A ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) calm voice, just slightly higher in tone than I remembered. Though it didn't match my memory perfectly, I was sure—it was Song Jiwoon's voice.
Barely having come to my senses, I blurted out a response before even thinking.
"Yes, I'm... lost. That's right."
Even to my own ears, it sounded like a dull, spaced-out answer. And yet, Song Jiwoon simply looked at me without any change in expression.
"Myaak!"
"Ah—"
The moment our eyes met—his light green eyes—the cat nestled in my arms suddenly sprang away, landing gracefully on the ground and trotting back to Song Jiwoon.
Glancing briefly down at the cat that approached his feet, Song Jiwoon then looked up at the overcast sky and spoke.
"There's a small temple nearby."
His gaze passed over us with no warmth.
"Night falls quickly in the mountains. It'll be dark soon. You should rest at the temple tonight and head down when the sun rises tomorrow."
Follow me.
With that, Song Jiwoon turned his back to us and walked off between the trees without hesitation. The gray-furred cat followed him with soft meows.
"...Let's go too."
I tugged lightly on Ryu Sunghyun's sleeve. He'd been staring at Jiwoon's back with a complicated look but finally started walking, albeit reluctantly.
He was clearly on guard, but given the situation, he must've decided that the man walking ahead of us was likely the mountain guardian, so it was worth following. To him, Song Jiwoon was just a stranger—his caution was understandable.
After following Jiwoon for about twenty minutes, the surroundings quickly grew dark—just as he had said.
It was already gloomy with snow clouds, but once the sun set, darkness consumed everything. We could barely see what was around us.
"Hunter Cha Seohu."
On the snowy mountain path, where it was difficult to walk straight in the dark, Ryu Sunghyun reached out and took my hand. While I leaned on him just to move forward, Jiwoon walked ahead without a hint of imbalance.
Watching him, I finally realized—he wasn't the A-rank supporter I used to know. He'd become an S-rank damage dealer. I remembered what the fake Jiwoon had said the night I visited the Circle Guild.
[You only remember the previous world, so the 'A-rank mental-type supporter Song Jiwoon' I'm imitating must feel familiar to you. But in truth, that man was always an S-rank damage dealer across all timelines. That last life was the anomaly.]
The fake Jiwoon had calmly inspected his own reflection in the window and added:
[Sometimes, there are beings like that. Ones whose internal energy is so overwhelming, they end up consumed by it.]
[Consumed by it? What do you mean by that...]
[You'll understand when you meet him. That man—everything about him is frozen in place.]
As I pondered the meaning of those words, a soft yellow light appeared in the darkness—revealing the temple Jiwoon had mentioned.
'Wait... is that really a temple?'
It was too big to be called a "small temple." It even had two floors.
'There's a two-story temple in the middle of this mountain?'
Ryu Sunghyun, who was supporting me, seemed equally baffled. As we came to a stop in front of the building, Jiwoon said,
"Come inside and warm yourselves. There are several rooms—use whichever you like. You can also use the bathroom if you need."
"Huh? Oh, no, we're—"
"I need to start preparing dinner, so I'll go ahead."
With a brief bow, Jiwoon stepped inside the temple.
'He just brought total strangers into his home without asking who we are? What if we're criminals hiding in the mountains?'
There are plenty of hunters who've murdered someone and fled to no-access zones like this.
C-281, where I used to live, had standards for who it let in—but most restricted zones just let anyone stay. This snowy mountain range, with its deadly cold, had at least kept most people away. Still, it would be more than sufficient for a fugitive to lay low for a few days.
'Even if he is an S-rank damage dealer...'
It was too reckless.
My chest burned with frustration at Jiwoon's utter lack of caution. Just as I was about to say something, Ryu Sunghyun grabbed my arm.
"I understand how you feel, but we should go inside and escape the cold first."
After a moment's hesitation, he added softly,
"Your body is very cold."
He held my hand now, not just my arm. He had held it earlier while helping me walk too.
I hadn't expected to hear concern from Ryu Sunghyun and swallowed dryly, caught off guard. Now that he mentioned it, the chill had worsened after sunset.
'Am I going to catch a cold at this rate?'
His hand felt much warmer than before—which meant mine had only gotten colder. His S-rank body temperature wouldn't have changed.
He was right. Jiwoon appeared to be staying in this temple too, so it was better to go inside and monitor the situation for now.
"Understood."
As I stepped inside the temple, I couldn't hide my surprise.
The fact that it had two floors was odd enough—but the interior was more like a regular house than a temple.
It was mostly empty, giving off a sparse atmosphere, but there was a living room, kitchen, and bedrooms—it felt more like a private house than a place of worship.
Of course, traces of a temple remained here and there, especially the central living room on the first floor. Instead of a TV, there was a Buddhist altar, and hanging lotus lamps added to the surreal contrast.
'Did he renovate a temple?'
These days, there were plenty of skills for that sort of thing. A professional team could probably turn a temple into a house in a few days. But this mountain had been a restricted area for decades. Who would bother remodeling anything here?
From Song Jiwoon's behavior to this entire building, nothing made sense.
Beside me, Ryu Sunghyun sighed in relief.
"It's definitely warmer inside. How do you feel, Hunter Cha Seohu?"
"Huh? Oh, much better."
It seemed Ryu Sunghyun didn't care much about Song Jiwoon. Well, they'd only just met—it made sense.
'Are we really allowed in here?'
If it were anyone else's house, I would've already sprawled out on the floor. But this place was essentially Song Jiwoon's home. I wanted to be at least a little respectful.
As I hesitated by the door, Ryu Sunghyun unexpectedly took the lead and removed his shoes.
"The owner allowed us in. Come on."
He grabbed my hand again—this was the third time now.
Seeing him take my hand so casually reminded me of how he used to be before the regression. He hadn't changed at all in the way he cared about me.
Ryu Sunghyun led me to the couch in the living room and seated me before looking around. He spotted the cat strolling in and gently scooped it up, placing it in my lap.
Muaang. Myaak.
The cat, suddenly transferred to my arms, waved its tail irritably and let out a few grumpy cries.
Warmth radiated from my thighs. I'd thought about it earlier too—but I was truly grateful this small, warm life had managed to escape that awful cold outside.
As I quietly petted the cat's head, Song Jiwoon returned.
"If it's alright with you, would you like to join me for a meal?"
After exchanging glances with Ryu Sunghyun, I nodded.
It was disconcerting to be treated so kindly—he'd not only taken us in but now offered food. But I couldn't pass up the chance to talk with him face-to-face.
I gently set the cat down and followed him. On a small table were a few side dishes and plain white rice. Just seeing it made my chest ache.
'Has he been eating like this all along?'
Given the harsh conditions of the snowy mountain, even preparing meals like this was probably a rare luxury. But knowing what kind of life Song Jiwoon had once lived, it felt unbearably sad.
'Guildmaster, you liked warm soup. You drank tea. Even had coffee sometimes. And you liked those candies I used to bring...'
Imagining him living alone here, eating sparse meals of greens, made my heart ache.
As I sat down and tried to calm myself, Ryu Sunghyun politely spoke on my behalf.
"Thank you for guiding us and preparing this meal. I'm not sure how we can repay your kindness."
"From time to time, people lose their way and end up climbing the mountain. Helping them before something happens is part of my job. It's fine."
Song Jiwoon's gaze shifted to both of us.
"Most people don't climb this far. There's a rest area near the entrance, and I usually guide them there. It's been a while since someone came this deep."
"I see."
By \"job,\" did he mean being a caretaker?
'He's living here because of his skill—but why take on the caretaker role too?'
There was so much I didn't know. I started to doubt whether the man before me was even the same Song Jiwoon I had once known.
Despite his slightly cold tone, Ryu Sunghyun smiled gently and replied,
"Still, you saved our lives. We owe you greatly."
He bowed deeply and continued,
"My name is Ryu Sunghyun, and this is Hunter Cha Seohu beside me. If it's not too rude, may I ask your name?"
"...I'm the caretaker. That should be enough."
Song Jiwoon avoided eye contact as he gave a stiff reply. The air instantly became heavier.
His discomfort with strangers was obvious—there was no point in pushing the conversation further.
If he disliked unfamiliar people so much, why bring us here or offer a meal? Even if the emotions were awkward, the desire to help couldn't be hidden.
Once the tense meal ended, Song Jiwoon stood and spoke again.
"All the rooms upstairs are empty—use whichever you like. There's a bathroom at the end of the hall as well."
We offered to help clean up, but he firmly refused.
"If you truly wish to repay me, leave the mountain as soon as the sun rises. That will be enough."
And just like that, we were practically dismissed to the second floor. Ryu Sunghyun sighed as he rubbed his lips, looking troubled.
"...Can't be helped. Let's get some rest and talk again tomorrow."
I agreed—Song Jiwoon didn't seem interested in talking.
He had helped us avoid freezing to death, but beyond that, he didn't want questions or interference.
"Do you think he'll even talk to us tomorrow?"
"...That..."
Judging from his mood, he might throw us out at sunrise. Ryu Sunghyun must be frustrated—he needed to persuade Song Jiwoon to join the guild.
We needed a way to keep our connection. And so, I suggested an idea.
"How about this?"
Ryu Sunghyun leaned in obediently at my gesture. I whispered softly in his ear, careful not to let an S-rank Dealer like Song Jiwoon overhear.
"I'll pretend to be sick tomorrow morning. I'm a frail Supporter, so it should be believable."
"Hmm..."
"He brought us in and even fed us. He won't throw out a sick person. We need to buy time."
After thinking seriously for a moment, Ryu Sunghyun agreed, seeing no better option.
"He's S-rank. It won't be easy to fool him. Are you sure?"
"I'll do my best. But I can't promise it'll work."
"Even if it fails, the result's the same. I'll count on you, Hunter Cha Seohu."
True. I gave him a bright smile, hoping he'd trust me.
"Leave it to me."
Now that the plan was set, it was time to rest and prepare to put on my best performance starting tomorrow.
I entered the room closest to the stairs. Ryu Sunghyun followed.
"It's safer if we stay together."
When he kindly let me wash up first, I grabbed some clothes from my inventory and went into the bathroom. To my surprise, hot water came out.
'Not just water and electricity, but even hot water?'
There were illegal companies that set up utilities even in restricted zones. It was proof Song Jiwoon used hot water himself—reassuring in its own way.
While I bathed, Ryu Sunghyun waited outside the door. Again, for my safety.
'I haven't even given him a buff, and he's guarding me like this. I feel so guilty.'
Drying my damp hair and lying in bed, a wave of exhaustion hit me. Through the haze of fatigue, I kept thinking—
'I need to fake this illness properly and pull my weight. Though honestly... my whole body aches from climbing all day.'
And for some reason, my neck felt cold and prickly.
...Surely I'm not actually catching a cold?
No way. I chuckled quietly and closed my eyes.

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