DPGR 159

Despite Jiho’s dedicated care, Dojin’s condition remained unchanged. The medical team shared the opinion that Dojin might never wake up again.
But Jiho didn’t give up. He used the money he had earned from working as a Guide to nurse Dojin.

Not once did he feel that it was a waste, or that taking care of Dojin was too hard.
There were even people who came by now and then to look after him in return.

“Jiho-ya, isn’t it hard? Oh dear… You’re going through so much because of that boy….”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Fine, my foot! When I visited before, even you looked way too skinny. Are you eating well these days? Should I come over? I can cook you some meat dishes.”

“You were just here not long ago. I haven’t even finished all the side dishes you brought last time.”

“Really? Then let me know once you’re done. Got it? This time, I’ll pack even tastier things. You mustn’t skip meals. Your health comes first, understand?”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

“Good. I’ll call again soon, okay, my son?”

Jiho carefully checked his phone. The screen showed that the call had ended.

[Dojin hyung’s Mother]

Her worried nagging, so much like Dojin’s, still seemed to ring in his ears. Jiho chuckled softly and absentmindedly touched his ear.

He had grown used to being treated like a son by Dojin’s mother. At this point, he even wondered if Dojin would be jealous once he woke up and found out.

‘A jealous hyung, huh.’

The thought of Baek Dojin pouting because his mother had been “stolen” made him laugh.
At the same time, a dull ache bloomed in his chest. He wondered if that day would ever really come.

Jiho shook his head to brush off the emotions and turned his focus back to his chores.
He ran the washing machine and moved the vacuum around, clearly used to the motions by now.

***

Time passed, and another month went by.

It was now April. He had thought winter would never end, but one day the air grew warmer, and cherry blossoms began to bloom one by one.

“Today’s warm spring weather will continue. The temperature in Seoul will reach 15 degrees this afternoon with clear skies…”

At Dojin’s house, Jiho had the TV on while moving busily around the kitchen, watching YouTube videos.

Sizzle

The contents of a pot bubbled and hissed. Jiho paused the video and checked the beef and seaweed stir-frying inside before adding water.

He drizzled in some soup soy sauce for seasoning and let it simmer as he prepared a set of washed lunch containers.

“Hm hm, hmm”

Jiho seemed to be in a good mood as he hummed a tune he’d heard somewhere.
He gently packed warm white rice into the container and neatly arranged slices of rolled omelet he’d prepared earlier.

Keeping one eye on the boiling soup, he quickly tasted it.

“Hm…”

Jiho his head slightly and added a bit more salt.
He had grown quite skillful at cooking.

“All done.”

He smiled and poured the soup into a thermos, packed up the lunchbox, then checked the time, and his eyes widened in alarm.

“I’m late…!”

Saying his hyung must be waiting, Jiho hurried to grab his bag and rushed out the door.
His steps were noticeably lighter than before.

***

“Hyung! I’m so sorry I’m late. Did you wait long?”

Jiho burst into Dojin’s hospital room, flustered and full of excuses, he’d lost track of time making the lunch, the bus had taken longer than expected.

“Oh! And this!”

The item in his hand rustled softly as it announced its presence.
As if just remembering it, Jiho held it out toward Dojin.

“It’s a flowerpot. Technically not allowed, but I asked your mom, and she said you don’t have any pollen allergies. I also got the nurses’ permission before bringing it in. Pretty, isn’t it?”

Delicate lavender flowers swayed gently in a plain brown pot.
A small card was stuck into the soil with the flower’s name written on it.

[Astilbe]

“I looked all over and reserved it days in advance because I wanted to give it to you. It’s a birthday present. Happy birthday, hyung.”

Jiho smiled brightly and he tapped one of the petals with his fingertip. Then launched into an explanation about the flower.

“I actually wanted to do something really special for you… but when I looked online, every recommendation was something you already had. So I chose this. I remembered you talked about flowers before. Oh, and this isn’t just any flower. It’s your birth flower. Did you know you had a birth flower? I didn’t. I only found out recently.”

“……”

“But you know what’s amazing?”

Jiho’s cheerful chatter suddenly trailed off. For a fleeting second, darkness passed over his usually bright face.
But he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, collecting himself. Even then, it didn’t seem enough, he rubbed at his eyes with his sleeve before continuing.

“The flower’s meaning… is ‘Please come back.’ It’s your birth flower, but it also says exactly what I want to say. Isn’t that kind of amazing? Don’t you think so too, hyung?”

“……”

As expected, no reply came.
Jiho smiled weakly, his eyes red, then placed the flowerpot by the window and sniffled.

“I’m just going to the restroom for a moment.”

His steps quickened as he left.

While Jiho was in the restroom, the hospital room door opened.

“Team Leader Baek! We’re here~!”

“Huh? Guide Jiho isn’t here?”

“Maybe he stepped out to buy something?”

Through the door came the Alpha Team members, along with Kwak Jiheon and Heendungi.

Seeing Jiho’s bag and coat by the side of the room, they looked around in confusion.

“Team Leader, Team Leader! Happy birthday~! I brought a super silly-looking cushion as a gift! Look!”

“Hey, keep it down!”

“Hmph, Jihye always scolds me!”

“I swear, one of these days…”

“Hyung, noona… this is a hospital room. Go argue outside.”

The room instantly grew noisy.
As usual, Kijoon and Jihye bickered, and Yulchan tried to stop them.
Sehun, unfazed, guided Jiheon and Heendungi to the couch.

“Guide Jiho will be back soon, so let’s wait here.”

“Alright, let’s do that.”

“Mm.”

“You two, stop it and sit down. You’re kicking up dust.”

After a while, the restroom door opened. Everyone’s gaze turned to Jiho as he stepped out.
Traces of tears remained on his face, reddened eyes and nose, damp lashes tangled in clumps.
Though everyone froze for a moment, they soon pretended not to notice and greeted him as usual.

“Guide Jiho!”

“Oh, when did you all get here?”

“Not long ago. Do you have a moment?”

“Of course I do. But didn’t you come to see hyung?”

“We did, but the Center Director and Heendungi said they needed to see you too.”

Sehun added that they had run into each other earlier and came together.
Only then did Jiho notice Kwak Jiheon and greet him with a smile.

“Grandpa! Heendungi!”

“Yes, your old grandpa’s here. Come sit, let me see your face.”

“Heh, have you been well?”

“Of course. I’ve been doing well. But you, you’ve grown too thin. You’re not eating properly, are you?”

“No, I am. I’m eating fine, really….”

Jiho pouted at the familiar nagging, sounding like a child. Jiheon chuckled and comforted him.

“Alright, alright, we’ll go with that.”

“I’m serious though.”

“Sure, sure.”

“Anyway, what brings you here? I thought you were busy.”

“Ah, not me. I came because of this little rascal.”

Jiheon gestured toward Heendungi.

Originally, Heendungi had been a monster, fated to vanish from the world after the Final Dungeon.
It didn’t mean his existence would be erased, but he would be sent to another dimension to continue life as a monster.

But Heendungi had prayed to the god, offering to shatter the fox marble in exchange for becoming human.
He pleaded, again and again, to be allowed to stay, promising to even abandon the core magic stone that defined monsters.

Perhaps his prayers had reached the heavens, for the god granted his wish.

Thanks to that, Heendungi now appeared as a cute boy of about five or six, with black hair and delicate features.

“My grandson insisted he had something important to tell you.”

Jiheon looked down at Heendoong with a gentle smile on his face.

Back when Jiho had been agonizing over where Heendungi would live, Jiheon had casually scooped him up, saying he’d consider him a new grandson.

Since then, Heendungi had put on a bit of healthy weight and wore a sporty outfit that allowed him to move freely.
His face looked slightly fuller, like a child growing up loved and spoiled under his grandfather’s care.

“Heendungi, have you been doing well?”

“Mm. But I’m not Heendungi anymore. I’m Hayan.”

Heendungi pouted as he corrected him.
Kwak Hayan, the name Jiheon had given him after he became human.

“Ah, right. Kwak Hayan. I keep forgetting.”

“Call me Hayan from now on.”

Apparently, Hayan had even received some etiquette training.
He no longer bounced around or whined like he used to. Jiho looked at the calm child with a bit of surprise.

“Okay then, Hayan. But you said you had something to tell me? What is it?”

“Mm, yesterday… or maybe the day before? Hayan heard the voice of god.”

“…?”

“…!”

Hayan suddenly dropped a bombshell.

After becoming human, he was no longer considered a servant of god.
Everyone had thought his connection to the divine had been severed.

“What do you mean? You heard god’s voice?”

“God? The god we all know?”

“Whoa… I just got chills.”

Everyone was stunned by the sudden news, everyone except Jiheon, who seemed to already know.

With all eyes on him, Hayan clung to Jiheon’s sleeve, overwhelmed by the pressure, and stammered as he continued.

“U-uhm… God said… there’s exactly one way to save Baek Dojin…”

Jiho’s heart dropped like a stone.
His fingertips trembled like he’d drunk too much caffeine, and a wave of anxiety crashed over him.

Before he could say anything, the more rational Sehun spoke up.

“Is it… going back in time?”

“Mm-mm. No, it’s not that.”

God had already turned back the timeline twice.
To do so a third time, even if it meant falling into eternal sleep, would be too much to ask.

And even if it were possible, there was no guarantee that humanity would survive again as they had during the last Final Dungeon.

At that explanation, the heat rushing through Jiho’s veins instantly cooled.
A bitter despair rolled in again, swallowing his hope.

“But… um… it’s a bit complicated, but there is one way, they said.”

Hayan’s next words brought a glimmer of light back into everyone’s faces.

“W-what is it?”

Jiho forced the question out with a trembling voice.
Hayan bit his lip, hesitated, and then finally spoke with courage.

“It’s… hard for Hayan to understand… so I thought it’d be better if god explained it directly. I already asked them to come.”

“What did you say?”

Everyone looked confused.

Just then, Hayan’s body began to glow.
His eyes rolled back, and a pressure unlike anything they’d felt before surged from his small frame.

“…!”

Everyone could feel it in their bones, something else had possessed Hayan’s body.

Soon, a voice began to speak.
It was impossible to tell whether it belonged to a man or a woman, mysterious and ethereal.