Chapter 143 A Shard Within (5)
The door across the miniature portal opened without any confirmation. Yoohyun Han took off his gla.s.ses and put it in his inventory since Hyunjae Sung would notice right away.
While the house was large, it was not difficult to find where Yoojin Han was as his spirit would lead him there. Yoohyun Han woke Irin up as he walked, and he could see what Irin saw when he a.s.similated some of his senses with it.
Yoojin Han was sleeping, and his face was noticeably pale. The place was different than before, while his brother was still unconscious. What had happened?
“I thought as much, but it’s you.”
Yoohyun Han clenched his teeth when he stopped in his tracks. His senses dulled as he searched for his older brother through Irin. He could see a small interior garden and an aquarium filled with waves of clear blue water when his senses came back, and Hyunjae Sung was there across the room.
Yoohyun Han showed his anger without any hesitation, and Hyunjae Sung’s lips twisted to a smile at Yoohyun’s cool glare.
“I want to be able to say nothing happened, but it’s such a blatant lie. You seemed to have realized it already.”
“What did you do?”
The questioning voice was a growl, and Yoohyun sounded like he would bite Hyunjae Sung’s head off at any moment. Hyunjae Sung’s voice still kept its airiness.
“I don’t remember it well.”
Faint cracks showed under Yoohyun Han’s feet with a breaking noise. The reason Yoohyun did not attack Hyunjae Sung was that he felt responsible for letting Yoojin Han enter alone without any protection.
“Stop saying nonsense. I’ll be leaving with my brother.”
“Isn’t Yoojin Han the one who will find it bothersome if you leave like this? He must have had a reason to come all the way here.”
Hyunjae Sung’s pale eyes narrowed in a smile.
“I believe it would have been a request that was too much for you.”
Yoohyun Han let out a short breath.
“Are you picking a fight with me?”
“I’m just stating the facts.”
Hyunjae Sung walked slowly, and feet that were wearing slippers stepped on the path that traversed through the garden.
“We won’t need you for long.”
“You’re still young and would grow more powerful. However, there’s another thing.”
Hyunjae Sung looked at the almost too young hunter. It was evident that Yoohyun Han was barely pressing the urge to rush at him.
“You would still be his younger brother, someone he has to protect and nurture.”
Yoohyun Han’s hands tightened.
“That’s the reason you’re leaving me alone since your beloved older brother needs someone to share his burden with and lean against. Yoojin Han has a bad habit of blindly protecting those who he considers his.”
“…It’s only for a while.”
“I’ll repeat it. You’ll always be only a younger brother since Yoojin Han is a stubborn man. So, don’t do anything overboard. Just remaining a younger brother would be better-“
There was a loud crashing sound despite the fact that only a fist met a palm. Yoohyun Han knew that Hyunjae Sung would block him easily, but it did not stop his frown. He wanted to rip the guy’s throat out. Hyunjae Sung was right in front of him, but Yoohyun knew more than anyone else that it would be impossible.
“When my older brother does not need you anymore soon, it would be best for you to leave amicably.”
“Killing the dog after hunting? That’s too harsh. Well, if you keep acting cute like this, you will not be able to replace me for a long while.”
Hyunjae Sung could hear Yoohyun’s teeth grind. Yoohyun Han knew that Yoojin Han’s att.i.tude would not change quickly, no matter how upset he was by it. Yoojin Han worried over Yoohyun more than ever, even though it would be difficult for his younger brother even to have a flesh wound.
Yoohyun felt his older brother’s att.i.tude was endearing, yet upsetting, and it bothered Yoohyun more than he expected.
“Don’t you think dividing up the parts is a good idea? I’m saying that I’ll do some of the work for you.”
What’s with all the thorns? Flames gathered around Yoohyun Han as he could not bear Hyunjae Sung’s composure any longer. Yoohyun wanted to call Irin and burn his face and show it to everyone if he could.
“That’s why you’re still young. While I wish I could accommodate your heat, fire is strictly forbidden in the garden.
A moment later, the water from the aquarium poured over both of their heads.
***
‘One is more than enough, so why are there two of him?’
I do realize that he has only one real body. What is going on with Hyunjae Sung? I thought they would merge together, but they are still separated here.
“Umm…for the moment, Mr. Hyunjae Sung?”
“I’m not whole, but yes.”
The one speaking to me was probably Hyunjae Sung before the return.
“May I ask what happened?”
I thought the one who dropped me in water was the part of his memories before the return that appeared while the Hyunjae Sung of this time was unconscious. However, now he seemed to be actually divided.
“I heard that you’d be merged, though you might feel strange if you’re sensitive.”
“I could say I was resisted due to the overwhelming difference.”
“Yes?”
“The me right now and the one from before the return both felt a strong resistance against the two worlds combining together, so we separated like this. Of course, the divide was not perfect, and I’m more of a collection of pieces.”
Hyunjae Sung looked like his ego had been bruised, which was an expression one did not often see. Did he refuse himself because there had been an unbearable difference? I thought that he did things too far, but that was the norm for Hyunjae Sung.
“Then, will this state go on like this?”
“No.”
His displeased face was definitely younger than his current self. There was no difference in his physique because he was a guy who had looked the same ten years back and would look the same ten years after.
“I will be swallowed up. I still do not have many memories of the five years before the merge. I have most of mine up to this point but the other ‘me’ has them all.”
“That’s why you seem younger.”
“Younger?”
“Like you’re that age. The late thirties is not that old these days, anyway.”