“Kaengkaeng, no, Mirang. Help me.”
Jeongwoo said, looking at the small fox Yeong-i was holding. Come to think of it, was this the first time he said the name Mirang?
Following Yeong-i, he had been calling her Kaengkaeng and forgetting her name. But no matter how much they called her Kaengkaeng and she acted like a dog, Mirang was Seohuryorang’s only successor.
The small fox made no sound and just stared at Jeongwoo silently.
“Mirang, I know it’s not easy to interfere with a mission planned by a major Constellation. But Jaehee has wounds related to his mother. He won’t be able to escape on his own. I can tell because I’ve been watching Jaehee all this time. I don’t know about other things, but this time someone needs to help Jaehee. Honestly, I don’t know why you followed Jaehee, why you followed us, and I think it can’t be helped if you hate us. But help us just this once. I’ll definitely repay the favor. Send me into Jaehee’s dream.”
Mirang just quietly looked at Jeongwoo without saying anything.
Honestly, his relationship with Mirang was closer to a bad connection. He couldn’t know what Mirang was thinking or why she had followed them this far. But right now, this was the only way.
To think of Kaengkaeng only after hearing Blazing Flame’s story. The fox clan’s abilities were based on bewitching arts. Therefore, they were skilled at entering others’ dreams or manipulating minds. Even if Kaengkaeng was still young, her skills wouldn’t be lacking.
– What can you stake on this matter?
Jeongwoo hesitated. It seemed like the first time Kaengkaeng had spoken to him like this.
Facing Kaengkaeng, pitch-black eyes stared at Jeongwoo. Looking at those eyes that were much clearer and calmer than expected, he nodded.
“Mirang. From a very long time ago, everything I have has already been Jaehee’s. So I have nothing more to stake, nothing left.”
Mirang spread her tails. She unfolded all the tails she had been hiding and swayed them gently.
Interfering with a mission was quite burdensome, but this time it wasn’t just any mission—it was something a major Constellation was involved in. To go against a major Constellation’s mood and interfere with the system’s work. No one in their right mind would do such a thing.
But…. Mirang tapped the floor with her tail. She didn’t like seeing Jaehee collapsed like that.
She hadn’t followed the humans to see him in such a state.
– Fine. But what I can do is only put you into the dream. I can’t interfere at all inside the dream. And if you get hurt or die inside….
“I know. I don’t expect anything else from you. Just send me into the dream.”
Mirang nodded, then swung her tail vigorously.
* * *
All around was dark and damp. Not only that, but there was also a foul stench. Even though he had become accustomed to considerable stenches while dealing with the dead, it felt foul enough to be unpleasant.
Was this Jaehee’s nightmare?
The squishy floor that looked half like a swamp and the gloomy, sticky air evoked displeasure.
Where is Jaehee now…?
Jeongwoo looked around and clicked his tongue.
Was it more like this because it was a nightmare a Constellation interfered with? Rather than a dream, it felt exactly like a dungeon itself.
Jeongwoo walked for a long time through the swamp where there was nothing.
Since this was Jaehee’s unconscious, he couldn’t act carelessly. If he made a mistake, even a small thing done here could cause permanent damage to Jaehee.
Jeongwoo recalled the young fox’s words.
– Wounds received inside will appear in reality in some form. If it’s physical, that’s rather fortunate. Because you can solve it with potions. But in dreams, if a wound you thought was inflicted on the body is actually a wound left on the mind…. There’s no way to fix that, so you need to act carefully.
I don’t know exactly how long I can maintain it with my power, but at most 3 hours. But the more you go against the Constellation’s mood inside, the shorter the time you can endure inside will become. The method I’m using to send you in is, so to speak, deceiving the Constellation, so don’t act too conspicuously inside. I don’t know if that’s possible though.
If he did nothing and avoided the Constellation’s eyes, it seemed he could stay longer, but since he didn’t come in for that, the time he could stay would be extremely short.
Jeongwoo sighed and glanced at his arm, then pulled down his clothes to hide his arm.
The wounds he received when fighting the dead remained the same even inside here. He had used potions several times, but the wounds remained. It meant there wasn’t much time left for him.
So he had to quickly find Jaehee and get out.
While walking through the swamp where nothing was visible, he discovered a low hill. It was nothing special, but just being able to escape the swamp that made him feel fatigued with every step was welcome. Jeongwoo looked at the hill and walked with big strides, finally escaping the swamp.
After leaving the swamp, he could catch his breath a bit. The rotten smell that had been stinging his nose also subsided a little. It was still dark all around, but at least it wasn’t to the level where he couldn’t distinguish objects. Perhaps because he had just spent the Night of the Dead where he couldn’t see an inch ahead, in this level of darkness, it was sufficiently manageable.
On top of the hill was one large tree. It felt eerie that there was only one tree on a hill with nothing else, but somehow he had a feeling that Jaehee would be there.
When Jeongwoo approached the tree, he could see Jaehee standing in front of it. Jaehee leaning against the tree looked as if he had become one with the tree.
“Jaehee.”
Jaehee flinched, then slowly turned his head. As if recognizing Jeongwoo, his eyes widened.
“J-Jeongwoo…?”
“Yeah. I came to get you. Let’s go out now.”
Jeongwoo had worried that Jaehee might not recognize him, but seeing him recognize him, he thought things would end easily.
“N-no. I can’t do that.”
“What are you talking about? Jaehee, you can’t stay here. Nothing good will come of it. Take my hand. Let’s go out quickly.”
The way to wake from a nightmare was simpler than expected. The owner of the dream just needed to realize this place was a dream and think they wanted to leave on their own. Conversely, if the owner of the dream didn’t realize this place was a dream, or if they tried not to leave until the end, there was no way to forcibly wake them.
“N-no. I won’t go out.”
“Jaehee. What’s wrong. This place is…!”
Jeongwoo was about to say this place was a dream, but looked around and closed his mouth.
Telling him this place was a dream was against the rules. The moment he said that, there was a high probability he’d be forcibly kicked out of the dream. He had to indirectly convey that this place was a dream and persuade Jaehee.
“Look, Jaehee. It’s too dark and cold here. Let’s go out to a bright place, okay?”
At Jeongwoo’s words, Jaehee shook his head with a gloomy face.
“No. I can’t do that.”
“Why do you keep saying you can’t? Jaehee, I’m cold. Okay? I think I’m going to catch a cold. Can’t we go to a warm place?”
Jaehee hesitated at Jeongwoo’s words that he was cold and might catch a cold. He didn’t know about himself, but he couldn’t let Jeongwoo catch a cold because of him.
“B-but…. If we go home…. No. I shouldn’t go.”
“What are you talking about? I’m cold, do I have to keep staying here? Huh?”
At Jeongwoo’s words, Jaehee bit his lip hard with a troubled expression, then shook his head.
“I don’t have the right to enter the house…. That’s why I can’t go. Then at least you, Jeongwoo, should go home.”
“I don’t want to. Why would I go to your house without you? I go because you’re there. Fine. Then come to my side. If you’re next to me, it’ll be less cold.”
Jeongwoo told Jaehee to come to his side, but actually walked over to Jaehee’s side with big strides and plopped down. Jaehee looked at Jeongwoo like that and as he also carefully sat down, Jeongwoo pulled Jaehee to him.
“J-Jeongwoo!”
“I’m cold, cold. I’m really cold. Originally when you’re in a cold place, you hug each other and share body heat. Come here.”
Jeongwoo smiled and pulled Jaehee into his arms. Jaehee’s body was cold, so rather than being warm, his body temperature actually dropped, but he didn’t care. Although it was a dream and not real, thinking that Jaehee was in his arms, his anxious heart calmed down and he felt at ease. Anyway, it was true that Jaehee was in his arms.
“Jaehee. You won’t remember whatever I say right now anyway, right?”
“Huh?”
It was a more urgent situation than ever, but it was strangely peaceful. Wasn’t this place a world with only him and Jaehee, with no other humans?
“Never mind. I’m happy to be with you.”
“Mmm.”
“But why were you here?”
“…Do I have to tell you?”
“I hate that you’re in such a cold place. Jaehee, I wish you were always happy in a beautiful place.”
“…Why?”
After a long silence at Jeongwoo’s words, Jaehee asked back. Jeongwoo hesitated, then hugged Jaehee and kissed his forehead.
Anyway, he won’t remember what happens here.
Since this is your nightmare, it would be better for you not to remember.
So ridiculously, I can say these words to you.
“Because I love you.”
Jaehee flinched and raised his head to look at Jeongwoo.
Looking at that face, Jeongwoo smiled again.
“I love you, Shin Jaehee.”
