Chapter 281: Emotion (2)

Ryozo stared blankly, as if her soul had drifted away. Her pupils were cloudy, like veiled in mist.

“W-w-w-what… Agh.”

She let out an adorable squeal. Her jaw trembled so much she bit her tongue. Tears welled in her eyes.

Still, she didn’t look away from me, as if she were pinning me in place with her gaze.

“…I said I came because I wanted to see you.”

I mumbled like I was trying to hide in a hole. Damn, this was complete humiliation.

“Are you really Kang Geom-Ma?!”

Even in pain, she kept pressing. She stared at me so hard it was intimidating.

‘I shouldn’t laugh.’

But the body doesn’t lie. In the end, I let out a chuckle.

“……!”

Showing up out of nowhere was bad enough, but now laughing—Ryozo looked at me like I’d lost my mind.

She stood up abruptly and came over to me from across the table.

She spun the chair sharply so she was right in front of me. Her movements were pretty rough.

She pried open my eyes with her fingers, gave me a couple of slaps on the cheeks, even forced my mouth open to check my tongue.

Then she stepped back and tilted her head.

“Doesn’t seem like there’s anything wrong…”

Suddenly, she leaned in.

Tap!

Our foreheads touched gently. Our faces were so close her breath grazed my skin.

The distance between us was no thicker than a sheet of paper.

While I blinked dumbly, Ryozo closed her eyes tightly and furrowed her brow, as if focusing on something.

She slowly opened her eyes again, without pulling her forehead away.

“You don’t have a fever… Or maybe stress finally drove you insane?”

Ryozo murmured. She spoke normally now, though her swollen tongue still peeked between her teeth.

She looked straight into my eyes. With our foreheads touching, looking away was nearly impossible.

““……””

A deathly silence fell over the kitchen. Even the kimchi jjigae seemed to have given up bubbling.

We stared at each other without a word. Our breaths met halfway across our cheeks.

“…You’re not joking?”

Ryozo examined me deeply. I gave a slight nod. With our foreheads touching, even our eyebrows brushed together.

“No.”

“Why… now? What got into you?”

“I’ve been thinking these past few days. Who’s the most important person to me? And only one name came to mind. Of course, the exploration club and everyone else matter, but…”

I hesitated a bit. I was a little better than before, but still embarrassed.

But—

“…The one who’s thought of me the most has been you, Ryozo.”

“Is that a confession?”

“Something like that.”

“If it’s a confession, say it properly. What’s with the ‘something like that’?”

“I’ve never said anything like this to anyone before, I don’t even know if I’m doing it right.”

I scratched my cheek.

“And to think I say this just a week before the war. How pathetic am I.”

“Yeah, you’re pathetic.”

Ryozo pulled her forehead away. She exhaled deeply, like something hurt.

“I gave you so many hints… And you choose now to say this, right before heading to war. You know that’s super cowardly, right?”

Right on the mark. That’s why I stayed silent, listening to her scolding.

Even though her tone was harsh, I couldn’t help smiling for some reason.

“What are you smiling at? Don’t smile, you idiot! If a great hero like you puts on that face before leaving, it makes me look like the bad guy!”

“So should I take it back…?”

Ryozo narrowed her eyes and glared at me. It was just a joke to lighten the mood, but I’d clearly thrown gasoline on the fire. Tough crowd.

“You’re terrible.”

“I know.”

“Very, very terrible.”

“I admit it.”

“There can’t be a man more terrible than you.”

“Depends how you look at it.”

“In some ways, you’re worse than that Kojima guy.”

“Now, that’s—”

“No, you’re worse. At least he valued his own life. But you, you always throw yourself into danger without a second thought. And you’re so fast I don’t even get a chance to stop you. At that rate, will you even be able to fulfill your duties as a man later on?”

“W-what…?”

Ryozo didn’t wait for an answer. She stepped forward again. Came closer. Took my cheeks in her hands like she was going to pinch them.

“…This will be the last time.”

She spoke with effort.

“Just this once, I’ll let you go. But there won’t be a next time. Next time, I’ll be the one grabbing a bow and charging into the battlefield. Got it?”

I stared at her, dumbfounded. She squeezed my cheeks, demanding an answer.

“Did you hear me or not?”

I nodded while holding my squished cheeks. Ryozo frowned, annoyed by my blank reaction.

“You still don’t get it. Since you’re here, leave your seal.”

“Seal…?”

My pupils shrank. Her sky-blue eyes filled my vision. Her lips gently touched mine.

Creaaak!

The chair wobbled like it was about to fall, but held. Ding ding ding, bells rang in my head. I felt my soul leave my body.

“You’ve left your seal now, so don’t say anything else.”

Ryozo gave me a gentle push on the cheek. With a palm’s distance between us, I could finally see her clearly.

She was about to explode like a volcano.

Even so, she tried to act calm. There was one thing she wanted to tell Kang Geom-Ma before he left to save the world.

“Don’t die.”

Ryozo said it firmly.

“Cut them all down, like you always have.”

***

Apartment Hallway

Cynthia leaned her elbow on the railing and rested her chin on the back of her folded hand. In that posture, she spent her time staring aimlessly at the high tide of the evening.

The sky was covered with heavy gray clouds. In the distance, the sea off the coast of Busan crashed violently against the shore—a full-blown threat.

“Looks like it’s going to rain, even though it’s winter. Since it can’t snow…”

Cynthia muttered, exhaling a visible puff of breath. Her expression was indifferent when, behind her, the sound of a door creaking open caught her attention.

She turned.

Kang Geom-Ma was stepping out carefully, scratching his neck awkwardly.

“I kept you waiting outside… I’m really sorry.”

“Apologizing? Not at all. With this war state, I’ve been wanting some fresh air anyway. Your visit gave me the perfect excuse. Don’t worry.”

Cynthia offered a slight smile and wiped Kang Geom-Ma’s lips with her thumb.

It came away stained with red broth.

He looked visibly flustered, and a playful expression crossed Cynthia’s face.

“How was the homemade kimchi jjigae? I heard Kang Seo-Bang is a good cook, right?”

“Ah, that… Well.”

Kang Seo-Bang. He could no longer openly reject the nickname. Perhaps for that reason, Kang Geom-Ma clasped his hands politely. Time to show some service spirit.

“It had just the right sweetness, not too spicy, and it was delicious. Especially the kimchi—it had an excellent flavor.”

“Looks like Kang Seo-Bang likes spicy food. I added a ton of chili and he didn’t even flinch. Oh, and the kimchi’s from the supermarket.”

“Ah…”

Cynthia gave a mysterious smile and patted his tense shoulders.

“Thank you for coming to see her, Kang Seo-Bang. Before you showed up, that girl looked like she’d been chewing rocks. But the moment she saw you, her face lit up like a spring flower. She never makes that face for me.”

She sighed in mock disappointment. Kang Geom-Ma didn’t know how to respond. Cynthia was finding it rather amusing to tease her son-in-law. She hoped that boy would grow quickly and become part of the family. Then she could joke around with him as much as she liked.

A clumsy son-in-law awakened the mother-in-law’s sadistic instincts.

“You know something?”

Cynthia stepped slightly away.

“When I first met Kang Seo-Bang, I thought he was cold as stone. But now, you express your emotions much more. Look at those eyes, full of longing.”

She quickly turned her back. Her silhouette radiated solitude.

“Maybe being swayed by emotion isn’t ideal for a hero, but as a person, maybe it means you’ve matured.”

It was a reflection meant for herself. She recalled the man she had once loved deeply, now a stranger. After so many years, memories of Kojima were as blurred and murky as those clouds in the sky.

“…Geom-Ma, not just you—even that Kojima has changed.”

A bitter taste filled her mouth. What had gotten into Kojima that he decided to join the war? The world had clearly gone mad. And yet, a burning curiosity stirred inside her. Why had he changed? He, who hadn’t even looked back at her when he left. Her chest felt tight, as if something weighed it down.

‘After Alice died… he hated war. Why now?’

‘Why didn’t he just stay a retired old man, like always?’

‘Don’t tell me… in this war…’

Dark thoughts swirled. She wanted to ask Kang Geom-Ma directly, but couldn’t bring herself to. She considered hinting at it subtly, but even that felt wrong. How could she act like that in front of a hero carrying the fate of humanity?

Tap, tap.

As if mirroring her mood, the clouds began to squeeze out droplets of rain. Winter drizzle. The fine rain soon turned into a heavy curtain beating down on the ground, the sea, and Cynthia’s head without mercy.

Shhhhhh.

The old trees, preparing to hibernate, trembled gently. Dry leaves rustled with a grim sound. Only nature could tell if that trembling was from rain or an ominous foreboding.

Step.

Kang Geom-Ma stepped beside Cynthia. Like her, he leaned his elbows on the hallway railing. The indifferent sky pelted them with its cold winter rain.

“There was an emergency meeting recently. Kojima showed up, which was very unexpected. So after the meeting, I asked him directly. I was curious why he chose to join the war.”

He ran a hand through his hair. His rain-soaked face had a strangely unburdened look.

“He said he didn’t want to be someone his loved ones would be ashamed of. I don’t know exactly what he meant by that. Maybe it was just an evasive answer, considering our relationship isn’t great. But this is what matters.”

Kang Geom-Ma turned his head toward her.

“He said ‘loved ones,’ plural. Not just one person. I’m sure you’re one of them.”

Soaked like a drenched rat, he smiled warmly. Cynthia blinked. Raindrops clung to her lashes like dew. Her previously somber face brightened as if blossoming.

“My daughter really chose well.”

Kang Geom-Ma gave a sheepish half-smile.

“It’s about time, isn’t it? You should leave before you miss the last bus to the terminal…”

Cynthia trailed off mid-sentence. Something didn’t add up.

“Kang Seo-Bang, how did you even get to Busan? We’re under a wartime state—buses and portals are suspended. And how do you plan to return?”

Kang Geom-Ma hesitated to answer. He debated whether to tell the truth. In the end, he sighed decisively. His breath misted in the air.

“I’ll explain what you saw today when we meet again.”

Before Cynthia could say anything, Kang Geom-Ma snapped his fingers. A flash of light exploded in her vision. Instinctively, she crossed her arms to shield her eyes.

The last thing she saw was Kang Geom-Ma’s silhouette dissolving in an instant. A thunderous roar followed.

She opened her eyes slowly. The brightness had left her vision sore. Even so, it gradually returned.

Once she could see clearly, Cynthia let down her guard. A moment later, her pupils shrank, then relaxed in awe.

The hallway was scorched, with melted spots here and there, and tiny sparks flickered on the floor before vanishing.

The light was gone, but there was no trace of Kang Geom-Ma.

Rumble.

Cynthia steadied her wobbling body. She looked up at the sky. As if nothing had happened, the rain had stopped.

The remnants of the winter rain left a dark blue sky beyond the black clouds.