THIFSGSTW CH 54

Chapter 54: Not Choosing

“I won’t use it.”

The moment I said that, a new status window appeared in front of me.

「If you don’t choose now, the reward will disappear. Do you wish to proceed?」

I nodded immediately. Without even a moment’s hesitation, all the status windows vanished in an instant. The blue light before my eyes was replaced by darkness once more.

I couldn’t use the reward on just one person. That was to be expected.

Still, it was a bit of a shame. From the name of the reward, it seemed like it would have keeped the flowers from disappearing.

I lightly tapped the lantern beside me. A red petal brushed against my fingertip. It was so vivid, yet it would soon disappear.

Well, at least I didn’t receive a penalty for failing. That alone wasn’t bad. There was no need to dwell on a reward that had already passed. I dusted myself off and stood up.

Outside the window, the darkness was gradually thinning. Dawn was breaking. Time had passed so quickly, almost without a chance to hold onto it. Before I even realized it, it had slipped away.

By the time I realized it, the darkness would already be far away.

A new morning was rising.

◇

It had already been several days since I stayed in this place, where red flowers rained down.

Since that day, Raen had not overused his mana. The way everyone treated me like I would break at any moment had also eased. Most things were best solved with time. That was a relief.

Now, we would be leaving the western area and moving east.

I stepped outside the building and looked up at the sky, taking in the sight of the slowly falling red flowers one last time. Min Joo-hyuk approached and stood beside me.

“Sun Yi-han. Remember when you asked me before? What color the flowers would be in the east?”

“Yeah. You said they wouldn’t be white.”

“Right. We’ll find the answer soon.”

Min Joo-hyuk grinned. Then, he placed his hand over my eyes.

“It’s no fun if you see it right away.”

“It’s not like waiting will make it any more exciting.”

“…It feels like we’re almost there now.”

“To what?”

“Nothing. But you’re right. The answer won’t change. Still, the time spent waiting with anticipation that’s the fun part, isn’t it?”

Min Joo-hyuk’s voice scattered lightly in the wind.

Soon, I felt a hand rest gently on my shoulder. Someone said it was time to leave. A strong breeze swept past me.

“Take a good look.”

Min Joo-hyuk slowly removed his hand. My vision brightened.

Above me, the blue sky stretched endlessly. And as if that sky had shattered and was falling, vivid blue flowers rained down.

The ground was covered in layers of blue petals. It felt as if everything around me was submerged in the sky.

A soft floral scent drifted in the spring breeze. It was different from where we had just been.

If scents had colors, then even the wind itself would surely be dyed blue. It was a crisp, refreshing fragrance.

In the distance, a white, neatly built structure came into view. I reached out and pointed toward it.

“Are we heading there this time?”

“That’s right, Yihan-ah. Looks like we’ll be staying there for a few days.”

I nodded and began walking. The blue petals rustled under my feet, as if I were stepping across the fragments of a rippling wave.

We arrived in front of the building. Its outer walls were square, but the roof was rounded. A low, white fence encircled it. Everything about it felt still, as if it had settled into quietness.

‘A temple.’

For a moment, that thought crossed my mind.

That stiff, orderly place, so rigid it felt like being trapped within a box. That feeling crept back up.

I shook my head. Only then did I snap out of it. Why was I suddenly thinking about the temple I had left behind? There was no reason to dwell on it anymore.

A hand landed firmly on top of my head. Song Ha-gyeon. My restless head stopped moving under his grip.

“…Are you feeling dizzy?”

As he said that, Song Ha-gyeon slowly removed his hand and lightly patted my shoulder.

“…Let’s go inside.”

The building’s interior layout was not much different from the one in the west. Even the crystal sphere at the top of the third floor was said to function properly. I unpacked my things in a first-floor room, just as before.

Everyone was busy, and there was nothing I could do to help right now. So, I had to make good use of my time alone. I walked around the side of the building and sat on a wooden bench.

Taking a small notebook and pencil from my pocket, I flipped to new page. The crisp, textured white paper met my fingertips. As I watched the blue petals rain down, I lightly pressed the pencil to the paper.

This was something Min Joo-hyuk had given me before we arrived.

—”Sun Yi-han. This is the first picture I’ll draw of you. That’s why I wanted to take my time with it.”

Saying that, Min Joo-hyuk had placed a paper envelope in my hands.

—”I was going to give you the picture along with this, but I’ll just give you this for now. Use it when you’re bored.”

Inside the envelope were the notebook and pencil I was holding now. As I gazed at the blank white pages, I sensed someone beside me.

“What are you doing, Yihan-ah?”

Before I realized it, Raen had taken a seat next to me.

“Just sitting. Hyung, you—”

I almost asked, ‘Aren’t you busy?’ but held my tongue. It was a good thing if he wasn’t. Raen needed time to rest too.

Before he could notice my hesitation, I quickly changed the subject.

“Hyung, do you like drawing?”

It was a sudden question, but Raen glanced at the notebook in my hands and responded naturally.

“Drawing pictures is something Joo-hyuk likes. I like something else.”

“What is it?”

“Well…” Raen hesitated, then smiled slightly, as if embarrassed.

“It’s a little hard to say. But I can tell you something else. Ha-gyeon likes making magic potions.”

“Ha-gyeon hyung?”

That was unexpected. I thought he wasn’t the type to show interest in things.

“Oh, I didn’t mean he said he liked it. But when we were at the academy, he used to make them even when there weren’t assignments. So, you know.”

It seemed Raen was right. Making something without an assignment meant he must have liked it.

I had never attended an academy, but my teacher used to hand me books filled with temple doctrines. Reading them had been my homework. It was exhausting. I didn’t dislike reading. I actually enjoyed it. But those doctrines always sounded like this:

「All lives shall be sacred. Every step taken shall be beneath the shadow of the God. The enlightenment reached shall be in accordance with the will of the Gods.」

That was the very first passage on the first page. When I was younger, I couldn’t even understand what it meant. Even now, it still felt vague.

Was such a life truly sacred? I—

“Yi-han, ask Ha-gyeon to make you something later. He can make almost anything.”

Raen’s voice interrupted my train of thought. I came back to reality.

“Oh, anything?”

“Yes. He can combine herbs to make medicine, or can even infuse it with magic.”

Raen extended his hand slightly forward. At his fingertips, fragments of colorful light flickered and sparkled.

“I think Yi-han would like the kind infused with magic. There are ones that create shimmering lights around you, and even ones that explode like fireworks.”

Raen turned to me with a slight smile and continued.

“There are plenty of other kinds too. Whatever Yi-han wants, it’s possible.”

It was fascinating. So many things could be done with magical potions.

“Then wouldn’t everyone just use magical potions instead of actual magic?”

“The more intricate the magic, the harder it is to contain. Ha-gyeon does it easily, though.”

I’d seen Song Ha-gyeon summon potions that tasted like herbs many times, but I’d never seen anyone use a potion infused with magic. I should ask to see it later when there’s a chance.

“Do you know what Yul hyung likes?”

“Leader hyung…”

Raen trailed off before leaning in closer to me. Just how important was this that he was hesitating so much? I found myself focusing intently. Then, Raen whispered softly in my ear.

“It’s a secret.”

And with that, he suddenly pulled away. There was a subtle smile on his face as we met eyes.

“Actually, I don’t really know either. Leader hyung seems to like a lot of things…”

Raen bit his lip slightly, as if pondering what to say next.

He was right. When it came to what Park Yul liked, so many things came to mind. Cooking, watering flowers, carving sculptures as gifts. I had learned quite a bit in a short time, so Raen, who had been with him much longer, must have known even more.

Raen spoke again, slowly.

“But if he likes everything, doesn’t that mean he actually likes nothing at all?”

Raen blinked once, then ruffled my hair. Maybe it was because of the petals drifting down from the sky, but the faint scent of flowers seemed to linger around us.

“So, Yi-han, you should ask him later. Ask Leader hyung yourself.”

I nodded. Of course, asking him directly would be the most accurate way to find out. That meant I should also be asking Raen right now.

“Are you really not going to tell me what you like, Raen hyung?”

“I’d rather show you myself one day than just say it.”

So it was something that could be shown? Now I was even more curious.

But Raen never told me in the end. If his goal was to keep me wondering, he had definitely succeeded.

After spending a little more time sitting beside me, Raen eventually headed back inside the building.

‘Just how many villages are there?’

If it took this much time, the number must be considerable.

But if this world was so vast and full of villages, why was it only them who had to save it? In such a big world, couldn’t more people join forces?

Where Raen had been sitting, blue flower petals had piled up. I opened my notebook again. Holding my pencil over the page, I hesitated, unsure where to start drawing.

In the end, I quietly put the pencil down.

‘It’s so quiet.’

I pulled my knees close and wrapped my arms around them. Just sitting there, blinking, made it feel like time itself had stopped. The petals falling gently, the wind brushing past, it was all silent.

In that stillness, I felt like I was becoming part of the scenery. Not a living, breathing person, but something that would simply blend in and eventually disappear.

I suddenly stood up. I couldn’t just sit still like this.

Without any particular destination in mind, I started walking. I wasn’t planning to go far, just a slow stroll along the building walls, as if taking a short walk.

But as soon as I turned the corner behind the building, something unexpected came into view.

‘Huh… stairs?’