Chapter 839: Watch
Through the flames, warm yet slipping past my hand, a form appeared that I could hold tightly in my arms. A familiar shape. One I could draw in my mind with perfect clarity at any moment. The instant it was born beneath my fingertips, I felt it unmistakably.
I had drawn Han Yuhyun out.
I had made Han Yuhyun.
The fire had always existed. But I was the one who had shaped Han Yuhyun out of that essential flame. The vague fact that my brother’s world was me came into focus with startling sharpness. A single, special flame that could exist only if I called it, held it, and acknowledged it.
So how could I not love him? From the moment my younger self chose my brother, Han Yuhyun had become something more than just my little brother. He was like a child I had made. Maybe I had known that dimly all along, and that was why I had never been able to let Yuhyun go.
“Han Yuhyun!”
I called my brother’s name. At my call, Han Yuhyun became complete. His black eyes opened slowly. Eyes that looked only at me, recognized only me, accepted only me. For fire, that might be natural. But as a human, I still felt a faint ache over it. At the same time, he was unbearably dear to me.
“Hyung.”
Yuhyun called me. He smiled brightly. Without hesitating any longer, I pulled him into a fierce embrace. There were so many things I wanted to say. Relief washed over me, and anger surged up just as violently. But before any of that, the first thing I had to say was—
“…Welcome back.”
I’m so glad you came back safe.
“You made it back.”
“Yeah, hyung. I’m sorry I worried you.”
Yuhyun’s arms wrapped around me in return. Along with his warmth, I felt the steady thud of his heart. A human, alive and breathing, just like me. A long breath slipped out of me.
“Even if you became fire itself, you’d still be my little brother. But I like you better like this.”
“I like this better too. I can touch you properly and talk to you.”
The blue flames surrounding us were slowly dying down. The enormous insect shell had already burned away without a trace. I wanted to sink a little longer into this warm sense of safety, but reality had already risen cold around my throat.
“The Gardener seems to have flown off.”
“He won’t last long. You don’t need to worry about him.”
Yuhyun said it with certainty. The Gardener was going to die soon?
“He’s an opponent even the transcendents couldn’t defeat… What happened?”
I had held out hope for the blue flame, but I had expected it to do no more than let us escape. Yuhyun’s gaze turned toward the wavering blue fire.
“It was the First Flame.”
“The First Flame? That fragment?”
“Not a simple fragment. Its source. The First Flame also met its own world, like I did. Because of that, it could no longer maintain itself and scattered into fragments.”
Yuhyun explained what he had come to know. A complete fire, he said, was close to nothingness, where nothing at all existed. Because Yuhyun had become similar to the First Flame, he had been able to return to the origin of fire.
“But I wanted to stay by your side.”
My brother bent down like he was being spoiled and buried his face against my shoulder.
“Everything I am is with you. Even though you’re different from me.”
“…Yuhyun.”
“If that, too, is you, then just as the First Flame did, I’ll look only at you and love you forever. That’s what Han Yuhyun is.”
That was the fire called Han Yuhyun. No matter what I thought, no matter what anyone else said, it was his essence, unchanged and needing no change. Yuhyun lifted his head. He looked at me as if trying to gauge my reaction. Since I must have felt the alien essence of fire myself, he seemed a little worried. I smiled at him.
“I’m the same. You’re different from me, and I’ve lived more than thirty years by my own standards and the standards of our society, so I’ll keep worrying about you and overthinking things, even without meaning to. But the brother who will always love you is Han Yujin.”
Just as Yuhyun could never become a human being shaped to fit our society’s standards, the reverse was also true. And that was fine.
“I already thought, even when you’d completely turned into fire, that you were still my brother. What is there to fuss over?”
I lightly slapped Yuhyun’s shoulder. If something like this had suddenly happened about a year ago, I would’ve panicked, wondering what was wrong with my brother and whether I needed to get him counseling or something. But not now. I’d been through things. I’d felt things. If someone told me, Your little brother suddenly turned into fire, I could answer, Ah, he was originally fire, actually. Well, I was an ordinary person, so it wasn’t as if I wouldn’t worry at all.
Yuhyun smiled back at me. Iryn, who had become a dragon, returned to his small lizard form and landed on Yuhyun’s shoulder.
“Just now, I was in a state close to the First Flame. That’s why I could melt the Gardener’s shell too.”
Yuhyun looked at the blue flame, now nearly gone, as he spoke.
“But ‘Han Yuhyun’ is a fire that dwells within the world called Han Yujin. In terms of pure ability… I can’t help but fall far behind a fire that simply burns everything, including itself.”
So that was why Iryn, Yuhyun’s spirit, had become small again too. The First Flame, huh. It sounded impressive, but still.
“No matter what kind of fire you are, my brother is the best.”
Obviously. If I were going to love someone more just because they were stronger, there were transcendents lying all over the place around us. That sort of thing didn’t matter.
“Even if you became an ordinary F-Rank, I wouldn’t care. Though I might keep you stuck next to me twenty-four hours a day under the excuse of protecting you and fuss over you even more.”
Yuhyun’s eyes shifted slightly. He was tempted. But if my brother really became no different from an unawakened person, how could I leave him alone without worrying? I’d have to pack a mountain of magic stones, take a vacation, and hide in a drawer or something. Or ask Myungwoo or Rookie to prepare a place for us and stay there together. With the kids too, of course.
“…I’ll become stronger step by step with a human body, like before. Even stronger than the twenty-six-year-old me.”
He said the twenty-six-year-old me. Did that mean he had accepted him? Maybe a little of that child’s memories had been passed on.
“Right. If you’re a being like the First Flame, maybe one day you’ll become that strong while still being you, Yuhyun!”
Iryn slapped his tail as if agreeing. As the fire almost completely died out, I felt presences approaching from behind.
“Mister!”
Yerim was the first to fly over. She still seemed to feel the heat, because water was wrapped around her.
– Dad!
“No, wait until the fire is completely out and the ground cools down.”
I heard Gyeol soothing Byeol too. Yerim circled once above us.
“Ah, seriously, you scared me so much! I’m glad you’re okay! Mister, Han Yuhyun, you’re both fine, right?”
“Yeah. We’re both okay.”
Seeing Yerim’s face finally made me feel completely relieved. Yuhyun—no, we—had really returned to normal. It felt like this was home even without going back home. Actually, what made a home anyway? Wherever you lived, if your whole family was there together, that was home.
“Hyung.”
Yuhyun tilted his head slightly and spoke.
“I got a new title.”
“What?”
“A World of One.”
Yerim covered her ears and said, “Am I not supposed to hear this?” At the same time, I doubted my own ears. That title was—
“Is that maybe… an L-Rank title?”
“No. It’s Mythic.”
…
The twenty-six-year-old Yuhyun had held that title at L-Rank. Seeing my reaction, Yuhyun asked,
“Did the twenty-six-year-old me have this?”
“…Yeah. The grade was different, though.”
“Did he influence me along with the memories?”
Yuhyun’s gaze turned toward the air, as if he was checking the title.
“Your world is made up of one person alone. It is a world that surrounds you perfectly, where no one else can ever set foot. From the moment you open your eyes to the moment you breathe your last, the blessing of fire that looks at only one person dwells within you.”
The explanation had changed. If it was the blessing of fire, was the First Flame involved too?
“Upon the complete death of the world ‘Han Yujin,’ the title will disappear. The title’s disappearance is the world’s disappearance. The world’s disappearance is your disappearance.”
Unlike before, the condition about someone setting foot inside had vanished. Was it because Yuhyun now fully knew and accepted himself? The flame called Han Yuhyun, who had come to understand himself as something akin to the First Flame. More importantly—
“Yuhyun, don’t you smile!”
My little brother was wearing a satisfied smile.
“You said there was an option to refuse it. Is there one?”
“Yeah. Even if there is, I’m not going to refuse.”
“No, Yuhyun! There’s nothing good about having that title!”
“Why not? I like it.”
He looked like he had received a present he truly loved. …Sure, I could see why he liked it.
“So that’s how the me before the regression was able to hold on until the end.”
“…Yuhyun.”
“With this title, even if I start to waver again, I’ll be fine. It’s a title that tells me my world is always with me.”
With a short sigh, I smiled too. If he put it like that, there was nothing I could do.
“Fine. I guess even after everything I’ve been through, I still want you to live. I can say it’s fine, that it’s all right, but my heart doesn’t make it easy.”
“Yeah. I know. But when it comes to this, I’m going to do what I want.”
What could I do? He was a fire that would apparently have burned away long ago if not for me. I couldn’t force a human life onto him. I’d just have to work hard and live as long as possible.
– Dad! Pyuit!
A soft ball of fur sprang up and clung to my leg. I picked up Byeol, who was squeaking. Her short front paw pointed at Yuhyun.
– Uncle amazing!
“He suddenly appeared with a ta-da, right?”
– Not ta-da. Blue fire.
The sparkling pretty fire was Uncle, Byeol explained seriously, waving her front paws. So she had recognized him. The others each said a word or two, glad everyone was safe.
“And, hyung.”
Yuhyun took a small box out of his inventory. That was— Without thinking, I swallowed dryly.
“I was originally going to give it to you a long time ago.”
“…Yeah, Yuhyun.”
“Your birthday isn’t far off, so giving it to you then wouldn’t be bad either.”
Yuhyun’s hand lightly stroked the box holding the watch.
“But right now, for now, traces of the twenty-six-year-old me still remain.”
My brother from before the regression. Yuhyun hesitated a little, then looked at me with gentle eyes.
“Because you brought my memories this far and returned them to me. Because of that, I’m able to give this to you. So this is a present from both of us.”
“…Yeah.”
I couldn’t say anything beyond nodding. It was a gift from my brothers. From both of them together.
“Thank you.”
The watch was fastened around the wrist I held out. A wristwatch with a black band and a blue watch face. Suddenly, I remembered all the time I had spent anxiously wondering when he would give me the watch. So this was why it had been delayed so long. Because we had been waiting for one more brother.
“I have one too, Yuhyun.”
I took out the remaining watch of the two. I set Byeol down for a moment and opened the gift box.
“I prepared two.”
“He took one with him, then.”
“Yeah. This one is yours. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you properly all this time.”
Yuhyun shook his head slightly, telling me it wasn’t true. I fastened the blue watch onto my brother’s wrist as he naturally held it out. Something swelled inside me, tight and overwhelming, but I was proud too. I had given both of them their watches. I had received one from both of them too.
“Thank you, hyung.”
My brother’s smile felt deeply happy.
“It’s my first wristwatch.”
“The twenty-six-year-old you said the same thing. Both of you were guild leaders, of all things.”
When I grumbled at him for no real reason, my brother laughed.
“If it isn’t from you, it doesn’t mean anything. That guy must have been no different from stopped too.”
At Yuhyun’s words, a pressing ache spread deep inside my chest. I wished we could have had even a little more time together. Our final moments had been far too short. This regret would probably never disappear.
– Pyuiik!
Byeol waved one of her front paws.
“Do you want a watch too, Byeol?”
– Yes!
I’d have to buy her a toy watch. For Gyeol and Seol too. I should get all three of them matching ones. Yerim quietly raised her own hand too.
“Mister, my wrist is empty too. It wouldn’t be my first, though.”
“You had a watch? I never saw one.”
“When I was little. A toy watch.”
“Of course I’ll get you one too, Yerim.”
“I’m absolutely not wearing blue! Red is also kind of uncomfortable. White, please!”
“Fine, fine.”
– Yujin hyung, me too!
The Park Hayul flower fluttered its leaves. What was I supposed to do for you?
“I want to buy Noah a watch too!”
“Oh, me too! For Liette unnie too!”
“…Noona, this would be the fifth one.”
Mr. Noah, whose arms were being held from both sides, looked at me with a troubled expression. Even so, they seemed close. And this time—
“…Huh?”
This time, Seong Hyunjae’s voice should definitely have come drifting over. There was no way he wouldn’t butt in, saying that his own watch had been rejected or that Chief Song had broken his watch. But it was quiet. A little flustered, I looked around.
“…Where are Mr. Seong Hyunjae and Chief Song?”
“They went after the Gardener.”
Hyunah answered. The Gardener?
“Just the two of them?”
“Guild Leader Sesung went first, and I carried Chief Song Taewon over the Gardener.”
Mr. Noah added the explanation. Yuhyun had said the Gardener would collapse soon, and with those two, it probably wouldn’t be dangerous. The only problem was—
‘When the Gardener disappears.’
His domain would disappear, and since Yerim had also returned to normal, Crescent Moon would move now. Right after that ominous premonition hit me—
Jingle—
A silver bell rang in the sky.
–TL Notes–
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