HIF 16

There Will Be a Price

The Status Window popped up before Park Yul’s cautiously delivered voice.

I knew it. From what I’ve seen so far, these people never say a word about where they got hurt. What do they think I’m here for?

I sighed inwardly and chose healing. If they don’t say anything first, I have no choice but to find them and heal them.

The blue light that had been circling Park Yul’s side and knee area poured into me. Next to the Status Window, the bar-shaped gauge I saw last time reappeared. It filled up a little more with red.

“Ah, Yi-han-ah. It wasn’t that serious.”

Thank you, he added quietly, his voice sounding a little shaky.

What is a serious wound, and what is a non-serious wound? If there is a wound, isn’t it natural to heal it, whether it’s small or large?

“I don’t have a hard time healing, Yul.”

I continued, turning to Park Yul, who was folding his eyes and smiling brightly again.

“Do you know where Raen is?”

Park Yul and Raen had just gone out, so I thought Raen must have come back with injuries as well.

“He’s probably in his room. He’s always in his room when I look for him.”

Well, if I were in a room with that kind of atmosphere, I would want to stay in it all day.

Park Yul patted my shoulder lightly, telling me to be careful going in. Then he picked up the watering can again.

Behind me, as I entered the building, the sound of water droplets falling on the petals echoed softly.

◇

Knock knock.

I stood in front of Raen’s door and knocked.

“…Come in.”

Song Ha-gyun’s voice was heard. I checked again to see if I had found the right room. It was Raen’s room. Soon after, the door opened slowly.

“Ha-gyun, you make yourself right at home…. Oh, Yi-han? Come in. What’s wrong?”

Raen was sitting on a large velvet chair, half-turned. Song Ha-gyun was leaning against Raen’s bed.

A large map drawn with light floated in the middle of the room. Song Ha-gyun waved his hand lightly, and the map scattered into particles of light and disappeared.

On the desk right in front of Raen were the crystal ball I had seen before, square and colorful boxes that looked like cubes, and an open ink bottle, all messily arranged.

Several sheets of paper filled with writing floated in the air above the desk. The neatly gathered papers were placed on the desk.

“Sit down, Yi-han.”

Raen pulled a chair next to him. Then he turned to Song Ha-gyun.

“Ha-gyun. Can you check the table drawer right next to you? Is there a silver container in there?”

“…Yeah.”

“Thank you.”

Song Ha-gyun slowly got up from his seat as if he was about to leave.

Raen flicked his hand lightly, and a transparent glass and a silver container on the table floated into the air. Then they flew softly toward us.

“Yi-han. Do you like sweets?”

“Yes, I do.”

Raen smiled slightly and turned the circular container with a rustle to open the lid.

“I like them too.”

I had thought about it before, but Raen looked much more comfortable with a faint smile like this than with a sharp expression.

Before I knew it, a small spoon floating in the air scooped a handful of brown powder from the container and transferred it to the glass. Raen summoned a white teapot and gently tilted it into the glass.

Milk poured out of the teapot’s spout, and the glass fogged up. Raen stirred it a few times with a spoon and handed it to me.

The glass felt warm in my hand. I took a sip and tasted sweet and smooth chocolate.

“It’s delicious, Raen.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Raen said, gently stroking my hair.

“Um… I’ll make it for you next time, Raen.”

I didn’t have anything, so the cocoa powder was probably not mine, but I still wanted to repay him in some way. Then I heard Song Ha-gyun’s slow voice from the bed.

“…What about me?”

Song Ha-gyun, who seemed to be leaving earlier, was still sitting on the bed. Raen continued in a slightly dumbfounded voice.

“Ha-gyun doesn’t like sweets.”

“…I don’t dislike them.”

“Since when? No, you don’t even like them.”

“……”

Raen’s voice sounded questioning.

Song Ha-gyun and Raen had attended the same academy, so they seemed to know a lot about each other. I should ask Song Ha-gyun later. Maybe he knows something that can dispel Raen’s suspicion at once.

I was thinking quietly when I felt Song Ha-gyun’s gaze turn to me. I turned my head and it was true. I looked at Song Ha-gyun and opened my mouth.

“Ha-gyun, do you want to share mine?”

“Yeah.”

Song Ha-gyun answered immediately as if he had been waiting. Raen quickly took the words.

“Don’t even think about stealing it.”

“…Yeah.”

“Your answer is a little perfunctory.”

Raen stared at Song Ha-gyun and shrugged lightly before continuing.

“Well, it’s not like I can’t make you one separately….”

Song Ha-gyun made eye contact with me for a moment and then opened his mouth.

“…It’s okay.”

“I thought so.”

Raen smiled slightly as if he had expected it. Song Ha-gyun got up from his seat and strode toward me. Then he gently patted my head.

“I’ll go.”

Song Ha-gyun nodded to Raen as well and disappeared out of the room in an instant. He was still a difficult person to understand. Raen, who had been staring at my face, smiled faintly again and spoke.

“Yi-han. So why did you come?”

Oops, I was so distracted by the sweets that I almost forgot. I reached out to Raen.

“Raen, hold my hand.”

Raen’s eyes widened. Then, with my image reflected in his clear golden eyes, he blinked slowly. Raen raised his eyebrows slightly, smiled awkwardly, and reached out his hand.

“Like this?”

Raen held my hand as if to wrap it in both of his. It was a soft and firm hand. Somehow, a sweet scent seemed to rush in.

The Status Window popped up properly. I nodded to Raen and chose healing in my mind.

A faint blue light spread to Raen and then poured into me. As I was watching it, I heard a voice calling me.

“Yi-han.”

I raised my head and Raen’s expression was stiff. He looked serious.

“What is the price of healing magic?”

Price? There wasn’t really anything like that. When I tilted my head to one side, Raen continued in a subdued voice. He was still holding my hand tightly. It seemed like he was putting a little more strength into it.

“Think carefully. Was there really no price at all?”

Raen bit his lip tightly and spoke, putting strength into each word.

“The law of causality. Without a cause, there is no result.”

His eyes were shaking as he looked at me. I could feel a hint of anxiety in his expression.

Perhaps Raen’s wary expression that he usually showed me was not actually deep suspicion, but anxiety. I could feel the worry being conveyed from his hand, which he was holding tightly.

“Yi-han must have done ‘something’ that caused it. In some form or another. And instead of healing so cleanly, there must be a price paid for that ‘something’. I’ve thought about it a lot, and it’s true.”

Tell me honestly, he added, and I shook my head lightly at Raen.

“Raen. There was nothing.”

What I was using was not healing magic, but the power of the System, so there might be no need for a price. Or maybe I was a lucky person and avoided the price, or maybe….

Blink.

The shining bar-shaped gauge came into view. Dark red had filled it up, leaving about the length of a finger.

The sight of it suddenly bothered me. Maybe the price Raen was talking about was accumulating.

…But the future was the future. There was no need to shrink back while worrying in advance. That wasn’t arrogance. The most important thing was always what I could do at this moment.

I smiled quietly at Raen, who was looking at me with trembling eyes.

I put the glass on the desk, reached out, and covered the back of Raen’s hand. When I grabbed it with strength, Raen, who had been wrapping my hand, gradually loosened his grip.

“Yi-han. If you ever find out what the price is, please tell me.”

Raen’s voice sounded somewhat earnest. I nodded lightly and turned my gaze out the window.

The cloudless blue sky looked cold.

◇

Several more days had passed since then.

Everyone was busy going outside. Of course, I was also busy running around and healing everyone in between. Unless it was a serious injury, they wouldn’t tell me first.

There was still a slight gap left in the healing bar gauge. I glanced at the slightly remaining space and moved to the room on the second floor.

Creak.

When I opened the door, the room dyed red by the sunset came into view. It was that time again. Since the Future Sight use cooldown was 24 hours, it was only natural.

Now, if I used the skill just one more time, I would be saying goodbye to this tedious routine. It didn’t hurt, but I didn’t like the increasing number of cuts on my skin.

It seemed like everyone was out right now. Probably. I hadn’t seen them since lunch, so that must be it.

A faint smile appeared on my face at the thought. I unwrapped the bandages and picked up the knife. The moment I put the blade to my forearm,

“Yi-han?”

Raen was standing at the door.

Oh, didn’t Raen go out? More than that, did I come in without closing the door? It was clearly my carelessness. Raen slowly moved his trembling steps toward me.

“Why…. No, Yi-han. Wait, just wait a moment.”

His voice was shaking with agitation. I didn’t want to startle Raen any more, so I stopped moving.

Thud.

The blood that had already flowed down was soaking the floor, but. Anyway, I did stop moving.

I was just as embarrassed. It wasn’t a sight I particularly wanted to show. Still, hoping that Raen would feel relieved, I forced the corners of my trembling lips up into a smile.

Red sunset seeped into the blood droplets staining the floor.

“…Yi-han.”

Raen called my name again as if he was crying.