Afterdriftingoffforashortwhile,Jaegyeomopenedhiseyesinafamiliarroom.
Blinkingslowly,hestaredupataceilingdarkenedbyage.hewoodenbeamsandyellowclaywallsfeltstrangelyfamiliar.Ashelookedaroundblankly,realizationfinallydawnedonhim.
twasthethatched-roofhousewherehehadoncelivedwithMyojeong.
Atfirst,hethoughthemightbedreaming.Butitfeltfartoovividandrealforadream.otonlycouldhemovefreely,hismindwasperfectlyclearaswell.
Cotothinkofit,sothingsimilarhadhappenedoncebefore.
Backoneoyeosland,whenhehadnearlydiedafterhischestwaspiercedthrough,hisconsciousnesshadsunkdeepintotheabyssinsidehimself.Andthere,hehadencounteredthedisastergodsealedwithinhim.
Whyamhereagain?
histi,hewasneithergravelyinjurednorindangerofdying,sohehadnoideawhyhehadreturnedtothisplace.
henitoccurredtohim.
Maybetheboyhadsummonedhimfirstthisti.
Slowlylookingaround,Jaegyeompushedhimselfupright.
ereachedforthepaper-covereddoor.
astti,nomatterhowhardhehadpulledonit,thedoorhadnotbudged,asthoughithadbeensealedshut.Butnowitopenedeffortlessly.
Clatter.
hemonthesteppedoutside,hesawafamiliarfiguresittinginacornerofthesunlityard.
heboywascrouchedinthedirt,playingbyhimself.
Jaegyeomstaredattheboy’sbackforamontbeforecallingout,
“ey.”
heboyignoredhim.
Jaegyeomsteppeddownfromthewoodenporchandwalkedover.Peeringdown,hesawtheboyscratchingsothingintothedirtwithastone.tlookedlikesounfamiliarscript—ormaybeaformation.
“Whatareyoudoing?”
heboycontinuedscribblingasthoughhehadheardnothing.
“......”
Annoyedbytheblatantdisregard,Jaegyeomswepthishandthroughthedrawingandsareditapart.
“’mtalkingtoyou.Quitpretendingyoucan’thear.”
nlythendidtheboysnaphisheadup.
“Whatthefuckdoyouthinkyou’redoing?”
heboythrewthestonedownfuriously.
“Doyouseriouslywanttodie?Youshould’vestayedasleepandgonebackquietly.Whyareyoustartingshit?”
Jaegyeomstaredathimindisbelief.
“What?Startingshit?”
heboyhadbrokenhispromisetohelphim,demandedJaegyeom’sbody,thrownatantrumaskingwhetherhelikedYoonaeheethatmuch,andthenspitefullydraggedhimintoahallucinationafterbeingrejected—gettingYoonaeheehurtintheprocess.
Andnowthisbastardwasactingoffended?
“You’refreeloadinginmybodyandstillactinglikethis?henerveyou’vegotturningthisaroundon.ey,thinkaboutwhatyoudidfirst.You’retheonewhoshouldbegettingbeatenhalftodeathrightnow.Whatexactlygivesyoutherighttoglareatlikethat?”
AsJaegyeom’sexpressionhardened,theboyflinchedslightlybeforeturninghisfaceaway.
“Why’dyoucohere?”
Armsfolded,theboymutteredsulkily.
Unlikebefore,heclearlydidnotwelcoJaegyeomthisti.nfact,helookeddeeplyoffendedaboutsothing.
Jaegyeompaused.
Whatdoyouan,whydidco...
“Weren’tyoutheonewhocalled?”
Sothingaboutthisfeltstrange.
ftheboyhadnotsummonedhim,andifhisconsciousnesshadnotsunkthewayithadlastti,thenhowhadheenteredthisplace?
Forsoreason,thethresholdtotheabyssfeltfarlowerthanbefore.venopeningthepaperdoorandsteppingoutsidehadbeenincomparablyeasierthisti.
“hen...doesthatancanleavewheneverwantnow?”
“Yeah.Youcancoandgofreelynow.”
“Why?”
Afteramontofsilence,theboystaredathim.
“Whydoyouthink?t’sbecauseyoubrokethetabooropelastti.”
heboyansweredirritably,asthoughthequestionshouldhavebeenobvious.
Still,sincetheboyhadpreviouslyclaidthatoncesooneenteredthisplacetheycouldneverleave,Jaegyeomfeltrelievedtohearhecouldescapeonhisownnow.
hereweremanythingshewantedtoask.
Butrightnow,onequestionmatteredmorethananythingelse.
Myojeong.
Judgingfromtheirpreviousconversation,theboyclearlyknewfarmoreaboutMyojeongthanJaegyeomdid.
“DidyouknowMyojeongwasthepreviousBangsangsi?”
“Yes.”
“henwhydidn’tyoutell?”
“Youneverasked.”
heshalessresponseleftJaegyeomspeechless.
“hen...Myojeongreallywasn’tanordinaryhuman?”
“Myojeongwasahumanmarkedbythehotown.”
“hehotown?”
“Yep.”
hewordsmadenosenseatall.
“hehotownanstheplacewhereyouwerebornandraised.”
“Yeah.Becausethehotownisthestartingpointofallcausality.”
“henwhatexactlyisthishotown?”
heboyyawnedlazilyandlookedoffintothedistanceforawhilebeforehiseyessettledbackonJaegyeom.
hoseeyes,shininglikeembeddedglassmarbles,wereinhuman.
Withtheeyesofagodthatcouldseeintothedeepestdepths,theboylightlyclenchedhisfistandtappedthegroundbeneaththem.
“hehotownisthelandwhereyouwerebornandraised.”
ap.
“heroadyou’vewalkeduntilnow.”
ap.
“Andtheroadyou’redestinedtowalkinthefuture.”
ap.
“verythingyou’veaccomplishedsofar.”
ap.
“Andeverythingyou’refatedtoaccomplishfromnowon.”
ap.
“hethingthatsurroundsyourlifeitself.”
ap.
“Andthetotalitythatmakesupthisentireworld.”
Afterfinishinghiscarelessexplanation,theboyspokecasually.
“hisisthehotown.”
Jaegyeomfellsilent.
heconcepttheboydescribedwastoovast,tooabstract,tooincomprehensible.
“hishotownyou’retalkingabout...”
Jaegyeomslowlyliftedhisheadfromwherehehadbeenstaringatalineofantscrawlingthroughthedirt.
“Doyouknowwhathumanscallit?”
“What?”
“Destiny.”
heinstanttheireyest,sothingstrangeflickeredacrosstheboy’sface.
“......”
estaredintentlyatJaegyeomforalongwhile,asthoughlookingatsothingdeeplyfascinating.
henheslowlyrepeatedthewordunderhisbreath,savoringit.
“...Destiny?”
Suddenly,theboyburstintolaughter.
tstartedasasnickerbeforerapidlygrowinglouder.Soonhewaslaughingsohardhethrewhisheadback,evenstampinghisfeetontheground.
Forsoreason,heseeddelighted.
“Yes.hat’sit.You’reright.”
Stilllaughing,theboycuppedJaegyeom’scheeks.
“Sotohumans,thehotownisdestiny.”
henhegrinned.
“nthatcase,Myojeongwouldbe‘amanwhobetrayeddestiny.’”
“Whatdoesthatan?”
“BecauseMyojeongwassoonemarkedbythehotown.”
“...Whatdoesitantobemarkedbyit?”
“tansthehotownfavoredhispecially.”
SeeingJaegyeom’sconfusion,theboyelaborated.
“oputitsimply,hewasaprecioushumanbelovedbytheworld.”
“Beloved?”
“Yeah.Youcouldsaythisworldisthehotown’sgaboard.verythingexistswithintheflowitcreatesandunderitscontrol.t’slikethehotownisplayingagaofshogiagainstitself,takingturnsonbothsides.”
hosesidescouldbecothehumanworldandthenextworld,lifeanddeath,lightanddarkness,goodandevil,humansandghosts.
“Spiritualcreatures,sacredbeasts,humans,ghosts,animals...everythingcanbecoapieceonthehotown’sboard.Butnotallpiecesareequal.fyoulookthroughouthumanhistory,therehavealwaysbeenpiecesgivenstrongerrolesandgreaterpurposesthanothers.umansmarkedbythehotownarethosekindsofpieces.”
Afterfinishingtheexplanation,theboylookedbackatJaegyeom.
“Doyougetitnow?”
Jaegyeomthoughtheunderstoodalittle.
Justashewasabouttonodfaintly,theboyrubbedathiseyesandmutteredlistlesslywhilestaringoffintothedistanceagain.
“Myojeongwasoneofthem.”
henheaddedquietly,
“...houghhewasabandonedintheend.”
Jaegyeomfroze.
“What?Abandoned?Whatdoyouan?”
“Assaidbefore,mostthingsthathappeninthisworldarecausalitiesfabricatedbythehotown.nlyahandfulofhumanshaveeverrealizedthattruth.”
heboylookedatJaegyeom.
“AndMyojeongwascleverenoughtounderstanditfromveryearlyon.”
Jaegyeomlistenedinsilence.
“hat’swhyheeventuallybetrayedthehotown.”
“Myojeongbetrayedit?”
“Yep.”
Jaegyeomfrownedslightly,strugglingtograsptheabstractexplanation.
“ow?Why?”
“Myojeongcastasidethetaboothehotowngavehimandstrayedfromthepath.”
heboyscratchedhischeekcarelessly.
“Well,thetabooforcedontohimwasprettycruelbyhumanstandards.”
“...Whatwasit?”
Stillstaringintothedistance,theboyansweredflatly.
“evertakeanyone’sside.”
“...What?”
“evergiveyourhearttoanyside.”
“Wh-whatdoesthatevenan?”
“Youseriouslydon’tunderstand?”
Afteralongsilence,theboyfinallyturnedbacktowardJaegyeom.
isclear,straightforwardgazefixeddirectlyonhim.
“tansMyojeongwasneversupposedtoloveanyone.”
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