episode_0284

A hospital room bathed in afternoon sunlight.

A man with a grumpy appearance was lying in bed, staring blankly down at his left shoulder.

“… ”

The empty space without arms was still awkward. Sa Jae-hyuk concentrated for a moment to examine his body, and then stood there blankly for a moment.

Then, soon, he burst into a hollow laugh.

“It’s over, this.”

There wasn’t a single particle left in his fountain, because his arm had been cut off in the midst of a fierce fight and his fountain had gone berserk.

He was not much different from an insensitive person now. Even if he were to regain his magic later, it was clear that he would not be able to avoid being a low-level magician.

The first male wizard to be listed in Category 1 was no longer to be found anywhere.

“Hoo… ”

Sa Jae-hyeok let out a sigh filled with complicated feelings and stared out the window.

It’s already been a few days since I opened my eyes in the hospital room in the capital.

But the peaceful scenery beyond the window still felt like a dream, unrealistic.

His last memory was of fighting the newly appeared witches.

It was the moment when he finally confirmed the identity of the witches he had been chasing for 15 years, but at the same time, he realized that he had fallen into the trap set by the witches.

He lost more than half of his original abilities after being stabbed by a witch who took over his lover’s body during a witch hunt operation. On the other hand, his arch-enemies returned more powerful.

Because the communication network was cut off, I couldn’t get through even when I called for help. I tried to get the members to retreat, but the retreat route was already blocked. Well, they didn’t even listen to the order to abandon themselves in the first place.

So he went into battle and lost.

With his arm tragically cut off.

Because I was missing just one end. Because I saw a witch imitating my lover’s face and got foolishly shaken again.

I thought it was all over like that…

“… ”

He turned his head and fixed his gaze on the newspaper spread out carelessly next to the bed.

Soon, it was easy to confirm the text of a special article written in large letters.

-Heroes who saved the Republic.

-Courage and spirit worthy of eternal praise.

-He went into battle without fearing death…

Beneath the embarrassing propaganda slogans, the profiles of those who volunteered for this operation were lined up like grains of rice.

Half of them are wearing the cradle uniform. Half of them are the new students of this year’s class who were praised as the golden generation.

And Sa Jae-hyeok, who discovered the profile of a male student wearing a mask inside, let out another empty laugh.

“Oh, right.”

The first thing he did when he opened his eyes was to grab the ward staff and ask them every single thing that had happened.

No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t make sense that I was alive and here.

It felt so unrealistic that I even began to suspect that it might be an illusion created by witches.

He could barely understand it after reading the pile of newspaper articles and hearing the explanation from the person in charge.

-Drunk!

While he was lost in thought for a moment, the loud sound of a wooden door opening woke up the quiet hospital room. Sa Jae-hyeok turned around and saw a male student who had just entered the hospital room.

A long scar under his left eye stands out, which doesn’t match his handsome appearance.

“You’re still in the recovery period… You have to come out in exactly 10 minutes? Normally, that wouldn’t be possible, but since you asked so earnestly… Really… ”

“Don’t worry. I will definitely follow the precautions.”

A boy wearing a cradle school uniform greeted the grumbling nurse with a bright smile.

“Thank you for your help.”

“Oh my… ”

And then the nurse ran out of the room with a blush on her face as if nothing had happened.

The male student tilted his head with a puzzled expression. Sa Jae-hyeok, who saw the sight, clicked his tongue in disbelief.

“Hey, you’re here.”

“Uh.”

The male student who had turned around and approached me sat down next to Sa Jae-hyeok’s hospital bed. Although it had been a few months since they had met, I didn’t feel any particular emotion.

The two were just interacting with each other as usual. Sa Jae-hyeok, who was quietly watching him, hid his feelings and asked indifferently.

“Why is that woman acting like that all of a sudden?”

“I don’t know. Maybe something urgent came to mind.”

“Hmm, really?”

“Why all of a sudden?”

“… Nothing.”

Sa Jae-hyeok, who denied it right away, thought to himself.

‘They say that being unaware is scarier.’

Then, she opened her mouth, looking at his expression quietly.

“But now you’ve decided to take off your mask completely?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh my, I told you to do that a long time ago. How good is that? Huh? Every time I saw it, I thought I was going to explode, you idiot.”

Although Sa Jae-hyeok snapped at him bluntly, he couldn’t hide the delight in his eyes.

If the boy’s determination was true, it meant that his decision to send him to the academy had borne some fruit.

“… Be quiet. It’s a mask that the captain made in the first place.”

“That’s because you’re making such a fuss. Anyway, it’s good. Now just throw it away. Don’t even think about putting it on your face again. Got it?”

The boy looked displeased at Sa Jae-hyeok’s words. It was obvious that he was offended by the words telling him to throw away his mask.

He must have thought the mask he gave me was some kind of gift. Sa Jae-hyeok snickered and continued talking as if teasing the male student.

“Hey, Emma. And what the hell have you been doing at the Academy? The rumors are really spreading. Huh? ”

As soon as he finished speaking, the boy flinched and shook his head.

“… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“‘Cradle Scandal, Paecheon and Heukryeon, and the strange love triangle of Jeokhwa’, ‘A reliable source, a solid testimony from a second-year student, Kwon Mo-yang’, ‘Baek-gwang intervenes in a love fight, aiming for a forbidden love…’ ”

Sa Jae-hyeok, barely able to hold back his laughter, deliberately read aloud the paragraph from the gossip magazine next to him. The male student averted his gaze at the embarrassing content that was continuously being heard.

“This kid, I knew it when he said he wasn’t interested in women. I told you guys who say that are more sinister. And the girls they’re talking to are Paechun, Jeokhwa, and Baekgwang? Not two, but three? Man… He really has a lot of guts. ”

Sa Jae-hyeok, who had put down the gossip paper with a loud thud, opened his mouth as if to make fun of it with a smirk.

“What are you going to do if your sisters find out? They won’t just let it go like me? You’ll have to listen to them for five hours?”

“Poem, be quiet.”

A male student who was listening to him shouted in frustration.

“You don’t want to hear that from the captain? What are you in a position to say to me?”

“What? Where did this guy get the sass to talk back without any sense of humor… ”

“It’s no use trying to avoid it. I’ve already looked everywhere. Captain, isn’t he quite notorious?”

“Huh?”

“The black lotus’s hope, lecherous… ”

“Cluck, cluck…! How can I… ”

Sa Jae-hyeok coughed repeatedly as he saw the male student reciting his dark past. With an embarrassed look clearly on his face, he suddenly shouted and changed the subject.

“Hey, you idiot! Where on earth do you think that is! Do you know how surprised I was when I heard that? Huh?”

Although he was only introduced in the article as one of those deployed for the operation, Sa Jae-hyeok could tell right away who he was.

The key figure in the last operation was none other than the male student in front of you.

It was an operation that could not have been established without his authority in the first place. He must have been in chaos after hearing the news of his and his members’ disappearances.

It was definitely a male student who saved Sa Jae-hyeok’s life. It’s obvious even without having to reveal the details.

Of course, he didn’t want the boy to risk his life for him. Wasn’t he that vicious of an opponent?

His salvation was only possible because miracle after miracle.

“What? So you’re saying I should just leave you to die?”

The boy frowned at his words as if he didn’t like them. Sa Jae-hyuk snorted and nodded as if it was obvious.

“You call that a thing? Of course it is.”

“How can someone be so irresponsible? It’s not just his life, but also his sisters’ lives that are at stake.”

“Hey. They probably said the same thing to me. You haven’t been to their hospital room yet, right? Ask them later. What do you think? ”

“Ugh… ”

The male student who was caught off guard swallowed a groan. Sa Jae-hyeok saw him and sighed.

“As expected, you must have come running with your eyes rolled back. What on earth are you trying to do? I told you to stay calm in all situations. But where did you sell those words… ”

“Shit, be quiet! Is that what you say to the person who saved you? At least say thank you!”

“Huh? Where the hell is this guy yelling at his superiors? Do you really need to get beaten up to come to your senses? Huh?”

“What do you care if you don’t have any skills? I fought the witch and won, right? Unlike the captain.”

“What? Hey, honey! If only I hadn’t let my guard down, those worm bitches… !”

And a long argument ensued. Both of them were in bad shape to resolve it through sparring.

The voices gradually died down. After catching his breath for a moment, the male student glanced at Sa Jae-hyeok and asked bluntly.

“… So what do we do now?”

His gaze was focused on Sa Jae-hyeok’s empty arm the whole time.

“What should I do? Now I should submit my military service and live quietly.”

Sa Jae-hyeok tried to ignore the sadness in his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, pretending to be calm.

“With this kind of appearance, I can’t even be a mercenary. Seriously, I should go down to the border and do some farming… ”

“Then what about the older sisters?”

“… I have to tell them to go their own way now.”

Sa Jae-hyeok muttered in a slightly subdued voice after hearing the question.

“It’s better. I should’ve kicked them out a long time ago. If you look at them, they’re all just doing their own thing. You should tell them to find a wife before they get too old. Right now, it’s a good place to be… ”

“What? Is that what you’re going to say to your sisters now?”

The boy who heard him shouted. His face clearly showed his displeasure.

“How can you say something like that when you know exactly what your sisters are thinking?”

“Hey, you punk. Are you saying that after seeing this? Huh?”

He said, pointing to his empty shoulder with his other hand.

“What are you going to do with a cripple who has no arms and can’t use magic? If you live with someone like that, they’ll only suffer. Let’s just cut them off completely… ”

“I met him.”

The boy interrupted him and said. Sa Jae-hyuk furrowed his eyebrows slightly as if he didn’t understand.

“… Him? Who all of a sudden?”

“Sister Yoojung.”

“What…?”

And Sa Jae-hyuk’s eyes widened at the name he heard. He unconsciously grabbed the necklace around his neck with his good hand.

The male student who observed the reaction continued to explain quietly. The situation at the time, the miracle that occurred, his death, and his resurrection.

In the meantime, the person I met in my dreams, all the conversations I had with her.

And even the words that I asked you to tell someone.

“He… ”

Sa Jae-hyeok muttered with blank eyes. After he finished explaining, the male student who was looking at him with a complicated gaze quietly added.

“… I couldn’t accept your feelings because I felt sorry for that person. Stop it now. Forget about it. It’s disgusting.”

“But… ”

“Oh, and actually, I’m going to meet my sisters first.”

“What?”

Sa Jae-hyuk returned his blank gaze to the naturally witty male student’s words.

“This kid. I thought he was coming to visit me late… ”

“By the way, I already heard the answer. I also talked about the captain’s arm. I heard the older sisters liked it?”

“Huh?”

“They say you can hold on tight to a man who is incompetent and live like that… Anyway, that’s what they say. So now all they have to do is decide on the captain?”

“… ”

The male student shrugged his shoulders and stared at Sa Jae-hyeok as if waiting for an answer. Sa Jae-hyeok looked at him and hesitated before opening his mouth.

“That’s true, but… ”

“Oh, really!”

And then the boy finally got annoyed.

“Do it in moderation! If you keep doing that, I’ll take my sisters and live with you?”

“What?”

“Are you sure you won’t regret it? Then do whatever you want.”

“… ”

Sa Jae-hyeok blankly stared at the male student who had spoken with determination.

And after a moment of silence.

Eventually, he burst out laughing.

“Hey, Emma. No matter what, that’s not right.”

The hospital room was filled with giggling laughter. The real him opened his mouth with a relieved expression as he looked at the male student.

“I can give you everything else… but not them.”

“… You should have answered like that a long time ago.”

Although the male student answered with a grumbling voice, he couldn’t hide his inner satisfaction.

And then the bell sounded, signaling the hour.

Before we knew it, the 10-minute interview period was coming to an end.

“I’ll go. I’ll come back tomorrow… ”

“What are you talking about? Come on. Don’t worry. I don’t need it.”

Sa Jae-hyeok waved his hand at the boy who was getting up as if he was shooing away a fly.

“I should get a visit from a dark-skinned man… ”

“… ”

The boy who had been glaring at him eventually sighed and turned around.

“Okay. Get some rest.”

“Okay.”

“Are you going? See you later… Hyung.”

“Oh my, stop it and go away… What?”

And at a certain word that was heard hesitantly, Sa Jae-hyeok, who had been waving his hand absentmindedly, stopped dead in his tracks.

There was a moment of silence in the hospital room. Sa Jae-hyuk stared at the door with his eyes wide open as if he had heard an unbelievable joke.

“What, what… what did you just say?”

“… ”

After a moment of silence, Sa Jae-hyeok asked the male student, his voice clearly filled with inner joy.

“You clearly said hyung, right?”

“… I did it, but why.”

Sa Jae-hyeok asked again in a voice full of joy. The male student, who was scratching his head with an awkward face, snapped back.

“You asked me to call you hyung. So… I did.”

And finally, the grumpy looking man burst into loud laughter.

“Phuh, puhaha… !”

“… ”

“Ah, this guy was going to do that a long time ago. Huh? Hey. Just one more time… ”

“Shut up. I’m really going to go now. I’m busy.”

“Ehhhh, hahaha… !”

The male student who had responded bluntly walked out into the hallway, looking embarrassed. However, the sound of joyful laughter was still echoing inside the hospital room.

The sound was so loud that the boy could hear the laughter even as he was leaving the hallway.

And before he knew it, a small, satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

***

The cradle of early summer. Under the century-old tree that stands tall in the middle of the garden.

Two girls in school uniforms were waiting for someone.

Black and white. They had hair that seemed as if it would never mix, but their hopes were the same.

The tragedy was over and peace had returned to the world, but the girls still had a moment to choose.

“… ”

Anxiety was evident on both of their faces. Baek Seo-yeon bit her pitying lips and couldn’t hide her shaking eyes.

The joy of the boy’s survival was short-lived. Although he had sworn to unconditionally respect his choice, he was not confident that he could handle what would happen if he were not chosen.

-Thump, thump…

And finally, they heard familiar footsteps approaching them. The two girls shivered without realizing it.

Finally, his figure began to appear beyond the garden. The mask that had always hidden the boy’s face was gone. The scars that had always been hidden were now naturally woven into his body, like a part of it.

The boy stopped a few steps away from them. He looked at them both in turn with a calm expression that made it impossible to read their thoughts.

“… I thought about it for a long time.”

And then, after the early summer breeze had passed them by once.

Finally the boy opened his mouth and told the fateful moment.

” My choice is… ”