THIFSGSTW CH 35

Chapter 35: No Other Reason

Song Ha-gyeon, who was holding me, remained silent.

“…Sorry, Ha-gyeon hyung. Are you surprised?”

“…….” There was no response.

My vision was blurry, making it hard to tell what kind of expression Song Ha-gyeon had. Feeling awkward, I spoke without thinking. 

When I didn’t know what I was talking about, “Sun Yi-han.”

Song Ha-gyeon’s calm voice cut through my words. I was relieved. If he hadn’t spoken, I might have kept rambling all day. I looked at him quietly. He held me even tighter. His voice remained slow and steady.

“…Weren’t you scared?”

“Not really.”

“……”

“Really. You caught me like this, didn’t you?”

I felt as if I had been lifted slightly off the ground. Song Ha-gyeon raised a hand and gently brushed the area around my eyes. It was a careful touch.

My foggy vision cleared. His gaze was fixed solely on me.

“You’re okay now.”

“…I know, hyung.”

Of course, I was fine. To show I was ready to be let down, I lightly patted his shoulder.

Song Ha-gyeon gave my back a soft pat before flicking his hand. Somewhere nearby, a large log slid toward us as if being pulled. He placed me lightly on top of it.

“…So, what’s the reason?”

“Huh?”

“You said you were flustered earlier, up there.”

“Oh… I did?”

“Yeah. You said that.”

Did I? I couldn’t remember a thing I had said. This is why you have to be careful when speaking. If you talk without thinking, your future self will have to do twice the thinking.

Well, I had no reason to hide it, so it didn’t matter. I explained to Song Ha-gyeon what I had experienced, except for details about the quest.

After listening carefully, he finally spoke. “…A veil?”

“It felt like passing through thin ripples.”

“I’m not sure… I’ll go check.”

“Let’s go together.”

He firmly shook his head and took a step back. Slowly, he raised a hand as if casting a magic. Wait a second. Why was he in such a hurry?

“Ha-gyeon hyung—” I called out as I quickly stood up. But just then, my legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed onto the ground.

…That was embarrassing. I hadn’t considered that my body might still be tense, even if I felt calm. At times like this, the best move was to act nonchalant. I dusted myself off and stood up as if nothing had happened.

I flinched.

Song Ha-gyeon had suddenly closed the distance between us and was holding onto me firmly as if supporting me. I subtly grabbed the edge of his sleeve so he wouldn’t go away without me.

“Ha-gyeon hyung. Take me with you. That way, we can check it properly.”

“…Do you want to come?”

“…? Yes.”

“No other reason? I’m asking if it’s truly your decision.”

“Yes. I want to examine it again. I didn’t have time to think clearly earlier.”

He looked down at me, scrutinizing my expression as if assessing my sincerity. I had no reason to lie. I nodded earnestly, and he finally spoke, his tone slow.

“…Alright, then.”

With a flick of his hand, he conjured a thick cloak out of thin air and wrapped it around me. Then, he loosely tied the strings at the front.

It was warm. Just as I was thinking that, I was suddenly lifted into the air.

“…Let’s go.”

Song Ha-gyeon was carrying me in his arms. Was he seriously planning to go like this? Before I could say anything, my view gradually rose.

Even after reaching the sturdy branches at the top, he didn’t put me down. Not that I wanted to be let go at such a height. I remained in his arms and reached out toward the sky.

Pop.

A clear sound rang out. I felt something ripple faintly under my fingertips, like passing through a veil. It was definite.

“Ha-gyeon hyung, did you see that?”

“…No.”

He stared at the empty space where my hand had touched. Then, he placed his hand over mine, intertwining his fingers with mine as if clasping them together. His long fingers gently wrapped around mine and pushed upward.

“…I don’t feel anything.”

He murmured to himself, lost in thought.

“Some kind of magic? …A barrier?”

Adjusting his monocle, Song Ha-gyeon gazed upward, his soft violet eyes reflecting the dark sky. After blinking a few times, he turned to look at me.

“For now, let’s go down.”

Our bodies slowly descended, and the surroundings brightened. As we landed, it felt as if we were being embraced by light. Once we reached the ground, he dismissed most of the light orbs, leaving only one behind to illuminate the area. Then, he started walking back the way we had come—still carrying me.

“Hyung…? I can walk now.”

“Mm. Listen, Sun Yi-han.”

He explained that the veil I sensed might be a distortion barrier. A barrier that warps this place.

“Raen mentioned before that your mana isn’t normal.”

Song Ha-gyeon himself couldn’t recognize it, but he said that might be why I had felt something. He added that we should check once everyone returned. Especially Raen. Since Raen was sensitive to mana, he might be able to detect a barrier if there was one. Of course, he hadn’t mentioned anything so far during our investigation.

‘It seems like Song Ha-gyeon hyung is right.’

If that was the case, then the system must have given me the sudden quest to make me aware of it. But why would it want me to know?

As I mulled over a question with no answer, I suddenly realized that Song Ha-gyeon still hadn’t put me down. I didn’t want to return in his arms like this.

“Ha-gyeon hyung. You can really put me down now—huh?”

I felt something sticky trickle down my face. I wiped the area with my sleeve, only to see it quickly stain red. A nosebleed.

No, there was no reason for this to happen so suddenly. I wasn’t particularly tired right now. Just then, I heard a familiar ding. My blurred vision shifted upward.

‘Random Nosebleeds’ penalty is in effect.

Ah. So there was a reason. But of all times, why now? I hurriedly spoke to Song Ha-gyeon.

“I’m fine. This happens sometimes. …Ha-gyeon Hyung?”

◇

A bright red trail of blood ran down Sun Yi-han’s pale face, searing itself into Song Ha-gyeon’s vision.

Song Ha-gyeon’s Perspective

---

‘Why all of a sudden?’

The nosebleed that burst forth without warning was unsettling.

I snapped my head up, quickly estimating the distance to the campfire burning in the distance. Now wasn’t the time to be wandering the forest aimlessly. I had just enough mana to teleport the two of us.

Without hesitation, I transported us to the fire and sat Yi-han down. His expression was filled with confusion as if he couldn’t keep up with what was happening.

I summoned a handkerchief and placed it in his hand. Sun Yihan lowered his head as if he was used to it. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened since we started living together.

I remembered a night just like this one. It’s a pitch-black night just like now.^[1]

—‘…Hh… Ugh. … no.’

I could still see it as clearly as if it were happening right now, his pale face, drenched in blood, whispering a desperate refusal. His trembling body, the quiet sobs, the lips stained dark with blood.

Was he really okay? Raen once mentioned that there would be a price for healing magic.

I agreed with him. Maybe the reason Yi-han kept coughing up blood was because of that. And yet, he continued using healing magic as if it meant nothing. If it was harming him, he had to be aware of it.

Was there really no price? That was impossible. Or… was he using it despite the cost?

It had just happened again. Park Yul-hyung had clearly said Yi-han had coughed up blood and collapsed. But the moment he woke up, the first thing he did was heal me.

—’This is what I need to do. It’s something I can do.’

Just because you can do something, does that mean you have to? His quiet voice echoed in my head, twisting into a thought I couldn’t shake off.

Yi-han might look soft, but he had a strong will. He didn’t let himself be easily swayed. He always spoke his mind, even in that gentle voice of his.

And yet, sometimes… it felt like his steps weren’t entirely his own. Like he was forced forward down a path he had no choice but to follow.

—’Ha-gyeon hyung. I think… I need to go beyond this.‘

His eyes, looking straight at me, were conflicted. It wasn’t that he wanted to go. He felt that he had to.

There was a reason behind it—he spoke as if he knew something I didn’t.

Looking back, everything felt like that. This place should’ve been unfamiliar to him, yet he walked through the darkness as if he already knew the way. Not even the slightest hesitation.

—’It wouldn’t take long‘

And I… I couldn’t bring myself to stop him.

I didn’t know what he was thinking. So there was no way I could have interfered with his choice. If this was the path he chose to walk, then what could I possibly do?

In the end, all I could do was surround the area with protective magic and watch as he floated into the air and disappeared into the darkness.

And after a while, Sun Yihan fell rapidly from above.

Before I could think of it, my body moved. I quickly caught Sun Yi-han. In my arms, Sun Yihan’s body was tense and rigid.

Sun Yihan slowly raised his head towards me. The expression on Sun Yihan’s face was…

“Ha-gyeon hyung.”

Yi-han’s voice pulled me back to the present. He was smiling up at me, as clear as ever. The handkerchief was gone.

“It’s stopped now.”

“…Yeah.”

I took the bloodied cloth from his hand and summoned a fresh, thin towel.

Soaking it in cool water infused with mild herbs, I let the faint scent fill the air as I wrung it out.

“Are you hurting anywhere?” I asked.

“I’m fine.”

“…Close your eyes for a moment.”

“Why?”

Yi-han asked curiously but obediently shut his eyes. His long lashes fluttered down. A breeze tousled his dark hair. Beneath it, his face was calm and composed. Without realizing it, I clenched my hand just slightly.