I Think The Genre Has Changed

Engraved (6)

“Come to think of it, you didn’t learn Awakened education, so you wouldn’t know. The Awakened would learn all about it in middle school, so uh… there must be many things you don’t know?”

It was natural. When I first heard Mirgun, I was embarrassed and had to search the Internet. Ever since, I’d learned all about the Awakened, the classes…. When I frowned at the memory of having to work hard and use my brain for things I didn’t know about, the boy made an excuse, saying that he didn’t tell me on purpose and returned to the main topic.

“The registration machine literally only records, and the information recorded on the machine cannot be viewed unless it is of the same class. The registration machine responds to the mark of the Awakened. Unless someone from the same class reveals it, the information recorded on the registration machine will not be leaked.”

“That’s neat.”

“The copy class is a new class, so there will be no Awakeners in the same class. You can hide it as much as you want but don’t go into too much detail if you need to tell them about your abilities. It’s a place where you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“I’ll bear that in mind.”

When I nodded and answered dryly, the brightly smiling boy tilted his head to see if there was nothing more to explain. The boy remained silent with his eyes closed. Liking the stillness, I let out a languid breath. When the stark silence felt as familiar as my own skin, a voice was heard, breaking the long silence.

“…You know…”

I turned my head to the boy, who carefully opened his mouth. Still looking up at the sky, I could see the boy. For a long time, the boy held his breath before letting out what seemed to be a long sigh.

“I said it was mine, but in fact, it’s your body now.”

“…”

The boy was silent again. He closed his eyes, hiding any significant changes in his expression. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

There were two victims of this illusion: the boy and myself.

However, when asked who suffered more damage, I moistened my lips because I was a boy.

It’s definitely his body. Why his body?

It was a moment when I tried to comfort the boy with such words.

“I can’t go back to that body now.”

I stopped breathing. My breath was stopped at the boy who was talking seriously. The boy, who spoke calmly, straightened his head and opened his eyes. The blue eyes exposed by the slow-rising eyelids looked at me. My heart became stuffy at the look I faced.

What are you talking about? Are you saying I stole your body? Or are you…

Questions that could not be spat out only lingered in my mouth. Biting my lips, I swallowed my bitter saliva. I was speechless. I knew very well what this feeling was. I felt guilty.

Little by little, heavy and growing guilt weighed on my heart. It was when I felt that the weight controlled my breathing.

“…So if it’s the case, I want you to treat my people dearly. I don’t regret coming here, but when I see them through you….”

The boy who talked moved his mouth wordlessly. My eyes shook as I mulled over my words to the boy who could not speak.

“Just now, what….”

The pieces of information, which could not be organized, were matched little by little like puzzles in my head.

Kang Si-hyun suddenly started talking and only spouted broken words, but Si-hyun was quick-witted. After several conversations and knowing his personality, one fact can be inferred with limited information. And the fact that I deduced it… It was hard for me to understand and admit it now that I was convinced.

Opening my eyes slowly after closing them again, I stared at the boy with a movement in my eyes.

“…Was it you?”

Bringing me here, bringing me back to life with the wrong body on the day I was hit by a car; that’s why you took me away from me, and that made me take you away from you. The whole thing.

Was it because of the damn choice you said?

When I spat out questions one by one and chewed my lips, the boy who laughed without answering slowly opened his mouth.

I can’t believe it’s not-

As soon as the boy opened his mouth, a strange sound came out of my body. He widened his eyes in embarrassment as I looked at him repeatedly.

It seemed that I was about to disappear. I smiled as the boy reached out his hand and through my body.

“I guess it’s time to go.”

“Wait-”

When I shouted in a sudden situation, the boy who smiled vaguely stepped away from me.

“…Take care, Yoo Si-hyun.”

Whoosh, my pupils grew bigger.

“Kang-”

I disappeared with a snap as if the call was cut off.

***

“…”

In an instant, the boy who was left alone reached for the place where Sihyun disappeared. Tightly, the boy’s hand grabbed the air. Looking at his hand with subdued eyes, he smiled helplessly as he recalled Si-hyun just before he disappeared.

He must have tried to call his name.

The boy who laid on the floor, flopping and falling, stared at the dark world without the sky. It was still and silent. In a space where there was no warmth, the boy who faced emptiness opened his mouth slowly.

“…I don’t regret it.”

He mumbled his words over and over again. The boy with his eyes closed smacked his dry lips.

See you next time, Yoo Sihyun.

Words that could not be uttered to Yoo Si-hyun, who disappeared, lingered in Kang Si-hyun’s mouth.