The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 295
I came to get you.”
It took a while for the words to register. Cha Eui-jae repeated them under his breath. I came to get you. I came to get you… The person beyond the coat waited patiently. Finally, Cha Eui-jae understood what those words meant. He asked—
“Why?”
“Because I need you.”
He understood the word need right away. There must be monsters nearby. Accepting it, Cha Eui-jae fumbled along the ground. No spear. It took him a moment to recall— right, it was gone. Didn’t he have a sword? He’d driven the basilisk’s fang into the snake’s head.
It’s fine. He could fight with his fists if he had to…
A large hand covered his searching one.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for a weapon.”
“Why?”
“You said you needed me.”
The grip on his hand tightened. Was that not it? His thoughts were still sluggish. But if he was needed, wasn’t this the only thing he could do? Cha Eui-jae glanced up at the masked figure.
“…Is that not it?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
Haa. A sigh came from beyond the coat. Cha Eui-jae closed his eyes. He knew that kind of sigh well. And he could predict what came next. You call yourself a hero? Stop acting noble on your own. You make us look like fools. I shouldn’t have trusted you. First place? You’re nothing special…
But the one who sighed said nothing more. Instead, the hand on his own gave a small pat.
“You don’t need it.”
Not needed.
His heart sank. He had known, but hearing it aloud was different. Cha Eui-jae gave a small nod.
“…I suppose not.”
There was no reason for anyone to need someone who couldn’t even fulfill his own responsibilities. He resigned himself to it. This must be a dream or a hallucination. It had to be. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to endure however much time he had left. He couldn’t grow accustomed to another’s voice, to warmth.
Because the moment the illusion vanished, silence would return. And he would be alone again.
Cha Eui-jae scraped his fingers against the bloodstained floor and tried to pull his hand away. But the hand covering his own followed. Warmth and weight settled over him, as if to tell him— this is real.
“…”
A drowsy voice asked—
“Where are you going?”
“Nowhere.”
“Why?”
“I have to stay here.”
“Why?”
“There’s no way out.”
“Then you should find one. Instead of just sitting here.”
“I have to stay with them.”
The black fabric over his vision blocked the sight of the bodies. He needed to see them. Cha Eui-jae reached to pull it away, but a hand pressed firmly against his crown.
“‘Them’?”
“…”
“Mmm… They don’t really look like people anymore.”
The stranger had a way of speaking only in facts. And they were right. They weren’t people anymore. All that remained were blood, bones, scraps of flesh, severed limbs. With his head still pressed down, Cha Eui-jae answered—
“They were people.”
“Huh… past tense. What happened?”
“They all died. Because of me.”
“Why?”
“Because I left.”
A sigh of disapproval. Cha Eui-jae braced himself for another round of scolding. But again, none came. Instead, another question.
“I see… Were they people who couldn’t fight? The wounded?”
“No. They were capable of basic combat.”
“Then… wasn’t it their lack of ability?”
Even with his head held down, Cha Eui-jae shook it. If only he had returned sooner. If only he had stayed to protect the camp. If only he had never left at all. As he drove his spear through monsters, slashed with his sword, crushed them with his fists— He had thought about it again and again. And every time, the answer was the same. Regret.
“They were people I could have saved.”
“If you think like that, it’ll never end… Do you plan to save everyone in the world? Will you sit like this every time you fail?”
“…”
“Do you really think that’s possible?”
“I know it’s not.”
“Then why are you doing this?”
“Because this was my fault.”
“Ah… Alright, that’s nonsense. Let’s talk about something else.”
The pressure on his head lifted. Something else? The stranger wanted to keep talking.
Cha Eui-jae leaned his cheek against his knee. How ridiculous. He had thought he was used to being alone. But after just a little conversation, he already felt… better. For some reason, he felt excited. The stranger asked again—
“How long have you been here?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you not count the days?”
Cha Eui-jae curled his fingers, counting.
“…I counted up to a year. After that…”
“Alright, that’s boring. Let’s talk about something else.”
The sudden change in topic was welcome. It gave him more to think about. And for a while, he could forget the pain. The stranger asked again—
“Do you have something you like?”
“Something I like?”
“Hmm… something like rolled omelets, kids, or hangover soup.”
“…”
It was a completely random list. The rolled omelet and kids made some sense, but why hangover soup? Cha Eui-jae thought deeply. The first thing that came to mind was his aunt. However… he couldn’t bring himself to say her name in a place where she had died. If he thought about it any longer, he might start crying, so in the end, he gave an irrelevant answer.
“Uh… cigarettes?”
“…”
Silence.
It didn’t seem like the right answer. Well, of course not. Now he probably seemed like a heavy smoker. Cha Eui-jae didn’t want to dwell on it, so he quickly added,
“I haven’t smoked in a long time.”
“I’d assume so… When was the last time?”
“Before I came here.”
“When did you start?”
“As soon as I became an adult.”
“How old are you now?”
“Twenty.”
“Hah, you were reckless.”
“And how old are you?”
“Older than you, at least.”
“Not by much, I’d guess.”
“Let’s just say we’re similar. Should we change the topic?”
That sounded like a deflection. Cha Eui-jae let out a small laugh. He heard a rustling sound, then felt something broad press against his back. The person had leaned against him. The unfamiliar warmth made his fingers flinch slightly. From behind him, the voice whispered,
“This time… let’s talk about this.”
“…”
“Have you ever saved anyone?”
A hero’s life was an endless series of failures. He had taken more lives than he had saved. Some people had told him that his presence reduced casualties, that because of him, more people could be saved. But J, Cha Eui-jae, wanted to save people with his own hands. He wanted to feel life continuing, instead of life fading away.
A small heartbeat caught his ear.
The heartbeat from the stranger’s back, pressed against his own, blended into him. It had been a long time since he had heard another person’s heartbeat. Listening to the proof of life, Cha Eui-jae answered.
“I have.”
“What kind of person?”
Cha Eui-jae let a bit more of his weight rest against the back pressing into him.
“…A kid. His whole body was melting from poison. He couldn’t see, couldn’t talk— his vocal cords were ruined.”
“That’s… a lot of injuries.”
“So at first, I wondered if saving him was the right thing. If I was being selfish.”
“…”
“I thought… maybe letting him go without pain was the kinder choice. Maybe he wanted to die.”
The boy had been unable to sleep without painkillers. Every time his bandages were changed, he would let out hoarse cries and struggle desperately. When his wounds were disinfected, they had to gag him— he clenched his teeth so hard they almost shattered.
The voice behind him asked,
“Do you regret it?”
Save me.
The boy’s lips had moved without sound. Maybe that wasn’t what he had meant at all. Maybe he had just been gasping for breath, and Cha Eui-jae had mistaken it for a plea.
Even so…
“…No.”
Cha Eui-jae had no regrets. Call it selfishness if you want. This was the one thing he could never give up. With unwavering certainty, he spoke.
“He is my only success.”
“…”
“How could I regret that?”
A low chuckle came from behind him. He felt the body against his back tremble slightly. It was strange. It had been so long since he heard someone laugh. The laughter eventually faded.
A voice, still tinged with amusement, asked,
“Then… you’re going to keep saving people?”
“Yes.”
“Even if this happens again?”
Cha Eui-jae reached for the black cloth that covered his sight. Beyond it, he saw crimson. Blood and bone. The ones he had failed to save. He burned the sight into his memory and answered.
“I will.”
“Why?”
Slowly, he blinked.
“Because…”
“…”
“I like saving people.”
“…”
“I’ll keep doing it. As long as my one success is still here.”
A sigh came from behind him. But he wasn’t afraid of sighs anymore. Because he knew this person wouldn’t doubt him. The warmth at his back disappeared. They were standing up.
“…Yeah.”
The voice came from above him now, laced with a smile.
“This is more like you.”
With a sudden flick, the black cloth was lifted from his sight. For a moment, everything went white. Then, red flooded his vision. Cha Eui-jae stood in the pool of blood without looking away. Behind him, someone stood close.
“Then… see you later, Hyung. Next time…”
A black-gloved hand landed on his shoulder. A finger brushed lightly against his ear before pulling away. A gentle whisper followed.
“You come find me first. Like you used to.”
Cha Eui-jae’s head snapped around. But there was no one there. As if they had never existed in the first place. Cha Eui-jae stared at the empty clearing, dazed. He was alone again.
But he wasn’t lonely.
