Still, I had a hypothesis for some of these locations. Song Ha-gyeon was likely to be at the laboratory, and Park Yul was likely to be in the greenhouse garden.
Then, the studio or study? Which one was it?
When I thought further, I remembered that Raen was always looking at some books or leaflets of paper every time I visited his room.
My thoughts leaned toward the study; you had to follow your guts for things like this. As soon as I made the decision, blue grains of light appeared before my eyes and created a lined path.
ăGuiding you to the âStudyâ.ă
From the status windowâs kind explanation, I gained a small understanding; the system was going to find a path for me. What a very convenient quest.
I left the room and followed the line created by the light. The entire building was plunged into darkness. The highlighted road was the only source of illumination, and I felt a little strange following it.
The light led me down to the first floor and cut off in front of a small door at the end of the corridor. A pale orange light leaked through the gap made by the door and the floor.
I knocked on the door before opening it carefully.
The room was neither big nor small, and the study was filled with cozy orange lights. Large shelves at either side of the room were crammed full of thick books.
Right in the front of the room was a very large window with translucent, thin white curtains slightly drawn back. I could see the night sky through the glassâblack and tranquil with neither a moon nor a star high in the sky.
Raen sat, facing the door, with his back turned to the window. He wore a white eye patch over one eye, as if he were hurt.
The desk right in front of him was full of messy books and open ink bottles.
Dozens of papers that were floating in the air fluttered down to the floor in an instant; the light gently shone on the papers.
âYihan.â Raen sprang up from his seat. He then tried to move quickly to my side but hesitated right before his chair. The warrior didnât even seem to care that he was crumpling the scattered paper mercilessly under his feet.
He blinked almost exaggeratedly as if he couldnât believe I was there. His golden irises seemed to tremble as they twinkled.
Soon enough, transparent tears poured down silently; each droplet seemed to trap the light. Raenâs gaze looked straight at me.
Suddenly, it occurred to me that his eyes resembled a full moonâa moon that shone silently in the dark, in a complete absence of light. My reflection was captured in the bright golden orbs.
I took a slow step towards Raen, his shaky gaze following me. The Warrior retreated one step backward, and somehow the dim lights that lit the room seemed to tremble as well.
âDonât come near me.â A whisperâyet, it sounded as if his throat had an arduous time speaking. That voice stopped me from walking any further. Raenâs expression was stiff and rigidâwhy?
I stared at Raenâs doubting expression; the Warrior, in turn, didnât avoid my eyes and stared back.
He slowly opened his mouth, âI believe you, Yihan.â
Raenâs expression looked so grave. His words were unwavering, calmâŚas if he were confessing something to me. There was a deep guilt, stemming from an unknown origin, permeating through his determined voice.
I once heard this tone before.
A large, darkened room; someone kneeling down before me holding my hands and gazing deep into my eyesâŚ
Who was it? What did he say to me? I wracked my head to try and bring that blurry memory to the surface of my consciousness.
âYihan. Whatever it may be.â
Raenâs voice cut through my musings.
I came to my sensesâthatâs right, if I had forgotten, then it mustnât be too urgent. The past didnât matter as much as the present. I focused on Raenâs voice.
âEverything. Iâll believe you,â He said.
It felt as if Raen really wanted to tell me all this; afterwards, he wiped away the tears that constantly flowed down. I kept staring at the Warrior, who kept retreating almost automatically. I flickered my gaze to the side; the status window, which I had delayed checking earlier, could be seen in the corner of my perspective.
ăThe penalty, âintermittent nosebleedâ will be sustained for a duration of âthree weeks.âă
Alongside a quest fail notification, the system had given me a penalty. I read the sentence over and over again.
Right next to that was a new quest window.
<Required Quest!> âRaen â Please, no more doubts!â V
On Success: Acquisition of Raenâs Faith
On Failure: Intermittent Hemoptysis for 3 months. 1
The time limit had already begun to count downâit must have started while I was still unconscious. I had thought this quest would have already been completed.
Just what in the world must I do to finish this quest?
While I sighed inwardly, I could hear Raenâs cautious voice, âI believe, so please, donât do that anymore.â
I almost asked, âDo what?â But, judging by Raenâs wary retreat, I could guess that he was referring to the âImportâ function of my skill.
Of course, that must have been a surprising event for Raen; after all, I had suddenly collapsed with no detailed explanation. It must have been such a hassle to carry home an unconscious man.
Itâs not like I didnât understand his heart. StillâŚ
âRaen Hyung,â I called out to him.
As soon as he heard my voice, Raen bit his lips hard. The lights that filled the room with their glow dimmed and returned to their original strength repeatedly.
âAre you going to keep avoiding me like this?â I walked slowly to the Warrior. I had a lot to say, but I wasnât sure what would be proper in this instance.
âShould I say, âThis wonât happen again?â
I wanted to be able to say that, but I wasnât sure I could keep that promise.
Of course, I didnât think that there was a need to use the âImportâ skill anymoreâthere was a way to empty the gauge before it became full. Though, I havenât really confirmed what that method may be.
Still, the world never went the way I pleased. I didnât want to make promises that I couldnât keep.
In the end, there was only one thing I could say. I smiled awkwardly and stared straight at the Warrior, âThank you, hyung. I should have said this first.â
Raen, who had been slowly stepping backwards, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
The large window was right behind him; the dark night stretched eerily behind himâlike a deep void.
I reached out to Raenâs face. His back touched the cold windowâthere was nowhere to retreat.
ââŚYihan. DonâtâŚDo it.â His voice sounded desperate. Raen very gently clenched the tip of my sleeveâwhich had slipped down my wristâto push it away.
The lights in the room shook, almost like they were blinking. Below, Raenâs figure was repeatedly plunged into darkness and then bathed in light.
I opened my mouth calmly, âItâs alright.â
Before I could hear another quiet, âWait,â I took the initiative to touch his cheek. The status window manifested before me.
ă<This Healer will help!> Warrior âRaenâ
A blue light surrounded Raenâs eyeâthe left one, covered by the eyepatchâwhen I chose the âHealâ option.
I reached out and carefully untied the knot. Now loosened, the white eye patch gently fluttered to the ground. The white cloth fell lightly like a snowflake.
The light that hovered around Raenâs eyes poured into me.
At the same time, the blinking orange lights in the room vanished.
The tranquil darkness settled around the room. Only Raenâs golden eyes, right before me, gleamed in this darkness. His pupilsâŚand my reflection in those golden orbsâŚ
âRaen Hyung.â Smiling lightly, I swept my fingers across the corners of his red-tinted eyes. âSee? Iâm alright.â
Raen listened to my amused voice quietly. He chewed at his lips and still did not respond.
He had a strange expressionâhalf tearful, half smiling. Somehow he seemed both relieved and also affected by the burning anxiety in his heart. Tears flowed quietly from Raenâs left eye, now exposed after the eye patch was untied. Gently and carefully, I wiped away some of his tears with my fingers. At the very least, I must be a better sight than last timeâhe wasnât watching me bleed out.
âYihan.â His voice was soft as usual, but the syllables seemed partially stuck in his throat.
Raen clenched my wrist slightly before relaxing his grip; then, he leaned onto me as if he were falling apart. When he wrapped his arms tightly around me, I could smell a sweet scent wafting from him.
A few strands of short red hair loosened from their tie; the strands grazed past my skin as they slid down. For some reason, the room felt a bit hot.
Leaning his head right into the side of my neck, near its nape, Raen slowly continued to speak. I could hear his whispers through my face. âHavenât I always saidâŚâ
Raen breathed heavily, as if he were overwhelmed. His following wordsâsomething he had repeated many times in the pastâwere uttered with much difficulty, ââŚThat what youâre experiencing isnât âalright.â Itâs not fine.â
Though the tearful quality of his voice had disappeared without a trace, I still felt like Raen was crying inside. A weak tremor racked his body.
Raen may actually be more soft-hearted than the amiable Min Joo-hyuk or the tranquil Song Ha-gyeon. That must be why Raen was so worried for me.
âIâm truly alright, Raen-hyung.â
Raen clung to me and hugged me hard; the tremors grew in intensity.
Though it was inappropriate in this situation, I couldnât hold back a small chuckle. I guess this is why people say âYou donât know how youâll react unless youâre in the thick of it.â
I stroked Raenâs broad back, âStill, if Raen Hyung still says this isnât okayâŚâ
The empty darkness still spread behind Raenâs back. It was a heavy, almost intimidating night, but I could handle itâI was no longer alone.
However, if youâre so worried about meâŚ
âThen, Iâll think carefully about what you mean, although Iâm not sure I understand. Therefore, Hyung should tell me and teach me well.â I finished with a smile.
Raen replied, âAnytimeâalwaysâIâll say it. And Iâll believe you. Everything Yihan-ie tells me.â
I couldnât see Raenâs expression since his head was still buried in my neck, but I could tell he was sincere. I nodded my head quietly and thought, âThen, why isnât this quest completed?â
Right next to me, the time limit for the quest to relieve Raenâs doubts was decreasing.
Who or what was the subject of Raenâs doubts? Was I incorrect in thinking that his doubts were about me in the first place? Or maybeâŚ
My thoughts were cut off by the clear and sudden sound of a bell. Belatedly, the quest window manifested before my eyes.
<Surprise Quest!> Find the Warrior â Success!
As a reward, youâve obtained the âIâll come find you, Warrior-nim (1 time)â flag.
As soon as I checked the window, the quest notification immediately closed down and disappeared.
The pitch-black night passed by outside the window; The purple dawn, driving away that empty void of darkness, slowly began to color the sky.
that means bleeding into your lower respiratory system or your lungs, which results in coughing up blood etc