Hyungoh had an incredibly strong aversion to his own memories. Understandably so, since not only his father but also his mother’s death were directly connected to them.
Michael was tormented. After Maria, he didn’t want to leave Hyungoh to die as well.
But was there a way?
Even if he was dissatisfied with the content of his dreams, they were absolute and couldn’t be changed. As long as Hyungoh discovered the truth, he would surely die.
“If the truth you have to face is so ugly and disgusting that it’s impossible to accept, are you confident you won’t run away?”
That wasn’t even the right question to ask. He absolutely wouldn’t be able to handle it. He was a coward and weak. He began to feel anxious that Hyungoh might somehow discover the truth without even realizing it.
Michael, you don’t know.
You can’t always be right. One day, Hyungoh taught him that his own memories could be wrong. Although it was a small action, he proved it, and Michael was captivated by it.
He felt liberated from blindly believing in dreams, but unfortunately, that scene was reflected exactly in his dream a few days later. Looking at the result, Hyungoh’s challenge had failed. And that failure became the catalyst for planting a small hope.
If I can’t change the content of my dreams no matter how much I struggle, I just need to cut off the source completely.
If I don’t dream at all, I can be free.
For now, he decided to put that grand plan on hold. The priority was to save Hyungoh by making good use of his abilities.
Hyungoh’s deaths were more varied than he’d imagined. Hanging himself, being spotted by intruders and killed, falling off a bridge and dying.
So he dies if he knows the truth. Michael pressured Hyungoh to prevent him from recalling old memories, even going so far as to push him into water. Everything flowed according to plan, but Hyungoh ended up leaving his side.
He thought it might be better for Hyungoh to return to Korea. Sadly, if he stayed with Michael, he would surely recover his memories.
Though it hurt to know that Hyungoh, who knew nothing, hated him unconditionally, it wasn’t the worst situation, so he endured it. During this borrowed time, he needed to either have a dream where “even if he recovers his memories, he won’t commit suicide,” or find a way not to dream at all.
It’s been a while, child.
While Hyungoh was gathering his thoughts in Korea, Michael had to reunite with Federico. Although Federico had aged, with deeper wrinkles marking the passage of time, he still possessed undeniable power.
Federico secretly threatened Michael. His intention was to isolate Hunter and take everything Hunter cherished into his possession.
Looking back, the relationship between Federico and Hunter was more complicated than expected. Though Michael didn’t particularly want to get involved in their fight, he knew he would be entangled regardless of his wishes, so he couldn’t just stand by and watch.
When they met at the gambling hall, they were drawn to each other’s weaknesses. Hunter discovered his own ugly side in Federico’s obsession with his brother, and Federico found the ideal he had so vehemently denied in Hunter’s blind love.
“How about a game with me?”
Federico was the first to speak. He said he liked Hunter’s way of loving. Blind love. There was a time when he believed such a thing existed for him too.
But reality always destroyed ideals. Love was powerless in the face of survival, nothing more than a superficial luxury. In the end, it was about showing the madness and obsession that could be called the essence of love.
Of course, that was just Federico’s opinion.
“The essence of love being madness and obsession? You sound just like yourself. Your brother chose death with you rather than a life of cowardice. But not only did you betray him, you’re busy justifying yourself.”
“Do you understand what I’m saying?” Hunter sneered at Federico.
“He experienced true love, while you just mistook your dirty desires for love.”
Federico, who had been quietly listening to Hunter’s words, soon opened his mouth.
“You’ve missed the point, Hunter. I’m not trying to judge what’s right or wrong about love.”
“Then?”
“I’m asking ‘what has the most value.'”
“…Does that question have anything to do with the game you mentioned earlier?”
“Precisely.”
Federico smiled broadly. Nothing could be more entertaining than this.
“The moment it’s proven that the essence of love is madness and obsession, it’s my victory.”
“And if my words are proven, it’s my victory? Ridiculous. How can you expect to materially prove an abstract emotion?”
“You need to use your head. Fortunately, there’s no deadline.”
“And the reward for winning?”
“What else? Let’s bet ourselves.”
Hunter burst into laughter. A bet where I wager myself.
“Alright, let’s do that.”
Hunter and Federico looked at each other with confident smiles. They were both sure of themselves, having wagered everything.
And so, Michael succeeded in understanding their relationship completely. Now his task was to create a variable in their plans.
