[React] Everything can be connected

"Uhm.. Pardon my rudeness Lex-nim." TBOAH Choi Han called nervously at the the fox who looked at him.

"Yes?"

"We're now aware that the Cale Henituse of the other world is someone else and became a transmigrator. Does that mean it is also possible that the Cale Henituse of our world might also be same?"

TCF Cale raised his eyebrow in amusement. Even in a the different world his really smart. He thought.

"That's right. Although it might happen twenty years in the future."

Mentioning that made Kim Rok Soo scrunch his forehead remembering how the White Star killed him.

"Since you're all curious about this 'transmigrator' thing, let me show you how and why it happened."

The theater suddenly became dim and the screen started to play a video.

“I didn’t expect this at all.”

The unconscious Cale realized that he was not in the real world as soon as he opened his eyes.

He was in the same room he had been in when he first opened his eyes in this world.

He was in Cale Henituse’s bedroom.

He continued to lie on the bed and turned his head to the side.

The reason he could tell for sure that this wasn’t the real world was right there. A man who was sitting on a chair noticed his gaze and started to speak.

“Kim Rok Soo, you’re finally up?”

"Imagine how confused I was back then." TCF Cale grumbled. Kim Rok Soo tilted his head to look at TCF Cale. "I could tell you the same."

Cale observed the man calling him Kim Rok Soo.

It was team leader Kim Rok Soo in his mid-thirties. Team leader Kim Rok Soo was looking at Cale with an odd expression on his face.

"Does it bother you looking at your former body in front of you? Much more when that someone was living as you?" TCF Glenn asked. The others agreed to this. They can't help but shiver at the thought of facing their former self it that happened to them.

TCF Cale slump on his seat while hugging the throw pillow at the process.

"Honestly, it was weird. But I can't say about him living as me in my previous world because I'm doing the same thing." He uttered still facing the screen and not minding the looks that the people gave him.

Cale opened his mouth as soon as he looked into those eyes.

“Are you Cale Henituse?”

Kim Rok Soo in his mid-thirties had a twisted smile on his face.

“You recognized me right away.”

"That's my body though?" TCF Cale raised an eyebrow at Kim Rok Soo.

Kim Rok Soo, who gestured like a prim and proper noble, something that the original Kim Rok Soo in his mid-thirties would ever do, nodded his head.

“Yeah. I am Cale Henituse.”

The two souls that had switched places were looking at their respective bodies.

Kim Rok Soo who was in Cale Henituse’s body…

And Cale Henituse who was in Kim Rok Soo’s body…

Everyone at the room gulped to the unexpected and peculiar meeting between the transmigrators.

Both Henituse Family looked conflict.

The two of them could not take their eyes off of each other for a while.

“Cale Henituse.”

The first to speak was Kim Rok Soo, who was currently using Cale Henituse’s body.

"This is making my head ache." Toonka said rubbing his temple. Harol give him a deadpanned look. "Don't try to understand what you can't understand."

“How am I able to meet with you?”

“I’m not sure. I was working the night shift and fell asleep for a moment to see that you were in this bed. But you see…”

"You working even in night shift?" TCF Cale asked or more like teasing him. Kim Rok Soo's blank face made it more amusing to annoy him.

"You have no idea. I'm starting to think of moving up as CEO of the company just to get rid of night shift." Rok Soo grumbled. Ignoring Soo Hyuk and Jung Soo who's laughing at him.

"Haa... It is nice to know that I'm not the only one suffering with night shift plus being a team leader." Soo Hyuk chuckled.

TCF Cale and Kim Rok Soo grimaced.

The real Cale Henituse, who was making a kind of smile the original Kim Rok Soo would never make, mischievously asked.

“Aren’t you planning on living in that body?”

The Henituse Family looked at the center where TCF Cale and Rok Soo at.

The sudden question that was asked mischievously felt quite heavy. The real Cale Henituse shrugged his shoulders and added on.

“I plan on living the rest of my life in this body. That’s why I plan on throwing away the name of Cale Henituse and living as Kim Rok Soo.”

Both Henituse Family felt a pang on their chest. It hurts them to know that Kim Rok Soo was willing to leave them.

The real Cale Henituse’s eyes were calm. They weren’t shaking at all.

"He did not even regret it." TCF Eruhaben mumbled while looking at Kim Rok Soo's back.

The real Kim Rok Soo quietly looked at the person who was in his real body before opening his mouth.

“…So you want me to call you Kim Rok Soo?”

“That’s right. Why? You don’t want to? Don’t you plan on finishing your life as Cale Henituse as well? Then you should throw away the name of Kim Rok Soo now.”

“Pffft.”

Kim Rok Soo inside Cale Henituse’s body… No, the person who had made up his mind to become Cale Henituse nodded his head and continued speaking.

“Sure. We’ll do as you said, Kim Rok Soo.”

“Good, Cale Henituse. Now our outer appearances match our names.”

"Hmm." TCF Eruhaben recline on his seat while crossing his legs and arms.

Cale looked at Kim Rok Soo, who was laughing and making gestures that he would never have made, and nonchalantly added on.

“I guess you’ve really been happy.”

"Are you?" TBOAH Cale asked his counter part. Kim Rok Soo looked at his past self with smile on his face. The TBOAH Cale observed his smile and proved that his counter part was being sincere. The TBOAH Cale lost that smile when he lost his mother. But seeing his counter part this happy made him smile as well.

"I am. Very."

TBOAH Cale sighed with a smile on his while rubbing his temple before slumping on his seat.

"I'm glad." He mumbled. He thought he said it internally but unconsciously said it out loud making the people turn to him.

He recalled the moment he met with Lee Soo Hyuk and got the ‘Embrace’ ability.

"Ho. I did?" Soo Hyuk asked and TCF Cale nodded.

Lee Soo Hyuk had handed Cale the ability and told him about the real Cale Henituse as he disappeared.

‘Oh, by the way, the original owner of your body is living well too. He’s happy. That is why Jung Soo, I, and everybody is happy.’

Kim Rok Soo had a bright smile that suited a twenty-year-old person and not someone in his mid-thirties.

“Yeah. I met someone I wanted to see for a long time.”

Cale felt quite odd facing Kim Rok Soo, who was smiling in a way he had never smiled when he had been Kim Rok Soo.

“Who was the person you wanted to see?”

“My mother.”

Everyone gasped at that information.

"Jour." Both Deruth muttered. She's alive into a different world? They thought. Both Violan rubbed the back of Deruth to calm him and his mind. Both Ron stood frozen and looked at their former young master. TCF Ron was looking at Kim Rok Soo while TBOAH Ron was looking at TBOAH Cale.

TBOAH Cale was having mental breakdown causing him to slouch covering his face. The seven individual look at him. He was visibly shaking.

TCF Cale and Kim Rok Soo meet each other's gazes before they patted TBOAH Cale's back to comfort him who was sitting between them.

Cale was at a loss for words.

It was someone who had felt distant to Cale because she was not mentioned much in < The Birth of a Hero >. Duchess Violan felt more like a mother to him.

TCF Violan gaped at TCF Cale. She felt warm to TCF Cale's statement of her. Feeling gratitude that the soul of someone who's living on his step son's body sees her as his mother.

Now that he thought about it, Cale had never heard anything about Cale Henituse’s birth mother during his time at the Henituse Estate.

It was pretty much taboo to talk about Cale’s birth mother in that house.

Now that it was mention. No one really knew about Cale's biological mother. Both Ron remembered Cale as he comfort his mourning father.

Kim Rok Soo shrugged his shoulders and continued speaking after seeing the confused look on Cale’s face.

“Cale Henituse, my mother reincarnated in the world you used to live in, the world I live in now.”

“…She reincarnated on Earth?”

“Yeah. Earth 1. That’s the world Team Leader Kim Rok Soo in his thirties is in.”

Cale learned that his original world was Earth 1. He also recalled that Alberu’s Unbreakable Spear Taerang came from Earth 3.

"Unbreakable Spear Taerang?" TBOAH Alberu asked confusedly. TCF Alberu looked back at him.

"It is a weapon made only for me."

TBOAH Alberu didn't know what to feel about that.

‘Does that mean that the sealed god’s test was on Earth 2?’

TCF Cale give a glance to the SGT people who was looking at the screen with confusion.

Cale pushed that potentially true but unverified thought to the side to focus on Kim Rok Soo’s words.

“My reincarnated mother lost her parents when she was very young because of an unranked monster’s attack and was left all alone. I’m trying hard to become her family.”

A bitter yet proud smile was on Kim Rok Soo’s face. Cale thought for a moment before asking.

“If she reincarnated, she should be younger than you, no?”

“Ha. She currently calls me uncle.”

"Haaaah." TBOAH Cale gave a long sigh. He had calm down the fact that his deceased mother was reincarnated to another world and currently calling  his counter part 'uncle' felt surreal.

But he was happy for his counter part.

Kim Rok Soo shook his head as if he still couldn’t believe it.

But the fact that he did not seem lonely made Cale understand why the real Cale Henituse made up his mind to live as Kim Rok Soo.

Kim Rok Soo sat up and looked toward Cale, who was leaning on the head of the bed.

“I want to tell you the details, but I don’t know how much time we have so I’ll stop this story there.”

“Okay.”

Cale shared his honest sentiments.

“I want to hear the details, but I’m kind of in a rush right now.”

He was worried about what might have happened in Puzzle City and how his friends would be fighting while he was unconscious.

"Puzzle City?" TBOAH Alberu frown.

“But I’ve been here a few times to know that I can’t get out of here whenever I please.”

Cale could never leave this place on his own accord the few times he had been here.

“Really? I didn’t know. I still have a lot of work to do.”

Kim Rok Soo nodded his head as if he got some good information before hesitating for a moment and then adding on.

“…The family is all well?”

The TCF Henituse family perked up at that.

“Of course.”

Kim Rok Soo smiled differently after hearing Cale’s nonchalant but firm response. His sorrowful smile made Cale a bit emotional.

That was why he added on.

“Everybody is doing well. Father and mother are healthy. Lily is learning to use the sword. I want to make Basen be the territory Lord. But for now, he is just helping out with the administration of the territory.”

"Looks like they're doing well huh." Kim Rok Soo whispered not wanting to look back to take a peek to his former family who's now looking at his direction.

"They are."

“Hmm.”

Kim Rok Soo scratched his forehead with his index finger.

“Cale, don’t you think that Basen should be the next territory lord?”

TCF Cale groaned at that question.

"You don't want to?" Kim Rok Soo asked

"You seriously asking me that?"

“I’m not going to do it. Lily or Basen can do it if they want. Basen seemed almost willing to do it when I saw him last time.”

Cale looked disgusted at the thought of becoming the territory lord, and Kim Rok Soo looked at Cale Henituse’s expression that he would have never made if he was still in his body and started to speak again.

“His personality is a perfect fit for the territory lord. I guess he still doesn’t think that the position should be his though.”

Cale stared at Kim Rok Soo when he heard that.

Kim Rok Soo flinched before realizing something and quietly laughing.

“Basen… Yes, you’re curious about Basen, right? You’ve probably been thinking about his age. We’re only three years apart. You probably thought it was weird. It wasn’t mentioned in The Birth of a Hero after all.”

“The Birth of a Hero? You know about the book?”

“Of course. I was in your room when I opened my eyes and the book was there.”

Kim Rok Soo answered as if it was nothing before debating for a moment and looking at Cale.

“When I first spoke to Basen…”

It had been less than one month since Basen came to the Henituse County with Countess Violan.

“I said these things to that kid at that time.”

Now that everyone knows that Cale was not a trash like the rumors spread. They are not stupid to jump on conclusion that his still trash when they saw how he interact with the others and how he asked about his family's well being.

But the question is: Why? Why did he act as trash? What could he gain by it?

Kim Rok Soo recalled that moment and repeated the words he said to Basen to Cale.

“Basen. You are part of the Henituse household. Remember that. No matter where you go, your family name is Henituse. Got it? Don’t you remember what father said? Listen to me unless you are an idiot. Tell people that the Henituse blood flows through you. Tell them that no matter what.”

Basen had responded back saying he couldn’t do that, and the young Cale had responded like this.

“Shut the hell up. Do as I said. Otherwise, you won’t be able to live in this house. Do you think that the cousins and the collateral family will leave you alone? Are you going to be dumb?”

"Young Master Cale." TCF Witira looked at the screen with sympathy. She suddenly imagine herself and Paseton in that situation. Surely she would the same.

“Hmm.”

Cale made a noise as he quietly listened.

“Cale.”

Kim Rok Soo gently grabbed Cale’s shoulder.

“I don’t know whose blood flows through Basen Henituse’s body, but that kid is my younger brother, Lily’s older brother, Count Deruth’s son, and Countess Violan’s son. He’s definitely someone with the mindset of Count Henituse’s family.”

Both Basen stiffened.

Cale looked at the emotions flowing through Kim Rok Soo’s eyes before closing his eyes for a moment and then opening them back.

He recalled Basen’s face in his mind when he closed his eyes. Even if their hair color was different… He could see the weak yet stubborn face that resembled the pale Cale’s face than Deruth’s or Violan’s.

“Basen is my dongsaeng as well.”

TCF Basen tears stream down his face. He did not only have one but two older brothers who's looking after him. TCF Lily grasp her brother's hand to support him.

His older brothers sacrifice so much for him. Tarnishing his reputation at the process.

“……He is. What else do you need other than that?”

Kim Rok Soo removed his hand from Cale’s shoulder while looking at Cale’s expression that seemed to be saying that there was no need to respond to him. He then added on.

“You can ask Countess Violan about the details. You’ll probably need to chat with her if you want Basen to be the territory lord.”

"Really?!" TCF Cale sat up straight. His eyes almost twinkling. Kim Rok Soo snorted and shakes his head.

Kim Rok Soo shook his head with nostalgic eyes, as if he was thinking about the past.

“…Haaaa. No matter how much I acted as trash and the cousins wanted to kick me out, the Countess and Basen wouldn’t budge. You’ll need to convince Countess Violan if you don’t want to be the territory lord.”

“Ah.”

After hearing that, he deflated back to his seat. Kim Rok Soo and TBOAH Cale laugh at his misfortune.

"Don't worry dongsaeng. I'll find a way for you not to inherit the Henituse Duchy."

"Really?!" TCF Cale asked in much mirth.

"Duchy?!" TBOAH Cale and Kim Rok Soo exclaimed in disbelief.

"Of course dongsaeng. In return I'll make you my Prime Minister." TCF Alberu smirked.

TCF Cale's face suddenly went blank.

"No thanks."

The people at the center burst in laughter at TCF Cale. TBOAH Alberu looked at TCF Cale in amusement.

Cale let out a small gasp. Kim Rok Soo looked at him with confusion as Cale sternly corrected him.

“It’s the Henituse Duchy now. It’s no longer a County.”

“Wow. That’s amazing.”

“Yeah. It is. We’re quite an amazing household.”

Kim Rok Soo had a bright smile on his face as he watched Cale nod his head. Cale frowned.

“…Hey.”

“What’s wrong?”

“…You… Don’t the others say anything when you smile like that in my body?”

Kim Rok Soo touched the corners of his lips as if he was wondering what the issue was.

“What’s wrong with my smile? They were all happy that their team leader-nim let them go home early.”

“…Are you doing your job properly?”

“Of course. I’m going to make sure to save this world I’m living in right now. I’ll make it so that the people around me can live in peace.”

Cale closed his mouth after hearing Kim Rok Soo’s response. He had the same desires as the real Cale Henituse.

This world where he was living as Cale right now… He wanted to protect this place. He would definitely protect this place.

Everyone smiled at that.

“Ah, but is my smile really weird?”

"It is." TCF Cale said with nonchalant.

"No it's not." Rok Soo denied.

Kim Rok Soo was still touching the corners of his lips.

“I think it gives off a mature feel and makes me look charming.”

Cale almost scoffed in disbelief.

“Ho. You’re talking about a mature feel with my face-”

He felt as if he would get a headache for a different reason. He had never imagined meeting the real Cale Henituse, but he definitely did not expect to hear such bullshit now that he somehow did meet him.

Kim Rok Soo responded as if there was no problem.

“Of course. I’m over forty years old after all.”

"WHAT?!" Everyone gaped at Kim Rok Soo who shrugged.

‘What?’

Cale’s gaze turned sharp as he looked toward Kim Rok Soo.

“…Why are you forty?”

Cale had opened his eyes inside the 18 years old Cale Henituse’s body.

Kim Rok Soo looked right into Cale’s confused eyes and opened his mouth.

“The moment Choi Jung Soo died, the God of Death offered him a deal.”

The theater room suddenly became heavy. Choi Jung Soo who heard this was just watching calmly.

He was asked whether he wanted to stay alive and be transported to a different world or to save Kim Rok Soo.

The God of Death told Choi Jung Soo to make the decision, and Choi Jung Soo chose his death.

"Why?" TCF Cale whispered to himself.

“The God of Death offers you a deal at the moment of your death or if you are in extreme danger that could potentially lead to your death. When I was forty… Umm, basically, the God of Death offered me a deal when I was about to die and I accepted it.”

"What?!" The TBOAH Henituse family was in disbelief. So he was the cause of transmigrating? They thought.

Kim Rok Soo. The real Cale Henituse had accepted the deal with the God of Death.

“The conditions the God of Death offered me were simple.”

Cale could finally see the remorse deep inside Kim Rok Soo’s eyes that was clearly different from Kim Rok Soo’s bright smile.

That emotion was similar to Cale’s own emotions.

Kim Rok Soo continued speaking to the one person he could share the conditions of his deal with.

“As soon as I returned to the moment I met Choi Han, the starting point that could change the fate of our world, I would go into the body of a person named Kim Rok Soo in a different world. That was the condition of the deal.”

"Would I do the same?" TBOAH Cale asked himself. But since it was clearly stated the one nears him heard it.

"If you thought the deal acceptable and worthy, you might." Kim Rok Soo shrugged.

The God of Death had also told him that his mother had reincarnated into this Kim Rok Soo person’s world and was living a lonely life.

“Do you know why I accepted that deal?”

Kim Rok Soo put his hand against his forehead as if he had a headache. He closed his eyes.

The eyes that were full of remorse could no longer be seen.

“Where should I start… Hmm…”

He was silent for a bit before finally starting to speak again.

“I hate Harris Village.”

Both Choi Han flinched.

But why? They thought.

“Harris Village?’

Cale recalled the information about Harris Village after unexpectedly hearing about it.

The Forest of Darkness was one of the Forbidden Regions.

Harris Village was the village separated from the forest by a single wall. It was where Choi Han first met people of this world after finding his way out of the Forest of Darkness and where the Tigers, Wolves, and Cale’s friends resided right now.

"Wait what?" Everyone was confused as to why TCF Cale and his group was staying there with Tiger and Wolf.

Wait minute. The Tiger Tribe?!

"So we're somehow to connected the Young Master of Henituse County." TBOAH Gashan said touching his chin.

Choi Han left Harris Village and headed for the Henituse Lord’s Estate after the people of the village were massacred by Arm.

Kim Rok Soo’s eyes were still closed as he continued to speak.

“My mother said that she was going to visit Harris Village. There was something she needed to bury there. I found it odd that my mother needed to go to a village she had no connections with, a village that was just one of many in our territory.”

The room suddenly got chilly.

His voice was calm, but the things he was saying were quite shocking.

“My mother left for Harris Village even though it was pouring rain and the wind was strong. I was quite worried because her body had always been weak. And then…”

Everyone was holding their breath. They were hearing the information about Cale Henituse's biological mother for the first time.

Kim Rok Soo stopped for a moment as if it was difficult to say before continuing with a stoic expression on his face.

“She ended up seriously injured because the carriage tipped over on her way back due to the storm. She received treatment back home after that but unfortunately, she passed away.”

Both Deruth closed their eyes reminiscing the time with his first wife.

Cale felt as if he could hear the roaring wind from that day despite never having heard it.

Kim Rok Soo was calm.

“But the carriage accident was not the reason my mother passed away. It wasn’t that bad of an accident. Nobody other than my mother got hurt either. But everybody thinks that my mother passed away because of the injuries from the accident.”

He sighed while keeping his eyes closed.

“I only learned about the real reason for her death after meeting the God of Death. My mother…”

The atmosphere was so thick that even the others can't breath properly.

He stopped for a moment and opened his eyes to look at Cale.

“I think that my mother expected things would end up like this.”

TBOAH Cale ran his hands on his face. It is too much. Too much.

As if he was opening a chest that had sunk deep down inside a lake… Kim Rok Soo started to share these old stories with the person who was living as Cale Henituse in his place.

“Cale.”

Kim Rok Soo spoke with sorrow visible on his face.

“My mother possessed an ancient power.”

"She what?!" TBOAH Cale could feel his head throbbing. He slumped on his seat to calm down.

‘…What?’

Cale couldn’t hide his shock this time.

Cale Henituse’s birth mother possessed an ancient power. He had never expected that.

The Birth of a Hero…

The story of someone who was neither the main character nor a supporting character, the story of an extra in the story was being shared.

However, it was also the story of someone who just lived her life, even if it wasn’t mentioned in the story.

The screen turned off and the whole place became bright. Everyone could see TBOAH Cale slumped on the sofa with a throw pillow hiding his face.

"Since everyone is tired let us continue this tomorrow. Do not worry about your world since the time is frozen. It will naturally flow back again as soon as you return."

Snap!

They we're suddenly transported to a huge mansion.

"Everyone make yourself comfortable and make sure to socialize with each other. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

The white fox let out a bright light before disappearing.

Once the fox was out, silenced filled the room.

TCF Cale grimaced.

"This is going to be a long night." He grumbled.