Chapter 421: Reunion (1)

With the message announcing the start of the synchronization, Kang Joo-Han, Goh Yoo-Joon, and Lee Jin-Sung felt as if their souls were separating from their bodies. When they regained consciousness, they found themselves in a timeline where Suh Hyun-Woo was alive, but some of their memories were missing.

They couldn't understand why their memories of the creator god and the text window had suddenly disappeared. Now that they remembered, they could only wonder, "Is this also part of the scenario?"

But seeing Suh Hyun-Woo alive and well made them question if those lost memories even mattered.

"Lee Jin-Sung, start from the beginning. Let’s all talk to him together. That creator guy isn't trustworthy," Kang Joo-Han suggested.

Kang Joo-Han and Goh Yoo-Joon stood there, watching Suh Hyun-Woo engage in deep conversation with Lee Jin-Sung.

What could they call this emotion? An indescribable relief? A heart-wrenchingly overwhelming desire to cry? The nostalgia of meeting a long-lost friend? Watching Suh Hyun-Woo filled them with strange emotions that were hard to articulate in words.

Among the whirlwind of feelings, the one clear emotion they could pinpoint was relief.

"Hyung, Suh Hyun-Woo is really alive."

"Yes, truly..."

Their decision had indeed revived Suh Hyun-Woo in another timeline. Suh Hyun-Woo was truly overcoming the trials imposed by the creator god here.

‘Our sacrifices were meaningful.'

The texts from the creator god had been real. The faith they had maintained that Suh Hyun-Woo was alive was genuine.

They were so overwhelmed that they could barely speak. They just kept looking at Suh Hyun-Woo. He looked different, like an unscathed eighteen-year-old, not quite the Suh Hyun-Woo they knew. However, the essence of him was unmistakably the same as revealed through his conversation with Lee Jin-Sung.

How long did they watch him? Goh Yoo-Joon glanced at Kang Joo-Han and moved.

"How long are we going to just stand here? They’re having an argument right now, hyung."

The argument was just a pretext to approach Suh Hyun-Woo, but Kang Joo-Han readily followed Goh Yoo-Joon.

They knew this meeting was crafted within the scenario based on their choices. There might not be much time if their next steps were to truly bring Suh Hyun-Woo back to life completely. But perhaps a brief pause was okay?

For now, they wanted to throw away the scenario, conditions, and choices, and simply savor this emotionally overwhelming reunion.

"Suh Hyun-Woo."

"Hyun-Woo."

Their voices were calm yet resonant as they called out to him. Suh Hyun-Woo paused his conversation with Lee Jin-Sung, then turned toward them.

"..."

After a moment of silence, Suh Hyun-Woo's brow furrowed deeply. "What exactly is going on...?"

He realized that something fundamental about Kang Joo-Han and Goh Yoo-Joon had changed. His expression was one of utter confusion.

***

Nothing made sense. Absolutely nothing.

‘What's going on? First Jin-Sung, and now Joo-Han and Goh Yoo-Joon too?’

It was so confusing that it was making me dizzy.

"Wait, just a minute, maybe..." The Elated members were still alive, just like me. They weren’t supposed to be in a plane crash, nor was there anything to achieve by returning to my timeline. I hadn't prayed to return to the past before dying, so why? Since when had returning to the past become so easy?

I held out my palm to stop the approaching Elated members and asked, "Is there something I don't know?"

Why were Elated here specifically? Was this part of the creator god's scheme to torment me by bringing back people from my past? What about the original Chronos members? What happened to those who had struggled together with me until now?

So many questions kept coming up, and they refused to fade away. My head was too cluttered. It felt like there was constant noise inside my brain.

A hand landed heavily and somewhat painfully on my shoulder. "There's something you don't know. We will tell you all about it now."

Joo-Han's voice was very calm, as if to soothe me. His gaze seemed to say he knew exactly what was going on and was ready to explain everything I didn't know.

"You see, Yoo-Joon and I just suddenly came to this timeline, and it's quite confusing," he said.

"Joo-Han hyung..."

"Let's find somewhere to sit down and talk calmly. We need to understand what happened to you and what happened to us." Joo-Han looked around. "Is Yoon-Chan here?"

"Why? Does Yoon-Chan need to be here too...? Is Yoon-Chan also—"

Before I could even ask, Joo-Han shook his head. "No, he’s not. I am asking because it'd be easier to talk without him here. Where is he now?" His tone was very careful and considerate, like coaxing a wary child.

Yes, I had gotten used to Chronos' Joo-Han for a while and had forgotten how he used to be. After the accident, Joo-Han had always been almost painfully considerate. I felt that his changed demeanor was quite noticeable and honestly a bit uncomfortable. The man before me looked exactly like the Joo-Han of Chronos I saw just moments ago. However, his gaze and expression felt so different, eerily unfamiliar.

I avoided Joo-Han's eyes and said, "Yoon-Chan is not here. He has a schedule to attend."

"Shall we go to the living room then? Where's the living room?"

The Elated members were definitely people I had spent a long time with, but now it felt like I was surrounded by strangers. For some reason, I even felt a slight annoyance.

I led the members to the living room. Joo-Han and Goh Yoo-Joon looked around the living room and sat near a low table.

"Haah..." They looked at my face and let out a big sigh. Their expressions were as weary as mine. What on earth was going on? What happened? Could my regression and their arrival in this timeline be related?

After chewing on his lip for a while and choosing his words, Joo-Han finally relaxed his shoulders and said, "Well, you would believe me without me having to choose my words too carefully."

"Huh?"

"Because the mere fact that you are alive here is a miracle."

"..."

"You will believe the miraculous things I am about to tell you, right?"

After reuniting with the Elated members, excluding Yoon-Chan, it didn’t seem like anything was real anymore. Therefore, what wouldn't I believe?

I nodded. As if he had been waiting for it, Joo-Han began to pour out everything that had happened to them until now.

***

The news that the three had been prepared to sacrifice themselves for me was incredibly shocking. I thought reuniting with the Eated here was the most surprising thing that could happen, but there was indeed something more astonishing.

They had felt guilty about my death, and because of that, they had intensely wished for me to come back to life or to change anything in the past by returning. They were the ones who had prepared for unimaginable sacrifices to regress me and had been receiving information about me in text form over the years.

None of it made sense to me. Why would they feel guilty about my death? Why would they be prepared to sacrifice so much to bring me back? Moreover, they had come to this timeline to end the scenario and fully revive me. Why?

I was flooded with questions. I had grown quite distant from the Elated members before my death, and our relationship had gotten awkward. So, why?

However, a memory suddenly surfaced amid the confusion.

‘Choose.’

Previously, I had suddenly been sent back to the past before my regression by the creator god. I recalled seeing Goh Yoo-Joon and my parents then. As I watched them disappear due to my choices, I wondered if perhaps I had been the only one distancing myself, while they still held me dear.

"Anyway, this is our situation now. It's a bit of an abrupt reunion, but after seeing your face, I’m relieved it wasn't a vain sacrifice," Joo-Han said with a light smile while I was lost in my thoughts.

The expressions on the members' faces varied. Joo-Han had become much calmer, but still showed a considerate smile. Goh Yoo-Joon's emotions seemed just as complex as mine, and Jin-Sung now appeared quite well-adjusted, his expression a mix of relief and happiness.

"What's all this about?" I murmured.

"It's simple. We missed you, and this is the result of our efforts," Goh Yoo-Joon said, his tone light yet noticeably more mature than the Goh Yoo-Joon of Chronos.

They all smiled more easily, so why couldn't I? Was it because of my concerns about the Chronos members? Was it because I felt guilty about the sacrifices they had made for me? As I hesitated to respond, Joo-Han spoke again.

"Could you tell us about you?"

"Uh, what?"

"How have you been?" Joo-Han asked.

I was at a loss for words. I had been doing very well, unknowingly enjoying the opportunity created by others' sacrifices. Where should I start?

After hesitating for a long while, I finally began to speak. I decided to tell my story from the beginning to the end by sharing things I had never been able to tell the Chronos members.