Chapter 25 – Reflections After Battle
After leaving the dungeon, Ha-Joon stood at the entrance for a brief moment, exchanging a final glance with Cha Hae-In. The wind rustled through the trees nearby, and for a second, he wondered if he should say more, but decided against it. With a small, grateful bow to her, he turned and led Jin-Ah and Song-Yi toward the street to catch a taxi.
The ride was quiet at first. The streets of Seoul passed by in a blur outside the taxi windows, filled with the soft glow of streetlights and the fading colors of the setting sun. Ha-Joon sat in the front passenger seat, gazing out, lost in thought, while Jin-Ah and Song-Yi sat in the back, exchanging glances now and then.
Breaking the silence, Ha-Joon finally turned slightly, looking back at them with an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry... for dragging you both into this mess," he said quietly, his voice tinged with guilt.
Jin-Ah shook her head immediately, leaning forward. "Ha-Joon, don't say that! This wasn't your fault. It was just an accident... something no one could have predicted," she said firmly. "If anything, you're the reason we're still alive. You protected us the entire time."
Song-Yi, sitting beside Jin-Ah, nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We're the ones who should be thanking you," she said with a small, grateful smile. Her hands still trembled slightly from the adrenaline, but her gaze was steady as she spoke.
Ha-Joon let out a small sigh of relief, but then shifted his focus to Song-Yi. "And... you?" he asked, his tone more serious now. "After everything you saw today... after stepping into a real dungeon with real monsters... what's your decision? Do you still want to be a hunter?"
Song-Yi paused. Her eyes dropped to her hands resting on her lap. For a moment, she remained silent, her mind replaying the terrifying moments they had just survived. The screams, the rushing monsters, the overwhelming aura of death... and Ha-Joon, standing in front of them, fighting like a one-man army.
"I know I'm weak... I know I'm not cut out for front-line battles," she finally said, lifting her gaze with newfound determination. "But... I still want to help people. Even if my power is small... even if I can't fight like you... I want to do what I can."
Ha-Joon blinked in surprise at her answer, but then a warm smile spread across his face. Without thinking, he reached back and ruffled her hair playfully, making her flinch in surprise.
"Well... I guess the world stays standing thanks to people like you," he said with a chuckle. "People who want to help, even when they're scared, even when they know the risks."
Song-Yi flushed slightly but smiled at his words. Jin-Ah watched the exchange with a soft smile of her own, feeling a little lighter after all they had been through.
As the taxi continued toward their neighborhood, Ha-Joon's mind drifted. Despite the calm atmosphere now, the weight of what had happened lingered. The power he had used… The overwhelming strength that had allowed him to defeat the dungeon boss… It was getting harder and harder to hide his true abilities.
On the other side of town, Cha Hae-In stood with several guild officials near the now-closed dungeon gate. She reported with a calm and collected voice, explaining that she had successfully closed the dungeon. The officials, visibly relieved, began handling the rescued civilians, ensuring they received medical attention and counseling.
As she finished her report, Cha Hae-In's eyes drifted toward the direction Ha-Joon had gone. Her expression softened slightly as she thought to herself, "I don't know who you really are... or why you're hiding your strength... but I have a feeling it won't be long before we fight side by side."
Her heart beat a little faster at the thought, a mix of curiosity and anticipation blooming within her.
Back in the taxi, the driver finally pulled over near Jin-Ah's house. Ha-Joon stepped out first, helping both girls out of the vehicle.
Jin-Ah turned to him with a grateful expression. "Thank you again... for everything, Ha-Joon."
Song-Yi smiled as well. "Yeah... you were incredible back there."
Ha-Joon scratched the back of his head awkwardly, looking embarrassed. "Just doing what I could..." he said.
As he watched the two girls head safely toward Jin-Ah's house, he turned away, starting his own walk back home. The night air was cool against his skin, and the city lights blinked like distant stars.
"I wish I could reveal my powers... fight openly... but I can't." Ha-Joon thought bitterly. "They're too... abnormal. Too dangerous."
His mind wandered back to his unique abilities—the countless manga worlds he could pull powers from, the impossible things he could manifest. Dragon Ball... Hakaba... Saint Seiya... Powers capable of destroying planets, granting immortality, reshaping reality... All within his reach.
"No matter how good people are... once they learn I hold powers that can create gods, grant wishes, and rewrite life and death... Even the kindest heart can be tempted."
He stopped walking for a second, staring up at the night sky.
"That's why I have to keep hiding it... at least until I'm strong enough to control both my power and the consequences of revealing it."
His expression hardened.
"The first step... is creating that manga."
His eyes lit up slightly with determination.
"That manga will let me summon stronger beings... characters capable of standing beside me... characters from Dragon Ball... from Saint Seiya... and beyond."
With that decision firm in his heart, Ha-Joon resumed walking, disappearing into the shadows of the city streets, already planning his next move.
Meanwhile, back at Jin-Ah's house, she stood by her window, staring up at the same sky, thinking about Ha-Joon.
"I wonder... what's really going on inside your heart, Ha-Joon?"
And somewhere, not too far away, Cha Hae-In stood under the same night, smiling softly to herself.
"One day soon... our paths will cross again."