Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss-Chapter 362 - 360: Their past

Seojun and Namsu stood at the edge of a quiet playground not far from Nayoung's house. The swings creaked softly in the breeze, and the sun hung low, casting long shadows across the ground. Seojun leaned against the metal frame of the slide, his arms crossed, waiting for Namsu to speak.

Namsu's expression was sharp and serious, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He took a deep breath before finally breaking the silence. "What are your intentions with Nayoung?" he asked, his voice steady but holding a trace of tension.

Seojun raised an eyebrow, clearly unbothered by the sudden question. "My intentions?" he echoed calmly.

Namsu's eyes narrowed. "Yeah," he continued, stepping forward. "I know she's attending your taming class. She talks about it a lot. But I want to know why you're helping her. What's in it for you?"

Seojun stayed silent for a moment, studying Namsu's expression. Finally, he spoke, his tone calm and clear. "I'm her teacher," he said simply. "Helping my students improve is part of my job."

Namsu didn't seem convinced. He crossed his arms, his eyes locked onto Seojun. "That's it? Nothing more?"

Seojun tilted his head slightly, his gaze steady. "What else are you expecting?" he asked, his voice unchanging.

Namsu hesitated, then looked away, his jaw clenched. "She's been through a lot," he muttered, almost as if he were talking more to himself than to Seojun. "I just... I don't want her to get hurt again."

Seojun's eyes softened just a bit, his expression more thoughtful. "If you're worried about that," he began, pushing himself off the slide and standing straight, "then I can assure you—I'm only helping her become stronger. Nothing more, nothing less."

Namsu glanced back at him, still tense but a little less hostile. "I'll be watching," he said firmly. "If you hurt her in any way, you'll answer to me."

Seojun just gave him a faint smile. "I'll keep that in mind," he replied calmly.

Seojun about to leave when Namsu's voice called out once again.

"Why are you not talking about that?"

Seojun paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he glanced back over his shoulder. Namsu had taken a seat on one of the worn wooden benches by the playground, his hands clasped together, elbows resting on his knees. He looked down at the ground, his expression heavy with unspoken thoughts.

Namsu let out a sigh, his eyes still fixed on the concrete beneath his feet. "You recognize it, right?" he said slowly, as if weighing each word. "So why aren't you asking anything? Most people would."

Seojun studied him for a moment, his gaze unreadable. Finally, he replied, his voice even. "It's your family," he said simply, crossing his arms. "Whether you want to talk about it or not is up to you."

Namsu looked up, surprise flickering in his eyes. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out. Instead, he leaned back against the bench, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"You're not even curious?" he asked, almost incredulously.

Seojun gave him a small shrug. "Curiosity isn't enough reason to pry into someone's personal matters," he replied calmly. "When you're ready, you'll talk. Until then, I won't force it."

Namsu stared at him, his expression torn between disbelief and something almost like respect. After a long pause, he finally nodded. "You're different... Professor," he murmured under his breath.

Namsu stayed seated on the bench, his gaze fixed on the swaying swings, eyes distant with memories. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice heavy with the weight of the past.

"Nayoung... she's my sister," he began quietly. "And Seungho too. We all share the same mother."

Seojun raised an eyebrow, listening silently as Namsu continued.

Namsu's hands tightened into fists. "But... I'm not their full brother," he admitted, voice lowering. "I'm from a different father."

Seojun's eyes sharpened slightly, but he remained silent, letting Namsu continue.

Namsu gave a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. "My mom... she was married to Seungho and Nayoung's dad. Everything was fine—or so it seemed. But then... she had an affair. That's where I came in."

He took a deep breath, his jaw clenched. "Five years ago... that's when everything came crashing down. It was right when the first wave happened."

The atmosphere grew heavy, tension thickening as Namsu's voice wavered just a little. "I remember that night... it was chaos. Monsters appearing out of nowhere, screams, fires... but inside our house, it was a different kind of chaos." freewebnσvel.cøm

He swallowed hard, his fists trembling slightly. "Seungho found out. He overheard my mom and dad arguing... yelling about the affair. "

Namsu paused, eyes staring blankly at the ground. "Nayoung was there too. She didn't understand what was going on, but she saw it all. Their dad shouting, our mom crying... Seungho storming out. I tried to talk to him, but he just looked at me with so much hate... like I ruined everything."

"Then... the wave hit," he whispered, his fists clenching at the memory. "It came out of nowhere. One minute, we were all yelling, the next... everything was shaking. The sky went dark... and monsters poured into the city. I... I've never seen anything like it."

His knuckles turned white as his fists tightened. "We were just... normal." He swallowed hard, eyes clouded with guilt and pain. "But he ran outside anyway. I remember him shouting to our mom, 'Get them somewhere safe! I'll hold them off!' He didn't even have a weapon. Just... his bare hands and whatever he could find."

Namsu's hands shook slightly as he continued. "We watched from the window... me, Seungho, and Nayoung. He fought with everything he had. It wasn't enough." His voice broke, and he took a deep breath, forcing himself to keep going. "We saw it... we saw him get struck down. Right in front of us. One of the monsters... it was huge, covered in spikes. It just... it just tore through him."

Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating, like the air had thickened with the weight of his words.

"Nayoung was screaming, banging on the glass... she tried to run out, but I held her back. I had to hold her back," Namsu said, his voice cracking. "She fought me, scratched me... she wanted to go out there. She wanted to save him."

Namsu's eyes hardened. "Mom ran out And Seungho He stood there. Frozen. He didn't cry. He didn't scream. He just... watched. Like he couldn't believe it was real."

Namsu took a shaky breath, his eyes glimmering with barely held-back tears. "I tried... I tried to get them out. But more monsters were coming... breaking through the streets, tearing through cars and buildings. It was chaos. I grabbed them both and ran. I don't even remember where we went... I just ran pulling them."

He paused, his voice lowering. "We hid in some broken-down shop... I thought we were safe. But then... then one of them found us." His fists clenched again, his body stiffening as if remembering the terror. "It burst through the window... claws as long as my arm. I pushed Nayoung behind me... I didn't know what else to do."

Seojun's gaze sharpened, his attention fully on Namsu's words.

"It came right at us. I thought we were dead. I couldn't move... I was too scared, then Seungho pulled us."

"We were trying to get to safety, but... one of those things appeared out of nowhere again. Big, with sharp claws... it went straight for Nayoung."

His voice cracked a bit. "I tried to pull her back, but I wasn't fast enough. That thing swiped at her, and she fell... there was so much blood." He took a shaky breath, his eyes glimmering with the memory. "I thought she was gone... but then... our mom... she..."

Namsu paused, swallowing hard. "She threw herself in front of it. No powers, no weapons... just her bare hands. She shielded Nayoung with her own body. I don't know how... but she managed to hold it off long enough for help to come."

"she did. She got hurt, really bad... but she didn't let go. She just kept holding on to Nayoung. I don't think I'll ever forget that."