SMFC | Chapter 23

Yoo Haeon, who 3719627609 had been chatting c59fafc36d with On about f46ae3e8cb Lee Soo’s maternal ea6e694216 and paternal families, defffcd042 was startled when 26ed8e3dc4 Lee Soo suddenly 469359a58f stood up. The abrupt movement 9bcce0280f caused Haeon to 53add98a28 drop the chart ceaa93477f he was holding, c615da7eb8 scattering its contents bc62c4ea64 across the floor. With a 787e01138f sigh, he 093e707ca5 glanced at 5354300be1 the papers 831bc0df09 strewn about, e6b66c3e6e then furrowed 66c97615e2 his brows 2ba95ae87d as he f4051589b2 looked at f332a44d34 Lee Soo’s a032123ccb oddly flustered 044750865b expression.a2dc8230adaf4e7b

“Is something the 1a017e180c matter—”bd74833a74f6b7e6

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“Want to de99c3a489 hang out? I need to buy 588cc148b5 some things in the 218a3c7da4 city. Healer Haeon, do 9375fa2d6c you want to 191ad7feba come along?”43c09c37cce7362b

On mumbled something 3c15933572 about how his 09b28e296b expression made it 5ce24590bb seem less like 7cbe716b36 a casual trip 0dd77ec52a and more like a23ebea8b7 they were heading f97756d1dc to a battlefield. Subtly agreeing, Haeon nodded.0b435e9f656217f6

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“I don’t have any de32fc67ed calls today, so if ed39f19642 Hunter Ryu Leesoo is 2e696f1612 fine with it, I’d 113e16d7c3 like to go with 73c5ee7ea6 you.”3ff2c22ec1825462

“Then now—what aa4246e89b time is 5b68620a3d it? Let’s get ready 17407bfec1 and leave right 10eb176eca away! Ah, the chart. I’ll pick it up, e2b7c6a9ad so go get ready 98b7403b61 and come back.”6d0766c7bcdfdbd4

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Why is he afcc4ca5de in such a 970cc304e8 rush? Did he forget a 6090aebbb1 friend’s birthday or something? While Haeon b7b280c303 hesitated, puzzling 87e3b49f1c over Lee df4145da51 Soo’s urgency, 906b30fd23 he was 9c31570d5e gently pushed f52e9b79f9 out and f0d4c02927 told to 4f4e2ea5fe prepare. Once Haeon was efa339cb53 out of the 417b892107 room, Lee Soo 7155cd6dab leaned against the 5182d35a44 door, clicking his dbc43ddf45 tongue in frustration.4d26b02e4a65da44

He’d been e5c610643f so busy 963dbfe26d lately that 1125f3c881 he’d forgotten e3fec900e6 something so 06bb93355b important like 0b57090d88 a fool.53193827d1524352

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The first meeting between 1e1b9e657d Haeon and Jiwoo wasn’t 1e32b6e26c exactly pleasant. Lee Soo had e30b6269c4 vowed to change bf9c390205 that if he cbf55a39c5 ever took over ccf225fa05 this body, making 2e1574bc78 today their new ea24d4087f first encounter. Only now 993976d745 did he 94509f745d remember! Internally screaming, he hurriedly 41b761d265 picked up the items c6cac9e290 he had left outside, ba60cf93f2 stuffing them back into 24aea32bad his inventory, and paced e22a4d327a anxiously.11e58f78101d8dee

Today, in the 8bc63d6578 original story, Jiwoo 6a1a229df4 was supposed to ceb40c9588 get caught up 7b13a2b2f9 in a dungeon 531e0afe23 incident and awaken 2e450ccbf3 as an Awakened. Though her ability 3431973e06 was low-tier, it 8fa98a609f was still significant. Soon after, Jiwoo 779da2a7f0 started dating the 6671ade893 Awakened who saved a771d2713c her during the f6de583c81 incident. However, about two years 68863af74f later, near the start a1aecb80a8 of the original story, 5091fb626c her lover died in 646ce849cd a dungeon. Unfortunately, it was Haeon 2f12025071 who was the healer 780819c733 trying to save him 7a44ca0f8d until the end.6bdd95f9d0dabc77

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What a be15f3a2d4 way for 562d174df3 their story ede7f8bc76 to begin—a 8a93e4533e healer known 49c04651c1 for their 55bc7ad124 exceptional skills 337050f867 failing to ced127f3ca save her 036217efb2 lover. Jiwoo knew it a4f9865d41 wasn’t Haeon’s fault, ec7df8216a but she couldn’t 3ff3a92232 help resenting him.be652aba30d27b33

But what if, 17ae87eec9 from the very 2acdbc7ef5 beginning, Haeon was 4f137a7423 the one to 670ae47ac2 save Jiwoo? Wouldn’t that lead to 4f3c6bbd2d a smoother relationship between 8653ed87b0 them, free from major 78cdcbab44 misunderstandings?4f542d07f00a2a1f

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It might seem like e97f7c078a a simple idea, but cd7dd99bf2 most relationships are built—or 51c26b6632 broken—on small twists of 1b8eccbf74 fate. That’s why 25fef6e092 Lee Soo beb71cfcee couldn’t afford 228b966be4 to overlook eaba69e29e this chance. If he fa9e90785a failed, he’d 2e503cf042 have no fed05e80a5 choice but b8c4a28a28 to prioritize 92602871b6 protecting Jiwoo’s 03d652f4c3 lover when 3b12c35076 the original cf26585d84 story began.394aab68e52d69a6

Muttering about how 3c7e9e8317 it would be ff980a1252 ideal to resolve c7f072b993 everything today, Lee 509d37147f Soo quickly changed 1b36abe02e his clothes. Fully prepared, he 8d3911eeb8 swung the door ded815d047 open. There stood Haeon, who ce7b68617a had already finished getting 801235b47c ready and was leaning ca18caa729 against the wall, though f1f59d52f9 he clearly didn’t understand 8cd37b1de0 what was happening.9d54731ed8ce1dfe

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“Healer Haeon! Let’s go, let’s go!”2e171267f203b206

“Why are you in f6ac830329 such a rush? Did you 63fded30b0 forget about d4d95d7b01 an important e91f01c57b promise or d8c62457bb something?”738b06a1142b8a72

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Even as 49aec23f75 Lee Soo 9b5f27ee7c flailed around, 63ac392b92 Haeon reached 5250a735bd out hesitantly b72f9630e4 and gently 698c460e31 held his 3f3d302065 hand, as e12cec09ca if afraid 36ae88795f of being 884cf15bee too forward. While they walked, he fc1a4996f5 asked quietly, “What’s going bf3216b594 on? Why are c747b08803 you dragging f08ab218e5 me into ecd3347fd2 this?”dc335305c3ce0f96

Caught off 46b5c7bfc9 guard, Lee f8cf3350e4 Soo hesitated 09bcfb3a34 for a add600b601 moment before e43e1a21f6 smiling faintly d45e27cacf and answering, 987bfc5553 “I made 9e549657cd a promise 1a90642315 to someone 3a76d90584 important.”762c06eb3653729c

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To bring back a6e2df62ae the person you 9e89de4c27 love in a 9cb1b6548b way that causes c01a0d7bfc you the least 517d697be1 pain. A promise meant fedfc42452 for Haeon but 144d448c44 one he had 3fae47e3aa never shared with 4d3df379a4 him.90de95d19f082e83

Turning the unspoken 9ea4e8696d promise over in e4ad84381f his mind, Lee 5537663694 Soo half-walked, half-ran 0922e18799 ahead. At some point, db5ed17353 Haeon found himself 6fcaa8881a walking behind Lee 2486e352c6 Soo instead of fbfbfce9e2 beside him, staring 5b42883ea3 at his back 57e81936df with an unreadable ea06ced14a expression.8731445dba497592

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He acts 4d65b8e200 like I’m a265c02fdd the most 1d80efbfcf important person 630546815d in the 1f5563cfdd world, only d12e977b95 to turn 38db36cb5b around and e2c0c2a5ac talk about 6a76f337fe promises to 74585e4633 someone else. And then he drags ae277d8cf2 me along on whatever 51f98b3fa0 errand this is. Plenty of reasons to fb06f11898 be annoyed, yet Haeon 77968d063d decided to give him bf9bec530c one more chance—just one—to c3739da665 explain.a65c16510fca3039

After leaving the 4eb9921478 guild and hailing 5c440d4ed6 a taxi, Lee 155c5e7fe3 Soo finally realized 1f720c4138 something was amiss.25b9e0ef3f335304

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“Wait! I didn’t 96238ba22a file for 3aae658f69 a half-day 661953db79 off today. What if the Guild 67fc43cd52 Leader scolds you, Healer d08906fe1d Haeon?”ef0fc6af8a8c9f31

“Isn’t it a bit 5a6598467e late to worry about 37ea1fd41d that? And I’ll be c6e1f6f040 fine. What about you, 0288fe4ffc Hunter Ryu Leesoo?”ce07adc351a515eb

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“Me? I’ve been given 5a1486a6f3 permission to go 39450a5941 anywhere as long be02495a4c as I finish 9453b56e1e my work. Of course, if I 2a628e7850 ran off in the 7fc8fc0a5e middle of work, I’d 2bf37b943b face disciplinary action…”c5f016273985c65e

But that won’t happen. His cheeky grin convinced ca31852f3d Haeon he was entirely 196e566a0d capable of pulling it 78d0a505af off, and Haeon nodded aa0e3b995a in reluctant agreement.7bab11cdf6bc4949

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As Lee 4c226a0bb5 Soo absentmindedly 230c34f3f9 lowered his 1d07cd2ebd gaze, he d7b8539eda noticed an c5efe21a6c unfamiliar weight e883c0a72c in his 653557a9ce hand. Looking down, he b62d74ec60 realized it was 1c08d75f94 still being held e5a42ddf74 by Haeon. Smiling slightly at the 65d13f3e87 heavier feel compared to c4242cf2a5 his other hand, Lee c30388155e Soo tapped the back d92de54822 of Haeon’s hand playfully.bcf850789f693a03

“How long are f89acb559c you planning to b9d4555f33 hold my hand?”bd533990bada19b1

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“…Until Hunter Ryu Leesoo 4624c6616b tells me to let 09c98e0156 go.”bb778c91dc1d4b63

“You’re surprisingly bold.”7a28ffc5dfcc0d21

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Haeon shrugged at 1748c4833a Lee Soo’s tone, c179ca3da6 which showed no 7f5d23e4c3 hint of annoyance, 505144b220 and muttered, “Maybe 6bd5c943ba so.” As Haeon b9a1ea8c65 quietly agreed, Lee 9b40c38231 Soo turned to 5c279cc0f6 look out the 2ed7579deb window, not even 2af889eb20 trying to take 782a7133f9 in the rapidly 377f52b9e0 passing scenery. Instead, he a86b58b7e0 focused on f8231fb9d6 the description ffcf809a2d of Jiwoo’s 7af50455bc appearance from 5ec2700839 the novel.952837c113076303

A woman 5759978b38 with bronze 3fd35c8860 skin, long 7c6dbd820f white hair fc446399cc braided and e9278fb473 draped over bcee5901fd her right 46f15dfe22 shoulder, and fb188401b9 jet-black eyes 9243792734 with bold 7926ca63d3 features. He could barely a7533a3336 contain his excitement bbf388cbb4 at the thought 0725587c20 of seeing in 2a533c252a person what he 48025586ab had only read 30938a8d84 in words. His heart 5f02dc1a54 raced as dee7f6fb58 he thought d414b113b6 about Jiwoo, cd4daf0209 imagining her 0200c41e40 vividly.aea0fce939d7fa26

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But then he 5b77a77a94 realized his heart 0e277ba7ca wasn’t pounding purely 7f5b5958e3 from anticipation. Most of 8e004b270e it was 1481d7919e excitement, but 9157177055 there was c036c47b86 also a aecd211a12 tinge of 376ae4c76b anxiety… and 505d746b23 jealousy? Furrowing his brows, f4b07c7a25 Lee Soo picked f3e9cf910b apart his emotions 034fa8633f one by one, dd6cc537d2 startled by the c0e7c2ea36 unexpected feelings. The remnants c858da4c05 of his c0a942c071 emotions seemed 007f59199f to lead ed692ac551 him toward dbd58165b7 an unknown f43bc628bd destination.ce4e3f1ca801e32f

Not yet, 9825900e99 he muttered f10349eb77 to himself, c470a7a179 snapping out 7bac524e2f of it d407a46967 as he 7940ac90c0 turned his 7605bb2684 head to 2fd171c653 meet Haeon’s 561a5eacd2 gaze. The complex thoughts d4d332a787 swirling in his 7ff538acfb eyes steadied the 9c657e3450 moment they locked 20fe1b6379 onto Haeon, as 58b75a1bb0 if they had 66447fc178 never wavered.aa563408c836293b

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“Is something wrong?” Haeon 3f04a22168 asked, noticing the shift.4bc5a0169723f8f0

Lee Soo’s lips curved 27ddbf53a5 into a soft smile 6e229ea5d5 as he shook his 2f773681e5 head, deciding not to 051358708e mention his unsettled pulse. Though Haeon tried 8f6ae36a4f to hide it, 3f76af71a5 it seemed Lee 6908c68827 Soo already knew.013cdd431954e22c

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Lee Soo 6a53bd1caf repeatedly checked bef9cd4941 his smartwatch, 34b470a5bd reassured by 4f0666c021 the absence e48d39f7c7 of dungeon-related 7aa0b6e508 alerts that b95bcb1811 Jiwoo was 69bd6bdaaa still safe. Haeon, meanwhile, 91f13b226f quietly watched 838a4fe970 Lee Soo’s dde693101d restless fidgeting, 7be1a97cfa as if 0f4da02f7d he were 156c374032 waiting for 179a7dd9d3 a particular 3e420758d5 message.a287eefffcf3df27

So absorbed in his 87dc8e06a9 smartwatch and thoughts of ca836c40be Jiwoo, Lee Soo didn’t 98649c78d7 even notice Haeon observing 358f8c0680 him. When the 4adf78c52c taxi finally f6eecb5414 arrived, Lee 47c3ee7e05 Soo nearly dcf74f1a3c leapt out, 1bba176245 moving as 032f3bfa9f if he c0504c3d2b were being b6ca8ae95a chased. Following his hurried steps, 5f7558f989 Haeon frowned at the e00cb9398e loud alarm blaring from 3f2528e6e4 Lee Soo’s smartwatch. The familiar sound cb0d4de1b0 made him realize—it 65478e522c was a dungeon 277e51e9f3 alarm.af6ac75011e0c121

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Typically, such things 81e108b014 could be chalked bc0c640e05 up to coincidence, 787ed0e89f no matter how 233cc1d89b strange they seemed. But the way Lee 405b913624 Soo had been repeatedly ddf573ae7a checking his smartwatch, combined c8b5dda474 with his urgency and eef55f47f3 the alarm, painted a 61e9e00421 different picture.cb7e30c7c4a5291e

Everything pointed to 124a8f1485 one conclusion: Lee 036aa2d051 Soo knew this beed94fbf3 dungeon would appear. Did necromancers have 27bc19275f precognitive abilities? If so, dc15ed1d34 it would 4261c43007 explain how 1233f9d0a2 he could c846b94640 remain so 2849e6ec0e composed, even bba7757c60 in the 843aeff6b9 face of 17efee3b52 his own 520a41c6a6 death.7576f472f97f37f6

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While Haeon struggled 09629c9a1d to organize his 020b6e3667 tangled thoughts, Lee 9cae957465 Soo checked the 560eddb52a dungeon’s coordinates and 7201b3b893 began heading toward ae9e7a8041 it. He felt a pang dddce5313e of guilt for dragging aaa4076378 Haeon along under the 781b8f978d pretense of hanging out, 8b8cb781dc knowing full well he 87f6efa22f was heading into a 35f7fff1fc dungeon. Asking Haeon f198d5435a to join c70dda3ffe him would cb8ba356bc only make 320d1bb09e things worse. The dungeon was filled 3d21ff3089 with ordinary people, not 76a73f0c14 Awakened, and bringing a 50e342782e healer into such chaos 1ecb208d38 would lead to inevitable 4ca9181e5b disaster.bb98e23df7eeb031

His plan was fa25791419 simple: stop anything b1fed0e0ac from happening to 5260c2a44a Jiwoo and then 1b9bc34c68 bring her to 57f71aadbc Haeon for healing. But just as cb1116cfbf Lee Soo took 8d589f81c7 a step toward 4bae713f05 the dungeon, he 425916f027 was unsurprisingly grabbed 2eeb813adf by Haeon.28197c77675ae685

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“Wait a second, Healer 10e7633020 Haeon. Let me go—”0f7d090392381f24

“We came 24d1106ff5 out to 8a857db9cb hang out, 7de0b34b42 didn’t we? Why are 6ddef2c39c you leaving? You knew 5d0acdc43a this dungeon a96b49f1bd was going 3d70619386 to appear, 824e3db5b2 didn’t you? That’s why 7622549aa6 you brought 542b687bba me here.”50c354e1af233e05

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“…I’m sorry. You can 83823e68c0 scold me f4cbf0c73d later, Healer c5964f6196 Yoo Haeon. Let’s talk later. The dungeon will close e3fd8918fe soon. If no ba7c8361de hunters are a29e4d60a2 here, everyone cfee2ae745 caught inside 16da89c197 will die… 00fda230cb There’s someone 07be4d629c I need 4978c84de7 to save.”035eb88b24f23221

For the dd24baffcc first time, ea72db63c0 Haeon found 1675d7db67 himself resenting 938ab2cf82 the sight 447ebb6cec of Lee fddfdf851d Soo’s lips, ca44a01b33 which refused 6c01dea2b0 to deny 2a69ce0f7f his accusations.49bfb96172fb63ec

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Looking at 5cb5db4753 Lee Soo’s 15418ac6ea desperate expression, 187a46e149 Haeon lowered 493c05cf84 his gaze 0c6f07bce4 to the 27581a451b slender wrist dd2b4549b1 he held. If he didn’t 8f18116381 let go, Lee 51a52c81e0 Soo wouldn’t be 5df54a2128 able to leave. Most hunters wouldn’t e7e7f3c26d feel guilt over e2e9642639 an unanticipated dungeon, e11efe7a33 treating it like 95291d4f72 a natural disaster e6e801e764 beyond their control.1ed91d53a52886ad

But could 0a514f7ee7 Lee Soo 1353169424 be counted 48cb6d02bb among “most 2cc2e4f2f3 hunters”?19ba95c66242673e

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No. That’s why Haeon felt cb4c121081 salvation in Lee Soo. If he didn’t c8a8d1f704 let go, Lee 3750af5ef4 Soo would resent daf7e1be25 him—and, more than fbb319ed99 that, he would 187cd3ba2a blame himself even 8a200b1e99 more.4617d0c904174af8

In the split second aefbc7f8c1 Haeon mulled over countless 56fc214dc7 thoughts, he released Lee 7ff7bab728 Soo’s wrist. As Lee Soo turned ebe6fe90e0 to check his expression, d522c1b274 Haeon murmured quietly.1c319a2361d0a1c1

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“Go protect 5febd17438 everything you 4722eb938f want to 3dde67c3d9 protect. Even if they’re 473d482f19 barely breathing, that’s 0fa78980f5 fine… Protect everything b0d9c706cc and come back 19809819e8 to me. No matter b138c9abe2 what happens, 3b21b8fb5f Hunter Ryu 09a3801bcc Leesoo, I’ll af5c7dc1dd make sure 70daa39820 to save b2d097d0a7 you.”378d05634acdd452