Chapter 27 (2/2)

Agnes cried out in anguish, which was quite unlike her, and her entire body began to shudder.

”I, I can't, breathe….” (Seol)

”G.o.dd*mn it!! Do you have any G.o.dd*mn idea what showed up in my Alias column in the Status Window because of you?!” (Agnes)

”S, still, my stomach….” (Seol)

She must've been royally p*ssed off, because she raised up her elbow very high in order to land an elbow drop on his back. However, she stopped after spotting something odd in the way he was clutching his stomach.

Seol wasn't using his palm but the edges of his hands to press onto the stomach. Only then did she notice his bruised and messed up hands.

”….Aren't you going to heal your hands?” (Agnes)

He managed to raise his head somehow and eked out a pained whimper. Agnes spat out a lengthy groan and shook her head.

”I see that you're still persistent with your foolish ways. It will be better if you at least get some kind of basic treatment on the injury.”

She dragged Seol and sat him down on the bed, then pulled out a bottle of antiseptic, healing salve, and some bandages from a closet nearby. Seol didn't even have a clue such things were there, so he was understandably stunned.

”Give me your hands.” (Agnes)

Seol obediently presented his hands. She knelt down in front of him.

”This room will aid you greatly in recovering your vitality, but has only a minimum effect on healing injuries. At least, if you were to take baths with the special ointments I've recommended, then….” (Agnes)

While opening the bottle of the antiseptic, she continued to talk to him. Watching her expertly clean his wounds, apply the salve, and bandage them in one go, a thin smile crept up on Seol's lips.

He felt rather happy at the moment. Actually, it had been a rather long time since he felt this way. He enjoyed this new life of his, where he got to spend the whole day engrossed in the things that interested him, and still have someone to take care of him. It felt… 'comforting'.

Even his personality was changing for the better. When he was still addicted to gambling, he was constantly on edge. The victim mentality took centre stage in his heart and caused him to choke up over nothing important; often, he'd get defensive and angry even if he was in the wrong.

However, Seol was changing gradually the longer he stayed in the Neutral Zone. Perhaps, it might be more correct to say that the old personality, the one Yu Seon-Hwah fell for all those years ago, was finally returning.

Whatever the case may have been, a new problem had risen up along the way; his mischievous side came back, too.

Agnes focused solely on wrapping the bandages around Seol's hands, allowing him to stare at the top of her head for a while. He then asked her a question out of the blue.

”I'm curious - how old are you, Miss Agnes?” (Seol)

”I'm 27.” (Agnes)

As she was almost done with the treatment, Agnes focused on that and didn't pay attention when she answered him.

”Oh. You are a noona to me by one year, then.” (Seol)

”….Pardon?” (Agnes)

”I'm only 26, you see.” (Seol)

A frown quickly formed quickly on Agnes's face. She was quite clearly taken off guard. She stared at Seol with a pair of eyes that seemed to imply, Where are you going with this now?

Actually, the word noona was as unfamiliar as it could possibly be for her.

”Uhm….”

Seol scratched his cheek in an awkward expression.

”It's nothing, really. Only that, if it's okay with you, I'd like to call you noona from now on.” (Seol)

”Let's talskd t, traeeming….” (Agnes)

Agnes hurriedly spat out some incomprehensible words, before she quickly covered her mouth with an expression that screamed, Oh, no!

”Eh? 'Taslskd traeeming'?” (Seol)

”Forgive me. I bit my tongue. I was talking about your training.” (Agnes)

Agnes cleared her throat with a fake cough and spoke properly this time.

”Ah. My training, is it?” (Seol)

At the mere mention of training, Seol's eyes began gleaming brightly. Seeing this, Agnes inwardly felt relieved. She didn't know why she felt that way, though.

She succeeded in changing the subject, but she still kind of resented Seol - her thoughts had been complicated for a little while now, yet he just had to say something totally unnecessary and make her feel even more conflicted than before.

A short while later, Agnes opened her mouth to speak.

”I've carefully considered this matter for a while.” (Agnes)

Agnes never stopped caring about Seol's daily training, no. On the contrary, she couldn't appear before him precisely because there was nothing further she could do for him at this stage.

”Is it time for the new type of training?” (Seol)

Initially, there was no reason for her to be this meticulous on someone else's training. However, her pride as Seol's teacher played 30% of the decision, while 20% belonged to Cinzia's provocation.

”….Well, I wonder. You could say this is indeed a new type of training, in a way.” (Agnes)

As for the rest, though - that was the fault of her own desires. A wish, a desire, that any Earthling in this place would harbour at least once in their lifetime.

Perhaps, she was seeking to find fulfillment through a subst.i.tute - for instance, 'only if I did things like this when I first arrived in the Neutral Zone', or 'only if I did things that way, then I'd have…'

She was pouring out her own avarice of pursuing the ideal perfection, the one she had failed to achieve herself.

”In a way… you say?” (Seol)

For the period of one month since Seol got his cla.s.s, she watched him train by himself. Seeing him get better and better all alone, she felt envious, and….

”….Yes.” (Agnes)

….And also, thankful.

She was thankful that he gave her the opportunity; she was thankful that he was patient enough to not partake in any other missions; she was thankful that he didn't give up halfway through; she was thankful that he didn't complain - much - and followed her advice without questioning it.

The youth sitting in front of her not only satisfied her avarice, she also satisfied her pride as a teacher as well. Perhaps that was why she no longer felt the need to compare Seol to Seong s.h.i.+-Hyun.

This youth was his own person. And that man was his own, too.

Simply put, the Seol she knew now was a survivor who had properly tread on the steps of the Neutral Zone, one at the time. Indeed, that was who he was.

And finally, the ends of those steps were within sights.

”Cutting to the chase, I believe you have performed enough training by now.” (Agnes)

The role Agnes performed so far could be compared to being an automobile's steering wheel and its gear lever. Now, it was time to hand the control back to the owner.

”You've done truly well. You've endured wonderfully until now. I am being honest.” (Agnes)

The cha.s.sis of the said automobile had been replaced with something even more st.u.r.dier than before.

”But, from now on, it's time to increase your combat experience.” (Agnes)

The engine had been a high-performance unit, to begin with.

Seol erased the smile off his face.

”That means….” (Seol)

His voice was soft, almost inaudible.

Agnes adjusted her gla.s.ses.

The only thing remaining to do…

”It's time to start doing the missions.” (Agnes)

….To storm the Autobahn and run free.

< 27.=”” mopping=”” up=”” the=”” missions=”” (1)=””> Fin.

(TL: Yes, the car/Autobahn reference is really present in the raw. I didn't make those up.)

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