Watching From the Gaps

The smell of toast browning filled the air. Lee Sa-young, who chuckled softly, spoke kindly.

"Go sit down, Hyung. It'll be done soon."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Hmm…"

Instead of replying, Lee Sa-young gave him a playful look. Cha Eui-jae narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion.

"Hey."

"Then, could you set the table with some plates and forks?"

"Sure."

His body moved on instinct. Glancing over, he noticed that Lee Sa-young was skillfully rolling the omelet. The way he poured the egg mixture was pretty impressive. Cha Eui-jae took out two plates from the cupboard. At that moment, Lee Sa-young put down the spatula and pressed the back of his hand against his eyes.

Once again, Cha Eui-jae's mouth moved on its own.

"…Are your eyes hurting again?"

Again? Had Lee Sa-young's eyes hurt before?

"Yeah…"

"The medicine?"

"Not yet. I was planning to take it after eating."

"At least use some eye drops. I'll handle this."

"…Are you sure? You're not going to burn it again, right?"

"If I can't manage, I'll just hold onto it, I guess."

What a lame response. Where was his pride as a part-timer in a hangover soup restaurant? Cha Eui-jae felt his pride as a hangover soup restaurant part-timer being pricked and was about to correct himself indignantly when—

Lee Sa-young replied in a voice that sounded like a groan.

"Okay…"

Suddenly, Lee Sa-young's curly hair brushed against Cha Eui-jae's shoulder. The warmth of his solid body filled Cha Eui-jae's arms. Cha Eui-jae gently stroked Lee Sa-young's straight shoulder blades and back.

"Let me know if it still hurts after using the drops, okay?"

"Got it…"

Lee Sa-young set down the square frying pan and stumbled out of the kitchen. Cha Eui-jae watched his retreating figure with a sense of pity.

Lee Sa-young was Cha Eui-jae's weakness.

Oh.

Cha Eui-jae had saved Lee Sa-young, who was dying from poison, and completed the detoxification. He even researched dungeon monster by-products to heal Lee Sa-young's melted skin. To take responsibility for the life he saved, they had been living together. Everything was almost perfect. Except for one thing—

What's that?

Just one thing— Cha Eui-jae hadn't been able to fully cure Lee Sa-young's eyes. Not only was his vision poor, but he also suffered from periodic pain. Like now.

Was that so? That doesn't quite match my memory.

Questions that didn't make sense kept disrupting his train of thought. They were infuriatingly persistent.

Anyway, Cha Eui-jae was working with the Awakened Management Bureau, searching for dungeon by-products or treatments that could cure Lee Sa-young's eyes.

The Awakened Management Bureau?

Although he was taking a break today because there were no special tasks, he had to be ready to rush out if a call came in.

Wait, why?

Suddenly, the white curtains fluttered violently. Cha Eui-jae blinked. He was holding a square frying pan in one hand and two plates precariously in the other. He carefully placed the frying pan on the induction stove, which was turned off, and set the plates on the table. The plates were decorated with violet flowers.

Violet?

Come to think of it, why are Lee Sa-young's eyes black? His eyes were such a vivid purple that they could be seen even through the thick lenses of a gas mask…

"Oh."

It felt like a splash of cold water jolted him awake.

'Shit.'

Bang! Cha Eui-jae gripped the table with both hands and lowered his head, his eyes wide open. Once he regained his senses, everything felt unfamiliar. Cold sweat trickled down his temples.

'Where the hell am I?'

Why had he taken everything so for granted? A shiver ran down his spine. Cha Eui-jae racked his brain, trying to recall his last memory.

The sudden appearance of Kkokko, the call from Jung Bin. The news that Yoon Ga-eul's soul had been pulled into another world, and that her life would be in danger if this situation dragged on. Yoon Ga-eul, who appeared in his dream, left behind a fragment, and then disappeared. And then…

Cha Eui-jae had unhesitatingly shattered the fragment.

'Am I crazy…?'

Looking back, it had been a hasty action, as if he were possessed. He could have at least finished his work before breaking it! He didn't even know how long it would take, and he did it right in the middle of the restaurant. To top it off…

'Wasn't I wearing a mask?'

Cha Eui-jae stared blankly at the wood grain patterns on the table before running his hands through his hair in frustration. A silent scream escaped his lips. How was he supposed to deal with the aftermath?

Just then, a white rectangle appeared in his vision. The white screen blinked as if greeting him.

It was a system window he hadn't seen in a long time.

[Welcome, J!]

Not happy to see you.

Cha Eui-jae ignored the system and continued to think. This place was probably the world that had been destroyed, where Yoon Ga-eul's soul had been pulled in. Of course, it made sense since she had left the fragment herself to him.

Then, what about the timeline? Cha Eui-jae quickly went to the window and looked outside. In the middle of the blue sky was a swirling black hole. This was the point in time after the Day of the Rift.

'But the fragment Ga-eul showed me… wasn't it at a point where the destruction had already happened, and they were trying to prevent it?'

Moreover, in that fragment, Lee Sa-young had already awakened, so this place must be set in the past compared to that.

So why was he dropped into this specific time? And how could he escape from here?

Just then, the white screen barged into Cha Eui-jae's view.

[Would you like to check your current location?]

It was a tempting offer. Cha Eui-jae narrowed his eyes and read the message slowly.

Current location. It was information he needed… Yeah, nothing to lose. After all, anyone who knew J's survival or that he was J already knew. Besides, he had very little information about this place.

Cha Eui-jae nodded.

"Tell me."

[Location: Memorial Dungeon (Creator: ???)]

Memorial Dungeon?

Cha Eui-jae blinked and quickly looked around. This was supposed to be a dungeon? But it didn't feel like a dungeon at all— there was no sign of monsters.

What could "Memorial" mean? Was it the name of the dungeon? But usually, dungeons had distinct names, so that didn't seem to be the case. And the fact that it mentioned the creator's name afterward… Cha Eui-jae crossed his arms. It would be faster to ask the system directly.

"What's a Memorial Dungeon?"

A new screen appeared.

[Memorial Dungeon: A space recreated based on someone's memories.]

Cha Eui-jae tapped his arm. So, it was a dungeon created based on someone's memories. If this was a dungeon, there must be a way to clear it.

'Like killing the dungeon's master…'

"What's the clear condition?"

But the system's answer was unhelpful.

[It varies depending on the dungeon.]

Who doesn't know that? Cha Eui-jae gritted his teeth. The system was just as uncooperative as ever, never giving him the important details. His head began to heat up with frustration. He leaned against the window frame and stuck his head outside to cool off.

It looked like there was a park in front of the house. The laughter of people taking a walk echoed in his ears. Cha Eui-jae propped his chin on his arm as he leaned on the window.

'The information that just popped into my head was different from what I knew before.'

Cha Eui-jae and Lee Sa-young were living together, Lee Sa-young's treatment was successful, and Lee Sa-young hadn't awakened yet. His eyes were black. All these details— it must be the memory of the person who created this dungeon. And,

'The memories probably don't last more than a few days.'

Human memory isn't perfect. The creator of this space wouldn't have perfect memory either. So, this dungeon shouldn't last long. Cha Eui-jae counted his fingers and then sighed.

'…I guess I'll just have to get through the day somehow.'

At that moment, the system window blinked.

[Would you like to receive your first-place reward?]

[Claim]

First-place reward? Cha Eui-jae searched his memory and then widened his eyes. Ah, that. It was what he received on the day the rankings were updated, after doing something he shouldn't have at a funeral. Of course, Cha Eui-jae didn't have any say in the matter.

He still clearly remembered the thrill of being resurrected after almost being disposed of like trash, so why was that window appearing now? Cha Eui-jae asked indifferently.

"What's the reward?"

For a while, the system didn't answer, only showing a blank screen. Always all talk and no action. Cha Eui-jae scoffed and turned his head away.

But then,

[We will give you what you need most right now.]

The black text appeared cautiously.

It sounded like a cheap advertisement. What Cha Eui-jae needed most right now. What, were they going to give him an escape pass or a weapon? Cha Eui-jae, still propped up by the window, reached out toward the system window.

He didn't trust the system. He hadn't before, and he still didn't.

But, the sudden change of heart was…

"Alright…"

Was it because this place felt too comforting, or because of the anxiety? Or maybe…

Cha Eui-jae pressed the "Claim" button with his fingertip.

"Let's see what you've got."

Perhaps it was Cha Eui-jae's intuition.

At that moment,

Thunk!

He heard a heavy object fall. The sound came from the direction where Lee Sa-young had disappeared within this dungeon. Lee Sa-young, who had complained about eye pain.

'Did he collapse from the pain?'

Cha Eui-jae quickly crossed the hallway and stood in front of the firmly closed door. His heart was racing. He bit his dry lips hard.

'…No, he'll be fine.'

The Lee Sa-young in the fragment Yoon Ga-eul showed him had awakened safely. He wouldn't have any serious health issues here. But…

Cha Eui-jae flung the door open.

"Lee Sa-young!"

It was a bathroom with white tiles. Lee Sa-young was sitting on the floor, leaning over the sink. His eyes were tightly shut, and his furrowed brow and the cold sweat running down his pale skin hinted at his pain. Cha Eui-jae gently cupped Lee Sa-young's cheek.

"Hey, are you okay? Open your eyes!"

Lee Sa-young, who had been groaning, slowly opened his eyes. The color of his irises, peeking through his narrowed gaze, was rapidly changing.

Black, purple, black, purple, black, purple, black…

Purple.

Cha Eui-jae held his breath for a moment. The space around Lee Sa-young darkened. Like a broken graphic, something was shattering and distorting. And then, the sky-blue checkered apron Lee Sa-young was wearing began to darken. Finally, appearing on his chest was…

'The toad from the soju brand!'

The soju brand apron that should be hanging in the hangover soup restaurant! Cha Eui-jae's mouth dropped open as he took a step back. He instinctively sensed it.

'I'm fucked.'

Strength suddenly returned to the limp body. Lee Sa-young blinked slowly. His unfocused purple eyes scanned the surroundings before finally landing on Cha Eui-jae, who was clinging to the bathroom wall like a lizard.

"…"

"…"

A heavy silence hung between them. Cha Eui-jae slowly peeled himself off the wall, faced Lee Sa-young, and cleared his throat. He felt like he needed to say something.

"…Uh, hi? Sa-young?"

Upon hearing the gentle greeting, a devilish expression crossed Lee Sa-young's delicate, pretty face. He spat out in a low, seething voice.

"…Again."

"…Huh?"

"What did you do this time, you bastard?"