It turned out Ryu Sunghyun had only gone downstairs to fetch dinner for me. I ended up having scorched rice soup for dinner—the one I'd missed earlier while sleeping—and took another round of cold medicine.
"They say the medicine's pretty strong. Let me know if your stomach feels off."
"I will."
I answered politely, but even if my stomach did hurt, I had no intention of whining about it. Spending the whole day sick with a cold had already been enough of a burden.
Thankfully, my sturdy digestive system managed the medicine well. But maybe because it really was strong, even after sleeping so much, the moment I took it I felt drowsiness hit me like a truck.
'Honestly, this is better.'
Given my condition, there was no way I could go outside in the blizzard, so sleeping was the smarter choice. Just three hours after waking up, I got back into bed and welcomed the wave of sleep with open arms.
And after a full night's rest, my condition was significantly better.
Only a slight fever remained, and my voice was back to normal. My throat was still uncomfortable, but that was something I'd have to look into now.
"You've recovered faster than I expected."
Ryu Sunghyun seemed surprised as I climbed out of bed.
"I'm pretty sturdy, you know."
"Hm."
He gave me a faint smile as if humoring me. Clearly, he didn't fully believe it.
Damn it. I'd definitely lost my dependable-support image. At this point, I was honestly curious just how far below ground Ryu Sunghyun's opinion of me had sunk.
I swallowed my gloomy thoughts and spoke up.
"Let's get washed up and go down. We should have breakfast."
Today marked the third day since we arrived on this mountain. We'd only gotten permission from Song Jiwoon to stay at the house yesterday.
I lost an entire day to the cold, so including today, we only had two days left.
'We came up here Monday, so today's Wednesday. If we go by what the Guildmaster said, we'll need to leave the house Friday morning.'
That meant I only had today and tomorrow to pitch the scouting offer to Song Jiwoon. Come Friday morning, we'd be too busy getting kicked out to have a proper conversation.
"I'll try to ease his guard during breakfast by expressing my thanks."
Ryu Sunghyun, catching my drift, nodded in agreement.
Even if we had only two days left, approaching too ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) hastily could get us rejected outright. I thought back to the Song Jiwoon from before the regression.
'He's different now, but I doubt his core personality has changed.'
He'd always been cautious, and once he disliked someone, that was the end of it. No turning back.
Considering what happened to the people who approached him just for his graceful looks, I knew this current Song Jiwoon wouldn't be easy to win over either.
"I'm glad you're feeling better."
"It's thanks to the medicine you gave me, Caretaker. I really appreciate it."
When he saw my face, healthier than yesterday, Song Jiwoon looked genuinely relieved. That sincerity touched something in me.
He'd only met me two days ago, and yet he was truly worried for me. His kind heart hit me with an unexpected wave of emotion.
'Is he an angel?'
Even the breakfast he made was delicious. Maybe because I'd been sick, this time he even added soy-braised beef to the side dishes.
'He really might be an angel.'
Overwhelmed with gratitude, I took a bite of the jangjorim, and the familiar taste filled my mouth.
He used to give me side dishes like this even before the regression. Maybe he pitied me—this mooch with nowhere to go, freeloading in the guild—so he'd buy me clothes, daily necessities, or even pack lunch and hand it to me himself.
He really did know how to cook. He must've known a lot more recipes too, though we lacked ingredients here in the mountains.
As I happily ate, Song Jiwoon smiled at me.
"Since you've recovered so well, it seems you'll be able to leave on the promised day without issue."
"Kehk, cough!"
Suddenly, I lost all appetite. I choked and coughed violently, and Song Jiwoon calmly continued.
"Once you leave this place, you must descend the mountain. If you try climbing higher thinking you're better, this time you won't make it back."
"Cough... that's—"
"The higher you go, the colder it gets. I can guarantee it—neither a Supporter like you nor your DPS companion could withstand it. Don't act reckless. Go back down."
I took a sip of water, turning over what he said in my mind.
It gets colder the higher up you go? That's insane. I clicked my tongue, then curiosity got the better of me.
"Caretaker."
"Yes?"
"Then have you ever gone up there yourself?"
The pale hand holding his chopsticks flinched. With the faint rustle of his loosely tied hair shifting, Song Jiwoon raised his head.
Those soft green eyes of early spring stared right into mine. After a brief silence, he answered in a quiet voice.
"Yes."
And somehow, the atmosphere said don't ask further. Damn. Too bad.
Clicking my tongue, I glanced at Ryu Sunghyun across the table. Our eyes met, and we shared a silent signal behind Song Jiwoon's back.
Now?
Yep.
Ryu gave a short cough and said to me with a convincingly concerned tone:
"Wouldn't it be better to button your shirt properly, Cha Seohu Hunter? You haven't fully recovered from your cold yet—you should stay warm."
It sounded natural enough not to feel rehearsed. He really is a good actor.
I hesitated like I was thinking it over, then sighed.
"It's just... my throat still feels off. If I button it all the way, it feels too tight, so I had to leave a few undone."
"Still swollen?"
"No. It doesn't sting like yesterday or make me cough. It's just... a different kind of discomfort. Like a block of ice lodged in my throat."
"Hm. That's strange."
"Right? I'll need to go to the hospital as soon as we're down."
I laughed playfully and glanced sideways at Song Jiwoon.
"......"
As expected, he looked visibly anxious. He bit his lip and blinked a couple of times before suddenly standing up from his seat.
"I'll be going now. Please, enjoy your meal."
He grabbed his bowl and quickly left the table, disappearing into the kitchen at the back. Watching his retreating figure, I turned to Ryu Sunghyun.
You saw that?
I did.
Without a word, we nodded at each other. It added a bit more weight to my theory.
Truthfully, this strange discomfort in my throat had been present ever since we got to this house. No—since we met Song Jiwoon.
At first, I thought it was just the cold.
But the swelling and this strange sensation like something stuck in my throat were clearly separate issues. I realized that yesterday—when Song Jiwoon's aura had momentarily slipped in front of me.
That feeling like my lungs and throat were freezing over. As if whatever was bothering my throat had suddenly spiked to the extreme.
There was no way I could mistake it.
I ran a hand down my exposed neck, recalling what the fake Song Jiwoon had told me.
[It won't be easy to convince him. He's someone who ran away into the mountains because of his skill.]
[Ran away? From what?]
[That's for you to find out.]
'That bastard...'
I gathered all the information I had so far.
Song Jiwoon's aura was incredibly strong—and dangerous. But that didn't justify living in isolation in the mountains for decades. Aura could be sealed off, like turning off a faucet.
There had to be another reason for him to retreat into such seclusion. And I was starting to think this weird sensation in my throat was connected.
'Maybe his aura's so cold that even being near him starts to freeze your insides...'
No—that's too far-fetched.
I scoffed and shoved the ridiculous thought aside. What I needed now was to organize what I already knew.
'Maybe his skill hurt someone because it was too powerful.'
Then hiding in the mountains would make sense.
'It's just a theory... for now.'
But if that is the reason, it complicates things. Unless I can find a way to deal with his overwhelming aura, he's never coming down from this mountain.
Which is devastating news for me, considering I need to bring him back.
Admitting how little I really knew about this timeline's Song Jiwoon, I whispered to Ryu Sunghyun:
"We need to get as close to the caretaker as possible before our time runs out."
"That would be best... but I doubt it'll be easy."
Ryu clearly recognized Song Jiwoon's thick walls of caution too.
Grinning, I picked up a piece of jangjorim and popped it into my mouth.
"Just trust me."
Song Jiwoon's jangjorim really was excellent.
The snowstorm outside continued to rage. The wind howled so loudly, it sounded like it might burst right through the windows.
With nothing better to do indoors, I focused all my energy on trying to win Song Jiwoon over. Ryu Sunghyun followed anxiously behind.
"Now that I think about it, I never asked your name, Caretaker. What is it?"
"......"
"I'm Cha Seohu, by the way. Though I guess you already heard that?"
"...Yes."
"So? What's your name? How old are you? You look about my age—should we drop the formal speech?"
Trailing behind him wherever he went, I bombarded him with questions. He looked flustered.
Didn't matter. I had confidence.
Every time I'd tried to get close to someone in my life, I'd succeeded.
Even Hyun Dowoon, who was ten times more irritable and prickly than Song Jiwoon, had fallen to my charms. Not to mention the neighborhood "big sisters."
'It's the face, obviously.'
To fully exploit my looks, I gave Song Jiwoon a bright, obvious smile.
"Calling you just 'Caretaker' all the time feels awkward, don't you think? Isn't it fine to at least know your name?"
"...You'll be leaving soon. Why would you need to know my name?"
"Wow, that's a little cold. Of course we should know the name of the person who took us in when we had nowhere else to go."
Looking at me with a conflicted expression, Song Jiwoon sighed.
"What is it that you want?"
"Your name. And for you to treat me a bit more comfortably."
I answered in a serious tone. If I kept joking around, it would only hurt my credibility. You have to be sincere when the moment calls for it.
"I like you, Caretaker. I think it's incredible that you stepped up to help strangers you barely know."
His eyes widened like lanterns. With the tips of his ears turning red, Song Jiwoon flinched and frowned, swallowing hard.
"L-l-like... you shouldn't say things like that. You already have a partner..."
"...Huh?"
"Wait—wait just a minute!"
Baffled by something I didn't understand, Ryu Sunghyun quickly jumped in, cutting between us in a panic.

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