Chapter 385 – Scar

Within the Hunter Association office.

Data and articles precariously stacked filled the room without leaving any space.

The mountain of documents on the desk fell to the floor, spreading like grains of sand pushed by the waves.

The most severe punishment a person could endure. A heretical judgment that no matter the manner of death, one’s sins would not be absolved. An act that defied the principles and morality that the World Trees had vehemently advocated, where no one would curse at the one throwing a stone, but instead curse the one who was struck by it.

– I knew this would happen.
– I thought he was a good person because he saved many people.

Harsh criticism seeped in.

– The bastard who abandoned his mother will die justly.

The measure of selfless dissatisfaction, which he usually disregarded, was now aimed at him. Blood stained his fingers as they pressed the keyboard.

-I’m a student at the academy. It couldn’t be. Why is this person being judged as a heretic? How many students have they saved?
└Are you defending the heretic now? There must be a reason, so stop parading around with an empty head
└Idiot
└Life has gotten better, hasn’t it? Even defending criminals, right?

Even accomplishments and achievements are deemed as the results of malice.
Those who question it are swiftly silenced.

The woman, carefully reading each line of the comments section under the articles, raised her hand and slammed her keyboard.

-Bang!!

Fragments of the keyboard and springs scattered through the air.
A sharp piece of broken plastic splashed onto Lee Se-Young’s face.

“Se, Se-Young… Calm down.”

Her cold, dry face and stiffened lips. Lee Se-Young’s complexion had turned deathly pale, as if she had gone back to a time long ago.
Byul raised her hand and gently placed it on Se-Young’s shoulder.

“Siheon, nothing will happen. Right? Let’s calm down.”

“Hey, Hanbyeol.”

Paper materials floated in the air, swept up by the wind from the window. Hanbyeol laughed awkwardly at Se-young’s voice.

“…I understand how you feel. But… Se-young. I think Si-heon doesn’t want you to get involved.”
“Should I just stay still then?”

How many times had she called, only to hear a dead cell phone on the other end? Not even once did she get through.

Bloodshot with dried tear streaks, Se-young’s eyes were filled with determination.

“…I want to go and save him.”
“Se-young, wait a moment! Let’s think about this a little more, okay? This time, it’s really dangerous.”

“What do you expect me to do then? Stand here and do nothing? Watch my man being insulted?”

Hanbyeol closed her mouth. Though she worried for Se-young, her own heart was already deeply wounded.

“Screw it, then. They’re saying they hope the bastard who screwed his mom dies a painful death. These damn sons of bitches.”

Se-young’s eyes flared with rage as she read through the comments one by one.

Her mouth twitched and her hands trembled. The frightened Hanbyeol slowly lowered her head.

“But…”
“Hanbyeol. Are you joking right now?”

Lee Se-Young knew it too.

Swearing wouldn’t change anything. She seemed to understand the intentions behind Lee Si-heon’s silence and severed contact while he went to rescue Cornus. If it were him, he would do it hundreds of times over.

She understood his feelings, time and time again. Lee Se-Young herself had often considered risking her life. Even now, if something were to happen to Lee Si-heon, she would rush to his side.

It was the same for Hanbyeol and Azalea, and most likely for the majority of women who had shared a bond with him.

“You told me not to do it. So why are you going off on your own? That crazy bastard…”
“Se-Young.”

Hanbyeol called her name hesitantly.

There was one thing they all worried about.

Despite this, Byul hadn’t taken any action until now, not because he was preoccupied with other matters, but because he seemed to understand Lee Si-heon’s intentions.

Lee Si-heon was attempting to resolve the situation on his own and did not wish for them to intervene even slightly during the process. Se-Young probably knew this as well. Nonetheless, it was a matter of differing perspectives.

“Don’t try to stop me.”
“Se-Young…”
“Free the person right now. If that doesn’t work, we’ll confront the World Tree if we have to—”

Suddenly, the surge of emotions became difficult to contain.

“Hey!”

When words failed, anger took over.

Byul, who had shouted loudly enough to fill the room, glared at Se-Young. Lee Se-Young, her words cut off, opened her eyes wide with a startled expression.

“Enough already. Can’t you see? If you step in now and get caught too, it will only put more burden on Si-heon.”
“……”
“You know, weren’t you the one who understood the ways of the world best? Do you only love yourself, you crazy woman?”

The infuriated Byul couldn’t hold back any longer and screamed, tears streaming down her face.

“I love you too! I do! I’m so freaking in love with her, damn it! I even introduced her to my parents…”

Her disheveled yellow hair drooped down. Lee Se-Young, who had been about to shout something, found herself at a loss for words. The fact that Byul, who had lost her parents, had introduced Se-Young to them meant that their feelings went beyond merely being lovers.

“What are you going to do by stepping in? If you become a heretic too, Si-heon will come to rescue you again…”

And then get hurt again. The situation would only worsen.

It was all too easy to predict. Byul didn’t fully understand why the World Tree was hostile towards Lee Si-heon, which only added to her frustration.

The World Tree had called Si-heon a candidate for its husband. But why was it so desperate to kill him?

“I know, you wicked woman… Se-Young, you’re not the only one I care about… Huk.”

“…”

With fists clenched like tiny chicks, tears welled up and dripped down her chin.
Round droplets of water left their marks on the papers piled on the floor.

It wasn’t that she was unwilling to help the vice president’s position; she genuinely didn’t know what to do.
Lee Se-young could not fathom the frustration stemming from such helplessness.

Unlike Se-young, Byul tried her best to remain calm.
She was different from Lee Si-heon and Lee Se-young, whose bodies acted before their minds.
That’s why Byul envied her.

She didn’t have to endure this kind of pressure.
However, this time the situation was different.

With Lee Si-heon’s life hanging in the balance, Byul had to stop Lee Se-young from taking impulsive action in a situation that demanded calmness.

Se-young, gazing at Byul, parted her quivering lips.

“Si-heon… he’s not doing well.”

A friendship strained by differences in perspective and approach.

“When we were in Japan… Do you know what he said to me before he and Azalea became involved?”

“…….”
“Promise me you won’t fall for me for the rest of your life. And don’t try to die.”

How on earth did he know that?
Azalea claimed she never said such a thing.
It’s hard to believe, but if it’s true, then Lee Si-heon had seen through Lee Se-Young’s deepest thoughts.

“I am your older sister. I was her teacher. I took care of her when she couldn’t do anything, provided training. If I can’t be by her side when she’s struggling, can I even call myself her lover?”
“… If you leave, you’ll die to me.”
“She’s only twenty years old. Barely an adult. And yet… Sigh.”

Se-Young and Byul looked at each other, unable to continue speaking for quite some time.
It seemed like an argument that would not reach a resolution.

The heavy air hung around them.

* * * * * * *

– Clatter, clatter.

The sound of washing dishes that excited Shiba.

Shiva awoke in the morning and jumped out of bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Mom!”

Now she speaks well and completes her homework diligently. Even during her middle school years, she could easily solve equations that required hands-on work, to the point that Shin Hye-young was once taken aback by her abilities.

Hearing Shiva’s small and adorable footsteps, Azalea turned her head while drying a plate.

“Yes, did my daughter wake up?”
“Shiva, I’m hungry.”

To embrace the toddling Shiva, Azalea wiped her hands on her apron, knelt down, and hugged her tightly.

For some reason, her mother’s face looked tired today. Shiva lowered her head into her mother’s warm embrace, feeling a sense of puzzlement.

“Shiva, I had a dream about your father not long ago.”
“…Really?”
“…I cried a lot.”

– Pat, pat.

Azalea, gently patting Shiva’s back, pressed her lips to her daughter’s cheek.

“…….”

Azalea was at a loss for words for a long time. After holding back, she finally managed to utter a single word.

“I’ll have dinner ready shortly. Let’s wash our faces and hands first.”
“Beep!”

Now I think I understand what it means to try to protect the family. Shiba hurried into the bathroom and climbed onto the chair in front of the sink, whimpering.

– Gurgling.

Puff, puff. Shiba cupped her small, pebble-sized hands together to wash her face with water. Azalea looked at her and let out a warm, bitter smile.

“…Ah. Look at my state of mind.”

There must be a reason. There wasn’t much Azalea could do while taking care of her daughter.

“Ouch!”

Azalea, as she chopped the green onions, winced at the slight pain. A drop of blood flowed from the cut on her finger. She brought her hands together as if praying and rested her forehead on them.

‘…’

Azalea silently hoped that nothing would happen, her wish coming from a place just one step away.

* * * * * * *

Scars remain on a person’s body.

Atop both large and small wounds, until the layered skin can function once more. Inevitably, marks are left on the body of someone who has been hurt.

Others can observe these scars and come to realize the nature of the injuries a person has sustained. They try not to prod these wounds further. At times, they might ask, ‘How did it happen?’

Interestingly, each person has different tendencies when it comes to scarring. Some are blessed with an innate ability to heal, and even significant injuries may not leave scars. Conversely, there are those who suffer throughout their lives with bodies that scar easily.

‘…So what. What’s your point?’

Lee Si-heon’s room is the destination. White Peach bursts into the house and forcefully flings the door open.

*Bang!*

A deafening noise, as if the door would come unhinged.
A faint scent of blood mixed with the smell of medicine. Lying on the bed was a woman, and leaning against the wall was a man, both captured in Baekdo’s gaze.

“Found you. I finally found you.”

Baekdo stepped closer. The man’s eyes opened slowly.
Iris devoid of color, emotion masked within.

Baekdo intended to say something to him, but…

“The seventh-grade disciple… Not a single word, and where on earth have you been-“

In the end, she could find no words to say.

“…”

Scars linger on the human body.

At times, due to a unique trait, there are those who scar quickly. Others bear numerous scars.

But there are also those who forcibly erase their scars.

To hide them from others’ eyes. Desperate to conceal them, showing only their best side.

If you were to peel away the layers of such individuals…

Despite the seemingly intact exterior, the inside was festering quite profoundly. Many people only realized this too late. The same could be said for the human heart.

*Whoosh.*

Similarly, some individuals would bear scars without even trying.

In the end, there were times when the body would crumble before one’s own eyes, leading them to abandon treatment altogether.

One arm displayed rotting skin. Traces of bullet wounds. A gaunt visage. A hand that showed no sign of even the slightest movement. The thigh, slashed by a sword, was bound with bandages to prevent blood flow. An empty potion bottle was placed by the woman’s bedside.

“Do you know that there are mental illnesses in the world? If left untreated, they can cause the mind to deteriorate.”

A fleeting comment.

“…Lee Siheon…?”

There was one man left here who had come running without tending to his own scars.