Pure Imagination (Solo Leveling)

Crumble Cake

NOTE: There is still some gore and an attempt at humor.

He isn't the most aware of his surroundings at the moment. Even with Igris walking with him, they still had to walk through the hallway on the first floor, and Yuki gazed at the bodies of young kids. The walls stained and in some cases cracked, and doors sporting almost the same amount of blood that was on the floor.

'This could have been Jin Ah.' Imagining her body mangled, twisted, severed, and mutilated had him gagging. 'Maybe, if I stopped holding off the awakening... I could have stopped this.' The thought had his chest aching and his shoulders feeling heavy once more. It is his fault. It's his fault that some parents will be without their child, or even children. His eyes locking on two students, clearly related and in each other's arms. The taller teen hugging the smaller one, and from the wound in the back, it looked as if they were trying to protect the smaller teen.

It's his fault. He shoes, no longer clean and stained in red to the point even his socks felt wet, left bloody footprints. Igris, ever the great knight, helped guide him in dissociative state to avoid severed limbs and larger blood puddles. When rain started hitting him, he looked out and saw a sea of people. Medics, police officers, Hunter Association members, students, teachers, and parents waiting and crawling over one another.

"Yuki-oppa!" Dull red eyes scanned the crowd and saw and sobbing, unharmed Jin Ah. A breath he didn't know he was holding escaped his lips at the sight of her still pristine uniform and unbruised face. He could see the tears, and how wide her eyes got when she took in his form. His nose bleeding and being diluted from the rain, and he doesn't doubt that there is blood on his clothes.

Walking over to her, Yuki tried to smile, "I'm happy you're safe, Jin Ah." The hug she gave him was crushing, and Yuki had to force his arms around her. Cradling her head and holding her tight. He almost lost Jin Ah. He and Jin Woo almost lost Jin Ah.

The rain, or maybe they were tears, raced down his cheeks as he hugged her tighter. She was crying into his chest, "Yuki-oppa, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry." Confusion crossed his features, "Why? Jin Ah you did nothing wrong." 'If anything, I'm sorry for not allowing myself to awaken sooner.'

"If only I didn't ask you to come, then you wouldn't have been involved in this!" Yuki rubbed her back, "Jin Ah, you had no control over this. It is not your fault." She stared at him with glassy eyes, tears racing down her face and Yuki could feel his heartbreak, 'Jin Ah's tears are the worst.' He hated seeing his little sister figure cry. He always has.

"Min Yuki-ssi." Looking away from Jin Ah, he met Woo Jin Chul's worried face face. Even though his eyes were hiding behind shades, Yuki's been around the A Rank enough to be able to see through his stone-cold facade.

"Woo Jin Chul-ssi," He greeted. Yuki's voice sounding foreign even to himself, and when he stared longer at Woo Jin Chul, he could see it. The magic rolling off of the A Ranker.

'That's... intense.' Woo Jin Chul nodded at Jin Ah, and then returned his attention to Yuki, "If you would please follow me. President Go Gun Hee-nim would like a word with you." Normally, the thought of talking to Go Gun Hee had Yuki smiling and excited. Talking to the older man is always a pleasure and Yuki wished he did it more.

Right now though, Yuki wanted to bury himself in a hole. He didn't want to face Go Gun Hee and tell him that he's had the option to awaken for so long. He just never did because he's a coward. Yuki didn't want to be a Hunter, because deep down he is still terrified of them. It may be different with Jin Woo and Go Gun Hee, but other Hunters he can still feel the pin pricks of fear.