Chapter 9 Pain 2
Chapter 9: {Pain} 2
{Pain}
"Ugh..."
It hurt.
It hurt so much.
[Shut up.]
[I trusted you... I really...]
[I thought I'd spend my whole life with you!]
[It ends now. Ji-hu, I truly loved you. That's why I can never forgive you.]
As the words of those women glaring at him with betrayal flashed through his mind, Yu Ji-hu writhed in excruciating phantom pain and thought:
What the hell did I even do wrong?
No matter how much he reflected, Ji-hu couldn't think of anything he'd done to deserve this.
Yet he couldn't understand why he had to suffer like this.
Why did he have to endure such agony and make his only family—his sister—worry like this?
"Ji-hu..."
Feeling Yu Ha-rin embrace him with a worried expression, Ji-hu weakly apologized again.
"Nuna, I'm sorry..."
"Nuna, let's move quickly. Take us somewhere with fewer people for a bit."
"Okay, got it."
Noticing her brother's pale complexion, Ha-rin immediately grabbed him and teleported deep into the mountains where no one was around.
"Nuna, sorry. Ugh—!"
Ji-hu clutched the side of his chest, letting out a pained groan.
"Ugh..."
"Ji-hu."
Seeing him suddenly wracked with pain, Ha-rin pulled him into her arms.
Cradled against her, Ji-hu whispered weakly:
"Nuna, I'm sorry..."
At his apology, Ha-rin bit her lip—out of his sight—her eyes burning with fury as she thought of those who had hurt him.
I don't know who those bitches are... but if they ever cross my path, I'll never forgive them.
There was no way her kind-hearted little brother could have done anything to deserve this.
"Should we go home first?"
The remaining Rifts could be left to other Ability Users—they'd handle them just fine.
"N-no, I'll be okay after resting for a bit."
Seeing him drenched in sweat as he spoke, Ha-rin couldn't bear it any longer.
She couldn't stand watching him suffer like this.
From that day thirteen years ago, she had sworn to protect him at all costs—and now, seeing her precious little brother in such pain, she couldn't forgive those responsible, no matter their reasons.
"Ji-hu, just sleep for a little while."
"Okay, sorry..."
At his repeated apologies, Ha-rin forced a gentle tone.
"It's okay, Ji-hu. Just rest in Nuna's arms."
"Mmm..."
Ji-hu's eyelids fluttered shut.
Ha-rin had gently induced sleep, and he didn't resist.
Carefully laying him down, she knelt beside him.
People called her the "Empress" not just because of her overwhelming power, but also her cold, regal demeanor.
Except for her earliest childhood, no one had ever seen her kneel like this.
But for her brother? She didn't hesitate.
It's been a while.
She hadn't given him a lap pillow in so long.
Guiding his head onto her pale thighs, she gazed down at his sleeping face, a faint smile gracing her beautiful features.
So pretty... My little brother. Heh.
Her expression overflowed with love.
Just looking at him—the one person she loved most, more than herself—filled her with indescribable happiness.
But alongside that happiness, rage blazed within her.
I'll find the ones who hurt him and show them hell.
She couldn't leave Ji-hu now, but she'd take her time—track them down, no matter what.
Even if they were in another dimension, she'd tear through worlds to reach them.
"Mmm..."
Listening to his quiet breathing, Ha-rin gently placed a hand on his forehead.
Phantom pain... Just how deeply was my Ji-hu hurt?
The emotional trauma must have been worse than any physical wound.
This is suffocating.
She truly felt stifled.
She had believed that gaining unrivaled power in this world would ensure everything would be fine once Ji-hu returned.
But he had come back scarred so deeply, and she still didn't fully understand why he suffered like this.
I could find out now.
In his current state, she could easily read his memories and learn everything.
But she didn't.
He had promised to tell her himself, and she would wait, trusting that promise.
"You can lean on me as much as you want, you know..."
She sat quietly, watching his face for a long moment before finally pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.
Comfortable.
The feeling Ji-hu experienced was a long-lost sense of peace.
This sensation...
His sister's thighs.
She must have given him a lap pillow while he slept.
"Awake?"
When he opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of his sister's ample chest and her beautiful face gazing down at him.
"...Yeah."
Sitting up, Ji-hu checked his condition.
The phantom pain that had tormented him earlier was gone.
"Does it still hurt?"
"No, I think it's gone now. Nuna, sorry for worrying you."
Ji-hu apologized again.
He felt terrible for startling and distressing her with his sudden pain.
I thought I was getting better...
The abrupt, unannounced return of the phantom pain had shocked even him.
"I already had people clear the remaining Rifts nearby."
At Ha-rin's words, Ji-hu looked at her in surprise.
"Nuna, you made a guild?"
"Something like that. I left the guild master role to a proxy, but it's really my organization."
Hearing this, Ji-hu realized just how much he didn't know about what his sister had built.
"So the Rift issue is handled. Should we head back now?"
Ha-rin asked softly.
She had likely anticipated his reluctance to leave until the Rifts were cleared, so she'd had her subordinates take care of everything.
No one would be in danger from Rifts for now.
"Yeah, we should."
As Ji-hu agreed, Ha-rin smiled gently.
"Then, Ji-hu... Can you do one thing for Nuna?"
"What is it?"
Standing up, she cupped his cheek.
"We have so much to catch up on, don't we? I want to tell you about how I lived these past six years. Will you listen?"
"...Yeah. I want to hear more about how Nuna's been too."
"Heh, good. Then let's go home first."
"Okay."
Ji-hu felt the shift as Ha-rin teleported them, and in an instant, they were back home.
"Ji-hu, are you thirsty? Should Nuna get you something to drink?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Really?"
At her slightly disappointed expression, Ji-hu smiled faintly.
Six years had passed, and while her appearance had matured, these little habits of hers hadn't changed at all.
"Should I start from when I first ended up in another dimension?"
"Yeah. Nuna."
"Alright, then..."
As Ha-rin began recounting her experiences in another world, Ji-hu listened intently.
As her brother, he wanted to understand the hardships she'd endured, how fiercely she'd fought to survive.
And just as he expected, hearing about her brutal struggles made his heart ache, even if she seemed fine now.
"Then when I came back to Earth..."
She continued, explaining how she gathered followers, returned to Earth, and built her organization.
There were many smaller incidents after that, but she said she'd save those for another time—it would take too long otherwise.
Ji-hu nodded in understanding.
I should tell her about my life too.
Closing his eyes, the images of those women resurfaced.
It wasn't the same as the phantom pain earlier, but thinking of them still made his chest tighten.
"Nuna, this time... I'll tell you how I lived."
"Are you sure? You don't have to force yourself. Nuna can wait until you're ready."
"No. I need to tell you."
Bracing against the pain in his chest, Ji-hu began explaining everything he'd experienced in the Other World.
Ah, I see.
So those bitches were the ones who hurt my brother.
I'll remember them well.