* * *
“Jehee. Let’s go home first. I think this scene’s gonna drag on for a while. You must be tired. You should rest.”
“Wait… Hold on. Taehwan.”
“…Hm? What’s up?”
It was a golden thread.
That gleaming gold line that instantly drew the eye.
A long strand of golden light stretched out, just like at the hospital, pointing the way forward like a path.
For some reason, I wanted to follow it.
I didn’t know why, but it felt like I absolutely had to.
I couldn’t even tear my eyes away.
I grabbed Taehwan’s hand and pointed in the direction the thread was heading.
“Can you take me over there?”
“What is it?”
“It’s not dangerous. Just for a minute, let’s check that out and then go home.”
“…”
“Yeah? Taehwan, please.”
I gave him the most earnest look I could muster.
Even in that moment, my heart was racing with anxiety, scared the golden thread might vanish.
I kept glancing to make sure it was still there.
Thankfully, the golden thread hadn’t disappeared, and Taehwan replied quickly—though with clear reluctance.
“Your face says you’re gonna go anyway even if I say no.”
“…Yeah.”
“Damn it. Why do you keep saying ‘yeah’ like that…”
“Sorry…”
“Sigh… Fine. I’ll take you where you want to go, but don’t you dare run off alone.”
“Okay! I won’t! Promise!”
How many times had we had this conversation?
Still, once Taehwan made a promise, he always kept it.
Without another word, he pushed my wheelchair through the crowd, even past a high step that would’ve been a pain to navigate.
But he did it quickly, without inconveniencing anyone.
Where we ended up was on the exact opposite side from where we’d originally been—the back of the gate that had just been open.
And I instantly understood why the golden thread had led me here.
“Ah.”
This time, it was a blue thread.
It stretched across the sealed gate, now round like a solid sphere.
I wondered for a moment—was this just a hallucination from my desperate desire to help?
But when I reached out, I could feel it on my fingertips.
It was a familiar sensation—just like the blue thread I’d touched when trying to escape the quarantine room in the hospital.
‘Maybe… I can really do it this time.’
Up until now, I’d barely ever seen the threads.
And when I did, they were usually red—and blurry at that, leading to failure in any demonstration.
But now… maybe now, I could pull it off.
Maybe I really could help.
Fortunately, there was no one near the sealed gate.
The timing was perfect.
I gripped the thread tightly in my hand.
I pulled, putting strength into it.
“Urgh…!”
It felt a bit different than at the hospital.
Not like I was opening the blue thread itself, but more like I was opening something through it—something beyond, something strange.
It felt overwhelming for a second, but I wasn’t weak anymore.
I put more strength into my arms, and I felt something begin to open with a deep, stretching sensation.
And then—space, clearly and definitively, split apart.
As the blue thread’s space opened, the gate began to transform, swirling into its spiral shape once again.
—Shuuuuu!
A strong wind blew.
That familiar chill, the damp energy that always came with an opening gate, flooded the area.
“Th-that…!”
“Look! Over there!”
“The gate…!”
Everyone’s eyes shot toward the gate.
The voices carried on the wind had lost their previous weight of despair—they were now high-pitched, charged with excitement.
A glimmer of hope had shone from the other side of the darkness.
But at the same time, I felt the gazes of the awakened individuals in the area shift—not toward the gate, but toward me.
Just like that time in the cafeteria, when I caused an “incident.”
Their stares weren’t murderous this time, but they could tell—I’d touched the gate.
Which meant… Taehwan, who was also awakened, must’ve sensed it too.
“You…”
The moment I heard his voice, my heart shriveled up like a dried apricot.
Still, I gathered my courage and glanced at his face…
Yep. He was looking at me with an incredibly terrifying expression.
My heart sank all over again.
“Jung Jehee, you—!”
“Ah, I didn’t run out!”
I just used my ability.
I never promised not to use it, so technically, it’s fine… right?
…Okay, maybe that’s just wordplay. But it wasn’t something dangerous, so surely it’s fine… right?
I desperately tried to explain myself, but Taehwan’s expression didn’t soften in the slightest.
If anything, it only grew more intimidating.
“Taehwan, why are you getting angry at Jehee?”
Just when I thought Taehwan was about to explode, someone stepped in between us.
It was the uncle.
When did he get here?
I hadn’t even sensed his presence.
But it was a relief. I quickly clung to him, avoiding Taehwan’s fury.
The uncle smiled and gently wrapped a hand around my head, then raised his voice to address the people gathered near the gate.
“How is it?”
“The gate has opened! It seems stable—entry is possible!”
“We’ll enter again now! Resuming the search!”
Cha Taeyang’s voice rang out, clear and strong.
At those words, sighs of relief and cries of joy echoed from all around.
‘Thank goodness.’
I let out a deep breath, too.
I still wasn’t sure what exactly had happened, even to myself… but it ended well.
There were still obstacles ahead, but at least I’d been a little helpful.
The uncle patted my head as if praising me.
“You did well. Really well.”
“Ah… I’m sorry, uncle. I stepped in out of nowhere… I should’ve said something before acting…”
“It was urgent, wasn’t it? Thanks to you, we were able to resume the search even a little sooner. We should be the ones thanking you.”
“Thank you…”
Taehwan patted my head too, out of habit, but it felt different.
Being praised by the uncle felt like being praised by a father.
That long-buried sense of longing ached in my chest and swelled into something overwhelming.
“Jehee, if we can rescue the missing people thanks to this, then this will have been your brilliant debut. Very much like you.”
“Ah…”
And then, what he said next took that overwhelming emotion and pushed it to its peak.
Every word felt special.
Like sparkling, beautiful things were pouring into my heart.
“Yes. That would be amazing.”
I was probably smiling like the happiest person in the world right then.
Just as the uncle had said, this incident really did turn out to be “my brilliant debut.”
By some miracle, the gate I reopened happened to connect to the place where the missing people were gathered.
Because of that, the search didn’t take long, and the capable members of the Taeyang’s Sun Guild quickly joined up with the rescue team that had remained inside.
Neither the missing people nor the rescuers had any life-threatening injuries—just a few minor ones.
With every survivor accounted for and safely transported to the hospital, we left the scene after seeing them off.
Though there were moments of crisis, everything had come together like a miracle.
It was shaping up to be a happy ending.
Except for one thing.
“Taehwan…”
My dear friend was upset.
His handsome face looked chillingly cold.
Even though he was washing my hair like usual, the atmosphere was icy.
“Come on, don’t be mad. I’m sorry, okay?”
“…I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at my dad.”
“Huh? At your dad? Why?”
“Because I think he predicted this would happen and took me to the scene on purpose. Damn it. I ended up dancing in the palm of his hand again.”
“Ah…!”
Now that I think about it… the uncle had always been a step ahead of Taehwan.
Even as a child, Taehwan had been exceptional—smarter, sharper, and more talented than kids his age.
Even adults had trouble dealing with him.
But weirdly enough, around the uncle, he was completely powerless.
You could say it was like ‘Taehwan in full sprint, and the uncle riding on his shoulders’.
No matter how meticulously planned his pranks were, they always failed against the uncle.
‘So that’s why people call him a legend in the Management Bureau…’
I’d been so caught up in his image as the guy who makes amazing kimchi stew and instant noodles that I’d forgotten—he’s actually a really incredible person.
And that incredible person had praised me.
I couldn’t help but smile wide.
As I sat there grinning like an idiot, Taehwan, who had been drying my hair, suddenly paused.
“…Why are you so happy?”
“Because, like you said, if he did plan all this and asked me to come along on purpose, it means he remembered me. He believed in me. He thought I’d try to help somehow, even if I failed the simulation. Right?”
“……”
He even remembered my personality.
Maybe even the dreams I had as a kid.
I’m so, so happy—but Taehwan doesn’t seem to be on the same page.
His pouty expression doesn’t budge.
“…Ha. Yeah. You really did look happy.”
“Huh?”
“Happier than when you wake up and see me first thing in the morning… Never mind. Forget it.”
“Wha—? What were you trying to say?”
“I said forget it. Ugh… so annoying.”
He grumbled a bunch, and when I tried to respond, he messed up my hair with his huge hand.
I screamed inside, but then he started smoothing my hair down again, grinning as he said—
“Jehee, you’re all soft and fluffy now.”
* * *
