* * *
‘Rules, my ass.’
Seo Woohyun clicked his tongue.
He’d been staring at his notebook for ages but had no idea what to write.
After much deliberation, he jotted down two measly lines.
The problem was how laughably weak they were:
‘3. Don’t do things you’re told not to do.’
When it came to horror movies, Seo Woohyun could never understand the side characters who ignored warnings and got themselves killed first.
‘Why go out of your way to do the forbidden and invite death? Sure, in life-or-death situations, people probably panic and lose rationality. But when you’re in your right mind, just don’t do the thing.’
‘4. Eat and sleep well.’
Lately, his appetite had waned, so the idea of eating well when he could seemed more pressing than ever.
On top of that, the fragments of memories he glimpsed during sleep, especially the tender moments between Erdian and “Ciel,” had left Seo Woohyun mildly sleep-deprived.
‘Ugh, I’m so tired.’
Rubbing the back of his neck, Seo Woohyun sipped his coffee.
He’d once again had a restless night, forced to relive past events.
Seeing a familiar coin purse earlier hadn’t helped; it only soured his mood further.
‘That coin purse, the one Erdian gave me before our first outing… It belonged to “Ciel.” And he still claims I’m not some substitute? He should’ve at least lied convincingly.’
The realization hit him that the well-worn purse had once belonged to someone who died a thousand years ago.
The sheer audacity of Erdian, casually giving it to him, left Seo Woohyun speechless.
‘Even the candy shop question—it wasn’t for me. It was Ciel’s taste, not mine.’
Seo Woohyun didn’t particularly love or hate candy.
He’d occasionally grabbed a mint from restaurant counters, but he’d never gone out of his way to buy sweets.
Each night’s unwelcome visions of the past added layers of resentment toward Erdian.
Even sipping his delicious coffee felt tainted by his growing sense of injustice.
‘And to think I only have thirteen packs left…’
Realizing his dwindling supply of coffee mix, Seo Woohyun couldn’t help but sigh.
It had become a precious luxury, something he rationed strictly after discovering it was nearly impossible to acquire more in this world.
Drinking it reminded him of his old life, back when he worked at Pyogang Industries and skipped breakfast in favor of more sleep.
His thoughts turned wistful as he remembered the simplicity of his old routine: brewing instant coffee or grabbing iced Americanos like potions to stay awake.
Now, here he was, playing the part of a saint in an unfamiliar world.
‘And the clothes… I’ll probably never wear anything else here.’
Since arriving, he’d been stuck wearing ceremonial robes with cumbersome ribbons and wide sleeves, which took forever to put on.
While he’d grown more adept at changing, he still longed for the comfort of a stretched-out T-shirt and sweatpants.
‘If no one’s looking, I’d kill to wear something like that.’
His longing for familiar comforts only deepened, making him wonder if he might stop by Malrang’s house on the way back to see if there were any other items that had drifted into this world.
Between sleepless nights and homesickness, Seo Woohyun felt increasingly worn down.
With the prayer ceremony for Erdian’s ascension ending today, it meant only one thing: the awkward journey back to the Holy City was about to begin.
‘How am I supposed to survive the ride in that carriage?’
Already dreading the trip, Seo Woohyun made a mental note to buy a few books to pass the time.
Just as he stood up, planning his next move, a rare and familiar holographic screen appeared before him.
[Main Quest: “Conversation” has arrived.]
[I’d like to have a chat. Let me know when you’re free.]
[Reward: 1 Praise Seal from Erdian.]
The peculiar quest window left me feeling strangely unsettled. Seo Woohyun emotions fluctuated so wildly that he couldn’t quite pin down what I was actually feeling.
The thought that this clumsy quest window was being used to initiate a conversation, perhaps as a hint about reincarnation, stirred a subtle irritation in him.
Yet, at the same time, the idea that this was his way of keeping his promise without barging in thoughtlessly made the whole situation unbearably awkward.
This was the same cunning Erdian who had a talent for driving people to the edge with his inscrutable demeanor, casually initiating bold physical contact that left my heart racing.
Now, however, he seemed subdued—so much so that the distance he was keeping from Seo Woohyun felt glaringly obvious.
‘If this were before, he would’ve popped up in the middle of the garden, thrown an arm around my shoulders, and asked what I was doing.’
But now, he was using the quest window to suggest that he wanted to talk when Seo Woohyun was available. T
he memory of his sheepish face, awkwardly admitting he wasn’t great at explaining things, floated to the forefront of Seo Woohyun’s mind.
What could he possibly want to say for him to act this way?
Seo Woohyun couldn’t help but feel curious.
Not wanting to have this conversation in the wide-open garden, Seo Woohyun returned to his room.
There, he listened to Malrang’s vivid descriptions of food, nodded along, picked up three books from a bookstore for the journey back to the temple, and finally steeled himself for the conversation with Erdian.
He instinctively knew he shouldn’t keep putting off his request for too long.
Delaying it any further would only make things more uncomfortable.
Once he’d resolved to talk to him, Seo Woohyun debated how best to let him know.
Eventually, he decided to visit his room, just as he had before.
Sharing the room with Malrang made it impossible to have an in-depth conversation while the little one was asleep.
Using the prayer method—holding his hand and sending my thoughts directly to him—didn’t appeal to me, either.
It felt too much like summoning a god on a whim, and Seo Woohyun couldn’t shake the image of the expression Erdian had worn during the prayer meeting.
It still lingered, unsettling him.
‘If he can hear my thoughts directly when I hold his hand, what happens with other believers’ prayers?’
The idea of hundreds, maybe thousands, of believers speaking to him unilaterally sent a shiver down his spine.
Listening to even one person could be overwhelming, let alone multiple voices all at once.
Surely it was taxing for him.
While it wasn’t my place as a mere mortal to worry about a god, the expression on his face that day was so grave that anyone would have been concerned.
Back then, his defiance had outweighed his concern, so Seo Woohyun couldn’t bring himself to follow him.
Now, he stood before Erdian’s door again, sober this time, unlike the night he’d stumbled here drunkenly and hiccupping.
This was a conscious decision to respond to his request to talk.
Taking a deep breath, he knocked gently and spoke the line he’d rehearsed countless times while pacing the corridor.
“Lord El, do you have a moment to talk?”
Using overly formal language would have made it seem like he was deliberately keeping his distance.
On the other hand, speaking too familiarly felt like playing mind games after rejecting him.
In the end, he settled on a tone one might use when addressing a boss at work.
Footsteps sounded from inside, and the door opened, revealing Erdian.
These days, even catching a glimpse of him was becoming rare.
“I didn’t expect you to come in person.”
He couldn’t very well summon him like a deity, but he couldn’t explain that without revealing his true identity.
Instead, he opted for the most plausible excuse among the many reasons he had for being here.
“Malrang is sleeping in my room, so I thought this might be a better place to talk…”
“True. This isn’t something to discuss with that little one around. Come in.”
Erdian stepped aside, and he nodded politely before entering the room.
He gestured for him to sit in a chair.
Awkwardly, he perched on the edge, and Erdian broke the silence.
“You’ve been skipping meals a lot lately.”
Seo Woohyun blinked, caught off guard.
Of all things, was he really about to lecture him about not eating?
“Is this why he called me? To scold me for not eating properly?”
“I haven’t had much of an appetite. I’m not a big eater to begin with, but I’ve been making sure to eat lunch.”
“If it’s because you feel uncomfortable with me constantly nearby…”
“No, it’s nothing like that. I’ve just been worn out from sightseeing around the city. Skipping a meal here and there seemed better than forcing myself to eat and ending up with an upset stomach…”
He didn’t seem to be lying.
Having observed me for a long time, Erdian knew that he had a bad habit of skipping meals.
When things got busy, managing even one meal a day was often an achievement for him.
“If you say so…”
The conversation fizzled out awkwardly.
He hadn’t called him here just to point out a few skipped meals.
But now that we were face-to-face, it seemed like he didn’t know where to begin or how to put his thoughts into words.
He had always struggled with explaining himself, but this was on a whole other level.
“He’s lost a little weight…”
His cheeks, which had started to fill out slightly, now looked hollow again.
Guilt weighed heavily on Erdian’s conscience.
He couldn’t honestly say he didn’t want Seo Woohyun to remember his past life.
In truth, Erdian had wanted him to remember, to come back to him, and to thank him for keeping his promise by embracing him.
But when Seo Woohyun did regain fragments of his past life, he’d been horrified by Eridian’s deceit, deeply saddened, and utterly disillusioned.
Now, he feared that if the distance between them grew any wider, they’d never meet again.
So, Erdian’d asked for this conversation without knowing how to explain his thoughts.
* * *
🙁 his expectations were so far from reality but you can’t blame either of them
i can only hope that they talk things out and slowly make amends
So bad for him to think that, is not a sustitute unless Erdian say so.
👍