...
"Hey, man."
Before Hajin could bow, Theo's hand rested firmly on his shoulder, stopping him.
"You don't have to ask, Hajin. I'm already taking care of it."
The words were spoken with a simplicity that made them even more impactful. The tension in Hajin's shoulders visibly eased, replaced by a hopeful confusion.
"You... already are?"
"Of course. You'll see this week."
Theo replied, his tone calm. He briefly explained, omitting unnecessary details.
"I've had my eye on Yoon Hyun since Friday. The cadet he tried to kidnap, Jin Ha-Jeong, is safe. She's most likely sleeping peacefully in a pocket dimension right now."
Hajin blinked, his mind trying to process the information. He had been prepared to argue, to plead, perhaps even to negotiate. He'd imagined Theo might interfere with the Sven situation, since it involved Nayun, but it never occurred to him that he would also act on behalf of the other missing people.
Based on the cold logic he attributed to someone with Theo's power, the other victims should have had nothing to do with him. They were just statistics, footnotes in the story.
However, to his complete surprise, Theo not only interfered but had already thwarted one of the academic club president's attacks, saving a life that, for all intents and purposes, should have been insignificant to him.
"Oh."
Theo continued, as if remembering a minor detail, oblivious to the storm of thoughts in Hajin's mind.
"I'll also interfere regarding Sven and Yoo Yeonha in Wednesday's practical class. So, rest easy."
He patted Hajin on the shoulder, a final gesture of reassurance that everything would be okay.
"Theo..."
"Huh?"
"The truth is, I'm thinking of giving up on everything."
Hajin's words caused the sound to vanish between them, a stark contrast to the clanging weights and murmurs of the other cadets.
Theo, who was already turning away, stopped completely. He slowly turned back, and the initial surprise on his face gave way to something more complex: understanding.
"Quitting Cube?"
Theo repeated, ensuring that only the two of them could hear. He observed Hajin, not just the cadet struggling with 200 kg, but the man behind him. A man with the mind of someone in their mid-twenties, now trapped in the body of a seventeen-year-old, in a world he himself created but no longer controlled.
Theo understood; he truly understood.
Hajin no longer had his primary tool, the only thing that made him a significant variable in this crazy world: the support of the co-author. Without his Authority of Scenario Intervention and the benefits that came with it, he was, for all intents and purposes, an almost ordinary cadet.
Yes, he had the Master Marksman Gift and an encyclopedic knowledge of the original story, but in a place like Cube, where raw power was measured in mana and physical strength, he was dangerously close to the bottom of the food chain.
He must have spent the last few months in silent agony. He wasn't an impulsive teenager; he was an adult evaluating his chances of survival and concluding that they were too low. He wanted peace, an escape from the front line for which he was no longer equipped. It was a logical, truly sensible choice, in Theo's opinion.
"I understand."
Theo said, and the sincerity in his voice made Hajin, who had expected a barrage of questions, look up in surprise.
"It makes sense. You lost your main advantage. Trying to compete head-on with talent monsters like Suho or Nayun is like trying to put out a fire with a cup of water. Of course, there are also the problems you'd have to face in each arc. That would be exhausting and completely insane."
Hajin nodded, grateful for the validation.
"Exactly. I'm just an extra now. An extra with information that's becoming obsolete with every change that happens in this world."
"And you want a quiet life."
Theo completed. Far from the front line, using his knowledge to ensure a safe existence.
"I can't blame you for that. It's what any sane person would do in your position."
Including himself if there were no alternative to ensure his safety. Theo wasn't trying to dissuade him, but rather showing that he understood the depth of his decision.
"...So. Do you have a plan for what you'll do next?"
"I still have no idea, but I'm not that worried."
Theo nodded, understanding Hajin's pragmatic logic. A diploma from the Military Academy, even from a cadet who dropped out of Cube, was still a passport to a comfortable life in the outside world. Smaller guilds and mercenary groups would certainly be interested in him.
"A quiet life..."
Theo repeated, more to himself than to Hajin.
"It's a tempting goal."
He looked around the training center, at the faces filled with ambition and rivalry. At Suho, destined to be a hero of this world. At Nayun, the girl who wanted to be a hero as great as her brother. At Rachel, carrying the weight of a nation.
They were all on a path of greatness and suffering. But Hajin, who didn't have as many expectations as they did, chose to walk a safe path.
"...Do you have a date to leave yet?"
"Hmm... Maybe I'll stay until the midterm exams."
He still needed to sort some things out, and most importantly, find a place to live. With the money he had invested and what he had for current use, he could live comfortably for several years.
"I see."
Theo nodded before reminding him of something he had said a while ago.
"Either way, Hajin, let me tell you, even if you leave, I won't forget what I promised you. As soon as I find a way to send you home, I'll let you know."
Yes, on the day he told him he wasn't from this world, Theo had told Hajin that he would find a way to send him back to "Earth," and Theo had not forgotten that.
"Thank you, Theo. I really mean it."
Just the hope of being able to see his family and friends again filled Hajin with joy. It might not seem like it, but Hajin would currently give anything to be able to go home, such was his longing.
Hajin let out a weak laugh and leaned his head against the back of the bench. For the first time in a long time, he felt that he wasn't alone here, and that maybe, just maybe, losing the connection with the co-author was better than he thought.
...