Chapter 789: Fog and Sea and Memory (3)
“I’m doing this because I’m grateful!”
“It’s cold out. Come inside for a minute and warm up.”
“Just try a bite of this. If you like it, take some with you.”
The scene of an old traditional market emerged, vivid and sharp, pushing back the mist. Song Taewon stared in bewilderment at the back of himself, who was busy refusing again and again. From the scraps he had overheard, he had been certain they were trying to do something with the King of Harmless to restore Han Yujin’s memories. Yet for some reason, what appeared before him was his own past.
‘This must have been around…’
A holiday. It had not originally been Song Taewon’s assigned district, but he had gone out on patrol as a substitute. That day, the crowded market’s heavy warmth had spilled through the chilly wind. Though it was only an illusion, the smells of every kind of food mingled vividly at the tip of his nose.
Song Taewon stood still, staring at the scene that passed like a brief dream. What he was protecting had not changed. Even so, the place where the current him belonged was the ruins. He stood where monsters had appeared, where ordinary life had been trampled underfoot. It was only right that he did. The inside of dungeons, too, was nothing but traces of destruction left behind from a distant past.
He had never once thought he disliked it. If anything, it put him at ease. The unease buried deep in his chest only grew faint when he curled in on himself and locked himself away alone. He loathed S–rank Awakened, beings utterly removed from ordinary humans, and yet he was also relieved that there now existed a reason he ought to wear a leash.
He rejected monsters to an extreme degree. At the same time, because he was a monster, he felt reassured by the idea that he should be suppressed.
Only.
“What’s going on?”
A familiar voice reached him. Song Taewon spun his head around in alarm. It was a side dish shop in the market. The place was busy preparing holiday food, and Han Yujin was standing there. His face looked much younger than it did now as he peered at the back of Song Taewon, who had been all but surrounded by the merchants.
[Looks like some celebrity showed up. From the build alone, he’s obviously in great shape, and I bet his face is handsome too.]
Han Yujin spoke. No, his lips had not moved. Since this was an illusion made out of memory, it seemed Han Yujin’s thoughts had become sound and flowed out into the air.
[He’s really tall too. Must be nice.]
“Yujin! I told you to bring the flour!”
“Ah, yes!”
Han Yujin wiped his damp hands on his apron and headed for the small storage room attached to the side of the shop. The vision blurred. It seemed this was not Song Taewon’s memory, but Han Yujin’s. Song Taewon let out a short sigh of relief.
‘…I suppose we must have crossed paths.’
They lived in the same country, in the same city. Seoul might have a population of ten million, but both Song Taewon and Han Yujin were often out and about, so it was entirely possible they had been in the same place a few times.
“Chief Song Taewon is a good person.”
Han Yujin’s voice came again. Song Taewon turned around. Through the mist, he saw Han Yujin. He was sitting in a chair beside a vending machine. A pair of crutches leaned at an angle next to him. A quiet corner at the back of the Awakener Management Office. Song Taewon soon realized that this was Han Yujin’s memory from before the regression.
“At the very least, you see people as they are.”
The Song Taewon from before the regression was standing there as well. The end of his thick finger silently pressed a vending machine button. A paper cup of milk coffee, steam rising faintly from it, was held out to Han Yujin.
“I should be the one buying.”
Han Yujin accepted the paper cup despite looking embarrassed.
“You had to suffer extra because of me for no reason.”
“…No.”
The area around Song Taewon’s eyes twitched faintly. Han Yujin did not notice the expression, but Song Taewon had a guess. His own posture, his gaze, the line of his mouth. He looked apologetic, yet troubled, over something he was hiding from Han Yujin.
‘Seong Hyunjae, then.’
Because Han Yujin did not remember, Song Taewon did not know the details either, but he had been told that before time was turned back, Seong Hyunjae had shown interest in Han Yujin. Most likely, he had gotten Han Yujin tangled up in some incident.
‘It seems Mr. Han Yujin still doesn’t know Hunter Seong Hyunjae’s identity.’
Seong Hyunjae had apparently approached Han Yujin while hiding who he was. Seeing as his past self was unable to say anything, this must have been before Seong Hyunjae was discovered, or before he revealed himself. Watching Han Yujin hunch his shoulders slightly as he sipped his coffee made a sigh escape Song Taewon on its own. The Song Taewon of that time seemed to feel something similar.
‘And he would have been an even more ordinary F–rank back then.’
The Han Yujin of the present had means of resistance, but back then, he would not have. Just imagining it made his insides prickle with pain. A powerless F–rank with no protection, tangled up with an S–rank Hunter.
“You don’t have to make that face.”
Han Yujin gave a small laugh.
“If anything, Chief Song Taewon, you should be angry.”
“I am not…”
“What do you mean, you’re not? I’m going to do it again.”
Han Yujin giggled and lifted his head to look up at Song Taewon.
“I’ll cause trouble again, and I’ll make myself a nuisance to you again. I’m not the kind of person who behaves quietly and knows his place just because I’m an F–rank. Rotten of me, isn’t it?”
“…Be careful of strangers whose intentions are unclear.”
“What?”
As Han Yujin looked puzzled, Song Taewon swallowed a sigh and warned him.
“Be wary of people who are strangely relaxed, who can easily charm others with words, and who speak smoothly, as if they know everything.”
“…You mean scammers? There are a lot of scammers in the Hunter world, sure, but I’m no pushover either. It’s not like I’ve only dealt with them once or twice. I’ve even cleaned them out in return.”
“Avoid them as much as possible.”
Song Taewon hesitated slightly, then continued.
“I will mediate, so perhaps protection from Haeyeon Guild–”
“I can live just fine on my own… well, maybe not fine, but in any case, I’m not an age where I need to be protected.”
Han Yujin lowered his eyes. The smiling expression on his face hardened all at once. His mouth went rigid, as if he had clenched his teeth, and he rose with the help of his crutches.
“I owe you a lot. I’ll pay you back someday. I swear.”
Han Yujin walked past Song Taewon. One step after another, he pressed his feet firmly into the ground.
“…Huh?”
He looked at Song Taewon, his eyes rounding.
“Ch–Chief Song Taewon is…”
He quickly looked back. Song Taewon was standing in front of the vending machine. When he turned forward again, Song Taewon was standing there as well. Their clothes were different, but they were unmistakably the same person.
“Mr. Han Yujin, this is–”
Song Taewon was startled too. He had not expected Han Yujin, who had appeared as a vision, to recognize him.
“I am, that is.”
“Ah… um, ah…!”
Han Yujin’s eyes widened, and then he smiled.
“Chief Song!”
At some point, the crutches had disappeared. With his face looking a little younger now, Han Yujin ran up to Song Taewon.
“So this is my memory, then. Huh?”
Han Yujin startled again and turned around. In the meantime, the Song Taewon of the past and future had vanished.
“…My memories of Chief Song and Mr. Seong Hyunjae should have been erased.”
The Seong Hyunjae in the nightmare dungeon had said that he erased them. Han Yujin blinked.
“I’m not really sure what happened, but you must have been shocked, right? I think Yerim and the King of Harmless are doing a good job.”
“…Are you truly Mr. Han Yujin?”
“Of course I am. Should I pinch your cheek? From what I can tell, Yerim’s skill is dragging my memories up. These are all my memories, so that means I’m me.”
As he explained, Han Yujin let out a short yelp.
“Oh no, what if all kinds of weird memories come out too! Nothing strange happened, right? They said only memories related to each person would appear, but I didn’t say anything ridiculous to you, did I, Chief Song?”
“No. Nothing of the sort.”
“Thank goodness.”
Han Yujin blinked slowly. He looked drowsy, and then his figure mingled with the mist and disappeared. Song Taewon stared at the drifting fog. When his present self interfered, Han Yujin returned not as a memory, but as his current self.
‘If memories from before the regression appear, should I watch without interfering?’
There was no way to know whether memories that had been forcibly erased would remain even after the skill was released. So it seemed better to watch and remember them, then tell Han Yujin later.
“You told Han Yuhyun?!”
A shout like a scream burst out. Song Taewon quickly turned his head. He saw Han Yujin, and Song Taewon standing in front of him. This, too, was a memory from before time had been turned back.
“Hunter Seong Hyunjae is dangerous. Now that Hunter Han Yujin has even learned his identity, I cannot overlook this any longer.”
“Is it because I’m an F–rank?”
Song Taewon did not answer. The present Song Taewon kept a reasonable distance and hid himself among the mist.
‘I did the same.’
At first, he had tried to protect Han Yujin from S–ranks and separate him from them. Even by force, regardless of Han Yujin’s own wishes. Because he was the same Song Taewon, the Song Taewon of that time had behaved in much the same way.
“In the end, Chief Song Taewon, you’re also hung up on that damned rank.”
Han Yujin smiled. Just then, the door flew open. It was Han Yuhyun. With eyes completely devoid of emotion, he gave Song Taewon a short, formal bow. Han Yujin retreated a couple of steps to the side. Clenching his molars, he turned his head as though avoiding his brother’s gaze.
“Haeyeon has no obligation to protect Hunter Han Yujin.”
A dry voice spoke. Han Yujin stayed silent, his lips pressed tight together.
“However, as long as he is related to me by blood, I also cannot allow him to become officially involved with major guilds, including Sesung.”
“…Hunter Seong Hyunjae also seems to have no intention of creating any official connection yet.”
Han Yuhyun glanced briefly at Han Yujin. As if stubbornly determined to pretend he could not see his younger brother at all, Han Yujin kept his head turned away. His shoulders were trembling faintly.
“If Sesung Guild uses this incident to pressure Haeyeon–”
“That won’t happen!”
Han Yujin shouted, the words bursting out of him.
“If Hunter Seong Hyunjae tries any bullshit, I’ll stop him even if I have to bash my own head into the ground and die, so don’t worry and get lost, Haeyeon Guild Leader!”
Han Yuhyun shut his mouth. Song Taewon shifted until he half blocked Han Yujin from view, as if making excuses on his behalf.
“Hunter Seong Hyunjae will not use Hunter Han Yujin for the guild’s benefit. I have already confirmed that much. To begin with, he is not someone who would choose that method.”
“Thank you.”
Han Yuhyun spoke briefly.
“As Hunter Han Yuhyun has likely already guessed, Sesung Guild is planning to move its headquarters overseas before long. So you have even less reason to concern yourself with that side.”
“Yes. That must be why Hunter Kang Soyeong has taken the position of acting guild leader.”
“…That’s exactly what he said, and he said he has no interest in Haeyeon.”
With his gaze lowered, Han Yujin spoke as if muttering.
“He said he wouldn’t lay a hand on you or Haeyeon. And Hunter Seong Hyunjae has no reason to tell that kind of lie to an F–rank. Anyway, nothing’s going to happen that’ll cause trouble for you. Happy now? I’ll be going, Chief Song Taewon.”
Han Yujin, head bowed low, headed toward the door. Han Yuhyun grabbed his arm hard. Pulling Han Yujin toward him as he was, Han Yuhyun looked at Song Taewon.
“Let go!”
“I would like him placed in the Awakener Management Office’s protective custody facility for the time being.”
“Han Yuhyun!”
Han Yujin, who had been struggling, stopped moving. His eyes met Song Taewon’s. Song Taewon had, at some point, stepped out of the mist and drawn near them. Then, slowly, the illusion of memory, Han Yujin included, vanished. A long breath escaped Song Taewon’s mouth.
It was not something he remembered, but he felt sorry toward Han Yujin. Being weak did not mean someone had to be protected no matter what. An ordinary person could protect someone too. Leaving an F–rank defenseless before an S–rank still brought him intense resistance, but he no longer thought, as he once had, that he needed to stop it in the most extreme way possible. Not after everything he had seen and experienced.
Song Taewon looked down at his own hand. Black shadow naturally covered it, rippling over his skin. Even the sensation of using a skill had disappeared; he could now handle the power of Plunder far more skillfully. At the same time, a chill formed deep inside his chest. If he became as familiar with this power as if he had been born with it, if it continued growing larger and larger, then…
‘Gardener.’
S–ranks were beings beyond human. And yet they, too, had been born naturally. Song Taewon shook his head once, sharply. He tried to shake off the thought that followed.
“Hyung.”
Just then, a small voice reached him. Song Taewon’s back jolted. A child appeared through the mist.
“What’re you doing here?”
A little child, and another child a little bigger. Song Taewon’s eyes widened.
“Why…”
That was his memory. A young Song Taewon from childhood, one Han Yujin could not possibly know. The bigger child, Song Taewon’s younger brother, took his older brother’s hand.
“You know what?”
As a child, Song Taewon had been small and weak. He had even been told he would not live long. His younger brother, Song Taeil, on the other hand, had been healthy. He was bigger than other children his age, and soon surpassed his older brother in height. The neighborhood the brothers were walking through was quiet. Song Taewon gazed at the street from that distant memory.
It was the neighborhood around his grandparents’ house. Because they were busy taking care of the frail Song Taewon, his healthy younger brother had often been left in their grandparents’ care. Memories came back to him, too, of the way the adults in the neighborhood had found it adorable when his grandparents’ dialect rubbed off on the boy. Even though he had been all but pushed aside because of his older brother, the little child had never resented him once.
“My name and yours are the same.”
“Why would our names be the same?”
“The mister next door said il is one in English. One, two, three. So Taeil is Taewon, and Taewon is Taeil.”
Amazing, right? His younger brother laughed. Song Taewon stared blankly at the two children’s backs. His younger brother had died at a young age. Song Taewon did not remember that day well. The adults had said he had forgotten because of the shock.
Mist spread faintly, covering the brothers’ backs. Through it came a voice, badly faded.
“I told you I’d protect you.”
Song Taewon closed his eyes. He still could not recall it. As if something had swallowed it whole. Black shadow mixed with the mist, rippling.
Seong Hyunjae stared into the fog. Over the splashing sea, the sea mist rose thick and dense.
–TL Notes–
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