Chapter 98: Forging Your Own Path
The cafeteria was quiet, except for the occasional clink of chopsticks against bowls.
Jin ate in steady, slow bites, feeling the food settle into the hollow ache of his body. Simple stuff—rice, soup, a few fried eggs, pickled vegetables. Nothing fancy. Nothing heavy. But after what he’d been through, it tasted better than any feast.
Seul sat across from him, arms resting loosely on the table. She wasn’t hovering, but her eyes flicked to him every few seconds, checking. Joon and Echo were nearby too, leaning against the windowsills, their conversation low, drifting in and out of earshot.
Some of the recruits—Areum, Hanuel, Doyun—huddled at another table, half-eating, half-watching him like he might collapse again if they blinked wrong.
He didn’t blame them.
A few hours ago, they thought he was dead or at the very least dying.
Now... he was just tired. Heavy in a way that food couldn’t fix.
Jin pushed the last of the rice into his mouth and sat back, exhaling slow through his nose.
The weight in his chest hadn’t lifted. It had just settled deeper, quieter.
"Done?" Seul asked quietly.
Jin nodded once.