Please Give Me A Kiss, Healer! Chapter 110

As Jiwoo kept talking, the black mist filling the bedroom grew thicker.

By the time breathing became difficult, she slowly enunciated each word.

“Kangwoo hates carrots.”

“…What?”

“He pretends to eat them, but if you watch closely, you can tell. He chews faster than usual and just swallows them.”

The more intently the man listened, the more twisted his expression became. At the same time, the vines constricting Jiwoo tightened around her body.

“W-Wait! The really important part starts now!”

Jiwoo hurriedly cried out.

Then, as though revealing a huge secret, she lowered her voice to a whisper.

“It’s not just carrots. He actually hates cola too. I think carbonation irritates him. Whenever he drinks cola, his eyes get watery.”

“…”

“But he desperately pretends he’s fine… and it’s honestly the cutest thing. Oh, and surprisingly, he loves shaved ice. If you pile on lots of sweet red beans— Ack!”

Before she could finish, the man grabbed her by the hair.

His hand clamped tightly around her tear-filled throat.

“I thought I’d been treating you like a gentleman. Don’t you think?”

“Urgh…”

“And yet you threw away the kindness I showed you.”

“L-Let go!”

There was no more conversation.

Perhaps bringing up Seo Kangwoo had been a mistake.

The man mercilessly restrained Jiwoo and dragged her toward the door.

I guess… it won’t work after all.

Just as even her last desperate struggle was about to fail—

“Ugh!”

Brilliant light flooded the bedroom.

The man groaned and released her neck.

His palm was blackened as if it had been scorched by fire.

The light that drove away the darkness was coming from the hourglass pendant hanging around Jiwoo’s neck.

When the necklace glowed gold, it meant the person she was searching for had arrived nearby.

Rubbing the red fingerprints around her neck, Jiwoo smiled faintly.

“What are you going to do now? I was stalling because… I had something to rely on too.”

The moment she finished speaking, the entire room shook violently.

The bedroom floor collapsed.

And through the opening appeared the man Jiwoo had been desperately waiting for.

“Jiwoo!”

His clothes were slightly disheveled as he wrapped her in his arms.

A cool, familiar scent washed over her.

The scenery changed in an instant.

Feeling dizzy, Jiwoo rubbed her face.

In the blink of an eye, they had returned to a familiar place—

the abandoned movie theater, just before she’d been pulled into the mirror.

Thank goodness… I wasn’t sure it’d actually work.

While she had been alone in the bathroom, Jiwoo had clutched the hourglass and prayed with all her heart.

Please bring Kangwoo to me.

Guide him to wherever I am, just like always.

She had believed that Kangwoo would find her no matter where she was.

And once again, he had answered that faith.

Vwooooom.

A massive portal opened beside the mirror.

She hadn’t seen a single monster, but apparently the dungeon had fulfilled its purpose the moment she’d met that man.

It’s over.

Now all we have to do is get everyone out.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Jiwoo looked up at Kangwoo.

Then—

His upper body lurched forward.

“…I’m sorry.”

He dropped to his knees.

Collapsing at Jiwoo’s feet, he let everything go.

“W-Why all of a sudden? Kangwoo?”

Startled, Jiwoo knelt down in front of him so their eyes met.

His eyes were trembling violently.

“I’m sorry. I was wrong… I…”

“Kangwoo…”

“I won’t be greedy anymore. I’ll just stay beside you… just… beside you…”

He rested his forehead against her knees.

Unable even to ask for forgiveness, Kangwoo could only continue apologizing.

Jiwoo couldn’t say a word.

Because the conversation she’d just had echoed in her mind.

“The Seo Kangwoo you know isn’t the real Seo Kangwoo.”

“Then…”

“He’s another copy of Seo Kangwoo.”

“Kangwoo.”

“Please don’t hate me, Jiwoo. Don’t… abandon me again…”

“Kangwoo, stop!”

Jiwoo suddenly shouted.

The moment their eyes met—

eyes that had completely lost their focus—

“You’re hurt! You don’t even realize you’ve been injured!”

Still fuming, Jiwoo placed both hands on his broad shoulders.

Then she examined the wound across his back.

“…You heard everything?”

“What?”

“…”

Kangwoo lowered his gaze and fell silent.

Seeing that only made Jiwoo angry again—

but the moment she noticed how red his eyes were, her anger melted away.

“I don’t know what you supposedly did wrong.”

“And I don’t believe everything that man said either.”

“But…”

Jiwoo bit her lip.

“I saw a man who looked exactly like you. He said there are actually two Earths, and people who look just like us live on the other one…”

She let out a long sigh.

“I don’t understand any of it anymore. Can’t you tell me now?”

She’d been bottling it up for far too long.

He’ll tell me eventually.

Someday.

She’d kept telling herself that.

But she couldn’t wait anymore.

Still gripping Kangwoo’s shoulders, Jiwoo looked down at him.

However, he only lowered his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Jiwoo.”

“I want to tell you too…”

“But I can’t.”

“Why?”

“If I make even one mistake… everything will become tangled beyond repair.”

“Huh?”

She had no idea what he meant.

Seeing her confusion, Kangwoo slowly continued.

“I know you don’t understand.”

“But Jiwoo… could you give me just a little more time?”

“Then you’ll naturally come to know everything.”

How could she refuse when he looked at her so desperately?

“…Okay.”

“Then promise me one thing.”

Kangwoo looked up at her, visibly tense.

Jiwoo scratched her cheek awkwardly.

“You don’t have to look so nervous.”

“I just want you to promise me…”

“…that you won’t come back hurt anymore.”

“Hm?”

“When you come back injured like this…”

“…it hurts me so much.”

“I don’t even know what’s going on, but seeing you blame yourself and look so defeated…”

“…it makes me sad.”

It had happened before.

When they were children, Heeseong had accidentally broken Jiwoo’s favorite doll.

He hid it afterward, but his guilt ate away at him as he nervously watched her reaction.

Then he came to me crying in the middle of the night.

“Noona… I’m sorry…”

Jiwoo hadn’t even known what had happened.

She just comforted her crying little brother.

Before long, she started crying too, holding Heeseong as they sobbed together.

Honestly…

None of the things that man had said meant anything to Jiwoo.

Copy? Give me a break.

Who cares whether he’s a copy or the original?

What mattered was the man she was holding onto right now—

Seo Kangwoo.

Someone who could seem endlessly dependable one moment, yet act like a childish little boy the next.

“If you did something wrong, I’ll scold you later…”

“…No.”

“We’ll think about that later.”

“First, let’s heal your injuries.”

Unable to refuse her insistence, Kangwoo finally revealed his wound.

A long slash ran between his well-defined muscles.

“[Heal!]”

Warm light flowed into the wound.

Nothing happened.

It was a little embarrassing to use it after everything that had just happened, but Jiwoo shamelessly steeled herself.

“Ahem…”

**”[Jiwoo’s hands are healing hands! Filled with love~ Ho~♥]”

The dark, lifeless skin gradually returned to its normal color.

After checking that the wound had completely closed without leaving a trace, Jiwoo patted his shoulder.

“All done.”

“Are you hurt anywhere else— Ahhh!”

Rumble…

Was it the doing of the man she’d just met?

Without warning, a violent earthquake struck.

Screaming, Jiwoo instinctively threw herself into Kangwoo’s arms.

The ground shook so violently that she couldn’t even stand.

Holding her tightly, Kangwoo shielded her from the falling debris.

Just as he was about to leap into the portal, he suddenly stopped.

Then he glanced at Jiwoo.

“There are other people in the dungeon?”

“Yes! They’re on the first floor!”

“It’s dangerous here. Go outside first, Jiwoo.”

“I’ll rescue the others.”

“No.”

“I’ll go myself.”

“Our family is down there on the first floor!”

“…Our family?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Hey. Wake up.”

“…”

“I said wake up! Oh Nara!”

The world spun around her.

Roused by the rough shaking, Oh Nara slowly regained consciousness.

“…Assistant Team Leader Kang Jaegyu?”

“Assistant Team Leader, my ass.”

“I left the guild ages ago.”

Maybe it was because his foul mouth hadn’t changed one bit.

Even though it had been a long time since they’d seen each other, he felt strangely familiar.

“W-Where am I?”

“Where else?”

“In this damn dungeon, damn it.”

That wasn’t what Oh Nara meant.

She knew it was a dungeon.

What she didn’t understand was why she’d suddenly woken up inside one.

Her last memory before opening her eyes here ended at the park near her apartment.

Late that evening…

Oh Nara had been walking in circles through the park, phone in hand, agonizing over a decision.

Should… I call Jiwoo?

She hadn’t spoken to Jiwoo since returning from Donghae.

More accurately…

She had deliberately avoided her.

The shame of her own ugly behavior kept crashing over her like waves.

Why on earth did I act like that…?

Was I out of my mind for a moment?

The jealousy had been brief.

The regret had lasted much longer.

Throughout her vacation, Oh Nara reflected on her actions again and again.

Deep down…

she’d always known.

It wasn’t Jiwoo’s fault that she herself was weak.

But every time she stood beside someone as strong as Jiwoo, all of her own shortcomings were laid bare.

It hurt.

It was easier to blame someone else than to face how inadequate she felt.

I really should apologize.

Still hesitating, Oh Nara gripped her phone with trembling hands.

She opened her contacts.

[♥ Hunter Jiwoo ♥]

After fumbling several times, she was finally about to press the call button—

“Wow.”

“You really do look exactly like me.”

A voice of admiration came from behind her.

It was familiar…

yet unfamiliar.

Goosebumps spread across her skin.

Oh Nara turned around.

Then she froze in horror.

Standing there…

was a woman who looked exactly like her.

That…

was the last thing she remembered.