SMFC | Chapter 23

Yoo Haeon, who had been chatting with On about Lee Soo’s maternal and paternal families, was startled when Lee Soo suddenly stood up. The abrupt movement caused Haeon to drop the chart he was holding, scattering its contents across the floor. With a sigh, he glanced at the papers strewn about, then furrowed his brows as he looked at Lee Soo’s oddly flustered expression.

“Is something the matter—”

“Want to hang out? I need to buy some things in the city. Healer Haeon, do you want to come along?”

On mumbled something about how his expression made it seem less like a casual trip and more like they were heading to a battlefield. Subtly agreeing, Haeon nodded.

“I don’t have any calls today, so if Hunter Ryu Leesoo is fine with it, I’d like to go with you.”

“Then now—what time is it? Let’s get ready and leave right away! Ah, the chart. I’ll pick it up, so go get ready and come back.”

Why is he in such a rush? Did he forget a friend’s birthday or something? While Haeon hesitated, puzzling over Lee Soo’s urgency, he was gently pushed out and told to prepare. Once Haeon was out of the room, Lee Soo leaned against the door, clicking his tongue in frustration.

He’d been so busy lately that he’d forgotten something so important like a fool.

The first meeting between Haeon and Jiwoo wasn’t exactly pleasant. Lee Soo had vowed to change that if he ever took over this body, making today their new first encounter. Only now did he remember! Internally screaming, he hurriedly picked up the items he had left outside, stuffing them back into his inventory, and paced anxiously.

Today, in the original story, Jiwoo was supposed to get caught up in a dungeon incident and awaken as an Awakened. Though her ability was low-tier, it was still significant. Soon after, Jiwoo started dating the Awakened who saved her during the incident. However, about two years later, near the start of the original story, her lover died in a dungeon. Unfortunately, it was Haeon who was the healer trying to save him until the end.

What a way for their story to begin—a healer known for their exceptional skills failing to save her lover. Jiwoo knew it wasn’t Haeon’s fault, but she couldn’t help resenting him.

But what if, from the very beginning, Haeon was the one to save Jiwoo? Wouldn’t that lead to a smoother relationship between them, free from major misunderstandings?

It might seem like a simple idea, but most relationships are built—or broken—on small twists of fate. That’s why Lee Soo couldn’t afford to overlook this chance. If he failed, he’d have no choice but to prioritize protecting Jiwoo’s lover when the original story began.

Muttering about how it would be ideal to resolve everything today, Lee Soo quickly changed his clothes. Fully prepared, he swung the door open. There stood Haeon, who had already finished getting ready and was leaning against the wall, though he clearly didn’t understand what was happening.

“Healer Haeon! Let’s go, let’s go!”

“Why are you in such a rush? Did you forget about an important promise or something?”

Even as Lee Soo flailed around, Haeon reached out hesitantly and gently held his hand, as if afraid of being too forward. While they walked, he asked quietly, “What’s going on? Why are you dragging me into this?”

Caught off guard, Lee Soo hesitated for a moment before smiling faintly and answering, “I made a promise to someone important.”

To bring back the person you love in a way that causes you the least pain. A promise meant for Haeon but one he had never shared with him.

Turning the unspoken promise over in his mind, Lee Soo half-walked, half-ran ahead. At some point, Haeon found himself walking behind Lee Soo instead of beside him, staring at his back with an unreadable expression.

He acts like I’m the most important person in the world, only to turn around and talk about promises to someone else. And then he drags me along on whatever errand this is. Plenty of reasons to be annoyed, yet Haeon decided to give him one more chance—just one—to explain.

After leaving the guild and hailing a taxi, Lee Soo finally realized something was amiss.

“Wait! I didn’t file for a half-day off today. What if the Guild Leader scolds you, Healer Haeon?”

“Isn’t it a bit late to worry about that? And I’ll be fine. What about you, Hunter Ryu Leesoo?”

“Me? I’ve been given permission to go anywhere as long as I finish my work. Of course, if I ran off in the middle of work, I’d face disciplinary action…”

But that won’t happen. His cheeky grin convinced Haeon he was entirely capable of pulling it off, and Haeon nodded in reluctant agreement.

As Lee Soo absentmindedly lowered his gaze, he noticed an unfamiliar weight in his hand. Looking down, he realized it was still being held by Haeon. Smiling slightly at the heavier feel compared to his other hand, Lee Soo tapped the back of Haeon’s hand playfully.

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

“…Until Hunter Ryu Leesoo tells me to let go.”

“You’re surprisingly bold.”

Haeon shrugged at Lee Soo’s tone, which showed no hint of annoyance, and muttered, “Maybe so.” As Haeon quietly agreed, Lee Soo turned to look out the window, not even trying to take in the rapidly passing scenery. Instead, he focused on the description of Jiwoo’s appearance from the novel.

A woman with bronze skin, long white hair braided and draped over her right shoulder, and jet-black eyes with bold features. He could barely contain his excitement at the thought of seeing in person what he had only read in words. His heart raced as he thought about Jiwoo, imagining her vividly.

But then he realized his heart wasn’t pounding purely from anticipation. Most of it was excitement, but there was also a tinge of anxiety… and jealousy? Furrowing his brows, Lee Soo picked apart his emotions one by one, startled by the unexpected feelings. The remnants of his emotions seemed to lead him toward an unknown destination.

Not yet, he muttered to himself, snapping out of it as he turned his head to meet Haeon’s gaze. The complex thoughts swirling in his eyes steadied the moment they locked onto Haeon, as if they had never wavered.

“Is something wrong?” Haeon asked, noticing the shift.

Lee Soo’s lips curved into a soft smile as he shook his head, deciding not to mention his unsettled pulse. Though Haeon tried to hide it, it seemed Lee Soo already knew.

Lee Soo repeatedly checked his smartwatch, reassured by the absence of dungeon-related alerts that Jiwoo was still safe. Haeon, meanwhile, quietly watched Lee Soo’s restless fidgeting, as if he were waiting for a particular message.

So absorbed in his smartwatch and thoughts of Jiwoo, Lee Soo didn’t even notice Haeon observing him. When the taxi finally arrived, Lee Soo nearly leapt out, moving as if he were being chased. Following his hurried steps, Haeon frowned at the loud alarm blaring from Lee Soo’s smartwatch. The familiar sound made him realize—it was a dungeon alarm.

Typically, such things could be chalked up to coincidence, no matter how strange they seemed. But the way Lee Soo had been repeatedly checking his smartwatch, combined with his urgency and the alarm, painted a different picture.

Everything pointed to one conclusion: Lee Soo knew this dungeon would appear. Did necromancers have precognitive abilities? If so, it would explain how he could remain so composed, even in the face of his own death.

While Haeon struggled to organize his tangled thoughts, Lee Soo checked the dungeon’s coordinates and began heading toward it. He felt a pang of guilt for dragging Haeon along under the pretense of hanging out, knowing full well he was heading into a dungeon. Asking Haeon to join him would only make things worse. The dungeon was filled with ordinary people, not Awakened, and bringing a healer into such chaos would lead to inevitable disaster.

His plan was simple: stop anything from happening to Jiwoo and then bring her to Haeon for healing. But just as Lee Soo took a step toward the dungeon, he was unsurprisingly grabbed by Haeon.

“Wait a second, Healer Haeon. Let me go—”

“We came out to hang out, didn’t we? Why are you leaving? You knew this dungeon was going to appear, didn’t you? That’s why you brought me here.”

“…I’m sorry. You can scold me later, Healer Yoo Haeon. Let’s talk later. The dungeon will close soon. If no hunters are here, everyone caught inside will die… There’s someone I need to save.”

For the first time, Haeon found himself resenting the sight of Lee Soo’s lips, which refused to deny his accusations.

Looking at Lee Soo’s desperate expression, Haeon lowered his gaze to the slender wrist he held. If he didn’t let go, Lee Soo wouldn’t be able to leave. Most hunters wouldn’t feel guilt over an unanticipated dungeon, treating it like a natural disaster beyond their control.

But could Lee Soo be counted among “most hunters”?

No. That’s why Haeon felt salvation in Lee Soo. If he didn’t let go, Lee Soo would resent him—and, more than that, he would blame himself even more.

In the split second Haeon mulled over countless thoughts, he released Lee Soo’s wrist. As Lee Soo turned to check his expression, Haeon murmured quietly.

“Go protect everything you want to protect. Even if they’re barely breathing, that’s fine… Protect everything and come back to me. No matter what happens, Hunter Ryu Leesoo, I’ll make sure to save you.”