CH 193

“Kim, Woo-jin…”

I closed my eyes tightly in the terrible pain. In an unbearable situation, the energy moved instinctively and the wind began to gather at the fingertips.

‘I can’t, if I go on like this…’

It was getting harder and harder to control the gusts of wind that were sharp as if they were going to explode at any moment. The image of Kim Woo-jin, who was seriously injured and bleeding from my attack, flashed through my mind. No, I don’t like that…  

Piiik!

It was the moment I struggled to escape once again by shaking my head at a scene I didn’t want to see even in my dreams. Fox appeared with a familiar cry and flew his small body and crashed into Kim Woo-jin.

“Ugh…!”

Kim Woo-jin narrowed his eyes and stumbled because the headbutt was stronger than I expected. Noticing that the hand holding my ankle had lost some strength, I quickly pulled my leg out.

Piiik! Piiik!

Fox flew around like a bouncing rubber ball and cried sharply. In the midst of that, I hurriedly crawled away from Kim Woo-jin and touched my throbbing ankle.

“Huu, uh…”

Cold sweat ran down my cheek. The red, handprinted ankle was swelling rapidly.

“Ah…”

Kim Woo-jin, who had come to his senses due to Fox’s intrusion, also turned pale when he saw my swollen ankle. His reddish-brown eyes shook wildly, and soon his face was horribly distorted.

When I found it, I wanted to hide it, so I covered my ankle with my hand and said.

“Kim Woo-jin, no. Wait a minute…”

“Yi-gyeol-ssi!”

A familiar cry came from the open front door. The sound of running footsteps overlapped and got closer, and then Min Ah-rin appeared.

“Min Ah-rin-ssi.”

A breath of relief burst out on the familiar face with her concern. Thank, God. If it was Min Ah-rin, I could somehow manage this situation…

“Han Yi-gyeol!”

As I relaxed and smiled involuntarily, I found the people arriving behind Min Ah-rin, one after another, and became frozen.

“Team, Team Leader Park Geon-ho?”

“Yi-gyeol-hyung!”

“Han Yi-gyeol-ssi.”

“……”

Following Park Geon-ho, Kwon Jeong-han and Woo Seo-hyuk. The person I called was Min Ah-rin, but how the heck were those three…

Piiik! Pik!

As strangers appeared in a crowd, Fox blocked the front as if protecting me and let out a vigilant cry. The hairs protruded from the little back, and the tail stood stiffly.

“…what’s going on here?”

Park Geon-ho, who looked at Fox and where I and Kim Woo-jin sitting alternately, frowned. Min Ah-rin, who was blankly next to him, barely managed to spit out a single word.

“Really, are you really Yi-gyeol-ssi?”

“Um… yeah.”

How did it end in such a mess. I sighed and smiled awkwardly as I covered my ankle.

“Long time no see, everyone.”

“Ho…”

“Haa…”

When I awkwardly said hello, Park Geon-ho laughed as if it was ridiculous, and Woo Seo-hyuk covered his eyes with his hand as if in pain and lowered his head. The reactions were understandable rather than disappointing.

It was embarrassing as I felt the same. I never imagined that we would meet like this. No, I called Min Ah-rin in the first place, but what about those three people. Driving me crazy.

“Yi-gyeol-ssi…!”

Clicking my tongue in trouble, Min Ah-rin, who reddened her cheeks, came running and hugged me without even care that her shoes were taken off. I accidentally caught her so she didn’t fall, and I blinked my eyes at the sniffling sound.

“Hic, really… I missed you, uh, hic…”

“Min Ah-rin-ssi.”

“Ah, I’m afraid you are sick or injured, I… how worried, I am… uh, hiccup…”

“……”

There was no easy answer to Min Ah-rin, who was sobbing without being able to speak properly. As I looked up while holding Min Ah-rin, who was crying like a little child, I saw Kim Woo-jin, who was still sitting there and weeping.

‘Ah…’

Only then did I realize. It was none other than me who inflicted so much pain that it was incomparable to my red swollen ankle.

I didn’t meant to do it. The fact that their daily life would be shaken just by me leaving them alone, really… I didn’t expect it. Had I known this, I wouldn’t have left like that. I might have contacted them in the middle…

“You are responsible for what you have tamed. Even if it wasn’t intentional.”

Thoughts like excuses were cut off as soon as Elahah’s words came to mind. What would be different if I was back off gradually? In the end, it was my fault for being careless. (구구절절 늘여 봤자 뭐가 달라지겠는가)

“I’m sorry.”

I pat Min Ah-rin on the back and apologized cautiously. Next, I opened my mouth to Kim Woo-jin, Park Geon-ho, Woo Seo-hyuk, and Kwon Jeong-han, who were standing behind them with complicated expressions.

“I’m sorry. I disappeared without a word. And I suddenly appeared like this.”

Suddenly, I remembered the day I left the Requiem Guild. That night, even though I had organized all the things related to me neatly, somehow I couldn’t leave my footsteps. At the time, it felt really strange.

“I’ve missed you too.”

It wasn’t like useless regret. I just found out about that.

‘Even though I’ve already experienced that people’s emotions don’t go they want them to…’

It was bittersweet, but not so sad. When I returned to this place and smiled comfortably for the first time, Park Geon-ho, who was looking at me with his arms crossed, raised the corner of his mouth slightly and opened his mouth.

“Right. I see. So, shall we do some tidying up now?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m talking about that ankle, Han Yi-gyeol. It’s terribly swollen. I don’t think Kim Woo-jin should be left like this either.”

I realized later that the ankle that was hidden by holding Min Ah-rin was exposed. Feeling frustrated and not knowing what to do, only my lips licked up, but Park Geon-ho ordered with a firm voice.

“Healer Min Ah-rin. Please take a look at Han Yi-gyeol’s ankle. Kim Woo-jin, I think it would be better to cool off your head alone in the upstairs room. Let Kwon Jeong-han support you. Why don’t Secretary Woo Seo-hyuk go to the representative office and report this to the Master?”

“Yes? I beg your pardon?”

Surprised by the last words, before I could even stop him, Woo Seo-hyuk nodded his head, and Kwon Jeong-han raised Kim Woo-jin and left.

“Wa, wait. Woo Seo-hyuk-ssi!”

You were going to going to Cheon Sa-yeon in this situation? I really couldn’t handle it! Min Ah-rin, who grabbed me with strong force as I was about to stand up to catch Woo Seo-hyuk, glared at me with a terrifying look.

“Where are you going, Yi-gyeol-ssi! With this leg!”

“Ah, no… it’s not that but now…”

“Listen to Healer Min Ah-rin, Han Yi-gyeol.”

Piiik! Pik!

“But what is this?”

When Min Ah-rin approached, the still Fox started to run rampant again as Park Geon-ho approached him. He was so small that it didn’t pose much of a threat, after all, and he was grabbed by the nape of his neck.

“That guy is Fox…”

“Fox?”

“A fox?”

I was unable to move because of my ankle, and when I stretched out my arms, Park Geon-ho let Fox go. Piik, Fox that flew to me later came up on my shoulder and wept bitterly.

“Well, now.”

Bang, clack.

Park Geon-ho, who tightly shut the front door that had been open all the time, spoke in a hard and heavy voice, unlike his smiling face.

“Let’s wait while receiving treatment for the ankle until everyone returns. Take off your shoes now.”

“……”

Nothing really worked out.

* * *

Fortunately, the ankle was only swollen, and there was no problem with muscles or bones, so Min Ah-rin was able to return it to normal in no time.

As I checked my ankle, which had returned to normal, I heard a relaxed voice above my head.

“So, to sum it up.”

There was the sound of a luxurious suit cloth rubbing over the leather sofa. The opponent, who had crossed his long legs, tapped the armrest of the sofa with his finger.

“It wasn’t enough to sneak into the room on the 23rd floor, so while trying to run away with something, Kim Woo-jin just caught him, and he even crushed his ankle… is it?”

“…my ankle has just healed…”

“According to Healer Min Ah-rin, it would have been neatly broken if it was a little late.”

“……”

I glanced at Min Ah-rin, who was sitting next to me. Her cold eyes came to my eyes.

I was scared just to face her, so I moved my gaze to Park Geon-ho and Woo Seo-hyuk, who were standing next to him. Both turned away from me. Last but not least, the mouth was smiling, but the eyes were colder than anyone else’s.

“Why are you not answering?”

Cheon Sa-yeon, who was sitting cross-legged on the opposite sofa, asked again. Why was that annoying bastard in the guild at a time like this? Wasn’t he busy. Less than five minutes after I sat face to face with Cheon Sa-yeon, my shoulders drooped.

“…anyway, I’m fine, aren’t I? Please don’t say anything to Kim Woo-jin.”

It was a place where everyone was watching, so I couldn’t speak informally. As I lowered my pants, which I had raised slightly for treatment, answered, Cheon Sa-yeon slowly tilted his head.

“What excuse are you going to use to sneak into the guild? You wouldn’t have anything to say even if you got caught right now.”

“I’m sorry for the part that I came in without permission. But my cell phone and wallet are here, so I couldn’t help it.”

“Very proud.”

“That, if there is a new owner of the room, I apologize to him…”

When I spoke carefully while looking at him, Woo Seo-hyuk replied firmly.

“There is no such person. This room belongs to Han Yi-gyeol-ssi.”

“…belongs to?”

Bewildered by the unexpected word, Cheon Sa-yeon interrupted again with a harsh voice.

“Enough. What’s that little rat that’s been around since a while ago? It’s annoying.”

Little, little rat? Fox sitting on my shoulder and I were both shocked at Cheon Sa-yeon’s poignant words. Still, a little rat, wasn’t it a bit harsh? Where did he think he looked like a rat?

Piiik! Piik! Pik!

Fox got mad and started to cry. It was the first time I had seen such a sharp look. I pulled his fur up and hurriedly hugged the resentful Fox and cried out to comfort him.

“What a little rat I heard? And this child is a fox!”

“Whether it is a fox or a rat, animals aren’t allowed in our guild. Breeding is, of course, prohibited. Sent it back.”

“It’s not an animal. And I never said I would live here again.”

Min Ah-rin, who had been quietly listening to the answer I spat out with my molars biting hard, asked with her curious eyes.

“Then is he not a fox?”

“It’s a fox, but it’s not an animal.”

“…how can a fox not be an animal?”

Ah, how could I explain this? After thinking for a while, I opened my mouth.

“It looks like a fox, but strictly speaking, it’s closer to a monster. He has some abilities…”

“But Yi-gyeol-ssi called him Fox earlier.”

“That’s right. His name is Fox.”

“What?”

“Let’s talk about that separately later.”

Cheon Sa-yeon, who cut the conversation between me and Min Ah-rin coldly, tapped the watch he was wearing. Then, silver shackles with chains fell from the air.

“Let’s deal with the most important thing first.”

“Yes?”

“Team Leader Park Geon-ho. Secretary Woo Seo-hyuk.”

Park Geon-ho and Woo Seo-hyuk, who were standing behind Cheon Sa-yeon, approached me at his call. A thick shadow fell over me as I sat on the sofa whe the two of them came closer.

“……?”

An ominous sense of unknown identity passed through the nape of my neck. An emergency light went on in my head, and I got goosebumps on my arms.

Something dangerous. The moment I had a strong thought that I couldn’t stay like this, I met Cheon Sa-yeon’s black eyes that were shining black. He commanded, pointing his hand at me with a cold smile.

“Get him.”