Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Solitude and Savior
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“No, I don’t hate her or anything. How could I hate someone who struggled just like me in a similar spot... I know exactly how she’s lived.”
I wasn’t the type to wish well for someone I’d never even exchanged words with, but for seven years, I had been Amelia.
Because of the sense of kinship I’d built up all on my own during that time, I at least hoped she’d be happy.
I hoped she’d enjoy the elevated status and title in my place, indulge in cultural pursuits, live leisurely, and maybe even bring down the Campbell family...
If I’d known it’d turn out like this, I should’ve asked Raymond for some help.
“Ah.”
My thoughts had wandered off somewhere else. To make matters worse, my head started throbbing. I furrowed my brow and muttered the first thing that came to mind.
“I miss Mom...”
“Then just go see her, right?”
“That’s the hard part. I can’t avoid her forever, so like Han Se-young said, I need to reach out... but maybe a bit later.”
I pushed off the task like an elementary kid procrastinating homework. Then another question came flying back.
“What if you never see her for the rest of your life?”
“I don’t want that. You couldn’t go your whole life without seeing your parents either, right?”
“I think I could manage.”
“Huh?”
“It’s been ages since I last saw their faces. We’re not even close enough to keep in touch.”
I looked up at that.
“Bad blood with your family?”
“...Is it?”
“Do you hate them?”
“Never really thought about it that deeply. It’s just... they abandoned me, and I abandoned them.”
His voice stayed light and dry as bone, utterly at odds with the heavy topic.
Seeing that resigned look—more acceptance than despair—brought a face from another world to mind.
Hayden, my little cat friend.
That small boy was so used to being used and discarded that he didn’t even realize it was wrong or sad.
For a moment, the kid who’d leaned on me so much overlapped with the man in front of me.
“...Doesn’t it get lonely?”
I reached out and cupped his cheek. His fine hair tickled my fingertips.
“Even if it’s not family like mine, find someone to stay by your side.”
“...”
His lips tightened.
His widened eyes fixed on me. His smooth forehead and those golden-tinged eyes were stunning.
Wow, he’s really handsome. Even in a moment like this, I couldn’t help admiring that masterpiece of a face as I murmured calmly.
“Anyone who stays by your side... it makes it okay.”
Even after parting from my family, Han Se-young was always there for me. But that bond was still shadowed by Amelia’s lingering presence.
Still, I’d needed a place to crash right away and someone to fill me in on things. So I figured I’d take the bare minimum help and cut ties.
She wasn’t even my friend to begin with, and friendships fade easy enough if you just slack on contact. No big deal, I thought.
But Han Se-young was tenacious. I pushed her away, even told her straight up I wasn’t the friend she thought I was, but she just casually booked hospital appointments like it was nothing.
Days turned to weeks, weeks to months. Then one day, I realized I couldn’t brush her off lightly anymore.
“If someone starts worrying about you and sticking around, treat them right. Don’t let them slip away for nothing. Don’t be lonely all by yourself.”
“...I’ve never once felt lonely up till now.”
His eyes twisted faintly. He grabbed the hand cupping his cheek and spoke.
“But hearing you say that... it kinda feels like I was.”
“You’ve held up fine on your own all this time.”
With my free hand, I stroked his hair gently, like I would a child’s.
“...How do you even treat someone right?”
He looked up at me.
“How do you keep from letting them go?”
There was no hint of his usual smile on his lips.
“Uh... well...”
Oh no. I needed to give a proper answer, but my brain wouldn’t cooperate. My head felt foggy, my stomach churning.
“Urp.”
“...Noona?”
“Uwaaagh—.”
And then everything went black.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Let’s quit drinking while we’re ahead.
I woke up in a bed bathed in warm morning sunlight. The moment I sat up, I was hit with the urge to bungee jump out the window with no cord.
...Aren’t you supposed to forget everything after getting wasted?
Not all of it, but bits and pieces stuck. Like rambling on about family out of nowhere, whining to myself like a pity party, and capping it off with hurling...
“...Should I just die?”
I buried my face in my hands. Then I bolted up, flung open the door, and peeked out. Ju Yeon-woo seemed to be out.
Confirming no one was around, I slunk out. Despite the vomit, my clothes and the place looked spotless—relief or despair, I couldn’t tell.
I didn’t remember details, but since I was still in yesterday’s outfit and it was clean, I must’ve spewed on the floor... or on Ju Yeon-woo.
Talk about peak nuisance.
“...Right. Time to clean.”
When stray thoughts hit, nothing beats getting moving. I rolled up my sleeves to apologize for last night’s mess and tackle what I could.
I started tidying without touching personal stuff as much as possible, but the place was a bit messier than its usual pristine state—must’ve been whatever went down yesterday.
At least there was satisfaction in cleaning it up.
I couldn’t pinpoint where I’d hurled, so I hustled to mop every floor.
Hours later, it hit me: a big place isn’t all upside.
One cleaning session and my muscles were screaming bloody murder.
“Already this late?”
I’d even straightened up the room I’d been crashing in. Afternoon part-time shift, so about three hours left. Plenty of time to get ready slow.
Oh yeah, forgot to tell Ju Yeon-woo I’m checking out today... Will he swing by the cafe?
As I packed my meager belongings, my phone suddenly rang.
“Who’s this?”
I’d reset it, so no caller ID. The number felt familiar, though. I picked up, and Han Se-young’s voice blasted through.
[Kim Yu-jeong!! Where the hell are you?!]
“Hungover wore off.”
[That’s not the point right now!]
Then what is? She’s not still wasted, is she?
[I checked the cafe you’re crashing at, and no one’s there! You’re not actually staying here, are you?!]
“...”
[I dropped by last time too, figured you were at work. But it’s an afternoon shift. Hours till you start, and you’re already gone? You lied to me, didn’t you? Where are you really staying??]
Her excited tone shut my mouth automatically. I stayed calm and made excuses.
“Just stepped out for lunch nearby. Anyway, Se-young, don’t call this phone anymore. Gotta return it soon, won’t work after.”
I’d already told her it was a temp borrow. She said okay, but pressed if I was really staying here.
“Obviously.”
[Cool. You’ll be back soon then? I’ll wait out front.]
“...”
Click. Call ended.
“Wait, why so sudden?!”
I frantically packed up. Not much stuff anyway, done quick.
Deleted the call log, grabbed some random paper from my bag, and scribbled a note.
Thanks for letting me stay, sorry for the sudden heads-up via note.
Meant to tell him yesterday, but circumstances...
Thinking back made my face harden. Actually... maybe better to ghost without seeing his face.
Could run into him at the cafe, though.
Battery was iffy since I hadn’t charged before crashing.
Final call log wipe, then left the keycard, note, and phone in plain sight on the table. Out the door I went.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ S-rank Esper. A once-in-centuries rarity, multi-ability user. A monster who founded a guild young and rocketed it to world rankings. Personality trainwreck. Murderer who doesn’t see humans as human. Arrogant, conceited prick.
Praise or curses, plenty of words described Yeon Woo-jin.
The crowning one? Years back during the great cataclysm, slapped on a mere 15-year-old: “Savior of the World.”
Ha Do-kyung muttered with a sigh.
“A guy like that, a savior? World’s gone mad...”
He shifted his gaze to the man in question. A mid-to-high grade gate had popped downtown, but the top-tier talent showed no signs of stirring from bed.
“Hey, just checking—no plans to work today?”
“I’m sick.”
Yeon Woo-jin replied, burritoed in his blankets. No hesitation whatsoever. Ha Do-kyung clicked his tongue sharply.
“What if shit hits the fan?”
“If the world crumbles without one human, better it crumbles.”
“Dude, people could be dying right now.”
He tossed it lightly, appealing to conscience. Yeon Woo-jin’s lip curled in a mocking smirk.
“You’re not saying that out of pure justice either, are you?”
Espers were all a bit off somewhere.
Whether from abilities worlds apart from normals, or going mad firsthand from what lurked beyond gates.
This line of work was crawling with personality wrecks.
And Ha Do-kyung wasn’t far off himself, so he just grimaced and rubbed his nape.
They’d seen too much to view the world through simple goodwill.
At an age to throw tantrums, weakness was taboo. The forced burdens choked them relentlessly.
Weakness was an unforgivable sin. A betrayal of others.