"...."
As Yoon Seo stayed silent for a long while, Kwon Jihan started acting strangely. He messed up his hair, sighed heavily, muttered a few curses, and then dropped his head down, only to suddenly lift it back up.
"Sorry. I won't get mad anymore."
Yoon Seo blinked. He had been holding back the urge to retort, and yet the other side was the one to apologize. And he hadn't even been thinking about the argument anymore.
"I was too harsh with my words."
"No… I understand. If you had done the same thing I did, leaving other options behind, I would've been furious too."
"Good. Then don't do it again."
"Okay."
"Fight's over."
"Yes, we've made up."
The two reconciled smoothly.
Do Deungsoo, who had been watching them like he was eating imaginary popcorn, nearly thought of them as a pair of… something. But he stopped himself—there was no way he could use such a term for Seo Chaeyoon.
"Yoon Seo, how are you feeling?".
"I should be fully recovered by tomorrow."
"And your mana?"
"100%."
"That's impressively fast. Since the sun's already set, let's head into the temple early tomorrow morning. You should rest for now."
Yoon Seo nodded.
At that moment, he saw the Revengers, who had been handling nearby monsters, returning to the camp. Among them was Hwashim.
Yoon Seo remembered the voice that had echoed in his mind—it was undoubtedly Hwashim's.
He thought it would be a good idea to have a conversation with him soon.
***
However, Yoon Seo didn't get the chance to talk to Hwashim right away.
Park Soobin, Soo Jaehee, Hong Euiyoon, Alec, and others who had grown close to him heard that he had woken up and flocked to the camper.
"I've never felt so helpless since I awakened as a healer. I always thought I was one of the most capable healers… Once we're out of the dungeon, I'm going to relearn how to apply splints and bandages."
That was Park Soobin's comment.
"Why didn't you just wait for Yelena Noona and me? You went off on your own. Sure, you defeated the boss and no one died, but if you had waited for us, we would've still defeated the boss without anyone dying. It feels like you don't trust us, Hyung."
Soo Jaehee grumbled.
"Damn it, why are you always trying to sacrifice yourself? Is it cool or something? What good is being cool when you're dead, you idiot!"
"Yoon Seo Hunter needs to improve his battle tactics. Why are you trying to fight alone when you've got dozens of comrades around you?"
Hong Euiyoon cursed outright, while Alec chose more polite words to convey the same message.
Peep peep.
Even Riceball voiced its displeasure, poking at Yoon Seo's hair in protest for being stuck in his inventory for two days.
Yoon Seo, who was getting scolded from all sides, glanced at Kwon Jihan for support. But instead of helping, Kwon Jihan just smirked, clearly enjoying the scene.
'What are you looking at? Just sit there and take your scolding quietly,' his expression seemed to say.
"Don't ever pull something like that again. Sure, your asteroid summoning skill is ridiculously powerful, but near the end, the Revengers could have handled it. You didn't have to push yourself so hard when everyone could've dodged and blocked on their own. That's why they're the New Revengers. And if anyone gets hurt, the healers are there to patch them up, and if they run out of magic, there are mana potions. But you're neither, so who do you think you are, sacrificing yourself like that? Acting like you're fighting alone. Do you know how upset I was, watching from inside that Miracle Angel Power Shield?"
Soo Jaehee, who had experienced Yoon Seo's solo actions firsthand, seemed particularly furious.
Strangely, Yoon Seo didn't feel that bad about it.
Was it because he'd already been scolded by Kwon Jihan earlier, hearing the same things?
There was a sense of unfairness in being scolded, but…
For some reason, the heavy feeling in his chest seemed to soften.
He kept his lips tightly shut, afraid that if he spoke, the overwhelming emotion he felt would spill out. Something warm was rising from within him.
"That's enough. Even he must have understood by now."
Seeing Yoon Seo's expression, Kwon Jihan finally decided to end the scolding session. Since they were planning to enter the shrine tomorrow morning, they couldn't keep a recovering patient up all night.
The group that had crowded in quickly dispersed.
Amid the sudden silence, only Riceball let out a small whine.
"He's reflecting, so stop pestering him."
Peep.
Kwon Jihan picked up Riceball and gently stroked it. While Yoon Seo was deep in thought, Kwon Jihan let him be, but then suddenly realized something and sprang into action.
Kwon Jihan set the table inside the camper with bowls, spoons, and chopsticks, taking out various dishes from his inventory. He called out to Yoon Seo.
"Let's talk while we eat. You must be hungry, Hyung. I'm hungry too."
Although Yoon Seo hadn't realized it, the smell of food made him suddenly aware of his hunger.
Their late dinner, perhaps considering Yoon Seo's condition as a patient, consisted of easily digestible dishes rather than spicy food.
Yoon Seo quietly focused on chewing his food, moving his lips diligently.
Kwon Jihan, watching him silently, asked.
"Want some more?"
"Yes."
So, he ate two bowls…
"Please give me more."
"…Alright."
He ate another bowl. As the side dishes gradually emptied under Yoon Seo's relentless chopsticks, Kwon Jihan quickly refilled them.
"Sigh, our Hyung. If it weren't for that will, you probably wouldn't have eaten properly. You're someone who eats so well…."
"Why are you bringing up wills while I'm eating? It kills the appetite."
"I'm just too grateful. I really… I'm so thankful and grateful."
Grateful and thankful—weren't those the same thing?
Yoon Seo didn't bother pointing it out.
As they were nearing the end of their meal, Kwon Jihan asked quietly.
"You're not going to sacrifice yourself anymore, right?"
Yoon Seo lifted the bowl of water kimchi and drank it refreshingly before responding.
"Didn't we finish making up earlier?"
"I'm not trying to fight. Originally, I was the one who thought sacrifice was the right thing, and you were in the camp that thought sacrifice was foolish. Somehow, though, we've swapped positions. Let's meet in the middle. I believe that sometimes, sacrifice is inevitable. The problem is, you're still stuck in the mindset from 10 years ago, trying to sacrifice even when it's unnecessary. These people aren't the same as back then."
"…Yes, I understand."
"You understand?"
"I said I understand."
Even though Yoon Seo agreed, Kwon Jihan raised an eyebrow, as if still suspicious. Yoon Seo calmly continued.
"You're right when you say I'm stuck 10 years in the past. Back then, after each battle, I'd count the dead and always wonder, 'Was that really the best we could do? Could I have saved them? Wasn't there something else I could've done?' But deep down, I know the truth. There was no other way, and I always did my best. Still, I kept pointlessly regretting things and kept telling myself, 'I should've done more.' That habit stuck with me, even though I don't need to be like that here."
Yoon Seo, as if he had finished speaking all he needed to, closed his lips and wiped his mouth with a tissue. His stomach was full, and having shared his long-held feelings, his heart felt lighter.
Kwon Jihan remained still for a while before suddenly letting out a deep sigh and burying his face in his hand.
"Damn it…"
Between the curses, a shaky breath could be heard. His breathing seemed to grow heavier, and Kwon Jihan muttered,
"I feel like I'm going to cry."
"…What?"
"I don't know. It's frustrating. I hate the Gaia system so damn much, and now I feel like crying."
"…"
Did the berserker trait make it hard for him to control his emotions?
Yoon Seo shot him a bewildered glance. Kwon Jihan's face grew redder, as if he couldn't handle his own emotions.
"I guess I really like you, Hyung."
Yoon Seo wondered if Kwon Jihan was speaking sarcastically, but his tearful, reddened eyes, the glimmer in his ash-gray pupils, and his trembling lips showed that he was entirely sincere.
[The God of Life finds this admirable.]
Why would the god find this admirable? Shouldn't it be pitiful instead?
Wait, the gods are part of the Gaia system too, right? Seeing them find this "admirable" must mean they've already fallen for Kwon Jihan, losing their reason in the process.
"Kwon Jihan Hunter…"
Yoon Seo stretched his hand across the devastated table. As he gently patted Kwon Jihan's soft hair, the corners of Kwon Jihan's lips dropped even further. His walnut-shaped chin trembled slightly.
When someone comforts you just before you cry, it often makes the tears flow even more.
Yoon Seo was grateful for Kwon Jihan's willingness to cry in his place.
"..."
Kwon Jihan, determined not to shed any tears, flared his nostrils, though Yoon Seo felt as though he'd already seen the younger man's true, crying self.
As Yoon Seo patted him more enthusiastically, the 22-year-old seemed to revert to a child, rubbing his head against Yoon Seo's palm with a completely broken expression.
Meanwhile, the little bird, Riceball, who had been playing on Kwon Jihan's lap, fluttered onto the table, watching the two in turn.
Peep!
For whatever reason, the tiny bird flapped its small wings and danced joyfully.
Yoon Seo couldn't understand the little bird's heart at all.
Both Yoon Seo and Kwon Jihan smiled at the same time.
For a brief moment, they forgot they were inside the Great Dungeon.
***
Once Kwon Jihan calmed down, they cleared the table and called Hwashim. Yoon Seo had already informed Kwon Jihan about his dealings with Hwashim.
When Hwashim, wearing a determined expression, entered the camper, he paused at the sight of the two.
"What exactly are you doing?"
"Exercising. Please, take a seat."
Peep-peep.
"..."
Kwon Jihan and Yoon Seo were doing squats.
Having been unconscious for more than two days, they hadn't been able to engage in any will activities. Not moving had made their bodies stiff… and muscle aches are best relieved through exercise.
As Yoon Seo started doing squats, Kwon Jihan naturally joined him, and the little bird, Riceball, transformed into a ferret and eagerly copied their movements, bending and standing up repeatedly.
It was in the middle of this scene that Hwashim arrived.