Chapter 18 (1/2)
The morning sun rose up but cla.s.sroom 3-1 remained still and quiet.
The very first thing Seol did after waking up was to confirm his Nine Eyes was still there; his vision was dyed in green, before returning back to normal.
Seol felt relieved after his ability activated without an issue. Then, he came to realise that there were three people missing from the cla.s.sroom. The gla.s.ses wearing middle-aged man hadn't been seen since last night, but now, both Yun Seo-Rah and Yi Sung-Jin were gone as well.
‘Where are they?' (Seol)
The time was 09:47 AM. There was still over two hours left until midday, so the Hour of the Deceased should still be active right now.
‘I'm sure they are fine.' (Seol)
Seol picked up his bag and the steel bar. Maybe because he and Hyun Sahng-Min ate a lot of food during the early morning hours, his innards were screaming out in bitter protest. Thankfully, toilets were located right near the stairwells of each floor, meaning the distance was rather mercifully short.
After Seol took care of nature's call and exited from the bathroom, he spotted Yi Sung-Jin walking down the stairs, looking visibly downtrodden. After spotting Seol himself, the boy hurriedly bowed his head.
”Good morning, hyung.” (Yi Sung-Jin)
”Yes, good morning to you, too. Did you sleep well?” (Seol)
Yi Sung-Jin's smile seemed a bit awkward and weak as if he found Seol's politeness strange.
”It's alright if you drop the honorifics, you know….” (Yi Sung-Jin)
”Oh? That okay with you?” (Seol)
Seol stopped using honorifics right away; he also noticed the boy's anxious demeanor as well. It was as if Yi Sung-Jin wanted to hurry up and get going.
”Still in the middle of the treasure hunt?” (Seol)
”….Yes.” (Yi Sung-Jin)
”How many did you find so far?” (Seol)
”Uhm…. If I count the ones I found after waking up this morning, then it's enough to pay for my pa.s.sage.” (Yi Sung-Jin)
Considering the fact that Seol and Yun Seo-Rah had monopolised the majority of the coins, this amount was nothing to scoff at. Seol could imagine just how hard the boy must've worked to find that many.
Seol carefully appraised the round, innocent-eyed teenager's face for a bit. Because of his slightly below average height and the baby fat still visible here and there, if he claimed to be a middle school freshman, anybody would be inclined to believe the boy. In hindsight, him hitting Kahng Seok with a chair was a rather wonderfully mystifying act.
”Thanks for your help last night. I made it because of you.” (Seol)
”Ah, that's not true. That hyung did most of the work, anyway.” (Yi Sung-Jin)
Although the boy said so, both Yi Sung-Jin and s.h.i.+n Sahng-Ah combined their strength to knock Kahng Seok out. The boy might not have come up with the plan, but his role in it was still considerable.
”In any case, I didn't expect you to lend a help.” (Seol)
”Of course I'd help. I too had to suffer because of him on the second floor.” (Yi Sung-Jin)
”Oh? You did it out of revenge, then?” (Seol)
”No, rather than revenge…. I mean, he was deliberately indulging in only evil things. He had a really twisted, evil mind, you know?” (Yi Sung-Jin)
Seol chuckled slightly after hearing the teen's declaration. Indeed, Kahng Seok was an evil man. As if he had more things to say, Yi Sung-Jin hesitated and mumbled softly.
”Besides…. I got a feeling that you would've resolved the matters by yourself, anyways….” (Yi Sung-Jin)
”Mm? Why do you think that?” (Seol)
”I mean, you did kill that Gaeg-gwi monster so easily. And, also….” (Yi Sung-Jin)
He hesitated again, before continuing on.
”I kinda thought that noona was telling me to find you.” (Yi Sung-Jin)
”Miss Yi Surl-Ah said that?” (Seol)
”Yes…. No, I mean, it's just my gut feeling. I'll ask her after I revive her.” (Yi Sung-Jin)
Just the mere thought of his older sister must've made him happier, because there was a radiant smile forming on Yi Sung-Jin's face. It was pleasing to see that the boy hadn't lost hope, so a warm smile also spread on Seol's face as well.
”Yeah, I'm also getting curious, too.” (Seol)
Seol walked up the staircase. The boy's eyes dazedly chased after him going up. When Seol beckoned him to follow, Yi Sung-Jin hurriedly moved his legs.
”I, I think there's no more coins left on the fifth floor. And you don't have to….” (Yi Sung-Jin)
”Nope. There are no coins left on the fourth floor for sure. But, there should be four more left on the fifth.” (Seol)
Seol knew this, because he had checked the diary of the unknown student already.
”Eh?” (Yi Sung-Jin)
”Besides all that - how did you and your sister receive your Invitations?” (Seol)
Seol quickly changed the topic. Although Yi Sung-Jin tilted his head while looking unconvinced, he still honestly retold his tale in full detail.
From the beginning when his mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and how the family had to go through a tough struggle for a while; how he had heard of a certain medicine that could cure the said disease existing in the ‘Paradise' from the mouth of a person the family knew; finally, to how he and his sister got to receive their Invitations. When Seol asked about the matter of his schooling, Yi Sung-Jin mumbled some things and hurriedly glossed over it.
Seol found the remaining coins while listening to the story, and the two of them headed off to the library next.
The coins remaining in his possession was 885 - from the original amount of 1065, he gave 30 to s.h.i.+n Sahng-Ah, and he spent further 150 on trying to get the right medical supplies for Yun Seo-Rah. Now that there was no need to spend coins to open the sixth floor, even after deducting his pa.s.sage fee, he could still freely spend 785 coins.
”I'll try my best, but I can't give you any guarantees, okay?” (Seol)
Yi Sung-Jin looked like he still hadn't understood what was going on.
”I have nearly 800 coins on me. The ‘Revival' should be listed under SPECIAL, so I should be able to spin the machine twice.” (Seol)
Seol said as such while pus.h.i.+ng open the library's door. Yi Sung-Jin's eyes grew very large.
”H, hyung?!” (Yi Sung-Jin)
Belatedly regaining his senses, he quickly chased after Seol, but both of their steps came to an abrupt halt right afterwards.
There was someone here already. On the floor around the item draw machine, twenty-odd coins were strewn about, and near them, the owner of the coins was squatting on the ground, her hood pulled up to hide her face. Her right arm hung limp.
”Ah….” (Yi Sung-Jin)
Yi Sung-Jin gazed on at this sight with pitying eyes, before he proceeded to pick up all the coins on the floor. Seol approached Yun Seo-Rah and asked her in a soft voice.
”Are you feeling okay?” (Seol)
Her head buried between her knees trembled slightly. Seol thought she might be raising her head, but it turned out that she was just shaking it, instead.
”Your right arm…. You can't move it? At all?” (Seol)
She silently nodded her head.
”Uhm, here….” (Yi Sung-Jin)
Yi Sung-Jin sheepishly entered into the conversation and cautiously reached out with his hands cupped together. Coins filled his hands.
Finally, Yun Seo-Rah raised her head. She blinked her reddened eyes several times. Tear marks were still visible on her cheeks. Her slowly rising left hand trembled visibly to the naked eye.
She received the coins with much difficulty and dropped her head again.
Seol gently grasped the shoulder of the panicking and fl.u.s.tered boy. He then shook his head quietly, which led the boy to slowly nod his head in understanding.
Seol then moved on, choosing to insert his coins into the machine in silence, instead. When he inserted the 300th coin, he could clearly hear Yi Sung-Jin gulping down a huge dollop of saliva. Seol looked down in time to see a familiar-looking item box fall down with a clung!
[A quill pen of flowing consciousness, x1]
‘A quill pen?! What?' (Seol)
….Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't what he wanted. Which meant that he only had one chance left. Getting a bit more tense now, Seol began inserting more coins to the machine.
The second SPECIAL he got was a box he hadn't seen before. His heart beat from antic.i.p.ation as he opened the lid - only to find ten spell b.a.l.l.s neatly arranged inside. Just to make sure, he picked each one up and carefully checked them out. Unfortunately, these b.a.l.l.s seemingly weren't designed for things like reviving someone from the beginning. He found none that could help.
”….I'm really sorry.” (Seol)
”I, it's fine. I know that you did this only out of your generosity….” (Yi Sung-Jin)
Although he said that, Yi Sung-Jin was noticeably despairing. The higher one's expectations were, the greater the disappointment one would suffer - the teen was trying his best not to show it, but tears were forming on his eyes.
But there was nothing either of them could do. The world didn't operate to their wishes and whims, after all. And all of the coins had been recovered by now, too.
Seol was wondering how should he go about consoling the boy, but ended up flinching when a finger poked him on the ribs.
”?! Oh, it was you, Miss Yun Seo-Rah.” (Seol)
She suddenly offered her hand.
”Here….” (Yun Seo-Rah)
She didn't speak for long, but it was clearly audible. And on her small left hand, a miniature bottle wrapped up in paper could be found. Seol dazedly stared at both of them.
”This is the potion of revival.” (Yun Seo-Rah)
It was the first time Seol heard her speak a proper sentence. There was a certain coldness to her voice, but it was also rather pleasing to listen to as well, just like a cool wind brus.h.i.+ng past one's ears.
”Are you… giving this to us?” (Seol)
”Yes.” (Yun Seo-Rah)
This was unexpected. Why was this ‘disinterest personified' doing an act of kindness out of the blue?
As if she had read Seol's facial expression, Yun Seo-Rah tried to clear up her position.
”I heard from the boy not too long ago. Yesterday….” (Yun Seo-Rah)
When Yun Seo-Rah s.h.i.+fted her gaze to Yi Sung-Jin's direction, the boy got fl.u.s.tered and raised his voice.
”I, I ran into her earlier during the treasure hunt! She, she asked me what was going on, so, I, uh….” (Yi Sung-Jin)
While he was speaking up, Yi Sung-Jin's eyes were completely fixated on Yun Seo-Rah's offered hand.
”Is it okay for us to receive this? What about your arm?” (Seol)
”This item won't work on a living person. You'll understand once you read the paper.” (Yun Seo-Rah)
”….”
Seol cautiously received the bottle. Her skin that came in contact with his was cold and very smooth.
Yun Seo-Rah spat out a long sigh, and brushed past the two males to leave the library as if she was finished with her business here.
”I, uh, thank you so much!” (Yi Sung-Jin)
Yi Sung-Jin shouted out loudly.
”Thank you!! Really! Truly! Thank you!” (Yi Sung-Jin)
Tears were already flowing out from the boy's eyes as he bent his back forward 90 degrees.
”Thank you.” (Seol)
Seol too thanked her. She stopped walking, then.
”….Me, too.” (Yun Seo-Rah)
She then bowed slightly as well, before quickly leaving the library for good.
‘I guess she's a nice person, after all….' (Seol)
Seol tilted his head slightly, before quickly unwrapping the paper around the bottle. If he delayed any longer, Yi Sung-Jin might die of antic.i.p.ation right in front of his eyes.
[Requirements for usage] To be used on the Deceased only! A portion of the Deceased's body part. The cancellation of the state of insubordination for the Deceased - ”death of the Gaeg-Gwi.”
”The first and the third requirements are met already, but… a portion of the body part?” (Seol)
”I know where to find that!” (Yi Sung-Jin)
Yi Sung-Jin hurriedly pulled Seol along.
The place the boy led them to was a laboratory. However, as soon as the boy enthusiastically jumped inside the lab first, Yi Sung-Jin screamed out in fright. Seol held the steel bar tightly and entered too, only for a shocked gasp to escape from his mouth.
The middle-aged man, missing since last night, was lying on the floor - his body torn in half, from top of his head right down to his groin.
”He, he wasn't here last night, though?!” (Yi Sung-Jin)
Yi Sung-Jin fell even deeper into frightened confusion. However, Seol could roughly guess what happened here. Just by taking one look at that gruesome sight, it told him all he needed to know.
‘Did they hate him that much….? To kill their husband, a father, like this….' (Seol)
It was in stark contrast to Yi Surl-Ah, who allowed her younger brother run away.
”Sssuuunnnggg—Jjjiiinnn….?”