episode_0008

… … … … …

Seo Yu-ryeong exhaled deeply.

In the first place, she only talks to people gathered like that once or twice a year. It’s even hard to imagine her doing so these days, when her social phobia has gotten worse.

However, Seo Yu-ryeong could not stand by and watch the precious Autumn Seeds in danger. Seo Yu-ryeong closed her eyes tightly and released her hiding. Perhaps because her presence had been weak to begin with, no one noticed her sudden appearance.

“Excuse me… … !”

Seo Yu-ryeong shouted with a trembling voice. Ga-eul and the other employees turned their heads toward her at the same time.

“Please, do the math for me… … .”

Seo Yu-ryeong finished speaking in a voice that seemed to be crawling, feeling burdened by the attention being paid to her.

As soon as she finished speaking, she ran away from the crowd and walked towards the checkout counter, and saw none other than Ga-eul approaching her.

“Oh, yes. I’ll help you!”

Seo Yu-ryeong’s heart fluttered at the sound of the clear and beautiful voice of Autumn Seed.

While calculating the items, Seo Yu-ryeong mustered up her courage and made eye contact with Ga-eul.

In Gaeul-ssi’s pretty eyes, her face with dark circles under her eyes that even Seo Yu-ryeong found unsightly was reflected.

“Mo, how much is it in total… … ?”

“Ah, that――

The total is 5,000 won.”

Seo Yu-ryeong handed over the card with trembling hands and returned it to Ga-eul after she finished paying.

But it was too bad to leave like that. She leaned against the counter, leaned forward to show her face to Ga-eul, and whispered softly.

“Excuse me, over there.

… … … Cheer up.”

Then, Mr. Ga-eul’s eyes widened. He looked at Seo Yu-ryeong as if he was at a loss for words for a moment, and then smiled brightly at Seo Yu-ryeong.

“Thank you, customer.”

There was sincerity in Mr. Gaeul’s voice. Seo Yu-ryeong, who tried hard to suppress her joy, quickly left the mart as soon as she received the items.

The moment she stepped out of the mart, she felt like she was flying. Her heart was still beating fast, but it was from joy, not nervousness.

‘I saved Autumn Seed… …! Autumn Seed smiled at me!’

Seo Yu-ryeong, who had been standing there blankly for a while due to excessive joy, felt a bit conflicted.

Should I go back home or go back to the mart to ‘protect’ the autumn seeds again?

‘… … No. Let’s go back like this today.’

I felt sorry for Miss Autumn who needed Seo Yu-ryeong’s protection, but she wanted to cherish the joy of this moment. After making her decision, Seo Yu-ryeong turned around and headed home.

On her face, there was a bright smile that she hadn’t seen in a long time.

… … … … …

On Seo Yu-ryeong’s way home, her phone suddenly vibrated. She took it out and checked the screen.

“Namgung… … Chairman?”

It was a message from the president of the Awakened Ones Association. Seo Yu-ryeong’s eyebrows rose slightly.

When I opened the message, it contained his instructions as expected. As always, the pay was eye-poppingly good, but the timing was the issue.

“If this is true… …it will take more than a week. I have to protect the autumn seeds… … .”

She clicked her tongue. She felt the happiness she had felt at seeing Gaeul’s smile slowly fading away.

I wanted to refuse, but even though I was half a freelancer, Seo Yu-ryeong was still a member of the Awakening Association. It was difficult to disobey the president’s orders.

“Haa… … … .”

Seo Yu-ryeong sighed and sent a message saying she understood. Not long after, a reply arrived.

[Come to the association headquarters at 9:00 AM tomorrow.]

Seo Yu-ryeong checked the message and put her phone in her pocket. Her footsteps naturally became heavier.

“Autumn seeds… … I won’t be seeing you for a while.”

She slightly regretted her decision to go home without watching Mr. Autumn until he got off work.

But it’s already past. There’s nothing you can do. With a look of regret and worry mixed in her face, Seo Yu-ryeong walked toward her house.

… … … … …

When I opened my eyes, I felt a quietness different from usual.

“… … … Sister?”

There was no answer. The empty house felt strangely eerie.

“Ah, my sister hasn’t been here since yesterday… … .”

Yes. Today is the second day since Seoyeon noona left the house. It was also the first morning I greeted without her.

Since I couldn’t just lie down, I got out of bed and went out to the living room.

The side dishes that my older sister Seoyeon had prepared were stored in airtight containers and piled up in the refrigerator. Looking at them, I could feel my older sister’s warm consideration, but at the same time, I felt lonely.

Eating breakfast alone made me feel the absence of my sister even more. Usually, my sister would be busy taking care of me, but today, there was only silence.

“A week is… … long… … .”

But someday, when I become independent from her, mornings like this will become my daily routine. As a rehearsal for independence, this week would be perfect… …I decided to think.

“… … I’ll be back, sis.”

After I finished getting ready for work and was about to open the front door and go out, my sister’s voice suddenly came to mind.

‘Approach carefully. Don’t be late, and make sure to eat… … .’

“… … … .”

It was as if I could hear my sister’s answer in my ear. My sister’s presence remained as a very clear image in my head, as if someone had physically implanted it in me.

When I arrived at the mart, my usual routine began. I worked at the checkout counter, stocked the shelves, and…

The only good thing was that the sarcasm from other employees was much less aggressive than it had been the day before when my sister came. Thanks to that, I was able to work relatively without any major problems.

That was when.

“Don’t move! Everyone, get on the floor!”

“Wow! Wow! Wow! Chilly!”

A sudden scream and what seemed to be chanting was heard from the entrance of the mart.

When I turned my head, there were men wearing monkey masks standing at the entrance of the mart. They all had guns in their hands.

‘Humanity Guardians… …!’

It was the Human Defense Association, the extreme dimensional gate closure group I had seen on TV news. As they stormed into the store, screams of terror filled the store.

“Money! Give me all the money from the cash register!”

One of the assailants approached the checkout counter where I was. With trembling hands, I had no choice but to open the register, take out some cash, and hand it to him.

“Hey, here you are… … .”

While he snatched the money and put it in his bag, I looked at the cashier next to me.

She was a middle-aged woman who had been watching my bullying but had not actively done anything to harm me. Her face was pale and her hands were shaking.

“Is that all?”

At that moment, the robber glared at me and asked.

“Yes, yes. That’s all… … .”

“Don’t be a jerk! Give me that ring on that woman’s hand, too!”

He pointed to the cashier. On her ring finger was a gold ring with a small diamond.

“Oh, no! This is my dead husband… … .”

Her voice trembled as if it had been forced out. Her eyes were already filled with tears.

But the rice-sucking guy from the Humanity Guardians was heartless. He pointed the gun at the female employee, put his hand on the trigger, and pulled the trigger.

“Fuck, you dare to refuse the normalization of Earth’s humanity? Hurry up and give me the ring!”

“Oh, please… … .”

It felt like time had stopped. The threatening voice of the gunman, the sobbing of the female employee, and finally the sound of my own heartbeat echoed in my ears.

What on earth should I do?

Fear enveloped my whole body. My hands and feet trembled and I broke out in a cold sweat.

Think about it. They have guns. This is stupid.

When I was about to give in, the image of Seoyeon came to mind.

As an Awakened person and a victim who lost her family in the dimensional portal invasion, she is a hero who willingly undertakes extremely dangerous sweeping missions to protect humanity on Earth.

I wanted to emulate that heroic side of Seoyeon. I knew it was impossible, but I still wanted to be like her.

My heart raced. Fear and courage clashed in my mind… … and soon, courage overtook fear.

I reached out to the robber who pointed the gun at the female employee.

… … … … …

“The anti-terrorist unit, including the Awakened ones, will be here soon. Run away quickly!”

Shouting loudly at the others, I grabbed the robber’s gun and tried to wrestle it away.

“This crazy kid!”

But just as I had simulated in my head, I couldn’t surprise the robber and snatch his gun away. The rice-sack’s arms were much stronger than mine, and he pulled the trigger right away.

bang-!

The moment the bullet pierced my shoulder, the world seemed to slow down. At first, I felt nothing, but then a hot, sharp pain swept through my entire body. It was literally like a lump of iron piercing my flesh.

But I didn’t fall. I gritted my teeth, grabbed the robber’s arm, and shouted.

“Everyone run away!”

Bang! Bang!

Eventually two more shots rang out. The second shot hit him in the ribs, the third pierced his stomach.

This time, instead of pain, I felt a strange numbness. It was like a strong shock, as if someone had hit me hard in the stomach, and hot liquid was spreading out inside my stomach.

My legs gave out. As I fell to the floor, my sister’s face flashed before my eyes.

“ is the awakened one! The anti-terrorist unit!”

“Aim for the eyes! Eyes! Aaaah!”

The surroundings became increasingly blurry. People’s screams, gunshots, and distant sirens could be heard mixed together.

I felt the cold floor against my cheek. As the world before my eyes grew darker, I saw the red liquid slowly spreading out onto the floor.

My chest felt heavy with every breath I took. There was a bitter taste of iron in my mouth, and I felt colder and colder.

Just before I completely lost consciousness, the thought that came to my mind was――

… … … I’m sorry, Sister.