THIFSGSTW CH 71

Chapter 71: Don’t regret it

I was trying to read Min Joo-hyuk’s expression, but suddenly I heard a ding sound that completely out-of-place. A clear quest window appeared in front of me.

<Required! Quest> ‘Min Joo Hyuk – Don’t Regret It!’ Ⅰ

Success: Gain ‘Min Joo Hyuk’s Confidence’

Failure: ‘2-minute unconsciousness’ penalty

Time Limit: 2 minutes

What? What the hell is this. Wait, can I at least get a second to collect myself?

Time Limit: 1 minute 59 seconds

But as always, I wasn’t given the luxury of calmly thinking things through. The timer ticked away. The sky around me was glowing red with the sunset, but the view in front of me was an intense blue.

I blinked blankly. Just when I thought the situation was settling down, a new problem came crashing in. This was ridiculous. The system shouldn’t be doing this to me.

“Sun Yi-han. Don’t touch that.”

Min Joo-hyuk’s firm voice snapped me out of it. My left hand, which had been reaching to pull out the blade, was suddenly yanked upward. When I turned my head, I saw a blue light wrapped tightly around my wrist, keeping it suspended midair and completely immobile.

‘Still… I should pull the blade out so the wound can heal properly, right…?’

My wavering gaze landed on Min Joo-hyuk, and I flinched. I’d never seen that look on his face before. His eyes were bloodshot. His twisted face, which at first glance looked like he was angry, looked like it was crying without even a single tear.

“Uh… I just need to get this out real quick.”

“You can’t just yank it out.”

“Hmm, it’s not that serious right now.”

“Your voice is shaking, and your face…”

Min Joo-hyuk trailed off, as if the complicated emotions tangled up in him made it hard to finish the sentence. Usually, people see what they expect to see. Since he was worried about me, I probably just looked worse than I actually was. But I was really okay.

I wished Min Joo-hyuk wouldn’t make that expression like he was about to cry. Still, the more I tried to speak, the more strained his replies sounded, so I just closed my mouth. I didn’t know how to calm him down.

“…No. You’ll be fine, so just sit still.”

After a moment’s thought, Min Joo-hyuk seemed to worry that I might panic, and shifted his tone. Then, despite his voice being heavy and rough, his hands were incredibly gentle as he helped me, crouched down, sit upright.

Time Limit: 1 minute 27 seconds

Time was ticking. There was no way I could complete the quest in time. I remembered Raen’s quest, which I’d tried so hard and still failed. That meant this time, too, I’d be fainting for sure.

From over there, I heard the village chief screaming his lungs out. I couldn’t make out the words, but his voice sounded full of blame and hatred.

Without taking his eyes off me, Min Joo-hyuk waved his hand to the side. Instantly, the village chief’s voice vanished. Only the soft rustling of leaves in the wind filled the space.

Time Limit: 54 seconds

I was going to faint soon, so I had to tell Min Joo-hyuk ahead of time. Ask him to wake me up in exactly two minutes—no, to be safe, after about five minutes.

“Min Joo-hyuk, I…”

Just as I spoke, Min Joo-hyuk grabbed my chin and opened my mouth with a grip firm enough to call urgent.

“Wait… mmph.”

Before I knew it, Min Joo-hyuk had conjured a small glass bottle in midair. He poured the thick liquid inside it into my mouth.

Some of it missed and dripped messily down my chin. My right shoulder, which had been stabbed, wasn’t in pain, but I couldn’t move it, so I couldn’t even wipe it away.

“It’s a painkiller. Swallow it.”

His calm voice made me instinctively gulp. I didn’t need this, though. The bitter medicine, my clothes still wet with blood, it all bothered me, and I frowned slightly.

Min Joo-hyuk’s face looked the same. He wasn’t injured, but the pain on his face made it seem like he was the one who needed the painkiller more than me.

Time Limit: 38 seconds

Watching the seconds tick by above the quest window, my eyes trembled. Calm down. I couldn’t faint right now. At the very least, I had to stay composed.

‘What if Min Joo-hyuk regrets bringing me here?’

But I hoped he wouldn’t regret that. I’d rather be the one hurt than have him get hurt. I forced my eyes wide open and looked straight at Min Joo-hyuk.

To be honest, he didn’t need to worry at all. I wasn’t in pain. Min Joo-hyuk seemed to have forgotten in the chaos, but a wound this big would heal on its own. If I told him that, maybe it would ease his mind a bit.

“Hey, calm down.. mmph.”

Come on, let me say something. Min Joo-hyuk stuffed a thick white cloth into my mouth. It smelled fresh, like a clean breeze.

It was a nice scent, but I didn’t want it in my mouth right now. Still, I had no hands to take it out with. The cloth was too thick, and Min Joo-hyuk had shoved it in deep, I couldn’t spit it out. All I could do was make muffled noises.

Time Limit: 21 seconds

This isn’t the time for this, Min Joo-hyuk. I shook my head hard.

I was about to faint, could you please wake me up in a few minutes? I looked at him desperately, hoping my eyes could speak for me. I hoped he could understand me without words.

The system wasn’t going to wake me up after I fainted. I didn’t know how long I’d be unconscious this time.

“I’m sorry. Just hold on a little longer, Sun Yi-han. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”

Min Joo-hyuk kept repeating the same words. My vision blurred, and I couldn’t see his face clearly, but his voice sounded like it was trembling.

‘Wait, Min Joo-hyuk… what are you doing?’

Suddenly, I snapped back to my senses. Blood was dripping from Min Joo-hyuk’s hands. The deep red blood glowing under the sunset stood out clearly. He was tightly gripping the blade lodged in my shoulder. Since when?

There was no handle, so his palm was getting cut by the edge. He was gripping it so hard the veins in his hand were bulging. Min Joo-hyuk didn’t have pain immunity like me.

His breathing was ragged. He kept whispering apologies between every shaky breath. He had nothing to be sorry for.

If he would just remove the cloth in my mouth, I could tell him I was fine. I wanted to say even just one word, but Min Joo-hyuk didn’t seem like he had any intention of removing it.

Time Limit: 7 seconds

I desperately wanted to treat Min Joo-hyuk’s hand, so I tried to put strength in my fingers, but of course, they wouldn’t move. If I fainted, I wouldn’t be able to treat him. And with my mouth blocked, I couldn’t tell him that.

Min Joo-hyuk kept whispering apologies like a prayer, then suddenly turned to me with a determined look.

“I’m sorry. I’ll make it quick.”

The moment he said that, I felt the blade being pulled out of my shoulder.

Time Limit: 0 seconds

And the time limit ended. A new quest window appeared in front of me.

<Required! Quest> ‘Min Joo-hyuk – Don’t Regret It!’ Ⅱ

Success: Gain ‘Min Joo-hyuk’s Conviction’

Failure: ‘High Fever for 2 Hours’ penalty

The timer ticked as the numbers began to count down.

Time Limit: 1 hour 59 minutes 59 seconds

My eyes closed. I lost strength and collapsed against Min Joo-hyuk. I really should’ve told him I was about to faint.

I’m okay, so I hope Min Joo-hyuk doesn’t get too scared.

◇

Thud!

The sharp sound of flesh being pierced stabbed deep into Min Joo-hyuk’s ears as he collapsed onto the ground.

Min Joo-hyuk’s Perspective

‘What just…?’

What had just happened? I’d dispelled the trap magic closing in on us. Something flew in. Sun Yi-han pushed me out of the way. I sensed the village chief’s presence over there and reflexively used capture magic. And then…

‘I was too late.’

Right in front of me, blood was pooling on the ground. My heart dropped. Frozen in fear, I slowly lifted my head.

Behind Sun Yi-han, the sun was setting. He stood unsteadily in the golden light. His white clothes were dyed red. Not from the sunset, but from the hot blood pouring down. A sharp blade was embedded in he right shoulder. He was biting his lip, reaching toward it. As if to pull it out.

My ears rang with silence. My insides burned. I couldn’t even cry. I didn’t know what this emotion was.

“I…”

His face, staring at me, had gone completely pale. Cold sweat beaded on he forehead. His eyes seemed unfocused, probably because of the heavy bleeding.

I hurried to stop his hand from grabbing the blade and cast a silence magic on the village chief, who was still screaming in the distance. Sun Yi-han came first. That man could wait.

I quickly summoned a painkiller. Would it be enough? Probably not. Still, I had to give his something. I had to pull out the blade.

‘Will Sun Yi-han be able to hang on?’

His lips were already losing color. I quickly poured the medicine into his mouth. Sun Yi-han frowned slightly as he struggled to swallow through the pain.

Seeing him like this, I couldn’t think about anything else. Feeling half out of my mind, I stuffed a cloth into his mouth and grabbed the blade buried deep in his shoulder.

The cold steel in my hand didn’t cut as deeply as the sight of his pale, sweat-soaked face. Even if the blade were in my body, I wouldn’t feel this miserable.

Sun Yi-han shook his head fiercely. His watery eyes, filled with desperation, reflected my face. His focus seemed to fade even more than befor, there was no time to waste.

“…Mm, mmph!”

He was trying to say something urgently. I’m sorry. All I could do was say sorry. I knew it must be terrifying, but I couldn’t leave him like this.

I tightened my grip on the blade. The longer I waited, the harder it would be for his. “I’m sorry. I’ll make it quick.”

Sun Yi-han’s eyes went wide, his gaze locking shakily onto mine.

And the moment I pulled out the blade, his eyes flew open, then he lost consciousness without even a whimper. My breath caught.

Ah. Deep despair… makes you forget how to breathe.