I Don’t Want This Reincarnation

“Han Yi-gyeol.”

Ha Tae-heon found me floating in the air and spread his arms very naturally. Feeling a bit tickled by the sight, I hesitated for a moment and then went down slowly.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi.”

Ha Tae-heon grabbed my waist and I grabbed his shoulder. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I looked up at Ha Tae-heon and asked.

“Have you been well when you were there?”

“Yeah.”

I carefully looked at the appearance of Ha Tae-heon in front of me.

He was the same as the last time we met, except that his skin got a little rough because he hadn’t slept well.

“Han Yi-gyeol, you.”

“Yes?”

“Did nothing happen?”

I was relieved in my heart and then I hardened at the next question.

“Um, oh. That…”

Ha Tae-heon wriggled his sharp eyebrows as I hesitated to answer right away. Ha Tae-heon, who noticed that I was slowly stepping backwards like a ghost, gave strength to his two hands holding my waist.

“Ugh!”

“Han Yi-gyeol.”

A cold sweat broke out at the stern voice as if scolding a child. Ha Tae-heon said slowly to me, who was smiling awkwardly while feeling the tingling sensation in my waist.

“I think the conversation will take longer than I thought.”

“Ha, haha…”

“We’re leaving right away.”

Ha Tae-heon shoved me into the car. I was seated in the passenger seat in an instant and headed to Ha Tae-heon’s house without any noise.

* * *

Arriving at Ha Tae-heon’s house, I quietly stuck myself on the sofa in the living room.

‘I didn’t expect to feel familiar with this place.’

Without looking back, Ha Tae-heon went straight to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. I swallowed dry saliva at the past memory of me drinking the milk after a wine. But were you going to give me something again this time?

“Eat it.”

What Ha Tae-heon gave me were raw strawberries in a transparent bowl. I placed the bowl on my lap and looked at Ha Tae-heon with a puzzled look.

“Eat.”

“……”

I wasn’t very hungry… But I didn’t have the courage to say that. I took a deep breath as I put a strawberry neatly arranged up to the top into my mouth. You didn’t think I was going to eat it all this time, did you?

“Talk slowly as you eat.”

“Uum.”

“While I was in China, what happened?”

Even though I was prepared, when I heard the question, the strawberry I was eating stuck in my throat. Ha Tae-heon continued to say to me, who was coughing a little.

“I remember contacting you in the middle.”

“I didn’t lie.”

Ha Tae-heon sent me a distrustful gaze. This was a bit unfair.

“I had some work to do.”

Ha Tae-heon, noticing what I had decided to explain, sat down across from me. Where should I start? My tongue licked my dry lips once.

“The mental-controlling ability person that was targeting me has approached me.”

“What?”

Ah. Did I bring it out too quickly? I hurriedly added to Ha Tae-heon’s reaction, who had a harsh impression.

“Bu, but it’s been resolved well!”

“Don’t miss a single thing. Explain everything, Han Yi-gyeol.”

I smiled belatedly, but there was still no way I could do it. At Ha Tae-heon’s words, I put the strawberry bowl on the table and made eye contact with his black eyes.

“…Deputy Master Chloe has a younger brother. He’s a producer and he’s someone I’ve been indebted to before.”

I started talking slowly so that Ha Tae-heon could understand. I followed Samael to save Edward and Kwon Jeong-han, and brought out the most important fact that we luckily survived until Cheon Sa-yeon came to rescue us.

“Samael’s mental control ability didn’t work on me.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Samael said it himself. Even I’m an A-rank, but the ability doesn’t work. Of course… it’s still dangerous.”

“I see. There are countless ways to use others like this one.”

“That’s right.”

Holding my hands, I bowed my head. Could I say this? When I hesitated, Ha Tae-heon waited for the next word without urging.

“…I’m being honest with you.”

With my eyes closed, Kwon Jeong-han, who was bleeding on the floor, and Edward, who was bleeding from the cut by his dagger, came to mind. It wasn’t just that. I had seen people who stayed by my side get hurt and bleeding because of me over and over again.

“I don’t care if it’s someone else I don’t know who was mind-controlled by Samael.”

“……”

“Because I can subdue anyone I don’t know.”

Even by killing them.

“Rather, the people around me are getting in the way.”

“Yes.”

I raised my face. From now on was important. I didn’t slow down my tension and opened my mouth in a hard, firm voice.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi. Please keep the contract.”

“Contract?”

“I need the Prophet’s information.”

At those words, Ha Tae-heon put on a complicated expression.

“You met him.”

If they hadn’t met in the first place, the conversation wouldn’t have been this long. When I rushed with conviction, Ha Tae-heon took a long, stuffy breath and put his back on the sofa and said.

“If I tell you?”

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi.”

“Are you going to see the Prophet?”

I frowned at the unexpected question.

“Why are you asking that? I.”

“What you just asked has nothing to do with the contract. This is just…”

Ha Tae-heon looked at me without finishing his words. After a long silence between him and me, I couldn’t stand it and asked first.

“Just?”

“It’s just a common concern among friends.”

Friend? I was very wary, but I couldn’t hide my surprise at the word ‘friend’ and opened my eyes wide.

“Friends…?”

Me and Ha Tae-heon? The protagonist and I were friends?

“How could I become friends with Ha Tae-heon-ssi?”

In embarrassment, the tone of voice jumped out as if arguing. However, Ha Tae-heon tilted his face slightly without showing displeasure.

“Is there any reason not to?”

“Do you believe me?”

I had always believed in Ha Tae-heon, but Ha Tae-heon was different. Of course, it wasn’t that I didn’t understand. The actions I had been doing so far were suspicious to anyone and Ha Tae-heon didn’t trust others easily due to his personality.

As I expected, Ha Tae-heon didn’t respond right away. Ha Tae-heon, who lowered his head with a shadowy face and wiped the corners of his eyes with his hand, looked at me immediately.

“I believe.”

Contrary to the attitude he had been pondering for a long time, the answer that came out was firm. Thanks to this, it was me who had nothing to say. We had been having a good conversation so far and suddenly I was confused about how to treat Ha Tae-heon.

“……”

Blood rushed to my face uncontrollably. Even without looking, I could tell that my neck and face were extremely red. I turned my body slightly to the side and covered my face with my hands as much as possible.

“Han Yi-gyeol.”

“Ahem. Yes.”

Ha Tae-heon, who was watching me with a strange look, continued to say what stopped him.

“Do you remember the conversation we had at Gulupdo Island Gate? I said that if I believed in you, you would answer honestly.”

Was it because my body was warm? It suddenly became very hot. I grabbed the neck of the T-shirt and flapped it to cool it off.

“I ask again. Are you going to see the Prophet?”

“…yes. So I’m gathering information.”

I answered as calmly as possible, but somehow it sounded like a child’s grunt.

“What are you going to do when you meet him?”

“I can’t say that.”

I wrapped my hands around my still hot neck.

“Please tell me now, Ha Tae-heon-ssi. Where did you meet the Prophet?”

“……”

Ha Tae-heon’s straight lips slowly opened and I heard the explanation of the prophet I had longed to know.

* * *

It was just past 5 in the morning. I opened the window on the terrace leading to the living room.

Looking up at the sky in the cool night breeze, I turned my attention to the presence I felt from behind.

“I’ll see you off.”

“No.”

My hair fluttered pleasantly. I smiled lightly as I watched Ha Tae-heon with his bangs swaying in the wind like me.

“The weather is nice so I will fly. I also need to organize my thoughts.”

I said as I sat on the terrace railing.

“Remember what I said when we went to the D8 Area to get the coat?”

The shirt I was wearing fluttered in the wind. Ha Tae-heon’s face that reflected in the moonlight was beautiful.

“My goal hasn’t changed since then.”

“To break free from Cheon Sa-yeon?”

“I want to escape and live without dying.”

“Are you saying that if you stay by Cheon Sa-yeon’s side, you will die?”

“It’s probably more dangerous.”

In the novel ‘Abyss’, Han Yi-gyeol protected Cheon Sa-yeon and died instead. It was never known he would die under what circumstances. Because Han Yi-gyeol’s death had nothing to do with the life of the main character, Ha Tae-heon. Even if he died, he was a trivial villain with no presence so much that he would be forgotten after a day. It was just that.

Now, everything had changed from the novel’s content, but I was still not at ease. Because Cheon Sa-yeon was still a dangerous opponent. I didn’t want to be swayed anymore.

“If you want to go see the Prophet in person, I will follow you.”

“Pardon?”

“How are you going to go to China if you can’t even take a mobile phone at will? Wasn’t it that you were going to leave in secret?”

“That’s true, but…”

The original plan was to ask Chloe for a favour. I hurriedly rolled my head around and calculated again then smiled.

“Is there any good way?”

“Yeah.”

To be honest, Ha Tae-heon was more reliable than Chloe if I wanted to move without being detected by Cheon Sa-yeon. Above all, if Ha Tae-heon solved this problem, Chloe’s ability could be borrowed at other times.

‘It’s not bad.’

Even a small opportunity was precious. I nodded my head while touching my mouth.

“All right. This time, I will trust Ha Tae-heon-ssi.”

“When are you going?”

“Honestly, I want to leave right away, but… there is still work to be done. I think it will take two days.”

“I get it.”

When I got up from my seat and used my energy, my body floated.

“Is your schedule okay?”

“I’m on vacation for a while. Don’t worry about unnecessary things and just contact me in time.”

“I will contact you on the cell phone you gave me in the first place.”

Ha Tae-heon grabbed the outstretched hand and slowly moved out of the terrace. As the distance increased, my hand holding Ha Tae-heon gradually loosened.

“Then… have a good night. Ha Tae-heon-ssi.”

“Yeah.”

After hesitating for a while, I released Ha Tae-heon’s hand and turned around. I crossed the darkest sky just before dawn.