The Second Coming of Gluttony Chapter 356:
Chapter 356 . A Hero In Paradise, But on Earth (1)
Kim Hannah sharpened her mind as Jang Maldong stared down at her coldly .
The smile on her face disappeared, and she instantly became expressionless .
She stood tall and clenched her teeth as she stared at the enraged Jang Maldong .
Just as Jang Maldong was about to take her silence as an affirmation, Kim Hannah spoke up .
“That’s… a misunderstanding . ”
“A misunderstanding?”
“Yes . I know what you are trying to say, but you’re mistaken . ”
Kim Hannah said firmly and straightforwardly .
Jang Maldong scoffed .
“I did not think you were so incompetent, Miss Kim Hannah . ”
“I appreciate your compliment, but…”
“Of course, Seol Jihu is the one who spent the money carelessly . But was it so hard to give him a word of advice? That he should take only a little bit home at a time because his family might get suspicious?”
“That’s—”
“Fine . Let us suppose you did not know Jihu would act so thoughtlessly . Right, you might feel that you’re being unfairly accused . But I want to know . This incident worsened Jihu’s already bad relationship with his family, so what was the reason that you forced him to visit them with wine?”
“I admit that the way I approached the problem was wrong . But—”
“Yes, it was wrong . It was very wrong . But that isn’t what I am asking . ”
Jang Maldong said in a seething voice .
There was a reason he was pressing her so much .
The most important step in resolving a problem was the way it was handled initially .
In a way, the problem with Seol Jihu’srelationship with his family could have been solved smoothly . Even if it wouldn’t have been easy, it at least could have improved to a much better state than it currently was .
But because Seol Jihu took the wrong first step, his family relationship had deteriorated to an almost irreversible state .
Examining why it became so bad, the cause could be found in Kim Hannah’s intervention .
Of course, she might be innocent .
But Jang Maldong had to suspect her at least a little bit because he knew how meticulous she usually was .
That perhaps, Kim Hannah had led the situation to worsen with some purpose…
“At the time, I thought that was for the best . ”
Kim Hannah spoke at that moment .
“Do you remember the Delphinion Duchy Laboratory incident?”
Jang Maldong raised an eyebrow at the sudden mention of a past event .
He certainly knew about the incident but could not understand why she was bringing it up .
“It wasn’t just that incident, actually . The Forest of Denial expedition, the Arden Valley Baiting operation, the Delphinion Laboratory Infiltration mission… Jihu constantly put himself in situations of extreme danger that other low-leveled Earthlings would not even think of . Without even telling me, his Inviter . ”
Kim Hannah’s voice was calm and collected as she recounted the past, and she continued with a firm voice .
“It might have been a coincidence the first or the second time . But when the same thing happens a third time, it can no longer be a coincidence . While adapting to the unfamiliar environment quickly, Jihu was falling into Paradise quicker than anyone else . From all the way back then . ”
“So you’re saying you did what you did because you were afraid of his Paradise addiction?”
“Because what I feared became a reality . ”
Kim Hannah smacked her lips and answered .
“I told him over and over again that Paradise was not where he belonged, but he didn’t listen . In fact, whenever he went back to Earth, he looked like he wanted to return to Paradise as quickly as possible . ”
Kim Hannah sighed .
“It was complicated . Jihu acted carelessly and escalated the severity of the problem, but then he avoided the problem and tried to go back to Paradise… I judged that his relationship with his family would become irreparable if left alone, so I made him visit them using the wedding anniversary as an excuse . Because at the time, his family was the only place on Earth where he might find peace . ”
Jang Maldong flashed his eyes glaringly but still listened silently .
“You might think it was too hasty, Master Jang, but Jihu did not show any withdrawal symptoms that addicts often experience . He didn’t even mention anything about gambling after experiencing everything he went through in Paradise . It was as if he was never a gambling addict to begin with…”
Kim Hannah was saying that the rate at which Seol Jihu got addicted to Paradise was beyond anyone’s imagination .
“Jihu was reluctant to leave once he entered Paradise . I did think that it would be better if he took the time to get closer to his family, but that conflicted with him hurriedly needing a place of rest on Earth . In the end, I decided it was better for him to meet his family rather than growing farther apart . ”
“… . ”
“Of course, I admit that I was too hasty . That was my mistake . ”
“I see what you’re saying . ”
Jang Maldong raised his chin and looked down at Kim Hannah .
“But am I wrong in thinking that you are trying to package what happened in your favor?”
“Master Jang . ”
“Even a monkey can fall from a tree, but Miss Foxy making a mistake? I find that too hard to believe on its own . ”
“I am human too . I’m not saying what I did was right, but I can’t be perfect all the time . Otherwise, I would still be holding onto my position in Sinyoung rather than being in this place right now . ”
Kim Hannah smiled faintly .
“Looking back, I’ve always made mistakes when it came to Jihu . ”
She cleared her throat and continued .
“If I may reveal my honest thoughts… you’re right . I tried to control Jihu . ”
“Control?”
“Don’t think too badly of it . The Jihu from back then had a slew of problems both in Paradise and on Earth . ”
Kim Hannah continued .
“I know that the current Jihu has accomplished great things that make him comparable to the legends of Paradise . But if you set them aside and only look at him as just another person, Jihu is the type of guy who needs a meticulous producer . I’m sure you understand what I mean as his master . ”
Then, Kim Hannah smiled bitterly .
“But… Jihu couldn’t be controlled . ”
“… . ”
“I felt it in my gut the first the day we came to Eva . That Jihu could not be controlled . My mistake was in realizing this too late . ”
Kim Hannah let loose a deep sigh . Jang Maldong didn’t say anything . He simply kept Kim Hannah bound to the same spot with a silent gaze .
“…I’m sure you know . ”
Jang Maldong spoke up after a moment of silence .
“But I cannot see you, Miss Kim Hannah, in a good way . ”
“Yes, I‘ve had the feeling that you do not like me . ”
“I’m sure you know why . When you allied with the Triads and acted without saying a word to Jihu, I didn’t say anything because I knew it was for his own good… But I’ve always felt uncomfortable about it . ”
“I understand . There are other members that hate me for that matter as well . I did it, fully aware of the consequences . ”
“Yes . I know what you’ve done for Jihu so far, and so I’ll overlook the matter with his family as something that you judged to be in his best interest . But know that this will be the last time . ”
Jang Maldong emphasized that there would not be a next time .
That this was his bottom line and he would not sit still if she tried to interfere again .
Kim Hannah was no fool, and she quickly understood his intention .
“If you want to prove your innocence, you will have to show me through your actions . Especially when it comes to the matter regarding Jihu’s family . ”
“You don’t have to worry about that . Jihu already told me last time that he would take care of it on his own . I agreed with him as well . ”
“I hope you take responsibility for those words . ”
That was all .
Jang Maldong took his eyes off Kim Hannah once she gave the affirmation that she took her hands off of Seol Jihu’s family matter .
He turned around and continued walking .
He had mixed feelings all the way until he arrived at the Valhalla building .
Seol Jihu was the only thing on his mind .
It was then .
Jang Maldong caught sight of someone as he went inside while still deep in thought .
Phi Sora was sitting in the lounge area, eating a sherbet .
An idea must have sparked inside Jang Maldong’s head at that moment as he suddenly raised his voice .
“Sora!”
“Whadda what!?”
When he suddenly shouted, the joyously humming Phi Sora threw the spoon in her hand in a startle .
She turned to the side, furrowed her brows, and spat out a breath .
“Grandpa?”
“Come here for a bit . ”
“Why’d you shout!? You scared the living **** out of me!”
“Since when were you so easily scared? Anyway, get over here! I need to tell you something . ”
“Ugh, I was in such a good mood too… What annoying job is he gonna make me do this time…”
Phi Sora grumbled, but still got up obediently and followed Jang Maldong .
“So, what is it?”
“Do me a favor . ”
“A favor? You? From me?”
“Listen up . ”
Jang Maldong explained slowly, and Phi Sora couldn’t hide her shock .
“W-What?”
“Do you think you can do it?”
“Well, it’s not like I can’t… but why me?”
Phi Sora was about to protest when she saw Jang Maldong’s heated gaze and shut her mouth .
“…Argh, dammit! But I fought with that son of a bitch!”
Phi Sora scratched her head and scowled .
*
Seol Jihu got up from bed rather late the next morning .
He couldn’t sleep all night .
What Jang Maldong said to him kept lingering on his mind .
He couldn’t help but have immature thoughts like ‘but we won the war’ or ‘I worked harder than anyone else’ . But Seol Jihu eventually shook off these thoughts .
Jang Maldong had taught him selflessly until now, and what he said wasn’t really wrong either .
Regardless, a day had already gone by, and he had to return to Earth by the end of it .
“…Man!”
Sighing, Seol Jihu climbed up the stairs when he suddenly caught sight of a beautiful, red-haired woman coming down .
Coincidentally, their eyes met .
“Uh… . ”
The woman’s eyes widened .
A faint smile spread across Seol Jihu’s face .
Just looking at Phi Sora cheered him up a bit .
He was feeling a little down, and now he had the perfect person to prank .
Of course, Phi Sora reacted in a completely different way . She immediately furrowed her brows and scowled . And just as she attempted to assume indifference and walk past him, Seol Jihu clung onto her .
“Miss Phi Sora~”
“Screw off . ”
“Eii, Madam Phi, why are you so angry~?”
“I told you to screw off . ”
Phi Sora shot back in a sharp tone .
However, Seol Jihu didn’t back down .
Squeeze, squeeze .
He skillfully massaged Phi Sora’s shoulders and fawned over her .
“Stop! Where do you think you’re touching? Get your hands off me this instant!”
“Eii, what are you sulking for? So petty . ”
“What was that?”
“Now, now, have you had breakfast? You haven’t, right? Let’s go . ”
He grabbed Phi Sora’s hand and pulled her up the stairs .
Phi Sora went with him, pretending to give in . Seol Jihu had come to her just when she was wondering how she should strike up a conversation with him .
They arrived on the tenth floor .
Because it was time for breakfast, several people were already sitting together, chatting away noisily .
Seol Jihu brought Phi Sora to a seat, then went straight to the kitchen .
Shortly afterward, he walked out with a plate .
A bowl of steaming ramen was placed on the table .
Seol Jihu then placed a small plate of kimchi and a bowl of white rice, finishing the Seol Jihu Ramen Special .
Phi Sora was taken aback .
“Oh right, you advanced to Level 6, right?”
“…Yes . ”
“Congratulations . What’s your class name? I know it used to be Royal Guard…”
“It’s Duke . ”
“Iya~ That’s a cool name . Ah, the noodles are gonna get mushy . Go ahead . ”
With a silly smile, Seol Jihu pushed the bowl of ramen toward her .
Phi Sora looked noticeably uncomfortable, but her body was honest .
Gulp . With the sound of swallowing saliva, she gave in to the temptation and picked up the chopsticks .
“Dammit, do you add drugs to the ramen or something? Why is it so **** good?”
She grumbled as she picked up a waterfall of ramen with her chopsticks .
Slurp, slurrrp .
Seol Jihu smiled beamingly as he saw Phi Sora eat with a tasty sound .
Finding this gaze uncomfortable, Phi Sora glanced up and looked at Seol Jihu .
“I’m gonna say this in advance . ”
She spoke indifferently with her cheeks stuffed with ramen .
“Don’t think this is all it takes to calm my anger . ”
“Does that mean you don’t want to eat my ramen from now?”
“Agh, fuck, that’s not what I mean . I’m saying you should show some sincerity after angering someone so much . ”
Phi Sora corrected Seol Jihu as if the prospect of never eating his ramen again terrified her .
Seol Jihu tilted his head .
“Sincerity?”
“Yes, sincerity . For example…”
Phi Sora gave a sidelong glance .
“You and I met on Earth once before, right?”
“Yes, at the pork belly place . ”
“Great . Then go on a little picnic with me . ”
“…Come again?”
“Aren’t you going to Earth anyway? You should tag along with me on a trip while you’re at it . Let’s see, where do I wanna go…”
Phi Sora recalled the conversation she had with Jang Maldong last night while pretending to think .
[There’s a place you need to take Jihu to . ]
[It’s…]
“I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii . ”
Phi Sora shrugged .
“It should be summer on Earth right now . Why don't we go to the beach together? There’s a place called Waikiki that’s famous for its beach resorts . ”
The smile on Seol Jihu’s face disappeared as soon as Phi Sora said this .
His expression stiffened frighteningly like he just heard a load of nonsense .
‘I guess it’s true that he hates going back to Earth . ’
Phi Sora was inwardly astonished .
“…Hawaii? Out of the blue…?”
Soon, just as Seol Jihu said with a smile—
“What, what? You guys are talking about a beach trip? I wanna go!”
“Me too! Where are you guys going?”
Hugo and Chohong appeared out of nowhere and joined the conversation .
“We already decided on a place . Hawaii . Grandpa decided, actually . ”
“Huh? That old man did? Really? Then this is going to be the first time I’m seeing him on Earth . ”
Before anyone noticed, more and more people began to gather around Seol Jihu .
Seol Jihu stared in a daze as they chatted in excitement .
“Seol, Seol, you’re going too, right? We’re meeting on Earth for the first time?”
Hugo asked with a beaming smile .
Seol Jihu didn’t answer .
“Seol?”
“… . ”
“Seol? Seol! What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
Hugo nudged him with his elbow .
“Ah . ”
Seol Jihu finally snapped out of his daze and replied .
“I don’t know… . ”
“Eii, don’t skip . This is a group bonding activity! You should be there as Valhalla’s representative!”
“Group bonding activity, huh . I just don’t know if we need to meet on Earth . We can’t even speak the same language there . ”
“Who cares? It works out once you meet . I’ve met Dylan and Chohong before, and that’s what happened . ”
“That’s a good idea, going on a vacation together . Everyone’s going back to Earth anyway . Chances like this don’t come up often . ”
Kim Hannah chimed in as well .
“Aha! Miss Kim really knows what she’s talking about!”
“Hawaii has a hospital specialized for Earthlings, so I can make preparations right away . I know an acquaintance there . Of course, that’s only if the representative gives me permission…”
Everyone turned to Seol Jihu at Kim Hannah’s words .
Seol Jihu simpered .
“I just don’t get it . ”
“Don’t get what?”
“I mean, you guys always go on a vacation after something big happens . Do you really need to?”
“Well, it’s not like we need to…”
Chohong shrugged .
“But what’s there to not get? Isn’t it just part of having fun?”
“Having fun?”
“Yeah . What’s better than having fun to forget bad memories?”
‘Bad memories?’
Seol Jihu frowned . His gaze seemed to be asking for an explanation .
“Think about it . We just had a huge war . How many times did we almost die? Can you forget all about it?”
“… . ”
The answer was no .
War wasn’t an everyday thing, and with how impactful it was, Seol Jihu would never be able to forget it .
Perhaps until he breathed his last breath .
“But we won . ”
“Winning aside… Never mind . What’s important is that Paradise left us with unforgettable memories, whether good or bad . ”
Chohong continued .
“So we need to make them fuzzy before they really take root in our heads . With Earth’s memories, of course . Replacing them with other memories of Paradise would be no good . ”
“… . ”
“And actually, you might need this more than anyone else . Of course, you don’t need to go on a trip . People have different ways of preparing for death in Paradise… So, is there anything you do in particular?”
Seol Jihu closed his mouth . He suddenly remembered how Phi Sora worked part-time to look back on her life on Earth .
But what about him?
“If you don’t, just come with us on this beach trip . It’ll be fun to see each other on Earth for once . We can curse each other out all we want since we won’t be able to understand each other anyway . ”
“Right, right! It’s more fun than you think! So? You’re going, right, Seol?”
Hugo interfered tactlessly .
Seol Jihu licked his lips until letting loose a deep sigh of frustration .
He understood what they were saying, but he couldn’t empathize with it at all .
In fact, doubts emerged within him .
“…You guys must not like life in Paradise that much, huh . ”
A quiet murmur flowed out .
Chohong furrowed her brows, and the smile on the excited Hugo’s face faded away .
“Hey, that’s not what we mean . ”
“Yeah, yeah, I get what you mean . Yes, a beach trip sounds nice . People who want to go should . Preparing for the worst-case scenario is good too . I acknowledge that . ”
Seol Jihu took a roundabout way to say they should not force someone into going if they didn’t want to go .
“Sounds good? Then let’s go with that . Oh right, I haven’t told you guys about the fruit and the divinity, right?”
Seol Jihu nodded his head and changed the subject in a bright voice .
“Listen up . It’s hard to say anything about the divinity, but the fruit is amazing . This thing’s effect is…”
However, he had to stop as everyone was staring at him fixedly . A few had dazed looks, and a few were casting suspicious glances .
This was no surprise given Seol Jihu’s very obvious strange attitude .
Even the dull Hugo noticed that Seol Jihu was trying to change the subject .
“Uh… Seol . ”
Hugo carefully spoke up after a brief moment of silence .
“Do you hate going back to Earth?”
“…No, it’s not that I hate it . ”
“Then do you not want to see us?”
“Hugo . ”
“I just… we spent a long time together in Paradise… so I wanted to meet you on Earth too…”
Hugo murmured dejectedly .
Seol Jihu shut his eyes tight .
*
In the end, it was decided that Seol Jihu would go back to Earth .
Although he didn’t give a definite answer on whether he would go on the trip, it seemed like almost everyone else agreed .
Kim Hannah went back to Earth, saying she would make preparations .
By the time the sun went below the horizon, Valhalla’s building became rowdy .
Seol Jihu and others left the building after wrapping up a few matters in Paradise .
On the way to the temple .
Everyone was busy chatting about the upcoming trip, but only Seol Jihu remained silent .
In truth, everyone knew .
Seol Jihu, who had been running around after the war pulling pranks left and right, was now all serious and quiet . He even looked a little angry .
Though the furtive glances annoyed him a bit, Seol Jihu didn’t show it .
He acknowledged the need to go back to Earth .
But being thrust into it was…
‘No . ’
Seol Jihu smiled bitterly as what Jang Maldong said kept surfacing in his mind .
He couldn’t deny it .
Because the mysterious rage and anxiety he was feeling now were the same emotions he felt when he didn’t have any money and couldn’t gamble .
Unless he was being forced like he was now, he probably would not even think about going back to Earth .
He acknowledged this…
Seol Jihu walked while suppressing his displeasure, and before he noticed, he had arrived at the temple .
“If you’re going straight to Hawaii in Area 4, set your coordinates accordingly . As for the rest, send us a mail, alright?”
Phi Sora waved her hand in front of the warp gate .
“Ou! See you guys in Hawaii!”
Hugo shouted excitedly .
Seol Jihu didn’t say much . He sighed for the umpteenth time and walked up the stairs .
Though he heard someone calling his name, he didn’t look back and dived into the wavering, sea-colored portal .
It was his fourth return trip to Earth .