Why?

Queresha hesitated for a bit before typing and sent her message.

-It is just that I miss you.

Haru - …

Haru - I am coming over right now.

Queresha could already imagine the look of worry on his face in her mind and it made her smile, she also thought that his reaction was acceptable since that was how unusual it was for her to do this.

But…

-You don't need to do that, just come back tomorrow.

Haru - …Are you sure?

-I am.

Haru - Really?

-Yes.

Haru – Really? Really?

-Really.

It took her nearly an hour to stop his impulsive choice and by the end, she was left with a full smile on her face since…

Haru - I'll be back tomorrow I promise.

'I may have worried him unnecessarily,' Queresha thought as she placed the phone in the inner pocket of her coat.

'Or maybe not.' Queresha looked at her own hand that was shaking slightly, why this was happening to her was obvious…

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep today either," With her soft voice ringing in the empty street she left silently.

***

Back at Apgu-jeong…

'Why was he looking at his phone so intently?' Soo-young wondered what Haru was doing since he hadn't looked up from his phone for whole 10 minutes silently before he left, it was like something important happened or it could be that…

'Is he a reader and he has the novel file? But I checked and he wasn't a renouncer, but the same happened with him as well,' Soo-young thought as she looked at Dok-ja, but she dissuaded this theory of her quickly since it didn't make any sense.

'If he knew the future he wouldn't have kept Kim Dok-ja since he would've had no value to him, the only reason Dok-ja is alive right now is because Haru suspects him of knowing the future, or could it be that he doesn't know much and is keeping Dok-ja alive because he knows that Dok-ja knows more than him,' Soo-young thought as she looked at Dok-ja who was being fed by Gil-young unlike how it was supposed to be.

'This is confusing since I don't have information, but I need to figure things out since I can't really lie to him... if his words at the time can be trusted,' Soo-young was there at Gwang-hwamun or more like her avatar was there, which is the main reason she had avoided excessive conversation with Haru because lying to him was out of the question.

Another reason was Dok-ja's cautiousness around Haru, because Soo-young knew that if that guy could he already would've cooked up some lies to feed Haru and wouldn't run away like that.

'If not for this…' Soo-young would've approached him already and started an exchange of information.

'Haru-ssi always stays during the meal and talks with people, seems like something really important happened, Soo-young seems to be thinking the same thing,' It came to Dok-ja's attention as well, and not just his, pretty much everyone who knew Haru had seen him acting that way and they could feel like something was up.

But they didn't get a chance to ask him since he left quickly. The only reason they didn't go after him was…

"There is no need to worry," Hae-in said while eating some grilled monster meat with some freshly baked bread.

"Are you sure?" To everyone's surprise, it was Seol-hwa who asked that question and even Sang-ah looked a little worried but she was also pretty much persuaded by Hae-in since was always correct when it came to him somehow, which is why Zenobia and Jin-ah didn't even bother to ask any further questions.

"Yes, he is just talking to his second in command who is on the other side of the river, he is always serious about matters related to the group, so you should get used to it," Hae-in said while keeping the main subject to herself since there was no need to divulge it when she herself knew so little about it.

'Maybe I should talk to her as well,' Hae-in happened to see Haru's phone back then as she went to get another monster meat sandwich with lots of Kimchi to satisfy her cravings because, 'I want to have 'that' but I guess I'll have to wait till things calm down.'

'I see, so it was because of that,' Seol-hwa may have not known Haru for long but she was able to get a feel for his personality, to her he seemed quite an upbeat and vibrant person along with his calmness, which is why seeing him become so serious in a second threw her off for a second.

'Maybe I am overthinking it,' Seol-hwa shook her head slightly and continued to eat.

Because no matter what else she knew that her group was now in a safe place with a really competent leader.

And with that the dinner was over a little while later, after this most of the people went back to rest since the next day they will be extremely busy with work.

But between these people, there were a few people who were keeping watch, and among them, they were chosen by drawing lots which is why Dok-ja was somehow coincidentally paired up with…

"How is Hyun-sung doing?" Dok-ja asked his partner trying to make some small talk since...

"Hyun-sung-ssi is doing good back at the main base, he also wanted to come along but stopped because he was needed there," Sang-ah said without even looking at Dok-ja.

'This is so awkward,' Dok-ja thought since Sang-ah hadn't spoken to him for a whole hour before he took the initiative, and now once again the place was about to descend into uncomfortable silence once again.

And just like Dok-ja thought, Sang-ah didn't say a word in the next few minutes, it wasn't that she didn't want to speak, after all working in the same company and going through these tough scenarios from the start she felt like she could trust Dok-ja…

The original group that came out of the first scenario was like the closest people to her at this moment even if she hadn't known them for long.

But…

"Why did you do that?" Sang-ah had thought about it many times since she heard what Dok-ja did, and she couldn't understand why he would do something like that.

"…" Dok-ja didn't know what to say, it was just that he couldn't find a way to explain his situation properly.

'She might think I have lost my head if I say so,' Dok-ja could try to explain that their reality was currently being overlapped with a novel, but he couldn't do that for obvious reasons.

"Everything was working properly, but after what you did, it was like the mood of the whole group changed, Gil-young and Hyun-sung-ssi were especially worried the entire time, they couldn't even eat properly because they were worried for you," Sang-ah spoke further as Dok-ja wasn't speaking, she herself had lost sleep over this matter just like Gil-young and Hyun-sung but she didn't mention it since, these three wanted this all to be a misunderstanding and…

"So, was there any reason that you did that? If you are being forced into this situation by someone then please tell us, and we'll do what we can to help you," Sang-ah looked at Dok-ja and he could see that she was indeed worried, but…

'She is more worried about the group being broken apart than me, well that is to be expected,' Dok-ja thought as that was who Sang-ah was, even in the current times after all that has happened she was still the same kind, and cheerful woman that would get sad on someone else's behalf.

That's why…

"I wasn't forced by anyone Sang-ah," Dok-ja said looking at her as her eyes widened at his next statement, "What I did was out of my own volition and I won't change that decision even if I go back in time."

Dok-ja knew that he had to do it because if he didn't the world would've ended, the very reason he tried to get his group was to avoid the possibility of being held captive and getting questioned by Haru since he had authority over him.

Why would Haru do something like this? And why did Dok-ja even think that this was possible even while knowing how he was?

'Because if someone I know said something like that to me in the current situation I would do the same,' Dok-ja was just thinking how to not get caught up in something unexpected, not to mention that he was ready to fight if words didn't persuade Haru.

'Well, I know my chances wouldn't be high but, I would at least try…' In the end, Dok-ja just shook his head as…

[The Incarnation 'Yoo Sang-ah' has confirmed your statement to be true.]

'I knew she would use that skill,'

....

Gimme your powerstones RAHHHHHH!!!!