episode_0142

142.

“Blood, blood.”

Blood is dripping down in droplets.

It touches Jin Soyeon’s fingers, tightly gripping the handle of the blood-stained blade as it descends from the sharp blade.

The sensation of piercing through warm blood and abdomen still lingering made Jin Soyeon’s heart race with confusion.

Oh.

What have I done?

“I, I, I….”

With a pale face, Jin Soyeon trembles sweetly as she looks at the hand holding the sword tightly. And then, she startles and drops the sword.

Is that man really Jinhyuk?

Did I just stab Jinhyuk?

I didn’t mean to actually do it, I was just trying to threaten him. Why. Why did it turn out like this….

“Wh-what, ah, uh.”

Confusion.

It’s confusing.

Thinking that the blood on her hands, the sensation of piercing the stomach, the warmth of being embraced, all belonged to Jinhyuk, Jin Soyeon’s mind was too confused to do anything.

It felt like her cognitive abilities were completely drained.

She was trembling as if struck by lightning.

“Ugh, I-it’s okay, calm down for now, Soyeon, calm down…. I’ll bring a lot of first aid supplies, this wound should be fine….”

“Jinhyuk, h-how….”

“Hah, hah, and why am I the one getting stabbed by the sword, shouldn’t you be more shoc…. flustered, right….?”

“Ah, ugh.”

Jinhyuk gently pats Jin Soyeon’s shoulder as she struggles to bear the pain, trying to smile.

But was it because of this action?

Seeing Jin Soyeon’s half-twisted expression and the blood dripping down, she recalled the time when Jinhyuk’s stomach was pierced in the past.

An old memory that was nothing short of Jin Soyeon’s trauma.

That memory was vividly replaying in her mind.

But this time, there was one very different thing from back then, and that was the target of Jinhyuk’s stabbing.

Back then, it was Yudahee who stabbed him, but not now.

It was Jin Soyeon who stabbed him.

With her own hand.

Directly.

“Uh, ugh, ugh….”

“Soyeon, hey?”

“Uh, ugh, ugh, ugh, eeeek!”

Jin Soyeon vomited bile for a moment.

She was so confused whether the sticky blood on her hands was Jinhyuk’s or someone else’s.

But thinking that Jinhyuk’s blood was mixed in this blood, she couldn’t bear it anymore.

She bent her waist halfway, as if trying to vomit out what was inside her, and sobbed for a while.

Tears and mucus flowed as she trembled all over with an unknown fear.

“W-what’s suddenly wrong, Soyeon, why are you….?”

“Hey, hey! Jinhyuk!”

Suddenly, Yuseolhyun and his group approached.

Yuseolhyun, Roksanu, Ishiwoon, Kangdaehan, all ran up together to check on Jinhyuk’s condition.

They examined him, but it didn’t seem like he was stabbed in the vital spot. Well, if he was stabbed in the vital spot, he would have gone to a place similar to the Heavenly Path long ago.

Of course, even if he avoided the vital spot, it would have been quite dangerous for an ordinary person.

But Jinhyuk was an aspiring hero.

A semi-superhuman who was different from an ordinary person.

“Jinhyuk, are you okay?! Your wound….”

“Ugh. Well, maybe because it’s the second time, I’m getting used to it…. or not, ah, ha, ugh!”

“Seems like it’s not life-threatening if you’re talking nonsense like that.”

“Ah, ugh.”

I tried to act tough for no reason.

Actually, it hurts like hell, really.

It didn’t feel that painful back then, but why does it hurt so much now? Is it because I’m trying to endure it in my own way?

“…Well, anyway.”

“Shinsia?”

Shinsia, who was carefully examining the wound, nodded alone, then shook her head and turned her gaze towards us, rubbing her dyed hair.

“Hurry up and treat it, there shouldn’t be any big issues. It seems like all the vital organs have been missed.”

Saying there won’t be any big issues when someone just got stabbed with a knife.

Aren’t you being too calm, that person?

Well, working in the hero industry, incidents like knife fights (?) seemed to happen quite frequently, so Cynthia was quite accustomed to such situations.

If it had been as serious as Yudahee’s intestines spilling out, it would have been a different story, but with this level of injury, it should be possible to recover with treatment.

“Hey, here, healing potion. The best healing potion. With this, surely…”

“Alright, then shall we first try to remove the knife?”

As Roxanne hesitantly took out the best healing potion and offered it, Cynthia placed her hands on the knife handle with both arms crossed.

Jinhyuk’s expression stiffened at the sight.

Oh, wait.

You’re going to pull out the knife?

Without anesthesia? In such a dirty place with dust flying around?

Well, I mean, treating it quickly is the top priority, and if using a healing potion, there shouldn’t be any major issues regarding hygiene, but still, a little…

“It’s going to hurt a bit.”

And then she pulled out the knife. Ouch?!

“Ah, ugh!”

It’s going to hurt a bit?!

Damn, it hurts like hell.

Tears might have welled up…

“It’s done.”

She immediately poured the healing potion.

As it touched the wound, bubbles began to form and the wound started to heal. Healing potions are always amazing, aren’t they?

“Since it didn’t damage the internal organs with magic, it should heal quickly.”

“Ugh, I see.”

“Anyway, it’s a top-quality healing potion. Looks like Roxanne really cares about you, huh?”

“Cynthia.”

“Oh, I’ve said too much, alright, I’ll stop, Roxanne.”

Perhaps trying to loosen the tense atmosphere a bit, Cynthia just chuckled and made some meaningless banter.

Jinhyuk, still enduring the remaining pain, bit his lip tightly and glanced over.

Then he could see Jinsuyeon and Yuseolhyun a little further away.

“Jinsuyeon.”

“…”

Jinsuyeon sat weakly, looking in this direction with a vacant gaze.

Yuseolhyun called her several times, but she remained silent.

She seemed half out of it.

“Jinsuyeon, snap out of it! Hey, Jinsuyeon!”

“I… I…”

“What?”

“I… I stabbed… uh. I stabbed him.”

“Hey? Hey!”

Jinsuyeon bit her lower lip tightly, muttered to herself, and shuddered, trembling her shoulders.

“I… I almost… uh, almost killed Jinhyuk… with these hands.”

Raising her trembling hand to her face, she continued.

“I almost tried to kill Jinhyuk again. Ugh, really, ugh, didn’t even recognize Jinhyuk, like a fool, ugh.”

A large tear fell down.

“A wretch like me… should die…”

Slap!

The sound of a strong slap echoed in the air.

Jinsuyeon’s head turned to the side between the slaps.

She gently touched her cheek and then shifted her gaze.

Yuseolhyun, holding her hand up, appeared in her sight.

“Yuseolhyun?”

“Huff. What are you saying, really.”

“…”

“Stop the useless self-blame, seriously.”

“…”

“Jinsuyeon, look over there. Jinhyuk is safe, so don’t do anything stupid, okay?”

“…”

Jinsuyeon slightly moved her head and this time looked at Jinhyuk.

Jinhyuk, who had recovered a lot from the wound thanks to the healing potion, was looking at her with a worried expression.

“Do you think he looks like he’s blaming you right now?”

“No…”

“Then stop talking nonsense and go apologize to him or do something. Just stop the nonsense.”

“However, I almost killed Jinhyuk…”

“Well, honestly, considering all the trouble you’ve been through because of me, I could at least take a stab or two.”

“What?”

Yuseolhyun could only let out a sigh and look at Jinhyuk in disbelief as he rambled on with nonsensical words.

Is Jinhyuk really the type to get stabbed and act like it’s nothing?

It’s truly unbelievable.

“By the way, it seems like the local police might be coming soon.”

Jinhyuk took a deep breath and slowly got up from his seat.

Although his wounds hadn’t completely healed yet, the treatment seemed to be very effective, allowing him to move around somewhat comfortably.

“So, Soyeon.”

Jinhyuk walked steadily towards Soyeon.

Soyeon looked up at him hesitantly.

She was smiling slightly as usual.

“Let’s go back home now.”

“Oh.”

He reached out his hand as if to help her up.

After hesitating for a moment, Soyeon cautiously reached out her hand.

But then, she suddenly stopped halfway.

She realized that her hand was covered in crimson blood.

Her hands, stained with the blood of so many people.

How many people had she hurt with these hands?

Her hands, which had been cut and cut again, seemed no different from those of a villain. A villain so repulsive.

What could Jinhyuk be thinking as he looked at her like this?

Would it be okay for him to hold her hand with these dirty hands?

Soyeon, who had already been tainted beyond repair?

“Why?”

“My hand… it’s covered in blood… Ah.”

“Why are you making a big deal out of this?”

As if it were nothing, Jinhyuk immediately grabbed Soyeon’s hand tightly and helped her up.

He wiped the blood-stained mess on Soyeon’s face with his hand and gave a bitter smile.

It was a horrifying sight that would make most people recoil, but Jinhyuk seemed unfazed.

He treated it as if she had mud on her face from playing in the playground.

“Ugh, look at your face. We need to go shower quickly, hey. You smell terrible right now.”

“Hyuk…”

Even though I’ve become like this, you’re still playing around and accepting me as usual.

I’m no different from a villain now.

I’ve hurt so many people in my anger.

Even if it was a mistake, I caused you significant harm.

And yet, you…

Always…

Always treat me like this…

‘Your actions always comfort me. Jinhyuk, I… I really… I can’t live without you. Really, truly.’

So, even though it’s a shameless request, please, I’ll ask you earnestly.

Please don’t leave me alone now.

Please.

“…Huk.”

“Hm?”

“…Hoo, huk, huk!”

“Hey, hey?! Why are you crying? So, Soyeon?”

“…Huk, huk! I, I really, really, wanted to see you… huk, see you so much… hoo.”

Suddenly, Soyeon burst into tears.

As if pouring out everything she had kept inside.

“I, I, huk! I was so, huk! lonely and, huk! tired, huk! all alone! Because of me, you died, hoo, and I want to, huk! I want to avenge you, hoo, avenge!”

“Okay, okay, I understand. Look, we’re all grown up now, but what are you doing in front of the kids?”

“Hoo, hoo!”

Jinhyuk, trying to comfort Soyeon, was sweating profusely.

Yuseolhyun and Isiwoon, who were watching them blankly, soon wore slightly embarrassed expressions.

And they thought to themselves.

Indeed, that relationship is unavoidable.

“It suits them well, huh…”

Ishiwoon looked up at the empty space with a slightly frustrated heart.

“As expected… Do I have to give up…?”

It seemed foolish to continue holding onto feelings of attachment after witnessing such a scene.

He didn’t dare to intervene between those two.

But unlike Ishiwoon, Yuseolhyun…

“…”

She quietly watched the backs of those two on the swing without saying a word.

Sigh.

***

“Wow, I’m surprised.”

In a private office of the Pungwol Clan in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do.

“Really surprised? Even though you’re old, sick, and weak.”

Yudahee, with her ashen hair scattered, grinned as she spoke in an office with a ceiling wide open to the sky.

She wasn’t alone.

Several members of the Rebellion were by her side.

“No matter how much you grovel, it’s still surprising that the man who was once called the legend of the previous generation can only do this.”

“Haa, haa, haa.”

A middle-aged man in front of the girl was gasping for breath, half-collapsed.

He was Gu Hwanhyung, the legendary hero of South Korea who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Peninsula’s Greatest Sword decades ago.