Chapter 97 (2/2)

Hearing her high-pitched tone, cold sweat went down Seol Jihu's back. Yun Seora had laughed about the matter before, but he couldn't help but think she was angry about it inside.

After hesitating for a moment, Yun Seora took out her cellphone and stared at it fixedly.

“Then… can I call you again?”

“Of course.”

Seol Jihu nodded his head immediately. After exchanging their numbers, the two of them left the restaurant. The sky was already dark, showing just how long they talked inside.

On the parking lot outside, the man who drove him here was waiting with his car. Seol Jihu insisted on taking a taxi home, but he found himself in the back seat of the sedan before he noticed what happened.

An awkward air filled the atmosphere. Yun Seora was chatty back when it was just the two of them, but she remained silent perhaps because there was someone else with them.

Huff, huff- He could only hear her soft breaths.

Tk. Suddenly, he felt something hit his forearm.

'Hm?'

When he rolled his eyes to the side, he saw Yun Seora leaning on his shoulder with her eyes closed.

“Miss Yun Seora?”

When he moved his arm out of the way, she fell and ended up with her head on his lap. When he nudged her to wake her up, Yun Seora grabbed his hand abruptly and covered her eyes with it.

“Mmnn.” She whimpered softly, seemingly content.

He wasn't sure if she was doing this in her sleep, but he was taken aback by how bold she was acting.

“Seol Jihu-nim.”

At that moment, the driver called his name.

“Do you enjoy driving around at night?”

Seol Jihu blinked repeatedly at his seemingly random question.

“I know a good place to drive around at this time of night. Watching the night scenery while driving slowly brings a whole new meaning to life. You won't regret it.”

When Seol Jihu kept staring at him in a daze, the man let out a bitter smile.

“It's been a while since Young Lady didn't throw a…. No, it's been a while since she fell asleep peacefully. So please.”

Only then did Seol Jihu understand what he meant.

“Are you related to that place?”

“Of course.”

“I'd be happy to so long as I have someone to talk to.”

“I will duly oblige.”

The man changed course and asked with a grin.

“I'm asking just out of concern, but you don't happen to swing that way, would you?”

“I'll get off.”

“I'm kidding, I'm kidding.”

The two men laughed wordlessly.

Seol Jihu made a new friend. To be honest, her social standing was too high for him to consider her a friend, but he decided not to think about all that. What mattered was that they shared a secret they couldn't tell others about.

The biggest change in Seol Jihu's life was that he started to look at his phone more often. In the past, never mind looking at it, he hated having it with him. More often than not, he had his phone off and refused to look at it.

But after he made a friend from Paradise, he began to carry his phone with him. Currently, he was reading a martial arts book about qi circulation. From what he could tell, the concept of qi was extremely similar to mana.

'Qi circulation refers to the movement of internal energy along one's meridians. It soothes the mind and the heart, while also….'

He was studying arduously when a light flickered on his phone screen. A message was shown on his notification bar. He unlocked his phone with a smile.

[It was great seeing how you gobbled them up so voraciously. I'm glad you liked them.]

It hasn't been long since they last exchanged messages, yet another one came. Ever since Yun Seora messaged him in the morning, the periodic messages have been going back and forth non-stop.

[I'm going to need a chance to redeem myself. What do you like?]

[I'm fine with anything. I'm not really a picky eater.]

Fine with anything. That was the trickiest type to deal with.

Seol Jihu tapped on the phone's keyboard with a blooming smile on his face.

[Anything? Mm, I've never heard of a dish like that. It doesn't show up on the internet either.]

Seeing Yun Seora's reply, he laughed in his heart.

[I'm kidding. There's actually something I really like. I want to treat you to it.]

[Really? What is it?]

[Have you tried Kw.a.n.gdong Ssanghwtang from the convenience store? If you put it in the microwave and drink it when it's warm, it's really good for relaxing your body.]

[I hate you.]

[Haha, I'm just joking. Anyways, give it a thought and let me know. It's fine even if it's expensive.]

After the brief conversation, Seol Jihu went back to studying while being satisfied with his own jokes. Now that he thought about it, it had been a long time since he last laughed so hard on Earth.

Of course, that didn't mean his desire to go back to Paradise lessened. In fact, this desire grew stronger every time he made progress in his studies. After all, he still had no one around him on Earth.

Kim Hannah was busy with work, and he couldn't just text Yun Seora all day. The sense of loneliness and isolation was especially great after chatting and laughing with Yun Seora.

The feeling of solitude and bitterness that visited him before sleep was unbearably painful. Once he was reminded of these feelings, Seol Jihu quickened his pace. He earlier he finished studying, the earlier he could return to Paradise.

Ssk, ssk!

His writing speed hastened.

'Let's go back.'

Exactly ten days had pa.s.sed since Seol Jihu's return to Earth. Kim Hannah was surprised by how long he stayed on Earth and quickly permitted him to go. She emphasized that he was 'going' to Paradise, not 'returning', but Seol Jihu didn't care either way.

Perhaps because of Yun Seora, he was a bit more at ease compared to last time when he was practically chased away to Paradise.

'Six packs of cigarettes, sandbags, toiletry, clothes, sneakers, notebook….'

After packing everything he wanted to bring into a large shopping bag, he took out a small, palm-sized piece of paper. Suddenly, he spotted his phone, which was connected to the charger.

Yun Seora had not contacted him since that day. After staring at it for a moment, Seol Jihu ripped the paper in half without hesitation.

Chwack! Along with a ripping sound, brilliant light filled his vision.

He finally returned to Paradise.

“Uwaaaaah.”

After leaving the temple, Seol Jihu stretched hard and watched countless Earthlings going in and out of the temple. Once his eyes turned to the dilapidated buildings of the city, vitality slowly emerged in his eyes.

Like its nickname, 'Crime City', Haramark was messy and decadent. However, it was also filled with a mysterious vigor and an electrifying virility.

The heaviness suppressing his chest slowly disappeared. With light steps, Seol Jihu hopped down the stairs to the temple. As he looked around the city in excitement, he noticed something strange.

The overall atmosphere of the city was rather grave. Rather than somber or dark, it was the opposite. Almost as if an incredibly elastic spring was pushed down to the limit, a current of excitement waiting to erupt filled the air.

'Did something happen?'

Seol Jihu found a small group of people muttering about something with a serious face. He couldn't help but feel a little excited.

He brought his animated body to Carpe Diem's building, but the office was completely empty. There wasn't any trace of anyone having visited it either.

'Are they not here yet?'

The difference in time between Earth and Paradise was 1 to 3. In other words, the ten days he spent on Earth was equivalent to thirty days in Paradise.

He thought he would have been the last one to come, so no one being here was quite a surprise.

'I'm sure they'll be here soon.'

He unpacked his things and took out a cigarette. After plopping down on the couch, he blew out a puff of smoke. Now that he was home, he felt alive.

Of course, he had no intention of just sitting around and doing nothing. He did not spend ten days on Earth just to relax in Paradise.

Seol Jihu fell in thought as he continued smoking. He thought back to what Dylan said. That an expedition or an exploration wasn't over just because one came back. That one could only get stronger by reflecting on even the tiniest details and putting in the effort to decrease future mistakes.

Since Seol Jihu fully agreed with this sentiment, he slowly reminisced about the previous incident.

Not long afterwards, a bitter smile surfaced on his face. No matter how much he thought about it, he could only thank Lady Luck for helping him escape.

Destroying the laboratory and making it to the Forest of Denial? It was all thanks to the Federation's secret weapon, Thunder, and their members' ability to fly.

Managing to survive after the Parasites caught up? That was thanks to the Forest of Denial's ghost saintess.

Of course, it wasn't that he contributed nothing. But what if this didn't happen? What if that didn't happen? Once he eliminated the elements of coincidence, he could see the reality crystal clear.

If he were alone, he never would have made it back alive.

In truth, that was something he didn't even need to think about. He had already thought the same thing over and over again during his escape.

If I was stronger. If only I had more strength.

'I can't keep going being drunk on my accomplishments in the Neutral Zone.'

Although he was the top dog among the newbies of the Neutral Zone, that no longer mattered once he was in Paradise. He could simply go outside now and find a random pa.s.serby who was stronger than him.

Just like Cinzia said, the difference between the two areas was the same as heaven and earth. In the end, there was only one conclusion.

'I need to get stronger.'

Then what did he need to do to get stronger?

Seol Jihu's eyes flickered with light. He clenched his fists and raised them up high.

'It's time for some real training.'