Ch.77If You Want to Cry, Just Cry

“I must not reveal information about myself to people from the past.

If history changes in a strange direction, my very existence could disappear.

So I was especially warned to be careful around ‘family,’ and if possible, to avoid approaching them altogether.

And yet…”

“Ah. You were looking for a stealth item.”

“Oh, yes…”

“I have something I use for civilian evacuations. Would you like me to recommend it?”

“…! Yes! Please do!”

Han Jaewon couldn’t bring himself to let go of his mother’s hand that was clasped with his.

He didn’t want to lose this hand ever again.

Because such an opportunity would never come again.

The chance was so precious that he couldn’t act as he thought he should.

“This is it. It’s called the Assassin Ring, and it completely eliminates the presence of whoever wears it. When we put this on civilians and evacuate them, they all escape safely from monsters.”

“I see…”

“You can also use it in combat. That’s actually its original purpose. Well, if you had something else in mind…”

“No. I’ll take this.”

“…Huh?”

His mother’s judgment couldn’t be wrong.

With that thought, Han Jaewon purchased the Assassin Ring worth about 100 million won without hesitation, flexing right there on the spot.

Sophia was a bit surprised at the sight.

‘…Is he a famous hunter from some developed country?’

With the sword on his back and the strong aura emanating from him even while standing still, he certainly looked like a promising professional hunter.

More than that, Sophia couldn’t take her eyes off the blonde boy due to the strange feeling she’d been experiencing.

‘I didn’t know there was another human without Shinwoo’s unpleasant aura… And this feeling is…’

Thump thump.

Her heart was beating strangely.

However, this was quite different from the heartbeat of love she felt when looking at Shinwoo.

What could this be?

Rather than loving him, it felt like he was lovable.

As if she wanted to take care of this boy.

Since Sophia didn’t yet know this was “maternal instinct,” she could only fidget in place with this unfamiliar feeling.

“Um, now that you’ve bought the equipment you wanted, you’ll be leaving, right?”

“What? Oh, yes. I suppose I should…”

For some reason, Sophia didn’t want to part with the blonde boy.

“Then, if it’s alright with you, could you help me with my shopping too?”

“?! Oh my… I mean, help with your shopping, Sophia?”

“Yes. I’m actually a hunter too, so I was looking around this area.”

She asked the blonde boy to help her, just as she had helped him.

“It’s helpful to have someone from the same field to ask for opinions. If you have time, would you help me?”

Normally, one would refuse and try to leave the situation, but…

“…If you wish, Sophia.”

Mothers are truly amazing beings.

Despite having so many people around him who could substitute for his mother, Han Jaewon couldn’t refuse her request when faced with the real thing.

Because the person before him was his real mother.

“Lead the way. I’ll follow you.”

“Oh, okay…”

So Han Jaewon silently followed Sophia, knowing he shouldn’t but wanting to live in this fantasy, if only for a moment.

‘…Come to think of it, did I ever tell her my name?’

A faint smile formed on his lips.

***

His mother was truly intelligent.

“This is for healing, and this is for combat… Ah, I should buy this in case we need to retreat.”

She was far more thorough than he’d heard, and never spent money on anything useless.

Moreover…

“Ah, I should give this to Shinwoo!”

“…!”

…She loved Han Shinwoo more than anyone.

“Yes! This should be enough! Thank you for helping me shop!”

“It was nothing…”

It was painful.

It was agonizing.

Knowing what would happen in the future, he wanted to stop her right away.

Even if it meant he would never be born, if only it would make his mother happy.

“…Do you love Han Shinwoo?”

“What?”

Han Jaewon wanted to protect his mother.

“But he’s a monster, isn’t he?”

“…! How do you know that…”

“That’s not what’s important right now, Sophia.”

An action not in the original plan.

But Han Jaewon didn’t regret it one bit.

Even if he suddenly disappeared right here, it would mean the future had changed.

He felt he could close his eyes with joy.

“Stay away from Han Shinwoo.”

“……”

“He’s a man who will one day stab you in the back.”

Despite the warning, there was still no change in his body.

It meant his mother still loved Han Shinwoo.

So to somehow prevent their relationship…

“He will make you unhappy.”

“……”

“You’ll be hurt by the one you trust most!”

Just before they parted, Han Jaewon was trying his best to turn his mother’s heart by pouring out criticism of Han Shinwoo.

But it was nonsensical to think that love built over more than ten years under the same roof would be broken by the words of a boy she just met.

Swish.

Seeing a hand rise toward his face, Han Jaewon could only sigh softly.

‘So Han Shinwoo is indeed precious to mother…’

It seemed only natural to be slapped after openly insulting someone so important to her.

This would be the first punishment he’d ever received from his mother.

He didn’t realize it would be this painful.

He hadn’t even been hit yet, but his whole body was trembling, and he could barely breathe from the pain.

Because he felt wronged.

He was simply too wronged to say anything more.

But then…

“Are you okay?”

“…What?”

His mother suddenly asking about his well-being.

Only then did Han Jaewon realize how his condition had changed.

“You’re crying. Did something bad happen?”

“…!”

Tears he thought had completely dried up since acquiring kaijufication.

Only after hearing that he was crying again did Han Jaewon realize he was indeed in tears.

“No, no… I, I…!”

A man who insults others and then cries.

It would seem suspicious.

No, before that, he didn’t want to appear strange to his mother.

So Han Jaewon tried his best to turn away from Sophia and stop his tears on his own.

But the emotional dam that had started to crack continued to collapse uncontrollably.

“Damn it… Damn it, damn it, damn it!”

Was it because he had met his real family?

As Han Jaewon struggled to maintain his composure while unable to control his emotions…

Swish.

“…!”

“If you’re sad, just cry.”

His mother had appeared before him.

Sophia gently placed her hand on the cheek of the blonde boy, from which countless teardrops were falling, just as she had done earlier.

As if telling him to lean on this hand and pour out all his sad emotions.

“If you want to cry, just cry.”

“Hic… sniff… I, I…!”

“I understand. You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”

“…!”

“So if it’s hard, just cry. I’ll stay by your side.”

Sophia decided to be the boy’s support, somehow feeling that this was what she needed to do.

And his mother’s appearance…

“If you’re sad, just cry.”

“But, but…!”

“Just cry. In this broken world, what is there to hide?”

Overlapped so much with the master who had taught him.

“Ah, aah, aaaahhhh!!”

Han Jaewon finally couldn’t hold back his tears, and Sophia stepped closer to warmly embrace the crying boy.

***

Weihai City.

A port city located at the easternmost part of Shandong Province, China, connected to the West Sea of Korea.

Currently, 50,000 Chinese marines were waiting there, ready to “support” Korea as soon as the deployment order was given.

More precisely, they were Triad members disguised as soldiers, working with an influential radical party in China, aiming to advance into Korea.

“Man, I never thought we’d be wearing military uniforms…”

“It’s all thanks to the boss, isn’t it?”

“So are we officially soldiers now?”

“The boss said not to cause trouble until he’s completely settled in Korea. Until then, let’s just rough up the Korean-Chinese in Hanguo.”

The USFK Annihilation Incident.

This incident had extremely weakened American influence in Korea, and the Chinese radical faction saw this situation as an opportunity.

Moreover, they had been able to recruit a National Authority-Level hunter who was strong but empty-headed.

‘If things go south, we’ll just pin all the blame on her.’

A perfect operation with no damage to the radical party.

As they eagerly anticipated their advance to the Korean peninsula, that person appeared before everyone again today.

“B-Boss!”

“Everyone quiet! The boss is entering!”

The boss who currently commanded about 50,000 Triad members.

He was a figure with enough political power to even set foot in China’s legislature.

One of the figures from the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and although now considered obsolete, he still maintained considerable influence.

At the same time, he was the father of China’s shadow who had supported the Triad in the underworld.

His name was Laohui Zhaodong.

“Hahahahahahaha!!”

Despite being over 100 years old, his body was still massive and packed with huge, solid muscles.

An eccentric man with white hair that should have died with his expired lifespan, wearing it like an ornament while laughing boisterously.

What he always told his Triad juniors was the same.

“Gentlemen and brothers.”

“””Yes, Boss!”””

“I hate majority rule.”

At his words, the 50,000 Triad subordinates who had gathered all nodded vigorously.

His words were like divine prophecy to them, creating an absolute faith among them.

“I hate the weak, I hate the obsolete, and I especially hate those who want to be treated as humans despite being worthless.”

“””……”””

“That’s why I hate majority rule. Because majority rule is wrong. Why should I, who can build a city with one fist, have the same one vote as beggars who survive on handouts?”

“””Your words are absolutely right!!”””

“In that sense, I also find Hanguo despicable.”

Laohui simply spoke proudly to the 50,000 Triad soldiers.

“Have we to treat as equals those who have forgotten the grace we showed them throughout long history and now hide behind America’s back?”

“””No!!”””

“Should we silently watch as they fight among their own people while joining hands with war criminal nations?”

“””No!!!”””

“Let’s go to Hanguo. And let’s show them.”

That the strong ruling over the weak is the natural order of things.

It was time to remind the small country again of this absolute and immutable law that Laohui believed in, as the big brother nation.

“It is also the inevitable duty of an elder brother to correct the wrong path of his younger sibling.”