Memorize Chapter 13

An Hyun appeared deeply conflicted by Park Dong-Gul’s offer. If someone else had proposed forming a team, he might not have struggled so much. An Hyun instinctively distrusted Dong-Gul, sensing an unspoken, dark undertone despite his smooth words.

Regardless, Dong-Gul had the upper hand. Despite his manipulative approach, he managed to bring two of the three minor players (An Sol, Lee Shin-Woo, and Lee Bo-Rim) into his fold.

An Hyun’s anxiety had already reached its peak. Although he couldn’t abandon his sister, the outcome of her actions had been made clear by the open area incident. To make matters worse, An Hyun’s options were effectively removed. Dong-Gul’s strategy had left him in a dilemma, unable to act decisively.

If things continued to tilt in Dong-Gul’s favor, the likelihood of An Hyun, An Sol, and Yoo Jeong being left behind increased significantly. Dong-Gul, however, was oblivious to this, not understanding that his actions might lead to his downfall. While I and others present assessed people’s tendencies and stats to judge survival potential, Dong-Gul neither had that capability nor desired it.

From the start, Dong-Gul and I had different criteria for forming a team. I sought allies who would be useful in the Hall Plain, while Dong-Gul wanted a team he could control according to his preferences.

In this context, the situation could actually work to my advantage.

Ultimately, whether the balance of power shifted depended on Kim Han-Byeol’s decision. With me absent, everyone’s attention naturally turned to her. After a period of calm contemplation, she glanced around and then stood up, though she still seemed uncertain as she lightly bit her lip.

“I think we should also bring the person who’s watching over us.”

After a long period of thought, her statement wasn’t a direct choice. Those who had been anxiously awaiting Kim Han-Byeol’s decision finally let out a collective sigh of relief.

Dong-Gul, acting as if he had made a significant concession, responded with, “Ah, right.” He then spoke in a tone that suggested he was willing to allow it.

“Alright… bring him along. While you’re at it, give him a rundown and tell him to make his choice. We don’t have much time, so get it sorted out. Oh, wait a moment.”

As Kim Han-Byeol was turning to leave, Dong-Gul stopped her with a polite smile.

“You and he can be of help. So, make sure to communicate well with each other. I won’t hold it against you. After all…”

He glanced briefly at An Hyun before trailing off with a deliberately vague remark.

“Anyway, you’re both welcome. I hope you make the right choice.”

Dong-Gul’s performance was reaching its peak. Lee Shin-Woo, already convinced of Dong-Gul’s strength, gave Kim Han-Byeol a small encouraging gesture. At this point, Dong-Gul had practically emerged as the victor. Whether anyone liked it or not, he had achieved his intended goal.

Even if the start was tangled, it seemed that age was not wasted. Lee Shin-Woo and Lee Bo-Rim were unaware that they were being manipulated or perhaps had succumbed to the value of their lives despite knowing the risk.

As Kim Han-Byeol approached, I slowly closed my eyes. I was feeling both a headache and a sense of relief. I could have interfered with Dong-Gul if I wanted, but doing so would have negated the purpose of my departure. More importantly, this situation, though unintended, might turn out to be a win-win for both of us.

Dong-Gul had eliminated the obstacles to his leadership, An Hyun and Yoo Jeong, and I could secure three out of the four individuals I had targeted. It was frustrating to see talented individuals being swayed by smooth talk, but that was their issue, not mine. If I could successfully bring in the remaining person, things might resolve more quickly than expected.

Rustle, rustle.

While I had my eyes closed, I heard the sound of grass being brushed behind me. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. I quickly got up and readied my crossbow on my left arm. Seeing Kim Han-Byeol reminded me of the 'she' from before, stirring up an inexplicable feeling within me. As I aimed the crossbow forward and pretended to carefully survey my surroundings, I soon heard a soft voice calling out to me.

“Hey…”

“Hm?”

Startled, I turned around to find Kim Han-Byeol looking at me with calm eyes. I deliberately rubbed my left arm and made a pained expression before speaking.

“I’ve heard crying a couple of times, but it doesn’t seem to be around here yet.”

“Thank you for your hard work. The discussion is nearly over, so you should come with me now.”

“Well then, let’s go right away.”

Just as I was about to turn around with a natural expression, Kim Han-Byeol, as expected, grabbed hold of me.

“Just a moment.”

As I turned back, Kim Han-Byeol opened up with a hesitant expression.

“Well… the discussion took an unexpected turn.”

“Unexpected turn?”

“Yes. Here’s what happened…”

Kim Han-Byeol nodded at my question and began to explain what had transpired. While I wanted to guess her inner thoughts as she spoke, she presented the key points in a very objective manner. Normally, in such situations, discussions tend to become biased one way or another, but I found myself genuinely impressed by her impartiality.

“So this is the current situation. What… what do you plan to do?”

After Kim Han-Byeol finished her explanation, she immediately asked which side I was leaning toward. Although I had already made up my mind, I pretended to be unsure, tilting my head thoughtfully.

“I didn’t expect the discussion to go that way. I’m still undecided.”

“I feel the same way.”

“How do you feel about what that man said?”

At my question, Kim Han-Byeol briefly looked into my eyes and answered in a softer voice than usual.

“I don’t think what he said was wrong. However…”

“Is there something that bothers you?”

“…Yes. I feel uneasy whenever I see that man. But strangely, I couldn’t find any mistakes in what he said at the time.”

Shin-Woo and Ibo-Rim moved on. Seeing them, Kim Han-Byeol must have been deep in thought.

And I finally understood why she said she would personally bring me. Although I wanted to discuss more, time had already passed significantly, so I took a step and momentarily kept quiet. Now that I had a glimpse of her thoughts, I could return and just add some seasoning.

Though there was no exchange of words, it was clear Kim Han-Byeol was following behind me. After waiting a bit, I spoke up.

“I don’t like what that man said.”

“……”

“He cleverly mixed the strengths and weaknesses of his logic. Therefore, there couldn’t be any wrong statements. He wrapped the weaknesses well with strengths, making his arguments highly advantageous.”

Though there was no verbal response, I felt an unspoken request for further explanation. Despite Park Dong-Gul's considerable cunning, I couldn't afford to lose Kim Han-Byeol. So I decided to explain the answers to her concerns one by one.

“There’s a condition for being honest that goes beyond just not lying: it's whether one can adhere to the words they’ve said. Does that man seem like someone who sticks to what he says?”

“No.”

Kim Han-Byeol answered immediately.

“From our first meeting until now, his impression hasn’t been great, and his actions have been disrupting the team’s harmony. I’d rather stay with the people who are already here than join the team based on his uncertain words. So, I’ll be staying with the existing members.”

Glancing back slightly, I saw that Kim Han-Byeol was deep in thought, contemplating my words. Less than a minute later, as people became visible in the distance, I could hear her whispering softly behind me.

“I'm worried about the two who went ahead.”

This statement was practically confirmation that Kim Han-Byeol had made up her mind. I was relieved that I hadn't gone in with a blunt approach, but rather chose a more indirect method. If I had started with something like, “Park Dong-Gul is trying to use Lee Bo-Rim and Lee Shin-Woo. So, don’t go. If you do, you’ll be used too,” she would have likely distrusted me as well. Since she seemed quick-witted, I figured a gentle nudge would allow her to grasp the general meaning of my words.

As the distance between us and the hill decreased, the people divided into two groups at the top of the hill became clearly visible. The situation hadn’t changed since the last time I saw it.

On one side were An Sol and An Hyun, along with Lee Yun-Jung. On the other side were Lee Shin-Woo and Lee Bo-Rim, with Park Dong-Gul in the lead.

The moment we reached the top of the hill, I could see six pairs of eyes focusing intently on Kim Han-Byeol and me.

"Looks like they’re coming now. Anyway, thanks for keeping watch."

Seeing Park Dong-Gul acting as if everything was settled already stirred a bit of resentment in me, but I forced myself to keep calm. The varied expressions in the eyes of An Hyun, An Sol, Lee Yun-Jung, Lee Shin-Woo, and Lee Bo-Rim created a strange feeling within me. I chose to halt instead of immediately joining them, causing Kim Han-Byeol, who had been following me, to stop as well.

“I thought you’d arrive soon. Anyway, did you get the gist of what happened on the way?”

“I did.”

“It ended up like this. It’s tough, but please try to understand. We’re doing this to survive.”

As Park Dong-Gul finished speaking, I heard Lee Yun-Jung mutter a curse softly. Regardless, Park Dong-Gul strode over to me and extended a large hand.

“Join our team. We could be friends. We’d welcome both you and the young lady behind you.”

The tension in the air reached its peak, with everyone waiting for my response. Knowing well the anxious feelings of those around me, I turned away from his hand and replied in a cold tone.

“I can decide for myself who I can be friends with. I appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to decline.”

Park Dong-Gul didn’t blink. Still keeping his hand extended, he turned to Kim Han-Byeol and asked,

“…And what about you?”

“I can’t trust you.”

Kim Han-Byeol also turned away from him. As we passed by him, Park Dong-Gul sneered and spoke in a mocking tone.

“Ah, so you’re going to be like that. No matter what you heard from that fox on the way, you’ll surely regret this.”

“If you value your own life, you should value others' lives as well.”

“You’re talking nonsense. I went out of my way to consider you, and this is how you respond… Well, do as you please. I have no intention of forcing anyone who doesn’t want to join. Just don’t come begging to rejoin the team later.”

“That won’t happen.”

“Shin-Woo, Bo-Rim, let’s go! We’ll be in danger if we stay with such a hypocritical person.”

Had they already introduced themselves? Seeing Lee Shin-Woo and Lee Bo-Rim being dragged away by Park Dong-Gul, I felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted. I took calm steps and stood in front of the remaining people. Their eyes conveyed a mix of relief and an unclear sentiment towards me. An Hyun let out a deep sigh and spoke to me.

“Thank you for your hard work. As you can see… it turned out like this.”

“Hmph. It’s for the best. There’s no need to feel disheartened, right? They left because they wanted to. Let them do as they please. Whether they live or die is their own business.”

Lee Yun-Jung’s sharp words made me involuntarily chuckle. As she said, they were the ones who left. And we are not the ones who were left behind but rather the ones who chose to remain.

These two statements carried a significant difference.