I gently stroked Marin’s back, which was trembling in my arms.
Even though heroes must smile despite sad events, how can one suppress their sorrow and live?
I didn’t know the details, but she must have heard some bad news about her father.
Having experienced something similar, I understood that insincere comfort was meaningless in such situations.
For her, the only thing I could do was to help shield her from the gazes of passersby when they wandered our way, ensuring that she wouldn’t be seen crying.
As time passed, I felt Marin’s shaking gradually calm down as she fought back tears.
Had she gathered herself a bit?
When she lifted her head from my embrace, she seemed much more composed than before.
Marin rubbed her slightly reddened eyes with her sleeve, then gave a shy smile.
“…Thank you, Scarlet. I think I’m feeling a bit better now. I accidentally showed you a side of me I’m embarrassed about.”
“…You don’t need to be embarrassed. It’s not a bad thing. If you’re sad, it’s okay to cry.”
When I said that, Marin looked at me intently for a moment before chuckling softly.
“…Yeah, I suppose so. You really are a good guy.”
Muttering that, Marin stretched her arms and gently leaned back, speaking up.
“My dad, he’s in a coma. He’s not dead, but they don’t know if he’ll wake up.”
Her voice, seemingly calm while speaking of her father’s condition, hinted at hidden sorrow behind the faint tremor I could sense.
In that voice, she quietly continued her story.
“In the past, you know? I was sometimes a bit envious of other kids. My parents worked at the front lines, so I was often alone at home. Because of that, I envied families that spent a lot of time together. Once, I complained to my dad about it. He said that protecting others was more important than spending time with me. And then he said this.”
“…”
“For the sake of others, but really, it was to protect you, Marin. That’s why he keeps working hard. He said that for him, I’m more precious than anyone.”
“…”
“So, while I might have envied other kids, I never wished for anyone else to be my father. I love my dad. Even if he’s amusingly clueless to the point of being embarrassing, I know he truly loves me.”
Listening to her, I murmured softly.
“…He sounds like a good father.”
Marin nodded slowly in response.
“Yeah. He’s the most proud and wonderful father in the world.”
In Marin’s gaze, there was a reflection of the sky, as she stared for a while into the piercing blue that reminded one of her father.
With a firm bite on her lip, she suddenly stood up and said to me.
“Let’s get going. Based on the direction we were heading, it looks like we’re on our way to help with the demonic beast carcasses, right? I can drop by the hospital on the way there.”
“…Will you be okay?”
I was worried that she might be forcing a smile, but Marin nodded enthusiastically.
“My dad said it was okay to fall several times, as long as I can stand up again. I want to be a proud daughter when he opens his eyes again, so I need to work hard.”
Marin said that, putting on a brave smile.
Her determination to rise from sorrow was so dazzling that I couldn’t help but smile along.
As I watched that brilliant image, I silently prayed for Marin’s father.
Wishing that he would wake up soon to see what a wonderful person his daughter is.
As we approached the designated location with Marin, I noticed people busy at work here and there.
Some were carrying syringe-like containers while others struggled to load demonic beast carcasses onto a huge truck.
They all had one thing in common: they were dressed in what looked like spacesuits.
Was this protective gear against the magic emanating from the corpses?
Having experienced wearing something similar during my military service against an epidemic, I knew it felt like a sauna inside, even just being in it.
It looked incredibly stifling, and they had to work hard in those suits.
Just as I was starting to feel out of breath,
“Oh, it’s Miss Scarlet! Are you feeling okay now?”
One of the ‘space people’ approached and spoke.
It was hard to distinguish his voice due to the echo, but it was easy to identify who he was among the others.
He was noticeably shorter than the rest.
“…Jessie, right? I’m completely fine now, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Hehe, is that so? I’m glad. You looked like it was hard to walk last time; I thought you were very sick.”
At my words, Jessie removed her helmet, looking relieved and flashed a cheerful smile.
Then, when she noticed Marin beside me, her expression suddenly stiffened.
“Oh, Marin… um, I heard about your father. I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah…”
“Huh…”
With a caring demeanor, Jessie instantly transformed her expression into one of sorrow, jumping into Marin’s arms.
Having lost her family due to the witch’s trickery before, it seemed she felt an even deeper empathy for Marin.
For a moment, Jessie sobbed in Marin’s embrace, trembling before murmuring.
“…Both my brother and your father. Why do witches take our precious people away? I can’t forgive them, not ever…”
“…Um.”
“Still, I’m really relieved.”
Jessie lifted her head.
“I’m glad that the bad witch who harmed Marin’s father was defeated by Yoon Si-woo. Right?”
Just a moment ago, Jessie was sad, but now she wore a bright smile.
“The witch is strong, so I thought revenge would be difficult. But when I heard that Yoon Si-woo defeated the evil witch, I can’t even express how happy I was. If one commits wrongs, they should face punishment and it happened that way. He’s someone who deals justice to the bad witches. Don’t you think Yoon Si-woo is just like a hero from a story?”
“…A hero?”
“Yes, a hero! That’s why I’m trying not to rush too much anymore. Surely, our hero will defeat the wicked witch who killed my brother!”
Even if someone experiences sorrow like Marin, there are those who rise above it.
And there are also those who are buried beneath the overwhelming sadness.
Jessie was one of them.
That doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing.
Losing family is an immense pain, and Jessie, being kind and affectionate, couldn’t help but be more sensitive to such hurt.
Regardless, I know.
The eyes of Jessie, who had momentarily lost their light due to sadness and despair, were now deep with a rooted sense of vengeance.
Thus, her bright smile felt even more out of place.
And the moment I saw the glitter in Jessie’s eyes, I felt chills run down my spine.
What shone in her eyes was not the light she radiated herself.
It was the light of reflection.
In those gazes of those who sought to forget the pain brought by sorrow, shone the reflection of looking upon the grand light that was Yoon Si-woo.
Indeed, I wished for him to become their light, thinking that it was better than letting them go mad with sadness.
Yet, there was a side effect.
When I lost my parents and suffered a bit of depression, I found many others on the internet who were seeking someone to rely on to forget their sorrow.
There were various types of support systems they turned to, but one of the stories that often came up was those who found a godly light as their object of reliance.
That is not a bad thing.
Truly, firm faith can be a pillar of support during tough times and provide strength to overcome sorrow.
However, if taken too far, rather than simply relying on it, they end up pouring more and more into it.
Blinded by the light, they become unable to introspect.
Those who lose themselves in the brightness, neglecting right and wrong, become blindly faithful.
And beyond that, those who lose themselves not in sorrow but in light become fanatical.
It’s possible that to those who chase the light that is Yoon Si-woo, he can become their guide.
As long as Yoon Si-woo walks the right path.
For those who have followed the light of Yoon Si-woo, as long as he ponders over right and wrong,
I trust that he can handle that.
I know the character he has shown and the heart he possesses.
I know the sacrifices and efforts he has made for this world.
However, the unsettling part is that Yoon Si-woo is no god, but merely human.
Thus, I wish for people to understand.
No matter how amazing Yoon Si-woo appears, he is still someone capable of losing his way or making mistakes sometimes.
I looked at Jessie, who was smiling.
What truly reflected in her eyes—was it merely Yoon Si-woo?
Or was it the hero she desires from the stories?
The gazes of the fanatics wavered disturbingly.
That wavering sometimes distorted the very light they viewed.
I prayed that the name reflected in her eyes would not be avidity, blind faith, or fanaticism.
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