Chapter 178
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 178: How to Deal with Betrayal (14)
When I opened my eyes again, I was being held by someone inside something like a giant soap bubble. Someone holding me firmly moved his body as soon as I blinked.
“Are you awake?”
Neat black hair, blue sapphire eyes. It was Park Siwoo. As soon as I saw him, I broke away from his embrace and quickly widened the distance. But even that movement was blocked by the membrane like a soap bubble.
Bounce—
It felt like such a sound was made. I stuck as close as possible to the soft wall, glanced at Park Siwoo, and scanned the surroundings.
“…What is this?”
Things that looked like water attribute monsters were lying around as corpses. Park Siwoo answered my question nonchalantly.
“They attacked, so I defeated them for now. Since it's dangerous.”
That's true. I nodded and was wary of him again. Fortunately, the Oracle didn't possess him while I lost consciousness, but I don't know when the Oracle might possess him and attack. I swallowed dry saliva and took out my gun. Park Siwoo looked at me with an unreadable expression, then put his Holy Sword into his Inventory.
“…What are you thinking?”
“I have no intention of fighting you.”
Park Siwoo raised both hands with a calm, expressionless face. He directed those unwavering, solid blue eyes towards me.
“I just… hope you remain safe.”
“……”
“I think there must be a reason.”
At his words, I bit the inside of my cheek hard. I couldn't understand how Park Siwoo, my friend, sent such consistent friendship to me. He lifted something. I recognized the things resembling beads at once. They were things we harvested together during vacation. A fruit that lets you breathe underwater when used. Mermaid's Breath.
“I used Mermaid's Breath on you. This is a spare just in case. So take it.”
He threw the Mermaid's Breath to me. I unconsciously caught it. And my face turned red. Come to think of it, we, mouth…. Didn't we kiss?
“Th, we, mouth…”
“Ah, that.”
“…It couldn't be helped because it was an emergency, right?”
“No.”
Park Siwoo looked at the dim outside with a tone as if there was nothing to be surprised about and spoke.
“I mean, I passed it over with my mouth because I wanted to kiss you.”
“…Huh?”
I momentarily thought I heard wrong. Because Park Siwoo's expression saying that was too serene. Though his ears were bright red.
“I, like you. Nahyun.”
“…Wh, what?”
At my reaction, Park Siwoo smirked.
“That's a relief. There is a possibility.”
“What is?!”
“Face. Turned red.”
At those words, I tried to cool my cheeks with the back of my hand, but stopped realizing I was holding a pistol. In the meantime, Park Siwoo continued.
“I don't know for what reason you left us. But any reason doesn't matter.”
His eyes, shining heterogeneously even in the blue and dark water, were like an ocean within the ocean.
“I am on your side.”
“…Because you like me?”
“No. Because I trust you.”
He smiled. It was a calm and warm smile, one he would definitely never show to an enemy.
“I trust that the Kang Nahyun I've been with until now won't hurt us without reason.”
“…Aren't you a real fool?”
I couldn't lower the gun muzzle aimed at him for fear the Oracle might possess him, yet I laughed hollowly.
“There is a reason you can't tell, right?”
“You, you're too quick-witted.”
“That's my strength.”
“What's the reason for saying you like me unnecessarily then?”
“…I thought I couldn't hold back anymore. Since a competitor became aware too—”
His eyes curved. He was looking at me as if I were lovely.
“—maybe because we were apart for too long. I couldn't endure it now.”
“……”
I knew my face would be red even without checking with the back of my hand.
“I like you, Nahyun. I wish the person standing by your side was me. I wish the person making you happy was me.”
“…I, am…”
I couldn't answer readily to his words. Meeting my helplessly trembling eyes, he spoke as if he expected even that.
“It's okay if you don't give an answer now.”
Since he was always this kind to me,
“I will always be waiting for you.”
I always…
“I want you to remember that.”
Always, every time I leave him behind, I end up thinking of him.
“……”
My head slowly lowered. The moment I thought I didn't know what expression Park Siwoo had, I felt Park Siwoo letting out a short groan.
“Ugh—”
What is it? The moment I tried to lift my head thinking that, sharp killing intent pierced me.
“—What are you doing?!”
When I opened my eyes again, the small soap bubble we were in had disappeared as if it were a dream. And Park Yulhan, who had snatched my waist and evacuated me before I knew it, was gasping for breath.
“I told you not to let your guard down!”
“…Sorry.”
Answering obediently to those words, I looked at Park Siwoo again. A strange light was hovering in Park Siwoo's eyes.
“…Oracle.”
“What a pity. It would have been good if you just died like that.”
The Oracle, having snatched Park Siwoo's body, was looking at me with a fishy smile. A confrontation between me and the Oracle continued for a while. Every time the Oracle swung the sword leisurely as if playing with me, sending flying slashes, I narrowly dodged them. I tried to hit his arm or leg with bullets, but it wasn't easy due to Park Siwoo's tremendous speed.
Bang—!
Watching the Mana Bullet shot cutting through the water graze the spot where the Oracle was, I clicked my tongue lightly. During such a confrontation, Park Yulhan's voice was heard in my head.
—I registered the vicinity where the Key is as a teleportation location. We'll move as soon as the battle starts.
—Got it.
“Why is that? Do you hesitate to shoot now of all times?”
“Yeah. I do.”
“Then—”
The Holy Sword, not shining in the deep darkness of the water, was swung towards me.
“—I will take that life without hesitation!”
“I refuse?”
“Let's go!”
And at that moment, Park Yulhan snatched me and quickly activated teleportation. Just as the Oracle, who made a big motion, couldn't react, teleportation activated. Park Yulhan and my bodies quickly began to turn transparent.
“…Like a rat, indeed.”
“Isn't that what I should say to you?”
I glared at the Oracle, smiling crookedly. The Oracle, clicking his tongue, sheathed the sword. From far away, the familiar voices of Na Yuhan's group were heard faintly.
“—Yu!”
“—Siwoo!”
“Park Siwoo!”
Watching Park Siwoo, whom the Oracle had left, stumbling and falling, and watching myself unable to catch him, I felt miserable. Feeling that only the voices of Na Yuhan's group approaching gradually were the only comfort, finally, my figure completely disappeared from there.
“…Oh my. Should I call this lucky or unlucky…”
At a place that looked like an altar, there was a door decorated with pearls, corals, and shells. I flinched at the sight of the mermaid hybrid pulling out the key inserted in that door. Kang Yu, who pulled out the Mermaid's Key from the door, looked this way. I pondered what to do, then realizing even thinking like this was a luxury, I slowly approached Kang Yu. The closer I approached, the more tearful Kang Yu became. Like a squashed steamed bun. Normally, I would have said that and poked his cheek, but I didn't.
“…Kang Yu.”
“Take it.”
It was Kang Yu who handed the Key first.
“This is what you need, right?”
He said, reaching out his hand to me.
“If you collect all of these, you'll come back, right?”
“……”
“……Sorry.”
Na Yuhan's group's voices were heard from far away.
Clang— Claaang—!
Seeing the light flashing, it seemed they encountered Tornito. There was no time.
“Let's go! I told Mr. Shin Haeun and Mr. Tornito to retreat!”
“Okay.”
Turning away from Kang Yu looking at me with a face like he was about to cry, I lowered my eyes.
“Noona….”
Even so, Kang Yu's face looking like he was about to cry remained long in a corner of my mind as an afterimage. Feeling the sensation of my body slowly disappearing, I hoped this pain would also disappear. …Of course, that won't happen.
“Wow, finally a comeback!”
“…Thought I was gonna die.”
“You survived.”
I just stared blankly at the Key Kang Yu gave me. Shell? Conch? Whelk? Anyway, miscellaneous things and corals, pearls were stuck all over it. Looking at it, I shoved it into the Inventory. It was a beautiful Key, but for some reason, I didn't even want to look at it. Park Yulhan, who relaxed only after coming to the headquarters, finally recovered his sly attitude. Looks like a squid returned to water. I thought so and looked at him.
“More than that, what really is that kid? He wasn't among the expected figures.”
“…My brother.”
My lovely brother. Leaving only those words, I shut my mouth tight.
“An Irregular created by an Irregular, is it like that?”
“……”
I didn't want to tell him about the matter with Kang Yu specifically. Kang Yu was, just… my brother whom I wanted to keep alive. That alone was sufficient.