I’ll Retire After Saving the World

Chapter 98: Snowball (3)

TL: SHW

“Listen carefully, I-rok.”

I steadied Woo I-rok, who was slumping down.

Damn it. This name just doesn’t sit right in my mouth. Woo I-rok? Woo I-rok, of all things. How long has it been since I last thought of this name?

I've barely ever spoken it out loud. No, is this the first time? Of course, no one at the research lab knew this name, and once I got outside, I was only ever called by my hyung's name. My biological parents weren't kind enough to register the birth of an experimental subject made in a lab, even if it carried their genes. Why bother with birth registration when the subject could be disposed of at any time? It would only cause trouble.

The only reason I was able to live as Woo Hwijae was because of that. An unidentified child who grew up in a research lab. And I wasn’t even the only one.

The kids who had been kidnapped were no problem. Since there were missing person reports filed, they all reunited tearfully at the hospital and went back home.

The problem was the handful of children who tilted their heads when asked their names and gave numbers instead.

Among them, if there was even one kid who could give a name, even if it wasn’t verified,

Well… what do you think happened?

All the paperwork that followed was filed under the name Woo Hwijae.

While I was still at the hospital, the doctors and nurses began calling me Woo Hwijae, and before I was discharged, that name had become official. By the time I moved to the orphanage, I was already Woo Hwijae.

After that, I continued to be Woo Hwijae.

Hong Seok-young’s son, Woo Hwijae. My Awakener registration, my resident ID card, my Hunter license, and even my driver’s license, all of it was done under the name Woo Hwijae.

For about twenty years.

During all that long time, my hyung never came to find me.

“Hyung?”

Woo I-rok lifted his head slightly to look at me.

Eyes full of trust.

Why did he accept me as his hyung so readily, without any doubt? Was I really so thoughtless?

Well, I guess if I was calling out a name that only hyung and he knew, it would be hard for him to think otherwise.

“Hyung? Why did you stop talking?”

...I should have said my brother was dead.

A man who betrayed the organization he followed his whole life not to rescue his brother, but to avenge his dead brother. Wouldn't that have made more sense? Whatever crazy things I did could have been explained by being blinded by revenge.

I regretted it too late, but what's done is done.

And even if I had said that, it would’ve been troublesome later when this damn kid turned up alive. Anyone could see he looked just like me. Even Lee Mi-seon had been certain the moment she saw the photo, that he was my little brother.

“Hyung!”

Woo I-rok hit my shoulder with his fist.

…It hurt. The weight of his punch carried some real strength. What the hell? Did I awakened earlier than I thought?

"HYUNG!!"

Anyway, I answered before I-rok could hit me again.

“Hmm.”

“Why’d you call me and then stop talking?!”

Just a few minutes ago, this kid had been sobbing, but now he was as dry as ever. If it weren’t for his swollen eyes and the small tremor still in his voice, no one would think he’d been crying.

Even if he is me, he really isn’t cute at all. Father somehow managed to raise a kid like this. How did he even do it?

Now that Father’s gone, it’s my responsibility to raise him, right? How am I supposed to raise him?

I unconsciously loosened my arm and nearly dropped him, but I snapped out of it. After all, I did try, well, not that hard, to find him. But he was still my little brother. I had to take care of him.

“Ah… Right. Listen carefully, I-rok.”

“I’m listening.”

Rude little punk.

This is all because hyung spoiled him. I knew that already. My biological parents had been afraid that their precious experiment would get hurt, so they let me do whatever I wanted as long as it didn’t interfere with their research. That’s why hyung could stay by my side, even after taking a scolding for showing me his face. And knowing that, I obediently took whatever medicine they gave me.

It only got worse after my mother became the head of the lab. As a subject of special care, no other researchers could touch me. So, when my biological parents died and the man who took over as director later came to power, he hated me. I understand. He had suffered a lot because of me.

Anyway, this ill-mannered brat is my responsibility now. The fortunate thing is that he believes I’m his hyung. Even if he’s a bit cheeky, he always listened well to his hyung… Didn’t he?

It feels like I’m digging my own grave here, but what can I do?

“Hyung! You keep calling me and spacing out.”

“Hmm….”

I tried to recall my memories. It was so long ago. I’m not even sure if what I remember is accurate anymore.

Still, I mimicked my hyung’s tone as best I could.

"Do you remember what I told you?"

"What you told me?"

Woo I-rok furrowed his brow. What would be the words his hyung said that he cared about the most at this time?

…There were too many possibilities, so I narrowed it down for him.

“You know, back at the lab….”

“…The person who said they’d help us?”

“You remember, right?”

Woo I-rok watched me cautiously for a moment before speaking.

“I wasn’t going to say this, but….”

"Yes?"

“Isn't that person was a complete scammer?”

“…A scammer?”

What’s he talking about now?

“Hyung, you said you’d come back soon.”

Woo I-rok bit his lip. His eyes glistened with tears again, as if he were about to start crying.

“But now, seeing how long it took for you to come back, doesn’t it mean… that person tricked you?”

I… might have thought something similar at one point. Or maybe I didn’t.

It was so long ago. I don’t look back on the past. Especially not this period.

But I couldn’t let him keep thinking like this. We had to get into Lee Mi-seon’s villa.

I quickly cut him off.

“No, that’s not it.”

“It’s not?”

“…It’s true that things got messed up, but what you’re thinking isn’t right.”

Woo I-rok stared at me, his expression still tense.

“If that person betrayed me, do you think I’d be able to come here and get you, I-rok?”

Woo I-rok looked at my face silently. I could practically hear the gears turning in his head.

His frown eased a little, as if my words made sense to him.

“Then what were you going to say?”

“Right now….”

This time, I furrowed my brows.

“The people who helped me are waiting nearby.”

“Nearby?”

“The orphanage. They’re waiting outside.”

Woo I-rok squirmed, clearly surprised.

Watching a face that looked exactly like mine twist and wriggle in my arms was harder than I expected.

Isn’t there a superstition that seeing a doppelgänger means death? I felt uneasy for no reason. This wasn’t just doppelgänger-level- this was basically me.

“Just in case, never talk about the lab when I’m not around.”

Even as an empty warning, I was never a nice or obedient kid. I couldn’t shut his mouth entirely, so at the very least, I had to make sure he didn’t talk about it when I wasn’t watching.

"About Mom and Dad too."

“Okay.”

Thankfully, Woo I-rok nodded without much question.

“And…”

“Hm?”

“Do you have anything you need to bring from there?”

I gestured toward the orphanage building. Woo I-rok slowly shook his head.

“No.”

I figured as much. Still, as a considerate big hyung, I thought I should ask.

I nodded.

“Good. Then let’s go.”

“Right now?”

“Yeah. We’re running away now.”

“Running away?”

“To be exact, I’m kidnapping you.”

“Kidnapping?”

"We need to avoid the eyes of the Research Lab people. So we have to sneak out of here. Understand?"

“Okay.”

“Good. Then let’s go. Hold on tight.”

I tightened my arm around Woo I-rok. The thick bushes and trees shielded us from prying eyes. The wall wasn’t that high. Just like before, I could hop over it in one go. But since I had a kid with me, maybe I should take it slow.

No, I wasn’t that soft-hearted.

“Ah, and I-rok.”

“Yeah?”

"No. 3 is also at the place where we'll be staying for a while. You remember No. 3, right? You need to get along well and not fight."

"Three wha-? Hyung, wait...!"

Before Woo I-rok could squirm, I swiftly jumped over the wall. Mid-air. I even added some flashy moves I'd never normally do. Deliberately spinning several times in the air before landing on the other side of the wall made the child in my arms go quiet.

…Did he faint? Well, he was raised so delicately at the lab that he probably never experienced such intense movement before. I just hoped he wouldn’t make a fuss about No. 3 later. Annoying things were bound to happen anyway, but I wanted to enjoy at least five minutes of peace before that.

Still, I checked on the kid. Hong Seok-young and Lee Mi-seon probably wouldn’t be pleased to see a child passed out.

“I-rok?”

“…….”

Fortunately, the kid was still conscious. His eyes were as wide as they could possibly get.

“Woo I-rok?”

“…Wow! Hyung, hyung, can you do that again?”

“…….”

No worries there, I guess.

*

“Oh my, goodness! You look exactly like Teacher Woo! I had a feeling the moment I saw the photo.”

On the way back.

This time, Lee Mi-seon was sitting in the passenger seat. She was so fascinated by Woo I-rok sitting in the backseat that she had practically turned her entire body around, clinging to her seat to look at him.

Woo I-rok, in response, scooted right up against my side to avoid her.

Unfortunately, that just made him look even cuter in Lee Mi-seon’s eyes. Seeing that, I couldn’t help but speak up.

“Put on your seatbelt and sit properly. You’ll cause an accident.”

“I won’t get hurt, so it’s fine.”

“The media would have a field day if the Guild Master of Daseon and Hunter Hong Seok-young got into an accident because they weren’t wearing seatbelts.”

“If Hunter Hong drives properly, there won’t be an accident in the first place, right?”

“Accidents don’t only happen because you’re careless. Both of you, sit properly.”

Hong Seok-young chimed in, sounding unfairly accused.

“I am driving properly. Don’t lump me in.”

“Ever heard of joint responsibility?”

"Ah, fine, fine!"

Lee Mi-seon shuddered dramatically and sat back properly.

Still, Woo I-rok wouldn’t budge from my side. The space was far too narrow for him to be comfortable, though.

When I passed through this road earlier, I hated it so much I wanted to jump out of the car. But looking back, I realized I’d been overreacting.

In the end, people adjust to living. Just like how I somehow managed to live after being thrown into the past.

Besides, I’ve spent far more time living as my hyung than as Woo I-rok. Honestly, there might as well have been no time at all when I was called Woo I-rok.

Thinking back on it, I really shouldn’t have let myself waver.

It probably means I’m inexperienced. If Yoo Ji-eun found out, she’d definitely laugh at me. She’d say, “Who told you to just sit at your desk all the time? That’s why you’re so mentally weak.”

What an irritating woman. If only she was innocent like when she was young... though that would have been annoying in its own way.

I quietly stroked Woo I-rok’s head, hoping to look like a caring hyung who had finally found his beloved little brother.

Lee Mi-seon, despite my earlier words, kept sneaking glances at the backseat, and even Hong Seok-young was stealing looks while pretending not to.

And the sharp kid, Woo I-rok, also noticed their stares and flinched his shoulders.

“…….”

I sighed and looked out the window.

I still had no idea what to do.

The sun was starting to set, and the sky was growing darker, just like my future ahead.