Because the person whose memories he had shared wasn't someone he'd been in contact with, Jin-Woo had forgotten — but there were a few others who had been connected to the higher beings. And among them, one person was fortunate enough to be in direct contact with the higher being that was Jin-Woo. Early morning.
"Why are you like this, son?"
When Seong Il-Hwan saw his son come out of his room crying after waking from a dream, he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder — and saw another past unfold before his eyes. Physically, only a fleeting instant had passed, but within it lay years as long as eternity.
—I missed you. Always. —I wanted to have more conversations with you. —I'm sorry I couldn't be a better father.
That last line, the one that made his heart drop to his stomach, flashed before his eyes. And then, in reverse, came the memories of everything that had transpired from that point until time rewound back to the present — playing back like a panoramic film in reverse. The only divine tool that made it possible: the Chalice of Reincarnation. Having known of the Chalice's existence through the memories of the Rulers, Seong Il-Hwan took one look at his son's expression and instinctively understood that some kind of contract had been established between his son and the Rulers. Regardless of how punishing the price of that contract was, Jin-Woo had resolved to bear that burden. Seong Il-Hwan had to press his lips together to hold back the emotions threatening to surge out. Whether that effort succeeded or not — Jin-Woo wiped away the tears welling in his eyes and smiled.
"...I think I had a nightmare."
It was then that Seong Il-Hwan glimpsed the fierce determination that had briefly etched itself onto Jin-Woo's face. But even until that moment — no, even until Jin-Woo left behind just a single note and vanished without a word — Seong Il-Hwan hadn't even been able to guess what kind of "promise" his son had made to the Rulers.
* * *
"...And to think that promise was to single-handedly take down the entire legion."
Seong Il-Hwan recalled those days with a wry smile. If he had learned the contents of that promise before his son departed through the dimensional rift — would he have tried to stop him? Or would he have let his son leave just as he had, for the sake of the world?
"But he pulled it off magnificently, didn't he?"
The Rulers' proxy, seated across from him, smiled warmly. Even Seong Il-Hwan, his lips pressed firmly shut, gave a nod. Because of the price Jin-Woo had sacrificed, the horrific wars this world should have endured had been completely erased. Yet the thought of the suffering his son must have endured during that time left Seong Il-Hwan unable to smile at all.
One year after that. It had been roughly one year since Jin-Woo returned from the dimensional rift.
"My son..."
His hesitant voice was swallowed up by the soft music playing inside the cafe. The proxy calmly waited for his next words, sipping the coffee that still half-filled his cup through a straw.
"What decision has my son made?" "The Shadow Monarch, you mean."
The proxy noticed the flicker of tension that passed across Seong Il-Hwan's face and smiled gently.
"He has chosen to remain here. He said that every minute and second spent in this world is precious."
Seong Il-Hwan silently let out a long, relieved breath. The proxy set his empty cup down gently on the table. His role — staying in this world while waiting for Jin-Woo's decision — had been fully completed as of yesterday. Now it was time to leave. Seong Il-Hwan would be the last person he met before departing this place. Perhaps that was why? Even though he wasn't one for idle chatter, he found himself wanting to talk a little more.
"The Shadow Monarch... No, you intend to keep hiding it from your son?" "He wants no one to remember."
If what Jin-Woo wanted was the ordinary life of an ordinary family, then he was confident he could keep playing the part for his son's sake, for as long as it took.
"Like father, like son."
The proxy laughed and nodded, then looked up.
"After I leave, the Rulers' intervention in this world will cease entirely." "I know." "Then this truly is the end. With this world..."
The proxy glanced around the cafe's interior and spoke in a voice brimming with emotion.
"It was enjoyable. Waiting for the Shadow Monarch to return — my heart raced wondering what the outcome would be."
He made sure not to mention that even the Rulers themselves hadn't expected Jin-Woo to succeed. There was no need to pour cold water on a warm farewell. Just before rising from his seat — before uttering his goodbye — the proxy spoke.
"The Rulers feel grateful not only to the Shadow Monarch, but also to you, Seong Il-Hwan."
Without his help, this outcome might never have come to pass. He had fought on behalf of the Rulers, and he had been the one to propose that the Rulers join forces with the Shadow Monarch. His contribution was immense. Having reached that conclusion, the Rulers had prepared a small gift for Seong Il-Hwan.
"If there is ever anything we can help you with?"
When he thought about the immense power and "divine tools" the Rulers possessed, it was tantamount to offering to grant any wish he could imagine. But Seong Il-Hwan shook his head.
"Nothing..."
The proxy could understand. When you had someone who went by the name "family" and possessed power on par with a god, right nearby — why would you need to make a wish to anyone else?
"Then."
The proxy gave a brief nod and was about to rise from his seat when — belatedly — Seong Il-Hwan spoke.
"Wait."
The proxy, who had already stopped, settled back into his seat.
"You have something more to say...?"
After a moment's hesitation, Seong Il-Hwan spoke with some difficulty.
"Can you... erase my memories? The memories from the time before?" "It is certainly possible, but why would you make such a choice...?" "It is not easy pretending to know nothing in front of a son who misses nothing."
Seong Il-Hwan said this with a grin. Father and son indeed — his smiling face looked exactly like Jin-Woo's.
"And."
He lowered his gaze, lost in thought, and continued slowly.
"I want to be just an ordinary father who worries about his son."
He wanted to return to being a father who could worry about ordinary things — whether his son might come home hurt, whether his sigh over his son's exam scores, worrying about his son in a normal, everyday way.
"Because to me, Jin-Woo is not the Shadow Monarch. He is my precious son."
That was Seong Il-Hwan's modest wish.
"I understand."
With that meaning in mind, the proxy smiled and accepted the request.
"Once you step out of this cafe, the events from that missing time period will be completely erased from your mind."
The proxy cast a spell of magic over Seong Il-Hwan, then whispered a farewell in a voice too quiet for him to hear.
"You won't remember, but I hope you find peace in the days ahead."
Time flowed on, and on. One winter morning. Seong Il-Hwan opened his eyes to the sound of an alarm set for six o'clock and bolted upright. Beside him, his wife had woken at the same moment and was facing him.
"Jin-Woo?" "Jin-Woo?"
The couple rushed to check the time, confirmed it was still six in the morning, and let out a sigh of relief.
"Honey, what do we do? Should we wake Jin-Woo?" "There's still a little time left. It's the college entrance exam day — let him sleep a bit longer." "Right. I'll drive him to the test center anyway." "Seven... Let's go wake him at seven."
Seong Il-Hwan nodded at his wife's words. The couple, anxiously watching the clock hands the entire time, bolted from their room the moment seven o'clock arrived and threw open Jin-Woo's door.
"Son, you know today is the exam day, right?" "Son, want Dad to drive you?"
The boy, who looked as if he had just woken up, answered with a smile.
"I'll get going now."
Watching Jin-Woo leave the room, Seong Il-Hwan was hurriedly getting dressed and grabbing the car keys when his eyes were briefly drawn to the keychain. It was a gift from Jin-Woo. A white, castle-shaped keychain with a small black flag hanging from the top, seemingly handmade. A smile crept onto Seong Il-Hwan's face as he looked at it. It was a clear day — a refreshing morning with the sunlight already beginning to filter in.
* * *
Evening of December 24th. Jin-Woo walked down a street brimming with Christmas atmosphere. Advertisements hung throughout the downtown area featured the faces of popular entertainers and sports stars.
'The streets have really changed.'
He still felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity remembering the days when Hunter faces, rather than celebrity ones, had adorned the city. He then spotted a sports drink poster and let out a quiet laugh. An old friend's face was there. He wondered how many people's efforts had gone into producing that single photo with such a natural expression.
'The idol of the track world, huh...'
The smile of Cha Hae-In shown on the poster was indeed idol-worthy. She had attracted attention with her dazzling athletic results, caught the eye of the media, and the track and field world had practically begged her to keep running — and this was the result.
'A former S-rank Hunter who couldn't stand cameras is now thriving as a popular sports star...'
Jin-Woo wore a satisfied expression thinking of a future that wouldn't have come about had he not healed Hae-In's injury. Though she still struggled with cameras, she'd get better with time. Smiling to himself, Jin-Woo headed toward the meeting spot. Glancing around, he noticed the extravagant outfits of the couples filling the street.
'Who'd have thought a high school grad fresh out of the exam would dress so plainly?'
He clicked his tongue at his own understated attire and looked for a nearby clothing store. Of course, given the hour, the stores were closed — but he'd never intended to buy anything in the first place. Jin-Woo stopped in front of the mannequin in the window wearing the neatest outfit of them all. Shhhh — the jet-black smoke that briefly enveloped Jin-Woo's body shifted to match the exact outfit worn by the mannequin across from him. After checking the look in the window from various angles, Jin-Woo turned to his shadow soldiers.
"How is it?"
At some point, the Shadow Soldier with the most interest in fashion had eagerly spoken up before anyone else could.
[It is magnificent, my lord.] "Good."
His footsteps, noticeably lighter now, brought him to the meeting spot in no time. Around the enormous Christmas tree erected in the center of the plaza, many people milled about waiting for their partners. Was it because today was Christmas Eve that even their anxious, clock-checking faces looked happy? Unlike them, Jin-Woo stood calmly gazing up at the sky, unhurried. Even amid the countless noises of the people passing through the streets, he could clearly pick out the sound of his partner's footsteps.
'...Three, two, one.'
Right on cue, the moment she arrived behind him, Jin-Woo spun around.
"You're here?"
Hae-In, who had been trying to surprise him, sheepishly lowered her raised hand.
"You seem to have eyes on the back of your head, oppa."
He smiled at how she looked a little dejected — that too was cute. Hae-In had her hood pulled low to hide from people's eyes, just as Jin-Woo had done once before.
"Want to walk for a bit?"
At Jin-Woo's suggestion, Hae-In beamed and nodded. Whenever they reached a fork in the road, they took the path with fewer people. When Jin-Woo told her his test scores, Hae-In's eyes went wide.
"Then why would you go there with scores like those?" "A full scholarship, study abroad included. And there's someone I really want to meet there."
At that, Hae-In's ears perked up.
"Please tell me that person isn't a woman."
Jin-Woo found Hae-In's narrowing eyes amusing and deliberately drew out the suspense.
"Well..."
Her cheeks puffed up instantly. All the little sides of Hae-In that they'd never seen back when they were both adults gave Jin-Woo a fresh kind of enjoyment. Just then. Tock. Something dropped from the sky and landed on the tip of his nose. A cold sensation melting against his skin. It was a snowflake. He looked up to see pure white dots falling from the dark sky. A white Christmas. Watching the snow drift down, Jin-Woo recalled the gray ash that had fallen after he dealt with the Dragon Emperor. Snow-white ash — no, ash-light snow — falling soundlessly from above.
"What are you thinking about, oppa?"
Jin-Woo smiled and brushed the question off.
"Nothing."
He couldn't exactly say: "I'm standing here watching Christmas Eve snow fall while thinking about one of the most threatening enemies I've ever faced in my life." After hearing his answer, Hae-In looked at him with a knowing little smile and suddenly said:
"Oppa, do you remember our promise?" "What promise?" "The promise that if you won the race, I'd answer anything." "I remember."
Hae-In then pointed to a tree a short distance away.
"Then let's make a bet. Who can reach that tree first."
At Hae-In's sudden challenge, Jin-Woo gave a soft laugh and asked:
"What do you want to know?" "Everything." "Everything?" "What you sometimes think about, whether the person you want to meet at college is a woman or a man, and..." "And?" "And whether we ever met besides that day at the competition." "...Deal."
Jin-Woo readily agreed and pulled his hands from his pockets. Whether his hands were in his pockets or not probably wouldn't affect the outcome, but it was his way of showing he was taking this match seriously. But just then — Hae-In, who had been standing a step away, walked over and draped the scarf she'd been wearing around Jin-Woo's neck, then asked:
"Oppa, if you like me, don't move from here." "What?"
While Jin-Woo was still caught off guard, Hae-In turned to face him and began walking, slowly making her way toward the tree. Jin-Woo could only laugh as he watched the outcome of a race already decided.
"Ha..."
In the end, Hae-In successfully reached out and touched the tree, then lightly jumped in place, declaring her victory. The shadow soldiers, who had been watching the two of them compete with great interest, were beside themselves with excitement.
[Whoa, our lord lost!] [So there are times when our lord loses a bet!] [The lord made a mistake!] [Kieeeeek! — My king, hurry, start running now!]
Standing there with a resigned smile, scratching the side of his head, Jin-Woo looked around and began walking toward the tree. Fortunately — since they had only taken paths where no people were around — the street was completely empty.
"I won, didn't I?"
Hae-In's face, bright with excitement, waited for his answer. Jin-Woo stopped in front of her and issued a grave command to his shadow soldiers.
'All shadows — close your eyes.' [......] [......]
Amid the shadows' quiet disappointment, Jin-Woo slowly moved toward Hae-In's face, and his lips met hers. Overhead, white snow continued to fall in silence.
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