You Cut Me Out

Someone I didn't know was sitting in my seat.

That was the first thing I saw when I opened the door. Second from the window. The spot I'd used for the past six months. Even the small scratch on the desk was exactly where I'd left it — only ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the person in the chair had changed.

Cha Siwoo.

First place in this semester's practical combat evaluations.

And across from him sat three familiar faces.

Yoon Seoa. Lee Serin. Han Yuri.

Nobody said a word. They just stared at me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as I stepped through the door.

"What is this?"

No answer.

I started to set my bag down anyway. Then I stopped. Cha Siwoo was in my seat.

As I stood there with my bag still on my shoulder, Cha Siwoo rose from the chair.

"You're Kang Jaehyun, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Cha Siwoo."

"I know."

How could I not? Every time the practical evaluations ended, his name was sitting at the very top of the list.

Cha Siwoo glanced briefly at the other three. Only then did Seoa open her mouth.

"Jaehyun."

"What."

"We need to talk."

"So talk."

Seoa's mouth closed again. This time it was Yuri who spoke.

"The investigation isn't over yet."

I didn't need to ask which investigation. A few days ago, a student died during the Practical Combat Evaluation. And I had walked out of the dungeon and left that student behind.

"The party rosters for the evaluation are due today."

"I know."

"We can't leave your participation in the evaluation as-is until the investigation wraps up."

Yuri wore the same expression as always. She always did, whenever she said the answer she believed was correct.

Serin rushed to fill the silence.

"Jaehyun, this is seriously just temporary."

"What is?"

"Just until the investigation is done."

Serin glanced once toward Cha Siwoo.

"Siwoo's joining us, just for this evaluation."

I looked at my seat again. Cha Siwoo was already standing. But on the desk sat a sword sheath I'd never seen before.

"And me?"

Nobody answered right away. Seoa spoke first.

"I think it's better if you sit this one out."

"And after that?"

"What?"

"After the investigation ends."

"Well, obviously, then you—"

Seoa stopped mid-sentence.

"If I'm cleared, I come right back? That it?"

Again, no answer.

It had been like this for days. A student died. I left the student behind and came out. That much was true. I said the same thing in the investigation room — that I'd left him. When they asked why, I didn't answer.

After that, the rumors spread fast. An E-Rank Support-type who ignored orders. Abandoned a student he could have saved. Walked out alive by himself. It wasn't as if every word of it was a lie. So I never bothered to correct anyone.

"Got it."

Seoa's eyebrows twitched.

"Got what, exactly?"

"That you four are doing this evaluation without me."

"Hey."

"I said I got it."

"Don't say it like that."

"Like what?"

"It sounds like we're kicking you out."

That gave me pause. I wondered if I'd misunderstood something. So I checked.

"Seoa."

"What."

"Did you vote for it?"

Seoa shut her mouth. A few seconds later, a small voice came out.

"...Yeah."

"Serin?"

Serin's fingers clenched.

"I just think it's dangerous for you to go into a dungeon right now—"

"So you voted for it."

"...Yeah."

Last, I looked at Yuri. The answer came before I could even ask.

"Yes."

Yuri met my eyes squarely.

"I voted for it."

"Good."

I opened the side pocket of my bag. A small metal tag fell into my hand — the registration tag I'd received when we first formed our party at the Academy. Half a year of carrying it had worn the plating off one corner. I set it down on the desk.

Click.

"What are you doing?"

Seoa asked. I pointed at the tag.

"This."

"Why would you take that out?"

"I don't need it anymore."

"Kang Jaehyun."

"If you're registering a new party, they'll just issue a new one."

Seoa shot to her feet.

"Are you angry right now?"

Hearing that, I actually thought about it. Was I angry? I couldn't tell. Ever since a student died, my head had been a mess. The interrogation. The questions. Repeating the same answers over and over. And then today I'd shown up to find a stranger in my seat.

"I don't know."

"What?"

"I honestly can't tell."

I adjusted the strap ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on my shoulder.

"Good luck."

I turned to go. Behind me came the screech of a chair.

"Wait a second."

Serin. She was hurriedly shoving the things off her desk into her bag.

"I'm coming too."

"Where?"

Serin's hands stopped.

"Home?"

"What do you mean, where?"

Now Serin looked at me like I was the strange one.

"We walk together, obviously."

And that's when it hit me. Ah. So that's what they think this is. They thought I was just leaving the party — that was all. That tomorrow, when Seoa held out her sword hilt, I'd still wrap it for her. That when Serin packed late, I'd still wait by the door. That when Yuri sent over combat logs, I'd still stay up all night analyzing them with her. Apparently, all of that was supposed to stay exactly the same.

"I'll head out first."

"Hang on. I'm almost done packing."

"It's fine."

"What's fine? You could just wait a minute."

That's how it would have been, once. Serin always packed late, so I always waited. There was never anything waiting for me at home anyway. But not today. Today there was no reason to wait.

I opened the door.

"Jaehyun!"

Serin called after me.

"Why are you being like this?"

My feet stopped. Why am I being like this? I wanted to know too. I tried to think of what I'd done wrong. Said I'd leave first. Left my registration tag behind. Cleared my seat for the new guy. No matter how I turned it over, I couldn't figure it out. So I just said it.

"You cut me out."

"...What?"

"From your party."

I stepped into the hallway. The door closed behind me.

A vibration came from my pocket. I pulled out my phone.

Before ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠another message could come in, I pressed down on the screen. Four participants. Yoon Seoa. Lee Serin. Han Yuri. Kang Jaehyun. I stared at it for a moment, then hit the leave button.

The screen went dark.

That was the exact moment it happened. Unfamiliar text rose up before my eyes.

I stopped walking.

The last line surfaced.

"What the hell."

I blinked. The text was gone. I had no idea what it meant, and I had no intention of finding out right then. The party registration was due by today. And my party no longer existed.

No — to be precise—

I no longer existed.