Chapter 418: Reunion - Kang Joo-Han and Goh Yoo-Joon’s story (4)

[First Condition: Be Ready to Sacrifice]

-Players have been chosen. You will receive hints about the quest.

“…Hyung, why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Huh? Oh, just wait a second.” Kang Joo-Han pushed Goh Yoo-Joon away and rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of the situation. Even with his eyes closed, the floating blue window was still there. This wasn’t some tragic hallucination.

And what was with this bizarre text? Kang Joo-Han had never encountered something so incomprehensible in his life.

He tried to avoid appearing crazy in front of Goh Yoo-Joon, so he quickly glanced at the text again.

“Can you see it too, hyung?”

“What? Huh? What?”

Kang Joo-Han turned to Goh Yoo-Joon, startled. He had an unusually flustered reaction. Goh Yoo-Joon was pointing directly at the text window he had been looking at.

“You see it too?”

“Yeah... My tears just dried up instantly.” Goh Yoo-Joon wiped his eyes with his sleeve and stared at the text window again. It was like a quest window from a game, floating like a hologram without any mystique. It felt surreal.

“What is this?”

“Don’t! Stay back.” Kang Joo-Han pulled Goh Yoo-Joon away from the text window. Whatever it was, it looked dangerous, especially if it required a sacrifice. It didn’t seem wise to touch it recklessly.

Goh Yoo-Joon shook off Kang Joo-Han’s hand and stared at the text window, deep in thought. “Hyung, is this a dream? Are you part of my dream, too?”

It was late at night, so they could have fallen asleep without realizing it. A vivid dream seemed more plausible than a text window appearing in reality.

But Kang Joo-Han shook his head. “No. This is definitely not a dream.”

“Why not?”

“If it were a dream, you wouldn’t be at my place.”

This wasn’t a joke. Today, Kang Joo-Han wanted to be alone. He would have been either alone or with Suh Hyun-Woo if he showed up in his dreams. He couldn’t afford to even think about Goh Yoo-Joon’s existence. So, why would Goh Yoo-Joon appear in a dream that wasn’t related to current events? ṝА𐌽ǑʙƐȘ

To Kang Joo-Han, Goh Yoo-Joon being there was proof that this wasn’t a dream.

“...Hyung, did you really not want me to come that much? You are so firm about it?”

“Is this really the time to feel hurt? Let’s figure out what that thing is first.”

‘Are we seeing something real, or are we both hallucinating the same thing?’

Kang Joo-Han scanned the rough text.

[First Condition: Be Ready to Sacrifice]

-Players have been chosen. You will receive hints about the quest.

What did “be ready to sacrifice” even mean? It was obviously nonsense. Did “players” refer to him and Yoo-Joon?

Kang Joo-Han’s eyes fixed on the next sentence. “It says it will give us hints... But where are they?”

It claimed to provide a hint, but there was nothing around that seemed like a hint.

“Where are they?”

“The hints?”

“It says it will provide us with hints. But I don’t see any?”

“Oh, that.” Goh Yoo-Joon scanned the text window and reached out. “I think it’s this.”

He pointed to a magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the text window. Having spent a lot of time gaming with Suh Hyun-Woo, Goh Yoo-Joon was familiar with such quest windows. He hadn’t seen one in real life, but he was used to this type of interface.

“Usually, when you hover over a magnifying glass icon, additional information pops up. But this might be different.”

“…Just don’t touch it and stay back.”

Kang Joo-Han pushed Goh Yoo-Joon behind him and cautiously reached for the magnifying glass icon. A cheerful ding sound played, and another window appeared above the text window.

[Your compassion and regret were enough to move the creator god! The creator god has chosen you as players and granted you a second chance.

When the first condition is met, a regressor will emerge. This will allow the regressor to return to the past in another world and start a new life.

The encounter with the regressor will depend on your choices.

Choose! Will you be prepared to sacrifice for the regressor's return?

- Hint: The target is someone you feel compassion and regret for. Sacrifice is not death.

*Caution! To meet the condition, all players must agree.]

“What is…”

‘What the hell is this?’

They couldn’t understand what they were looking at.

‘It’s totally like a game quest…’

Goh Yoo-Joon looked at Kang Joo-Han. Judging by his expression and the direction of his gaze, he seemed to be seeing the same thing. If this wasn’t a dream, it was nothing short of a miracle.

“Hyung, a regressor probably means someone who gets to start over. Going back to the past or something.”

“Yeah, I get the gist. This word is based on Chinese characters.”

"Ah, Chinese characters...”

Kang Joo-Han focused more intently on the text. As soon as he saw the hint, he immediately understood that this was about Suh Hyun-Woo. The target was someone he felt compassion and regret for, which was definitely Suh Hyun-Woo. If this inexplicable text window was related to him, then he had to take it seriously.

‘It could be just a dream,’

he thought. He might have gone crazy, but if this was real, then maybe… just maybe… There was still something he could do for Suh Hyun-Woo, something more meaningful than his useless self-written songs.

Tears began to flow from Kang Joo-Han's eyes once again.

‘It’s not over yet.’

He desperately hoped this wasn’t a dream.

‘I can still save him.’

He might see Suh Hyun-Woo again. Could he really meet him once more?

“If we are ready for sacrifice, the regressor will immediately start a new life…”

“I got that part too. Hyung, but what does sacrifice mean in this context?”

“How would I know?”

There were still too many unknowns. The regressor would live a new life in another world. Even if Suh Hyun-Woo returned as the regressor, he might end up in a different world. And there was no guarantee he would continue his life from the current age. With such a simple and brief explanation, they couldn't afford to act hastily on a mere hint.

After thinking for a while, Kang Joo-Han spoke. “So, are we the only players?”

“We can’t be sure.” Goh Yoo-Joon frowned and looked back at the text window.

Be prepared for sacrifice? They both realized this was about Suh Hyun-Woo, and they were already ready to sacrifice for him.

But was this the right thing to do? Bringing back the dead Suh Hyun-Woo? Was that even possible? Even if they could bring him back without any problems, there were too many ominous phrases.

Goh Yoo-Joon knew he couldn’t act impulsively based on emotions alone. Despite his intense desire to see Suh Hyun-Woo, he had to think deeply about whether this was the right choice. But...

‘But even so, I…’

Goh Yoo-Joon grabbed Kang Joo-Han’s arm.

“Hyung, what do you think?”

“…What about you?”

“I want to see Suh Hyun-Woo. If we ignore this, he will remain just a dead man.”

Even if this was some devil’s whisper exploiting his weak heart, even if he might regret this choice… He wanted to try.

“Remain as just a dead man…” Kang Joo-Han murmured. Yeah, if they hesitated now and didn’t act out of fear of sacrifice or what might come after, Suh Hyun-Woo would stay dead.

Their curiosity about the bizarre text window’s origin was gone. Their only focus was on whether to choose sacrifice or not.

“But Yoo-Joon, we don’t know what kind of sacrifice it is. We can’t be sure this is the right choice for Hyun-Woo,” Kang Joo-Han said.

Goh Yoo-Joon shook his head. “Hyung, I can’t make a rational decision right now.”

Suh Hyun-Woo wouldn’t have wanted to die this way. No matter how hard it was, he tried to endure. He wouldn’t have wanted to die so miserably.

“I’ve made my decision.”

They had been comrades, friends for a long time. They had shared scoldings, joys, and sorrows. They fought often, but Goh Yoo-Joon, with no family and nowhere to lean on, had relied heavily on Suh Hyun-Woo. He was the only one who understood him without words. Even after they grew distant, Goh Yoo-Joon couldn't let go of Suh Hyun-Woo.

He would do anything for Suh Hyun-Woo, to ensure he wouldn’t have any more regrets. He would sacrifice for Suh Hyun-Woo.

Kang Joo-Han took a deep breath. It was like a gamble. But, like Goh Yoo-Joon, he couldn’t think rationally when it came to Suh Hyun-Woo. His death was too painful because he was like family.

“Give us more hints. Explain what happens based on our choice. We can’t decide without more information.”

Even so, he wanted to see his friend. He knew how much hesitation over Suh Hyun-Woo’s death could lead to immense regret. If Suh Hyun-Woo could live happily, even in another world… If it didn’t harm him in any way, Kang Joo-Han would gladly be prepared to sacrifice.

Another text window appeared above their current one.