“Hey, was I in the wrong here?”

In the room that had fallen silent as if doused with water after Geon-joo left, I asked. At my voice, thick with a sense of injustice, Jaehee, who had been holding a long breath, lifted his head. He closed the book he was reading with a thump, pressed his temples firmly, and then turned his body.

“Would he not leave after you rebuked him like that?”

“Did I rebuke him? I just asked why he was interfering.”

“Normal people don’t take that as a question. You weren’t asking out of pure curiosity either, were you, Sa-yoon-ssi?”

“So, you’re saying I was in the wrong?”

“This time, yes.”

You shouldn’t talk like that to someone who’s worried about you.

Lee Jaehee answered softly, his fingers stroking the cover of his book. Unlike my turbulent state, his side was peaceful from start to finish. I made a displeased face and flopped down on the bed. My body, from my back to my head, hit the bed with a single thump, and the mattress bounced a couple of times from the impact. The startled snakes shot out from under the bed in a flurry.

“Why are these things in my room?”

They have their own space in the snack room, yet they were trespassing in their master’s living quarters. As I was petting the snakes that had slithered up, Lee Jaehee confessed.

“They kept loitering around nearby, so I just let them in. They seemed lonely because you weren’t here, Sa-yoon-ssi.”

“These guys?”

What a ridiculous thing to say. It wasn’t that they were lonely; they were probably protesting because the human who brought them food on a regular basis was gone. I muttered this but didn’t stop stroking the snakes. Jaehee, who had been staring at the scene, let out a sigh that could have cracked the earth.

“If only you could treat Geon-joo the same way. Is it that difficult?”

I couldn’t tell if it was advice or a reprimand. I narrowed my eyes to figure out his intention and held out my hand. I flicked my wrist, a gesture to give me something. The man, belatedly catching the intent behind the action, summoned his creature.

Woof!

The white Fenrir ran to me. I opened my arms and gladly embraced Rai, taking a long breath.

“…You have no idea how precious he is to me.”

At the inner thoughts that had slipped out of my mouth, Lee Jaehee let out a hollow laugh.

“You treasure him, yet you chase him out with such words?”

“Hey. Did I chase him out? He’s the one who left.”

“You were the one who provided the cause, Sa-yoon-ssi.”

“To be precise, the cause was him constantly prying into every little thing. Why does he keep asking questions, telling me not to do this, not to do that? It makes a person uncomfortable.”

“Did his questions make you uncomfortable?”

“Of course, they did.”

“Why?”

“…”

It was not a special question. It was nothing more than a simple counter-question with no particular intonation, yet my words got stuck in my throat. For a moment, Geon-joo’s face, telling me not to die in front of him, flashed in my mind. The memory of his crumpled expression made my heart race with anxiety.

“Ah, damn it.”

There it was again. I was once again forced to confront my own feelings, which I didn’t know if I was turning away from or ignoring, all because of Lee Jaehee. I gripped the innocent Rai’s fur tightly. 

Keng! 

The Fenrir, suffering an unprovoked assault, yelped as if to say, ‘Let go.’ I was only holding its fur, yet it was making such a fuss.

“Did something happen inside the Gate?”

“Right, you should just open a fortune-telling shop and be done with it.”

I let out a sarcastic remark that was more like admiration for the man who pinpointed things like a psychic. Lee Jaehee got up from his chair and moved to the sofa near the bed.

“If you truly value Geon-joo, you need to change that attitude of yours first, Sa-yoon-ssi.”

“Go and give that lecture to Han Geon-joo, too. I’m getting angry because he keeps overstepping.”

“Sa-yoon-ssi.”

He was only calling my name, yet my conscience pricked me. They say you can know the depths of ten 길 of water but not the heart of one 길 of a person, but Lee Jaehee was one who read the heavens, not just water or whatever, so it felt like my heart was being read completely. Hmph. I let out an uncomfortable hum, glanced around, and sat up. So much for the Night Rat leader who lives and dies by his cool.¹ To think I’m now watching my back around people.

Alright. Since it’s come to this, let’s make use of this heaven-reading man I’ve gotten my hands on.

He was my guild member and my person now anyway, so what was there to hesitate about? I straightened my posture, placed Rai on my lap, and gave him a brief summary of what had happened inside the Gate. Lee Jaehee listened quietly without interrupting and then offered his conclusion.

“It’s because you feel sorry.”

At the overly simple conclusion, I laughed.

“Sorry? Me? To him?”

As I crumpled my face as if to say it was nonsense, Jaehee’s gaze landed on me. His calm, unwavering eyes seemed to see right through me. I, who had been laughing hollowly as if it were all absurd, slowly wiped the expression from my face.

“Sa-yoon-ssi. Do you remember what I asked you before?”

“You’ve asked me so many things. What is it?”

“The one where I told you to think about whether you want to die, or if you just don’t want to live like that.”

“Ah, that.”

A short sigh escaped my lips. What did I answer back then? I think I said I had to die. Racking my memory, I opened my mouth.

“Even taking away the sense of obligation that I have to die, it was still the former.”

When I had finished my contemplation about Geon-joo in the Gate, my mood had been at its highest point since receiving the System. I clearly remember that the thought that came to me at that moment was that I wanted to die. I said it calmly, and after a moment’s pause, Lee Jaehee continued.

“Then let me change the question. Whether by your own will or not, you now have an immortal body, Sa-yoon-ssi. Who could possibly kill you?”

“There’s no one right now.”

“Then what about after the disposition you’re aiming for is activated?”

“…”

“If you can really break free from the System when the new disposition is activated, you will choose suicide. But what will you do if you can’t? If you can’t die by your own hand, or if you can’t be killed by just anyone…”

“Fuck, how much did you read?”

My voice grew rough. I glared at him as if to stand up at any moment, but he didn’t even bat an eyelash. My eyes narrowed.

I had figured out Lee Jaehee’s pattern to some extent. It was obvious he would use One Who Pierces Heaven’s Secrets and end up coughing up blood. Just as I was raising my guard, a question that disarmed me completely was heard.

“Do you think Mr. Geon-joo will be able to kill you?”

It was a question that pierced the very core I had buried and hidden in the deepest part of myself.

The hand that was stroking Rai stopped. My breathing also stopped for a moment. As I just stared, not even blinking, Lee Jaehee took a handkerchief from his bosom and wiped his lips. Bright red blood stained the cloth.

“You…”

I stared at the cloth and started to speak, but he just smiled faintly.

“You must be curious about what I revealed. It was a small amount of blood, so it doesn’t seem like I revealed a grave secret. That means I only said a word or two. I’ve said a lot so far, so you must be busy trying to guess what was my personal speculation and what was One Who Pierces Heaven’s Secrets. But, if possible, I would appreciate it if you didn’t try to find out and just let it go. Heavenly secrets are the secrets of the heavens; there is nothing good that comes from knowing them.”

They are only heavy.

The man added in a tired voice, folded the handkerchief he had used to wipe his mouth, placed it on the armrest of the sofa, and then looked at me. It was a look that said he was done talking, so now it was my turn to answer. At his almost coercive gaze, I let out a few baffled breaths, “Ha, ha,” and then relaxed my body.

That guy really is a lunatic.

It wasn’t just that his actions were strange or his way of thinking was unique; he was just plain crazy. I thought to myself that all the bastards who called me a lunatic should experience Lee Jaehee at least once. He called my name again. He was so impatient, you’d think he couldn’t wait a second longer.

“Just go and open a fortune-telling shop. And Lee Jaehee’s Counseling Center, too. Huh?”

As I spoke, fed up, he laughed. It was an expression that showed he knew I had affirmed his question. Oh, for fuck’s sake. To think I only pick up strange ones.

I, the king of all strange ones, grumbled and stood up.

“So what does that have to do with me feeling sorry?”

“You feel sorry because you’re planning to ask Mr. Geon-joo to kill you.”

“…”

“How can you be at ease when you’re planning to ask someone who begged you not to die in front of him to kill you? Since he keeps trying to dig into that uncomfortable feeling, you’re subconsciously putting up your guard to defend yourself. But this isn’t his fault. It’s a problem with you and the defense mechanism you have.”

Do you still think you weren’t at fault in the argument just now?

The added words were now in the form of a complete reprimand.

He really has to win at everything.

He reads people’s hearts, reads their plans, reads the heavens. It must be so nice to be able to read so much.

Expressing my discomfort and displeasure with my gaze, I dusted off my wrists without rebuttal. He had spoken nothing but the cutting truth, so there was nothing I could say back. And if I were to get angry, it would be a case of the one who farted getting angry first.²

Tsk. Clicking my tongue, I turned my body and walked towards the door.

“When you go out, apologize first. He’s a young person.”

At the words coming from behind me, I retorted that he would have to start paying one hundred thousand won in rent a month from today. The sound of laughter came back. Thinking he was no fun to tease, I opened the door and went out, only to be startled.

“What the?”

Why is this bastard here again?

He had stormed out on his own two feet, yet now he was crouched next to my door. Dumbfounded, I nudged his shoe with my foot. The person who had his head buried between his arms lifted his gaze.

‘If your younger lover whines, you should indulge him.’

I don’t know why of all things, those words Lee Jaehee had said once came to mind right now.

The brat in front of me was not my lover or anything of the sort.

“…Your annoying hyung is here.”

I clicked my tongue and said so. His face crumpled. At his expression, full of annoyance and sorrow, I blinked.

What.

This isn’t it?

I, who had tried to indulge his whining, was now doubly dumbfounded.