CH 270

“I compiled and filled in only the necessary information as much as possible, but it will take at least four days to see it all.”

Elohim handed me the book. The book in my arms was much bigger and heavier than it looked.

When I thought that Cheon Sa-yeon’s past was contained in this, my mouth was completely dry.

“Se-hyun-ah. As you know because you have already done it, it’s very difficult to read a book. So it would be better to take a little break and then start.”

“I understand.”

“Don’t leave my side while you see all of this. So tell me when you’re ready. Until then, the book must never be opened.”

Elohim, who had left me a warning, smiled bitterly as if he had read my complicated thoughts and pressed his hand on the strained brows.

“Then I’ll take a look around the house in the meantime. Is that okay, kid?”

“…do whatever you want.”

Cheon Sa-yeon, who answered one beat slower, said while looking at the others.

“Take a rest until morning. I’ll guide you to the guest room if you’re tired.”

Because of the time difference, it was early in the morning in Korea, so it would take five or six hours before dawn would come.

“Then, Master, can I take a look at the kitchen?”

“I looked at it earlier and it was empty. There’s only water in the refrigerator.”

“Gasp, I’m glad that we got a snack box from Deputy Master Chloe.”

“Then let’s order food.”

“Are you here to play, Team Leader Park Geon-ho?”

Hearing the chatter, I lowered my gaze and looked at the book. I carefully touched the cover and the rough leather touched my fingertips.

Seeing me like that, Elohim lowered his voice and whispered.

“You’re just thinking about pushing yourself again.”

“Is that so?”

I had already heard and knew that Cheon Sa-yeon had handed over his past in return. Even so, a corner of my heart was still uncomfortable.

“There’s no need to think about Cheon Sa-yeon and force yourself to watch it. Nothing in this world goes unpaid.”

“What does it mean?”

“It means you’ll pay the price for seeing this one way or another. The price the world sets is always equal. So, first of all, you have to walk from the road in front of you.”

Elohim’s white finger pointed to the book.

Was it that meant that the way I should go from now on was to see Cheon Sa-yeon’s past? As I stood there, unable to answer the incomprehensible words, Elohim handed Fox on his shoulder to me.

Piik, pik!

I felt a little relieved at the sight of Fox, who cried brightly and rubbed his bountiful tail on my cheek.

“Everything I say is difficult right now. But you’ll find out soon. What the future coming to you means to that child, Cheon Sa-yeon.”

“I’m…”

Even with my mouth open, it was difficult to finish my words. Elohim smiled as if it was okay when I hesitated.

“I think it would be better to talk separately before you read the book later. I have something left to tell him.”

“Yes.”

The book in both hands was still heavy. Feeling the weight, I lowered my head.

* * *

After taking a shower in the private bathroom attached to the room that Cheon Sa-yeon showed me, I changed into comfortable clothes and drank the water I had prepared beforehand.

“Crazy, the house is really big…”

Thanks to it, I could wash comfortably. Drying my still wet hair with a towel, I looked up at the night sky outside the window.

Cheon Sa-yeon said that he and Elohim had something to talk about, so the two of them must be very busy. Were other people gathering in the living room? It seemed that Fox also went to Min Ah-rin. It was on the second floor, so I couldn’t hear the noise from downstairs.

I was curious about what they were doing, so I was thinking about going down and I saw Cheon Sa-yeon’s book on the table.

“What does the future coming to you means to that child, Cheon Sa-yeon.”

‘My future is meaningful to Cheon Sa-yeon?’

As I pondered what Elohim said, which I still didn’t understand, I heard a knock on the door.

“Yes.”

The person who heard the answer opened the door and entered the room. Contrary to my expectations that it would be Min Ah-rin or Kim Woo-jin, the visitor was Ha Tae-heon.

“Are you tired?”

“No. I just washed up. What about Ha Tae-heon-ssi?”

“I washed up, too.”

I looked closely at Ha Tae-heon’s condition as he walked toward me.

Ha Tae-heon, who suddenly met Elohim, who he had no good memories with, even went to Cheon Sa-yeon’s house, which he didn’t want, looked unhappy the whole time. It looked a little better now.

“Are you going to go to the guild right away when the sun comes up?”

“Yeah. I’ve already contacted Master. I don’t want to leave you here, but…”

Ha Tae-heon, who looked at me with complicated eyes, took a deep breath and continued.

“There must be a lot of work behind it, so there’s nothing I can do. Cheon Sa-yeon will have to go back to the guild.”

“Everyone will probably go out to sort things out. There is El, so don’t worry too much here.”

“That’s why I care.”

…why? Elohim was the strongest among us, so shouldn’t he believe him that much?

“I’ll be back as soon as things are done, so don’t make any trouble in the meantime and stay calm.”

That’s what Ha Tae-heon always said when he left me and went somewhere.

‘Now you know that I’m Kwon Se-hyun, not Han Yi-gyeol…’

Ha Tae-heon’s appearance without much change in his attitude was both strange and awkward.

“Um, I have work to do, so I can’t be sure. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Is that what you’re supposed to work on?”

Ha Tae-heon pointed to the book on the table with his chin.

He must have guessed because he heard the conversation I had with Elohim.

“You’re right. That book…”

Could I say this?

After all, it was something I was going to explain to everyone after reading the book, but it wasn’t easy to get the word out.

After hesitating for a while, I answered honestly.

“This is a book about Cheon Sa-yeon’s past. I’m trying to watch it, but it’s a bit long, so it’s going to take a few days.” (보다, watch, see, read)

“Cheon Sa-yeon’s past?”

“Yes. This is the most important thing in the current situation. Ha Tae-heon-ssi must have noticed it to some extent, Praus and Cheon Sa-yeon are intertwined in many ways.”

I thought the story would be long, so I carefully pulled Ha Tae-heon’s shirt sleeve and dragged him to sit on the bed. I sat down next to him and continued explaining.

“From the moment I open this book, created with Elohim’s ability, I can see Cheon Sa-yeon with my own eyes.”

“Is it played like a video?”

“It’s similar.”

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Of course. I’ve already done it once. Han Yi-gyeol’s past… I saw the owner of this body’s past through the book.”

While we were talking, I was worried that Ha Tae-heon would ask about Han Yi-gyeol, but fortunately, he asked another question as if he wasn’t particularly interested about it.

“You don’t know exactly how long it will take?”

“El said it would take at least four days, so it will most likely take longer than that.”

“Tsk…”

Hearing my answer, Ha Tae-heon frowned in dissatisfaction.

“It means you have to spend more than four days to see Cheon Sa-yeon’s past. That’s also at Cheon Sa-yeon’s house.”

“Tha, that’s right…”

Ha Tae-heon’s mood was lowered in an instant and I immediately noticed.

What’s the problem? Was it because he thought the book was dangerous?

To be honest, seeing other people’s past through books didn’t feel right unless you’d experienced it yourself.

Seeing me contemplating whether I should explain more so that Ha Tae-heon wouldn’t worry, Ha Tae-heon sighed once more and opened his mouth first.

“Han Yi-gyeol, I’m jealous right now.”

“Pardon? Oh… what?”

When I asked a stupid question, wondering if I had heard it wrong, Ha Tae-heon answered again with clear pronunciation.

“I. am. jealous.”

“Why are you suddenly jealous…”

“If the person you love spends a few days with another man, aren’t you, of course, jealous?”

“N, no, wait a minute. Ha Tae-heon-ssi, that…”

Jealous, bewildered by an unimaginable reason, I pointed out the most important part first.

“What I said earlier in America… did you hear that?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m not Han Yi-gyeol, but Kwon Se-hyun. The man we met in space is the real me. Yet, you still…”

Ha Tae-heon, who had been quietly listening to my stuttering words without haste, tilted his head.

“Is it that important?”

“Isn’t it important?”

“No matter what you look like, I will eventually fall in love with you.”

“……”

“So I’m still jealous.”

At the confession that was spat out in a calm and without pitched manner, heat rushed up from my neck to my face.

In this situation, I had no idea what to say or what to do.

“So, sorry…”

In the end, the only thing I could do was make such a lame apology.

What if Ha Tae-heon asked, ‘What are you sorry for?’, no matter how hard I thought, I could only think to answer like, ‘It’s just…’, so I broke out in a cold sweat.

Ha Tae-heon, who was staring at me with a strange expression as I was lost because I didn’t know what to do, came closer quietly.

“Instead of saying you’re sorry, I wish you could make my feelings better a little bit.”

“I understand. How do I get rid of it?”

Right. I’d rather do something like this. I would try my best.

Ha Tae-heon, who raised the corner of his mouth at my ambitious attitude, lowered his gaze and said.

“Kiss.”

What?

“I think it will go away if you kiss me.”

“Ki…”

Unable to spit out the word ‘kiss’, I hesitated, then realized that I was too close to Ha Tae-heon. I hurriedly moved my upper body back and smiled awkwardly.

“It’s a little…”

“You don’t like it?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it, but we’re not in that relationship, so it’s hard to do something like that…”

“We’ve already done it over and over again, what’s the difference now?”

That’s true, but…

“Even children do kisses.”

…is that so?

“Do I have to do it?”

“No. Just stay still. I will take care of it.”

Umm, if it wasn’t something I would do, maybe one time would be fine. Anyway… I had owed Ha Tae-heon a lot of things, from drug cases to work in America.

‘I think it will be over in less than a second.’

It wasn’t anyone else and Ha Tae-heon wanted it, so I had to listen. In this situation right now, it was hard to say no.

“All right. Then I… I will be quiet.”

“Yeah. It doesn’t matter if you close your eyes.”

Good. To be honest, I didn’t have the confidence to keep my eyes open and watch Ha Tae-heon kissing me.

I quickly closed my eyes and waited for the kiss to end.

However, contrary to my expectation that he would kiss me on the cheek, Ha Tae-heon’s warm hand slowly swept the back of my neck.