I Don’t Want This Reincarnation

[There is a debate going on about the disposition of Kang Seung-geon, the main culprit of the accident, which took place in the middle of Gangnam Road. At the Guild Management Headquarters…]

Beep.

[Currently, I have arrived at the place where Kang Seung-geon’s ability explosion. As you can see, the restoration is in full swing. There are more than five buildings that have collapsed, and the roads are split…]

Beep.

[Kang Seung-geon, who is presumed to have been mentally controlled, how will the trial proceed? Kang Seung-geon, who was immediately arrested on the spot, is currently…]

Beep.

[Rep. Kang Cheol-woo (강철우) expressed his apology to the Gangnam victims. Rep. Kang Cheol-woo said that he was guilty of raising his own children incorrectly and that he would promise to give generous support to the restoration of the damaged area…]

Kim Woo-jin, who was pressing the remote control with a cool expression, turned off the TV in the end. The door to the hospital room where full of silence was opened and Min Ah-rin entered.

“Woo-jin-ssi. I thought you might be hungry, so I bought some sandwiches.”

Min Ah-rin smiled and placed a sandwich on Kim Woo-jin’s hand. Kim Woo-jin, who happened to receive the sandwich, hesitated and said thank you.

“Yi-gyeol-ssi… hasn’t woken up yet.”

Min Ah-rin turned her gaze away and looked at Han Yi-gyeol who was sleeping on the bed. She healed all his wounds and recovered his energy, but the shock he received on his body was so great that Han Yi-gyeol was unable to come to his senses for the second day.

“…it’s already been two days, are you sure he’s really okay?”

Kim Woo-jin asked with a depressed expression. Min Ah-rin smiled bitterly.

“Isn’t Yi-gyeol-ssi just resting? He’s been very busy and having a hard time. Maybe he needed a break like this before.”

“……”

“I know you are worried, but you shouldn’t skip meals or reduce your sleep. How much nagging would Yi-gyeol­-ssi when he wakes up?”

Kim Woo-jin nodded his head at the soothing words, but his droopy shoulders were still there. Indeed. It wouldn’t be that easy.

‘…Yi-gyeol-ssi.’

Min Ah-rin thought as she looked at his well-groomed face that didn’t wake up with his eyes tightly closed.

‘While you were sleeping, many people came and went.’

As well as the Master and Deputy Masters of the Roheon Guild, but also the Master and Deputy Masters of the Jayna Guild, they walked directly into the Requiem ward. Min Ah-rin thought of a man who looked particularly good in a black suit.

Deputy Master of Roheon, Ha Tae-heon. Min Ah-rin couldn’t hide her complicated mind as she stumbled upon him gently stroked the corners of Han Yi-gyeol’s eyes and his cheeks while sleeping with determination.

She saw an article that he had known Han Yi-gyeol from the beginning, but she never thought that it would be close enough to feel such strange feelings. Min Ah-rin, who was quite quick to catch on, noticed that there was something between Ha Tae-heon and Han Yi-gyeol that others didn’t know.

Cheon Sa-yeon was also a problem, but Roheon’s Deputy Master. On top of that.

“Han Yi-gyeol…”

Min Ah-rin put on a worried expression as she looked at Kim Woo-jin, who looked like a puppy who was whining at his sick owner.

‘Yi-gyeol-ssi, what are you going to do?’

As she anticipated the surroundings of Han Yi-gyeol to become more intense and chaotic in the future, Min Ah-rin sighed inside.

* * *

A pleasant wind blew. I stared blankly at the flickering white curtains, someone grabbed my shoulder.

“Hyung-nim, what are you doing?”

“Oh?”

My mind, which had been hazy as if in a dream, was cleared in an instant. Turning to my side, I saw blonde hair shining brightly in the sunlight.

“Did you sleep with your eyes open? I called several times, but there was no answer.”

“…did you?”

I had no idea. When I answered, stroking the nape of my neck in embarrassment, the guy put on a puzzled expression.

“What. Are you really sleepy? If you are very tired, sleep in my room.”

“It’s okay. It’s not that bad.”

I looked around slowly. High ceilings and luxurious interiors. This house, which he called ‘home’, was quite large.

“What is urgent? You can take it easy.”

“It’s already 4 o’clock, so what time will I wake up? It’s going to get dark soon.”

“Just sleepover tonight. After all, my father and mother went on a trip, so no one was there.”

“You’re annoying me.”

The guy who shrugged playfully at my answer took the lead and walked down the hallway. Following him, I asked the question I had been curious about for a long time.

“Hey, what about your sister?” (누나, Noona = big sister)

“My sister?”

“I’m wondering if she’s doing well.”

After the awkward addition, the guy stopped his feet and looked back at me. Doubt lingered in his black eyes.

“I thought about it before. Hyung-nim, are you interested in my sister?”

“…what do you mean by interested in. I just asked because I was curious about your family.”

“Is that so? Hm, it doesn’t feel right.”

The man who had tilted his head took a step back. The place we stopped shortly after was in front of a light beige door.

“It’s the room I used to play with my sister when I was little, but it became a storage room because I didn’t use it after I was a little bigger.”

There was a sticker with his name on the doorknob he was pulling on. Yeon Seo-yoon. Yeon Seon-woo. (연서윤. 연선우.)

In the slightly dusty room, there was a large bookshelf full of old books and boxes stacked on the table with all sorts of junk. Yeon Seon-woo, who blew dust while waving his palms in the air, said to me.

“There must be an album somewhere here, but the photos you are looking for are stuck there. Because we don’t have photo frames in our house.”

“I see.”

I nodded and opened the door of the nearest box. It was filled with sketchbooks and painting tools. Even if I didn’t ask, I could guess who the owner was.

“Probably most of the boxes belong to my sister. Sketchbook, art supplies…”

At that explanation, I glanced at him and took out a sketchbook and unfolded it. Looking at the faded paper, it must have been a sketchbook that was used a long time ago, but the picture of the colourful fish swimming in the deep blue water was very atmospheric.

I was only going to see one page, but before I knew it, my hand was turning to the next one. About four pages were passed, and the guy, who was looking at the book on the bookshelf, took the sketchbook from me.

“Hyung-nim. Are you here to have fun?”

“…I haven’t seen it in ten minutes.”

“My sister doesn’t like people looking at her drawings without permission. If you are bored, look at this rather than a sketchbook.”

Doesn’t like it? Then there was nothing I can do… Yeon Seon-woo held something out of my empty hand. When I received it unintentionally, it was a book with the title written in pure white letters on the all-black cover.

“Abyss?”

What’s this? A book?

“It’s a novel. Read it.”

“What… I don’t read things like this.”

“Why? It’s pretty fun. It’s been stuck in this bookshelf for more than 10 years ago. It’s not my father’s taste, but who brought it.”

He couldn’t even see my frown on my forehead, and he picked two or three more books with the same title from the bookshelf and put them next to me. What kind of novels were black and had only names written on them? No way, this…

“…why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s like a strange book.”

“No. It’s really just a novel. Well, it’s a bit masculine kind.”

“What’s with masculine? It’s a strange book, isn’t it?”

“It means a book with a lot of women. The main character is a man… Hyung-nim, you really haven’t read things like this, have you?”

“Why do you read such things?”

I flipped the book over carelessly and put it down as if tossing it. There was no interest. How could a letter arrangement like this be more interesting than her drawings?

I wanted to see the sketchbook, but the owner of the drawing said she didn’t want to be seen secretly… I gave up and searched other boxes for the original purpose photo.

“I’ll bring the book when I get back later. Take it and read.”

“I don’t need it. I’m not going to read it.”

“It’s fun tho?”

I smiled and lightly flicked my finger on Yeon Seon-woo’s white forehead.

Tak!

“Ah, it hurts!”

“I hit you because it hurts. Use your respectful words, dude.”

“You’re really so old-fashioned…”

Oh, my.

“A child with a difference of more than ten years speaks informally, but it’s only once or twice that he looks cute.”

“You’re not going to hit my sister even if she speaks informally!”

“That kid doesn’t use informal words like you. And even if she uses it, how can I hit a girl?”

“It’s discrimination!”

It sounded like discrimination. I clicked my tongue and pushed a box to him.

“Stop talking nonsense and go through the box. I will go as soon as I find the picture.”

“Right away? Why? Eat dinner and go. I told Auntie to make something delicious.”

“I am busy.”

“Ah, even you’re busy, you have to eat rice! Eat before you go. Yes? Eat before you go, Hyung!”

Yeon Seon-woo began to beg in earnest while hanging on my arm with his large body. My heart fluttered slightly when I saw him calling me ‘Hyung’, who used to be sweet like a joke.

What’s wrong with dinner? Eat before I go then.

“Um, then…”

Jiiiiing.

As I was about to answer yes, I stopped talking at the sound of vibrations from the inside of my suit jacket.

“Hyung?”

“Wait a minute.”

I pulled out the arm caught by Yeon Seon-woo and turned my back. Jiiiing. In the meantime, the vibrations continued to be heard.

The expected name was displayed on the screen of the cell phone I took out. Jiing. Looking down at the trembling cell phone, I noticed that the surroundings were filled with pitch-black darkness.

The smell of old books, the box full of craters, and Yeon Seon-woo, who told me to go to dinner, were all swallowed up by the darkness. All that was left in my hand was an obsessive phone call that was choking my breath.

“Haa.”

Taking a deep breath, I answered the phone. As soon as I brought the phone to my ear, a pure white light broke through the darkness that filled my eyes.

* * *

“……”

“…Han Yi-gyeol.”

As soon as I opened my eyes, I heard a voice I didn’t want to hear. I raised my stiff upper body and twisted my face.

“What.”

“You woke up after 3 days and 8 hours and 12 minutes.”

Cheon Sa-yeon, who looked at his watch and spoke naturally, looked at me and smiled. Even though I had just woken up, I was exhausted. Ah, I want to sleep again.

“…why are you here?”

“Do you hate me being here?”

Would that be nice? I looked around the hospital room just in case. Unfortunately, there was no one but Cheon Sa-yeon.

“What about the others?”

“I don’t know who you are talking about.”

“I mean Kim Woo-jin or Min Ah-rin-ssi.”

“Well?”

Cheon Sa-yeon gave a simple answer with a look of ignorance, but I had a strong feeling that he knew for some reason but deliberately pretended not to know. Yeah. What did you expect, me.