INHO 12

End and Beginning (12)

Yiyul frowned as he looked at Min Hajun, who had entered without permission.

‘What’s wrong with that guy?’

The nation’s hero. The media’s golden boy.
Thinking of all the flashy titles attached to Min Hajun made Yiyul want to gag.

‘It’s always the same story. Those righteous, do-gooder types—they either have some hidden agenda or they’re so far gone in the head that no one even realizes it.’

He’d always pegged Min Hajun as the latter.
One of the many reasons he preferred not to get involved with him.

“Mind stepping aside for a moment?”

“What?”

Step aside where? They were already inside the dome.

“I’ve got something to take care of in there.”

“There’s nothing in there but a bunch of idiots who got themselves knocked out.”

“Excuse me.”

Min Hajun brushed past him without another word. Their shoulders nearly collided.

‘Great, now it looks like I’m the intruder.’

Yiyul frowned but didn’t start anything. It wasn’t like he owned the place, and frankly, after the hell he’d just been through alone, having some backup wasn’t the worst thing.
At least there wouldn’t be more casualties than expected.

He decided to think positively and turned back—already planning to dump whatever mess came next onto Min Hajun if things went south.

But then something caught his eye. A trail of blood.
It started right where Min Hajun had walked by, a crimson path marking his way—like Hansel and Gretel’s breadcrumbs.

It didn’t seem like his blood. Judging by the amount, he’d killed quite a few monsters.

Yiyul glanced toward the path Min Hajun had come from and saw the heap of monster corpses piled high. He must’ve cleared every single one along the way.

‘Impressive stamina. He did all that and still broke through my skill?’

Technically, it was more like poking a small hole through it, but still…

He shook his head and started walking again. Min Hajun was already far ahead.

They still had a ways to go before reaching the others, but something about it all made Yiyul uneasy. He decided he’d better get there first.

The central area looked just as it had before he left.
A few people still sprawled about, bodies tossed around like luggage in the middle, one woman lying neatly on her back.

Both men headed toward the same person.
Min Hajun reached her first.

Seeing the scene unchanged made Yiyul relax slightly, but for Min Hajun, the moment he saw Yuhwa lying there, the world turned pitch-black.

Yiyul was stunned to see how naturally Min Hajun dropped to his knees to check on her.

“…What are you doing?”

No response.

He checked her breathing, felt for a pulse, wiped the sweat from her forehead—he was doing every test imaginable.

“What the hell happened here…?”

“I don’t know. When I came to, things were already like this.”

Yiyul shrugged. Seeing the other man so shaken oddly helped him regain composure.

“You’re an S-class, and yet…”

“She’s alive. That’s what matters.”

She was sweating but breathing steadily. Same for the others—no major issues with temperature or pulse. He’d woken up fine himself, so the others likely would too.

Even if it was just a clone, the synchronization rate was high enough that its physical responses matched a real body.

Yiyul’s cynical tone made Min Hajun open his mouth as if to argue—but he swallowed the words instead.
The air suddenly turned frigid, his expression colder than ice.

“Don’t even think about using a skill here.”

No—he was using one. White mist began to bloom around him, like vapor from dry ice.

“They’re alive. What’s the problem?”

“I’m fine with it, but what about the ones still lying unconscious?”

“My control isn’t that sloppy.”

“Maybe not for the woman in your arms. But there are others still down.”

At that, Min Hajun finally released the skill.
For someone who always valued human life above all else, the slip was unlike him.

But this wasn’t the only thing off about him today.
He looked down at the woman in his arms for a long moment, then carefully lifted her.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Yiyul grabbed his shoulder.

“I’m taking her for treatment.”

“And who made you her guardian?”

“I owe her my life.”

“You? To her?”

Yiyul snorted in disbelief. The top-ranked hunter in the world—indebted to a random girl?

“Don’t push it. From where I’m standing, you look more like a creep trying to run off with an unconscious woman.”

“Do I really seem like that kind of person to you?”

“You never really know people. You only ever see one side.”

A fair point, considering he had no idea about their connection. But Min Hajun had no intention of explaining.

“So step aside. I’ll handle the healing.”

“…And who exactly put you in charge?”

“W-We share… secrets. Private ones.”

“You do?”

“Yes! Got a problem with that!?”

The tension thickened between a man who refused to explain and another who didn’t even know what secret he was bluffing about.

“She and I are… close.”

Before Min Hajun could react, Yiyul swiftly snatched Yuhwa away.
Because Hajun was being careful not to hurt her, the movement caught him completely off guard.

Within seconds, Yiyul had her slung over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

“She’s hurt—!”

“Relax. This is safer.”

“Cut the crap and put her down.”

Ignoring him, Yiyul snapped his fingers.
The protective barrier surrounding the area dissipated instantly.

“Grrr…”
“Graaah!”

The monsters outside, waiting for a chance, poured in.
Flying ones swooped toward the fallen survivors.

Thud!

Min Hajun reacted instantly, hurling an ice spear that impaled one mid-air and slammed it into the ground.
But the noise only enraged the others.

In the chaos, Yiyul leapt high, cutting through the air toward the gate’s entrance.
With Yuhwa on his shoulder, he swatted away monsters with one hand and disappeared like a slippery eel.

Grinding his teeth, Min Hajun fended off another wave.

“Ugh…”

I groaned and pressed my throbbing head. My whole body ached as if I’d been beaten.

“You’re awake.”

That familiar voice shoved the pain aside in an instant.
My eyes flew open.

“I wasn’t sure what was wrong, so I brought you to a well-known healer…”

“Are you okay?!”

I barely heard him. I forced my stiff body upright, blinking.

He was bundled in layers of clothing—hard to tell, but it had to be Yiyul.

“Why… why are you like this?!”

When I reached toward him as if to rip off his mask, he flinched and stepped back.

“Any pain? Trouble breathing? Dizzy?”

“You’re the one who’s hurt, not me. And that’s not even your real body.”

It hit me like a hammer. My heart, which had been racing like crazy, suddenly clenched and went still.

Of course.
Yiyul wouldn’t bring his real body into a gate. I’d known that—but hadn’t wanted to see it.

‘Because I’m an idiot, that’s why.’

The image of his final moment flashed before me, overlapping with now.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.
When I raised a trembling hand to brush back my hair, my arm gave out halfway.

“So you’re really okay? And the others?”

“Please. You think I’m as weak as you lot? I saw some nasty things, sure, but you must’ve had it worse.”

“What do you mean?”

Yiyul looked at me for a long moment before speaking.

“It was like… showing us something we never wanted to see again.”

“…”

“Classic trick—mental attack. Triggers your trauma.”

“So all of that was…”

“Hallucinations. Fake. I’m guessing everyone who collapsed saw something different.”

I felt anger rising—raw and hot.
What a filthy trick.

“Rare, but it happens. Some monsters attack the mind.”

No point dwelling on it.

The future I knew hadn’t changed.
The poison outbreak in the gate would still happen as before.

No casualties. Yiyul and I both alive.

‘I almost lost it for nothing…’

It was actually good news.
I steadied my breathing and finally looked around.

White marble floors. Black sofa. Dark gray curtains.
A pristine white duvet beneath me.

Everything looked spotless—like no one really lived here.

“Where are we?”

“My place.”

“…Your place?”

‘This model home is his place?’

My skeptical look made him sigh.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. You were drenched in sweat, the healer said it was mana exhaustion, and I didn’t know your address. What was I supposed to do—leave you in the street?”

So yes, definitely the same jerk as before.

“I wasn’t accusing you. Just… this is your place?”

“Yeah.”

“This high-rise, river-view apartment?”

“I am an S-class, you know.”

“You don’t even live in this neighborhood.”

The air between us tensed again.