Salvation (2): An Eternal Promise
Lee Seojin was flustered by the cold refusal. He'd thought it was a great offer for the sisters and expected them to accept. At the very least, he'd figured they'd say they'd think about it. But they'd straight-up rejected him, and he had no idea why they were acting like this.
In truth, the old sisters from before would have jumped at it without a second thought. They knew full well how much happiness it meant to escape their hellish days and live in a warm, cozy haven. Sure, they had bad memories of orphanages and an instinctive aversion, but the biggest issue was hearing that proposal from him of all people.
The first kind person they'd ever met. The first warm consideration and kindness they'd received. The first ray of light they'd encountered. Not only had he saved them from pitch-black darkness, but after multiple meetings, Lee Seojin had already started carving a deep place in their hearts.
Naturally, as that bond grew, affection would follow. Of course, this affection was still "liking him as a person," not "romantic interest." But just having that fondness was enough to change how they treated and thought about people.
They were showing pride and self-respect—things they'd never done before. In short, they were flaunting their "I'm doing fine" attitude. To sum it up, the sisters' reaction stemmed from bad memories of orphanages and their unhappy lives bubbling up reflexively. And on top of that, it was happening in front of someone they liked and didn't want to look pitiful to—someone essentially saying, "Your situation sucks, right? I get it, so let me help."
"Kids, wait a sec!"
He jumped up and chased after the sisters as they stormed out of the shop. Luckily, it wasn't hard to catch up and block their path, but when they avoided his gaze, he broke into a cold sweat. Were they angry? Upset? Their expressions were hard to read, and he desperately racked his brain for a way to fix this.
Forget why they were acting like this—getting hated by them would end everything. War would break out.War...! He couldn't let that hell repeat itself. And he couldn't squander the favor the Hero had granted him like this. He had to make it right somehow...!
"Sorry, kids. I was too pushy, huh? My bad. Yeah, I messed up."
"…"
"…"
He clasped his hands together, trying to soothe them, but would that even work? The sisters still looked dissatisfied, avoiding his eyes.
Had he been too hasty? He'd thought their repeated meetings and him handling that crisis had built some rapport, but maybe not yet. He could meet them a few more times and bring it up slowly... but there was no guarantee something like today wouldn't happen again. Or worse. That anxiety had made him rush.
"I should've worded it better... I'm no good with words, so I screwed it up. I'm really sorry."
Lee Seojin looked mortified as he kept apologizing to the sisters, then dropped to his knees. He looked up at them from below and pulled something from his pocket, handing it to Yu Sua.
"I already ordered the food, so let's eat first. And this... it's my personal comm watch. If it's okay... would you take it?"
"...Why?"
"In case you need to contact me, or if something dangerous like today happens again. So I can help."
"...Because you pity us? Is that it?"
"...Yeah."
Ah. Worst possible answer.
What the hell was he saying? To someone who'd helped them selflessly with no strings attached? As they spoke, the sisters hated themselves for it. But they couldn't figure out why they were acting this way. It felt like they were being controlled—their heads understood, but their bodies moved on their own.
In a way, it was inevitable. Having lived in darkness their whole lives, the sisters were too numb to emotions and social cues. They'd always submitted, bowed, and been tossed around. No one like this had ever appeared in their lives before.
"No way. Why would I think that about you two? We're friends, right?"
"...Friends?"
"...We're your friends?"
"Of course. Duh. Ah, wait—did I assume too much? Yeah, that could happen. Okay, then from now on, we're friends. Sound good?"
Lee Seojin grinned and stuck out his pinky. It was like their first meeting, but a different promise. The sisters stared at him blankly.
Friends. People who helped each other, hung out, stayed by each other's sides... a relationship different from lovers. For the sisters, friends had only ever been each other—sister to sister. They'd never had bonds or ties with anyone else.
But now, an outsider was trying to join that unbreakable duo for the first time.
"So... we're friends from now on...?"
"If we do that... you'll stay by our side forever, right?"
"Of course. I'll always be there."
"...You'll be our friend forever?"
"Yeah. Forever. Eternally."
Promising an unchanging bond, Lee Seojin smiled. Of course, to the blunt sisters, he had no thoughts on how their feelings might grow, what he planned next, or where the relationship was headed.
Just one thing: that he'd stay by their side. For now, that was more than enough.
"...Okay. Promise."
"...Me too! Promise!"
"Haha... good. Promise."
They hooked pinkies—both of Lee Seojin's hands with the sisters'. Before long, the sisters dropped their "I'm fine" bravado and reverted to their soft, puppy-like selves.
Thinking they were a little cute like that, Lee Seojin stood and patted their heads.
"Ack...?!"
"Eek...?!"
Sudden touch. The sisters, who'd never been petted by anyone before, panicked. But more than panic, shyness and joy welled up. His hand was softer than expected... and their secret fantasies had come true.
"Let's head in. Food's probably ready."
"...Okay."
"...Yeah."
Bashfully ducking their heads, the sisters couldn't meet his eyes again until they parted ways.
※ Nearby park.
After eating, they'd refused his offer to rest at his place and sat on a park bench, basking in the warm sunlight. Luckily, the weather had warmed up, feeling almost springlike. They sat quietly, mulling over his proposal.
"...What should we do?"
Breaking the silence was the older sister, Yu Sua. Yu Se Eun thought for a moment, then looked up at her sister.
"...I wanna do what he said. But honestly..."
"...You wanna live with him?"
"...Yeah. He's a good guy. Warm... I wanna stay by his side forever, but we can't, right?"
"He said he'd always be around, so it'll be fine."
The sisters weighed the proposal. A few concerns stood out, like "What if he stops visiting after we go to a facility?" They half-suspected he only came because he pitied their situation. It wasn't true—just their longing to see him twisting into delusion.
"He's not the type to ghost us just because we're okay. And we can always visit him. No way he'd send us somewhere like a prison with no freedom."
"...Hehe. Yeah? I overthought it."
Yu Se Eun giggled and lightly smacked her own head.
"So... should we go with what he said?"
"Yeah. But how do we call him?"
"With this watch..."
Yu Sua fiddled with the watch on her wrist to contact him. But just then, someone approached.
"Excuse me. Got a question."
It was two police officers. They looked awkward as they spoke to the sisters, who stared back in confusion.
"What's up?"
"Are you Yu Sua and Yu Se Eun...?"
"Yes. Why?"
"...Your father's filed a report. He wants us to find you."
Thud.
Something heavy crashed in the sisters' hearts at the officers' words. One started trembling slightly, her face darkening as she looked away. The other glared in fury, on the verge of exploding.
The police sensed the ominous vibe but had to proceed since they'd received the report.
"Now that we've found you... we have to take you back."
"No way! Get lost! Scram!! Why'd you even take that bastard's request?!"
"Sigh... No choice. Your dad's filed multiple interference—no, earnest reports. We have to bring you."
"Beat it! We don't need you!! Under that piece of—"
As expected, the reaction was explosive, and the officers sighed. Ignoring the report would cause issues too. They needed to resolve it peacefully, but it looked like a tough haul ahead.
Unfortunately, the issue resolved itself quickly.
"We'll go."
"Sis?!"
Yu Se Eun, mid-rage, stared at Yu Sua in shock. Her sister knew: dragging this out meant they'd lose. Knowing their father, he'd do anything to drag them back. He saw them as objects for his gain—a vicious truth they'd witnessed since childhood.
So they needed another way. Not now, but later. A way to win.
"...Sorry, and thanks."
"No problem. It's a family matter."
These people had ignored their pleas for help as kids, but now shoved pitiful lambs into one man's malice out of annoyance. It was tragic, absurd, horrific—the result of an era overrun by superhuman powerhouses, where the weak were discarded.
And so the sisters returned. To the place they'd always endured, the source of their misery.
But they weren't going unprepared. Yu Sua thought and thought endlessly. To cut ties forever, to stop being pawns. To end it all after this, escape despair, and start anew. Desperately, she sought a way.
And one rose up. The one thing she absolutely never wanted to do.