The sunlight was too warm, and the coat was too hot.

“Adadda, no! It hurts, Grandpa!!”

“Noisy, you! Do you know how much I’ve swept my chest?! Huh?! You don’t answer your phone, and Ihyeon says nothing! And yet you didn’t go to school! Seeing that the gate to the Holy Temple has limited extermination, you’re clearly inside!”

“Ugh, no news is good news, right? Isn’t that right? I was scared too. Please comfort me~ Just when I was about to skip school and jump over the wall, an erosion type erupted~ Right?”

And at Min Jaeyun’s house, Min Jaewon was applying red medicine to the calluses on his fingers and bustling around.
Originally, for an Awakened, such wounds would heal quickly. However, Min Jaeyun deliberately suppressed his recovery speed to that of an ordinary person because it was certain that his grandfather would find out.

“That’s not a term used in that context! And you, an adult, stop looking at your phone! Huh?!”

“I’m looking at something important. I’m really okay, so you don’t have to apply the medicine!”

Min Jaeyun, who had been searching for articles about the school gate on his phone, narrowed his sharp gaze. All day long, he had been obsessively searching the internet and social media reactions.

He was checking whether any friends had died after being transferred to the hospital, and what level of injuries the injured had. Jaeyun’s expression became increasingly serious as he examined these details. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.

“I might not be able to escape from this school, from that moment, for my whole life.”

Even in 10 or 20 years, it seemed like he wouldn’t be able to escape from that school. It felt like he would wear the school uniform forever.

“If I weren’t a power holder,” “If I had acted more decisively,” “If I had studied magic a little more,” and regrets like these weighed heavily on his shoulders.

It was certain that if it weren’t for Rude and Kang Ihyeon, no matter how strong he claimed to be, he wouldn’t have been able to save all his friends at school.
“Hey, stop staring at your phone and study a bit. Study. You’re not an Awakened like Ihyeon, so why are you dropping out of school and messing up the college entrance exam like that? Huh? I won’t support you if you fail again.”

Contrary to the creepy thoughts that crossed Jaeyun’s mind, he playfully changed his tone in case his grandfather suspected him.

“Heh, but still, grandson, despite worrying every time you skip school, there are some good things about unauthorized absence, right?”

Here comes another bomb of nagging. Jaeyun, who let half of his grandfather’s words go in one ear and out the other, continued to search his school’s name on social media. There were both positive and intense reactions.

It felt like the characters on social media were devouring him, but he couldn’t stop. If he stayed still, the moment when his friends collapsed would haunt him again, and he felt the helplessness and regrets he had felt at that time sweeping over him.

After a long silence, his grandfather’s voice was heard.

“…Yeah.”

“Huh? Really?”

Min Jaeyun, still playfully looking at Min Jaewon after removing his phone, suddenly became puzzled. His grandfather was holding his hand and squeezing it tightly.

“It’s a relief. Really…”

“Huh, Grandpa?”

His grandfather’s shoulders were gradually trembling. After tightly holding Jaeyun’s hand with both hands, he soon uttered words that sounded like sobbing.

“Thank you, Jaeyun. Thank you for being safe. I thought, I thought I would lose you too…”
“No, Grandpa, I’m okay! Look. I can really avoid at least one of those things, right? Huh? Right?”

“You don’t know, you don’t understand. Jaeyun. People die too easily… If you were gone too, this old man couldn’t live…”

Min Jaeyun’s expression hardened gradually.

And he realized something. Just like he couldn’t escape the memories of what happened at school, his grandfather couldn’t escape the demons’ dungeon, that moment.

Numerous thoughts flooded his mind. His grandfather, Hunter Min Jaewon, was soon to be his future.

Ironically, his grandfather could only have lived in a place where he lost his son and daughter-in-law. So, Min Jaeyun, too, could only live in a school where he almost lost his friends.

Ding-dong, and a notification appeared on Min Jaeyun’s phone.

Min Jaeyun, who quickly skimmed through the message, turned off the phone screen.

In his mind, the time when Ihyeon’s brother’s awakening and Rude’s mental strength were realized still lingered. What would have happened if they hadn’t saved him back then?

When Jaeyun was at the scene, at least Ihyeon’s brother and Rude were there. He could have received their help. But his grandfather, who didn’t even have such people, couldn’t?
How long could Grandpa stay alone in that dungeon without someone to rescue him?

“…Grandpa. I’m okay. Really.”

Min Jaeyun held the sobbing hand of Min Jaewon. Min Jaeyun now understood his grandfather’s emotions. It was fear.

The fear that such an incident might happen again. The trauma that even a slight sign of it might overwhelm him with that event once again.

Min Jaeyun wondered if he could now share his grandfather’s fear. Because he was the King of Demons. He could bury the demons still tormenting his grandfather in a pit and inscribe their names in the spellbook.

“Don’t cry. It’s okay now.”

When Min Jaewon sobbed, Min Jaeyun, who patted his shoulder, spoke seriously. He would graduate from high school soon. It was time to decide on a career and stand tall as an adult.

Now, Jaeyun was not a high school student needing protection but an adult who should know how to protect someone. And he must.

Otherwise, as Rude said, he would undoubtedly regret someday for not being able to do what he could have done. Because the people he couldn’t save would linger in his mind as adults.

Having considered all this, Min Jaeyun closed his eyes tightly. And, gently patting Min Jaewon’s back, he spoke quietly.

“…Grandpa. I have something to confess. Can you listen?”