* * *
“But how could I do that? You’ve already done so much for Jehee, and I can’t keep relying on you even after being discharged.”
“No, Mother. This is for me. My place is too big for just me. I was actually thinking of getting a roommate because it gets too lonely on my own. I’ve lived with Jehee for a long time, and I know his personality well, so I think he’d be the perfect roommate.”
“I know you two will get along just fine, but…”
“More importantly, Jehee is still recovering. There will be times when he’ll need help, and having someone strong and capable like me around will give you peace of mind, won’t it? Besides, to be honest, I’d feel sad if we were apart after seeing each other every day. So please, don’t think of it as a burden.”
Taehwan reassured her with a gentle smile.
The moment I saw it up close, my brain completely short-circuited.
For 13 years, I had imagined what Taehwan’s smiling face would look like, thinking it must be really pretty.
But seeing it in person was even more… fatal.
There was something about it that made it impossible to look away.
Maybe that’s why even my mother was at a loss for words.
She only snapped out of it when Eunseo nudged her in the side.
“Um… Jehee, what do you think?”
“Ah… me…?”
“Yes. It’s about you, so your opinion should come first, don’t you think?”
“I… well…”
I had spent too much time away from my family.
We were all busy, and after they moved, our home was too far for frequent visits.
Now that I was finally being discharged, I wanted to be with them.
But my discharge had come so suddenly—for both me and my family.
We weren’t exactly well-off, and I wasn’t a 13-year-old kid anymore.
Even if I went back home, I wasn’t sure if there was still a space for me there.
The twins were now in high school—taller, more sensitive.
They were at the age where they needed to focus on studying, so it was better for them to have their own space.
I remembered that was one of the reasons for their move in the first place.
Going back home didn’t seem like the best option right now.
At the very least, my family needed time to prepare a place for me.
And Taehwan’s offer made sense.
It would be nice if I could stay at his place for a few months.
‘But… wouldn’t I just be lingering around him too much?’
More than that, was it really okay for me to keep relying on Taehwan?
Shouldn’t I be trying to be independent as soon as possible?
Whoever was behind this whole “Awakening” thing—if there was a god responsible for it—maybe they were just trying to finally free Taehwan from me.
I couldn’t shake that thought.
Thirteen years.
“Jehee.”
At the sound of my name, I lifted my head.
Our eyes met.
His brown irises were so clear and beautiful that I was startled.
I had only just regained my sight.
Eye contact still felt unfamiliar to me, but with Taehwan, it was especially overwhelming.
He had changed so much from the boy I used to know.
He had grown into someone far more incredible than I had imagined…
Without thinking, I turned my head away.
“I… um… I’ll think about it.”
“…What? No, why?”
“I get it. I know it’s dangerous for me to be with my family right now. If it comes down to it, there’s always the temporary housing that the Hunter Bureau provides for newly awakened individuals. I could stay there. If my rank turns out to be high, I might even end up living on my own anyway.”
I wasn’t well-versed in the ways of the world after spending so long in the hospital, but I did know quite a bit about Awakened individuals.
I had followed their stories obsessively—listened to broadcasts, tuned in to radio shows.
So I knew that newly awakened individuals were provided with temporary housing by the Hunter Bureau during their training period.
It wasn’t a long-term solution, but a few months would be enough time for my family to prepare for me.
I thought I had found the perfect solution—one that wouldn’t be a burden to anyone.
But then…
“Ha…”
Taehwan let out a deep sigh.
Surprised, I turned to look at him, only to see his face darkened.
Like he had just taken a heavy blow.
As expected, there was way too much food.
I had finished most of the salad and vegetables, but nearly half of everything else remained.
Fortunately, Eunseo and Eunyul seemed more than happy about that.
They packed up every last dish, vowing not to let a single side dish go to waste.
Watching their excited faces as they talked about reheating the food tomorrow, I found myself wishing for something.
Now that I was an Awakened, I wanted to work hard so I could at least buy them plenty of meat in the future.
“Jehee.”
“Hm?”
But then…
Why did Taehwan look so serious as he handed me a toothbrush?
I reached out to take it, but he pulled his hand back.
Realizing he had something to say, I looked up at him.
His usually smooth brows were furrowed in a deep crease.
“Do you not want to live with me?”
“Huh? No? Of course not. I practically lived with you even when I was in the hospital.”
“Then why won’t you stay with me after getting discharged?”
Oh, so that’s what this was about.
I thought we had settled that already.
I had come up with a good solution, after all.
But apparently, he didn’t see it that way.
His voice burned with frustration as he continued.
“Yeah, you’re right—the Hunter Bureau does provide temporary housing for newly Awakened individuals. But those places are tiny. They’re less than a quarter the size of this hospital room. It’s basically a prison.”
“It’s fine. The isolation ward wasn’t that big either, and I got used to it.”
“How is that the same?! You were only in isolation temporarily. But a house is supposed to be a home! You have to eat and sleep and live there!”
“It’s just for a couple of months, though.”
Taehwan’s breathing grew heavy.
I must’ve been frustrating him to no end.
Had I been too firm in my answer?
“My house is empty. Why won’t you move in?”
“Because being around me is dangerous for you, too. You’re only B-rank, and you don’t even have combat abilities. That basically makes you just a really fit civilian.”
Right now, I couldn’t see the strange lines that had appeared in my vision before.
And the whole hospital merging with a dungeon thing still felt like a dream.
But if that had been real—if I had really been the one to take down those monsters—then I was dangerous.
I had torn through massive beasts.
Multiple of them.
From a distance. In an instant.
Could Taehwan, a non-combat Awakened, withstand an attack like that?
Probably not.
Judging by the way he clamped his mouth shut, he knew I wasn’t wrong.
That was his habit whenever he had nothing to say.
“I mean, that’s…”
“The whole ‘I’m lonely at home’ thing—that was just a lie to put my mom at ease, wasn’t it? You like being alone. That’s why you never joined a guild. I know how hard it is for independent artifact makers to survive. And yet, you still insist on it.”
“…”
“Did I get that wrong?”
“No, I do like being alone. I do, but… you…”
“…Am I a little special?”
“…That… uh… no. I mean…”
“Then what do you mean?”
“…You are… kind of special, I guess…?”
He avoided my gaze and mumbled in a barely audible voice, “We’re friends.”
Was his body the only thing that had grown?
This side of him wasn’t much different from when we were kids.
He wouldn’t meet my eyes, yet he wasn’t turning away either—still holding onto me, unwilling to let go.
My lips curled into a grin.
Finding traces of the boy I once knew in the friend whose appearance had become so unfamiliar was unexpectedly comforting.
Of course, my reaction only irritated Taehwan.
His pride, vast as the sky, must have taken a hit because he shot me a glare.
“So, are you really not going to live with me? You’re dead set on living alone?”
“No. Let’s live together.”
Come to think of it, insisting on immediate independence might be a selfish decision that would only make Taehwan worry more.
Taehwan had taken care of me for 13 years.
Even if I suddenly declared myself healed and ready to be on my own, there was no way he would believe me.
Rather than pushing for independence right away, it would be better for both of us if I stayed by his side and proved that I could manage on my own.
That way, when the time came, my departure would feel natural.
I was still worried that my newly acquired ability might harm Taehwan… but I couldn’t leave the hospital without the Bureau’s approval anyway.
They’d have to assess my condition first.
If the Bureau deemed my ability dangerous, they would likely oppose us living together.
After all, Taehwan was the son of the Hunter Bureau’s director.
There was no way they’d allow him to live with someone dangerous.
If they showed signs of trying to stop it, I’d reconsider then.
“Hey, remember what you just said. Once you’re discharged, you’re living with me.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t try to pretend later that you never said that.”
“I won’t. What do you take me for?”
“Hmph. Well, Jehee never goes back on his word. Alright, brush your teeth. I’ll get you some water.”
Seeing him happy made me happy too.
I should brush my teeth and get to bed. After dinner, we had spent a long time chatting over tea, and it was already getting late.
Just as I was about to put my toothbrush in my mouth, an odd sensation welled up from deep inside me, making me freeze.
A tingling tension spread through my entire body.
I set the toothbrush down on the bedside table.
“Uh, hey… Taehwan.”
“Hm?”
I knew exactly what this unfamiliar feeling was, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
I felt the heat creeping up my face in embarrassment.
* * *
