< Irin (2) >

The light on the ceiling let out a bright light. I had memories of replacing it several times with my own hands. The living room wasn't that large. A sofa and a TV. The wall clock was stopped.

"…Why here of all places? Besides that, you can use a mind-related skill?"

Or it might be an effect of the elemental's contract skill.

[The place that Yoohyun likes!]

"Yoohyun?"

[Yeah, it is the house that he lived in with you, hyung. So Rin[1] also likes here.]

The lizard said, going around and around as if it was trying to catch its tail. I felt that there was a ton of affection filled in the voice talking about Yoohyun. So this guy was a good lizard, huh.

[This skill is yours.]

Irin, who was going around and around, stopped and looked up at me. The black eyes were glossy like gems.

"Mine?"

[Though it seemed like you can't use it properly yet, so Rin helped.]

"I don't have this kind of skill."

[You do. That kind of power.]

I mean, rather than this being mine, it was the lizard owner guy's… Suddenly, I thought of the zombie guy calling me Diarma's successor. At that time, I had thought it was because of combining the curse and poison dragon types.

'…Did I become able to use Diarma's other skills, too?'

Though they weren't on the skill window. And I didn't know how to use them either. Should I consult the immoral people?

I lifted my head and looked around the surroundings anew. To think that it was a place he likes – my mood was weird. I had been unable to endure this place and ran away. Because, past things came to mind too clearly everywhere I placed my eyes if I stayed here. I didn't want to see any corner inside the house, or even a white cup that wasn't particularly distinct, or the empty desk, or the bathroom slippers, so I had moved out as if escaping with just my own self.

Even though I did that, now that I was here, I thought that it was a pity.

"Rin."

[Yeah?]

"Yoohyun seems a little weird right now, but is it related to you?"

[A little to Rin, a lot to you.]

"What?"

[Hyung, please hug Rin.]

Like it wanted, I held the lizard. It was warm to a perfect amount and smooth and soft. It seemed like if you held it around in the winter, it would feel good.

[Since elementals are a pure power. While accepting Rin, he became more honest. And thanks to the attribute, he is becoming a liiittle aggressive? He wants to clear away irritating things and the strength to do that appeared, so he didn't hold back.]

"…Does he hate Sung Hyunjae that much?"

[Sung Hyunjae probably tried to kill Yoohyun, too! Since he should've thought that you are incredibly useful. Yoohyun noticed that.]

Irin spoke, wagging its tail.

[Yoohyun is suppressing it a lot, but the two's original natures are similar. He realized what kind of thought Sung Hyunjae probably had after receiving the doubled attack skill effect. That he was going to kill all of the other people and steal you away.]

If he had done that, Sung Hyunjae wouldn't have remained alive. Specifically, he would've died by my hands. At the question asking if Sung Hyunjae would've really gone that far, Irin nodded its head hard. I had shared with him twice, but there wasn't much of a problem, though.

"To think that Yoohyun is uneasy. It's a waste, but do I have to put that person far away somehow?"

[No, it is okay! If Yoohyun calms down, he will probably also think it would be better for him to be here. Since he will keep on protecting you if you are useful. And the other people, too. There needs to be a lot of people who will protect you, so that Yoohyun has less of a burden.]

"Even though the burden is lessened, he said that he's lonely because he feels like I'm being stolen away."

[You just have to make it so that he isn't lonely. Please tell Yoohyun that you like him the most.]

"Of course my brother is the best. Would he even compare to something like Sung Hyunjae?"

[Please tell him a lot. He was estranged from you once. It could happen again, so he is uneasy and doesn't know what to do. Yoohyun is still young!]

"You're even younger."

[Rin knew a lot starting from when Rin was born!]

"Still, being young is being young."

As if cranky, Irin hit my arm with its front feet. What it was doing was incredibly cute. When I pet its head, it laughed like it was ticklish.

"I had thought that I expressed it a lot in my own way – did I not?"

[How many times did you tell him that you like him and that you love him?]

"Um… I mean, I don't openly say that kind of thing much."

[Why? You can say it a lot! Since it's not fake. Since it is real! You do not want to do it even though Yoohyun will like it?]

"It's not that I don't want to – it's just a little awkward? And he's not young. You don't say it much when you're big."

Irin's eyes became thin and it glared at me as if blaming me. I mean, really, you didn't normally say things like that, that much. Especially between brothers. If it was a parent-child relationship and an incredibly harmonious household, then you could probably say it often. Even if I raised Yoohyun, first of all, we were brothers.

[Hyung.]

"…I'll try. Will it get better with that?"

[Probably!]

Probably, it said. It sure was irresponsible. I grabbed and pulled the lizard's soft cheek. It flapped its tail and made a big fuss about it hurting.

[Yoohyun was always together with you! But then suddenly you guys were separated! For him to become really completely fine, you will probably have to return to like before!]

At those words, I stared at the place I ran away from. I had left, though. My brother had left first before me, though. Even so, had the truth still remained here?

Unconsciously, a sigh spilled out. He was an amazing guy unlike me, so he should've just lived well. I had acted really foolishly, but that Yoohyun also seemed difficult to handle. Was it that you couldn't fool blood even though the ranks were different? There was no need to be similar with regards to something like this.

"For me, I lived looking after my one brother, but why is he like this even though he has a lot of things?"

[There is no person who hates receiving love, hyung. Not just humans, but any thing. It probably would have been okay if you didn't know that kind of feeling from the beginning. But once you know, you cannot give it up. And there is nobody other than you who loves Yoohyun!]

"He's just twenty now. You can't know how things will be from now on."

[There can't be! There isn't!]

"Are you cursing him?"

Why isn't there? It won't do if there isn't anybody else. I even regressed, so I had to see that little brother I raised marry and have a kid and live well. Now, I could confidently sit in the family seating for the wedding. And now that I thought of it, did I have to sit there for Yerim, too? Oh, wait. Yerim also has the bride entrance. It would be about ten years later, so if I was over forty, then it would be quite reasonable… ah, no. I would be in my thirties even then. I didn't know what bastard would whisk her away, but I would kill them if they did something even a little bit wrong to my kid.

"I want to see the kids' babies. I should live at least twenty years more from now on."

[Hyung?]

"So if he calms down and I soothe him well, it'll be okay from now on? He won't be like that every time he uses your power, right?"

[It probably would not be to today's extent!]

So it meant he would get a little weird.

[It is like that because he is not used to Rin yet. If it is severe, please pour water on him or something! Then he will calm down a little!]

Yerim, I'll leave it to you.

"You have a skill called Elemental's Contract, but can I know exactly what kind of skill it is?"

[It is just an elemental's contract! The contracted rank is the elemental's maximum rank. Hyung, hyung. What is Rin's rank?]

The two black eyes shone as they sparkled. It was its own skill, but could it not check?

"L-Rank."

[Wow, Rin is impressive! Rin is impressive!]

Irin was excited and so, shouted. I followed suit and chimed in agreeably, praising that it was really impressive. To think that it could grow up to L-Rank.

"Our Rin will probably get really strong from now on."

[Yeah! Rin is the strongest!]

"And get along well with Yoohyun. The contract won't become cancelled, right?"

[It will not be cancelled until one side ceases to exist!]

Rin, grow up a lot. As long as just this one finishes growing up, the worries about the future would probably all disappear.

"How long will it take to finish growing?"

[It hasn't been long since Rin was born, so about a thousand years!]

…It was really slow, huh. It had been good for a moment.

I walked slowly as I pet Rin. In the kitchen, the tableware was left as they were. There were two chairs at the table. The calendar on the wall was that of 3 years ago. I tried flipping through a few pages. There was a circle around my birthday.

I turned around and went towards a room. Including before the regression, it was from a long time ago. Even so, it felt like I could find it with my eyes closed. I grabbed the door handle and slowly turned it. The scene inside the room was the same as before, too. But unlike when I last saw it, there were signs of life. The top of the desk wasn't completely empty either. I saw textbooks and writing utensils.

"It feels like Yoohyun is going to call out to me from behind soon."

Asking 'hyung, what are you doing standing there'.

[Yoohyun is outside, hyung.]

"Yeah. I should go."

I wanted to look around a bit more, but I didn't know what kind of mess was happening outside. I should ask Yerim to hit that little brother of mine with a splash of water.

"I'll see you next time, Rin."

[When Rin gets bigger, Rin will be able to speak outside, too!]

"Alright, then."

…How do I go out? I definitely remembered it being dismissed when both people decide to go out, but it didn't work.

[Hyung?]

"Wait, it seems like it'll work too..."

Let's ruminate on Diarma's memories. First of all, there was mutual agreement and, ah, this was different from that bastard's!

"Irin, I think it changed because you intervened..."

[Really?]

"Yeah."

Was there any way? We should put our heads together and figure it out. So skills that weren't standardized through the system were actually dangerous, huh.

The mind-related space skill was only dismissed after a long time. Still, thanks to that, I properly studied the skill. It seemed like I would be able to use it even without Rin's help after a bit of practice.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a ceiling. It wasn't outside, but indoors. How much time had passed? With the light past the curtain being dim, it wasn't night. It seemed like I was on a bed, and both arms were grabbed. When I turned my head to the right, I saw Yoohyun. I only heard a slight sleeping noise as if he was deeply asleep with his body turned toward me.

First of all, it seemed like he was fine.

Yerim was sleeping on the other side. Clinging to my wrist with one hand, she had kicked the blanket off about halfway and was sprawled out.

'Yerim also looks fine.'

It looked like there wasn't a big problem, thankfully. In order to get up, I took away the arm that Yoohyun was holding. At that sharpness, the closed eyes opened slightly.

"…Hyung?"

"That's right, sleep more."

Don't get up. With him falling back asleep at the light patting… it seemed like there had been a big problem. It meant there was something that would make an S-rank Hunter tired. Hong Kong was probably safe, right?

"Yerim, let's sleep after letting go of my hand."

"Uhh… guild leader bastard, come at me..."

Yerim sleeptalked. Hm, okay. It looked like the two of them fought. It was a relief they were safe. I didn't know if Sung Hyunjae was alive.

I got off the bed carefully in order to not wake the two. When I turned and saw the bed that was large enough to hold four, not three, I laughed automatically.

'Both of them sleep well.'

Ah, how cute. Since they were quietly asleep, they were like angels. And on the floor next to the bed, a young man who was exactly suited to be a model of an angel was crouched over.

Noah-ssi, why were you sleeping on the floor? There was enough room. Was there no other bedroom here?

"Noah-ssi, please go up and sleep."

At my call, Noah slowly raised his body. He rubbed his eyes with a tired face and then was startled when he saw the empty place I gestured to.

"Ah, no. I am awake."

"I do not know about Yerim, but Yoohyun is a calm sleeper."

"It is alright. I will go wash my face."

Noah sent a slightly frightened gaze toward the two people and left. It looked like the kids made a bit of a commotion yesterday.

When I quietly went outside of the bedroom after seeing Chirpie sleeping inside a basket, a big living room appeared. Seeing the sea through the front window, it seemed like we were still in Hong Kong. Was it a different hotel? There were stairs going up to the 2nd floor, too. I looked around the surroundings, and then turned on the TV. Along with a reporter's nervous voice, a news screen appeared.

"…Wow."

That had definitely been land. A round portion where the hotel had been had disappeared and seawater was filling it. Here and there, there were traces of things that had melted and then solidified. The reporter's explanation that the ground had collapsed and melted over ten meters in depth pierced my ears.

[The whole region of Hong Kong has fallen into astonishment at the traces of the 2nd rank giant sea creature type Kraken having been swept away. The □□□ Hotel has completely disappeared, and the current missing people-]

So they had told people that the Kraken that done that shit, huh. That guy's size was big and it had a skill that could call waves, but it wouldn't be able to make things like that. But what the hell did they do that the ground disappeared? The hotel site and up to the coast was a considerable width, but all of it was broken up.

"You've woken up."

Sung Hyunjae came down from the 2nd floor. I wasn't particularly surprised that he was here.

"…What happened to healers that you are like that?"

But it was quite surprising that there was a trace of an injury on his exposed nape. It seemed like the region that was covered by his clothes was bigger.

"Did you say it was an elemental? It's thanks to the young master's flames being incredibly fierce. It contained a power that slows recovery speed, so apparently the healing will take a few days."

It seemed like it had a similar effect to the blood flames. Besides that, it was interesting that he was hurt.

"Did you sell off the Sillekia's Wings somewhere in the meantime?"

A burn that big wouldn't have occurred if there was an S-Rank flame resistance .

"I lent it to the little mistress for a bit."

"…Excuse me?"

"If something happened to the little mistress under the young master's hands, my item wouldn't be okay. I don't want it to be broken yet."

Did my ears go bad – what nonsense was this now? So did that mean that this person in front of my eyes protected Yerim? While he himself was getting hurt? I had been going 'he's crazy, he's crazy', and now it looked like he finally went crazy.

I stared blankly at the smiling face, and then turned around. I should also go wash my face or something.