Chapter 8
Sehyun nodded with a relieved expression at his words.
Even after the doctor left, her aunt couldn’t leave Sehyun’s side.
Her aunt’s expression changed constantly during her short stay.
Relief, guilt, embarrassment…
“Sehyun, I’m so sorry…”
“Aunt.”
Sehyun cut her off.
“Yes?”
“Lift your head. You didn’t commit a crime, why do you keep lowering your head?”
“I stayed holed up in the bathroom to save myself…”
“Mom!”
Jungwoo called out to his aunt and then looked at Sehyun with a frustrated expression.
“Um, Sister. I’m not trying to take Mom’s side, but…”
He continued.
After Jungwoo rushed out upon the sudden appearance of the monster, some of the people hiding in the master bedroom had rushed to the master bathroom and locked the door. Even in that small space, it was a battle.
People trying to stop her aunt from leaving had covered her mouth and prevented her from moving.
Sehyun understood the feelings of those who had stopped her aunt. When lives were at stake, people could make selfish choices at any time.
Moreover, they wouldn’t have been able to do anything themselves.
Sehyun smiled faintly at her aunt.
“Aunt, I think it’s rather fortunate. Even if you had come out, you wouldn’t have been able to do anything about the situation.”
Sehyun recalled the monster she had seen. To be frank, her aunt would have been one-shot by the monster.
“Even the sturdy Jungwoo was knocked out with a single blow. What could you have done?”
“But you, with your small physique…”
“Aunt, I’m trained.”
“But still…”
Her aunt’s guilt showed no signs of subsiding.
Sehyun glanced at Jungwoo, who was standing behind her aunt. Jungwoo shook his head slightly.
The tight-lipped guy hadn’t told his aunt about her yet.
Tsk.
Sehyun took a breath and spoke.
“Aunt, I became a Guard.”
“…”
A chilling silence fell over the hospital room at Sehyun’s words. Her aunt’s eyes widened.
She’s making that surprised face a lot today.
Sehyun thought idly, but kept her eyes fixed on her aunt.
“I received the System’s call a few days ago. I was going to talk to you about it when the time was right, but this happened. You know, right? The duty of a Guard. To protect and fight for civilians in the event of an emergency caused by monsters. I just fulfilled my duty, so you don’t have to feel sorry.”
“No, you, how could you… No, why?”
Her aunt stammered, biting her lip painfully.
The System’s call.
In other words, the birth of a Guard was a joyous occasion for the family.
Although it depended on the ability, a Guard would gain a high salary and honor that was incomparable to others.
But her aunt’s face, looking at her niece who had become a Guard, was close to despair. Sehyun was quite flustered to see her aunt with such a horrifying expression.
“Sehyun, does anyone else know about this?”
“No.”
“Okay, good. Jungwoo, pretend you didn’t hear anything. There’s no Guard in our family.”
Her aunt’s gaze suddenly sharpened as she quickly tried to control Jungwoo.
“Aunt.”
“It’s fine. You just… just forget about it. Live a normal life.”
“Aunt…?”
She didn’t expect her aunt to be this against it.
Sehyun looked at Jungwoo, who also shook his head with a bewildered expression. Sehyun calmed herself down for a moment and spoke,
“Aunt, registering is mandatory when you become a Guard. If you become a Guard but don’t register with the Guard Association, you’ll be registered as a Red Guard. You know that means becoming a criminal, right?”
“But you don’t have to be a Guard…! Ah, right! You can give up being a Guard, right? Yes! That’s right! That’s right! I forgot!”
Her aunt’s face brightened instantly. Looking at her aunt, Sehyun sighed softly and said,
“Aunt, I’m not going to give up being a Guard.”
Sehyun’s voice was firm.
“What? What are you talking about? Do you know what kind of job a Guard is? You don’t know how many times your father and your mother were injured doing that job, do you? Even Support-types get injured like that. If you happen to be a Combat-type, you’ll end up like your uncle…!”
Her aunt suddenly raised her voice and then shut her mouth tightly. Being a Guard might be a blessing to some, but it certainly wasn’t for her aunt. She still remembered the day she lost her husband.
The day he went out to battle as usual and returned in an unrecognizable state.
“If you do that too, I won’t be able to live. How can you do that job… How…”
“Aunt, I can do it because it’s me.”
“…”
“Because it’s me, your niece, their daughter.”
“…”
“A Guard follows in the footsteps of another Guard.”
Sehyun replied lightly, as if it were nothing. But her aunt’s face remained grim.
“No, no… Sehyun. I can’t let you go like that. Absolutely not.”
“Aunt, I’m not going to die. Being a Guard is safe these days. It’s different from before.”
“If it’s because of me and Jungwoo, I’ll figure something out. I can ask the people who were close to your uncle…”
Sehyun smiled bitterly at her aunt’s words. What kind of help could she get from those people who hadn’t even contacted them once after her uncle died?
“But still…”
Her aunt trailed off. Sensing her internal conflict, Sehyun drove the point home.
“My goal is to register as a Guard with the Guard Association and then get a job at the association, not in the field. They say you get housing and can enter a Large Safe Zone if you get a job there. We can live more safely than we do now. Not just me and you, but Jungwoo too.”
At the mention of Jungwoo, her aunt’s eyes wavered greatly.
“But if you’re choosing this difficult path because of Jungwoo and me…”
“No, I’m doing this for myself. I want to let go of the past. It’s also hard to keep protecting civilians… Wouldn’t it be better to have this job within the association, where my tenure is guaranteed?”
Her aunt’s expression became even more troubled at Sehyun’s words.
After a long silence, her aunt finally relented, saying, “Let’s discuss this later.” Sehyun knew the answer her aunt would give. No matter how much she thought about it, there was no better solution than this.
Sehyun urged her aunt and Jungwoo to go home before it got too late. After they reluctantly left, she looked out the window. A cool breeze blew in through the half-open window.
The scene beyond, with the dark night sky and the colorful lights illuminating the streets, was peaceful. As if it were the world before the Holes appeared.
Sehyun looked at the path in the middle of that world. She saw the familiar figures of two people heading towards the main entrance of the hospital. Her aunt’s small figure, being practically carried by Jungwoo, caught her eye. Sehyun’s expression darkened.
“I’m sorry, Aunt.”
Contrary to what she had told her aunt, Sehyun had a feeling that she wouldn’t be able to work in the association’s office.
Unique Ability: ???
Slots: 0/3
Skills: Pull, Dodge, Fruit Knife Swing, Jump…
Although they looked insignificant and useless to anyone…
Just looking at the skills, it was clear.
She was a Combat-type.
***
Fortunately, the test results came back normal. The doctor told her she could be discharged and asked her to come back for another checkup in a few days. Sehyun got up after the checkup and bowed slightly to the doctor.
“Thank you for your kind and thorough treatment.”
“You’re welcome. Please give my regards to Guard Shin Eunah.”
“What?”
When Sehyun asked back as if it were a nonsensical question, the doctor tilted his head in puzzlement.
“Guard Shin Eunah repeatedly contacted me and asked me to take good care of you.”
“Maybe you’re mistaking me for someone else? I don’t know her.”
“That’s impossible. The 25-year-old Kim Sehyun that Ms. Shin Eunah mentioned is the only one I see before me.”
“…”
The doctor smiled brightly with a confident expression. She didn’t know what kind of misunderstanding had led to this, but she couldn’t stubbornly deny it, so she turned and left.
“Let’s go eat something delicious since you’re discharged.”
Jungwoo, who had been waiting in front of the examination room, approached her with a grin.
“What kind of delicious food?”
“Meat. Definitely meat.”
Sehyun shook her head as if she had expected it and was about to leave the hospital when,
“Hello.”
A woman with her hair tied back in a single braid stood in front of Sehyun and Jungwoo, blocking their path.
Sehyun stared at her, trying to remember where she had seen her before. The woman, noticing her gaze, handed her a business card.
“My name is Shin Eunah, from the Guard Association headquarters. Do you have time to talk for a moment?”
***
On a bright morning, people in the cafe glanced at a particular spot. Sehyun didn’t mind the attention.
Because those gazes were not directed at her, but at the woman sitting in front of her.
Shin Eunah, apart from her shocking status as a member of the Guard Association headquarters, was a strikingly noticeable person. She was tall, over 170cm, with a slender figure and sharp features that made her look like a mixed-race person.
In the world before the Holes appeared, she would have been scouted multiple times, with a face like a celebrity.
Sehyun looked at her beautiful face and spoke.
“What brings you here?”
“Did you by any chance receive the System’s call?”
As expected.
Sehyun had guessed that this was the reason Eunah had sought her out. But it was ridiculous to blurt out, “I became a Guard,” without being asked, so she remained silent.
“I did.”
“When?”
“The day the emergency Hole occurred.”
Eunah looked surprised for a moment at Sehyun’s words, but then she smiled.
“What a strange coincidence. But seeing your expression, it seems you were expecting this.”
“You’re not an investigator, and the only reason the Guard headquarters would come looking for me is for this. You would have heard about the incident from other witnesses, and even if you hadn’t, you would have figured it out just by looking at the situation.”
Hmm