"So what's this about?"
When I asked while deliberately smiling back, Yeon Seon-woo opened his mouth with a look of excitement.
"Hyung-nim, remember when you hung out at my place last time?"
"I wasn't there to hang out."
"Anyway! You know that novel I was reading back then?"
A novel? His words reminded me of that book which I'd completely forgotten about. Wasn't the name… Abyss?
"Why do you ask?"
"I asked around, and apparently, no one has ever read that book."
"..."
A sense of foreboding suddenly welled up inside of me. The paper bag left on the sofa by Yeon Seon-woo when he came into the room suddenly started to bother me immensely.
Seeing the smile fade from my face, Yeon Seon-woo cheerfully continued.
"So I brought it here for you to read, hyung!"
"Ha..."
Whenever I get a bad feeling, it's never wrong. As a headache started to come on and I pressed my hand to my forehead, Yeon Seon-woo grabbed my wrist and started pulling me.
"Isn't that reaction a bit harsh to someone who just brought you a gift?"
"Isn't it more unreasonable to expect me to be happy about something you just brought over on a whim?"
Even as I snapped at him, I worried that Yeon Seon-woo might actually get upset, so I obediently stood up, following the hand pulling me.
As we sat side by side on the sofa, he took the novel out of the paper bag and placed it on the table. Just as I'd expected, it was that book with the black cover.
"Did you forget that I said I don't read stuff like this?"
"You only read one page."
Yeon Seon-woo snuggled up close to me just like last time and held out the novel.
"Can't you just read this one book? It's a gift from me."
I couldn't help but chuckle at Yeon Seon-woo's reply, which implied that I should accept it precisely because it was from him and not someone else.
There was no denying that I was particularly weak when it came to Yeon Seon-woo. Since the perceptive Yeon Seon-woo knew this all too well, that must be why he was throwing this tantrum.
'Still, it's my fault for accepting it, too.'
Every time Yeon Seon-woo acted slyly, I'd sigh, yet I couldn't help but nod when I met his dark eyes staring back at me. This time was no different.
"…Just read this one book. And if you still don't like it,"
"Then I won't pester you anymore. I'll give up, seriously."
"Hmm."
"Hyung-nimmm..."
Yeon Seon-woo lowered the tips of his eyebrows and looked at me. I clicked my tongue at that earnest gaze and took the book.
"What is so special about this novel that you're nagging me like this?"
"You said you'd never read anything like this before."
As soon as I took the book, Yeon Seon-woo wiped the pitiful look off his face and spoke with a grin.
"Since it's your first time reading a book like this, and especially because I'm the one giving it to you… That's why I like it."
"You like everything."
"I mean it. Hyung-nim has experienced so much more than I have."
"How old do you think I am? Of course I have more experience than you."
When I replied indifferently, Yeon Seon-woo wore a subtle expression. Blinking briefly with a look bordering on bitterness, he smiled again and leaned in toward me.
"It's a request from your young, cute little dongsaeng, so please just take it. You have to tell me your thoughts after you finish reading Volume 1."
"Oh, so now you're even giving me homework, too."
Even though it was ridiculous, Yeon Seon-woo's insistence to get a review from me struck me as kind of cute. So I gave his messy blond hair—which reminded me of a puppy's—a gentle stroke.
"I rarely sit down to read books these days, and the shop's been busy lately, so it'll take me a while to get through it."
Yeon Seon-woo, who had obediently offered his head to me, blushed at the tips of his ears and spoke up.
"As long as you read it, that's all I need. I can wait, no matter how long you take."
At least he knows how to give a good answer. I chuckled and looked down at the book in my hand.
The book had a rough-textured black cover with the title 'Abyss' written on it. The slightly heavy weight of the book felt very unfamiliar.
Having received such an unexpected gift, I opened the book whenever I had spare time and read it slowly but surely. Even when I was tempted to toss it aside out of annoyance, the thought of Yeon Seon-woo's pitiful gaze would draw my hand back to the book.
When I first started reading, I could barely get past the first ten pages, but once I reached the middle, I naturally became engrossed in the story, and the pages turned effortlessly. That change was truly fascinating.
'This is… kind of fun?'
There were a lot of unfamiliar words like 'gate' and 'monster,' so it felt a bit awkward at first, but understanding the contents of the story wasn't that difficult.
In fact, as I read on, learning the meanings of those once-strange words and the world they described made it even more interesting.
'This is cool.'
I especially liked the main character, Ha Tae-heon. I liked how he protected the weak and acted with justice and conviction.
I guess I'd be the villain to someone like Ha Tae-heon, right? I closed the first volume of Abyss while entertaining that silly thought.
I had expected it would take at least a month to finish, but thanks to the content—which surprisingly suited my tastes—I finished it in just a week.
Of course, I haven't finished the whole series—I've only read Volume 1. But anyway, the homework Yeon Seon-woo gave me was to read at least Volume 1.
"I finished my homework."
Yeon Seon-woo, who dropped by the shop almost every day, came to see me that night as well.
As Yeon Seon-woo entered with such a slouchy walk, unbecoming of a rich kid, I greeted him with those words instead of greeting him. He looked momentarily confused, but then his eyes lit up.
"You actually read the book?"
"You told me to read it? I just finished volume 1."
Yeon Seon-woo quickly stepped forward and grabbed the first volume of Abyss which was placed on top of some documents.
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Why would I lie about something like that?"
"What did you think? Still not good?"
"No."
I absentmindedly ran my hand over the back of my neck before speaking honestly.
"It was actually pretty good. I liked the main character's personality, too."
At my awkward reply, Yeon Seon-woo smiled broadly, as if he'd expected just that.
"I told you you'd like it. So, can I ask you about the plot?"
"You're seriously going to check if I read it or not… Go ahead and ask me, then."
Resting my chin in my hand, I gave my permission, and Yeon Seon-woo, perched on the desk, opened the book. With a face full of mischief, he flipped through the pages and said,
"The protagonist's name."
"Do you think I'm an idiot? Ha Tae-heon."
"The SS-rank Deputy Master of the Roheon Guild?"
"Deputy Master? Ha Tae-heon isn't the Deputy Master though. Does he become the Deputy Master in a later volume?"
This kid... Now he's even spoiling the plot. As I frowned and scolded him, Yeon Seon-woo shrugged.
"Did Cheon Sa-yeon appear? The Requiem Master."
"Isn't he the rival? He's been around since the beginning."
"Is Cheon Sa-yeon SS-rank too?"
"Of course."
Around that point, I felt something was off.
Yeon Seon-woo right in front of me seemed just like usual, but every single question he asked… kept getting on my nerves.
'What is this..?'
It was a feeling I'd never experienced before, so it was hard to describe exactly. As I was feeling confused, Yeon Seon-woo asked another question.
"What about Han Yi-gyeol?"
"...What?"
"Who is Han Yi-gyeol?"
My heart sank at the name that came out of Yeon Seon-woo's mouth. A shadow fell across Yeon Seon-woo's face as he looked down at me, who was flustered.
***
The sky turned a deep gray, as if rain were about to pour down at any moment.
Puffs of smoke rising here and there, swirling black ash, and the red blood soaking the ground all showed just how gruesome the place was.
Human screams and monster howls continued to echo from all over Gwanghwamun, as it seemed there were still many monsters that remained unvanquished.
Standing in front of the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, Samael tapped Han Yi-gyeol on the cheek as he knelt there, having lost consciousness. Then, he spoke to Azazel beside him.
"Is this really working?"
"In theory, it should be perfect."
"His voice sounds a little different."
A large, round mirror was floating above Samael and Azazel's heads. A scene that seemed unreal was playing on the mirror like a video.
"So, it looks like there really is someone inside this body."
Samael, who had been staring at the mirror, roughly grabbed Han Yi-gyeol's hair. With his head forcibly lifted, Han Yi-gyeol had his eyes closed, as if asleep.
The moment Samael touched Han Yi-gyeol, a sharp, murderous aura erupted from somewhere opposite of them. Feeling the intense energy against his skin, Samael looked up.
"Seems you just can't hide your emotions, little brother."
Despite Samael's mockery, Cheon Sa-yeon's dark eyes remained fixed solely on Han Yi-gyeol. Not only Cheon Sa-yeon, but Ha Tae-heon and the Requiem Guild members standing behind him were the same. They looked just like stray dogs that had lost their master.
"Or, is it because it's Han Yi-gyeol that you can't control yourself?"
Samael shook Han Yi-gyeol's head, which he held in his grasp, a couple of times. Watching this, the tip of Cheon Sa-yeon's sword trembled slightly. The pale face revealed beneath her hair, which was blowing in the wind, was frighteningly cold.
Han Yi-gyeol, who had no choice but to approach Samael in response to the deal he offered, fainted immediately after drinking the mysterious liquid.
Immediately after feeding Han Yi-gyeol the liquid mixed with Kali and Samael's blood, he sliced open Han Yi-gyeol's forearm to draw out his blood. This way, Han Yi-gyeol's blood, imbued with the energies of Kali and Samael, was transformed into a form ready to be used.
They fused Han Yi-gyeol's blood, now mixed with various energies, into an item that displayed the scenes in his mind exactly as they appeared. Now, under Samael's mental control, Han Yi-gyeol would reveal every memory that surfaced in his mind through that mirror.
All of this was done solely to uncover Han Yi-gyeol's true identity. He was a being which had never been encountered before, even in the repeating cycle of time, and the most troublesome figure in the present timeline. This was none other than Han Yi-gyeol.
[Since it's your first time reading a book like this, and especially because I'm the one giving it to you… That's why I like it.]
[You like everything.]
[I mean it. Hyung-nim has experienced so much more than I have.]
Even at this very moment, the scene reflected in the mirror kept changing. Since it showed a direct reflection of Han Yi-gyeol's mind, Han Yi-gyeol himself did not appear; only the figure of the person he was conversing with was visible.
A blond man wearing a denim jacket. Just from watching their conversations, it was clear the two were quite close.