Side Story 2. The Forgotten (1/2)

It started out like any other day. He woke up in the morning, opened the restaurant, sold ramen with Baek Haeju and Seo Yuhui, and prepared to close for the day when the sun set. But his routine was altered when a customer arrived. The small bell attached to the door chimed as the door opened.

“I’m sorry, but we’re closed for—”

‘…the day,’ was what Seol Jihu was about to say, but stopped when he saw the man standing in the doorway. The man in a black suit and sunglasses closed the door behind him and entered the restaurant. Seol Jihu’s face brightened with surprise at the unexpected visitor.

“Mister Hao Win…!”

“Do you mind keeping this place open for another hour or two?”

Hao Win pulled down his sunglasses just enough to show his eyes and raised the shopping bag in his hand.

“I’ll be even more glad if you offer corkage service.”

“Cor...kage?”

“It’s what restaurants call when they charge to open and serve the wines that customers bring to the restaurant.”

Baek Haeju explained. A smile spread over Seol Jihu’s face when he realized what was inside the shopping bag.

“Of course. Come in, come in.”

“I can’t believe it took me this long.”

Hao Win settled down at a table, clicking his tongue.

“I was going to drop by during the day, but the line was just too long. Ah, no need for bartenders tonight.”

He said, looking at Baek Haeju and Seo Yuhui. The pair understood his intention and left with a smile.

“Let me get you some snacks. What would you like?”

“That’s okay. All I need is cinnamon, salt, and sugar. And a thin slice of lemon or orange, if you have some.”

“Cinnamon, salt, and sugar…?”

With a smile, Hao Win pulled out a bottle from the shopping bag and placed it on the table. The transparent liquid swayed gently in the clear bottle.

“It’s tequila.”

“…Sounds strong.”

“The truth is, I don’t really like drinking.”

Hao Win smirked.

“Sometimes, work requires me to drink, but I always drink to enjoy, not to get drunk. But….”

Suddenly, his voice faded. Then he licked his lips.

“Lately, I’ve begun to realize why some people are so eager to get drunk.”

Seol Jihu’s gaze lingered on Hao Win for a moment before he turned around to grab the requested condiments. He brought them to the table and sat across Hao Win.

The pair then began to talk about trivial and random issues, about the past and present, while emptying their glasses.

“That’s right.”

Soon, the topic moved to recent events.

“A festival was held here recently, no?”

By then, the bottle was about half empty.

“Yes.”

Seol Jihu answered, sprinkling salt over a thin slice of orange.

“It was fun.”

“…”

“Didn’t Nur also have one?”

“…Yes.”

“How was it? Nur’s a port city, so I expect—”

“It was boring.”

The reply came promptly. Seol Jihu raised his eyes and saw Hao Win slam another shot of tequila down his throat.

Tak. Hao Win put the glass down on the table, picked up the slice of orange that Seol Jihu had sprinkled with salt earlier, and sucked on it.

His face warped into a frown.

“It was… boring.”

He repeated yet again. Seol Jihu tilted his head.

“Do you not like festivals?”

“I like them. I do. But….”

Hao Win’s mouth opened, then closed with hesitation. Finally, he let out a long sigh.

“I don’t know how to explain this.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Everything’s fine, at least on the outside.”

Hao Win continued quietly.

“Seol, I know you appointed us as Nur’s representative organization for our sake. You promised Nur support, and thanks to your help, most of the city has been restored to its prewar condition…. The city has, that is.”

He stressed the word city.

The Parasites had destroyed Nur during the war. All the inhabitants of the city were killed regardless of origin, and the royals were no exception. Nur’s current population consisted of Paradisians who had migrated from other cities. The city’s throne had been left empty until not long ago when Hao Win became Nur’s new king.

“Honestly, I thought I’d excel as a king.”

“…”

“To be accurate, I thought the people of this world would be fed up with the royal families’ incompetence.”

“Mister Hao Win, that’s—”

“I know, I remember what you told me. The Chief Deity in charge of causality made a big mistake, and that’s why everything went awry.”

“…That’s right.”

“But it’s not like the public knows that.”

Hao Win took off his sunglasses. His face appeared pale under the dim light. Only his eyes were burning quietly. It was unlike him to complain like this; it must be the alcohol. Instead of speaking, Seol Jihu chose to listen. Hao Win’s words were raw with emotion. This presented Seol Jihu with an opportunity to better understand what was troubling his guest.

“I… I liked Haramark.”

Hao Win said after a moment of silence.

“The atmosphere was gloomy, but there was hope there because Haramark’s royal family really cared about their people, and strived to protect them from the Parasites.”

“You’re right.”

“Eva is even better. Sure, it was trash at first, but now it’s the most vibrant city in Paradise. Am I right?”

“Yes.”

“The problem is—”

Hao Win’s voice shot up a notch.

“Nur… just doesn’t have that kind of energy. Even though the Parasites are gone….”

He loosened his tie.

“So what exactly is Nur’s problem? I’ve thought long and hard about this and concluded that Nur lacks two things that all the other cities have.”

Hao Win popped the top button of his shirt and let out the breath that he had been holding.

“First, it has no royal family.”

“Well, that’s….”

“Second, it has no hero to make up for the absence of the royal family.”

“It’s only been a year since the war ended.”

Seol Jihu began to speak.

“One year. And the war lasted more than two decades.”

“At first, I thought things would get better with time.”

Hao Win smiled bitterly.

“Will it, though?”

“Mister Hao Win.”

“I’m not talking about the wounds of war or anything like that.”

Hao Win’s voice suddenly dropped to a whisper.

“This world is fundamentally different from ours. There’s a big difference between the way we see our president and the way the Paradisians see their king.”

It looks like the royal families’ incompetence did nothing to change people’s perception. Hao Win added.

“There’s more.”

He continued.

“In this world, we’re strangers.”

“…”

“We can pack up and leave whenever we like, and they know that.”

Seol Jihu shut his mouth. He finally realized what Hao Win was trying to say and why he was so worried.

“Things might have been different if the Parasites had been here.”

But the Parasites had disappeared from Paradise forever.

“It’s not that I miss them, but… I just regret that I wasn’t able to become a hero whom people can trust.”

Hao Win grabbed the bottle and shook it. It was now empty.

“I’m still not 100% sure about this. I’m hesitant even now. But….”

Tang. Hao Win placed the bottle back down on the table.

“Ever since the festival, my thoughts have been leaning to one side.”

Hao Win continued.

“The highest position allowed for an Earthling like myself may be the representative of an organization partnered with a traditional royal family.”

Seol Jihu stared down at the table in silence. He didn’t know what to say.

“It’s not like I can suddenly introduce democracy to Nur, you know.”

Hao Win broke into a helpless laughter. Seol Jihu hardly managed to form a smile.

“I’m sorry. I know this must be sudden for you. It’s just that I’ve been under a lot of stress lately. I feel like I can finally understand why you resigned from Valhalla after the Half Century Treaty.”

Hao Win shook his head.

“Now, I’d like to tell you why I came all the way to see you.”

After the laughter subsided, Hao Win began to speak with a relaxed expression. His face still showed hesitation, but he looked much more comfortable than before.

“I have a favor to ask of you.”

“I’ll do it.”

Seol Jihu answered right away. Hao Win’s eyes widened.

“How can I say no? You helped my family and me.”

A soft smile spread across Hao Win’s lips.

“Do you mean it?”

“Of course.”

Seol Jihu winked.

“As long as it’s something that can be granted with a wish.”

*

The day after Hao Win’s visit, Seol Jihu left Eva for Scheherazade. His conversation with Hao Win reminded him of a certain individual and he headed over to pay her a visit. But when he finally arrived at Sinyoung, he became a little worried. Would he be able to meet her? Retired from Valhalla, Seol Jihu was now officially nothing.

Fortunately, his worry soon proved unnecessary. Upon hearing of Seol Jihu’s arrival, a woman ran out barefooted to receive him at the door. This woman was Yun Seora, the executive director of Sinyoung.

“You surprised me! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“I thought I brought my communication crystal, but it turned out I didn’t.”

Seol Jihu smiled awkwardly.

“I didn’t realize it until it was too late….”

But his smile soon faded as he realized just how exhausted Yun Seora looked. It was no surprise. She must be overexerting herself, trying to fix everything that had happened to Sinyoung and Scheherazade.

“How’s everything?”

“The same.”

Yun Seora gave a weak smile.

“It can’t be helped, I guess. A year in Paradise is only four months on Earth after all.”

“No, Earth is fine, actually.”

Yun Seora shook her head.

“We’ve taken matters into our own hands from the start, and the public is quick to forget.”

Seol Jihu nodded. Lately, he hadn’t seen Sinyoung on the news as often as he used to, come to think of it. Front pages no longer mentioned Sinyoung.

“The problem is Paradise.”

Yun Seora sighed.

“A lot has changed… but some things just don't change.”

She remarked meaningfully.

“And it’s not just limited to Scheherazade. But then again, with everything that’s happened, I can understand why some people don’t like Sinyoung.”

Yun Seora gave a bitter smile before turning her gaze to Seol Jihu.

“So please, help me.”

Seol Jihu was about to speak but stopped.

“Isn’t that what you’re here for?”

His eyes widened.

“I’ve decided to be more honest from now on.”

A pink blush spread across Yun Seora’s cheeks as she dropped her eyes in slight embarrassment. Seol Jihu could not help but smile at the sight.

“A few days ago….”

Finally, he told her why he came to see her in the first place.

Yun Seora listened patiently.

“I see. The Triads’ representative….”

“I've faced a similar dilemma in the past. Should I do it, or should I not? I think I might really have done it if it was Eva.”

Seol Jihu said, looking down at Yun Seora, who was gazing at the floor.

“I’m not trying to force you. I’m just asking your opinion.”

“The truth is….”

Yun Seora raised her head as soon as Seol Jihu finished speaking. Her face showed no sign of surprise.