Chapter 39: Once in a Lifetime Opportunity (1)
TL/Editor: Raei
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"Just kidding, Soo-yeon. Where else could you find such an easy wish to grant."
Song Soo-yeon's mind kept replaying that scene.
Jung-gyeom's face, his expressions, his gaze, his smile... everything was etched in her mind, refusing to leave.
It felt like she was trapped in an inescapable orbit, replaying that moment for what seemed like the hundredth time.
It was like a dream.
Unrealistic and dreamlike.
But, unlike an ordinary dream, she knew she would never forget this moment for as long as she lived.
"...Ah."
"........."
"Soo-yeon!"
Someone grabbed her shoulder and shook her.
Song Soo-yeon, startled by the touch, trembled.
Blinking her eyes, she assessed her surroundings, breaking free from the relentless grip of her imagination.
"...Mister?"
"Why aren't you focusing? Are you sleepy?"
Her mind cleared up at his informal speech.
Song Soo-yeon looked around.
"...Where are we?"
"What? Did you sleep-walk here? This is the subway home."
"...What about the parade?"
"...That ended a while ago."
Jung-gyeom's expression changed.
He seemed puzzled by the situation.
However, Song Soo-yeon couldn't honestly explain.
She couldn't admit that she had been involuntarily recalling his image.
She said,
"....Maybe I'm just sleepy. It felt like I was dreaming with my eyes open."
"...Hmm."
There weren't many people on the subway with them.
The two sat side by side, maintaining a brief silence that had formed between them.
Alone like this, Song Soo-yeon's heart kept throbbing wildly.
No matter how much she tried to ignore it, the pounding in her chest continued to shake her.
Unknowingly, she leaned a bit more onto his shoulder, feeling his warmth.
Instinctively, she almost rested her head on his shoulder.
".............."
The impulsive idea lingered in her mind.
If she really leaned on his shoulder, how would he react?
Would he accept it? Push her away?
Being rejected felt like it would be too painful.
"......."
But there was no one else to blame.
It was all her doing.
She had drawn lines too strictly, warning him not to come closer or think weirdly of her.
Her heartbeat turned into pain.
She tried her best to ignore that pain.
...It's okay.
I just have to do well from now on.
Things can gradually change.
She felt closer to him today.
They had taken many pictures and created memories.
Since they were now on a first-name basis... they could become closer.
Song Soo-yeon slowly began to lean her head towards him.
Despite her racing heart, she couldn't stop her body's involuntary movement.
-Thump.
But before her head could touch Jung-gyeom's shoulder, he pulled her head towards him first.
"Just sleep a little."
He said.
But Song Soo-yeon couldn't do that.
She wasn't sleepy to begin with, and her heart had started racing the moment she rested her head on his shoulder.
"...Is this okay?"
Jung-gyeom asked for permission even for such a small gesture of physical contact.
She knew it was his way of being considerate, understanding her dislike for men.
Instead of answering, Song Soo-yeon gently nodded her head and, to pretend she was resting, closed her eyes while leaning on his shoulder.
He continued speaking.
"...If you're tired tomorrow, just stay home. You know we don't have many customers anyway. And... I can't even pay you properly."
His voice carried a tone of regret, almost apologetic.
"...It's okay. I'll come to work."
But Song Soo-yeon wished he wouldn't feel sorry.
His mere existence was more than enough for her.
Everything he had given her had become a treasure.
Even the ridiculous rabbit beanie had become dear to her.
He was the reason for her to continue living in this world.
With Jung-gyeom by her side, she felt confident she could endure any hardship the cruel world threw at her.
In this damned world, he was her first blessing, her light... her hope.
---
---
"...Mister, I'm fine."
Song Soo-yeon said in front of my one-room apartment.
"...Let's go in together."
I could definitely feel she was changing, at least towards me, there was no malice.
Maybe she now sees me as a reliable friend, trusting that I wouldn't do anything foolish.
"I'm really okay. So, you go in."
I couldn't let my guard down.
It was my duty to reciprocate the trust she had placed in me.
Even if I entered the room, I wouldn't do anything, but it was better for me to leave to ensure she felt completely at ease.
It was right to sleep at the restaurant.
"...Still."
She spoke as if feeling sorry for me.
As the weather grew colder, her concern for me seemed to grow as well.
Her concern alone warmed my heart.
That was enough.
As long as she didn't take my kindness for granted and felt grateful, that was all I needed.
To be liked by her as a person was all I could ask for.
Moreover.
I hadn't forgotten the promise I made.
I remembered our conversation from the first day I offered her my place.
And her fierce expression at that time.
'...Mister, don't think you can do whatever you want just because you helped me.'
'...Really? Are you going to keep this up? What does staying at my place have to do with being a pervert?'
'Ah... that...'
'...Sigh. Never mind. I guess it's your fault, right? Must be because of your past experiences.'
'......'
'I'll make you a promise.'
'...A promise?'
'I will never do anything you hate. We're just friends. Got it?'
With that memory, I smiled.
Yes.
We are friends, and I promised not to do anything she dislikes.
No matter what she says verbally.
"Alright, just go and rest. You're tired."
"...I'm not tired."
"You were dozing off on my shoulder just a while ago."
".............Can I follow you to the restaurant?"
"Are you even listening to me? And what would you do there?"
"...Maybe we could talk a little about what happened today..."
I smiled faintly.
It seemed she also had fun today.
But I shook my head.
"......Let's talk about it next time. There will be plenty of time later. I'm going now. Sleep well, Soo-yeon."
I waved my hand and turned around.
It seemed right to leave quickly before she could hold me back any longer.
"Ah... Good night..."
She eventually let me go as I walked away.
I waved at her again.
---
---
On the way home.
I looked up information about the terrorist attack in Seoul.
From the moment I heard the news at the amusement park, my curiosity was piqued.
Song Soo-yeon was so excited about the amusement park that she hadn't checked her phone either, but now there was no need.
-Click.
The smartphone screen lit up.
I connected to the internet.
The topic was already hot, no need for a specific search.
I glanced at the headlines of the articles.
Villain Tryno. Villain ranking adjustment. 8th -> 2nd
Villain Liquid. Villain ranking adjustment. 12th -> 5th
Tryno and Liquid. Have they joined forces?
Shake's vulnerability exploited by the alliance of Tryno and Liquid.
A massive hostage situation in the heart of Seoul. Could it have been prevented?
I realized the situation was more serious than I had anticipated.
My expression hardened.
Honestly, as a former villain, I didn't care much about what accident occurred, who got hurt, or how badly.
But that didn't mean I wasn't disturbed.
What bothered me was the news of the villains' alliance.
The names of the villains in this alliance were not to be ignored.
Destroyer Tryno.
A strong physical build with explosive powers.
He could make anything he touched explode.
Before my regression, I knew Tryno as someone who used his abilities to demolish numerous buildings.
Liquid.
A liquid ability user.
In places with abundant water, there weren't many who could defeat him.
Before my regression, he was also a villain who had killed numerous heroes.
Two well-known villains from before my regression had now joined forces.
I had no knowledge of this.
Such an event did not happen before my regression.
Had something changed?
".........."
..........The thought of them troubling Solace was unsettling.
I continued to search for more articles.
130 hostages rescued. 56 injured. 8 dead. Tryno and Liquid achieved their objective and retreated.
Shake, facing Tryno and Liquid simultaneously, prioritized the hostages.'
Shake's statement: [It was the best choice. I apologize to the victims and their families. I will strive to improve.]
I frowned.
I wasn't looking for these kinds of articles.
She must have been here too.
I continued to scroll, trying to find the article I wanted.
Soon, a keyword caught my eye.
Solace.
".....Found it."
I muttered to myself.
Hero Ranking 66th, Solace. Active once again.
Hero Solace. Ranking rise. 66th -> 49th.
Solace. Rescued hostages in place of Shake. Defused 10 bombs. Saved more than 40 lives.
Solace, saving hostages with a bright smile in her eyes.
Photos of Solace with her mouth covered, smiling with her eyes, accompanied the articles.
All the articles and comments were busy praising Solace.
I continued to scrutinize the articles, not letting my guard down.
.....Fortunately, there was no news of her being injured.
I let out a sigh of relief.
"....Phew."
Solace, with her limited experience at this point.
Even if Shake had fought, facing Tryno and Liquid would have been dangerous.
But it seemed what I feared hadn't occurred.
I looked a little longer at the photos of Solace saving hostages and smiling.
In the pictures, she looked fine, thankfully.
It was the same Solace I had always seen.
Bright and hero-like.
A figure that could reassure the citizens.
Similarly relieved, I turned off my phone.
I was almost at the restaurant.
......Huh?
Under the sign that read 'Heros Heart Restaurant'.
Someone was sitting, hugging their knees.
The figure raised their head, sensing my presence.
It was a familiar face I had just seen in the articles.
........Gyeom oppa.
.....Sol, no. Bom...?
I slowly walked towards her.
.....What are you doing here?
.....Ah.
She briefly lowered her head.
A fleeting shadow of darkness, unseen in the photos from the articles, crossed her face.
.........And then I understood.
Something had happened in today's terrorist attack.
Something was troubling her.
Her words from a past drinking session came to mind.
.....Heroes... they dont have anyone to protect them. Like Soo-yeon said, we are people too... and we have hard times.
I immediately knelt on one knee and took her shoulder.
.....I didnt probe further.
All I needed to do was offer the comfort I could.
It wasnt difficult for me.
Just as she had been a strength for me, I wanted to be a small strength for her too.
.....Shall we go inside and talk?
Solace paused, then, erasing the darkness from her face, smiled and nodded.
.....Yeah.
---
---
As the warm comfort of the one-room apartment welcomed Song Soo-yeon, her legs stiffened.
As always, her thoughts turned to Jung-gyeom.
He would sleep in the restaurant again tonight for her sake.
.....No matter how she thought about it, it wasn't right.
It was only proper that they sleep together.
She was truly fine.
She trusted him, and after all, this place was his home.
It was problematic to be even more indebted to him.
How could she ever repay him?
Even devoting a lifetime would not be enough.
Finally, she turned back.
She opened the door and headed back outside the one-room apartment.
If she hurried, she could catch up with Jung-gyeom.
It seemed she needed to convince him again to come back to the one-room.
With every step towards him, her heart lightened.
Her heartbeat grew stronger, and her cheeks reddened further.
She anticipated the happiness she would feel upon meeting him.
Even on her way to see him, she missed him.
He wouldn't want to sleep in the cold either.
It would be nice to review the day together, sharing fun stories before falling asleep.
....In truth, it might all be an excuse.
Maybe she just wanted to see him.
Soon, Song Soo-yeon started to see the restaurant.
She could see Jung-gyeom sitting there too.
She inhaled to call out to him.
"....Mister....!"
But in the next moment, Song Soo-yeon's breath caught in her throat.
Her movement also stopped.
Her eyes widened, and her mouth slightly opened. Her eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.
As Jung-gyeom stood up, someone who had been hidden behind his broad back also stood up.
............It was Solace.
The two of them were smiling at each other, so affectionately.
And before Song Soo-yeon could even intervene, they entered the restaurant together.
".......Huh...?"
Her heart felt constricted.
Witnessing a scene she couldn't believe, Song Soo-yeon recalled what Jung-gyeom had said earlier.
'What would you do there.'
'Let's talk about it next time.'
He had clearly said that to her, yet he was taking Solace into the restaurant.
........Could this have been the reason?
Had he pushed her away to meet Solace sooner?
Song Soo-yeon stood frozen in the winter darkness, motionless.
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