Chapter 447. Separation Always Follows a Meeting (2)
It was just as his intuition told him. Chi-Woo entered his berserk state and then, when he couldn’t endure it any longer, he stopped. Chi-Woo escaped the light while breathing heavily, and he felt that something was off. He thought it was about time for Grumpy Chi-Woo to curse out loud at least once or twice, but he was particularly quiet today. Chi-Woo couldn’t hear his characteristically loud grumbling either. Chi-Woo realized then that he barely heard any groanings when they rarely ceased before. He looked around curiously, and that was when he heard a familiar voice.
“Good to see you.”
Chi-Woo turned to see Smart Chi-Woo. He walked slowly toward Chi-Woo like he was very tired. What came out of his mouth next was shocking to Chi-Woo. “Grumpy Chi-Woo returned to his world. He personally asked Ms. Yoo-Joo to send him back.”
Chi-Woo’s eyes widened a bit.
“He said he wanted to return since the situation wasn’t great where he came from… He apologized for going first and asked me to pass on his message to you all. I told him to at least pay his farewell, but he still left early.” Smart Chi-Woo weakly laughed.
Chi-Woo’s expression blanked. He didn’t say anything and couldn’t think of anything to say. Who could stop Grumpy Chi-Woo from leaving when the situation was urgent? They couldn’t spend thousands of years hanging out in this place when their individual worlds were falling to ruins. Chi-Woo was aware of that, but…for some reason, he felt a bit regretful. There was no more information for them to share, but he wanted them all to remain together and walk toward the future they wished for together, as friends they could never have again.
“I’m sure…he’ll do well on his own,” Chi-Woo said after a long pause and smiled softly.
“Certainly. Though he didn’t succeed, he is returning after gaining invaluable information. Perhaps he would end up surpassing us,” Smart Chi-Woo said jokingly with a bright smile. The two shared an empty laugh. The information would certainly be helpful and could better their situation somewhat, but it wouldn’t be able to completely alter the path that they had been walking on. Thus, they knew that Grumpy Chi-Woo’s fate was already set in stone the moment he returned to his world, but neither of them said that aloud. They couldn’t attempt to comprehend how Grumpy Chi-Woo must have felt when he took his premature leave, knowing what was waiting for him at the end of his path. Thus, they just hoped and wished for success in Grumpy Chi-Woo’s struggle.
After that, nobody brought Grumpy Chi-Woo up again, but his return became a signal of sorts. Those who had felt conflicted after hearing Future Yoo-Joo’s heartfelt advice began to make their decisions one by one. The Chi-Woos and Yoo-Joos who had filled up the space from corner to corner noticeably dwindled. There were those who stayed and continued to try because of lingering feelings, but soon, they also realized that Future Yoo-Joo hadn’t been lying. To reach her future, they needed to endure the mysterious power inside them. Yet they couldn’t do it after hundreds and thousands of attempts, and it felt like they wouldn’t be able to do it even after ten thousand tries. Talent and effort alone wouldn’t be enough even with the help of overlapping miracles and coincidences. While they were all Chi-Woos and Yoo-Joos, there were those—the vast majority—who couldn’t ever accomplish this task.
The more they attempted, the more they realized the truth to Future Yoo-Joo’s words. Eventually, it simply became a matter of whether they could accept this truth or not. Those who accepted the truth early returned to their individual worlds, and those who accepted it late returned after finally discarding their lingering feelings. Among them, there were those who were close to Chi-Woo.
“Yeah. I think I will return now. I don’t think it will work no matter how many times I try it…It doesn’t seem right for me to make Evelyn wait for so long too. Heheh,” Pervert Chi-Woo said.
“Brother, have faith. I am stepping down now, but that’s simply because I personally am lacking in some ways. My faith in you is always resolute,” Saint Chi-Woo said.
“If you succeed later, don’t forget me. All right? You are going to look for me first, right? Right? You know I only have you,” Stupid Yoo-Joo said.
They left one after another. Their reasoning was similar. It was because they felt like they shouldn’t leave their positions for so long. It was then Chi-Woo realized how much better his situation was compared to everyone else. There were even some among them who came in the middle of war. Chi-Woo didn’t feel good whenever he had to bid farewell to one of them. It was because most of them added a line or two before they left, saying they were sorry.
Chi-Woo didn’t know what they were sorry about. There was nothing for them to apologize for. Chi-Woo closed his eyes and shook his head hard. He had to stop thinking about those who had already left and focus on those remaining.
***
Time continued to flow in the space. Before he realized it, there were only a couple of Chi-Woos and Yoo-Joos with him. He could count their number with two hands. And not longer afterward, that number decreased to the point that he counted them with one hand. Now, there were only three of them left. Chi-Woo went to talk to one of the remaining three. It was because though he had lasted for a long time, he was paying his farewell in the end.
“Are you returning?”
“Yes, that’s what I decided on. Though it’s late…I do have to return in the end.” Smart Chi-Woo gave him a sad smile and let out a deep sigh. He smacked his lips like he was hesitating to say something.
“Don’t say you are sorry,” Chi-Woo interrupted before Smart Chi-Woo could say the words, and Smart Chi-Woo’s eyes widened.
“I heard it so many times that I don’t want to hear it anymore. There’s nothing for you to be sorry about.”
Smart Chi-Woo blinked fast and smiled widely. “Do you know why people kept apologizing to you though?”
“Pardon?”
“The reason they kept saying sorry.”
Chi-Woo shook his head.
“It’s simple. They all felt it intuitively. ‘Ah, I can’t do it no matter how much I try.’”
Chi-Woo was about to say, ‘Even if that’s the case, there’s no need for them to apologize to me,’ but Smart Chi-Woo continued.
“And if there’s a single person among us who can arrive at a future that even Future Yoo-Joo didn’t make it to…” Smart Chi-Woo said in a calm voice, “That’ll be you.”
Chi-Woo became speechless. He didn’t know what to say. He wanted to deny it and say that Smart Chi-Woo could do it too, but his mouth wouldn’t open.
“I didn’t mean to pressure you. I’m just saying how things are. Because that is what my intuition is telling me,” Smart Chi-Woo said.
That was what Chi-Woo’s intuition was telling him too.
“Well, I don’t know what’ll happen to Choi Yoo-Joo’s side, but…” Smart Chi-Woo sighed and glanced in one direction. Choi Chi-Woo and Choi Yoo-Joo; they were similar but different. It was a strange paradox, but there was one thing they could be certain about.
“You are the best Choi Chi-Woo among us.” If this Chi-Woo couldn’t do it, no other Chi-Woo or Yoo-Joo could do it. This was what Smart Chi-Woo genuinely believed. “Oh yes, and…” It seemed that Smart Chi-Woo didn’t want to leave just like that. Thus, he walked a couple of more steps and whispered something into Chi-Woo’s ears. Seeing Chi-Woo’s eyes turn wide, Smart Chi-Woo smiled and hit Chi-Woo’s chest lightly before turning around. He walked away to return to his world. That was how Smart Chi-Woo left.
***
Now, there were only two of them: Chi-Woo and Perfect Yoo-Joo, who had lived a life no one could find fault in. The two didn’t say anything to each other and no conversation took place. Whenever their eyes met from time to time, Perfect Yoo-Joo always looked away first. It was as if she had been purposefully avoiding him since the beginning of their meeting. After the first conversation that Smart Chi-Woo led on the first day, they had only talked to each other a handful of times.
From Chi-Woo’s perspective, Perfect Yoo-Joo was a very interesting and strange existence. She always slept at the same time and woke up at the same time. She also routinely had meals at set times after making the request to Yoo-Joo, and she always ate the same thing. Though this was a space where all that was unnecessary, she kept to these routines strictly. Furthermore, she didn’t skip her training even in a space like this. She divided her day into periods for training, trial, and breaks in between right to the second. It almost felt as if she was a very precise machine programmed to do only repetitive movements.
One day, Chi-Woo couldn’t overcome his curiosity and after eating his meal and warming up, followed her on a run. Perfect Yoo-Joo ran slowly and glanced toward him. Her gaze seemed to be asking him what he was up to.
“There’s something I’m curious about. May I ask?” Chi-Woo looked intently at Perfect Yoo-Joo. She didn’t open her mouth, but she didn’t say no either.
“What’s the reason you are repeating the same routine every day?” Chi-Woo asked out of pure curiosity, but at the question, Perfect Yoo-Joo deeply frowned. The way her eyes crinkled seemed to indicate that she was offended.
“You are—” Perfect Yoo-Joo was about to say something but closed her mouth again. Her throat visibly moved as she gulped. Soon afterward, she glared at Chi-Woo with blazing eyes.
“…This is how I had lived until now.” Though she looked calm now, there was a strange sense of sharpness to her tone. “Way before I came to Liber; since I was on Earth and even before I learned the secrets of my family.”
“…”
“Whenever and wherever. This is how I had lived, and that’s why I managed to come all the way here.” Her voice and eyes were all tense and guarded. Chi-Woo was a bit taken aback. Though they had always been awkward around one another, this was the first time she showed any animosity toward him.
“…Yes, I bet you won’t know anything about that. How lucky of you.” With these words, Perfect Yoo-Joo turned around. She looked forward and ran harder so that she could widen the distance between them.
Unlike her, Chi-Woo gradually slowed down. He stared as Perfect Yoo-Joo went farther and farther away from him.
“It’s an inferiority complex.” He suddenly heard a voice from behind him. “She can’t accept it. Why can't it be her and why it seems like you’ll be able to do it,” Future Yoo-Joo said.
“I’m sure she is confused. She thought she was the best in the world, but that wasn’t the case. She might feel like her whole existence is being denied,” Future Yoo-Joo said and clicked her tongue about how Perfect Yoo-Joo was still too young and childish. Her words seemed to indicate that this was the limit and end of Perfect Yoo-Joo in a way, and Chi-Woo felt a strange urge to protest.
“You never know. There may be other circumstances we don’t know—”
“You also know that’s not the case,” Future Yoo-Joo said snidely, “Has there ever been a time when our intuition was wrong?” Chi-Woo couldn’t say that there was. “Anyways, don’t worry about it too much. She’s she, and you are you.” She shrugged and turned around.
Chi-Woo nodded quietly. ‘Yes. We’re going to separate anyway. I should stop caring about her,’ he thought resolutely. But that day came earlier than he thought. Not long after this conversation, Chi-Woo freed himself from the ravaging state for a break and heard a sob. Though the Yoo-Joo was muffling herself with both hands, sobs seeped out, and she cried quietly and sorrowfully. He didn’t see Future Yoo-Joo around. That meant this Yoo-Joo could only be Perfect Yoo-Joo. Chi-Woo quietly got up to give her some space. He wanted to at least allow her to cry her heart out as she wished.
When Chi-Woo came back, he couldn’t find Perfect Yoo-Joo anywhere. It was as if she had never been here in the first place.
“She left,” Future Yoo-Joo told him calmly.
“She’s gone?”
“Yes, where were you? She stirred up a great fuss.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I just gave her a piece of my mind because she said she was leaving.”
Chi-Woo tilted his head. He couldn’t imagine Perfect Yoo-Joo throwing a fit at all. What in the world did Future Yoo-Joo tell her exactly?
“I asked her why she held on so stubbornly when she knew it wasn’t going to work. I told her she should have returned ages ago.”
…No wonder Perfect Yoo-Joo would be so angry. She was already suffering so much. She must have lost it after hearing something like that.
“There was no need for you to have gone so far with someone who already decided to leave.”
“…I just felt the need to.” Future Yoo-Joo smiled bitterly. “I wanted her to realize that she was just a fish in a pond. And if she changed a bit with the realization…”
“Would that have any meaning?”
“Of course there is. Why wouldn’t there be?” Future Yoo-Joo said, looking a bit taken aback. “After all, she’s me, and I am her.”
For a moment, Chi-Woo didn’t react. He needed a bit of time to understand everything that she was saying.
“Her worldline is my worldline, and her future is mine…what? Did Smartie not tell you?”
Chi-Woo finally understood and looked at her wide-eyed. “How could that be? Didn’t you say you weren’t at her level when you first saw Perfect Yoo-Joo?”
“I said that on purpose,” Future Yoo-Joo snickered.
“Why?”
“Well—” She rolled her eyes once and continued, “I didn’t want her to feel a sense of relief after seeing me. How should I explain this? I remember being really desperate during this time even though I pretended not to be.” Future Yoo-Joo breathed out deeply. “Of course, there’s a low chance that will happen considering my personality, but I didn’t really know what sorts of thoughts she would have if she learned that I am her future.” Future Yoo-Joo spoke nonchalantly like this was no big issue, and Chi-Woo recalled what Smart Chi-Woo had told him right before leaving. It was then Future Yoo-Joo’s words that brought him back to reality.
“Anyways, what are you going to do?”
Chi-Woo looked at the space around him again. It felt so unfamiliar to him now. It was vast and empty. No one was left except for him. Only Chi-Woo remained.
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