THIFSGSTW CH 24
by MizuChapter 24: I’ve been waiting for you.
“Sun Yi-han.”
Min Joo-hyuk’s low voice echoed through the quiet room. It was a dark night without the moonlight.
Min Joo-hyuk’s Perspective
A small lamp sat on the bedside table, casting a faint glow. The light, seeping into the darkness, illuminated the pale face resting quietly on the bed.
“…When are you going to wake up?”
My voice, trembling as it escaped, scattered into the air. I sat in the chair beside the bed, gazing down at that white, peaceful face for a long time. For some reason, he looked as if he had gone cold. Without realizing it, I reached out my hand.
As I carefully brushed back his black hair, his round forehead was revealed. The mild warmth against my palm instantly brought back memories of the scorching heat that had once touched my hand.
It was on the carriage ride here, the day we first met. The unfamiliar warmth of his fevered cheek, the voice of Sun Yi-han gradually sinking—everything about that fragile moment still felt vivid.
“It’s almost been a week.”
Was it because I wanted an answer? Uncharacteristically, I spoke my thoughts aloud. Even if his voice was hoarse from fever, I wanted to hear Sun Yi-han’s voice.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Of course, it wasn’t that I wanted to see him in pain. But that didn’t mean I wanted to see him like this either—lying still, eyes closed, looking so peaceful. Sun Yi-han was never someone who did things halfway.
‘I should have gone with him.’
A regret I had replayed countless times resurfaced again. Maybe—if I had put up a protection magic that day, maybe all of us would have made it out unscathed. I slowly ran my hand over the blanket covering him. It was warm, just the right temperature. The pristine white fabric was spotless.
I clenched the blanket in my fist. I could still picture the day Sun Yi-han had returned, his clothes—whiter than this—stained completely red.
Clatter
In my fragments of memory, the sound of shattering glass rang out again. Two figures drenched in blood stood before me. One was slumped, wrapped in a robe, while the other held him close, silently shedding tears.
“Yi-han healed me. And then…”
The calm voice continued. I had understood the situation immediately. But I couldn’t understand why Sun Yi-han had done what he did. From the moment we took the Hero’s Oath, we had all accepted the possibility of death. But Sun Yi-han wasn’t a hero. He hadn’t even known us for a few months.
Healing magic was one thing. But taking another’s wounds onto his own body—
Even now, I still couldn’t understand why he went that far.
“…Hey, Sun Yi-han.”
I cut off my own thoughts and called his name again.
I didn’t want to assume things on my own. I wanted to hear it from him—his voice, his own words.
But he remained motionless, eyes closed.
“You’re going to wake up, right?”
I held his slender warm hand tightly and pressed my forehead against it.
“I know that. But wake up soon.”
There were no external injuries, so he should be able to wake up any moment now. He had to. Beneath his thin skin, I thought I could feel the faint pulse of life. I smiled slightly and continued speaking.
“You don’t even know that Raen-hyung visits every day, do you?”
Raen-hyung had somehow got himself an ointment for scars. He never said where the scar was, but every day, a faintly sweet scent lingered around Sun Yi-han.
“Song Ha-gyeon hyung keeps bringing things too. You’d probably be surprised if you saw the table.”
I glanced toward the bedside table. Several glass bottles sat there, each containing a slightly different shade of violet liquid. A few white sticks were dipped into each bottle, spreading a subtle herbal scent throughout the room. It was a calming fragrance.
“Park Yul-hyung makes sure your body stays in good condition every day, too.”
Park Yul-hyung came by once a day, gently lifting Sun Yi-han’s upper body to pour a few spoonfuls of a shimmering liquid into his mouth. He said it was medicine, meant to keep up his strength.
“Everyone’s just waiting for you to wake up.”
Everyone was busy. Monsters merging with something else—it was something unheard of until now. A thorough investigation was necessary. If this was an omen of something greater, then the situation was dire.
But just as serious was Sun Yi-han’s condition. Outwardly, he showed no signs of abnormalities, so why wouldn’t he wake up? The uncertainty was infuriating.
I was sure everyone felt the same. That’s why, despite their lack of time, they each made time to visit him every day. I gently ran my hand over Sun Yi-han’s hand and spoke.
“Me? I don’t have anything for you.”
I’ll just give you some candy when you wake up. You said you liked it last time. I patted my coat pocket. Inside, it was filled with candies.
In fact, I wasn’t the type who liked to eat sweets. Which meant there must be someone else who eat these sweets.
Resting my face against our clasped hands, I took in the soft, warm scent of him—like fresh soap, clean and comforting.
“Still, I’m waiting too.”
I closed my eyes. Maybe because I was still holding his hand, but I could feel his warmth a little more clearly.
The night deepened.
A long-closed pair of eyelids finally fluttered open. In the darkness, his transparent, water-colored eyes shone.
◇
Sun Yi-han’s Perspective
When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a dark room.
A warm, cozy blanket was covering me. Raen must have taken care of me and brought me back here. That was a relief.
Ding, ding, ding.
Half-dazed from sleep, several status windows popped up all at once. At least give me a second to grasp the situation.
Soon, the moment I thought that, they all disappeared in a flash. The darkness returned. When I skimmed the status window a bit, nothing seemed urgent, so I could check later.
Now that I noticed it, my right arm felt heavy.
I turned my head. Under the dim light, I saw soft brown hair. Min Joo-hyuk was resting his head against my arm.
I had no idea why he was here like this, but it was good. I needed to ask how much time had passed.
The last thing I remembered, the sun had been setting. Now it was the dead of night, so a few hours must have gone by. My body felt fine. This was why sleep was so important. Most things get better after resting.
“…Min.”
Min Joo-hyuk.
Before I could finish saying his name, a dry cough racked my throat. My voice, raspy and broken, sounded awful even to me. What? Had I been asleep for longer than I thought?
It reminded me of my first day here. That time, an entire day had passed without me realizing it.
As I was lost in thought, a loud crash startled me.
“Sun Yi-han?”
Min Joo-hyuk had bolted upright. The chair he was sitting on clattered to the floor. His wavering eyes were fixed on me.
I wanted to answer, but my throat was too dry. Instead, I just blinked at him. Then, as if all the strength had left him, Min Joo-hyuk collapsed onto the bed.
“Hey, Sun Yi-han.”
He called my name, as if making sure I was really there.
I understood. The last thing he saw was me, covered in blood. I was fine now, though. He didn’t have to worry.
‘Now that I think about it, what happened to my injuries?’
Since I had used the ‘Import’ skill, the wounds should have remained on my body. But I didn’t feel particularly unwell. I’d have to check later.
As I was lost in thought, Min Joo-hyuk carefully brushed my hair back. His touch trembled slightly. Slowly, he helped me sit up and propped several soft pillows behind my back.
“Drink.”
Min Joo-hyuk poured water into a glass and placed it in my hand. After taking a few sips, my throat felt much better. Once he confirmed I had finished, he set the glass back on the table and, after a brief pause, spoke.
“It hasn’t been a week.”
“Huh?”
A dazed voice escaped me. A week? What about it?
“…You mean I was asleep for a week?”
Min Joo-hyuk nodded with a complicated expression.
This was bad. I hadn’t expected this at all. Urgently, I called out to him.
“Hey, Min Joo-hyuk. Come here for a sec.”
“What? Are you feeling unwell?”
His voice was full of concern as he quickly knelt on the bed beside me. The moment he placed a hand on my shoulder, I reached out, gently resting my fingers above his eyelids.
Ding.
A status window popped up.
<The Healer will help!> Hero ‘Min Joo-hyuk’
Heal / Import
‘Heal.’ The moment I thought it, a soft blue glow swirled around Min Joo-hyuk. His startled voice rang out.
“Wait, Yi-han. Hey, hold on—”
“Just sleep. You look exhausted.”
I softly smoothed my fingers over his eyes. A wave of light flowed into me, and his body slumped against mine.
A faint, refreshing scent, like a cool breeze, brushed past me. I could hear his steady breathing right next to my ear. Min Joo-hyuk was heavier than I expected. His frame was surprisingly solid.
With some effort, I shifted out from under him and laid him down properly, tucking the blanket snugly over him. He was already fast asleep, his breathing even and relaxed.
I knew this would happen. Had he even gotten proper sleep while I was unconscious? The sudden healing must have relieved his fatigue, knocking him out completely. I couldn’t even imagine how much strain everyone had put on their bodies while I was out.
But earlier, I noticed that I could empty the healing gauge before the gauge filled completely. I’d have to read the details later, but it seemed like I could use the skill without worrying about cooldowns.
For now, I should go find Raen. I owed him a thanks for bringing me back safely.
As I debated where to go, a notification popped up.
Ding!
<Unexpected! Quest> Find the Hero!
Accept/Decline
Is there a reason to decline? Of course, I accepted. As soon as I thought, The screen changed immediately.
<Unexpected! Quest> Find the Hero!
Success: Obtain ‘Hero, I’ll Come to You! (1 time)’
Failure: Fail to obtain ‘Hero, I’ll Come to You! (1 time)’
Which Hero you’re going to visit?
Oh, I had to choose first. When I selected Raen, and a new quest window appeared.
Choose a location to find Hero ‘Raen’!
- Studio
- Research Lab
- Library
- Greenhouse Garden
Hmm. Some of these places looked unfamiliar…