Chapter 86: Hollow Promise
Shifting his weight from side to side, Zayn asked:
“I’m sorry, but could you elaborate a little more on the whole stalking thing? What exactly has she done? And when did it start?”
Hae-ryung replied without hesitation, as though it were a trivial matter.
“It started on the first day. I followed Lucas around for a while. Then we formed the guild and ended up here. That was when she walked in and started talking to me.”
Zayn stopped swaying.
“Saying what…?”
Hae-ryung stared at the wall for a moment before answering:
“That… I was her type and should go with her. I don’t know where she wanted us to go, but I refused.”
“Oh.”
“Since then, she keeps showing up and trying to convince me to go with her. I have little interest in her.”
‘I’m glad she finally said more than two words… but what?’
“Have you done anything to… uh, stop her?”
Hae-ryung crossed her legs demurely.
“She hasn’t actually done anything. Chasing love isn’t a crime.”
‘Seriously, why is she so unbothered by this?’
“But stalking is one.”
After a brief pause, Hae-ryung replied:
“Ah… I suppose it is. I might be a little desensitised.”
Zayn’s eye twitched.
“What do you mean by that?”
With a sigh, Hae-ryung explained:
“She’s not my first stalker. I had a few back in my homeland. It’s kind of a problem there… Anyway, she’s at least upfront and graceful about her intentions. As long as she’s direct and doesn’t seem intent on causing harm, I let her do as she pleases.”
‘…’
Zayn shook his head.
‘What a warped view.’
He hesitated before replying:
“It’s not really my place to say anything, but…”
Hae-ryung sighed and interrupted him:
“If I drive her away and take away the peaceful routes, she may become violent or forceful in her approach…” She looked away and bit her lip. “I know… what I’m doing.”
Zayn hung his head.
“I’m sorry… but it doesn’t seem that way to me.”
Hae-ryung’s gaze snapped to him.
“I didn’t ask for a lecture. Besides… are you not a stalker of mine as well? In fact, you seem like the more dangerous, lurking kind.”
“Huh?”
“Back in the trial, you stared at me nearly every chance you got. After… that day.”
‘Oh…’
Zayn couldn’t refute it, but…
“And yet… you let me in? Alone?”
He’d come here to learn more about the freckled girl, but now he had a second purpose, one he couldn’t simply ignore, even if it meant helping a Disaster.
“Well…”
Hae-ryung looked away, her voice trailing off into the room.
Zayn took a deep breath through his nose.
“Look, I’m not a stalker. I can promise you that.”
Without looking back, Hae-ryung asked:
“If that’s the case… then why did you stare at me so much?”
Zayn shifted his foot uneasily.
“That’s, uh… because you’re easy on the eyes?”
Hae-ryung scowled.
“Why did that sound like a lie? That’s more insulting than simply calling me ugly. I don’t know… how to feel about that.”
‘This woman… is beyond weird.’
Yet, as strange as she was, she seemed innocent to a fault.
‘I can’t understand why she’s a Disaster.’
Or why Axel and Cynthia were, for that matter. All three of them had been nice, even kind, to a fault.
‘Does being kind… make someone a Disaster?’
For the first time, Hae-ryung’s voice gained some inflection. She lowered her voice and spoke more slowly.
“And now you look all sad and sorry… am I truly that pitiful?”
“Oh, uh… I… Look, our lives are fundamentally different now. You don’t have to duck your head and conform… Don’t just let people be creepy and stalk you. You’re not weak. You can fight back. Say something.”
“I see.”
After a silence was born and stretched on, Zayn sighed and asked:
“What else can you tell me about her? Her name? Guild? Which trial she did?”
Hae-ryung shook her head.
“I know nothing about her. All she ever says is to come with her, and…”
“And?”
“And… not to trust you.”
Zayn froze.
‘What? What have I done… to make an enemy of her?’
“But you’re telling me that, so…”
“I’ve come to not ditrust you… I truly believe that you’re simply weird, not a stalker.”
“Thanks… I guess?”
An awkward silence settled between them. Letting out a dry cough, Zayn turned toward the door.
“That’s all I really wanted to know. Thanks. I’ll be going now.”
Hae-ryung called out to him:
“Wait!”
His eyes widened slightly as he turned to meet her gaze.
“Yes?”
“I had something… I wanted to ask you as well.”
“Okay…”
“You saved me, back then. Didn’t you?”
“Huh?”
“On that night. Midnight was about to fall and everyone was inside, but you came out to look for even one more person… and that person was me. Am I right?”
Zayn studied the vulnerable expression on her face.
“You are.”
“Thank you so much, Zayn. Thank you for saving me.”
‘Don’t… say that.’
Zayn swallowed hard.
‘Don’t dare say something like that.’
It was despicable.
‘You have no idea… what I was contemplating in that moment.’
All he could do was nod faintly and feign acceptance of the gratitude he didn’t deserve.
In hindsight, leaving her out there to die would have been a mercy. But he’d been too feckless to commit such a ruthless act. And now, because of that, she had to continue suffering through the trials all for naught.
The very ally who had saved her life was destined to slaughter her.
“If she comes back, or anyone in the future bothers you, tell me… I’ll help in any way I can.”
Raising her head, she opened her mouth and silently began to form the word ‘no,’ but choked before she could finish. Then she exhaled softly and said:
“Alright. I’ll do that.”
Zayn could feel his heart racing.
Before she could keep him there any longer, he turned and left her room without so much as a ‘goodbye’ or ‘good luck’ for the upcoming trial.
He hurried down the hallway and back to his room.
‘Bad…’
He swallowed hard.
‘Bad. Bad. Bad…’
He unlocked the door and slammed it shut behind him.
‘This is bad.’
Why…
‘Why did I promise such a thing?!’