TTOA Chapter 124
by Volare#124
Kwon Jae-jin, clad in combat fatigues and a harness, picked up a rifle from the shelf. He skillfully loaded it without hesitation, then glanced sideways.
A spare pair of goggles displayed, but powered off, caught his eye.
He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Seo Eui-woo urged him on from beside him.
“Jae-jin, let’s go now. We’re teleporting. Take my hand.”
“Ah, yes. I’m coming.”
He didn’t know what he was thinking.
Kwon Jae-jin snatched the goggles from the shelf.
He’d never even worn them before.
All he had were the dreams.
But…
They bothered him to an uncanny degree.
A faint suspicion began to creep in.
Was it merely a coincidence that he was having recurring dreams of Seo Eui-woo from the 24-year-old, first timeline? Was it just a manifestation of his subconscious?
…Perhaps from the very beginning, he had been leading Kwon Jae-jin somewhere.
A shiver ran down his spine, and a ringing sound echoed from afar.
Kwon Jae-jin had resolved to live a new, proper life with the second timeline Seo Eui-woo. He was certain that the second act of his life had begun with the second timeline Seo Eui-woo. But, for some reason, he felt as if the first timeline Seo Eui-woo was still watching him from the black shadows beyond the unlit stage.
Even now. Still.
*
Even the weather felt like an ominous sign.
Dark storm clouds filled the sky. It looked as if a torrential downpour would begin any minute.
Without even a moment to indulge in such sentiments, they completed their teleportation above the Center’s central building. The light particles faded, and the bleak scene below immediately came into view.
The outer airfield with its blast doors open. Countless Espers, fully armed, were gathering and forming ranks among the endless rows of transport aircraft. This wasn’t a small group like the search party that had been temporarily formed to capture Kwon Jae-jin.
The Center’s formal main force, the Special Task Force division, was assembling.
The moment he saw the massive number of people preparing to deploy, a sharp sense of crisis pierced his mind.
This emergency call-up was no mere formality.
This was a real situation, a reality where combat would actually take place.
Now, at this very moment, the creatures were swarming.
Just like he’d seen in his dreams. An endless legion of monstrous creatures would crash down like a tidal wave.
Kwon Jae-jin tightened his grip on the rifle. He couldn’t say that he was perfectly prepared for the Creature Wave or ready to jump into the war, but at least he was equipped to fight the creatures.
Consistent shooting practice,
A willingness to fight,
And the hard-won temporary truce with the Center.
Kwon Jae-jin was now ready to go to the battlefield.
Instead of waiting helplessly at home, hoping for Seo Eui-woo’s safe return, he could stand by his side and fire a gun.
Towards the source of all that had plunged Kwon Jae-jin into this cruel and brutal world, towards the swarming black monsters…
One by one, the transport aircraft began to rise into the sky. Watching the Special Task Force members departing first, Kwon Jae-jin asked,
“Where are they going? Are they deploying to the 2nd Frontier District?”
“Yes. I suppose so.”
“Then Seo Eui-woo, does that mean you have to go too?”
“….”
There was no answer from Seo Eui-woo. Turning to his side, Kwon Jae-jin saw that Seo Eui-woo was staring at him with dark, heavy eyes.
Kwon Jae-jin immediately recognized the conflict within those gray eyes.
“I’m going too.”
“Jae-jin.”
He had unhesitatingly accompanied Kwon Jae-jin to confirm the summons, but he was worried about taking him to the battlefield.
“I won’t get in the way. You said it’s safer if we go together. Don’t leave me behind.”
Jae-jin pleaded with a resolute and firm tone. His voice was solid.
Already, raindrops began to fall one by one from the darkening sky. The rumbling sounds even suggested a thunderstorm.
Seo Eui-woo quietly held his palm over Kwon Jae-jin’s head, shielding him from the rain.
“…Are you really going to be okay? You’re going to see some terrible things.”
“I’m okay. I’m prepared.”
“I’m not talking about the creatures. You might see people die right before your eyes. Not just one or two, but countless numbers.”
“….”
“This is a real battle, a large-scale one at that. It’s going to leave you with some kind of aftereffect, Jae-jin. It’s going to eat away at your soul. Are you still going to be okay with that?”
Seo Eui-woo sighed and pleaded. Raindrops trickled down his youthful, beautiful face.
“I know you’re a steadfast person, Jae-jin. I know you’re the type of person who doesn’t waver easily and doesn’t give up or get discouraged easily. But you’re… Jae-jin.”
“…Are you trying to say I’m fragile?”
“No, you’re just… righteous.”
The true feelings conveyed through their locked gazes were clear. Seo Eui-woo had always been blindly obsessive, but that was why he understood Kwon Jae-jin so well.
“You’re not the type to just ignore people dying unfairly, Jae-jin. You don’t seem to value your own life, but you always take care of others, you always do.”
“….”
“You even negotiated with the military, who sent out a search party after you, and you volunteered to Guide those Esper bastards. You’re always thinking of others…”
“Even so.”
Kwon Jae-jin murmured quietly.
“I can’t just stand by and do nothing this time either.”
Perhaps Seo Eui-woo’s concerns were valid. Going to the front lines might inflict a significant shock on Kwon Jae-jin. But this was the weight of life that every Esper had to bear.
Seo Eui-woo had lived his entire life fighting creatures.
So had all the Espers down there.
“Honestly, I’ve never once thought of myself as righteous in my life. Rather, this is closer to a personal grudge.”
“A grudge…”
“I lived for four years, worn down and resigned to an unchangeable reality, accustomed to injustice. I lived every day losing without even fighting back. So, now I’m taking revenge.”
Creatures were terrifying beings, and the Creature Wave was an even more horrific disaster.
But he didn’t want to run away from it at all. On the contrary, he wanted to face it as soon as possible.
For a long time now, Kwon Jae-jin had been itching to do something.
“Whether it’s by reforming the military, Guiding, or killing creatures, I’m moving because I’m sure this life will be better than the last. Because I want tomorrow to be better than today. Because I want to live better with you. That’s why I’m taking this step.”
The rain was getting heavier. It was beyond what Seo Eui-woo could shield with his palm. He understood his desire to protect Kwon Jae-jin, but now they had no choice but to get rained on together.
Seo Eui-woo slowly blinked his eyes. Then, he opened his arms wide and hugged Kwon Jae-jin tightly, as if to trap him in his embrace.
“…Yeah, that’s right. We decided to turn everything upside down together.”
“I know… I know all that, but I’m just being…”
“Eui-woo…”
“I don’t know either. I’ve been having these vague impulses since a while ago, and I’m a little confused.”
Seo Eui-woo still harbored contradictory affections.
He wanted to cherish Kwon Jae-jin, but he also needed to break his will, even if it meant hurting him.
He was drawn to Kwon Jae-jin’s righteous and upright nature, but at the same time, he wanted him to ignore everyone else and only look at him.
He wanted to fulfill Kwon Jae-jin’s every wish, but deep down, a hidden selfishness was unconsciously screaming to keep him trapped.
When Kwon Jae-jin was quietly confined within Seo Eui-woo’s home, there was no need for such anguish.
Kwon Jae-jin was always within the range of Seo Eui-woo’s ability, and except for the one incident, he had never left the confines.
Thanks to that, Seo Eui-woo was able to naturally monopolize Kwon Jae-jin without any effort. That was the norm.
But Kwon Jae-jin had gradually come out into the world, and Seo Eui-woo’s obsession had no choice but to intensify. Because monopolizing Kwon Jae-jin would become increasingly difficult. A sinister desire to confine him was unconsciously growing stronger.
“Confused? About what?”
“…That’s…”
Seo Eui-woo furrowed his brow with his eyes lowered. His pupils shone white and clear.
“I’ll tell you later.”
No, it was just needless worry.
After stopping the Creature Wave, he could get rid of this worry by overthrowing and ending the troublesome military.
The impulse to keep Kwon Jae-jin trapped was probably because the current situation was unstable, and once everything was settled, they could go back to living in their own world, looking only at each other and dating.
When that time came, he would stay by Kwon Jae-jin’s side all day long, eating, sleeping, dating, nibbling, and sucking. He would do all the dirty things Kwon Jae-jin hated, go outside, tickle him, and celebrate anniversaries. He would ram into him, cum inside him, soothe him, and act cute. He would stick to Kwon Jae-jin day and night, just the two of them.
He would brush his teeth, touch his wisdom teeth, kiss his tiny moles, lie on his lap, and beg him to stroke his hair… Seo Eui-woo loved the touch when Kwon Jae-jin occasionally brushed his hair, parting it this way and that.
“Let’s go, together.”
Yes… there was no need to think of anything else.
Simply, they would annihilate the creatures and return.
Thunder rumbled in the distance. The moment lightning flashed, the world flickered black and white as if a flashbulb had gone off.
In that fleeting monochrome, Seo Eui-woo smiled faintly. The long eyes that curved gracefully looked inhumanly beautiful.