I Don’t Want This Reincarnation

The hall inside the gate, where the statue of the goddess stood in the centre, was much bigger and wider than what I expected.

Walking in front of the huge statue, I carefully used my ability and flew up. The resting guild members, who I saw from over the goddess statue, looked small.

“Still looks like an ordinary statue…”

Was the horror I felt earlier due to my mood? The goddess statue carved out of marble was delicately sculpted down to each individual hair, giving it a lively feeling as if it were alive.

I kept snooping around the statue like a fly would hover around a person, but I didn’t find anything particularly special.

“Umm…”

I guess it was an illusion. It was ridiculous to keep being suspicious of a normal statue. I sighed, released control of my ability and went downstairs.

“Huh?”

Something round was trampled on the floor on the right side of the statue. When I leaned down and looked closely, I saw a blue jewel. It looked just like the jewel that was embedded in the door. Why was this here?

Geugeuk.

At that moment, a strange sound was heard from somewhere. I frowned and looked around, but there was no problem.

‘Did I hear it wrong?’

I scratched the back of my head, leaving the goddess statue behind and moved on.

“Yi-gyeol-ssi! Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

"Pardon?”

When I appeared, Kim Soo-hwan started talking to me as if he was waiting for me.

“I made some simple soup because it was time to eat, but there’s nothing left now…”

“Oh, that’s fine.”

I didn’t really feel hungry at all. It wasn’t a big deal to skip a meal. I smiled at Kim Soo-hwan, who was sorry, and said not to worry about it, but something flew at me from the other side.

“Ah.”

Reflexively, I caught it. It was a wrapped sandwich.

“Eat it,” Ha Tae-heon, who threw the sandwich at me, said in a stern voice. It really was fine. I guess I just made you worry.

“That’s right, Yi-gyeol-ssi. If you get hungry later, you'll have a hard time keeping up. And Yi-gyeol-ssi needs to eat some more. You’re too skinny,” Kim Soo-hwan, who looked at Ha Tae-heon with sparkling eyes, nagged with a stern expression.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Look at your wrist. I can hold the entire thing in one hand.”

Kim Soo-hwan grabbed my wrist and chattered. Wasn’t the wrist the part that can be held in one hand?

‘Han Yi-gyeol’s body just doesn’t look good.’

He was too skinny. For a man, his skin was too white. Should I go to the beach in summer and tan it on purpose?

“Kim Soo-hwan-ssi.”

I just nodded my head to Kim Soo-hwan’s words while thinking of something else, but Ha Tae-heon interrupted with a cold voice.

“Aren’t you being too rude? Release your hands.”

“Huh—yessir! I’m sorry. Sorry, Yi-gyeol-ssi.”

Kim Soo-hwan was startled by the sudden chill that went down his spine and released my wrist. At the same time, I was perplexed.

“No. I’m fine…”

“Han Yi-gyeol-ssi.”

“Yes?”

“Follow me.”

In this situation? All of a sudden?

‘Crazy. What’s wrong?’

I glanced at Kim Soo-hwan and shook my head, but Ha Tae-heon didn’t care and only sent a glance, asking what I was doing. Ha, I can’t honestly say no.

In the end, I left behind Kim Soo-hwan, who had become gloomy, and followed Ha Tae-heon. Kim Soo-hwan’s expression did not look good.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi, wait a minute.”

I almost ran after Ha Tae-heon, who was walking with long legs. The place where he stopped and stood was behind a large pillar, where the light did not reach and a thick shadow was cast.

Ha Tae-heon looked down at me after confirming that the distance with the guild members had widened to a certain extent. His expression was not much different from his usual expression, but looking at his cold eyes, it was clear that he was in a bad mood.

“Is this okay? If you talk to Kim Soo-hwan-ssi like that…”

“I guess you’ve just become friends. You worry about him unnecessarily.”

“Who am I friends with? I’m talking about Ha Tae-heon-ssi’s attitude.”

“What about my attitude?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? Even in the shrieker room earlier.”

“As long as we entered the gate together, it is more unnatural to not care.”

“Don’t make excuses. Are you the type of person who gives someone you don’t know a sandwich because they skipped a meal?”

Ha Tae-heon raised his eyebrows at my words and pointed to the sandwich.

“You speak well. Others eat everything on time, but where were you and what have you been doing that you couldn’t eat?”

“Should I report what I do even during my breaks? And it’s okay to skip one meal.”

“Are you proud of skipping meals? Stop talking nonsense and eat right now.”

How do you eat in this situation? I handed him the sandwich I was holding.

“I don’t like it. Just take it. I don’t even have an appetite.”

“Eat it yourself before I force you.”

“I said I don’t need it.”

As I refused firmly, an ominous light flashed in Ha Tae-heon’s eyes. Ha Tae-heon grabbed my neck as I instinctively tried to step back.

“Ugh, what—”

“Be quiet.”

I grabbed Ha Tae-heon’s arm, but I couldn’t escape. His arm felt as hard as a rock.

While I was struggling, Ha Tae-heon, who took the sandwich, ripped open the wrapping paper with his teeth.

“Wa-wait a…”

Were you serious when you said you would force me to eat? This crazy—!

“Open your mouth.”

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi, wait a minute. I’ll eat it. Let me go.”

“I don’t want to be deceived by such obvious lies. Open your mouth.”

A sandwich with the wrapping paper removed came to my mouth. I shook my head in fright, but Ha Tae-heon looked at me with an expression that he would keep this posture forever until I ate it.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi… I was wrong. If you let it go, I will eat it with my own hands. I’m not lying.”

This wouldn’t do. I changed my method and began to beg Ha Tae-heon with a very sad and pitiful expression. Ha Tae-heon’s forehead twitched when I appealed to him to let me go, my eyes full of sincerity. Was it working?

“This is the last time. Open your mouth. If you don’t open it again…”

“Ah, oh! I got it. Opening, I’m opening it!”

You were such a stubborn and annoying bastard! I closed my eyes tightly and opened my mouth as slowly as possible. Then the sandwich came between my lips.

“Chew and swallow.”

“……”

Shit, bastard.

My face heated up at the words he said as if he was teaching a child. I felt like I was going to die from shame. It was fortunate that a large pillar covered Ha Tae-heon. I didn’t want to show anyone this ugly face.

“Uurgh, wait, slow down…”

“There’s a lot you want.”

That’s why I wanted to eat it myself! I tried to look at Ha Tae-heon with resentment, but he firmly shoved a sandwich into my mouth.

Munch munch…

“It takes a year to eat just one sandwich.”

Munch…

Unfortunately, I couldn’t answer because I was eating. Fortunately, Ha Tae-heon lightly grabbed my neck and I could swallow it.

“Is it because your mouth is small?”

No matter what Ha Tae-heon mumbled, I was absorbed in chewing. I was full of thoughts of wanting to get away from Ha Tae-heon as soon as possible.

When I barely finished eating the whole sandwich, Ha Tae-heon released my neck. Ha Tae-heon laughed as he saw me pounding on my chest, which had become cramped from eating too quickly.

“How funny.”

“……”

Let’s be patient.

Tidying up the messy collar, I asked, “…was this because you’re dissatisfied with me? Ha Tae-heon-ssi.”

“Dissatisfied?”

“The Roheon Guild gave me such a hard time before, but now that I’m skipping meals, they’re taking care of me. Which rhythm should I match to?”

“Match the rhythm, you say,” Ha Tae-heon, who looked at me with a sad expression, answered. “I’m surprised you’re willing to match it.”

“If it’s Ha Tae-heon-ssi, I could provide enough service for that level, but I don’t think you want it very much.”

“It will be fun to watch.”

I sighed and said in a tired voice, “I’m suspicious that you’re going to find it hard to believe in me. I know it well.”

“……”

“But this attitude doesn’t help anything. For Ha Tae-heon-ssi…”

“It doesn’t matter.”

He cut me off. The words that I could help with anything that I couldn’t spit out lingered in my mouth.

“I don’t care what you are hiding. I just want to know if you’re a good guy. I will make that decision on my own.”

“…Ha Tae-heon-ssi, I—” I hesitated for a moment. “I thought that Ha Tae-heon-ssi and I at least had enough trust to make a deal.”

It wasn’t that I didn’t understand Ha Tae-heon’s position. Things have been the worst since I first met him. I know it all. I know.

‘It’s still sad. Even though I’m sincere.’

In my heart, I wanted to tell you everything if I could. How sincerely I supported and liked Ha Tae-heon.

“But now that I see it, it seems that I was the only one who thought so.”

If you couldn’t do that, it was probably right to back off. It was ridiculous to force someone to believe in you.

I focused my eyes on Ha Tae-heon, who was listening to me without any reaction.

“Do you remember the terms of the contract? You said that if I provide an S-class or higher item, you will retrieve one thing I want.”

“I remember.”

“What I want, I will tell you now.”

I didn’t want to tell you this way, but I can’t help it. It would be better to keep things neatly organized.

“You will have a schedule in China in three months.”

Ha Tae-heon frowned at my words.

“There, you will meet a prophet who can see the future. Just give me information about him.”

“…you’re sure. That I will meet the prophet.”

“For now.”

Since the flow of the original has changed a lot since I intervened, there was a possibility that he wouldn’t meet him. Still, there was nothing to lose by saying it first.

“If you can’t meet him then, please let me know when we meet at any time after that.”

“From what I hear, it seems that you are the prophet.”

“I’m not.”

“If you’re not a prophet, how do you know the future?”

“…I’m sorry.”

When I apologized while avoiding his gaze, Ha Tae-heon’s expression became even colder.

‘There was a novel that I enjoyed reading, and you’re the main character of the novel… If I told you the truth, what kind of reaction would you have?’

You do it, you’ll be treated like a madman. It wasn’t much different from now.

“Please keep the contract. If you do that, I will not interfere with Ha Tae-heon-ssi anymore.”

“Hah, right. The contract.” Ha Tae-heon spat out the words like he was chewing on them. “Don’t worry. I’m curious as to how true your words are.”

Ha Tae-heon turned his back and walked out from behind the pillar. Being left alone, I took a deep breath that I had been holding back.

That was why I tried to talk about the contract slowly when things got better. It’s all gone wrong.

The prophet didn’t sit still in one place but travelled around China, so I needed Ha Tae-heon’s help to meet him. If it went according to the original story, Ha Tae-heon would definitely meet the prophet.

‘It’s bothering me.’

Now, it has become difficult to openly help Ha Tae-heon. Well, I guess I had to secretly help out from behind.

Brushing off my clothes one last time, I slowly walked out from behind the pillar.

I sighed at the situation where I had to go around the gate for three days with Ha Tae-heon, who was furious. Please, I hope things go well.