I'll Be Back

"I'll be back."

After Lee Yeon-ah collapsed, the situation improved with startling speed.

Personnel from the Hero Association, the Hunter Association, and the police were mobilized to suppress the monsters that had poured out of the Gate. In the process, we were safely rescued as well.

The teachers kept saying how relieved they were, fretting over how terrified we must have been.

Lee Yeon-ah and Lee Yeon-hui showed mild symptoms of exhaustion and were admitted for a few days of observation. Aside from some scrapes, I had no serious injuries, so first aid was enough for me. Teacher Go Chan-ho had broken a few ribs, but thankfully he was still alive.

By any measure it was a stroke of pure luck — not a single person had died, and everyone made it back in one piece.

And yet.

I couldn't bring myself to feel relieved.

What went wrong?

The answer was crystal clear.

Everything had gone wrong.

Why didn't I prepare? What the hell was I doing? What was I even thinking?

Question after question flooded my mind in the span of a breath.

I'd gotten complacent.

After rescuing Yeon-ah from her kidnapping and settling into a peaceful routine, had my guard simply melted away? Or had one success been enough to convince me I was some kind of hero?

If a Gate opened right now — if something from another world came bursting through the way it had earlier — what could I even do?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I'd just stand there, powerless, watching them do whatever they wanted.

"Shit…!"

I spat the curse out of sheer frustration.

Then — tap-tap-tap-tap.

The sound of someone running hard down the hospital corridor. A woman in heels, moving fast despite the height of her shoes, stopped in front of one of the rooms and pushed the door open without hesitation.

That had to be Yeon-hui's mother. She'd heard her daughters had been hospitalized and come running straight over.

I watched her from a distance, then dragged myself home on leaden feet.

I don't know how many minutes I sat there, slumped under the weight of my own helplessness, before my phone started buzzing so insistently I couldn't ignore it. I checked the notification —

"…!"

The moment I read it, my body moved on its own.

The person I'd been hunting for all this time. The one I'd been tracking through both people and machines. I'd finally gotten a lead on their whereabouts.

"Haha… and of all times, now…?"

The timing was so perfect it felt deliberate. I laughed hollowly, confirmed the location, and booked a flight on the spot.

"Yeah. It's time to go."

Looks like the sweet everyday life ends here.

Creak.

The hospital room door eased open, and a girl peeked her face through the gap, then slipped out. She glanced left and right as if searching for something.

"Boo!"

"Aaah! I'm sorry!"

"Pfft — 'Aaah! I'm sorry!' Hahaha."

She spun around to find that the culprit who'd startled her was none other than Park Yeon-chan.

"Hey! You scared me half to death!"

"You sure you should be yelling like that in a hospital at night?"

At that, Lee Yeon-hui clamped both hands over her mouth. Yeon-chan burst out laughing all over again. She wanted to shout at him, but she couldn't, so she settled for glaring daggers instead.

"So where were you headed?"

"J-just for a walk."

The truth was she'd come out looking for a payphone to call Yeon-chan. But admitting that felt like too much of a blow to her pride, so she fumbled out an awkward cover story.

"Yeon-hui. Do you remember what happened today?"

"…"

"So you do."

She answered with a nod. Yeon-chan's expression grew complicated. Yeon-hui, for her part, still didn't fully understand what had happened — but she couldn't bring herself to dislike this new power. It meant she finally had the strength to protect Yeon-chan, who kept pushing himself past his limits for her and Yeon-ah.

"Hey. Can you do me one favor?"

No trace of his usual teasing. His voice was utterly serious. The uncharacteristic tone made Yeon-hui look at him with a careful wariness.

"What kind of favor?"

"Just one. Whatever it is."

There was something almost pleading in the way he said it. She couldn't refuse. Once again, she answered with a nod.

"I don't want you telling anyone that you used your power."

"…Why?"

"Just a favor. That's all."

She wanted to ask for a reason, but the look in Yeon-chan's eyes said please don't, so she didn't press.

"…Okay."

The moment she managed the answer, the shadow over Yeon-chan's face seemed to lighten, just a little.

"Yeon-hui. Nothing that happens from here on out is your fault. So you don't have to blame yourself."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying I'll let it slide that you stole my white shoes."

"…"

That clearly wasn't what he'd meant. She knew it — and yet the loneliness bleeding through his voice stopped the question rising in her throat cold.

This is somehow annoying…

Maybe it was because Yeon-chan felt so different from usual. Looking him straight in the eye suddenly felt embarrassing.

When he just says whatever he wants like that, it's hard to argue with him…

This was the same guy who normally cracked dumb jokes nonstop, and now he was coming at her with this kind of weight. It felt strange.

"Yeon-hui."

"…"

He kept saying her name. Every time she heard that voice, a strange feeling washed over her, and she looked away without answering.

"Hey — are you sick?"

"…!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Yeon-chan stepped right up to her and laid a hand on her forehead. The sudden closeness sent heat flooding into Yeon-hui's face. She couldn't take the embarrassment — she swatted his hand away and spun around in a flash.

"I-I'm going now!"

Yeon-chan watched her back as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she bolted down the hospital corridor, and quietly said,

"Take care."

Yeon-hui was gone. Only Yeon-chan remained in the hallway.

"Aren't you going back to your room?"

Or so he'd thought — until someone came trudging out from behind the wall at his back. And then —

Tap-tap-tap.

She sprinted down the corridor and threw her arms around him from behind.

In the faint glow of the hallway lights, blonde hair shimmered. A faint golden mana rose from her body, glittering softly.

"Well, well. Look at you. Where'd you learn a move like that?"

Yeon-chan played it cool, still letting her cling to his back.

"Oppa taught me, didn't he?"

"…"

That one line shut him down completely.

"…Did I commit some kind of psychological crime without even knowing it?"

Yeon-ah giggled at that, clearly delighted.

"You regressed?"

"…Yeah. It feels a little fuzzy, but for now, yeah — that's the right way to put it."

"And your personality… is it split?"

"That's my oppa for you."

"Well, I am pretty sma—"

He'd been about to lighten the mood with a smug comeback when his words cut off cold. In a single motion, Yeon-ah had slipped from behind him to the front and pressed her lips to his.

"…"

It was the lightest of kisses — just a brush of lips — and then she pulled back, cupping his face in her hands.

"Honestly… I wish you just wouldn't go."

Loneliness clung to her voice.

"But you will. I know you will."

There was a heartbreaking edge to it, something almost plaintive.

"And you'll do it for us."

"…"

The hand ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stroking his face gave his cheek a little pinch.

"If you were missing even one thing, I could look at just that and get over you."

"I suffer plenty from my overflowing charm myself, you know."

They traded jokes like that, looking at each other, and both of them huffed out a quiet laugh.

"Can you stop by once in the morning? I want the little me to get a goodbye too."

"Okay."

"I'm sorry. There's so much I want to hear… but I still can't tell you anything."

Maybe it was how drained her voice sounded. Yeon-chan's hand rose to the top of her head and gently stroked her hair.

"It's fine. When we see each other again, you can tell me then."

Hearing that, Yeon-ah leaned softly into him and smiled — a fragile, faraway smile.

"I overdid it a little. Just get me back to the room."

And then the strength left her body entirely, and she went limp in his arms.

Sunlight spilled across the windowsill.

Lee Yeon-ah, eyes still closed, rubbed at them and slowly woke up in the hospital bed. The first thing she saw was her older sister, sleeping soundly in the next bed over.

Scritch, scritch.

A sound from the side made her turn — and there was Park Yeon-chan, peeling an apple.

A strange, buoyant feeling lifted her straight out of bed and over to him. Yeon-chan noticed she'd woken up and looked her way.

"Sleep well?"

"Mm. What are you doing, oppa?"

He wasn't just peeling apples — something about it made her curious. Instead of answering, Yeon-chan held out a plate of already-finished ones.

On the plate sat red apple pieces with their peels flipped up into neat little rabbit ears.

Yeon-ah's eyes went round.

"Whoa. Did you make these, oppa?"

Her voice was full of wonder as she looked up at him.

"Cute, right?"

"Yeah!"

She popped one into her mouth and grinned, all hehe. They chatted for a long while after that, and time slipped by in the blink of an eye.

"I wish you could stay our next-door neighbor forever. So we can keep being together like this."

"…Yeah."

The smile Yeon-chan wore as he answered felt somehow bitter. Yeon-ah, every bit as sensitive to his expressions as Yeon-hui was, caught it immediately and was about to ask —

"I should get going."

— when Yeon-chan stood up abruptly, and she had to swallow the question.

"Come back safe!"

She looked up at him as he rose. Yeon-chan ruffled her hair once.

"…Yeah. I will. I promise."

He left the words behind like a vow, and walked out of the room.

Inside the company break room.

The meeting had ended, and Lee Ye-ji — mother of the Lee sisters — was using the short break to research something intently on her laptop.

"Ye-ji, what are you looking at so hard?"

Maybe she'd been staring too intently. A coworker leaned over for a peek at the screen.

On it: documents being downloaded on the requirements for adopting a child.

"Huh? Adoption…?"

The coworker looked at Ye-ji with open confusion.

"I'm planning to take in a son."

Ye-ji answered with a soft little laugh, and her coworker nearly jumped out of her chair.

"What? Ye-ji, you already have two daughters — why on earth would you adopt a son?"

"I was going to take him as a son-in-law, but I figured I'd make him a solid son first."

Unlike her flustered coworker, Ye-ji answered with the same easy calm as before. That utter serenity only made the other woman more bewildered.

"Son-in-law? Son? What are you even talking about?"

"There's a boy. Perfect son-in-law material for my girls. Not sure which one's yet, though. Hehe."

She looked so pleased with herself that her coworker couldn't even find the words, just stammering uselessly — when a voice called from outside.

"Ye-ji~! There's a kid named Park Yeon-chan here saying he's here to see you?"

At that, Ye-ji shot up from her chair and headed out of the break room.

She had told Yeon-chan where she worked, and she'd told him to come if anything ever came up — but him actually showing up like this was a little strange. She'd just seen him at the hospital that very morning, and they'd exchanged numbers; they stayed in touch just fine. If something had happened, he would have called. The fact that he'd come in person meant it had to be something serious.

Worried that something bad might have happened, she hurried her steps and went outside the building — and there was Park Yeon-chan waiting by the front entrance, a large suitcase at his side.

"Yeon-chan, what's all this…?"

She had a dozen questions, but the suitcase was what snagged her attention first. She asked about it — and Yeon-chan suddenly bowed his head low.

"Ma'am. Thank you for everything, up until now."

"What? What do you mean—"

A polite farewell, offered in answer to a question about a suitcase. Anyone looking at this would only see one thing: a goodbye.

"Yeon-chan, did something happ—"

"Ma'am."

He cut her off before she could finish. Ye-ji hadn't known ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Yeon-chan for all that long, but she prided herself on the density of the time they'd shared. He had never once interrupted her like this. Doing it now could only mean one thing: please don't ask.

"Ma'am… I've never had a family before."

"…"

Ye-ji stood quietly and listened as he began.

"It wasn't long, but living with you and Yeon-hui and Yeon-ah… it made me think, so this is what having a family feels like."

Yeon-chan smiled, and it was a lonely smile. Looking at him, Ye-ji felt it settle over her.

Ah…

This was no longer something she could stop.

"Family… was so much warmer than I ever imagined. So much warmer."

Yeon-chan was a mature child. She thought of her own daughters as plenty grown-up, but they couldn't compare to him. Sometimes, looking at him, she almost wondered if there was a full-grown adult living inside that body.

"I know you've been working hard for my sake."

"…"

He must have meant the adoption. The talk of taking him in as her son.

"I'm sorry. For saying goodbye like this."

"Yeon-chan. I—"

There was something she simply had to say. Ye-ji opened her mouth, heavy with the weight of it — and Yeon-chan held out a large document envelope, about the size of a B4 sheet.

"I know this is shameless of me to ask, but… if I ever come back… would you take me in then?"

Ye-ji's mouth closed. She stared at him, dazed. Unlike before, he couldn't meet her eyes — he looked terribly nervous.

I see. This child, too…

Looking at him, Ye-ji gently pulled Yeon-chan into her arms.

"I don't know what happened. You don't seem to want me to ask, so I won't. But one thing."

She held him tighter, stroking his hair as she went on.

"Wherever you go, you stay healthy. Don't get hurt."

"…Yes, ma'am."

"Come back safe. My son."

At those words, Yeon-chan's eyes went wide. His voice came out strained, as if he were holding something back with everything he had.

"Yes. I'll be back."

Ding-dong—

"Park Yeon-chan!"

Lee Yeon-hui jabbed the doorbell, calling his name in a voice thick with anger. She'd been hospitalized for about three days and had since been discharged — but after that first day, Yeon-chan had gone completely dark, and she was thoroughly furious about it.

"I'm coming in!"

No answer even after ringing the bell, so she punched in the passcode and let herself inside. The door opened onto a kitchen dimmed by drawn curtains.

"Hey! At least open the curtains."

It didn't even feel like a place someone lived. She yanked the curtains open first, then strode straight into Yeon-chan's room —

"Huh…?"

There ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was no one in Yeon-chan's room.

And that wasn't all.

"Why is there so little stuff?"

The place felt hollowed out. The laptop he carried around like a security blanket — gone. The clothes he always wore so carefully — all gone.

A bad feeling hit her. She called him immediately.

Of course he didn't pick up.

On a hunch, she called her mother right away.

As her mother carefully explained, Yeon-hui's mind went blank.

He left?

"Mom, what are you talking about? You heard that and just let him go?!"

Lee Yeon-hui had never once thrown a tantrum. She'd never raised her voice at her mother, either. But right now, none of that even crossed her mind.

"Where? He must have told you where he was going!"

"…"

Tears welled up and spilled from Yeon-hui's eyes as she shouted into the silent phone. She hung up on the non-answer and ran out blindly.

"Park Yeon-chan, you bastard!"

And as she tore out of the apartment building —

"Uh, unnie? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

— she ran straight into Lee Yeon-ah, coming back with a bag of snacks she'd bought to eat at Yeon-chan's place.

"Yeon-ah… Park Yeon-chan, he…"

Sniffling, she told Yeon-ah that he was gone.

Standing there, hearing those words —

Thud.

— Yeon-ah dropped the bag she was holding. It hit the ground, and she couldn't say a single word.