Luck is a stretch

The intensity between Hyosung and the man grew palpable, as if the air itself was charged with their heated exchange. Unfortunately for Hyosung, he was at his wit's end - the person he was dealing with was no laughing matter. Even if he managed to give a crafty answer to the man's questions by some miracle, it was already too late.

The man had read Hyosung like an open book, leaving him completely exposed. Was there anything Hyosung could say that would be worth believing at this stage?

Highly doubtful.

"Helloooo, sorry for disturbing you guys, but the stranger needs to be taken inside for treatment," a female voice yelled from the background.

Whether it was Hyosung's good fortune or just a stroke of luck, the heated conversation between him and the man was cut short by an old woman approaching from the distant pastures. Despite her apparent age of around 70, she moved with precision and grace, appreciating the beauty of the lush green field. Hyosung, however, was too preoccupied to pay much attention to such minor details.

"Saylzao, I gave you permission to stay with the poor young boy under the condition you wouldn't disturb him," the old woman spoke with a shaky voice, yet her tone held a hint of annoyance.

"Oh, come on, Urane. I was just making small talk. Besides, I kept his body warm with mine for 3 hours - the least I could do was try and get his name," Saylzao replied.

"...Huh?" Hyosung's mind raced with various scenarios that could have occurred during his unconsciousness. It was his first time being laid upon by someone, though not in the way he had wanted or expected. Once again, he couldn't be blamed for this, it seemed.

"It's not like it's my fault an old... uh, YOUNG MAN such as him felt generous enough to use his body to lay upon mine. Maybe this place has a shortage of females?" Hyosung pondered, watching Saylzao and Urane continue their argument.

The way they bickered caught Hyosung's attention. They seemed to have a deeper connection, as if bound by an invisible thread, arguing like children despite their years.

"That's enough, Saylzao. I don't want to argue anymore. Carry this young man inside now!" Urane demanded.

"For a woman in her dying years, you still have a lot of arrogance. Who do you think you are, ordering me around?" Saylzao retorted.

"I may be in my dying years, but I can still kick your sorry ass," they argued, neither side willing to back down. Hyosung, however, was growing weary of their bickering, which was starting to become an earache, though he couldn't just walk away if he wanted to.

His presence was entirely sidelined, which was ironic since he was the cause of the argument. Fortunately, the pastures were a public place, open to everyone from the young at heart to the young.

"Granny Urane! Mr. Saylzao! What's taking you both so long?" a strange male voice echoed from the distance.

The loud voice caught their attention, and immediately, large smiles stretched across their faces, and the tension vanished. It was a voice most unfamiliar to Hyosung, yet it gave him a sense of calm and certainty, as if he had been saved from all his troubles.

The boy rushed through the pastures, heading towards them as fast as his legs could carry him. Hyosung grew curious about this person, who seemed to have the power to end quarrels and insecurities with a single sentence.

The louder the footsteps became, the more anxious Hyosung grew, until the sound of crushed grass ceased, and silence filled the area, as if the boy had disappeared into thin air. Urane and Saylzao remained composed, as if they had anticipated the event, while Hyosung was at his wit's end.

"YOOO!" the boy suddenly screamed, leaping from the opposite direction, startling Hyosung.

Urane and Saylzao remained composed, as if they had predicted the boy's obnoxious stunt. Hyosung, on the other hand, reacted as anyone in his position would.

"What the hell?!" he yelled, launching off the grass at great speeds. The sound made his heart race, his skin felt cold, and his nerves became flustered, making it difficult for him to control his breathing.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, but it was the only way..." the boy spoke gently, trying not to further upset Hyosung.

"Only way for what?!" Hyosung replied in a fit of rage. He was not the smartest or most rational when surprised, but he was too nice of a person to be blamed.

"It was the necessary action I had to take, in order to help you stand on your own two feet," the boy explained.

Urane and Saylzao turned their heads towards Hyosung, struck with awe by what they saw. Hyosung, too, was stunned, as his mind struggled to process the boy's words. Suddenly, his eyes and mouth twitched, and a pool of sweat ran down his face as he slowly lowered his gaze to the ground.

"Gasp!" Indeed, it was true - though his legs continued to tilt and bend, they still managed to keep his body above the grassy pastures.

"There's no way... He actually tricked my body into being able to stand, but what's more surprising is how I didn't notice until he said it. Is such a tactic really that potent? Or is there more to what he did, since my legs aren't stable enough to bear my weight?" Hyosung muttered to himself, exchanging fierce glares with the boy, who responded with a friendly gaze and a wide grin.

"Sigh, I won't lie, you always find new ways to surprise me, no matter how many times I think I have you figured out, Mintugakye," Saylzao said, staring at Hyosung with a menacing smile.

Saylzao's animosity was palpable, even from a distance. Hyosung had barely spent an hour in this new world, yet things were already going wrong. He had yet to receive the help promised by the "thing" that had brought him here.

Hyosung's composure weakened, with sweat still streaming down his face. He lost the strength to look anyone in the eye and lowered his gaze once again. "This makes no sense. How did he vanish and then reappear in the other direction? It's obvious this man doesn't like me. But I haven't done anything - is he going to kill me? He can't, right?" his mind raced with questions.

That was the first moment when understanding was further from him than life. He felt as though death was 10 steps behind him, in the form of a human, and each step he took was a countdown to when his life would end. "I don't want to die again. Not after a second chance at life!" he thought.

"It's good you can walk. Now I won't owe this big oaf any favors!" Urane said optimistically, breaking the silence.

"Mintugakye, since you got him to stand, you'll aid him in walking back to my home, where he can get better treatment," she instructed.

"Yes, ma'am," Mintugakye responded, wasting no time in supporting Hyosung. "Alright, Hyosung, don't strain yourself. I'll help you walk, just follow my footsteps. Oh, and if you're wondering who I am, the name's Mintugakye, but you can call me Black!"

Displeased, Saylzao dashed towards Urane, gripping her arm tightly. "Urane, are you insane? He can stand now! He's recovered! We should be asking him questions to know more about him, unless you want history to repeat itself?"

"You mean the history caused by you? Remind me, whose fault is it that we lost our freedom and now sleep and walk under the pretense of a false sky?" Urane replied composedly, a hint of animosity in her tone. It seemed Saylzao was not the only danger Hyosung should worry about during his stay.

"I've already paid for my crimes! And it's because of those crimes that I'll keep an eye on that boy in everything he does, and the moment I see him act out once, his head will roll," Saylzao threatened.

"You haven't paid for anything. Because of you, future generations will never see the joy of day or night and will live under this false heaven until they return..." Urane's words cut deep, and Saylzao felt the pain as if he had been stabbed through

the heart.

In the end, neither he nor Hyosung had a right to any kindness.