FLIA 103

***

The next day, after a good night’s sleep, Yohan sat up with a slightly puffy face and thought to himself,

‘Wow, that was really amazing.’

He’d always thought his sex drive was about average for someone in their twenties, but last night had pushed him to his limits, and maybe even past them. Whether it was the near-celibate year he’d endured, the fact that it was his first proper night spent with a lover, or both, one thing was certain: it had felt incredibly, unbelievably, overwhelmingly good.

Feeling a bit suffocated, he turned his head slightly, and found Lee Hyunmook sound asleep, tightly hugging him under the blankets. It had been a long time since he’d seen him sleep like that.

Ever since escaping the Abyss, Yohan knew the corruption in Hyunmook and the rest of the team had stopped progressing. At the same time, he also knew those lingering traces of corruption had left deep, permanent scars. He quietly let out a gentle glow flow through them. He watched as Lee Hyunmook’s expression became more relaxed, Yohan stayed sprawled out on the soft, clean bed.

In the middle of purifying him, Yohan must have dozed off again. He only woke when a delicious smell drifted in. He was alone in bed, still wrapped tightly in the blanket. His stomach growled loud enough to be embarrassing, so he wriggled free and slowly made his way to the kitchen.

“You’re up? Are you hungry?”

Lee Hyunmook was busily cooking something. The smell of savory Korean food filled the air, and Yohan sat quietly at the table, waiting. Soon, a bubbling pot of doenjang stew was set down along with fresh kimchi, roasted seaweed, fried eggs, stir-fried squid, and crispy anchovies. A steaming bowl of rice was added last, and just the sight made Yohan’s mouth water.

“You made all this by yourself?”

“Honestly, I’m not that good at cooking… Seungryong brought most of it over. I just did the eggs. It’s a little embarrassing.”

Lee Hyunmook scratched his head with a sheepish smile. Yohan suddenly remembered that Lee Hyunmook’s cooking skills were about on par with his own. But the gesture touched him, so he dipped a bite of egg in ketchup and followed it with a spoonful of fluffy rice. After chewing and swallowing, Yohan praised him.

“It’s really delicious!”

“Yeah, I’m glad to hear the eggs tasted good.”

In fact, the food Yoon Seungryong had made looked better. But saying something nice to his lover was the least he could do.

After a delicious breakfast, they had coffee on the terrace. The clear blue sky and blazing sun never got old. Even the strong wind from being on such a high floor felt refreshing. Sure, the air carried a bit of smog, but it was nothing compared to the stench of the Abyss.

They waved down at the Special Unit officers staring up from the entrance.

The two of them spent a long time just watching the sun. Later, they had lunch in the living room while watching a movie. The salty popcorn and fizzy cola were a perfect match. For dinner, they ordered way too much food and stuffed themselves with the others. Late at night, Yohan and Hyunmook lazed around in bed again.

After spending several indulgent days like that, Yohan woke up one morning and immediately checked his phone.

Lee Hyunmook hugged him from behind and kissed his ear and cheek. Yohan stared at a family photo on his screen and murmured,

“I can finally go see my family.”

He ran his fingers over their faces in the photo and whispered again, his nose already stinging. He sniffled softly. Today was the final day of the government-issued embargo. Which meant he could go see them. For once, the tears didn’t last. They were soon replaced by a burning hatred and desire for revenge. Yohan locked his phone and said in a determined voice,

“And Park Seungmin, too.”

***

Since the day their son, Yang Yohan, went missing in a rift, Kim Yejoo and Yang Hwapyeong hadn’t had a single proper night’s sleep.

Their second child had always been a source of worry. Compared to his older brother, he was slower at everything, needed more help, and never quite met expectations. He was sickly as a child, overly gentle, and soft-hearted.

In a world as harsh as this one, they constantly worried he’d get taken advantage of, that he wouldn’t be able to make a decent living. When the company offered to take him in, he even talked back, saying he didn’t want to live in his brother’s shadow. The rifts had only made survival more harder. When they scolded him for being ungrateful, he stormed out.

He didn’t come home for days and wouldn’t answer calls. They were left in helpless silence. Just when they were prepared to beat this immature brat until he cried, his old high school friend, Park Seungmin, came to them in tears, looking like a mess. Then a sinister premonition dawned on the two, their faces already pale.

‘Hic… Ma’am, sir, What should I do…? Y-Yohan said he was going to awaken, so he asked for an awakening party…’

“What? Awakening? Awakening Party?”

“We… we got separated, and… and he went missing…!”

It was a shocking story. The words that followed left them numb. Their younger son had emptied his savings to hire mercenaries and head into a rift, saying he wanted to awaken like his brother.

He’d gone into a pharmacy alone to find medical supplies and ended up separated when monsters attacked.

“Y-Yohan… our Yohan… went missing in a rift…”

Yang Hwapyeong couldn’t even finish his sentence before collapsing. Kim Yejoo screamed. He came to after a while, but both were in a state of panic and confusion. Park Seungmin tried to calm them down, saying:

“If you could spare some money, I’ll ask the people I know to start a search. The sooner we start, the better chance we have. You understand, right? We have to start searching now!”

Yang Hwapyeong didn’t hesitate. He ran out and withdrew cash on the spot, handing it over to Park Seungmin. However a week passed, then two, and there was still no news of Yohan. Park Seungmin had asked for more money in the meantime, bringing the total to five hundred million won. They’d also hired other people on their own to form a separate search party. It was a huge expense, but they didn’t care. If they could just get their son back, it was worth anything.

They regretted scolding him that day and wished they’d tried to talk gently instead. They regretted it dozens, hundreds of times until they couldn’t focus on their work . They held onto the faint hope that he might be alive somewhere in that rift, but when an expert said he was probably dead, they trashed, beating their chest. It felt like their hearts were being ripped out. To make matters worse, more terrible things piled on. Eventually, they both ended up bedridden.

In that state, barely holding it together, they didn’t even register the news about Lee Hyunmook returning from the Abyss.

All they could think about was how wonderful it would be if their Yohan came back too. Even if his body was broken. Just alive, that was enough. That was all they asked.

They weren’t eating. They couldn’t. People missing in a rift weren’t always found dead, but survival rates dropped with time.

Four weeks later, when a mercenary involved in the search suggested they accept reality, they had no choice but to face it with tear-stained faces and hopeless sighs.

And then the call came.

–Is this Ms. Kim Yejoo?

“Yes, this is she. May I ask who’s calling…?”

–This is Hyunsan Hospital. We currently have a patient, Yang Yohan, admitted here. You and Mr. Yang Hwapyeong, are you the guardians?

Kim Yejoo had answered in a daze, drained and listless. Then her eyes flew wide open. Her hair stood on end, and strength surged through her limbs.

With a hoarse voice, she cried out,

“Y-Yohan? Did you say Yang Yohan?! Our Yohan’s there?! Is he, is he alive? How badly is he hurt?”

Yang Hwapyeong, who had been lying in bed, not even going to work, immediately sat upright. He rushed to his wife’s side and gasped for breath.

“Yohan? What’s going on?”

“Dear, Yohan’s alive! He’s in the hospital…!”

After that, they couldn’t remember much. They hurriedly threw on whatever coats they could grab and got into the car headed to Hyunsan Hospital. It wasn’t until they reached their son’s hospital room that they finally took a breath.

With trembling hands, they opened the door and saw their son standing by the window, basking in the sunlight. And for some reason, there was a pale, almost holy light shimmering around him. Sensing a presence, Yohan turned around and upon seeing his son’s face, Yang Hwapyeong collapsed in relief.