Chapter 151: Because It’s Raining
It was pouring outside.
Rain droplets pattered down on Yi-An’s umbrella as he tilted it up to look at the sky.
The sky, a somber gray, unleashed torrents like a breached dam.
A familiar melody wafted from a shop and filled the air.
He didn’t know who the singer was, but her voice sounded familiar.
She was singing about rain and the end of a relationship in a melancholy tone [1].
Suddenly, students ran past him in tow and splashed water onto his shoes. He peered down at his wet feet and saw neon signs reflected in the water and creating ripples of light.
The children’s fading laughter mingled with the pitter-patter of rain.
Yi-An tried to shake away the string of melancholy thoughts that ensued. He wanted to clear his mind.
"What are you doing? You look wretched.”
A voice shattered Yi-An's thoughts. He turned around and saw Yi-Yoo twirling a colorful umbrella with a smile on her face.
"Hello..."
It was Yoon Bo-Ra, Han Yeo-Ri’s friend he had met before. She awkwardly bowed, and Yi-An greeted her with a light nod.
"Did you wait a while, oppa?"
"Yeah, I waited for a long time."
"Well, I had to wait for Bo-Ra. Isn't that right, Bo-Ra?"
"No, you...”
“I’m right.”
“Hey! Oppa, Yi-Yoo is trying to put the blame on me,” protested Bo-Ra.
“Shut up,” replied Yi-Yoo.
Yi-An chuckled at their banter.
"Alright, what do you guys want to eat?" he asked.
"I thought about it. Since I scored over 900, it should be about 90,000 won per person, right?"
"..."
"You told me not to worry about the price.”
Yeo-Ri teasingly jabbed Bo-Ra.
Yi-An shrugged.
Today, Yi-Yoo’s TOEIC score results came out.
The day Yi-Yoo took the TOEIC test, she pressured Yi-An to treat her to a nice meal if she achieved her desired score, and Yi-An accepted the request without giving it much thought [2].
Yi-An didn’t expect his sister to achieve such a high goal, but she had a penchant for language and ended up receiving her desired score.
Yoon Bo-Ra, who had taken the test with Yi-Yoo, joined in on their celebration.
Yi-An responded with a chuckle, "Fine, then tell me something expensive you want. Around 90,000 won.”
"Uh...hmm...”
Yi-Yoo struggled to think of an expensive dish on the spot.
What did a poor student on an allowance know about expensive food?
At best, she could only think of Han Yeo-Ri’s favorite dish, tuna.
But Yi-Yoo disliked raw fish.
"Um...”
Yi-Yoo glanced at Yoon Bo-Ra to say something, but she just shook her head. She didn’t know much about expensive food either.
Yi-Yoo hesitated and then suggested, "Uh, hanwoo [3].”
"..."
Yi-Yoo saw Yi-An’s expression and raised her eyebrow. "What, do you have a problem?”
“I have an idea. Bo-Ra-ssi, do you have any food preferences?”
"No, I eat everything. Also, you don’t have to address me so formally...”
"Understood,” replied Yi-An.
“Ah, where are we going?” whined Yi-Yoo.
“Just follow me.”
Yi-An led them to the traditional Korean restaurant that he had gone to with Ji Ha-Yeon. They got in a taxi because Yi-An didn’t bring his car.
The restaurant staff seemed to remember Yi-An from the time he had visited with Ji Ha-Yeon. They were extremely attentive and gave them VIP treatment. The manager tried to attend to their every need, but Yi-An refused his lavish attention.
They were led to a private room where a waiter politely took their order.
Yi-An decided on course meals for all of them, and soon, various dishes arrived.
Yi-Yoo cheerfully rambled about various topics, and Yi-An listened and laughed at her jokes as he enjoyed the food.
Yet, at times, his mind drifted away.
'Viva Alaste!'
The laughter of the streets of Alaste overlapped with Yeo-Ri and Bo-Ra's voices.
While Yi-An was absentmindedly picking at the steamed prawns, he was reminded of the shrimp dish prepared by the most esteemed chef in Alaste. The shrimp had an addicting sweet and tangy flavor. He couldn't stop eating them until he had filled an entire bucket with shrimp shells.
"Oppa?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay? You look sick.”
"I’m just a bit tired."
He smiled, concealing his emotions.
Yi-Yoo, who had been scrutinizing Yi-An, turned her attention back to Yoon Bo-Ra.
Yi-An buried his face in his hands.
He was not the type of person to linger on the past. He had decided to only look forward because the weight of his sins was too heavy.
But memories kept flooding his mind.
‘Why?’
He could hear Vigo’s voice cheerfully bragging about Alaste in his head.
He closed his eyes and opened them again to shake off that voice. When he saw the braised short ribs in front of him, however, it overlapped with the image of the barbeque from the festival in Alaste.
The citizens distributing the barbeque had praised him and called him a hero. But they no longer existed.
He couldn’t bear the weight of the crushing truth that everyone he had known in Alaste was dead.
Did anyone else recognize them as live beings and not just characters in a game? Who knew that the place was an actual world and not just a game?
Yi-An struggled to suppress his emotions.
‘Death is one-sided. It is irreversible.’
He closed his eyes. His sorrow quickly transformed into remorse.
Why were the people of Alaste so naive even though they knew how wicked the Heaven and Earth clan was?
If they had stayed longer in Alaste—no, if he had gotten completely rid of them, this wouldn’t have happened.
He should have completely weeded them out from that place.
His regret reached far into the past until it landed on memories of the battlefield, and familiar faces he was no longer able to see appeared before him.
"Oppa?"
"Wait a moment."
Yi-An stood up. His face was pale.
"I need to use the restroom."
"Uh..."
Yi-An opened the door.
The manager, who had been keeping an eye on the door lest they needed anything, jerked back in surprise and scrutinized his face.
Yi-An forced a smile and stepped outside.
It was still raining.
Yi-An leaned against the building as he observed the scenery. It appeared as if the world around him was melting due to the heavy rain shower.
"Why am I like this...?”
He wanted to rest his eyes, but he couldn’t. When darkness descended, the faces of his comrades from the battlefield flooded his thoughts.
He stared off into the streets with blurry eyes and sighed.
He tried to push the memories of his departed comrades to the past, but his efforts proved futile.
He had grieved their deaths during their funerals, but he was still shaken by them. He couldn’t understand why their faces continued to haunt him. Whenever he recalled each of their faces, he was ultimately led to her visage. The face that lingered in the darkness.
Yi-An bit his lip and opened his eyes.
"This is driving me crazy."
‘Who cares what happens to the world of Elder Lord?’
It could turn to ruins for all he cared. He was tired of seeing people die. Even if he fought to protect them, no one appreciated it. People would still swing their swords without remorse. Resistance was futile. He should just let them be.
'Raven. I’m done for.’
Yi-An's eyelids trembled.
'Go.'
Her signaling to him to leave was her final farewell.
What expression was he making right then?
Was he looking at her with a firm face that vowed never to abandon her?
Probably not.
Was he apologetic? Or was he obviously relieved and retreating cowardly in haste?
He didn't know.
She bid her farewell, and after they locked eyes, a projectile soared toward her and burst her body open.
Yi-An just stood there, gazing at the explosion of flesh and intestines.
The face that once smiled with an assault rifle in hand was gone forever. Her death was no different from any other death.
Yi-An checked his pockets out of habit. He couldn’t find any cigarettes.
He covered his face with his hands. He desperately tried to block the memories, but his conscience kept slipping through the cracks.
‘Maybe, if I had acted quickly...maybe, if I had executed the plan properly.’
Meaningless ‘what ifs’ accumulated and crumbled in his head. Memories of that day kept replaying in his head.
Yi-An slammed the wall with his fist.
‘Alaste, Alaste, Alaste.’
The agony spread.
He took a deep breath. Yi-An wrapped his bruised hand around his wrist and returned to the restaurant, extending his card.
"I have something to take care of... Please let them know that I'm leaving."
***
Han Yeo-Ri turned off the last switch.
The cafe echoed with the sound of a broadcast from her phone.
–The Heaven and Earth Clan issued a statement regarding the breach of the treaty. They tried to uphold it, but couldn’t due to the emperor's orders. In a mocking tone, they entreated Alaste Love Society to be understanding of what had happened since they were merely role-playing as vassals of the emperor, especially since the members of Alaste Love Society are avid role-players themselves...
She sensed something and turned her head.
‘The cafe should be empty.’
She tilted her head curiously and jolted in surprise at something moving in the darkness.
"What?”
She froze and then furrowed her eyebrows when she recognized the familiar silhouette. Yeo-Ri eased her expression. He acted like this at times, but always for a reason.
"Boss."
Yi-An didn't respond. Han Yeo-Ri pursed her lips. He had a way of silently sneaking up to you. It was a trick he learned from his days as a soldier.
"Boss?"
He lifted his head.
Even amid the darkness, she could see his bloodshot eyes from the light seeping in from the streets.
"Are you okay?"
Yi-An stared at her and then blinked. Then, he smiled.
"Did you finish closing up?”
"Yes."
"Would you mind making me a cup of coffee?"
Han Yeo-Ri didn't complain at times like this. She stared at Yi-An's face for a moment, then nodded.
"Sure."
Without further questions, she walked up to the espresso machine, turned on the lights, and, after hesitating, moved around as she prepared a drink.
Shortly after, she placed a glass in front of Yi-An.
Yi-An gazed at it silently.
"Didn't I ask for coffee?"
"Just drink this."
It was a mint chocolate frappuccino. Yi-An looked at it for a moment and then took a sip.
“It’s good, right?” asked Han Yeo-Ri.
Yi-An smiled.
She noticed that Yi-An was a bit different than usual.
"Yeah, it's fine."
He savored the chill of the mint chocolate frappe in his mouth and then swallowed it.
Han Yeo-Ri sat down next to Yi-An.
"Why are you acting like someone who just got dumped?”
"How did you know?"
"I have to take off soon, so come back to your senses.”
She tapped on Yi-An’s head lightly.
Yi-An chuckled softly. His laughter echoed in the empty cafe.
Suddenly, Yi-An leaned on her.
Han Yeo-Ri protested, “You’re heavy.”
"Just for a moment,” whispered Yi-An in a breathy voice. "Let's just stay like this for a while..."
Han Yeo-Ri looked at his resting face leaning against her shoulder, glanced at the unfinished mint chocolate frappe, and then looked up at the dark ceiling of the cafe.
The sound of Yi-An's breath reverberated in her ears, and the ticking of the clock hands grated on her nerves.
"..."
Time elapsed, and Han Yeo-Ri whispered to the silent Yi-An, “Don’t worry.”
She felt the sound of his breath subside and added, “I won’t report you for sexual harassment...”
She extended her hand and swept Yi-An’s hair away from his face. She wiped the sweat off his forehead with her fingertips and cleaned them off his sleeve.
‘Why is he acting like this...?’
She could vividly feel Yi-An heartbeat as he leaned on her. Han Yeo-Ri got up and carefully laid Yi-An's head on the table. She then placed a cushion under his face.
Yi-An had fallen asleep.
As she watched him sleep, Han Yeo-Ri brought a coat from the counter and covered him.
‘He probably won’t catch a cold since it’s summer.’
It was still raining outside. Cars pushed through the streams of water on the road. Han Yeo-Ri saw crowds of people carrying umbrellas.
"Hmm..."
Han Yeo-Ri slung her backpack over her shoulder and looked back at Yi-An.
"Even though he’s usually so sharp...”
She opened the door and faced the heavy downpour. She opened her umbrella, shielding herself from the heavy raindrops.
Han Yeo-Ri stood still at the entrance of Cafe Reason.
Gradually, as she grew accustomed to the sound of the rain, she took a few steps.
‘Because it’s raining. That's probably why.’
She walked away from the cafe with her silhouette melting into the downpour.
1. Crockta is likely referencing Heize’s song You, Clouds, Rain, which was released in the same year as the novel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afxLaQiLu-o) ?
2. TOEIC stands for Test of English for International Communication and is an English language proficiency test commonly taken in South Korea ?
3. Hanwoo is premium beef from a breed of cattle native to Korea ?
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m