# Chapter 99
## 9. The Inertia of Lies
“Kim Cheoljae, he seems to be starting to move again these days.”
At Hyegang’s words, Iyeon, who was walking alongside him, shook his head exaggeratedly as if to say “finally.” His pronunciation was unclear as he chewed on the finished hard candy stick.
“I confirmed that he was moving around quite a bit and recently relocated to an even more remote place. Since then, he hasn’t left his spot at all. Seems like he’s doing something there.”
“You don’t know what’s there?”
“It just looks like some warehouse site, but there’s no information coming up.”
They were on their way back after going out together for lunch. They stopped by a mart on the way because Hyegang said he wanted something, and bought an ice cream for each person. Sano acted like he wouldn’t eat, but when Iyeon handed him a tangerine-flavored hard candy saying it was delicious, he accepted it without resistance.
Since the hotel vacation, Sano had significantly reduced his outings. To be precise, the frequency with which he went out without telling Iyeon or left to take phone calls had decreased.
As a result, the time they spent together naturally increased. It wasn’t little time to begin with, but lately it felt like they were constantly together except when going to the bathroom.
At first, Iyeon thought it might be his imagination, but it turned into certainty when Jongchan sent a barrage of threatening and pleading messages asking to please let go of Mr. Sano. What do you mean let go? It’s not like I’m keeping him captive… He had grumbled at the time, but it bothered him that it was the secretary, who knew Sano better than anyone else, saying such things.
Iyeon soon realized that not only that, but Sano’s behavior had also become strangely… kinder. This kindness was incomparable to how he used to be snippy while pulling and pushing Iyeon around like a piece of paper when needed.
“If you’re hungry, let’s go up and order something more.”
Yes, like this. Iyeon watched the hand that took the stick from his mouth and threw it on the ground. The flat wooden stick shattered and buried itself as soon as it hit the ground. Je Sano must be the only person in the world who wouldn’t feel sorry toward the Earth for openly littering.
To be honest, he didn’t know why Sano was suddenly acting this way. The only thing that had changed was that he had acknowledged that Jung Iyeon was Lee Jeongyeon. And that—according to him—was something Sano already knew.
It had been a full 10 years since Iyeon met Sano. And that was for a period of barely two weeks, if that. After the accident, Iyeon had spent many days unconscious due to gi-ryeok depletion, and after waking up, he had to adapt to a completely changed, unfamiliar environment. Moreover, he wasted a long time denying reality during that period… By the time he returned to daily life, the brief days spent at the research center had become hazy like a dream.
In such circumstances, Iyeon was surprised that Sano even remembered his face. Sano was still handsome, and his face hadn’t changed much as he grew up, making him easy to recognize, but Iyeon… well.
Due to the excessive release of gi-ryeok, the pigment in his hair and pupils had lightened, making his appearance somewhat exotic, and the aftermath of the accident had also stunted his growth. The noticeable height difference and slender build compared to Sano were evidence of this.
The fact that Iyeon’s stamina, which had been robust even when playing with Sano all the time as a child, had dropped to below average was also clearly due to the accident. One of the reasons Iyeon had quietly endured living with Sano was the calculation that he wouldn’t be recognized.
It’s not like there had been any special event recently to increase intimacy either. Since the vacation, the two had never talked about the past. Iyeon still didn’t know how Sano had lived after leaving the research center, and Sano likewise wouldn’t know what had happened to Iyeon. It wasn’t exactly a positive story to chat about comfortably…
‘Would he even be curious about that?’
Iyeon swallowed a bitter smile. While he wasn’t displeased that Sano was being nice, he couldn’t say he was entirely happy about it either. After all, this was the guy who had threatened his life despite claiming to have recognized him from the beginning. Iyeon, with his firm trust in Sano’s character, looked at him suspiciously and spoke.
“…You tend to see me as a pig.”
“Can I deny that?”
The look in his eyes firmly believed that Iyeon had chewed on the stick because he was hungry. This was the usual Je Sano. Iyeon, somewhat reassured, smiled brightly.
“Why are you smiling so annoyingly again?”
“I’m just glad you haven’t changed.”
“That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”
“Well, that’s your charm.”
“Shut your mouth if you’re going to talk nonsense.”
As they bickered lightly, they arrived at the office. Hyegang, who entered first by opening the door, casually said.
“Oh, I’m going to take a day off tomorrow.”
Is there a new game update or something? Hyegang had occasionally taken days off for such reasons. Didn’t he say he needed to become a continental player beyond being a Chohosi citizen…? Assuming it was something like that again, Iyeon asked without much thought.
“Huh? Why?”
“My brother has returned to the country.”
However, the following answer was shocking. At these unexpected words, Iyeon couldn’t respond and just stared at Hyegang with a dumbfounded face. Of course, there was nothing wrong with what he said, but still…
“I thought your entire family was gone?”
Due to the sheer bewilderment, his words didn’t pass through any filter. Despite the seemingly rude remark, Hyegang just shrugged his shoulders lightly.
“My parents did pass away, that’s correct. What I meant was that my brother wasn’t home at the time. I never said he died.”
“What the…”
It was quite brazen to have left someone in a pit of misunderstanding for years. Iyeon’s mouth gaped open and closed for a while, his face filled with inexplicable indignation. After much deliberation, he could only manage one sentence.
“…That’s good news.”
Hyegang smirked as if he had expected such a reaction.
“What kind of person is your brother?”
Iyeon quickly sat next to Hyegang and urged him to answer. Despite having spent so much time together, Hyegang and Iyeon had rarely talked about their families. Rather than indifference, it was closer to not bringing up the topic out of consideration for each other. Receiving a gaze sparkling with curiosity, Hyegang stroked his chin thoughtfully, going “Hmm.”
“My brother… there’s a huge age gap between us. He’s eight years older.”
Since Hyegang was currently twenty-two, that meant his brother was thirty. Thirty was much older than both Sano and Iyeon.
Naturally, an image of a mature and kind person formed in his mind. Among the people Iyeon knew, the closest to such a figure would be his parents. Influenced by memories of love, his favorable impression of Hyegang’s brother, whom he hadn’t even met yet, rapidly increased.
“You’re a late child. You must have been doted on a lot.”
“Well, if being doted on means being doted on…”
Hyegang muttered as if slightly dissatisfied.
“My brother’s personality is a bit… troublesome. Hard to pin down, hot-tempered…”
“Really? But you like him, don’t you?”
“That’s true.”
“It’ll be nice to meet after a long time.”
Iyeon whispered softly and lowered his head. Family he hadn’t seen for a long time. He had such a wish too.
Although Iyeon might never meet his family again, Hyegang was different.
“Yeah, I guess. It’s been about 5 years since he went abroad?”
“5 years?”
When Iyeon first met Hyegang two years ago, Hyegang was already alone, which was a considerable period on its own. But to hear that his brother had left much earlier was surprising. That would have been when Hyegang was still a minor.
“Yes. Due to the nature of his job, once he leaves, it takes a long time. Communication is also difficult… But he called a few days ago saying he was coming in today, so we’re meeting tomorrow.”
“Why? If he’s coming today, shouldn’t you meet him today?”
When Iyeon spoke with a face that suggested he would let him skip work right away if he wanted, Hyegang laughed and shook his head.
“No. He said he has something to do today, so he’s busy.”
“Something to do?”
“Yeah. Maybe something like a business trip report?”
Well, if there was such a thing, it was better to get it over with quickly. Iyeon nodded with an understanding face and stood up from the sofa.
“I’m going to the Superpower Management Office for a bit.”
When Sano’s gaze naturally followed him from across the seat, Iyeon added as if making an excuse.
“Since there’s a response from Mr. Kim Cheoljae, I should report to Director Jin…”
Besides Dr. Kim, it had been several weeks since the party incident, and he hadn’t seen Heesu at all since then. The connection between the club research center and Semi was also a matter that Heesu should be aware of. It would help with the investigation.
The timing was strange, but according to Mirae, Heesu rarely came home during this period. While Heesu had always been a person buried in work, he seemed particularly busier these days.
While asking Mirae, he also subtly inquired about Seeun and Semi. However, Mirae didn’t know those names at all. It was surprising considering Seeun had called Heesu “oppa,” which suggested a personal relationship.
D.S also said she didn’t know, so it might not be a family connection… But if it wasn’t a family connection, how did Heesu know the twins Seeun and Semi, who were just twenty years old? No matter how he tried to fit the pieces together, they didn’t align.
