Return (3)

It was through the nurse that I learned an important fact.

"Are you awake, patient?"

"Yes, what day is it today?"

The nurse was taken aback by the question.

"It's December 23rd."

"I've been bedridden for eight months?"

I entered the last dungeon in early April, and stayed in the last dungeon for a week.

Common sense makes no sense that such a resilient and strong Superman was in a coma for eight months.

"Hey, patient..."

The young nurse was restless.

"What is it?"

Why was the atmosphere unusual?

"So today is..."

"Tell me straight."

Annoyed, Seo Moon-yeop went to work.

The nurse who noticed it eventually confessed.

"Today is December 23, 2021."

"Yes, but what about that… Yes?"

2021?

"Today is 2021. In one more week it will be 2022."

"What kind of small grain is that?"

Seo Mun-yeop, who had been living in 2004 until just a few days ago, was shocked.

"It's been 17 years since you entered the last dungeon, don't you remember anything?"

"···doesn't exist. For me, it was 2004 just a few days ago."

"I will show you this."

The nurse took out a thin and sophisticated electronic device resembling a PDA. In 2004, Seo Mun-yeop, a human being, had no way of knowing about smartphones.

A YouTube video playing on an electronic device.

-Isn't it a real performance?

-Everyone is dying!

People in confusion.

And in the gap, I saw Seo Moon-yeop himself lying down.

"This is yesterday's video."

The word makes me more confused.

"I heard that 17 years have passed? But I was discovered yesterday?"

"Yes, that's why it's a mess outside right now..."

"Give me a mirror."

"It's in the bathroom."

Seo Mun-yeop ran to the bathroom attached to the VIP room and checked the mirror.

The face of the man reflected in the mirror is about his early twenties.

His actual age is 30, but Choin doesn't age well, so his face was just right.

However, no matter how young the superman was, there was no way he could maintain such a youthful face until he was 47 years old.

'I'm not old at all?'

The same was true when looking at the condition of the body.

If he was 47 years old, his body would have deteriorated and his abilities would have declined, but from the current analysis, Seo Moon-yeop was in his prime.

then······.

'Could it be space-time distortion?'

In the process of returning from a dungeon, time and space were often slightly distorted.

But even that was only an error of a few days at most.

The 17-year space-time distortion, like now, was outrageous.

'Did the distortion get bigger because of the shock wave that collapsed in the last dungeon?'

For now, I had no choice but to interpret it that way.

Anyway, in the world after 17 years, many problems arise.

"All my property must have been disposed of according to the will."

"Yes, I heard you donated everything."

I remembered that I had written in my will that I would donate everything to Save the Children.

"shit."

You can't ask for money back that would have already been used for good.

"I don't have a house or a car. haha."

got frustrated

The nurse explained coldly.

"The house the patient lived in has been turned into a museum. The car was sold at auction."

"You can't live in a museum, so you're homeless."

The nurse was startled and shouted at the words that were so absurd.

"No way! How could you leave Mr. Seo Mun-yeop like that!"

"Okay. Rather, can you contact Baekje-ho?"

"Yes, I went to the hospital for a while yesterday and left my contact information."

Baek Je-ho heard the news and rushed to the hospital.

It was fortunate that friendship didn't seem to have changed in 17 years.

"Please contact me. They tell me to bring some clothes and a cell phone."

"yes."

"I will decline all visits except for my title."

***

Korea University Hospital was a mess.

Reporters were all over the place, and even civic groups were protesting in front of the hospital.

"Mr. Seo Mun-yeop!"

"Are you really Seo Mun-yeop?"

"Show us what a hero looks like!"

"Korean hospitals, expose Mr. Seo Moon-yeop!"

"Aren't you cheating?!"

"We have a right to know!"

It was so noisy that I could hear it all in the hospital room.

'Apart from reporters, why are those assholes protesting?'

It was a question I had while watching civic groups demonstrating in front of the hospital for no reason.

Even with the windows closed and the curtains drawn, the noise was still there.

I was so mad I didn't even watch TV. After all, it's all about yourself.

Requests for hospital visits also rained down.

Hospital directors, various politicians, etc.

I kept refusing, but I got annoyed and cursed at the nurse. It was the reason she kept saying the same thing. After that, there was nothing to bother me with a request to visit the hospital.

'I'm still bothered to death, but I'm sick of being a politician.'

People who couldn't even raise their heads in front of themselves in the past.

Even in the past, it was just a few days ago for Seo Moon-yeop. The world's best VIP status that no one can touch.

It was around the time I had spent half a day in such a hectic way.

"Open."

Around dinnertime, the long-awaited guest finally arrived.

It changed a little, but it was Baekje-ho's voice.

"Is it Jeho?"

"okay."

"come in."

The door to the hospital room opened, revealing Baekje-ho.

Two friends finally reunited.

As expected, Baekje Lake has changed a lot.

Due to the constitution of a superhuman who is slow to age and does not accumulate body fat, he did not appear to have aged significantly.

However, because he shared the joys and sorrows of young Baek Je-ho in the last dungeon not too long ago, there were obvious signs of aging, such as fine wrinkles, on his face.

It was a look that could tell that a friend had 17 years that he didn't have.

Above all, the ability shown through the analysis was greatly reduced.

-Target: Baekjeho (human)

-muscle strength 55/70

- Agility 79/100

- speed 80/99

- Endurance 55/69

-Spirit 83/90

- Skill 52/70

-Aura 69/72

-Superpower: teleportation

"You've become very weak."

It was the first thing Seo Moon-yeop said.

"Because it was peaceful."

Baekje-ho smiled awkwardly and replied.

Certainly, from the standpoint of Seo Moon-yeop, who fought together in the last dungeon, it would have to be seen that he had weakened overnight.

'How much did I roll to fill all my talents?'

Supernatural teleportation that doubles top-class agility, speed, and mobility.

Seo Mun-yeop put a lot of effort into Baek Je-ho to develop it into a good tactical option.

I did, but seeing that it all went down overnight, I was kind of annoyed.

Hey, it was useless because it was an ability that I had no use for anymore.

Baek Je-ho looked at Seo Moon-yeop from a close distance.

Suddenly, his eyes turned red.

"You really are."

"OK."

"Yeah!"

Baek Jae-ho hugged Seo Moon-yeop.

"It's disgusting, man. when you get old."

"You look older too. There are just too many tears."

Seo Moon-yeop smiled.

From Baek Je-ho's point of view, who had to leave behind the death of his friend, the remorse must have been extraordinary.

The two talked about how they had been for a while.

"Do you remember the promise we made back then?"

"What promise?"

"biography."

"Ah, that."

Seo Moon-yeop laughed hahaha.

"Did you really write it?"

"Yeah, call a ghostwriter. He was someone who wrote fantasy novels."

"Oh, then you want to start with the scene of the egg being hatched?"

The two giggled.

Listening to the story, Baek Je-ho seemed to have gotten along very well for the past 17 years.

He received a huge reward from the UN and received tax exemption.

Thanks to the absolute trust of the people, every business he undertook went well.

He even produced a documentary film to honor Seo Moon-yeop's achievements, and even though he invested a huge amount of money with the determination to throw away money, it mobilized 10 million viewers and hit the jackpot.

As a joke, it was said that the three statues erected in Gwanghwamun would be a jackpot if used as a subject matter.

"There's been a lot of uproar over documentaries and biographical films. When I came back, I was penniless."

"What does money matter? I have."

Baek Je-ho comforted Seo Moon-yeop.

Baekje-ho also knew. What is important is not wealth, but the deep-rooted loneliness in Seo Moon-yeop's heart.

Baek Je-ho even thought that his role as a friend was more important now that the world had become unfamiliar for 17 years.

"So what are you doing now?"

At Seo Moon-yeop's question, Baek Je-ho said with a wry smile.

"director."

When I thought about the national team, my good mood subsided.

"director?"

"There is such a thing. I will explain slowly."

Seo Moon-yeop is in a distraught mood right now, so we decided to talk about Battlefield later.

"Okay, let's take care of yourself at your house for now."

"What is your status?"

The two woke up together.

I changed into the clothes Baek Je-ho had brought with me and got my phone.

"Is this a smartphone?"

Seo Moon-yeop was fascinated by the smartphone.

"huh. Shouldn't I have just bought a clamshell phone?"

"no. I want to try this."

"Yeah, isn't a young guy using the filial piety phone that the elderly use?"

"It makes me feel a little weird when you say you're young."

"What's strange about it? I'm 18 years older than you."

"Okay, let's go, old man."

Baekje-ho had already paid for the hospital bill.

When I left the room, my eyes focused.

"It's the real Seo Moon-yeop."

"Oh my God."

"I came out with Baekje-ho."

"Because you two are friends."

There were no reporters due to access control, but the family members of patients in other hospital rooms were watching the two people whispering.

Avoiding the busy elevator, I jumped down the stairs and arrived at the underground parking lot.

There, he encountered reporters who were secretly hiding near Baekje-ho's vehicle.

click! click!

"Mr. Seo Moon-yeop! You reunited with your friend. Please say something about your feelings!"

"Mr. Seo Moon-yeop! You miraculously returned to life. How do you feel?"

Seo Moon-yeop frowned at the bursting flash.

Baekje-ho didn't even have time to stop, his mouth opened.

"I feel fucked because of you."

Reporters froze at the rant.

Baekje-ho sighed and let out a deep sigh. Seo Moon-yeop had never been careful with his words toward the media or politicians.

"Let's go to sleep, hurry up, get on."

Before further accidents, Baek Je-ho opened the car door and forced Seo Moon-yeop into it.

I followed and started the car.

-Please tell me your destination.

"house."

- Starts automatic driving.

The black sedan began to move slowly.

Seo Moon-yeop's eyes widened.

"Automatic driving?"

"It is 2021 now, my friend."

"The engine sound is also very quiet."

"It's electric."

"omg."

"What else are you talking about? Just say nothing."

"How are you?"

Seo Moon-yeop had an attitude of not thinking about it at all.

Baekje-ho sighed deeply.

"This is not 2004. Unlike back then, you are no longer the absolute best that you don't have to worry about."

"Yes, it is useless now. Wouldn't it be useless? No home, no money."

Then he composed and sang a strange song called 'My House is a Museum'.

Baekjeho clicked his tongue. It was still the same when I watched it again after 17 years.

'Why is it not necessary?'

When I think of the Battlefield national team that fell into the dead end, the existence of Seo Mun-yeop was desperate.