You Say Only I Regressed? 79

# Chapter 79

Even after a long while, his heart was still pounding. But his trembling legs had improved somewhat, allowing Lee Hwan to get up from his spot with a groan.

Once he came to his senses, the thought that they needed to get out of here quickly struck him. Strangely, his survival instinct firmly suppressed his desire to linger a bit longer.

As he wrung out his damp clothes, he looked back at Taesung. He had already regulated his breathing and was ready to depart. Lee Hwan shook his wet hair and walked toward him with a splashing sound.

“From here, we can just follow the map again.”

“…”

“Neither of us seems to have the energy to clean up the remaining monsters… let’s just get out. We’ve already cleared out most of the crowded areas, so skipping one round shouldn’t be a big deal.”

Taesung’s face wrinkled slightly. Lee Hwan watched him quietly before adding a remark.

“You’ve already messed with Team 1’s gate schedule a few times, haven’t you?”

Maybe he shouldn’t have said that. Taesung’s eyebrow twitched once. It was an unpleasant statement, but one he couldn’t refute. Lee Hwan deliberately suppressed his still-racing heart and turned around.

“Let’s go.”

It was somewhat surprising that Taesung followed without any rebuke. His unexpectedly compliant attitude suddenly made Lee Hwan feel guilty, causing him to clear his throat unnecessarily.

As they walked, making deliberate footsteps, Lee Hwan kept rehearsing words in his mind that he couldn’t bring himself to say aloud.

We both nearly died. I’m glad we survived.

If it weren’t for you, I would have gone to the afterlife without getting any benefit from my regression. Thank you.

Are you hurt anywhere else? Is your forehead okay?

I’m actually glad it was you who got stranded with me.

All kinds of thoughts surfaced and then sank back down beneath his chest. He wanted to say something, but couldn’t easily reveal any kind of greeting or goodwill. Words kept catching in his throat, tickling his chest.

Instead, he just glanced sideways, constantly checking on Taesung. Wondering if he was injured somewhere, or if he was in pain but not saying anything.

Worry. That was clearly the emotion that kept pricking at his nerves. That’s why he felt so restless. His heart was pounding, and even though his mouth wasn’t dry, his lips kept feeling parched.

He had already been so shocked when Taesung hit his head and passed out that he was nearly in tears. After seeing him in such conditions repeatedly, and now finally about to escape this wretched gate, his emotions were understandably complicated.

That’s why he felt this way. Lee Hwan deliberately nodded to himself and tried to focus on the gate. Following the map, they would soon reach the area near the hole where they had first fallen.

After walking for a long time again, a familiar path finally appeared. He felt the joy of returning home after being away for a long time. Despite the fact that they were still inside a gate.

Feeling like everything was finally over, Lee Hwan exhaled deeply and casually tossed a question to Taesung.

“How do you plan to report this incident?”

Thinking back to before the regression, the gate’s secret wouldn’t be revealed no matter how it was reported. Unless one immediately informed a government agency. But Taesung, who had already begun participating in that strange gathering, wouldn’t dig his own grave.

“Since this accident happened partly because you barged in uninvited, I’ll twist the report. Defend yourself as you see fit.”

To consume the next gate more comfortably, he needed to preserve merits while eliminating obstacles. However, his conscience ached too much to silently do something to harm Taesung again.

So he voluntarily paid his tax. Rationalizing that he’d informed him, so it was fine. Even as he spoke, his chest tightened as he awaited a response, but Taesung remained silent.

If only he would mock or criticize him like he did down below, it would at least ease his mind…

“This is payment for treating me—telling you this.”

Although the wound in his side was also caused by him, if it had been left untreated, it could have been disastrous. So he wanted to convey the thanks he couldn’t express then, even in this way. Even if their relationship was twisted.

‘That seems to be our relationship now, isn’t it?’

Swallowing those words deep inside, Lee Hwan smiled bitterly. Taesung, perhaps with a twisted mood, turned his head away from that smiling face and continued walking.

When they exited the gate, the day was hazily brightening. The air, laden with the scent of grass and soil, was humid and lukewarm. Listening to the summer insect sounds, they gathered the remaining luggage they had left near the gate, and before leaving, Lee Hwan approached Taesung.

Having survived a near-death experience together, surely this much was acceptable? As fellow survivors with a rare bond. With that thought, he extended his hand, and after watching him for a moment, Taesung took it.

His firm and warm fingers gripped the back of Lee Hwan’s hand strongly.

“I hope we don’t meet like this next time.”

“Well, you could just not come like this, right?”

It was a strange feeling. After resolving to oppose him, even the smallest contact became precious. Would there be another chance to fight together like this? The next time they met, would it be at that strange gathering or a TF meeting?

Either way, it wouldn’t be a pleasant place. Sadly, he now had to recognize that.

Lee Hwan bowed his head once and quickly left. His heart was still beating strangely, as if his hand was still being held.

* * *

When he woke up after sleeping like he was dead, half a day had already vanished. Having roughly washed and practically collapsed, when he opened his eyes, he was lying without a single thread on him and not even covered by a blanket.

“Aaagh… owww… I’m dying…”

Although it was still bright outside, the clock showed 6 PM. It was an awkward time to stay in bed, so Lee Hwan got up, constantly groaning.

His arms, legs, waist—his entire body felt like it was going to break. As he groaned and looked down, his arms, legs, and even his abdomen and chest were all covered in bruises. Had he been hit when caught in the current? Even the falling water stream had been quite painful.

If he had been an ordinary person, his body might have been shattered. With injuries like these, he should have been unable to walk at the time, but perhaps, having crossed the line between life and death several times, he hadn’t even felt the pain.

Still, after washing well and sleeping deeply in a soft place, he wasn’t completely immobile now. Stretching his body to check, there didn’t seem to be any torn ligaments or broken muscles.

“Wow… I’m hungry.”

Only after fully satisfying his lack of sleep did Lee Hwan feel a deep hunger, as if a black hole had formed in his stomach. He wanted to put something in his mouth immediately.

Without energy to cook, he considered ordering delivery, but waiting for that felt like he might starve to death.

He abruptly opened the refrigerator, took out a yogurt container, and swallowed a full kilogram without even portioning it out. The sour and rich taste made his mouth water. While he was at it, he drizzled honey all over it and ate it with gusto, like someone who had died in a previous life without ever tasting yogurt.

Once the sugar entered his system, he suddenly felt energized and in a better mood. Even the pain in his body was somewhat reduced. Only then did he realize that he had endured for a day and a half with just a few pieces of biscuit and jerky. Given that he had then slept heavily, it meant he had essentially fasted for two full days.

‘If we had been trapped a little longer, I might have started eating monsters.’

With that chilling thought, he slowly melted the yogurt in his mouth. Monster body fluids typically contain toxins, but when a person is starving for too long, nothing else matters.

It was a case that occurred frequently in early gate stranding accidents. In one accident, weren’t they trapped for almost three weeks? Thanks to all the victims being Awakened persons, they survived despite eating monster meat multiple times, but I heard their kidney conditions were terrible when they were rescued.

Compared to that, he had only fasted for two days, though he strangely felt his energy being drained. In an emergency, he could have endured much longer.

‘Wait. A day… and a half?’

As he continued thinking, his sudden realization was entirely because of Taesung. During their confinement, due to the chaos, he hadn’t realized how much time had passed. Throughout that time, he had at least eaten a few provisions, but Taesung hadn’t put anything in his mouth except water.

If he was hungry, he could have asked for some, but he didn’t accept even when offered. He kept looking at him eating, so maybe he was very hungry?

‘Damn it…’

Suddenly, the soft yogurt seemed to get stuck in his throat. Lee Hwan put down the spoon, roughly rubbed his messy hair, and lay back on the bed. Feelings of guilt and gratitude intermingled intensely.

Although he had become stranded because of Taesung, it was also true that he had received significant help from him. Without him, he would certainly have been found as a corpse down there.

Especially at the last moment, he really thought he was going to die. If Taesung hadn’t shared his breath, he would undoubtedly have become food for the blind carp. That deep, cold water…

As he thought about it, Lee Hwan suddenly felt his mind stop. All at once, the underwater incident came back to him, and hot breath seemed to rush down his throat.

“Uh… uhhh…?”

With a gurgling sound of water echoing in his ears, the situation at that time unfolded before his eyes. In his hazy memory, what touched his mouth was unmistakably Taesung’s lips.

Even as he was losing consciousness, Lee Hwan had felt them to be quite soft and tender. Without even realizing what was happening, he had been glad when Taesung came close. During that time, Taesung’s breath had filled his lungs and saved his life.

Suddenly, heat rose to the top of his head. Lee Hwan, startled as if burned, pounded his legs on the bed hard enough to break it.

“Crazy. Crazy… crazy.”

If he hadn’t been hallucinating from oxygen deprivation, he had received artificial respiration from Kang Taesung.

Why had he forgotten that? Without realizing it, Lee Hwan pressed his lips firmly, then, ashamed of what he was doing, trembled and jumped up. Whether from embarrassment or guilt, he just wanted to scream.

Not knowing what to do, he paced around the room, then hit his toe on the leg of the bed and finally let out a yelp.

The scene that appeared and disappeared like a daydream before his eyes. The desperate face that gradually approached, examining him with half-open eyes. After his hair, swaying underwater, decorated the end of his memory, Lee Hwan was sitting on the floor with a very hot face.

He had saved his near-death self by doing such a thing. He should have just said thank you. He should have at least given a superficial greeting. Remembering the final moment when he had unnecessarily put up a cold wall, his heart was pounding unbearably.

“Aaagh, damn it!”

Unconsciously, he licked his lips, recalling that moment again, and Lee Hwan let out a groan that sounded like a scream.