THHAAWMF

Chapter 175

But I couldn't bring myself to agree.

All I knew about him was his peculiar name and a mysterious origin, and I wasn't foolish enough to upend my life in Korea based solely on that.

"I'm sorry."

I firmly declined, suppressing the odd sensation in my stomach, and the man nodded in understanding.

He didn't ask me to come with him anymore.

***

From that day forward, Reynos never appeared in my presence.

My usual commute home from work was lonely.

Dinner, which we often ate together, was tasteless when I tried to eat it alone. The lattes at our favorite cafe, where we'd often sit and talk about our Korean studies, were unappreciated.

I looked out the window every time someone walked by, checking their face.

But Reynos never showed up.

'...Is he really gone?'

I asked. Even if I said no, it's true, he disappeared without saying goodbye?

Feeling a wave of sadness and disappointment, I hovered over his spot.

I'm sure he was sitting in this chair waiting for me, and he came out of this alleyway calling my name...

Even Piik, who often came to visit at night, hadn't visited me since the day he disappeared.

I wondered if they were related in some way, like Reynos's pet, Piik...

'I don't know where you are, but I know where I am.'

I didn't realize I was such a lonely person when Reynos and Piik were gone, but when they both disappeared at the same time, I felt dazed and depressed, like I had lost the biggest thing in my life.

'Time is the medicine for this kind of thing.'

I immersed myself in work to relieve my loneliness, killing my heart for things I couldn't see. The gunner, a workaholic, was surprised to see me working day and night, but the mind is not always what you think it is.

The more I tried to kill my heart, the more my longing grew, and what was like a river became a lake, and what was like a lake became an ocean.

One day, I was struggling to live in the ocean of longing.

***

It was a lazy Friday like the first time I met Reynos and Piik.

I was thinking about leaving work early, but then realized I had nothing to do, so I went home and lazily worked through the overtime I didn't have to.

"Who's waiting downstairs?"

Wondering if it was Reynos, I ran down to the first floor without asking, and found a horsehair-blond man who was now so familiar to my eyes that I could recognize him from a mile away.

His face was set in a rigid line, and his unfocused eyes followed the people passing through the lobby.

'Reynos!'

I ran at once and grabbed him.

Surprise filled his eyes as he caught up with me. Perhaps because this is the first time I've ever actively pursued him, I blurted out.

"I thought you left without telling me."

After a pause, Reynos replied, avoiding my eyes.

"It did... now it's..."