‘Is this bastard crazy?’
“...”
“...”
“Did you drink?” I asked.
“I-I didn’t,” Kim Hyun-Sung answered.
‘Damn, I can’t believe this... and why is he more flustered than me? This bastard...’
“...”
“It was a misunderstanding...” Kim Hyun-Sung muttered.
“...”
“A misunderstanding? What do you mean?” I asked.
“It’s nothing. I’m sorry,” he said.
Of course, I could understand why he made such a sudden mistake. He had been cooped up here the whole time, and the only person he had to talk to was that quack doctor, so it made sense that the word “Doctor” came out of his mouth naturally.
It had to have been something that slipped out unconsciously, like calling a teacher “Mom” at school or accidentally calling a boss “Hyung” at work. However, the situation made it impossible for me to just ignore what he said.
We had just reunited after a long separation. We were sitting before a bonfire, reminiscing about the good old days and reaffirming our bond as well as our friendship, so the fact that he made such a mistake was extremely shocking.
In a lively market-like atmosphere, it would be easy for me to laugh it off, but the mood was turning serious, so it was a serious and embarrassing mistake. To mistake someone whose soul was connected to him for some random bastard who wandered in from only god knew where was absolutely unacceptable.
On top of that, there was also the issue of my eye color becoming dull.
“...”
It wasn't strange for me to become a bit sensitive when it came to that mistake. Even if it was just a minor mistake, several negative factors had been piling up behind the scenes.
In an instant, a flood of thoughts inundated my mind, and the first one that popped up was...
‘Has he been relying on him more than I thought?’
Of course, I knew Kim Hyun-Sung would rely on the quack doctor. Given the nature of this treatment program, it was inevitable. Since Kim Hyun-Sung was showing a positive attitude, some level of trust had to have been established between them, but...
‘This bastard... The campfire memory you had was with me, right? He’s not mistaken about that, too, is he?’
The doctor conspiracy theory was slowly filling up my head, and it wasn't really a surprising turn of events. Could it be that the doctor was unconsciously taking my place? This bastard... was he being gaslighted by some villain without even realizing it?
Could that be affecting our bond?
Of course, I knew better than anyone that the possibility was low, and I was probably overanalyzing things. The most likely explanation was that this stupid bastard had simply made an unconscious mistake, but what seemed trivial until now had become a spark, so it wasn’t something that I could ignore completely.
Even the smallest variable had to be dealt with...
Whether it was a villain or whatever, the right decision was to send him back to Benigoa’s arms.
‘Goddess Benigoa. A follower is on his way.’
A sudden silence fell over the place.
I heard Kim Hyun-Sung’s voice again.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“For what?” I asked.
“I-I’ve been talking with the doctor so much lately that I just... ha... haha...” Kim Hyun-Sung laughed awkwardly.
‘He’s laughing. This bastard.’
It looked like he was trying to cover up an absurd mistake by laughing and moving on from it.
“Seems like you two have become quite close, huh?” I asked.
“W-Well, not that close,” Kim Hyun-Sung stuttered.
“...”
“...”
“I’m sorry,” Kim Hyun-Sung repeated.
“No need to apologize. People make mistakes... It’s not a big deal...” I told him.
“I’m glad you think so,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.
‘Does he really think that?’
“A-anyway, I’m sorry,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.
‘He just keeps saying sorry anyway.’
“I said there’s no need to be sorry. I don’t understand why you keep apologizing for something you can just laugh off... Really, it’s fine, so you don’t need to apologize. In fact, I’d say it’s a good thing. It shows that you’re getting along well with the doctor,” I said.
“Yes... I am... getting along well. They really are kind people...” Kim Hyun-Sung muttered.
“...”
“They’ve helped me in many ways besides counseling, too,” Kim Hyun-Sung added.
“Oh, really?” I asked.
“Lately, I can actually feel that my condition is improving,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.
‘Really?’
“Of course, the doctor said it would be difficult to completely resolve my problem... but he gave me hope that I can overcome it. He emphasized that it’s not about getting rid of my problem, but about learning to carry it with me,” Kim Hyun-Sung explained.
‘Seems like that line really stuck deep in his heart.’
“...”
“...”
“By the way... was there a reason you wanted to move to a different spot? I’m curious about what you wanted to say...” I asked.
“Ah...”
“Yes?”
“I don't have anything in particular to say. I just... wanted to talk for a while...” Kim Hyun-Sung answered.
“Talk?” I asked.
“Spending time with the other guild members is nice, but it has really been a long time since we talked, Mr. Ki-Young. It’s not that I had anything specific to say. I just wanted to reminisce about the old times and hear how you’ve been. I just want to have the kind of conversation we used to have. I missed that,” Kim Hyun-Sung explained.
‘But damn, did the word "Doctor" really just slip out?’
“No, even if it’s not really a conversation... I've just been missing moments like these,” he added, shyly scratching his cheek.
While flipping the campfire embers, the distant chatter of the guild members reached us.
He seemed to be genuinely enjoying this moment.
“Of course, we’ve kept in touch through letters and the hand mirror, but seeing each other face to face is different,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.
“That’s true,” I said.
“So... how have you been all this time?” Kim Hyun-Sung cautiously asked.
I could only nod in response. The conversation that followed was fairly predictable. In truth, it wasn’t much different from the stories shared with the other guild members. We just asked about each other’s well-being and talked about many different topics.
From Kim Hyun-Sung recently picking up fishing as a hobby to comments about how much I seemed to have grown.
Thanks to the information Park Deok-Gu had let slip, the topic of Stragglers’ Lane came up as well, and he asked detailed questions as if he were obsessed. It looked like he wanted to know whether I really wanted to try hambier meat.
“So, Stragglers’ Lane...” Kim Hyun-Sung said.
“It looks like it will go into the expansion project. Actually, I should say it already is going through one,” I told him.
“The adventurers have been struggling, huh? The atmosphere in Lindel... is like that... Ah, Mr. Ki-Young...” Kim Hyun-Sung trailed off.
“Yes, that’s true,” I said.
I also enjoyed talking with him; after all, it had been a while since we last met, so there was plenty to catch up on. Of course, I had to make sure to subtly appeal here and there, like coughing slightly or showing a hint of fatigue.
“Actually, I’ve been busy lately...” I told him.
“Really? Is that true? Maybe I shouldn’t have asked you to come here...” Kim Hyun-Sung muttered.
“No, it’s fine. It’s not like I couldn’t spare some time. It’s just that I’ve been really feeling the absence of your presence... The guild work is mostly handled by Miss Kim Mi-Young and Miss Hye-Jin, but there are so many tasks that overlap,” I said.
“I... see,” Kim Hyun-Sung mumbled.
Of course, system-wise, the Blue Guild functioned better without Kim Hyun-Sung. Still, I had to let him know that I had been struggling a bit.
“And since my body has gotten younger, I’ve been experiencing some stamina issues as well,” I told him.
“Please don’t overdo it. How many times have I told you to prioritize your health? Mr. Ki-Young... Whoo... Even if I try not to worry, I just can’t help it...” Kim Hyun-Sung said.
‘Yeah, damn it. I like this feeling of him worrying about me.’
“This won’t do. I've got to talk about that with Miss Hye-Jin,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.
“It’s fine. I’ve been getting a lot of help from Miss Hye-Jin... and besides, this isn’t something she can fix anyway,” I told him.
After that, it was necessary to build things up brick by brick.
It wasn’t part of the original plan, but I felt concerned.
‘This bastard... his eyes look a little off... Has he not noticed?’
Whether it was the quack doctor’s fault or the first life, I couldn’t just leave him here any longer. Of course, things would become troublesome. After all, there was the issue with the hexagrams, the terrorist incident at the youth center, and everything else.
However, I believed it would be better to bring him back, anyway? Preferably somewhere where I could see him. It was about time to draw a conclusion, so I glanced at him and said, “So, what I’m trying to say is...”
“Yes?”
“How about you come back?” I suggested.
“Huh... what?” Kim Hyun-Sung asked.
“Honestly, I’ve been feeling uneasy since you said you were coming here...” I confessed.
“...”
“Of course, I know you take what happened there seriously, Mr. Hyun-Sung... but I don’t think it’s necessary to live so far away on your own. At the time, the guild members’ atmosphere may have gone a bit too far. There was really no need to come this far.
"And if you think you need treatment, that can be handled in Lindel too... If you want treatment somewhere else, you could use the warp gate or ask Ha-Yan, and just two or three counseling sessions a week should be enough,” I suggested.
“Ah.”
“If you’re worried about the guild members, you really don’t need to be worried about them. I’ll talk to them, but it seems everyone is missing you, so that may not even be necessary...” I continued.
‘But what’s with this bastard... Why does he look like that?’
“...”
From his expression alone, I could tell what he was trying to say. His flustered face stood out, and it was an absurd sight. That was the look of someone trying to figure out how to refuse. Thinking about the Rohen incident, I could understand why he was hesitating, but it was hard not to feel a ridiculous surge of emotion within me.
Suddenly, I was in the position of the housewife telling her husband to come back home.
‘Now that you’re outside, you think being outside is better, huh?’
'Fishing, relaxing, and camping... Does he not want to go back home now?'
Had he finally lost his mind?
However, I had already drawn the conclusion, so I looked him straight in the eye and said, “Please come back home now.”
“That’s...” Kim Hyun-Sung trailed off before saying, “I’m sorry."
“...”
“Of course, I want to go back. If it were up to me, I’d return to the Blue Guild right now and enjoy the good old days, but...” Kim Hyun-Sung continued, “...I don’t think I’m ready yet."
“...”
“T-there are still things I need to finish here. I understand what you’re saying, Mr. Ki-Young, and I’m really grateful for your offer, but please understand my position. I really want to go back, too...” Kim Hyun-Sung said.
“...”
“...”
“...”
“Um... Mr. Ki-Young?” Kim Hyun-Sung called out.
“I have to meet that bastard, whether he’s a doctor or whatever,” I told him.
“Huh? Pardon?”
“...”
“Take me to him,” I ordered.
“...”
“Let me see his face,” I added.