The Novel's Extra

The call from the hospital was hard to believe, but the doctor’s hopeful voice didn’t seem like a lie.

My head seemed to turn white.

I couldn’t think. My head was completely blank.

Because I’d already given up after a long period of despair, I was unable to feel happiness.

“....”

The doctor’s voice ringing in my ear became softer and softer. My head started to ring, and my vision turned blurry.

I slowly turned to the side.

There, I could see Kim Hajin. His perfectly average-looking face was especially vivid today.

“Hey.”

Even I wasn’t sure what I was thinking at the moment. But I knew that I had to go to the hospital, and this man seemed to be the only one capable of helping me.

“Please give me a ride.”

Kim Hajin was looking at me with frighteningly heavy eyes. Did he overhear the call?

Soon, he let out a deep sigh. But before he could respond, Yoo Yeonha asked.

“A ride? Did something happen?”

“Huh? Erm....”

As I was struggling to answer even a simple question, Kim Hajin spoke.

“Let’s go. It won’t take more than 20 minutes.”

So he really did overhear. Because he was so reliable and trustworthy, I could smile even in this situation.

“...I thought only your eyes were good, but turns out your ears are too.”

“We can talk about that later. Where did you park your motorcycle?”

“Follow me.”

“What? What happened?”

Shin Jonghak shot up and asked. Yi Yeonghan, Yoo Yeonha, and Kim Suho also had grave looks.

I ran to the parking lot without explaining the situation to them. Kim Hajin followed me.

Soon, we were in front of the parked motorcycle.

Kim Hajin asked.

“Where’s the key?”

“Key? Ah, right...”

“....”

Kim Hajin shook his head. I couldn’t remember where I put the keys. I was an idiot even in such a situation.

“Am I really an idiot...?”

However, Kim Hajin looked carefully at the motorcycle and breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Whew, it’s fine. This works with a smart key.”

“Smartkey?”

“Yeah.”

Kim Hajin tapped on his smartwatch a few times and the engine suddenly started. Before I could even express my surprise, Kim Hajin pulled me up onto the back seat.

An explosive exhaust sound echoed in the parking lot.

“Hold on tight.”

“Y-Yeah.”

But hold on where? Not knowing what to do, I just grabbed onto the hem of his shirt.

“Scan.”

The moment Kim Hajin murmured in a barely audible voice...

Vrooooom—

The bike shot out of the parking lot with an incredible speed, then began to speed through the road.

Even though Kim Hajin’s body was shielding me, the wind resistance was still too strong. It felt like we were going at 400 km/h.

“Hey, I’m going to— fall off—”

I tried to speak, but the sheer speed we were moving at prevented my voice from reaching him.

I didn’t have any other choice.

Right, I just didn’t want to fall off...

I slowly moved closer. I leaned my head against his back and put my arms around his waist. The only reason my face was turning red was because this was the first time I was doing something like this.

That’s how I justified myself... but Kim Hajin’s back was surprisingly large, tough... and comfy.

“Uwat!”

At that moment, the bike suddenly turned to the side.

Without a choice, really without a choice, I put more strength into my arms.

**

I’ve been putting it off. Although it was something I had to do, it was something I avoided thinking about.

Perhaps, I was wondering why I was in this place, having to do such a task.

I might have been avoiding reality, pretending to question whether I really had to kill Chae Jinyoon.

However, I couldn’t find a method to save Chae Jinyoon.

And there was a duty I had to fulfill as this world’s original creator.

Chwaaaaa—

A fierce wind blew against me. Under the effect of Random Consolidation System, Chae Nayun’s bike sped through the road, far beyond its original capability.

400 km/h, or perhaps even higher.

Even in this situation, I could clearly feel the soft sensation on my back. Because they were touching me so clearly, I had to try hard to focus on driving.

It took exactly 20 minutes to go from Gyeongpodae to Seoul.

We raced crazily and arrived at Daehyun Hospital’s VIP hospital.

“We’re here.”

I spoke to Chae Nayun who was leaning on my back. Chae Nayun didn’t react in any way, so I nudged her with my shoulders.

“Uun....”

Chae Nayun opened her eyes, sobbing. Her eyes were full of tears.

I spoke again.

“We’re here.”

“...Ah.”

Chae Nayun stared at the hospital in a daze, as though she couldn’t believe whether she was dreaming or not.

I grabbed her hand and pulled her off the bike.

“Aah.”

“You’re not dreaming. The other guys should be on their way too.”

Not even a Hero was able to run all the way from Gyeongpodae to Seoul. Even if they woke up the chauffeur and took the limousine, it would be at least an hour and a half until they got here.

We didn’t have time to wait for them to come.

“Let’s go in.”

“Um, yeah.”

“What about your father?”

“...He’s out of the country with my grandfather.”

Not even the president of Daehyun Group was able to forcibly open a closed Portal.

I walked into the VIP hospital with Chae Nayun.

The guard standing at the front entrance recognized Chae Nayun and quickly opened the door.

We walked into the outer area of the VIP hospital, where a large, luxurious garden could be seen. The number of hidden cameras and anticrime magic in this place easily surpassed three digits.

I could see a doctor and a group of nurses running out of a secondary entrance.

“Nayun-ssi...?”

They quickly ran up to us, calling Chae Nayun’s name, and were startled when they saw me. Chae Nayun scratched her neck and introduced me.

“He’s my frien... he’s an acquaintance. Can we go in?”

The way she introduced me was a bit strange.

Acquaintance?

“Ah, yes, come in.”

A middle-aged doctor with glasses and well-combed hair guided us inside.

The VIP hospital had elegant and refined décor as though it was a temple.

Walking through the hallway, Chae Nayun asked.

“How’s his condition?”

The doctor smiled.

“He’s not fully awake yet, but you’ll be able to see that he’ll wake up soon. It’s truly a miracle.”

We stopped in front of an escalator heading underground. Chae Jinyoon was downstairs.

“Excuse me, but he’s....”

The doctor glanced back and forth between Chae Nayun and me.

“Ah, it’s fine. He brought me here.”

“...Is that so?”

“Of course. Right? I know you’re tight-lipped.”

Chae Nayun’s trust brought me even more pain.

“Then let’s head down.”

We went down the escalator.

Chae Jinyoon’s room was taking up almost half the floor.

Not only was his room protected by a magic barrier, but there were also three mercenaries guarding the entrance. I could see at a glance that they were easily comparable to intermediate-rank Heroes.

“Congratulations, Young Miss.”

A particularly intimidating mercenary walked up and gave a big smile.

Chae Nayun nodded with a surreal expression.

“Y-Yes, thank you.”

“...Is he also going in?”

The mercenary pointed at me.

Chae Nayun nodded.

“Yes.”

“Hm. He’ll need the president’s permission....”

“I’ll give him the permission. Father is probably too busy working to come today anyway.”

“Kuhum.”

The mercenary opened the door, and we walked inside with the doctor.

The room’s clean, flowery air entered my nose.

It was a room with magic power density reaching the ‘propitious’ level.

A masterpiece painting hung on the wall to give the room color, and placed around the room were pictures of Chae Nayun and Chae Jinyoon.

“Ah....”

Chae Nayun muttered in a daze.

In this homely room, Chae Jinyoon was lying down at a 60-degree angle, collecting his breath. Although he was physically and mentally emaciated... he was clearly awake.

“We told him that he hasn’t woken up for four years, but it’s only been two hours since he first regained consciousness, so his memory is still hazy. Still, he should be fully recovered in a month.”

The doctor explained. However, Chae Nayun couldn’t hear his voice. Tears flowed down from her face. The doctor looked at her for a moment, then spoke.

“Then I’ll be back in a bit.”

He left and closed the door.

Silence filled the room.

Chae Nayun stared at Chae Jinyoon blankly, then said the word she wanted to speak for a long time.

“...Oppa?”

Chae Jinyoon turned his head.

Chae Jinyoon.

The kind and gentle older brother I created.

He saw Chae Nayun and stared at her silently for a long time.

Eventually, a thin smile emerged on his face... and the voice Chae Nayun has been dying to hear rang out.

“Nayun.”

Even after a part of his brain was damaged, he still remembered his younger sister’s face.

That was the kind of man Chae Jinyoon was.

“...You’ve gotten so big. I heard from the doctor, it’s been four years, right?”

Even at his gentle voice, Chae Nayun trembled, unable to move. Without a choice, I grabbed her wrist and walked towards him. Chae Jinyoon watched me with deep interest.

“Is he your boyfriend?”

“E-Eh? W-What are you talking about? He’s not.”

Chae Nayun denied it strongly but added a final word after sneaking a peek at me.

“...y-yet.”

“Yet?”

This time, I was dumbstruck.

“W-What!?”

Embarrassed, Chae Nayun pushed me away. Meanwhile, Chae Jinyoon watched us with a warm smile.

**

Two days later, Gangwondo.

In an empty cave chosen as our meeting place, Boss was sitting on a chair and reading a book.

Tak, tak.

Then, the clear, high-heel sounds rang out.

Jain walked out from the distant darkness, but Boss was still focused on reading.

Jain’s feet stopped in front of Boss.

“Boss, Chae Jinyoon woke up.”

Boss silently closed the book she was reading.

“Are you really thinking of doing this?”

“....”

Staring intently at Jain, Boss nodded.

“But will the four of us be enough? Ah, I guess it’s five since Kim Hajin said he wanted to kill him with his own hands.”

Jain murmured with interest.

Boss only told a few members of the Chameleon Troupe about Kim Hajin’s request. Regardless of whether they would succeed or not, only Jain, herself, and a few helpers would know about what happened.

“Yes, I am.”

“Hmm... well, it’s true that this is the best way of roping Kim Hajin in....”

By accepting Kim Hajin’s request, the Chameleon Troupe would obtain Kim Hajin’s gratitude and debt. That was something that tempted even Jain. She was well aware that Kim Hajin had the potential to become one of the world’s strongest Heroes.

“But don’t we have too much to lose? We don’t know why he wants to kill Chae Jinyoon, and more importantly, we would be turning that geezer into our enemy.”

“No.”

Boss shook her head.

She already checked Chae Jinyoon’s condition the day Kim Hajin made the request.

Chae Jinyoon’s magic core was destroyed. Chae Joochul was unlikely to feel sympathy towards a Hero without a magic core. Even if that Hero was his own grandson...

That was the kind of man Chae Joochul was.

“He might even appreciate it since he would be able to obtain sympathy from the whole world using only his grandson’s life as the price.”

As she spoke, Boss gritted her teeth. It was a rare display of emotion.

She had quite a history with Chae Joochul. Though, he cut contact with her after Chameleon Troupe’s old boss died.

“Well, I can’t say for sure. But Boss, Kim Hajin is just too strange no matter how much I think about it.”

Jain crafted a chair out of magic power and sat down.

“Explain.”

“That money-hungry ghost refused to accept our request, even after we offered another 3 billion won.”

“Money-hungry ghost... Yoo Jinhyuk?”

“Yep.”

Yoo Jinhyuk. Although he was a hedonist who wasted his money gambling in Gangwondo, Las Vegas, and Clancy Islet, he was still the number one informant in the Korean Peninsula.

“It’s just too strange. He never hesitated to look into someone’s past, whether that be a chaebol or a Hero. So why would he be so adamant about Kim Hajin?”

Yoo Jinhyuk had refused a 500 million won offer to look into a single person’s past.

Jain continued to raise the price, even going as high as 3 billion won, but Yoo Jinhyuk didn’t budge.

“This must mean he already looked into Kim Hajin’s past.”

“And?”

“He’s staying quiet because he thinks his life will be jeopardized if he does. There must be something special about Kim Hajin’s past.”

It was a logical conclusion.

Boss nodded in agreement.

“So, should we keep poking him?”

“...No, look into another information guild.”

Hearing Boss’ words, Jain grinned. Today, Yoo Jinhyuk lost a big customer. Boss was the type who easily held grudges.

“Well, information guilds nowadays all have low standards... but there is a couple of places I’ve been watching for a while.”

“Where?”

Jain turned on her smartwatch and projected a hologram.

===

[Falling Blossom]

—Naturally and elegantly, like a falling flower.

===

“One is this, Falling Blossom, a rising star in the field. It’s only been half a year since their founding, but they have great reviews and record.”

“Mm.”

Boss hummed in satisfaction.

Falling Blossom. She liked its refined, unique name.

“And the other one?”

“It’s this.”

===

[Truth Agency]

—Anything you seek is at our disposal.

===

“....”

This time, Boss furrowed her brows. Its lame name and description were exactly what Boss disliked.

“Despite how it sounds, it has great reviews. Apparently, it’s the best information agency when it comes to finding people.”

“We’ll go with Falling Blossom.”

Boss, who liked vanity and luxury, clearly expressed her decision.

“Alright, I’ll put in a request then.”

“And next?”

“We’re good to go for Chae Jinyoon. The plan is perfect. Just ask Kim Hajin when he’s available. I’m sure that child needs time to prepare his heart~”

It was then.

Tap, tap.

The sound of footsteps rang out in the cave.

Jain immediately sharpened her five senses and stood on guard.

“...Who is it.”

“I already called him.”

“Called who? ...Kim Hajin? Already?”

“Yes. It’ll be the first time you’re seeing him. Act accordingly.”

Jain looked forward with a dumbstruck face.

A black coat that reached his knees and a clean, pomade-style hair.

She liked his fashion sense, but he didn’t look particularly handsome because of his average face.

He was walking through the darkness, leisurely and upright.

“...At least he walks like a model.”

Jain murmured with a grin.