Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: A Rude Awakening
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At his firm answer, Haon, who had been pondering, giggled as if she'd thought of something.
A tear that had welled up in her eye trickled down, but she paid it no mind.
"There was this stray cat in the orphanage yard that climbed all the way up to my head—"
Juyeol gazed at the chattering Haon, a hint of a smile on his face.
Seeing her this close, he could perceive something lurking beyond her transparent eyes, something one might call her 'inner self'.
It was something rooted deeper, more distantly, than the human affection and goodwill she showed him—something he could recognize.
An inexplicable guilt and loneliness.
He didn't know why Eun Haon carried such things, but Juyeol stared into her eyes for a long time.
He felt a distant sensation, as if looking into a clear lake whose bottom was so visible it was impossible to gauge its true depth.
He couldn't take his eyes off her until she drifted off to sleep.
Juyeol let out a dry laugh.
How could she be dead asleep in the same bed after what had happened just a few hours ago?
This kid had no sense of tension or reservation around him.
She seemed a little self-conscious right after her shower, though.
Juyeol looked at Haon's lips, then touched his own.
It had been an act to calm his breathing in a moment of urgency, but to say there were no ulterior motives...
Her soft, small lips had been pale and cold, but were slowly regaining their warmth.
The memory of their touch was so vivid he swallowed hard.
"..."
Then he slammed his fist into the blanket and wiped his flushing face.
*'Am I crazy? What am I thinking, looking at a sleeping kid like this?'*
At that moment, Haon tossed and turned, rolling toward the edge of the bed.
"…!"
Startled, Juyeol quickly pulled Haon back by the waist.
She had almost fallen onto the floor. His heart pounded for a different reason this time.
*'So tiny, yet she has me wrapped around her finger...'*
Juyeol pulled her slender body a little closer to keep her from falling.
Then, Haon turned to the other side, wriggling toward the warmth.
"Hey, wait...!"
He froze as her small head suddenly came to rest against his chest.
Moreover, perhaps due to a habit of curling up in her sleep, Haon kept shrinking into herself, pressing right up against him.
Her soft hair tickled his chin, and the scent of the same shampoo filled his nose.
He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath.
In her sleep, Haon mumbled, "Juyeol."
Juyeol flinched and opened his eyes. He let out a low groan as he looked at the peacefully sleeping Haon.
"You really have a knack for driving me crazy in all sorts of ways."
He grumbled while rubbing his hot neck, but the corners of his mouth tingled.
He hesitated, then very gently touched Haon's hair before pulling his hand away.
The confusion was gone from his eyes.
"Why did it have to be... You should have lived like a decent person sooner."
Though his feelings were of bewilderment and trouble, there was no hesitation.
"What am I going to do? I'm in real trouble because of you."
* * *
The next morning, Haon blinked at the wall-like thing that came into her blurry vision.
*'What is this?'*
Then, realizing she was lying on something quite soft, she shot up.
The floor was below where she was sitting.
"I..."
Haon muttered, bewildered.
"I can sleep in a bed?"
"You slept just fine."
"…!"
Startled by the voice right next to her, she turned her head to see Juyeol, who had been lying beside her, sitting up.
What she had thought was a wall in her sleep had been his large frame.
He looked a little tired, but not like he had just woken up.
"Juyeol. Why are you like this? Didn't you sleep?"
"..."
With a disgruntled expression, Juyeol flicked Haon's forehead.
"Ah!"
Flicked on the forehead right after waking up, Haon clutched it and widened her eyes.
It hadn't hurt at all, but she was bewildered and felt wronged.
"Whyyy!"
"You were snoring so loudly I couldn't sleep a wink."
"Gasp."
This time, Haon's hand covered her nose.
"I-I snore? Really?"
"I thought I was going to die from the noise."
Juyeol ruffled his slightly flattened hair and walked out of the bedroom.
Her face red with embarrassment, Haon asked in a small voice.
"Blue. Did I really snore last night?"
[Good morning, Haon! According to the analysis of your sleep patterns last night, you did not snore!]
"Hey, you liar!"
Haon threw back the covers and ran out of the bedroom.
She wanted to get revenge for the forehead flick, but reaching the forehead of Juyeol, who was nearly 190 cm tall, was no easy task.
As if finding her ridiculous, he pressed his fingertips against her forehead and pushed her away.
Frustrated, Haon flailed, trying to at least poke his side, but tripped over her own feet and stumbled.
"Ugh...!"
"What are you even doing?"
Juyeol chuckled and caught Haon to keep her from falling.
Haon, who had reflexively grabbed his clothes, hopped up and tapped his slightly exposed forehead.
"Gotcha!"
Juyeol, who had frozen with a dumbfounded look, chuckled as if wondering what this was all about.
Then Haon also burst out laughing, like she was watching a funny scene in a movie.
A day that started with flailing around right after waking up, her hair a mess, playing childish pranks.
It was the first time she had felt so at ease since falling into this strange dimension.
How wonderful it would be if every day here could be like this.
Haon felt her heart grow warm and fuzzy.
Perhaps it was thanks to the warmth she had received from him yesterday.
* * *
Haon left the safe house feeling fulfilled.
She would have loved to laze around at Juyeol's safe house for another day, but she had things to do.
However, as soon as she returned to the lab, she received an unexpected piece of registered mail.
"A warning about an expired counseling appointment at Gwonyoung Rehabilitation Center?"
It said she was required to have a counseling session at the rehabilitation center, and the deadline was this afternoon.
It was completely unexpected, as there had been no sign of her receiving counseling anywhere in 'Eun Haon's' penthouse.
And it was a warning, not a recommendation.
Finding it very strange, Haon called the Gwonyoung Rehabilitation Center.
"Hello. My name is Eun Haon. I received a notice telling me to come in for counseling by today. Why was this sent to me?"
After a moment of silence, the person on the other end replied in a dry yet gentle voice.
[You did kidnap a Hero, ma'am.]
"...What?"
[And you tortured him.]
"...Ah."
In that moment, Haon thought of Chaser.
She remembered Juyeol telling her that 'Eun Haon' had tortured Chaser.
[You were required to attend bi-weekly counseling sessions as a condition of your release on bail, but you kept missing the last one, which is why a warning was sent.]
"..."
To think she had to face separate disciplinary action even after being released on bail. Now she understood why Chaser had trembled at the sight of her.
[If you do not attend the final session by today, you will face a fine and three additional counseling sessions. Will you be able to visit?]
"...Yes. I'll be there."
Haon suppressed the urge to cry and squeezed her eyes shut.
*'Please, live a decent life, 'Miss Eun Haon'! Though I guess it's already too late!'*
* * *
The Gwonyoung Rehabilitation Center was in the same new city district, so she arrived quickly.
It was originally planned as a prison, but constant opposition from citizens led to it being established under the name of a rehabilitation center instead.
From the outside wall to the entrance, the atmosphere was very fresh and peaceful.
An elegant white iron gate and a wall densely covered in ivy.
Inside the gate stood a large fountain and pretty benches beneath streetlights.
It felt just like walking into a park.
True to its name as a rehabilitation center, it had separate facilities to help people recover from accidents and a psychological counseling office, making it accessible to the general public.
*'And that over there is probably...'*
Haon passed the counseling office and stood before another wall.
It was also covered in ivy, but a scan revealed an electric current running along the inner surface.
Beyond the wall, she could see a low building that looked like a large café in a tourist spot. That was the facility that housed criminals.
*'They dug deep and built the building underground.'*
Nodding as she confirmed the scan results, Haon knocked on a small yellow door set in the wall.
A window at eye level on the small door opened, and a woman with a gentle expression responded.
"Hello. Can I help you?"
"I applied for a visit and was asked to come and confirm in person."
"I see. May I have your name?"
"Eun Haon."
The employee stared at Haon's face for a moment, then shuffled through something inside.
"Ah. You're here to see the inmate, Mr. Gowon?"
The employee stamped a few places on a document.
"You requested a visit for an hour from now, correct? It's been confirmed."
"Where do I go for the visit?"
"Just knock on this door again, and we will guide you. The visitation area is located inside."
The employee smiled kindly before closing the window and disappearing.
Since she was coming to the rehabilitation center anyway, Haon decided to meet with Gowon.
She had some questions for him, as something about the day of his arrest still bothered her.
And on second thought, the counselor might know something about 'Eun Haon's' personal affairs.
The path to the psychological counseling office was filled with colors that were easy on the eyes.
*'It looks like a nursing home from the outside. I wonder what the counselor is like.'*
When Haon reached the counseling room she had been directed to by the front desk, she checked the nameplate, and her heart sank.
*'Bae... Anjae?'*
The moment the counselor's name came into view, her breath caught in her throat.
It was the name of one of the Mana Engineering terrorists who had started the war in her previous dimension.