Dream (2)
Dream (2)
I've felt warmth plenty of times before.
Ever since I started living on my own, I always slept tucked under a thick blanket.
Even if it meant going hungry for a few days, I cranked the boiler up high during the cold winters.
I bought a good-quality blanket for the coziness too. It was an extravagance, but I never regretted it.
I used good fabric softener, and I always kept a diffuser around.
So I always drifted off in a comfortable bed.
But I'd never felt this kind of warmth before.
My face was buried against Hong Yeon-hwa's chest. Even through her clothes, the warm temperature and soft texture were vividly conveyed. It was the first time in my life someone had held me.
The hand gently stroking my hair conveyed an emotion I couldn't quite put into words. That was a first too. Someone stroking my hair... I had no memory of it.
'......'
My mind was hazy.
I just blankly felt the warmth and the touch, then tapped Hong Yeon-hwa's back a couple of times to signal I was alright now.
Hong Yeon-hwa, who had been moving her hand with dazed eyes, now looked puzzled.
"Huh...? Oh, o-oh!"
Only then did she seem to notice our posture. She flinched as if to spring away, then hesitated, carefully set me down, and slumped into a chair. Looking at her, I saw her eyes, hair, and face were all flushed a similar shade of red, each competing with the others in redness.
'...What happened.'
While Hong Yeon-hwa fanned her face to cool down, I checked my own condition.
I looked a mess. Sweat was caked all over my body. Not just my clothes, but the bed itself was soaked through.
I pushed back my sweat-drenched bangs and tried to understand why, but couldn't.
"I'm glad you're feeling better..."
Hong Yeon-hwa, whose face had returned to a more normal shade thanks to her fanning efforts, wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"You were groaning in your sleep, so I stayed by your side... but at the very end, you suddenly stopped breathing. It really startled me."
"......"
"Did you... have a bad dream or something?"
I stared blankly at Hong Yeon-hwa, who asked about the dream with a worried but careful look.
'I was groaning?'
I hadn't thought so in the dream. Was it painful enough to make me groan? No. Even if the childhood memories were strangely affecting, it wasn't shocking enough to stop my breath.
A dream is just a dream.
At best, it's just a replay of the past, not the present. Something as insignificant as the past can't hurt the current me.
I overcame that measly past long ago. My irresponsible parents are dead and gone, so they can't do anything to me anymore. The loan sharks can't find me either.
On top of that, the whole world is different now. Not one in a thousand, not one in a million—they can never find me or interfere with me.
So what reason is there to be afraid?
Absolutely nothing can do anything to me anymore.
"Do you, by any chance, remember what happened right before you passed out?"
While I was calming myself down, a voice from beside me made my head turn reflexively. Hong Yeon-hwa, with a gloomy expression, was looking my way cautiously.
When I nodded, her head dropped, her aura radiating twice the gloom.
"...I'm so, so sorry. It's all my fault."
An apology followed.
"I was so worked up I didn't watch my surroundings... No, that's not it. I'm sorry, that was an excuse."
Her usual confident attitude was gone, replaced by stumbling words, which made it clear she wasn't in a normal state.
I shook my head without a word... then, remembering my smartwatch, I projected a hologram.
[It's okay. You've already apologized.]
Thanks to my spatial perception returning to normal, I could see the hologram the smartwatch was projecting.
"...I'm sorry."
She stared blankly at the hologram, then apologized again with a dejected expression. Her attitude puzzled me.
Right before the welcome party—had she crashed into me and knocked me over on purpose? I don't know. But by her own words, it was a mistake, and she apologized.
Then that spar at the end of the welcome party, where she sent my sparring partner flying at me like a baseball? That was also a mistake, and she had just apologized for it now.
Then why was she acting like that? I couldn't understand why she looked so dejected, as if she'd made an irreversible mistake or as if I'd refused to accept her apology.
Dark thoughts kept welling up. My thinking kept tilting towards the negative.
[Why are you sorry?]
"Huh...?"
More than anything, I didn't quite get why she was apologizing so profusely.
[With your background, can't you just ignore trivial things like this?]
It was a mistake? Apologize and move on. What if the apology isn't accepted? Well, so what... What could someone like me possibly do to Hong Yeon-hwa?
If it had been intentional. Deliberate bullying... Could I dare to retaliate?
The heir of the Calamity Flame Family.
Not just some superhuman social club, but one of the peak families that holds sway over an entire region.
She is that heir. A person who will become one of the world's most powerful figures later on.
Furthermore, just by blooming her already-confirmed potential alone, she's virtually guaranteed to become a world-class powerhouse... Does she really need to display this attitude toward someone like me?
'Special Admission Cadet.'
The first cadet personally selected by the headmaster of Siyoram.
Come to think of it, maybe it's all because of that title.
The label 'Special Admission Cadet' was both a tail that attracted envy and jealousy, and simultaneously a shield marking me as the one chosen by the headmaster.
Maybe petty, underhanded bullying couldn't be prevented, but truly setting out to kill me might draw the headmaster's wrath. Was that it?
"......"
Hong Yeon-hwa, who had been staring blankly at my hologram, reached out with both hands and gently held my cheeks. The warm heat transferring to my cheeks felt like reality.
"?"
"Ha-yul."
She pressed my cheeks with her palms, making my lips puff out like a fish. Seeing myself through spatial perception, I looked utterly ridiculous.
As I sat there with my lips stuck out blankly, Hong Yeon-hwa spoke with a look that was both pitying... and resolute.
"Apologizing when you've done something wrong is only natural."
"......"
"I... I don't know the details of what kind of environment you've been in. I don't know what you've been through or how you've lived."
She bit her lip a few times, as if something deeply displeased her, then continued.
"What's certain is that I wronged you. I... at first, I shoved you to the ground, said hurtful things... and now I've caused you trouble like this."
"......"
"I'm really sorry."
Apologizing when you've done something wrong is only natural.
Those words cleared my clouded mind in an instant. A sense of liberation, as if the fog obscuring my vision had been burned away.
My tangled thoughts finally started working properly.
'Ah, ugh...'
At the same time, I realized what stupid things I'd been doing.
An indescribable shame washed over me.
When I woke from the dream, I hadn't resisted Hong Yeon-hwa embracing me one bit. On the contrary, I had burrowed into her arms, seeking warmth...
Why are you sorry, why are you apologizing—I spouted such nonsense, and then got such an obvious correction...
The blood rushed to my face. Up until a moment ago, my body had been cold like a frozen fish, but now everything above the neck was hot. A heat so intense it might as well have been a hot pack.
"D-Did it hurt?"
Hong Yeon-hwa, who had been continually pressing my cheeks, saw my flushed face and asked carefully if she'd hurt me, which only made it more embarrassing.
She let go in shocked surprise, then gently stroked my cheeks. I was thankful for her gentle touch, but also so, so embarrassed...
[No. I suddenly got hot. It didn't hurt. Really.]
"So it didn't hurt? That's a relief..."
Watching Hong Yeon-hwa place a hand over her chest and sigh in relief, worried she might have hurt me, I felt a strange sensation.
Hong Yeon-hwa in the original story had never shown this side of herself.
The one officially recognized for eliminating the highest number of villains in association history.
The Calamity Flame and Mad Blaze that would burn everything without even sparing herself.
A warrior who charged headlong at 2nd-Rank Monsters without an ounce of retreat.
From a player's perspective, that was the kind of character Hong Yeon-hwa was. I'd seen side stories about her kindness or positive evaluations from those around her, but they never really resonated.
To a player, Hong Yeon-hwa was just an endlessly annoying enemy when you took the evil route, nothing more.
I mouthed words. For a moment, I tried to say thank you, but the Curse of Silence reminded me, and I closed my mouth.
[Thank you]
"Like I keep saying, it's my fault. You don't have to thank me."
Hong Yeon-hwa shook her head and looked at her smartwatch.
"Time's already flown by. How's your condition? Want me to see you back to the dormitory? Or you could just sleep here if that's easier. I have nothing on my schedule tomorrow either."
[I'll sleep here then. I don't have the strength to get to the dormitory.]
Honestly, my mind is still foggy. My head is throbbing too, probably because my spatial perception has changed.
It's likely because more information is coming in with the addition of color and light. It'll take a bit of time to get used to it.
I buried my face deep into the pillow. The soft texture gently and firmly wrapped around my face.
But it's much rougher than before.
...Remembering the sensation of burying my face there just moments ago makes the heat rise again. I turned my whole body away and pressed my face in hard so it couldn't be seen.
My consciousness faded in an instant. I guess I was more tired than I thought... I... more...
* * *
"He fell asleep."
The orange sunset glow filtering through the window was dyeing the infirmary.
A quiet, heavy stillness flowed inside the infirmary. The only occasional noise was the wind tapping against the window.
On the bed.
There lay Lee Ha-yul, breathing peacefully in sleep.
Judging by how he had half his face buried in the pillow, breathing evenly, he seemed to be deep asleep.
"Phew..."
Hong Yeon-hwa had been staring at him blankly, then snapped back to her senses and let out a deep sigh. She had watched him for a moment in case he had another nightmare, but no such signs appeared.
'Is this... a relief.'
Hong Yeon-hwa pressed her forehead, recalling a few hours prior.
She had been drunk on the spar.
Shoving Lee Ha-yul to the ground and spouting harsh words. Her fault was clear.
Lee Ha-yul was the one-sided victim, and Hong Yeon-hwa was the perpetrator. She obviously knew that, but the stress building up was unavoidable.
She'd apologized, but that probably wasn't enough, right? When should she apologize again? Should she give him something as a gesture of atonement along with it?
Such worries. Even during the welcome party, those thoughts had been circling her head. Then came the request for a friendly spar.
Her opponent was a Japanese prospect. His skills were decent, and he even used a sword like she did, so she gladly stepped up to blow off some steam.
Did she think she'd lose? No. And that's exactly how it played out. She enjoyed it for stress relief and fun, and never once lost the upper hand during the match.
After pressing the attack to the end, she finished the match with one satisfying, solid strike.
...The problem was that the opponent she struck went flying and crashed right into Lee Ha-yul.
While she was savoring the thrilling taste of victory, Lee Ha-yul collided with her opponent and lost consciousness.
Even now, thinking about it left her mind blank, as if someone had crumpled up a sheet of paper and cut off all her thoughts.
Think about it from Lee Ha-yul's perspective.
In the morning, she shoved him to the ground and picked a fight, asking if he couldn't see what was in front of him.
Right after that, she said sorry, apologized, and told him to let her know if he needed anything as she would make amends later.
Just up to here, she already seems like a total lunatic.
But then... after apologizing like that, barely a few hours later, she swings her sparring partner straight into him and knocks him out.
The very same person who knocked him over and picked a fight that morning! In just a few hours! Again!
"Urrgk..."
She had proudly declared, 'Apologizing when you've done something wrong is only natural,' but inside she was breaking out in a cold sweat.
Because from Lee Ha-yul's perspective, even if he perceived it all as malicious, deceptive bullying, she would have a hard time refuting it...
Be precise in gratitude and grudge.
Both kindness and enmity, repay without lack, generously.
A family motto handed down since the time of the founder.
It was a conviction engraved in the heart of every member of the Calamity Flame Family, and Hong Yeon-hwa, despite her prickly personality, was also doing her best to uphold that creed.
She'd made a mistake in the morning. Before she could even make amends, she committed another mistake! Against the same person! Again!
Fortunately, the kind-hearted Ha-yul accepted her apology...
But if he had refused it and closed off his heart...
"Geez..."
Shaking her head, Hong Yeon-hwa tucked her disheveled hair behind her ears.
Of course, she had not the slightest intention of glossing over this apology. She not only caused a nuisance but even made deeply hurtful remarks, so she planned to make up for it with compensation and apologies many times over.
Rising from her seat with that resolution, she decided to head back. Having confirmed he wasn't having a nightmare, it was about time to leave.
"......"
While checking his condition one last time, her gaze unintentionally drifted upwards.
The backdrop of him sleeping, blanketed by the sunset glow, combined with Lee Ha-yul's distinct, fairy-like appearance, created a scene that could have been a painting.
His eyes were round, and his whole face was soft with fine lines. Even his actions seemed frail, giving off an aura that pulled at a person's protective instincts.
There was a reason why the female cadets flocked to him so noticeably at the welcome party.
And the texture of his hair was like some kind of drug; she'd found herself mindlessly stroking it.
Plus, his frame seemed perfect for hugging tightly, and he smelled incredibly good...
'What a freak.'
Before that train of thought could continue any further, she smacked her own cheek.
She rubbed her stinging cheek.
...And as her thoughts looped around, a knife plunged into the conscience of the one who had shoved such a boy, spat harsh words at him, and ultimately knocked him unconscious.
"Ahem."
She cleared her throat and turned to leave, but then she noticed the blanket was disheveled. He had tossed a bit, and that had caused it.
I'll just cover him up with this and go.
Thinking so, she lifted the blanket.
Simultaneously, Hong Yeon-hwa's body froze solid.
"......"
A cold silence wrapped the infirmary, which had felt so cozy just moments before. Her wandering eyes fixated on a single point.
To a warrior, eyes are life itself. Without sight, one cannot track the opponent's attacks, nor can they land their own.
Hong Yeon-hwa, a warrior, doubted her own eyes. Her brain seemed to reject what it was receiving.
Her body stiffened as if she'd become a stone statue. Her breathing became rough and uncontrolled. She felt dizzy, as if her chest had clogged up tight.
She wanted to just back away. But she couldn't.
Her instincts screamed that she must not.
Hong Yeon-hwa extended a hand that was trembling as if an earthquake were shaking it.
The gloves Lee Ha-yul had been wearing. She hadn't thought much of them. Were they just a fashion statement? She'd wondered and dismissed the thought.
Underneath them, beneath the disarranged glove, a scar was visible.
The gruesome trace of a burn. Up to there... it pained her heart, but she could understand. She could even think about healing that scar as an apology.
"...Uh, ugh..."
Calamity Flame (劫火).
The unique ability passed down from her progenitor.
A fire that burns oneself and the world, a flame that leaves not a single ash of what it hates.
By kindling the Calamity Flame within its wielder, it enhances their physical body. And when it seeks to burn an opponent, it never dies down easily, relentlessly pursuing to the bitter end.
It will blaze until almost anything is consumed, but there are cases where it is inevitably extinguished. Even then, the Calamity Flame does not disappear cleanly.
When it does finally go out, it leaves a hideous scar on the target. This cannot be properly erased even by healing-type unique abilities, serving as a kind of brand.
The ugly mark covering half his forearm from his fingertips.
Hong Yeon-hwa knew this kind of mark extremely well. She had seen it while fighting monsters, and she had seen it while dispatching villains.
She had also personally inscribed it.
"...Calamity Flame."
That was the mark of the Calamity Flame.