This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 31

– Baeksulhwa…! Our Baeksulhwa loves playing hide and seek, right? Shall we play hide and seek with Dad?

The moment that familiar yet nostalgic voice echoed in my ears, a sound I could now only hear in dreams, I realized.

Ah, it’s that dream again.

Once more, I’m dreaming of that day.

So, it was obvious what would happen next.

The naïve me, completely unaware, would simply nod innocently and hide in the wardrobe under Dad’s guidance.

– You know you must never open it until Dad says, “I found you!”

Why didn’t I realize it then?

Why didn’t I notice that Dad’s face, while saying that, was so pale it looked pitiable?

– Yes!

Don’t go.

Mom, Dad, please don’t leave me alone.

The words flowing out of my mouth and the thoughts swirling in my mind were different.

Just a little while ago, I had perfectly articulated the topic, but as I tried to speak the thoughts in my head, my lips felt stuck like a stone, frustratingly so.

If I could just say one word.

Just one word would be enough.

If you’re going to make me have this dream every time, can’t you at least let me do that?

I felt unjust, but that didn’t mean I was aflame with anger.

After all, I’ve already had this dream hundreds of times.

So all I could do was pray earnestly.

Let me speak just once.

Just once would be enough, so please let me say just one word, directed at an unknown entity.

Of course… having already gone through the same situation hundreds of times, I knew.

No matter how desperately I begged and pleaded, nothing would change.

It felt like a cruel whisper telling me I would never achieve my goals, and I feared my heart would break.

Still, the reason I endured it countless times was… because there was something I had to achieve.

That one thing was what I had been holding onto since childhood, but lately, I could feel my spirit slowly chipping away.

It was because of the words from those around me saying this talent would be difficult.

Of course, I know there is little malice in those words.

I know, but… every time I hear them, I can’t help but feel a pang of hurt.

I already knew that talent was important.

How could I not know that?

This world, after all, is one where life is determined by the talents one possesses.

But just because I have a talent that doesn’t fit the title of Hero doesn’t mean I should give up without even trying.

What if my talent is insufficient?

If my effort could fill that void, then that would be enough.

That was the mindset I’ve had as I continued to work hard until now, and I planned to do so until I achieved my goals.

However, as graduation drew closer, I found myself shaken by the onslaught of negative comments… and then, about a month ago, the duel with middle schoolers under the pretense of exchange really threw more fuel on the fire.

Talents that were practical and powerful, enough to stir jealousy upon the mere sight of them.

Among them, the most memorable was a girl named Yoonseo, soon to be entering high school, and her talent.

Even without a source to control, she could create water from thin air and manipulate it as if it were her own limbs. That girl’s talent brought forth emotions that I had long kept bottled up.

Inferiority and jealousy, that was what it was.

So I wanted to win even more.

But it didn’t feel possible.

Honestly, even if she just used her talent to splash water on my face, that duel would be over then and there.

There might be a way to hold my breath and move, but honestly, my opponent wouldn’t just stand still, so how effective could that be?

Is it really going to be impossible?

Is achieving my goal with this kind of talent truly out of reach forever?

Just as I was slowly being consumed by such negative thoughts…

I was about to duel Yoonseo soon, and I thought I couldn’t be caught up in negativity, so I forced myself to shake it off and was heading toward the bathroom to wash my face… when I heard a voice.

It came from beyond the corner leading to the bathroom, presumably belonging to Yoonseo and a boy who seemed to be her friend.

Realizing that, for a moment, I was about to get up and leave.

From what I could decipher, it seemed they were brainstorming some sort of strategy before the duel and I wanted to leave even more.

After all, I’d rather be overpowered than resort to cowardly measures.

So as I tried to leave… the voice I heard stopped me in my tracks.

– It’s better not to let your guard down. If my guess is correct, that Baeksulhwa person… her method of utilizing talent is unusual, but if handled properly, she can definitely pass the Hero qualification exam.

For someone on this side, to say something like that about my talent was the first time I had ever heard it from an unidentified kid.

Everyone else would look at me with pity or empty words of encouragement every time I showed my talent, saying it was too much for me.

That’s why I had held onto the talent I had, refusing to reveal it and training with all my might.

– ‘Can I really…?’

My heart started racing with excitement.

Maybe that’s why.

I wanted to turn around the corner right then and ask the kid who said that.

Why do you think so? I wanted to ask that.

But I couldn’t do it because, of all the bad luck, the next opponent was Yoonseo.

It was clear she had come to give advice to her friend Yoonseo before the match began… but could I really ask for advice from my opponent?

So I hurried back to the waiting room and pondered.

I thought about what the “proper utilization method” meant that the boy had mentioned.

Luckily, there were quite a few hints.

One of them was the comment about being careful in the beginning.

– The beginning…

Once I cast away all preconceived notions and mulled it over, what came to mind resonated like a bell.

I applied that to the match.

And the result was… astonishing.

Contrary to my initial expectation of a powerless defeat, I won surprisingly simply.

The match ended so quickly, even I was left in disbelief.

Perhaps that was why my conscience had been pricked a little.

After all, I had won through an act that could be seen as cheating.

However, the feelings of joy overshadowed that sensation by several times… the exhilaration washing away the negativity that had been gnawing at me recently felt so pure that I couldn’t focus on anything else.

‘So I…’

It turns out I could do it.

I didn’t have to give up.

If winning through a shortcut like this could turn my deflated heart brimming with negative thoughts into one filled with hope, then perhaps the human heart, which seems complex on the outside, is indeed quite simple.

Anyway, after finishing the duel and returning to daily life, I focused on honing the talent I had been neglecting until now.

But it wasn’t easy.

Maybe it was because I had neglected it for so long that even finding a direction on how to develop my talent was challenging.

It would have been nice if I had a friend who could advise me like that Yoonseo did.

But it was difficult to look for someone in my surroundings.

It would be hard to find someone, like that unknown kid whose voice I could only remember, who would look at my talent without prejudice and ponder it alongside me.

Although it was frustrating, the reason I couldn’t stop trying was that I had tasted even a tiny fragment of possibility.

So, Mom, Dad…

– What? Where did that kid go again? Ugh… so annoying…

– If it’s too troublesome to look for them, just start a fire. Then they’ll just come running.

– Would that really work?

Before I knew it, the promised time arrived, and as soon as it did, I was ejected from the dream.

Perhaps because I had tasted even a tiny fragment of potential.

Every time I woke up from that dream, I used to feel hopeless and despairing, asking myself, “Can I really do it?”

But today, there was none of that.

So I got up from my spot more cheerfully than usual and headed to the stamp my dad had left behind—

“Is it really here? Not the next building?”

“Ah, come on… this is the place.”

“Are you sure? I don’t think there’s a school uniform shop here.”

An unfamiliar voice, one that I remembered from my memory, flowed into my ears.

“Then you lead the way if you’re so unsure!”

“I don’t want to, that’s too much trouble…”

“Then stop whining and just shut up and follow me, okay?”

“Fine, fine.”

Could “desperate times call for desperate measures” refer to this kind of situation?

This morning, I had felt the need for someone to give me advice and think alongside me, and now, I could confirm the identity of the one person who perfectly suited that role.

Whether they would accept my plea for help was still an unknown, but at least I could now recognize their face after only knowing their voice.

Perhaps that’s why my heart started pounding with anticipation.

What kind of kid could they be?

What would they look like?

I wasn’t sure if I could talk to them, but if they helped me, that would be wonderful.

Feeling my heart flutter with excitement, I cautiously stepped toward the direction of the voices.

Unknowingly, just as unexpected connections were about to unfold, Dogun was busy trailing behind Yoonseo, who was striding forward.

Ugh…

I’ve grown up. I’ve really grown up.

When I first entered middle school, it felt like I was just being spoon-fed by the uncle, but who would have thought I’d be coming here alone to get fitted for a school uniform just three years later?

So, while I was feeling pleased, Yoonseo suddenly raised her head sharply, as if something wasn’t going well, her brows adorably furrowed, and she was intently staring at her mobile phone.

What was her sudden reaction for?

“Why?”

“Uh, nothing. Just—”

“What? What is it?”

“Nothing, I told you!”