Afterdriftingoffforashortwhile,Jaegyeomopenedhiseyesinafamiliarroom.

Blinkingslowly,hestaredupataceilingdarkenedbyage.hewoodenbeamsandyellowclaywallsfeltstrangelyfamiliar.Ashelookedaroundblankly,realizationfinallydawnedonhim.

twasthethatched-roofhousewherehehadoncelivedwithMyojeong.

Atfirst,hethoughthemightbedreaming.Butitfeltfartoovividandrealforadream.otonlycouldhemovefreely,hismindwasperfectlyclearaswell.

Cometothinkofit,somethingsimilarhadhappenedoncebefore.

Backoneoyeosland,whenhehadnearlydiedafterhischestwaspiercedthrough,hisconsciousnesshadsunkdeepintotheabyssinsidehimself.Andthere,hehadencounteredthedisastergodsealedwithinhim.

Whyamhereagain?

histime,hewasneithergravelyinjurednorindangerofdying,sohehadnoideawhyhehadreturnedtothisplace.

henitoccurredtohim.

Maybetheboyhadsummonedhimfirstthistime.

Ashethoughtaboutit,hedecidedthat°•𝑜v𝑒light•°mightactuallybeforthebest.herewerethingshewantedtoasktheboyanyway.Backthen,everythinghadbeentoourgenttotalkproperly,andafterward,nomatterhowmanytimesJaegyeomcalledforhim,theboyhadneverresponded.

Slowlylookingaround,Jaegyeompushedhimselfupright.

ereachedforthepaper-covereddoor.

asttime,nomatterhowhardhehadpulledonit,thedoorhadnotbudged,asthoughithadbeensealedshut.Butnowitopenedeffortlessly.

Clatter.

hemomenthesteppedoutside,hesawafamiliarfiguresittinginacornerofthesunlityard. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

heboywascrouchedinthedirt,playingbyhimself.

Jaegyeomstaredattheboy’sbackforamomentbeforecallingout,

“ey.”

heboyignoredhim.

Jaegyeomsteppeddownfromthewoodenporchandwalkedover.Peeringdown,hesawtheboyscratchingsomethingintothedirtwithastone.tlookedlikesomeunfamiliarscript—ormaybeaformation.

“Whatareyoudoing?”

heboycontinuedscribblingasthoughhehadheardnothing.

“......”

Annoyedbytheblatantdisregard,Jaegyeomswepthishandthroughthedrawingandsmeareditapart.

“’mtalkingtoyou.Quitpretendingyoucan’thearme.”

nlythendidtheboysnaphisheadup.

“Whatthefuckdoyouthinkyou’redoing?”

heboythrewthestonedownfuriously.

“Doyouseriouslywanttodie?Youshould’vestayedasleepandgonebackquietly.Whyareyoustartingshit?”

Jaegyeomstaredathimindisbelief.

“What?Startingshit?”

heboyhadbrokenhispromisetohelphim,demandedJaegyeom’sbody,thrownatantrumaskingwhetherhelikedYoonaeheethatmuch,andthenspitefullydraggedhimintoahallucinationafterbeingrejected—gettingYoonaeheehurtintheprocess.

Andnowthisbastardwasactingoffended?

“You’refreeloadinginmybodyandstillactinglikethis?henerveyou’vegotturningthisaroundonme.ey,thinkaboutwhatyoudidfirst.You’retheonewhoshouldbegettingbeatenhalftodeathrightnow.Whatexactlygivesyoutherighttoglareatmelikethat?”

AsJaegyeom’sexpressionhardened,theboyflinchedslightlybeforeturninghisfaceaway.

“Why’dyoucomehere?”

Armsfolded,theboymutteredsulkily.

Unlikebefore,heclearlydidnotwelcomeJaegyeomthistime.nfact,helookeddeeplyoffendedaboutsomething.

Jaegyeompaused.

Whatdoyoumean,whydidcome...

“Weren’tyoutheonewhocalledme?”

Somethingaboutthisfeltstrange.

ftheboyhadnotsummonedhim,andifhisconsciousnesshadnotsunkthewayithadlasttime,thenhowhadheenteredthisplace?

Forsomereason,thethresholdtotheabyssfeltfarlowerthanbefore.venopeningthepaperdoorandsteppingoutsidehadbeenincomparablyeasierthistime.

“hen...doesthatmeancanleavewheneverwantnow?”

“Yeah.Youcancomeandgofreelynow.”

“Why?”

Afteramomentofsilence,theboystaredathim.

“Whydoyouthink?t’sbecauseyoubrokethetabooropelasttime.”

heboyansweredirritably,asthoughthequestionshouldhavebeenobvious.

Still,sincetheboyhadpreviouslyclaimedthatoncesomeoneenteredthisplacetheycouldneverleave,Jaegyeomfeltrelievedtohearhecouldescapeonhisownnow.

hereweremanythingshewantedtoask.

Butrightnow,onequestionmatteredmorethananythingelse.

Myojeong.

Judgingfromtheirpreviousconversation,theboyclearlyknewfarmoreaboutMyojeongthanJaegyeomdid.

“DidyouknowMyojeongwasthepreviousBangsangsi?”

“Yes.”

“henwhydidn’tyoutellme?”

“Youneverasked.”

heshamelessresponseleftJaegyeomspeechless.

“hen...Myojeongreallywasn’tanordinaryhuman?”

“Myojeongwasahumanmarkedbythehometown.”

“hehometown?”

“Yep.”

hewordsmadenosenseatall.

“hehometownmeanstheplacewhereyouwerebornandraised.”

“Yeah.Becausethehometownisthestartingpointofallcausality.”

“henwhatexactlyisthishometown?”

heboyyawnedlazilyandlookedoffintothedistanceforawhilebeforehiseyessettledbackonJaegyeom.

hoseeyes,shininglikeembeddedglassmarbles,wereinhuman.

Withtheeyesofagodthatcouldseeintothedeepestdepths,theboylightlyclenchedhisfistandtappedthegroundbeneaththem.

“hehometownisthelandwhereyouwerebornandraised.”

ap.

“heroadyou’vewalkeduntilnow.”

ap.

“Andtheroadyou’redestinedtowalkinthefuture.”

ap.

“verythingyou’veaccomplishedsofar.”

ap.

“Andeverythingyou’refatedtoaccomplishfromnowon.”

ap.

“hethingthatsurroundsyourlifeitself.”

ap.

“Andthetotalitythatmakesupthisentireworld.”

Afterfinishinghiscarelessexplanation,theboyspokecasually.

“hisisthehometown.”

Jaegyeomfellsilent.

heconcepttheboydescribedwastoovast,tooabstract,tooincomprehensible.

“hishometownyou’retalkingabout...”

Jaegyeomslowlyliftedhisheadfromwherehehadbeenstaringatalineofantscrawlingthroughthedirt.

“Doyouknowwhathumanscallit?”

“What?”

“Destiny.”

heinstanttheireyesmet,somethingstrangeflickeredacrosstheboy’sface.

“......”

estaredintentlyatJaegyeomforalongwhile,asthoughlookingatsomethingdeeplyfascinating.

henheslowlyrepeatedthewordunderhisbreath,savoringit.

“...Destiny?”

Suddenly,theboyburstintolaughter.

tstartedasasnickerbeforerapidlygrowinglouder.Soonhewaslaughingsohardhethrewhisheadback,evenstampinghisfeetontheground.

Forsomereason,heseemeddelighted.

“Yes.hat’sit.You’reright.”

Stilllaughing,theboycuppedJaegyeom’scheeks.

“Sotohumans,thehometownisdestiny.”

henhegrinned.

“nthatcase,Myojeongwouldbe‘amanwhobetrayeddestiny.’”

“Whatdoesthatmean?”

“BecauseMyojeongwassomeonemarkedbythehometown.”

“...Whatdoesitmeantobemarkedbyit?”

“tmeansthehometownfavoredhimespecially.”

SeeingJaegyeom’sconfusion,theboyelaborated.

“oputitsimply,hewasaprecioushumanbelovedbytheworld.”

“Beloved?”

“Yeah.Youcouldsaythisworldisthehometown’sgameboard.verythingexistswithintheflowitcreatesandunderitscontrol.t’slikethehometownisplayingagameofshogiagainstitself,takingturnsonbothsides.”

hosesidescouldbecomethehumanworldandthenextworld,lifeanddeath,lightanddarkness,goodandevil,humansandghosts.

“Spiritualcreatures,sacredbeasts,humans,ghosts,animals...everythingcanbecomeapieceonthehometown’sboard.Butnotallpiecesareequal.fyoulookthroughouthumanhistory,therehavealwaysbeenpiecesgivenstrongerrolesandgreaterpurposesthanothers.umansmarkedbythehometownarethosekindsofpieces.”

Afterfinishingtheexplanation,theboylookedbackatJaegyeom.

“Doyougetitnow?”

Jaegyeomthoughtheunderstoodalittle.

Justashewasabouttonodfaintly,theboyrubbedathiseyesandmutteredlistlesslywhilestaringoffintothedistanceagain.

“Myojeongwasoneofthem.”

henheaddedquietly,

“...houghhewasabandonedintheend.”

Jaegyeomfroze.

“What?Abandoned?Whatdoyoumean?”

“Assaidbefore,mostthingsthathappeninthisworldarecausalitiesfabricatedbythehometown.nlyahandfulofhumanshaveeverrealizedthattruth.”

heboylookedatJaegyeom.

“AndMyojeongwascleverenoughtounderstanditfromveryearlyon.”

Jaegyeomlistenedinsilence.

“hat’swhyheeventuallybetrayedthehometown.”

“Myojeongbetrayedit?”

“Yep.”

Jaegyeomfrownedslightly,strugglingtograsptheabstractexplanation.

“ow?Why?”

“Myojeongcastasidethetaboothehometowngavehimandstrayedfromthepath.”

heboyscratchedhischeekcarelessly.

“Well,thetabooforcedontohimwasprettycruelbyhumanstandards.”

“...Whatwasit?”

Stillstaringintothedistance,theboyansweredflatly.

“evertakeanyone’sside.”

“...What?”

“evergiveyourhearttoanyside.”

“Wh-whatdoesthatevenmean?”

“Youseriouslydon’tunderstand?”

Afteralongsilence,theboyfinallyturnedbacktowardJaegyeom.

isclear,straightforwardgazefixeddirectlyonhim.

“tmeansMyojeongwasneversupposedtoloveanyone.”