THIFSGSTW CH 3

Chapter 003: A Person Who Seems on the Edge

When Min Joo-hyuk asked me if it was hard for me, I deeply reflected on myself. How could I let my discomfort show so blatantly in front of someone—especially someone who came to pick me up at the crack of dawn?

Truthfully, I wasn’t even that tired. I was a little tired, sure—there was some nosebleeds and a lack of proper sleep—but nothing too severe. Embarrassed, I stared at him wide-eyed, and Min Joo-hyuk awkwardly added,

“Just wondering if you’re feeling motion sickness.”

I hesitated, unsure how best to respond. But no other explanation could account for my earlier behavior, so I reluctantly nodded. When I admitted that might be the case, Min Joo-hyuk said it would be better if I slept and tried to coax me into resting.

I almost succumbed to his suggestion with a grateful, ‘Thank you,’ ready to close my eyes on the spot—but, thankfully, my better judgment intervened.

Sleeping in this situation would have been incredibly rude. Joo-hyuk must have been tired too, having come all this way, so how could I be the one to fall asleep first?

When I insisted I was fine and turned to look out the window, Joo-hyuk accepted my response and continued speaking in a low, gentle tone. All I did was occasionally nod or offer a brief like, ‘Oh, really?’, ‘I see,’ and so on.

Of course,  I didn’t understand a word of what he was saying. If it was important, I figured he’d repeat it later. Hopefully, Joo-hyuk noticed that I wasn’t really engaging in the conversation.

…Would it have been better to just sleep after all? Or maybe not? My hazy mind drifted between meaningless thoughts as I stared blankly out the window.

Still, through our conversation , the distance between us seemed to shrink significantly.

“Hey, Sun Yi-han.” He was casual enough now to address me informally like this.

I responded just as informally as him, calling him, “Hey, Min Joo-hyuk,” which made things feel unexpectedly even. I could vaguely feel the satisfied grin that spread across his face when I said his name like that.

Wait a second. Isn’t this all happening a bit too quickly? We’d only met a few hours ago.

‘Well, whatever. It’s nice to be on good terms,’

My thoughts drifted in and out of focus as I leaned against the rattling, jolting carriage.

The journey was mostly peaceful. There was one minor incident when I got a nosebleed, though.

At first, I just stared blankly at the blood dripping onto my hands, stunned. Aren’t healers supposed to be immune to pain? Then why a nosebleed?

Then I realized that while I didn’t feel pain, the physical fatigue still piled up. It was an important realization I found oddly satisfying.

Min Joo-hyuk, startled by the sudden nosebleed, helped me clean up. Once the situation was under control, he gently leaned my head back against the carriage wall, persuading me to rest.

By then, I could hardly hold on any longer. The air inside the carriage felt stuffy, likely from the small panic earlier.

The warm interior air of the carriage mingled faintly with the cool breeze seeping in through the window. Draped over my lap was Min Joo-hyuk’s coat, keeping me warm.

Wait, when did this coat get here? Why is it here?

Regardless, it was a good situation to fall asleep.

So I fell asleep in an instant.

◇

Min Joo-hyuk’s Perspective

---

The moment I stepped into the temple, my first thought was, ‘Wow, this place is as cold and lifeless as ever’

It had been a long time since I’d last visited, yet nothing had changed.  The grand temple, painted entirely white with gold trim, exuded an oppressive and intimidating atmosphere. If not for the task of picking up a new companion, I would never set foot here again.

I could sense people stealing glances at me from afar, even though they tried to act like they weren’t. The priests, dressed immaculately in their white ceremonial robes, didn’t seem dignified—they just felt cold and unwelcoming.

It didn’t bother me too much, but I couldn’t say I liked this stifling atmosphere. Letting out a small sigh, I moved forward to the direction I’d been given.

“Is it here?”

Following the instructions I was given, I walked toward a secluded corner where a small annex stood alone. The inside was silent, without a single trace of life. I raised my hand to knock on the door but paused briefly.

‘His name was Sun Yi-han, right?’

A few days ago, Yul-hyung had received a message from the temple. They had someone for us to recruit. There was no detailed explanation.

“Sun Yi-han, 17 years old. He’ll be of help to the Heroes.” was all the temple had said.

The sudden and one-sided nature of the announcement from the temple didn’t sit well with the other hyungs, but I didn’t feel particularly bothered by it. If we’re going to live together, isn’t it better to start off on a good note with him?

Plus, the fact that Sun Yi-han was the same age as me made me a little excited. Everyone else was older, and being the only youngest one felt a bit isolating. Having another ‘youngest’ would be nice.

‘Come to think of it, I feel kind of bad for him.’

Unlike us, Sun Yi-han wasn’t joining of his own free will. The thought that he might be dragged into this unwillingly left a faint pang of discomfort in my chest. Pushing that aside, I knocked on the door.

Creak.

After a moment, the door opened slowly.

“Hi! Are you Sun Yi-han?”

As I greeted him, Sun Yi-han raised his head slightly, meeting my gaze. Beneath jet-black hair that seemed to absorb the light, his soft blue eyes shimmered like transparent glass.

Behind Sun Yi-han, I could see into the room, which appeared to have very few belongings. Even the blanket on the bed was neatly folded without a single wrinkle. The spacious room somehow felt devoid of any warmth.

“…Yes, you’re right. I’m Sun Yi-han.”

Sun Yi-han’s clear eyes met mine, catching my gaze. He blinked absentmindedly before offering a faint smile. It was a flawless, gentle smile, yet for some reason, it gave me the impression that he seemed a little tired.

Sun Yi-han went back into the room to pack his belongings, leaving me to wait outside for a while

The sky felt endless, a clear sign that autumn had already passed. As I gazed up at the spotless, pale blue sky, Sun Yi-han’s eyes from earlier came to mind.

‘At least he didn’t seem unhappy’

Though he wasn’t exactly radiating excitement, he didn’t appear to be miserable either. That was a relief.

Among the four heroes of this generation, only Park Yul, who had been ‘chosen’ as a hero, didn’t make the Oath of his own accord. The rest of us—myself, Raen, and Song Ha-Gyeon—did so willingly.”

‘Then, will Sun Yi-han take the Hero’s Oath too?

He didn’t seem like the fighting type. I’ve also heard that people from the temple can’t use magic at all.

Maybe he was more like Song Hagyeon-hyung, who focused on research. Though Hagyeon-hyung could also use magic, perhaps Sun Yi-han only be involved in research.

Well, I’ll figure it out eventually. Yul-hyung will handle the details about the Hero’s Oath anyway. I trust his judgment.

Just as I was lost in thought, a voice calling my name came from right beside me.

“Min Joo-hyuk.”

I turned my head. I found myself momentarily breathless.

Under the bright, blue sky, Sun Yi-han stood there. Against the backdrop of the rigid and upright temple building, his softly swaying white robes seemed strangely out of place, almost otherworldly. 

His white robe, though similar to the priests’ garments, was distinctly different. The loose fabric fluttered gently in the breeze, wide sleeves draped over his hands. The fabric swayed lightly with the wind, giving him an ethereal presence.

Sun Yi-han blinked at me, staring intently. I barely managed to pull myself together, shaking off the brief daze.

“Shall we go?”

I spoke in my usual light tone, and Sun Yi-han nodded in response. Even under the bright sunlight, his profile as he walked seemed a little pale.

Even though Sun Yi-han kept a smiling expression the entire time, I couldn’t tell if the weariness I sensed was just my imagination or something more.

A gentle breeze stirred the white fabric, causing it to sway softly. For some reason, the sight felt fragile, almost precarious, prompting me to quicken my steps toward the carriage.

We retraced the path we had taken to enter the temple, heading back the same way. The way out felt quicker than the way in. The carriage was waiting right in front of the temple.

◇

I got into the carriage with Sun Yi-han. As the carriage started to move, the interior jolted slightly with each rattle of the wheels.

Sun Yi-han sat across from me, leaning back against the shaking carriage as if he were sinking into it. He looked noticeably paler than he had before. Perhaps that’s why the faint blush on his cheeks stood out more starkly—it could have been from the cold wind earlier.

‘Though, it wasn’t even a long walk here.’

Sun Yi-han didn’t look frail, but he didn’t seem particularly strong either. Considering the weather today, with the wind being colder than usual, it seemed plausible.

“Sun Yi-han. It’s going to take a few hours to get there,” I said.

“Is that so?” he replied softly.

I meant it as a suggestion for him to get some rest while we had time, but even though he looked clearly exhausted, he didn’t seem inclined to sleep. His slow, blinking gaze rested on me, unhurried and calm.

‘Well, I suppose I could at least explain a few things on the way,’ 

I thought, and opened my mouth to speak.

“Alright, then. Listen up as we go.”

Sun Yi-han gave a small nod. His absentminded eyes, heavy with fatigue, repeatedly captured and lost sight of me as he blinked slowly.

“The place we’re heading to is called Redeo. It’s where heroes traditionally stay, but honestly, I have no idea why it’s called that.”

“Redeo…” he murmured, his voice trailing off.

“When we arrive, you’ll probably meet Park Yul hyung. He’s 20 years old, the oldest among us.”

“…Ah, Yul hyung…”

“Raen-hyung and Song Hagyeon-hyung are out at the moment. You’ll likely meet them tomorrow at the earliest. They’re both 18—one year older than us.”

“Tomorrow… I see…”

He seemed to be trying to keep up with the conversation, but his words stretched out oddly, almost as if he were speaking on autopilot. One look at his dazed expression told me everything—I could tell he was utterly drained.

“Tomorrow…”

He murmured again, almost inaudibly. As he spoke, he slowly raised a hand and used his long sleeve to cover his mouth. His head swayed forward helplessly with the jolts of the carriage.

‘Wait, is he feeling motion sickness, not just tired?’

The thought crossed my mind that Sun Yi-han might be motion-sick.

I’d never experienced motion sickness myself, so I wasn’t entirely sure, but Raen hyung, who suffered from it badly, often looked like he was on the verge of death whenever he had to ride in a carriage.

“Sun Yi-han. Are you feeling unwell?”

If his condition was that bad, I couldn’t help but worry. When I cautiously asked, Sun Yi-han flinched in surprise, his wide eyes snapping to mine. His gaze trembled slightly, as though he were wondering how I could tell.

His eyes looked faintly red, which briefly made me panic, wondering if he was about to cry. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Still, he really didn’t look well.

“Just wondering if you’re feeling motion sickness.”

At my words, Sun Yi-han pressed his lips together tightly, lowering his gaze for a moment before looking back at me. Then, slowly, he opened his mouth.

“…I think so.”

His voice was low and restrained, as if it had been held back.