# Chapter 84
Eyes with noticeably less pigment than ordinary people’s blinked several times to find focus. A white, plain ceiling. A ventilated indoor space. The events before sleeping came back one by one. Right, Je Sano had suddenly acted like human handcuffs and caused all kinds of trouble… When Iyeon’s thoughts reached this point, he realized he couldn’t feel any weight on his body.
“Huh?”
Surprised, Iyeon turned his head to the side.
And his eyes met with a piece of black cloth.
“…”
“…”
Why am I seeing this? Silence fell. Only after a moment did Iyeon grasp the situation, his gaze traveling up the body wearing only underwear. Sano, sitting leaned against the bed’s headboard, was staring at him blankly. Sunlight entering through the shelter’s entrance brightened the interior, making his bare body clearly visible.
“…Did you sleep well?”
Iyeon asked awkwardly. Though he’d fallen asleep in resignation at the time, it was a tremendous relief not to wake up in the same position as before sleeping. Seeing the usual expressionless face, it seemed his condition wasn’t too bad.
No matter how well he’d slept, how could he recover without medicine, just from a wet cloth on his forehead when his fever had been so high? Was he superhuman? It was typical of someone who often mocked Iyeon for being weak. With such a physique, someone who frequently collapsed claiming to be exhausted must look like a newborn chick to him.
If anything, it was Iyeon who wasn’t feeling well. Sleeping in wet clothes hadn’t been a wise choice. Though the clothes had dried while he slept, his body felt slightly chilled.
Sano didn’t answer. After quite some time, he finally spoke.
“My clothes.”
“…”
“They were cut.”
It was the topic Iyeon had most hoped wouldn’t come up. Iyeon avoided his gaze. Turning his back awkwardly, Iyeon mumbled, slurring his words as much as possible.
“Well, your clothes were all wet, and your fever was really bad… But you wouldn’t move, so I had no choice…”
Sano’s gaze fixed on Iyeon’s fidgeting back of the head. Contrary to Iyeon’s expectation that he would tie him up immediately, Sano took no action.
At this point, Iyeon noticed that Sano’s mood was distinctly different from usual. …Could he still not be in his right mind? Iyeon carefully turned around again. Despite his suspicious gaze scanning Sano, he said nothing.
“Are you really okay?”
Iyeon raised himself and stretched out his arm. The blanket covering him rustled as it fell away. When he placed his hand on the forehead of the impassively staring Sano, a fairly stable temperature with just a slight fever met his palm.
The eyes of the two who had drawn closer met. Iyeon hesitated momentarily at the bright face filling his vision. Thump. Thump. His belated heart began to beat again.
“…If you’re okay, that’s good…”
After answering his own question, he shifted away and busily rustled the blanket for no reason. Then Sano quietly opened his mouth.
“Lee Jung-yeon.”
Seriously, this guy. How long have we known each other, and he still gets my name wrong? Did the high fever cause amnesia? Iyeon frowned and protested.
“No, I keep telling you my name is Jung Iyeon…”
“You think I’m a fool.”
If you can’t even remember a name, should I call you a genius instead?
“Give me back my clothes.”
His tone suggested it was obviously what should be done. It was tantamount to demanding belongings after rescuing someone from drowning. Before Iyeon could say anything, a low voice continued.
“You know how to make them.”
“…Without even a pen…”
“You know that’s unnecessary.”
It wasn’t wavering suspicion. There was clear conviction in it.
“I never taught you my name.”
“…”
“But you recognized who I was immediately just by seeing my face.”
And it seemed he had no intention of pretending not to know.
Dark-shadowed green eyes looked straight at Iyeon. His direct gaze was unwavering.
Iyeon sighed.
“Since when did you know?”
“From the beginning.”
There was something doubtful about that statement. He clearly seemed uncertain when they first met… Honestly, Iyeon had been convinced Sano didn’t know when he personally gave him drawing lessons.
“Why? My hair color even changed.”
“Your face is exactly the same.”
“You said you only saw me briefly ten years ago…”
The gaze directed at Iyeon, who was still muttering nonsensical excuses, narrowed.
“Do you think I’m a fool?”
Iyeon closed his mouth. The truth was, after using his abilities so openly, there was no way to deny it anymore.
“Yes, it’s been a long time.”
Those times, now so faded that barely the temperature, colors, and smells could be recalled. Yet no matter how blurry the images, how dark in the pouring rain, he could never fail to recognize Je Sano. Iyeon would never forget his face for his entire life.
My old friend.
There was so much he wanted to ask if they ever met again. Even after meeting in that alley, during their time together, there were many things he wondered about. He always wanted to ask but hesitated. At first, he kept quiet because Sano didn’t seem to recognize him, and then…
And then…
“You said you’re looking for Morpho.”
In the end, this was all he managed to ask after all that deliberation. At Iyeon’s question, Sano looked rather confused.
“I didn’t expect you wouldn’t care.”
“Huh?”
“Why do you want to leave that guy alone?”
Iyeon awkwardly closed his mouth. He had expected Sano to dislike Morpho. He hadn’t anticipated him actively searching for information… Still, he didn’t want them to run into each other, so Iyeon mumbled quietly.
“I didn’t even know where he was, so it’s not like I was leaving him alone…”
Seeing that blank face, Sano’s lips twisted.
“You should cooperate too, Lee Jung-yeon.”
“Me? I don’t think I’d be much help.”
I don’t even know his whereabouts… In response to Iyeon’s bewildered answer, a voice sharp like mockery pierced through.
“I think I deserve at least that much.”
Iyeon flinched when his eyes met Sano’s. His lips, about to say something, obediently sealed shut.
It was true. Je Sano had that right. Iyeon answered dejectedly.
“…Alright.”
After briefly washing their sweat-soaked bodies, the two put on clothes made by Iyeon and headed back out to the forest. The scent of the forest after a downpour was refreshing. While blankly watching the round shelter turn to sand and disappear, Sano muttered.
“Does Lee Hyegang know?”
“No, he doesn’t.”
The answer that immediately sprang out was in a slightly lower voice. For a whole decade, Iyeon had not told anyone about his abilities. Especially deceiving Hyegang brought with it feelings of guilt, but once you start lying, it becomes difficult to come clean.
“Why specifically tier two?”
Iyeon’s original ability was Materialization. It was the source of the terrain-setting function, so if he had been evaluated for his true ability, achieving tier five wouldn’t have been difficult.
Yet he deliberately hid his ability and took the assessment. Establishing Chageum separately was due to concerns about his ability being discovered if he worked for someone else’s company. The tier two rating was also arbitrarily set to obtain a business qualification.
“There’s no need to get a high tier.”
There was no benefit in drawing attention. It was better to live inconspicuously. He also didn’t want to risk being assessed for his true ability and having it revealed that the power signature matched the terrain-setting function.
“If that’s the case, it would’ve been better not to get assessed at all.”
Iyeon smiled sheepishly.
“My parents wanted it.”
For Iyeon, left alone after everything had vanished, that was his only guidepost. There were no options.
‘And…’
Iyeon glanced at Sano. It was too long ago for him to remember, and even Iyeon had few memories of that time, but that promise was one of the few things Iyeon remembered clearly.
The sun shone brightly in the cool air. Checking his phone, it was approaching late morning.
They had wasted an enormous amount of time, so it was best to hurry. Hyegang would have also waited for the two who hadn’t returned all night. With Sano there, he probably didn’t worry though…
“Would the Nightmare Elephant still be in the forest?”
“Who knows.”
This was the problem.
Despite the rain all night, it was uncertain. It wasn’t like variants would catch a cold from getting rained on… If it kept moving, there was a high possibility it had left this area.
Sano, walking quietly beside Iyeon who was seriously pondering, glanced at him. His dark eyes lingered for a while on the dried, light-colored hair.
“Your hair…”
Konk!
Just as Sano was about to speak, a playful cry sounded as a large creature revealed itself through the dense tree trunks. Blue fur with black stripes. It was Mungchi.
