Chapter 19 Party Members
Chapter 19: {Party Members}
{Party Members}
Yu Ha-rin sat on the sofa in the Underground Guild headquarters, reading through all the information about Sarang Orphanage—the place Yu Ji-hu had chosen to visit today—before setting it down.
"Seo Yu-rin...."
It didn't take long for her to also learn that among the frequent visitors to the orphanage was a familiar face.
That girl.
She remembered her—a girl three years younger than herself, the same age as Ji-hu.
Among the trainees back then, she had been the prettiest. Even now, her delicate features and slender figure could rival top-tier celebrities on TV. Combined with her unwavering conviction as an Awakened, Ha-rin had taken slight notice of her.
But after Ji-hu was summoned to the Other World, and Yu-rin herself was summoned not long after—only to return four years later—Ha-rin had never sought her out.
That was how little she had cared. Just a passing observation, nothing more.
I did harshly punish the bastards who tried to assault her, but beyond that, I never thought we'd cross paths again. The world works in strange ways.
Who would've guessed that the orphanage Ji-hu chose for volunteer work was the same place Yu-rin frequented?
When Ha-rin ordered an investigation into Yu-rin's activities, a basic report was on her desk within fifteen minutes. After skimming through it, she made her judgment.
Not bad.
Seo Yu-rin, much like Ji-hu, was an orphan who lived earnestly, wishing to spare others from the same pain she had endured.
I could never be that selfless, though.
Even as an orphan, Ha-rin was different from her or Ji-hu.
By nature, yes—but more importantly, she had a little brother she had to protect.
No matter how much Ji-hu loved his older sister, their perspectives could never align. Ji-hu always saw her as someone above him, and Ha-rin, in turn, naturally loved him as both a sibling and someone she had to shield.
She only needed to think about him.
Everyone else was irrelevant.
I should eliminate anyone who might hurt Ji-hu... but for now, I'll hold off on her.
Ha-rin planned to use her power to block anyone who posed even the slightest risk of harming Ji-hu. However, given Yu-rin's track record, she was temporarily classified as pending.
At the very least, she wouldn't interfere—not yet.
If she overstepped, she might end up wounding the very person she loved most.
"Still, it must've been hard for you to talk about. Are you okay?"
Ji-hu struggled to keep his expression neutral, yet even in this state, he was comforting her.
What was she supposed to make of that?
She couldn't put it into words, but amid the tangled mess of emotions, Yu-rin spoke.
"No, I'm fine. More importantly, Ji-hu... Did I—did I trigger a bad memory for you? If I did, I'm really sorry."
Ji-hu had spent six years in the Other World.
Like most Returnees, he must have endured grueling days there—countless near-death experiences—because that world undoubtedly needed the summoned Awakened's help.
And it seems he has painful memories related to his party members.
The bitterness in his expression when he mentioned them was impossible to miss.
"No, it's fine. It's just... I should've been more careful choosing my party members. Haha..."
His forced laugh told Yu-rin everything. He carried deep psychological scars—wounds of the heart.
Betrayal by his party members, perhaps?
There was no way Ji-hu would've done anything to deserve betrayal. The fault had to lie with those who turned on him.
Yu-rin believed that without a shred of doubt.
So the betrayal was by his party members.
Ji-hu wasn't suffering from phantom pain, but his chest still ached.
Six years was too long to simply forget.
Six years of daily life together, fighting side by side, entrusting their lives to one another. Six years of love confessions and promises to stay together forever. Two weeks wasn't nearly enough time to erase that.
He'd probably remember them for the rest of his life.
"If you ever need help with anything, just say the word. I'll be there."
"R-really?"
"Yeah. Yu-rin, if it's you, I know it'll be for a good cause."
Seeing Yu-rin fluster at his words, Ji-hu allowed himself a small smile.
"Then I'll ask you for a favor first."
"Wh-what is it?"
Yu-rin tensed slightly, as if expecting something serious. The thought of what he was about to ask made him chuckle.
"Relax. The food delivery for the kids should be here soon, right? I just need help carrying it in."
"Oh... that's all?"
Soon after, Ji-hu and Yu-rin received the delivered meals together and handed them out to the children, who cheered and dug in eagerly.
"You even ordered for me... I feel bad."
The orphanage director was grateful—Ji-hu had included a full Korean meal set for her—but also guilty for imposing.
"If you really feel bad, then eat well and stay healthy so you can keep loving these kids. They need you in good shape."
"Heh, Yu-rin says the same thing."
Ji-hu smiled faintly at the realization that Yu-rin had echoed his words before.
"Yu-rin worries about your health a lot, huh?"
"Oh, you have no idea. If I so much as sniffle, she badgers me to go to the hospital. Hehe."
Though the director complained, she didn't seem to dislike it. If anything, Ji-hu thought their bond resembled that of a mother and daughter.
They're good people. Both of them.
He hoped they'd live smooth, untroubled lives—never betraying or being betrayed.
Thinking about the four who betrayed him made his chest tighten, so he avoided dwelling on it. Rationally, he could understand how misunderstandings might have happened.
But rationality and emotions were separate matters.
He couldn't accept why they hadn't trusted him enough. The wounds they inflicted ran too deep for him to care about their pain.
He wished no one else would ever suffer such cruel betrayal—especially not good people like the director or Yu-rin.
"Director, would it be alright if Yu-rin and I stepped out for a bit?"
"What for?"
"Since we haven't seen each other in a while, I thought we could grab a meal and talk about work. Of course, only if Yu-rin agrees."
Work likely meant Awakened business.
When Yu-rin, startled, nodded and said, "I-I don't mind," the director replied with hopeful relief.
"Oh, that's perfect. I know it's presumptuous of me to ask, but... if it's related to Awakened work, could you look after Yu-rin for me? She's always going into Rifts alone, and I worry sick every time."
Even to the director, who knew little about the Awakened world, Yu-rin's solo ventures into Rifts seemed reckless.
"Director, I'm fine. I only go into low-rank ones. It's safe."
"Yu-rin, you never know when something might go wrong! Wouldn't it be better to have someone you trust with you? If anything happened to you, I'd die of a heart attack."
The director's request was tinged with guilt, but her concern for Yu-rin outweighed it.
Forming a party with Yu-rin and tackling Rifts together...
Now that he thought about it, it wasn't a bad idea.
Yu-rin has talent, and she's capable.
With proper support, she could grow even stronger.
"Hey, hey, mister. Are you and Yu-rin unnie going on a date?"
"Yu-rin noona, are you dating this guy? I was gonna marry you when I grew up..."
The kids, still munching on their tonkatsu, pizza, and burgers, were already invested. Ji-hu laughed.
"Kids, focus on your food. And no, this noona and I just need to talk about work."