02. A visitor from the future (7)

Yoon Seo-hee tapped on the seat next to the bed and opened her mouth.

“Can you stay with me for a minute? I have something to say.”

Since I felt an atmosphere that I couldn’t refuse, I sat down next to Yoon Seo-hee.

“What is it?”

“Well, that’s….”

I waited silently for the words to follow.

However, no matter how long she waited, Yoon Seo-hee hesitated, and her lips only occasionally moved, and she didn’t know what to say.

“… ….”

I don’t know what to say at times like this.

I’m not a good conversationalist because I’m not close to words, and I can count on my hands the experience of talking to someone deeply.

So, instead of rushing her, she decided to just wait for Yoon Seo-hee to clear her mind.

Seeing her sitting side by side like this reminds me of that time.

The day we talked about each other’s dreams in my room.

It seems like it was a long time ago, but looking back, not much time has passed.

It’s only been a few weeks. Why did it feel like so much time had passed?

As she thought about that, she heard a chuckle next to her.

Yoon Seo-hee covered her mouth and laughed a little.

“What do you think?”

“No, since I was doing this, I remembered the past.”

“When you are alone in a room?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Because I was thinking that too.”

She had the same thoughts as Yoon Seo-hee, but it was strange that she laughed spontaneously.

She sees her eyes widen momentarily, then turns her gaze around and runs her hair several times for no reason.

The exposed earlobes were dyed red to the extent of being suspicious.

“That, is it? Right….”

A busy gaze and fidgeting limbs.

Her stretched legs sway under her bed.

Continuing silence.

The conversation cuts off again and time passes slowly.

Neither I nor Yoon Seo-hee said anything to each other, but strangely, the atmosphere was not uncomfortable or awkward.

She seemed to have sorted her mind to some extent, and finally Yoon Seo-hee slowly opened her mouth.

“Lee Jin-ah.”

“Yes. I am listening.”

“What if, what if. It’s too much for me, but if I’m the only one who can do it, what do you think?”

That was a fairly sudden question.

Is it related to the story with Baek Ji-soo?

It’s very likely that.

Anyway, it’s undeserved, but it’s something only I can do. I folded my arms and was deeply troubled.

“If it’s worth the challenge, I’ll do it. Otherwise I won’t.”

“But what if that is a must? What if I don’t do that and a lot of people suffer?”

“Damage, how much?”

“Perhaps the end of the world?”

I cleared my throat lightly at the story beyond my imagination.

The end of the world? No, it’s just a figurative meaning. I wouldn’t say that the real world I knew was about to end…. I sincerely hope not.

“First of all, is this serious?”

“Yes. Serious.”

So I guess I should seriously think about it.

It’s too much for me, but if I don’t do it, the world will end. Mmm.

Was the world so easily ruined that a single individual’s actions could decide whether or not to perish?

“… I will try to do it once.”

“Why?”

“Because if you give up without doing anything, you will feel like running away. I don’t want to have those regrets later.”

If I was given such a huge responsibility, even if it was a responsibility I didn’t want to take on, if I neglected it and the world was truly destroyed, would I be able to think that it had nothing to do with me at that time?

Probably not. Maybe I should have tried something, I’m sure I’ll keep worrying about it because I’m left with such unpleasant regrets.

This is just my opinion. Yoon Seo-hee doesn’t have to act the same as me.

“As expected, right?”

But Seohee Yoon slowly nodded her head to see if she had felt what I said.

“If it’s something only I can do, then it must be the right thing to do, right?”

She murmurs quietly to herself, as if to promise herself.

I frowned because I didn’t like the profile of Yoon Seo-hee.

“No, can I not?”

“Huh?”

Her expression was colored with absurdity. I resolutely opened my mouth.

“You don’t have to.”

“Oh, you said you were working hard?”

“If you’re going to do it with that expression, it’s better not to do it.”

It’s good to have a sense of mission in the grandiose act of preventing the world’s destruction.

However, it is not good if there is only a sense of duty.

That is the same as acting for others. There is no self

Yoon Seo-hee’s expression was just like that. Because of her more than necessary sense of duty, a heavy burden was felt behind her determined expression.

I didn’t like that.

In the early days of Outbreak, there were awakened people who climbed the tower with a sense of duty to protect people in a chaotic situation where the gate connected to the tower was opened frequently.

And most of them never returned.

Like my parents, they left only indelible scars on their families.

I don’t want Seohee Yoon to become that kind of hunter.

A good deed should be done for oneself, not for others.

Altruism is good. There shouldn’t be only altruism. The human mind isn’t that strong, so things like that won’t last long.

In the end, burnout comes from exhaustion. Or she died in the tower before that.

“Don’t take on things that only I can do. Whether you want to do it or not, that is the most important thing.”

I think the story went round and round because of the lengthy explanation, but in the end, that was the point I wanted to say.

Do it for yourself, not for others.

“Whether I want to or not… What if you don’t know that well?”

No matter how worried Yoon Seo-hee was, she opened her mouth in a voice without confidence, as if she didn’t know.

“At that time, think of a reason for you. For example.”

Looking back at her for a moment, I looked back on the conversation I had with her.

“For example, if you prevent the end of the world, will you be a better hunter than the person you want to avenge? Then Yoon Seo-hee, you are making your dreams come true.”

“Ah….”

“Me too. The dream of making a masterpiece is not for anyone. I do it because I want to.”

Making a sword is a series of pain and patience. That’s why I think that the more difficult and arduous the work is, the more motivated I should be for myself.

I was able to work so hard because I thought that making golden eggs was for myself as a result.

Yoon Seo-hee looked down at her and put on a thoughtful expression.

“… Okay, I get it.”

She smiled with a more comfortable feeling as if her messy hair had been tidied up.

“As expected. For me.”

“Yes, I will cheer you on.”

She seemed to finally be able to support her with all her heart. I have no idea what the hell she’s trying to do.

I shook my head and smiled innocently.

“And don’t shoulder that burden alone.”

“Huh?”

“Me too. Isn’t it your friend to lean on when you’re having a hard time?”

All I can do is listen to her story or make her a sword like now, but since I said I would help Yoon Seo-hee with her dream, I wanted to do what I could.

At those words, Yoon Seo-hee looked at me with a dumbfounded expression as if she hadn’t thought of it, then raised the corners of her mouth and smiled mischievously.

“Sure. Jin Lee decided to help you too, right? Don’t forget that Because you will eat a lot.”

“You are already trying to abuse me.”

She shrugged her shoulders with her joking attitude, so Yoon Seo-hee also got up from her bed and stretched her arms. The movement lifted her T-shirt, revealing her smooth belly.

“… ….”

For some reason, she felt that she shouldn’t be looking at her, so she quietly looked away.

“Ugh! I’m glad Jin talked to you. Her head hurts a lot, but she’s much better.”

“What did you talk about with Baek Ji-soo?”

“Sorry, I can’t talk. Ah, isn’t this what Jin Lee doesn’t want you to hear? She just promised not to.”

As if not to misunderstand, Yoon Seo-hee waved her hand. She didn’t care because she hadn’t had that misunderstanding in the first place.

“Someday, when the opportunity arises, I will tell you then.”

“A conversation with Baek Ji-soo?”

“No, there is that too… About my secret.”

Ah, that.

The secret of Yoon Seo-hee that Baek Ji-soo knew.

But since I had already cleared her mind about him, she opened her mouth in a calm tone.

“If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to say anything.”

“No! It’s not that I hate to say it, I just didn’t have the opportunity. Isn’t it a little out of the blue to say something like this all of a sudden?”

Yoon Seo-hee scratches my cheek as if she’s ashamed.

She didn’t even ask, but she would feel somewhat out of the blue if she lined up her secrets. It would be embarrassing to bring out the story she had in her heart to others.

Someday I’ll have a chance. I nodded.

When I checked my watch, it was already past 10pm.

If we walk from now on, by the time we arrive at the station, the subway will have already been disconnected. But like when she came, she didn’t want to let Yoon Seo-hee run.

“Seo-hee.”

“Huh?”

“It’s too late, so why don’t we go to bed tonight?”

It’s Friday, so I don’t have to rush to school early tomorrow morning.

You can use this guest room like last time, and I’ll tell my grandfather later, but of course he’ll allow it, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

Yoon Seo-hee made a surprised expression at my words, then let out a deep sigh with a weak expression on her face.

“Yeah, it doesn’t mean much anyway. Now i know….”

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s late, so I’d appreciate it if you put me to bed. Then you should say hello to her grandfather.”

Yoon Seo-hee left her guest room with a small muttering, “I’m going to go to sleep already.”

At that moment, her I thought of her suddenly came to her and called her to go outside.

“Wait a minute, Seohee.”

“Why?”

“I want to do something with you tonight. Will you come to my room later?”

“… ….”

Yoon Seo-hee froze as she stood quietly.