HIF 54

I Choose Not To

“I won’t use it.”

As soon as I said that, a new Status Window appeared before me.

I nodded immediately. Soon, all the Status Windows vanished without even a slight hesitation. Darkness filled my vision again, which had been glowing blue just moments before.

I couldn’t choose just one person to use the reward on. It was only natural.

Still, I felt a little regretful. Judging by the reward’s name, it seemed like it would prevent the flowers from disappearing.

I tapped the lantern placed beside me. A red petal caught on my fingertip. Even though it’s this vivid, it will soon disappear.

Well, it wasn’t bad that I didn’t receive a failure Penalty. There was no need to dwell on a reward that had already passed. I patted my clothes and stood up.

Before I knew it, the darkness outside the window was gradually fading. Dawn was breaking. It made me realize how fast time had flown. It flows by in an instant, with no chance to grasp it. Without you even noticing.

By the time you realize it, the darkness will already have receded far away.

A new morning was dawning.

◇

Several days had already passed since we stayed in this place where red flowers fall.

Since that day, Raen hadn’t used Mana excessively. Everyone’s attitude towards me, which had been as if I would break at any moment, had also improved considerably. It was true that time solved most things. It was fortunate.

Now, they said we would leave this western region and move to the eastern region.

I stepped outside the building and looked up at the sky. I took in the sight of the slowly cascading red flowers for the last time. Min Joo-hyuk approached and stood beside me.

“Seon Yi-han. I asked you before, right? What color flowers do you think fall in the east?”

“Yeah. You said it wasn’t white.”

“Right. We’ll find the answer soon.”

Min Joo-hyuk grinned. Then he covered my eyes with his hand.

“It’s no fun if you see it right away.”

“It’s not like it becomes more fun just because I see it later.”

“…Seeing you like this, it feels like you’re almost there.”

“Almost where?”

“It’s nothing. You’re right, though. The answer doesn’t change. But the time spent waiting with anticipation is enjoyable, isn’t it?”

Min Joo-hyuk’s voice scattered lightly amidst the blowing wind.

Soon, someone’s hand gently rested on my shoulder. I heard the word to depart. And then a strong wind brushed past my body.

“Look carefully.”

Min Joo-hyuk slowly removed his hand. My vision gradually brightened.

Before my eyes was a blue sky. And as if that sky was shattering and falling, deep blue flowers were pouring down.

The ground was also thickly covered with blue flowers. It seemed as if everything around was submerged in the sky.

A faint floral scent was carried on the spring breeze. It was different from the place we were just in.

If scents had colors, then even the wind would undoubtedly be dyed blue right now. It was a cool and clear fragrance.

In the distance, a white, neat building was visible. I stretched out my hand and pointed at that building.

“Are we going there this time?”

“That’s right, Yi-han-ah. It seems we’ll be staying here for a few days too.”

I nodded and moved my steps. Blue flowers rustled and were crushed under my feet. It felt exactly like walking on shattered waves.

I stood before the building. The building’s exterior was square. The roof was round in shape. Here too, a low white fence encircled the building. Somehow, everything seemed to have settled into a quiet stillness.

‘Temple building.’

That thought came to me briefly. The feeling of being stiff, neat, and thus seemingly trapped within a square frame crept up again.

I shook my head. Only then did I come to my senses a bit. Why did I recall the Temple I had forgotten? That place was now behind me. There was no reason to think about it.

Song Ha-gyun placed his hand on top of my head. My shaking head was brought to a stop.

“…Dizzy.”

Having said that, Song Ha-gyun slowly removed his hand and lightly patted my shoulder.

“…Let’s go in.”

The interior structure of the building wasn’t much different from the one in the western region we were just in. They said the crystal ball on the 3rd-floor top also worked without issue. I unpacked my belongings in a first-floor room just the same.

Everyone would be busy, and there was nothing I could help with right now. So I had to spend a fulfilling time alone. I went around to the side of the building and sat on a wooden chair.

I took out a small notebook and pencil from my pocket. Flipping a page of the notebook, I felt the stiff, slightly bumpy texture of the brand-new white paper. Gazing at the blue flower clusters cascading before my eyes, I lightly touched the pencil to it.

This was what Min Joo-hyuk gave me before coming here.

-Seon Yi-han. They say this is the first picture that captures you. So I want to take more time.

Having said that, Min Joo-hyuk handed me a paper envelope.

-I originally wanted to give it to you along with the picture, but I’ll just give you this first. Use it when you’re bored.

What was inside that paper envelope was the notebook and pencil I had just taken out. As I was quietly gazing at the blank white notebook, I sensed a presence beside me.

“What are you doing, Yi-han?”

Before I knew it, Raen was sitting next to me.

“Just being here. You, hyung…”

I was about to ask, ‘Aren’t you busy, hyung?’ but swallowed my words. It’s good if he’s not busy. Raen should have time to rest too, shouldn’t he?

Before Raen could catch on to what I was about to say, I quickly continued.

“Hyung, do you like drawing?”

It was good that I spoke, but it was too sudden a question. However, Raen glanced slightly at the notebook in my hand and naturally continued the conversation.

“Ju-hyeok likes drawing. I like things other than drawing.”

“What kind of things?”

“That’s…”

Raen hesitated as if about to say something. Then, as if slightly embarrassed, he raised an eyebrow slightly, smiled, and continued.

“It’s a bit hard to say directly. Instead, I can tell you something else. Ha-gyeon likes making magic potions.”

“Ha-gyeon hyung?”

That was unexpected. I thought he was the type who didn’t show what he liked.

“Ah, it’s not that Ha-gyeon said he likes it. When he was at the Academy, he used to make them often even without assignments. So.”

Then Raen’s guess seemed right. Doing something without an assignment was impossible unless you really liked it.

I’ve never been to anything like an Academy, but Teacher sometimes gave me books with Temple doctrine written in them. Reading through them was the assignment. It was no easy task.

I don’t dislike reading books. In fact, I rather like it. But all the words written in the doctrine were like this:

「The life of all shall be sublime. The steps taken shall be under the shadow of God. The enlightenment reached shall be the will of God.」

It was the first verse of the first chapter of the doctrine. When I read it as a child, younger than I am now, it was difficult and I couldn’t even understand its meaning. Even now, thinking back, its meaning remains vague.

Is such a life truly sublime? I…

“Yi-han. Ask Ha-gyeon to make you something later. He can probably make just about anything.”

Raen’s voice pierced through the flow of my thoughts. I snapped out of my reverie.

“Yeah, anything?”

“Yes. You can combine medicinal herbs to make medicine, or you can even infuse magic into it.”

Raen stretched his hand forward slightly. Colored fragments of light sprang from Raen’s fingertips, sparkling faintly.

“Yi-han would probably like the ones infused with magic. There are ones that create sparkling lights around you, or ones that make fireworks explode.”

Raen, turning his head towards me, smiled slightly and continued.

“There are many other kinds besides those. Anything Yi-han wishes for should be possible.”

It was amazing. So many things were possible with magic potions too.

“Then wouldn’t it be better if everyone used magic potions instead of magic?”

“Because the more intricate the magic, the harder it is to infuse. But Ha-gyeon does it easily.”

I’ve often seen Song Ha-gyun summon potions that taste like medicinal herbs, but I don’t think I’ve seen him use magic potions infused with magic. I must ask him to show me later when he seems to have some free time.

“Do you know what Yul hyung likes?”

“Leader hyung…”

Raen, trailing off his words, brought his face closer to mine. What kind of important story was this that he was taking his time like this? I found myself focusing without realizing it. Raen whispered quietly into my ear.

“It’s a secret.”

Then he quickly moved away from me again. A subtle smile had appeared on Raen’s face as we faced each other.

“Actually, I don’t really know either. Leader hyung seems to like many things…”

Raen bit his lip slightly. He seemed to be thinking of what to say next.

Raen was right. If I thought about things Park Yul might like, many came to mind. There was cooking, watering flowers. There was also making carvings to give as gifts.

Even in the short time I’ve known him, I’ve learned several things, so Raen, who has lived with him all this time, must know much more.

Raen’s words continued slowly.

“But if he likes everything, then doesn’t that mean he doesn’t really like anything? That’s what I think.”

Raen, who had been blinking for a moment, ruffled my hair. Perhaps because of the flower clusters slowly falling from the sky, a faint floral scent seemed to linger around us.

“So ask Yi-han later. Ask Leader hyung yourself.”

I nodded. Indeed, asking the person themselves would undoubtedly be the most accurate. So I needed to ask Raen now too.

“Raen hyung, are you really not going to tell me what you like?”

“Rather than telling you, I’d like to show you myself someday.”

Is it the kind of thing that can be shown? Raen saying this made me too curious.

But Raen didn’t tell me in the end. If his goal was to keep me wondering, he succeeded.

Raen, who had been sitting beside me for a while, soon headed back inside the building.

‘How many villages are there?’

If it requires this much time, the number seems considerable.

But if it’s such a large world with so many villages, then why do only you have to save it? In this vast world, can’t more people join forces?

Blue flower clusters were falling and piling up in the spot where Raen had left. I opened the notebook again and held it up. I brought the pencil to it, but I didn’t know where to start drawing the line.

In the end, I quietly put the pencil down.

‘It’s quiet.’

I drew my knees up and hugged them with my arms. Sitting there just blinking, it felt as if time around me had stopped. The rustling sound of piling flower clusters and the faint, ticklish breeze were all tranquil.

Within that, I felt like I was becoming part of the scenery. Not a living, moving person, but scenery that melts in and eventually disappears.

I sprang up from my seat. I couldn’t stay still like this. I took aimless steps. Of course, I didn’t intend to go far; I just planned to stroll around the building, following its walls.

But as soon as I went around to the back of the building, something unexpected came into view.

‘Huh…. Stairs?’