Watching From the Gaps

"Wait a moment. I need a more detailed explanation. What do you mean by the soul being dragged away…"

Jung Bin glanced nervously at Yoon Ga-eul, lying on the operating table. Nam Woo-jin, poking at the orb of light with his finger, replied indifferently.

"Literally, the body here is just an empty shell."

"But…"

Jung Bin, who trailed off, stared at Yoon Ga-eul's chest, which slightly rose and fell. He then stepped closer to the operating table and cautiously checked the wrist that bore a red mark. There was a pulse. She was alive. According to Nam Woo-jin's words, yes, even without a soul.

"If that's the case… how is this body being maintained? I mean, how is it continuing its life functions? It's breathing on its own without being attached to an oxygen respirator."

"That's beyond my understanding. It's the first time a soul has been entirely pulled into that realm. We'll have to research it from now on."

"…"

"Don't look at me like that. I'm just someone who barely managed to observe a tiny fragment…"

Nam Woo-jin tapped his temple with his index finger. Jung Bin sighed.

"Yes, that's true."

"Well, I have a guess… it's over there."

As he looked around, Nam Woo-jin noticed a whiteboard shoved into a corner and dragged it over. He also kicked away the books piled up in his path. Jung Bin started to say something but closed his mouth.

The whiteboard was covered with faded writing, barely legible. Nam Woo-jin quickly erased it with a cloth and uncapped a black marker. He paused as if to scribble something, then switched to another marker. Nothing came out. With a furrowed brow, Jung Bin finally spoke up.

"How long has it been since you used the whiteboard?"

"Don't ask. Not long, I think."

"Master."

A boy approached with quick steps, offering a box of markers. Nam Woo-jin took the box and roughly patted the boy's head.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, Master."

The boy smiled as if painted on and disappeared from sight. Jung Bin shook his head.

"Can you even live without that marionette?"

"Don't ask. Now, let's get back on topic."

With a pop, Nam Woo-jin opened a fresh marker and started drawing something that resembled a person, adding a small circle above the round head. Jung Bin squinted and asked,

"Is that supposed to be Yoon Ga-eul?"

"You got it."

Jung Bin glanced at Yoon Ga-eul. Though slightly disheveled, she was sporting what people commonly call a "messy bun."

"From the beginning, Yoon Ga-eul's ability has been peculiar among all the abilities. It's closer to the system than any other. In a world governed by the system's laws… that's quite a significant power. And it's exceptional."

"That's… true."

"Moreover, she was allowed by the system to see the fragments of the world."

Nam Woo-jin started twirling his long white hair with his fingers. A faint smile appeared in his burnt-white eyes.

"Unlike me."

"…"

"Anyway, her soul has been dragged into another world. The question is, did the system foresee this?"

Jung Bin couldn't easily answer. Nam Woo-jin, as if expecting that, tapped the whiteboard with the back of the marker.

"Probably not. It was likely a sudden occurrence."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Hey."

"Yes, Master."

The boy appeared silently, offering a small dagger about the size of an adult's palm to Jung Bin. Surprised, Jung Bin asked,

"What's this?"

"Stab her. Yoon Ga-eul."

"What?"

Jung Bin's voice grew louder. Nam Woo-jin frowned and clicked his tongue.

"Do you think I'm some kind of trash? I'm not telling you to stab her in the neck or anything. Just prick the tip of her finger. Like a blood test before donating blood."

"…"

"Can't do it? Shall I do it?"

"…No, I'll do it."

Jung Bin approached Yoon Ga-eul slowly, taking a deep breath. Then, he carefully lifted his hand and pricked her index finger with the dagger.

At that moment,

"Ugh!"

Flash—

A bright white light burst forth. Jung Bin covered his eyes and took a step back. When the light subsided, he saw that her finger, though pricked, bore no wound. Jung Bin widened his eyes.

"This is…"

"That might be why her life functions continue despite her soul being absent."

"…Are you saying the system is taking care of Ga-eul's body?"

"It won't last long, though."

Nam Woo-jin briefly answered, closing the marker cap.

"The world is vast, and there's a lot to manage. Even if she's close to the system, it can't focus all its attention on her. It's only temporary."

"…You're saying there's a time limit. Can we go and rescue her?"

"I don't know. She's the only one who's been to that world. We only heard about it, but we have no connection to it. Unless someone else has seen that world…"

"…"

"Well, it's all speculation at this point. The one who could explain it in detail…"

Nam Woo-jin sighed.

"Is lying there like that."

In the heavy silence, only soft breathing could be heard. She was still breathing, but even that could stop at any moment. Nam Woo-jin muttered, his white eyes shining eerily.

"Why Yoon Ga-eul? Why her…"

Jung Bin looked at Yoon Ga-eul with concern. Then he noticed the necklace around her neck. Are students these days allowed to wear accessories like this? Jung Bin tilted his head in curiosity and examined the necklace more closely. He saw a silver, rectangular object hidden behind her neck. Reaching out, he checked it.

[HYS]

Jung Bin's expression hardened.

"…I'm sorry, but I'll need to borrow this necklace."

Jung Bin carefully supported the back of Yoon Ga-eul's head and removed the necklace. Nam Woo-jin, lost in thought as he stared at the whiteboard, looked up. He pushed up his slipping glasses.

"What is it? Did you find something?"

Fiddling with the necklace, Jung Bin gave a short reply.

"I'm about to find out. Please take care of Ga-eul."

"Where are you going?"

"…"

Jung Bin gripped the necklace tightly. His voice, as if gritting his teeth, answered.

"Bukhansan."

***

Cha Eui-jae opened his eyes.

He found himself slumped over a table, his upper body resting on it, in a dark hangover soup restaurant. Slowly, he raised his torso.

'What's going on?'

Had he fallen asleep for a moment? For some reason, his body felt sluggish and heavy. Has there been something exhausting? No, business had been as usual. Cha Eui-jae blinked, trying to shake off the drowsiness.

"…"

Though everything seemed familiar, the atmosphere felt off. An instinctual sense of unease crept up on him. He clenched and unclenched his fists for no reason. His palms were clean.

There were no golden scars shining there.

The mark of his contract with Lee Sa-young.

What should have been there, was gone.

"…"

The moment Cha Eui-jae's eyes widened, someone gently knocked on the door. Knock, knock, knock, Cha Eui-jae immediately stood up and scanned his surroundings. As he glanced at the table, he noticed a dented ladle. Without further hesitation, he grabbed it.

Meanwhile, the knocking continued persistently.

A situation where speaking up could be dangerous. Cha Eui-jae, tense, kept a wary eye on the door. Through the glass panel on the iron door, he caught a glimpse of curly brown hair.

"…"

Among the people he knew, there was only one with that hairstyle.

'But…'

Cha Eui-jae bit his tongue.

It didn't hurt.

Then, the knocking stopped. Instead, a small voice was heard.

"…J."

Both the hair and the voice were familiar. But he couldn't open the door hastily. Cha Eui-jae tightened his grip on the ladle.

After a long silence, the small voice whispered again.

"I'm sorry for coming like this. But… this was really the best I could do. I really tried."

"…"

"Oh, you don't have to respond. Just… please listen…"

Hesitantly, the voice continued.

"Do you remember? The fragment of the world I showed you, uh, I mean… the world where you… yes, that world. The fragment that came from that destroyed world…"

"…"

"The thing is, I think… I ended up in that destroyed world. I don't know what happened… but this… I tried to go to the others, like Jung Bin-nim, but this… you're the only one I could reach. Damn it, why do I keep…"

As the voice grew longer, it started to tremble with tears. Eventually, there was a long sniffle. After the sound of wiping away tears with a sleeve, a hesitant voice said cautiously,

"I'm really sorry, but… can you help me?"

"…"

"It's too… quiet here…"

The presence outside the door vanished. Only then did Cha Eui-jae carefully open the door. On the paving stones where wet footprints were left, a small white fragment lay alone, stained with a black smudge.

Cha Eui-jae stared at the fragment in silence. The last words spoken, tinged with sobs.

"It's too… quiet here…"

The silence that descended upon the ruined world. He could painfully understand the quiet she spoke of. In truth, the only one who could truly grasp it was Cha Eui-jae.

And so, Cha Eui-jae grasped the shard without hesitation.

A small light flickered within his grasp.