Objectively speaking, he was my benefactor. A benefactor who saved my life twice. Not only did he save me, but he also paid my hospital bills. Yet I grabbed him by the collar and shouted. Demanding an explanation, yelling loudly.

It was like an ant showing off in front of an elephant. My voice trembled.

“… Please tell me properly.”

But I wanted to know the truth.

“Everything you’re hiding.”

“I haven’t really kept anything secret from you.”

“… This isn’t the time for wordplay.”

“…”

Having already spoken informally, this isn’t even funny anymore. I let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded.

If you don’t say it clearly with your own mouth, I will leave here. I will leave and go away. Anywhere, I will never come back to this place again.

How could a mere non-awakened like me avoid the Rank 1, but I will do my best to avoid it.

“… Alright.”

Whether he knew my feelings or not, Shin Woo finally spoke out loud.

“This is what you wanted to hear, Shin Ah.”

His voice had a hint of laughter in it.

“That I’m your elder brother, … and I’m sorry I didn’t come find you until now.”

His voice was filled with both joy and regret at the same time.

“…”

I asked for certainty and got an answer. But still, nothing was clear.

I felt deflated. All the strength left my body. To think that the unbelievable was true. Really, that I was Shin Woo’s younger sister.

So that’s why he was especially kind to me.

I felt ridiculous, felt like laughing, and at the same time felt like I couldn’t think at all.

I thought I would feel more overwhelmed when I met my family, but I felt nothing. No, it was too complicated to feel anything.

The feeling I’m experiencing now cannot be expressed in a single word.

That’s why the words coming out of my mouth were a mess.

“… Our elder brother was never this handsome, you know.”

I don’t even know what I’m saying right now. I heard someone go “pfft” with laughter somewhere. Shin Woo’s expression became subtle.

Ah, come to think of it, our elder brother really was never that handsome. Then is he not my elder brother?

My thoughts were in complete disarray, as if overloaded.

“… You know that awakened ones’ appearances change to some extent, right?”

Shin Woo said with a sigh. I stepped back five paces and looked him over carefully.

Height over 190cm and superior proportions. A face that shines even with unkempt hair, blue eyes filled with melancholy.

Somewhere in that appearance was the image of the elder brother I knew. Overlapping like a blurry afterimage, the image of my elder brother from childhood that I can no longer remember clearly.

Yes, my elder brother had a skinny frame where you could see his bones. And did he wear thick horn-rimmed glasses?

There were some overlapping features and some that weren’t. As I began to recall the appearance of family members I couldn’t remember, I let out a hollow laugh.

I knew. Shin Woo’s blue eyes, Baek I Hyun’s white hair, were all appearances changed by awakening adjustments. Still, I thought that since the basic features remain to some extent, I would be able to recognize my family even if they became awakened.

How foolish. I couldn’t recognize him even when he was right in front of me.

“… Why.”

Emotions that should have calmed down started to stir again. It was difficult to speak because of the sudden surge of feelings.

“You knew, but…”

“…”

“Why didn’t you… come find me sooner?”

Shin Woo remained silent at my question. His shadowed face looked particularly cold. Even though I was already crying, I had to keep swallowing the tears that kept welling up.

“… You knew I was your younger sister.”

“That’s a rather distant way of addressing me.”

Ha. Haha. His nonchalant response caught the words in my throat.

You knew, didn’t you, that I was your younger sister. Then why? Why didn’t you come find me? I never had a family since returning. I had to live alone in this world.

Shin Woo took a step closer. I stepped back just as much.

“… Since when did you know?”

My pronunciation was slurred. Shin Woo paused briefly before answering.

“From the beginning.”

“The beginning… From when I came to Cheonrang? Or, or…”

“From the day you returned.”

“…”

My head was spinning. I wanted to dash out of this place right away.

Nevertheless, there was still an answer I needed to hear.

“… Why, why didn’t you come find me.”

“…”

“At least, you could have… let me know. That I had at least one family member left, that I had someone to rely on. … No matter how bothersome I was, you could have at least… told me that much…”

It was an old emotion. My mouth that was spouting words recklessly couldn’t be stopped even if I wanted to.

But this is the person who saved me multiple times. Even if we were family, we had been separated for 7 years and lived as strangers for 9 years. There was no law saying Shin Woo had to take care of me.

I should say something else. This isn’t right. I should say I missed him. That I’m really glad I have family, that’s what I should say.

Shin Woo’s feet, visible on the floor, moved slowly. He stopped right in front of me.

His low voice settled down.

“… It was to protect you.”

“To protect me?”

Unable to face him, I kept looking at the floor. I stepped back while still looking down.

“If it became known that you were my younger sister, it could have put you in danger.”

“Then it’s not dangerous now?”

“…”

There’s no way it isn’t. Didn’t I just nearly die? If that’s the case, he should have pretended not to know until the end.

All I wanted was just one person on my side who I could rely on. That’s all, that’s all I wanted.

“… Shin Ah.”

Just as Shin Woo was about to speak again.

“Hey. I get that it’s a touching family reunion, but could you pay some attention to this side? Are you just going to leave me standing here after calling me, Jeokcheon?”

Someone cut in.

Cali raised her hand and waved it around.

Silence fell in an instant. The air felt cold, or was it just my imagination? No, it really was a bit chilly.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Shin Woo wearing his usual icy expression.

“And from what I hear, it seems you’ve been too harsh on your younger sister. If you act like that, you… Ack! What are you doing!”

“I should have finished you off…”

Shin Woo approached Cali with a wistful voice and firmly grabbed her face with his palm.

And then it crackled. With a sizzling sound.

“No, this is rather good. Since you’re sturdy, you won’t die from a little venting of anger.”

“Ugh, hey! Hey! Are you really insane!”

Sizzle! Cali, who barely avoided the second searing, shouted. Her bright red face looked ridiculous.

“Do you understand your mistake, Gunshin?”

“Ha, I admit I made a mistake, but…!”

Bang. Crack, whoosh, hiss. All sorts of noises that shouldn’t occur in an office arose.

“I heard you even strangled her.”

“Huh? Did I? No, wait! Hey, bringing out weapons is cheating, eek! Are you really trying to kill me!”

It seemed Cali was being overwhelmed one-sidedly. Dan tried to intervene but was knocked out cold after taking a hit.

“Gunshin, you have crossed the line. Therefore, you have two choices.”

Shin Woo, wielding a bayonet, was thrashing about like a fish in water.

“One, you die here and now.”

“You think I’ll die quietly!”

“Two, you get beaten to the brink of death here and now.”

“You crazy bastard!”

The surrounding objects were being destroyed. I carefully approached Dan and dragged his body to a corner.

Sparks and flashes swept by in succession. Flames seemed to rise but repeatedly failed to gain strength and went out.

Although I still have many questions, I probably can’t ask properly in this state. I left that room, leaving that scene behind.

I needed time to calmly organize my thoughts. And I also felt the need to sort out the facts I had just heard.

Am I really Shin Woo’s younger sister? Is it certain? If I wasn’t, there’s a possibility he might say, ‘You deceived me. Die.’ But if I really am his younger sister, what will happen to me from now on? Why didn’t he tell me the truth earlier?

All sorts of thoughts swirled around. Because of this, I didn’t even realize I was about to bump into the person in front of me.

“Hmm?”

“Ah, I’m sorry…”

I was about to apologize and go on my way. That is, until that person called out to me.

“Hmm. This floor is only accessible to those designated as executives, so how did you get in?”

It was a familiar voice. What? Just as I was about to answer, my body was shoved. Bang, as I hit the wall, a dagger lightly pricked my neck.

“Uh, um. Excuse me…”

Why am I in this situation again? Min Yu Shin’s smiling face looked eerie.

“Ah, are you perhaps a spy from another guild? I thought our Ha Young was someone who came in targeting Cheonrang.”

Min Yu Shin, who spoke as if singing, withdrew the dagger aimed at my neck. My legs gave out.

Swish. My back slid down the wall. He extended his hand to me.

“Looks like you were quite startled. Ah, given the circumstances, it couldn’t be helped… More importantly, how did you come here?”

The eyes asking that were cold. How can the eyes be so cold when the mouth is smiling? Cold sweat ran down my back from the murderous intent that hadn’t subsided. I spoke haltingly.

“I just… came…”

“Just?”

“…”

Truthfully, I don’t know. I was so out of it when I came up here that I don’t even remember how I got here.

Min Yu Shin made a subtle expression. Making a ‘hmm’ sound and tilting his head, he frowned.

Bang.

Something was thrown through the door. It was the unconscious Cali. And then something burst out. Shin Woo, with ‘I’m f**king pissed’ written all over his face, walked in with heavy steps and.

“Oh, Guild Master. I have news to report right now…”

Thwack.

He drove his fist into Min Yu Shin’s face.

“Why again!”

At least he wasn’t being electrocuted. I carefully distanced myself from them.

“Do you want to die?”

“No, at least give me a reason why you’re suddenly… Ah, ah, ouch! It hurts! It hurts, I said! Oh my, neighbors! The Guild Master is assaulting a guild member!”

The merciless beating continued. With each blow, I could feel the wind, or was it my imagination? I watched the scene blankly for a moment.

Watching this situation, there was one thing that rose to my throat.

“Stop, please stop!”

“…”

The moment I shouted, Shin Woo stopped. Min Yu Shin, who remarkably didn’t get a nosebleed despite being hit so much, put on his fallen glasses and looked this way.