Episode 8 - Comfort in My Heart

The person whose every word once overflowed with pure cuteness was now drowning in sorrow. She remained hunched over, face buried in both hands, sobbing.

Hic… sob… Hoo… Minwoo-ssi too…

Sob… hoo… You’ll… end up hating me… Hic, huuu…

In my hand was a sensational news article with the title Lee Siyeon, along with the flood of malicious comments beneath it. That was when I realized—the monster currently tearing at her heart was me. Every line I had pulled from the phone screen was clawing at her. Without knowing anything, I had dumped dark, heavy emotions onto her face.

I was sorry. I wanted to comfort her. But I didn’t offer any words of comfort. I knew too well that such empty phrases could never pull her out of that swamp.

“It’s okay. These things happen. Just stay strong.”

“There are people who have it worse than you. So cheer up.”

“You have to overcome this.”

“It’s not that big a deal if you look at it from afar.”

“You need to get a grip on your mentality.”

“Hang in there.”

Those were the words I received from others after losing my parents. Sure, everyone thought they were being kind with their well-meaning platitudes, but the person hearing them felt nothing. By the time you opened your eyes the next day, those words had already vanished into thin air. In the end, only the painful reality remained, staring you in the face.

That’s why I understand it so well. For someone in deep pain, hasty comfort can become poison.

Hic, sob… Huuu… Hic… Hoooo…

Sob… Hic…

And anyone who has known that kind of pain can recognize it in another person. Just by looking at their expression, you can feel the sour, stinging emotion deep in their heart. That was why I could sense her pain echoing the same agony I had once felt. It was unbearably sharp, suffocating, like being dragged down by chains. The kind of sadness that is hard to even speak aloud. Too heavy to overcome alone.

But if the right person’s hand truly reached out, it would vanish like smoke in an instant.

It was simple in theory, yet no one had ever offered that hand. So I reached out to her with the exact words I had always wanted to hear.

With all my heart, I asked her.

She told me everything about her past. Strangely, just listening carefully made me feel like I was truly comforting her. Without realizing her long-suppressed emotions were finally being released, she unloaded her burdens onto me. As expected, she was only human.

Hic, sob… So… so… ugh… it hurt so much…

“Ha…”

They kept… sob, hic… pushing me to take the lead alone… hoo…

“Those sons of bitches…”

The more I listened, the worse it got. What kind of bastards even were these people? No, dogs were at least kind. These were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠demons wearing human skin. Hell, even demons would probably walk by saying, “Ah, this is a bit much. Even we wouldn’t go that far… Humans, we salute you.”

They dared to shove her to the front just to analyze an unidentified monster’s pattern? When she knew nothing about it? Forcing her forward while firing bombs? Was that even a team?

“Damn it… I’m heading to the Association with a chainsaw… these worthless bastards…”

Hic… sob… Yes…?

“I’ll rip all their limbs off with it…”

Hoo, t-their limbs…?

A cute little sound escaped her as she covered her mouth with both hands. Whether it was pure innocence or just an instant reaction, it was adorable.

“Then I’ll stick only their heads in the inventory and burn the rest of their bodies… Yeah… that’s right, that’s perfect… These bastards don’t deserve to live, do they…?”

…Their heads…? In the inventory? Th-that’s a bit…

“Ah. No, no. Come to think of it, just putting the heads in won’t do.”

Whew…

“I should put bullets in them first. That way it hurts more, right? Yeah, exactly…”

…

“Or maybe I should skip the bullets and just put them in?”

Yes…?

There was a pause, followed by the sound of one eyebrow rising dramatically.

…?

“Then should I cut off their arms and put those in for you…?”

…Who said you could keep putting things in there?

The voice no longer sounded like it was muffled against my knee. It felt like she had stopped crying and was now looking straight at me.

“Well, it’s my inventory. I can put whatever I want in—”

Corpses? Are you joking right now?

“What joke? I’m completely serious. Can’t you see I’m searching for a chainsaw?”

Uh, yes?

I turned the phone screen toward her and showed the search for “Texas Chainsaw.” Her pure, innocent eyes must have widened.

Um… wait, Texas… that horror…

“Oh? You don’t like it? Hmm, maybe a chainsaw with an optical bit saber would be better?”

Suddenly sci-fi?

“Don’t stop me. That damn Yoo Seolah—I’m just going to—”

Pfft… damn… W-what…?

“Ugh, that dog of a woman… I’ll shove a laser chainsaw right up her—”

Puhup.

Ah. She laughed just now, didn’t she?

Ha… seriously…

“I’ll head there first thing tomorrow… and rip them all apart… tear them to pieces…”

As I spoke, I secretly closed one eye and checked the inventory. A small, pleasant smile was spreading across her face. She sat hugging her knees, chin resting on them, staring at the white floor. The sight felt like a gentle breeze blowing through.

Thank you… Minwoo-ssi.

“…Massacre every last one of them. Huh? What?”

It feels like you just said everything I wanted to say.

“Well… cursing isn’t that hard.”

Pfft. True. I should have just cursed my heart out like that at least once.

“Why didn’t you?”

I don’t know. I guess I didn’t want to become like them.

“Wow. That’s amazing… really…”

Uh… me?

“Yes. Anyway, I’m on your side, Siyeon-ssi. If those bastards annoy you, just tell me. I’ll curse them out until your ears fall off.”

Uh, um…

…My side…

…Um…. um….. um……

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

She didn’t answer, only half-burying her face in her knees while her eyes darted around. Her voice suddenly grew small and stuttered shyly.

“But did you know, Siyeon-ssi?”

Y-yes?

I picked up the phone. There had been something I wanted to show her from the very beginning. This seemed like the perfect timing.

“The 1st Raid Team has been acting strange ever since you disappeared.”

What happened?

“Want to see the news that went up today?”

Yes? Oh, um… I’m fine, really…

I showed her the front page of a portal site’s news section. It was a screen she had never seen before. When I turned it on, she flinched and turned her head away.

Um… Minwoo-ssi… I really don’t want to look…

“No, no—the article I was looking at earlier was the one with your name. This is today’s news.”

…People are just going to hate me again anyway…

“That’s not true. None of the headlines even mention your name.”

Uh… then…? N-no way…

“Ha… It feels like a waste to keep it to myself…”

W-what is it?

“Never mind. Don’t look. Wow, Yoo Seolah… I knew it.”

“Wow… this?”

“The 1st team is finished.”

Ugh… I don’t want to see it…

…I really… don’t want to…

Her voice grew small again, but this time it was cute. I almost laughed. She kept glancing sideways, blinking quickly, clearly wanting to see the screen.

I chuckled helplessly and read the headlines aloud.

“1st Raid Team’s operational capabilities to be reevaluated, blah blah. Yoo Seolah’s personality issues, yadda yadda. Association in awkward position… Wow, this is straight-up comedy.”

As I scrolled down, reading the titles, her ears perked up and her gaze finally shifted to the screen. The articles about the 1st Raid Team that had only been in my eyes now poured into hers. Her eyes widened as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she searched for something. I slowly moved my finger down the screen in time with her gaze. She looked exactly like a fresh-faced high school girl scanning a college acceptance list for her own name.

Wow. No matter how S-rank the difficulty of the Under Fall Dungeon is…

Still, if it’s the 1st team, the raid should have been on the easier side…?

“Exactly. A team that never knew failure. Just look at the casualty list. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠They call it failure, but it’s a complete humiliation.”

Oh my god… that many…? But how did they fail?

Oh, but my name really isn’t there?

“Siyeon-ssi. That’s not what’s important. Do you know what I thought while listening to your story?”

What?

“The 1st Raid Team.”

I had roughly expected it. I didn’t think the cracks would show this quickly, but I had felt it the entire time I listened to her past. Analyzing a monster’s pattern was a task that even the strongest ability users avoided—it was extremely dangerous. And at some point, the team had started pushing her to the front every operation. It was obvious. Those damn bastards had clearly just been following behind her back the whole time.

What about the raid team?

“It looks like they can’t do anything without you.”

The future news about the 1st Raid Team was going to be fun. I’d have to show every single article to Siyeon-ssi without missing one.