HIF 7

Don’t Doubt Me

I felt a hand gently stroking my hair. Park Yul’s calm voice came from right above me.

“This won’t do, Yi-han-ah. Let’s go up and rest for now. We’ll talk about the details later.”

I wanted to nod, but I didn’t even have the strength to do that. I was bewildered. I was proud of my strong body, but I never thought I’d say this, but I really didn’t have the strength to lift a finger.

“Can you walk?”

“……”

Can I walk? Before that, can I even get up?

I don’t know. I was just so tired. I frowned and closed my eyes in a feeling of helplessness. Then suddenly, my body was lifted up.

I hurriedly opened my eyes and saw Park Yul holding me lightly. His solid body supported me carefully.

Park Yul rested my head on his shoulder. I weakly brought my forehead to his broad shoulder and felt warmth beneath the clothes that touched me.

“It’s okay. Relax, Yi-han-ah.”

My eyes closed involuntarily at the quiet voice that resonated like a lullaby. I was losing consciousness. Park Yul moved his steps lightly, as if I wasn’t heavy at all.

Click.

I heard the sound of the door closing behind me. Park Yul, who had left the room, slowly climbed the stairs. My body swayed slightly.

I was tired. Physically and mentally. I had slept on the way here, but it didn’t seem to be enough. And there was a big incident just now. What is going on?

“…That’s strange.”

I thought I heard Park Yul muttering. My head felt stiff from the drowsiness, and my thoughts didn’t connect properly.

My body felt languid. But I had to stay awake. I couldn’t sleep now.

Am I going to fall asleep like this in front of someone I just met?

That was absurd.

◇

Absurd things often happen in the world.

For example, waking up to find yourself lying on a bed. Turning your gaze to see the sunset outside the window.

Even if you think it’s a relief that not much time has passed, you hear that a whole day has gone by. Things like that.

“…Yul? You’re saying a day has passed?”

I asked in a trembling voice, and Park Yul, who was sitting on a chair next to the bed, smiled bitterly. Park Yul supported my shoulders and back, helping me sit up in bed.

I felt a soft touch behind my back and turned to the side. I saw Min Joo-hyuk putting a fluffy pillow filled with cotton behind me.

“Seon Yi-han. You…”

Min Joo-hyuk opened his mouth in a worried voice. Then he hesitated for a long time before uttering the next words. I tried to wait patiently, but,

Squeak.

I heard the sound of the door opening. I turned my gaze to that side.

A person was standing in the doorway. He was wearing a dark Robe and had his hood pulled down low.

He took a step into the room. Then he bowed his head, raised one hand, and slowly pulled down the hood of his Robe.

The red light of the sunset was pouring into the room. I saw red hair that resembled that color. He had short, wavy hair tied back low.

“Raen! Have you arrived?”

I heard Min Joo-hyuk’s voice from the side.

It was as if the red light of the setting sun had permeated the hair of the person standing in the doorway. I stared blankly at his faintly shining appearance.

He completely removed his hood and slowly raised his head. And my eyes met his in the air.

Ting.

A clear sound rang in my ear.

<Mandatory! Quest> ‘Raen – Don’t Doubt Me!’ Ⅰ

Success: Acquire Raen’s trust

Failure: Stun Penalty for 3 minutes

Time Limit: 3 minutes

A blue, transparent Quest Window flickered in front of my eyes. After that, I heard a wary voice.

“…What. What is that Mana?”

His gaze was fixed on me without a single deviation. Even in the meantime, time was ticking down, one notch at a time.

[Time Limit: 2 minutes 59 seconds]

[Time Limit: 2 minutes 58 seconds]

Absurd things often happen in the world… No, they seem to happen quite often.

I clenched the blanket tightly and took a calm breath. If it was fainting due to stress, it seemed possible right now, not after 3 minutes.

Even though I shouldn’t feel pain thanks to the passive effect, my head felt like it was throbbing. What kind of mentality is it to give a time limit in minutes? And it’s even a Mandatory Quest.

As I was looking at the steadily decreasing numbers with trembling eyes, Park Yul opened his mouth in a quiet voice from the side.

“Raen.”

Park Yul was staring straight at the person standing in the doorway with calm eyes.

“That’s for later. Yi-han just woke up.”

Hearing those words, he hurriedly tried to say something, but then shut his mouth tightly. Then he slowly turned his head and matched his gaze to me again. His expression seemed a little sharp.

“Hello, Yi-han. I’m Raen. I knew you were coming.”

“Hello, Raen. I’m Seon Yi-han.”

The voice I uttered trembled helplessly. Even at this moment, the remaining time was ticking away.

My head was spinning. What should I say to dispel his doubts about me within the remaining time? No, what exactly is he doubting in the first place?

I put strength into the hand that was clutching the blanket. I had little information, and even less time.

“Yi-han.”

Raen called my name again. It was a soft voice, but it had a stiff atmosphere because of the wariness inside. Raen bit his lip tightly and remained silent for a while, then opened his mouth as if he couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Didn’t you say you lived in the temple?”

I nodded slightly, and Raen continued quickly.

“But what is that Mana? Besides, it’s not a normal form. It’s like…”

“Stop, Raen.”

Park Yul cut him off as if interrupting him. It was a firm voice.

Raen turned his head sharply and looked at Park Yul. The light of the sunset pouring into the room touched Raen’s face head-on.

Raen’s hair, which was tied back, slipped out and flowed down. Even though it was a profile half-covered by his hair, his urgent expression was clearly revealed.

“Leader, just a moment.”

“Okay. Let’s calm down a bit first, and then let Yi-han rest more. Then let’s talk slowly.”

No. I couldn’t talk slowly. Fainting was imminent. First… First, I had to say something.

[Time Limit: 1 minute 14 seconds]

[Time Limit: 1 minute 13 seconds]

The numbers were decreasing even while I was thinking.

My heart was pounding with urgency. How many more words can I say? I opened my mouth in a trembling voice.

“…I.”

I started with that, but I couldn’t think of anything more to say. The eyes of the three people were fixed on me.

I lowered my head and glanced at the Quest Window. Would the System tell me what to say? Is there a hint or something?

Of course, there wasn’t. It was a futile expectation. The gaze fixed on the top of my head felt stinging.

I felt Park Yul’s hand gently stroking my back from the side. I thought I heard him saying something, but I couldn’t concentrate on it.

[Time Limit: 59 seconds]

[Time Limit: 58 seconds]

Seeing the numbers decreasing every moment, I felt suffocated by the frustration.

‘Why do I have Mana?’

I was curious about that too. There was no way I could explain a reason that even I didn’t know. There was no way to make him understand. Yeah, let’s just honestly say I don’t know.

“That’s, I don’t really… know, but…”

I tried to explain in a hurry, but the words came out stammering without going through my head. It was obvious how stupid I would look.

I felt embarrassed and ashamed, and I put strength into my fingertips. My face felt flushed. I barely continued, smoothing my trembling voice.

“Just… from some day, suddenly… it appeared…”

Tears welled up in my eyes at that moment. I don’t know why I have to explain this so desperately.

Ever since the System was created, nothing has gone the way I wanted it to. It felt like I was being dragged around somewhere unknown with a blindfold on.

My throat was choked with frustration and sorrow, and I took a quick breath.

“…Please believe me.”

My hands were shaking. My voice was trembling too. I carefully raised my gaze and saw that there was really not much time left.

[Time Limit: 37 seconds]

Can I make him dispel his doubts within this time? There was no way.

I couldn’t see any more escape routes. I closed my eyes tightly in despair. Perhaps because of the desperate feeling, the side of the bed sank and my body seemed to tilt slightly.

I wasn’t used to such a tense situation. I didn’t want to confirm the rapid passage of time in this way.

Well, now that things have turned out this way, I felt rather comfortable. Because it was already inevitable. And even if I fainted, it would only be for 3 minutes, so I would wake up in the blink of an eye. While I was trying to rationalize it,

Bang.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of the door closing loudly. I raised my head sharply and saw that Raen, who had been standing blankly in the doorway, was gone. Did he just leave?

The door burst open quickly. In Raen’s hand, who had his eyes wide open, was a small, thin paper bag. Why a bag all of a sudden?

While I was thinking that, Raen strode towards me. Then he knelt down next to the bed.

Raen hurriedly opened the paper bag and brought it to my mouth. I heard a rustling sound.

Before I knew it, Min Joo-hyuk was sitting on the bed, putting his hand on my shoulder and holding me firmly. Park Yul was still slowly stroking my back.

All the warmth that touched me was so clear that it felt hot.

“I believe you. Because I believe you, breathe slowly.”

I heard a calm voice that I didn’t know who it belonged to.

Before I could answer or think any more about those words, the time given to me ended mercilessly.

[Time Limit: 0 seconds]

It was time to close my eyes again. The Quest Window came to mind right in front of me.

<Mandatory! Quest> ‘Raen – Don’t Doubt Me!’ Ⅰ Failed!

Penalty ‘Faint’ will be maintained for ‘3 minutes’.

That was expected. I wasn’t surprised now. I could accept it calmly.

Ting.

Then, an ominous clear sound rang in my ear again.

<Mandatory! Quest> ‘Raen – Don’t Doubt Me!’ Ⅱ

Success: Acquire Raen’s trust

Failure: High Fever Penalty for 3 hours

Time Limit: 3 hours

It was a Quest Window announcing the start of a new Quest. I never expected this…

[Time Limit: 2 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds]

With the sound of the numbers ticking down, everything went dark.