The day changed but Jeokho’s eyes didn’t open.
Perhaps in response to what the Replay function showed him, Jeokho’s condition deteriorated and then improved.
I knew that he was at Kim Shinrok’s funeral when his energy waves first started to get unstable, but it was impossible to know what he saw after that.
‘I don’t know what point he’s at now. It’s been a while so he should be getting up though…’
Before using the function on Jeokho, I reviewed the story and the quests where he appeared.
Still, it wasn’t enough to understand all the things Jeokho went through.
What the smartphone game could reveal to me was incredibly limited.
PMH had a lot of cut scenes than other games, but it was still impossible to track every character’s move.
Even the main characters had activities omitted from the storyline.
‘Even if Jeokho’s close to Ahn Dain, he’s still an NPC. He hides himself behind fog too so he doesn’t appear that often in the story.’
I only know a small fraction of what Jeokho went through.
More than a year passed from the Namless Supporting Role Tutorial to the Christmas Eve scenario so Jeokho must’ve gone through a lot of things that I don’t know.
Even playable characters’ stories weren’t completely shown, more so for Jeokho, an NPC.
Jeokho was depicted as a lone tiger in PMH, a man who only wears black and seldom talks about himself or his feelings.
He’s an NPC with a lot of secrets, to say the least.
‘I didn’t know that the teacher in the prologue was his son, nor why he only wore black clothes… there’s a lot I don’t know.’
I used to replay the chapters where Jeokho appeared to learn more about him.
Mixed emotions came up when I looked at the sleeping Jeokho.
More so when I saw Kim Shinrok’s hardened face, never leaving Jeokho’s side.
Kim Shinrok didn’t budge, but it seemed like he would faint every time Jeokho’s vital signs changed.
“I will watch over Jeokho. You can take a break.”
“…I’m alright.”
Kim Shinrok replied immediately to Hwang Jiho’s words.
Until his father opens his eyes, he has no intention of leaving.
Not wanting to forcibly separate the two, Hwang Jiho didn’t say anything further.
Instead, he stared at me.
“The same goes for you, Jo Euishin. I can’t believe you stayed up all night for two days in a row. If you don’t sleep well at your age, your growth will be stunted.”
This old man knows my real age.
Why is he saying that?
I’m indeed sleeping much less than I did back then, but perhaps because I was eating well, my height was growing at the same pace as in the past world.
I don’t measure my height often, but I can feel my uniform shrinking at the same rate as before.
Anyway, my current age is indeed a teenager, but it’s weird to hear those words from a thousand-year-old man in a school uniform.
I thought about ignoring Hwang Jiho, but I decided to answer.
“I’m fine. The medicine made me feel okay.”
Hwang Jiho forced me to eat dinner and gave me some medicine.
Though it seems to be a mistake to recklessly throw around that word.
“It seems to work well. I should give it to you more often. Still, you should sleep on time.”
This old man needs to know the taste of hell someday.
“When do you think Jeokho-nim will wake up? How much time is Jeokho-nim experiencing in his dream?”
The first question was difficult to answer, but the second one wasn’t.
“I don’t know when he’ll wake up either. About a year should pass in his dream.”
“A year…”
A year is extremely short for people of royal lineage and descendants.
Especially for the tigers who lived more than 5,000 years.
The problem wasn’t the duration, but what happened within that year.
“Jeokho only survived another year in a world without you.”
Hwang Jiho interpreted it correctly.
Kim Shinrok spoke in a hushed voice, just realizing it.
“Jeokho-nim will experience death…”
“Being tied to the red rack inflicts harsher pain than death. Jeokho has lived thousands of years and survived that. He will overcome this.”
Hwang Jiho comforted Kim Shinrok.
But I thought differently.
The year that Jeokho experienced after his son’s death is perhaps more painful than being tied.
‘Jeokho’s eyes are moving.”
At that moment, Baekho-gun took one step closer to the sofa where Jeokho lay.
Almost at the same time as Baekho-gun moved, an alarm rang out from the medical device.
His face said it all.
Without checking the vital signs, his condition was obvious.
Color completely left Kim Shinrok’s face when he saw the pale Jeokho.
He wanted to wake Jeokho up, but he was restless since he couldn’t touch his body.
“This won’t do. I’ll wake him up!”
Jeokho said the same words before Kim Shinrok woke up from the same replay function.
The father and son really were alike.
While Kim Shinrok was at a loss for what to do, Hwang Jiho checked Jeokho’s energy waves and vital signs.
“His energy waves are returning to normal. Baekho is right. I think Jeokho will wake up soon.”
Immediately after the alarm from the medical device stopped, Jeokho’s eyelids trembled lightly.
Kim Shinrok held his breath as he watched Jeokho open his eyes.
Jeokho’s eyes opened slowly.
——————
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Lights were dimmed in the room in consideration of Jeokho, but he blinked several times to adjust to the lighting.
“…”
As if he was yet to escape from his dream, Jeokho’s eyes were still out of focus.
The first one he looked at was Kim Shinrok, who was watching him from his bedside.
Kim Shinrok seemed to be trying to suppress his emotions, but his eyes were already watery.
Jeokho reached out his hands to him as if to wipe away his tears.
He brushed the hair that covered Kim Shinrok’s left eye, revealing his thick double eyelid.
Kim Shinrok seemed flustered by Jeokho’s touch, but instead of brushing him away, he asked carefully.
“Are you alright?”
Kim Shinrok’s voice brought back Jeokho’s focus.
Jeokho looked at him as if he couldn’t believe it, and then jumped up.
“…Son!”
Jeokho embraced Kim Shinrok in his arms.
The unexpected behavior put Kim Shinrok on the spot, but Hwang Jiho and Baekho-gun only watch, not having any plans to intervene.
Kim Shinrok barely moved his trembling hand.
They broke away, and Jeokho repeatedly asked Kim Shinrok if he was alright or if he was hurt anywhere.
“I’m okay, Jeokho-nim. I’m not hurt anywhere.”
Kim Shinrok said, reassuring Jeokho.
I’m sure Jeokho would be glad to be called ‘father’ but Kim Shinrok calls him ‘Jeokho-nim’ until the end.
The surroundings finally began to register with Jeokho.
Still having Kim Shinrok in his arm, Jeokho talked to Baekho.
“I was supposed to see you after Christmas, but I couldn’t keep my promise. I’m sorry.”
“Christmas hasn’t come yet.”
“Oh. Haha, right… That’s right… It’s November here. And my son is alive.”
Jeokho spoke, his words mixed with relief and confusion.
He was so anxious that he couldn’t let go of Kim Shinrok yet.
The aftermath of the replay function seemed to be huge.
Satisfied at the sight of the father and son, the old man spoke.
“Jeokho, I want to check your energy waves and pulse so can I have your wrist for a moment? Oh, you don’t have to move. Just give me your hand.”
The moment Hwang Jiho reached out to Jeokho…
Fwaa! Fwish!
My eyes were filled with red.
The red lightning released by Jeokho was contained by Hwang Jiho’s boundary skill.
Jeokho seemed to have launched it by reflex.
“What are you doing, Hwangho? Stay away from my son!”
Jeokho has witnessed what happened from Hwang Jiho’s negligence.
On the day of the Bear Clan’s attack, Hwang Jiho wasn’t in Eungwang District.
He had numerous alter egos, but not a single one was left in their territory.
If Hwang Jiho, the Guardian of their territory and the head of the Tiger Clan was present, he might’ve prevented everything that transpired.
“Jeokho-nim…”
“I expected this. Don’t mind it.”
Hwang Jiho smiled casually and let it go.
Caught in the middle of what seemed to be trouble between the two tigers was Kim Shinrok.
It was Baekho-gun who resolved the problem.
“Jeokho, your son is alive and Hwangho is no longer negligent.”
“Oh… Right, my son is here.”
Every word from Baekho-gun seemed to stabilize Jeokho.
Jeokho looked at Baekho-gun and Hwang Jiho alternately before his hand finally relaxed.
Kim Shinrok remained quietly in the arms of his father all this time.
“Your son is worried about you, so allow Hwangho to examine your body.”
At Baekho-gun’s words, Jeokho calmed down and handed his wrist to Hwang Jiho.
Jeokho gently apologized.
“I’m sorry for the sudden attack, Hwangho. It was foolish of me to bring my dreams to the real world.”
“It’s alright. You can’t hurt me with your lightning anyway. It was a perfectly surprising attack, but I managed to block it, didn’t I?”
“…I should’ve given you a stronger one.”
“Hahahaha! Try harder next time.”
Hwang Jiho teased Jeokho as if he was completely unbothered by his attack.
After confirming that there was nothing wrong with Jeokho, Hwang Jiho looked very happy.
He was almost baptized by lightning, but this old man was greatly relieved that his close friend was safe.
Jeokho hugged his son tightly one last time before letting go.
Though both of them seemed to miss the contact right after.
“…Jo Euishin.”
Jeokho suddenly came to me.
“I’ve seen the nightmare that happened without you.”
I’m the one who showed him that nightmare, and I thought this was the perfect time to apologize.
But before I could say anything, Jeokho bowed his head.
“I realized again how much you’ve protected us, Jo Euishin. Thank you.”
The serious gratitude and the overall situation rendered me speechless.
I tried to gloss over it, but Jeokho didn’t let it slide.
“No, I…”
“You cannot say no. Didn’t I just say that I saw the nightmare of the world where you don’t exist? I’m sure you know that world too. You did everything to prevent it, and you succeeded.”
Jeokho raised his head and flatly refused my denial.
I don’t know exactly everything that Jeokho saw, but I couldn’t refute knowing how hopeless PMH’s story was.
“My son died, Eunho’s descendants died… and many other good people turned their backs on the world or were rendered helpless. I’ve seen it all. I’ve gone through it. All of that has happened in just a year. I’m sure after I died, even bigger things happened.”
Jeokho’s expression of gratitude continued.
“So please accept my gratitude. You are our benefactor, Jo Euishin.”
