"If I may venture a guess..."
She trailed off vaguely before cautiously voicing her opinion.
"He might be having nightmares."
"Nightmares?"
"He must have painful memories."
Painful memories...
"That doesn't suit him."
Hadn't Du-yeol always maintained nothing but a bright, simple-minded attitude?
"The Earth I saw seemed like a place where everyone lives with at least one deep wound hidden tightly in their hearts."
At her words, Kang-jun recalled what Baal had told him yesterday.
"He said this is a world where 'those left behind' live?"
Could this guy also fall under the category of those left behind?
Had he just been living while tightly wrapping up his wounds, smiling all the while?
"Open this fool's nightmare."
Kang-jun issued the command.
"I need to see what kind of dream is tormenting this idiot."
"Yes, I shall obey your command."
"If I can help in any way, I want to be of some assistance to him."
As Iriel responded with "Yes, my lord," and began gathering mana in both hands...
"That would be..."
Kang-jun added with a smile.
"...the duty of a younger brother."
Having resolved to treat this fool as an older brother from now on.
Go Du-yeol was wandering through his dream.
"Hyung, it hurts..."
It was that day again.
The day he had helplessly...
Lost his younger brother.
"I'll get you out, don't worry!"
He began lifting the steel beam crushing his brother.
Just 200kg.
An utterly insignificant weight to the current Du-yeol.
"I'll get you out right now..."
But why?
"I'll definitely get you out right now..."
No strength would come.
"Somehow, somehow..."
Amidst this, he saw arms so thin they looked ready to snap at the slightest touch.
"Why..."
Again, he couldn't lift it.
"Damn it, why the hell...?"
Whenever there was a gap, he had to relive that day in nightmares.
But...
Not even once could he lift the beam crushing his brother.
"I want to live..."
All he could do was repeatedly watch his brother, crushed under the beam, crying out in pain as he died.
"Hyung, please..."
Just as dream Du-yeol's shoulders shook with sobs...
"Bald idiot."
A familiar voice spoke.
"Why can't you live up to your size?"
It was Kang-jun.
"Unmanly, crying like that."
At this, Du-yeol muttered "Little bro..." before quickly wiping his tears and making a flustered excuse.
"Just something in my eye."
Kang-jun smiled bitterly and asked pointedly.
"You've been hiding this pain."
"What?"
"You seemed so cheerful, I never guessed."
He immediately understood why Du-yeol had been so obsessed with words like 'brother,' exercise, and strength.
He too was one of those left behind.
Like so many in this world...
Those who had lost someone.
Kang-jun tightly grabbed part of the beam crushing the man and asked bluntly.
"What are you doing? Just going to watch?"
Du-yeol also gathered himself and grabbed the beam, straining to lift it with all his might.
"Hiiiiyaaaah!"
The next moment.
Sssssss—
The beam crushing his brother's body began slowly lifting.
"My god..."
It was the first time.
"I... I lifted it..."
Then.
"Hyung..."
The brother who had been trapped under the heavy beam for so long spoke.
"Du-jun..."
More than half his body was horribly mangled beyond recognition.
But.
As if it didn't matter at all, Du-yeol hugged his brother tightly and spoke with difficulty.
"My brother, Du-jun..."
Then with a trembling voice, he repeatedly expressed gratitude.
Wasn't this the brother who had only kept saying how much it hurt?
For the first time, that brother expressed thanks.
"Hyung, thank you..."
At this, Du-yeol began shedding chicken poop-sized tears again as he continued.
"Du-jun, I'm so sorry..."
"I don't hurt anymore..."
"Sorry it took so long to get you out..."
Du-yeol added again.
"Sorry I was so weak..."
Du-jun shook his head.
"Thank you for getting me out..."
His brother smiled a broken smile.
"You've... really become a man now..."
Then he continued.
"I'm really okay now..."
A strange silence lingered briefly.
"You don't have to look back anymore..."
Then his brother began scattering like leaves caught in a sudden wind blowing from somewhere, disappearing.
"Du-jun, Du-jun..."
Kang-jun, who had thrown the steel beam far away, scratched his head awkwardly and said.
"Let's go back."
Then added.
"I'll work out with you sometimes."
"Really—?"
"Sure. Even if we don't share blood..."
With those words, Kang-jun slowly faded away...
"Aren't we brothers?"
Kang-jun's words echoed like a reverberation.
"You're alive, so live."
"Yeah..."
"Live like a man."
It kept ringing in his ears.
"Let's go."
"......"
"Hyung-nim."
Go Du-yeol opened his eyes.
"Uuuugh—"
Though his whole body ached...
"Not bad..."
Thanks to the rare refreshing dream he'd had, his mind felt infinitely clear.
"How long was I out...?"
Just then, medical staff entered...
"Hunter-nim, you're finally awake."
The attending physician, who had rushed over upon noticing changes in his vitals, began making a fuss.
"You should rest for a few more days."
Du-yeol asked in return.
"How many days have I been lying here?"
"About a week now..."
"Then what day is it today?"
"Wednesday."
Du-yeol was shocked.
"Oh no, it's leg day!"
"Huh?"
"I need to be discharged right now!"
As he tried to get up...
"You should rest a bit more..."
Du-yeol suddenly stopped and asked.
"By the way, who's visited?"
He had a feeling Kang-jun might have come, hence the question.
"Yes, many people have visited..."
The doctor trailed off before adding.
"Especially your younger brother stayed a long time."
When Du-yeol murmured quietly, "Younger brother..." the doctor added.
"Yes, he said he was your brother."
Du-yeol's face broke into a bright smile as he got up.
"Yes, even if we don't share blood..."
Then he began clumsily unbuttoning his hospital gown as he added.
"He's my brother..."
He looked utterly lighthearted.
On the way home.
Whoooosh—
The gloomy weather suddenly unleashed a downpour.
"It's raining..."
Seol-i immediately came to mind.
"Seol-i must be outside..."
At this, Iriel asked in return.
"You mean Her Highness the Princess?"
Kang-jun nodded.
"Ever since gifting her that ring made by the Dvergr, she often goes out alone..."
Since her safety was guaranteed, he occasionally let her go out alone to play.
"Did she take an umbrella...?"
Following the mana he sensed from the ring on his finger, Kang-jun changed direction.
The rings were a pair.
By walking in the direction the ring indicated, he should easily find Seol-i.
Tramp, tramp.
How long had he walked?
"Seol-ah."
Turning a corner, he saw Seol-i.
Wearing a raincoat and boots.
And holding an umbrella.
"Appa!"
Seol-i wasn't running to him but crouching down.
"Appa, halmeoni no umbrella."
Crouched down, she appeared to be sheltering a grandmother selling vegetables on the street with her umbrella.
"Child, granny's fine, you go on..."
"Raining?"
"Have to sell all this to go home..."
Kang-jun smiled.
"Yeah..."
Hadn't his resolve never to grow attached to humans already crumbled?
Since it had crumbled...
He decided to live as if he'd never made such a vow to begin with.
"How much for everything?"
"Huh?"
"Give me all of it."
Taking out his wallet, Kang-jun handed over all the cash he could grab...
"Oh my, you're buying all this...?"
Kang-jun smiled and replied.
"Yes, give me everything."
He planned to take it to North Sea Udon Shop.
Then...
Looking at Seol-i, he said quietly.
"Seol-ah."
"Mm?"
A brief silence.
"Let's live like this from now on."
Kang-jun smiled brightly again.
Even if it becomes painful in the end...
He resolved to live giving his heart.
"Mm!"
Seol-i, not fully understanding his meaning, answered cheerfully and smiled.
Just...
She seemed relieved that the grandmother wouldn't get wet anymore.
The rain fell.
Pitter-patter—
Endlessly it fell.