A room on the 30th floor. Seo Sinwoo and Yeom Hajae were pulling out books one by one, checking the empty spaces on the bookshelf. It was a tedious task, but since they didn’t know the monster’s size, there was no choice but to search carefully.
“Nngh…”
Yeom Hajae reached up to pull out a book from a high spot. The weighted bookshelf wobbled unsteadily.
Just as a precariously perched book was about to fall onto Yeom Hajae’s head, a hand appeared from behind and snatched it.
“…Ah, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Seo Sinwoo smiled brightly. Coming face to face with that expression up close, Yeom Hajae looked away.
“I-I don’t think there’s a monster in this room either.”
“Yeah, that little guy hid himself well, didn’t he.”
The two of them led the blankly standing Lulu to the next room.
While Yeom Hajae and Seo Sinwoo moved about busily, Lulu appeared to be doing nothing at all. But in truth, he wasn’t zoning out. He was simply analyzing the two of them from a slight distance.
Slowing his pace, Lulu watched the two walking ahead and stroked his chin.
Hmm…
A hunter who took Seo Sinwoo’s kindness at face value and liked him for it. He clearly had no idea what kind of poison was hidden beneath that kindness.
What is hyung trying to pull on this guy?
Even without putting in any extra effort, the other party already seemed completely smitten.
Hyung still didn’t seem to realize it, but Lulu could tell. That tone of voice, those gestures, that gaze. Judging from everything he was expressing with his whole body, this hunter named Yeom Hajae was, without a doubt, into hyung.
As proof of that…
Swish.
Lulu dashed over with quick little steps and squeezed in between the two of them. He naturally claimed the spot beside Seo Sinwoo and looped his arm through his.
The hallway wasn’t wide enough for three people to walk side by side, so Yeom Hajae got pushed back.
“Hyung, I’ve been wondering since earlier—what’s up with that monster?”
“It’s called Whitey.”
“Whitey?”
Lulu stared intently at the creature.
…Ugly.
“Can I eat it if I get hungry?”
“That would be a problem.”
At the joking remark, the creature bolted behind Yeom Hajae as if frightened. The moment the creature disappeared, Lulu leaned his head against Seo Sinwoo’s shoulder.
“?”
“Hehe…”
When he went so far as to grab his hand, Seo Sinwoo looked down at Lulu with eyes full of contempt.
…Just that alone sent a chill down his spine.
Seo Sinwoo twisted his hand as if trying to pull it free, but Lulu wouldn’t let go. Instead, he interlaced their fingers, widening the area of contact. In response, Seo Sinwoo dug his nails hard into the back of Lulu’s hand.
Their clasped hands trembled as they strained against each other.
“Ow, hyung.”
“Are you feeling unwell? You don’t seem to have a fever, though.”
The remark was made with Yeom Hajae behind them in mind. Feeling Seo Sinwoo’s other hand wrap around his shoulder, Lulu glanced back.
Wow, he’s glaring so hard.
His expression was sour. That look could only come from jealousy—nothing else.
The thoroughly irritated expression was so funny that Lulu stuck out his tongue. Yeom Hajae’s brow furrowed openly.
Idiot…
Not even knowing what was happening right in front of him.
He was inwardly mocking how foolish it all seemed, when Yeom Hajae strode up right behind him.
“Ow!”
“…..”
“Hyung, the hunter stepped on my shoe.”
Lulu was whining and putting on an exaggerated act when—
He froze.
Seo Sinwoo blocked the path in front of the two of them.
“?”
Holding their breath, the three of them hid behind a corner. Before long, the emergency stairwell door opened, and a group of people wrapped head to toe in combat gear poured out.
A rescue team, maybe.
Since a Gate had opened in the hotel, it was only natural that a rescue team would move in quickly. They’d apparently just been lucky not to run into them until now.
If those people join in here too, it’ll be a problem.
Watching the rescue team head into a side room, Lulu signaled to the other two with his eyes.
At the signal to take a different staircase, they began doubling back. Yeom Hajae followed along obediently as well, perhaps thinking there was no need to waste time explaining the situation to the rescue team here.
Lulu looked at the detector Yeom Hajae was holding. The hexagon was still pointing upward. What that meant was clear.
What remained was the 31st floor. Just that one room.
The keycard for the 31st floor had been retrieved when he’d searched the Director’s pockets for the control room key.
“I’ll guide you to the 31st floor.”
The moment Lulu mentioned the 31st floor, Lulu noticed Seo Sinwoo tense up.
What on earth is in the Director’s room?
The reason hyung was so reluctant to go to the 31st floor—he would soon find out. Hiding his rising excitement, he energetically began leading the way.
***
On the way to the 31st floor, I tried several times to come up with various excuses to shake Yeom Hajae off. But no matter what I said to persuade him, Yeom Hajae remained stubborn.
There’s no way I’m letting the two of you go alone.
His attitude carried that kind of resolve. For some reason, he showed an inexplicable obsession with going along together.
Since he was the one insisting on taking the risk, pushing back any further would only look strange.
And so, the three of us now found ourselves standing in front of the penthouse door.
We naturally realized the monster was inside. The bottom part of the entrance door had melted, as if touched by lava.
While the three of us paused to prepare for combat, Whitey crawled inside ahead of us.
“I’ll open it.”
Yeom Hajae, hand resting on his sword, nodded. Personally, I wanted to shake my head firmly in refusal, but on the outside, I smiled and nodded along. Lulu, who had been grinning even more broadly than usual since earlier, pressed the keycard against the door.
With an electronic beep, the lock released, and as soon as the door opened, a sour smell came wafting out.
“Ugh.”
“Whoa.”
Unlike Yeom Hajae, who frowned and hesitated to go in, Lulu strode inside without hesitation. Just yesterday he’d been the one complaining about how it smelled.
He’s openly thrilled.
I, too, pushed past Yeom Hajae and stepped inside. I’d wanted Yeom Hajae to come in as late as possible, but he followed right behind me, as if wary of the monster.
The moment we stepped inside, a high-ceilinged living room came into view.
Near the sofa, old men lay tangled together, and the floor was strewn with vomit and all kinds of trash. A liquor bottle from yesterday got kicked by Yeom Hajae’s foot and rolled away with a clatter.
“Disgusting…”
“It’s disgusting.”
I agreed with what Yeom Hajae murmured. It had nothing to do with me…
“Lulu thinks it’s a refined hobby.”
Lulu, who had been wandering around the place, picked up a rope lying on the floor and exclaimed in admiration. It was the rope I’d been tied up with yesterday. I saw Yeom Hajae’s brow furrow even further.
“Let’s hurry and catch the monster and get out of here.”
“…That sounds good.”
As if proving the core was nearby, the detector was spinning round and round.
I hurried over toward the sofa. Fortunately, the sofa had its back to the entrance, so Yeom Hajae hadn’t seen what was on the table yet.
It’s all still here.
I quietly nudged the blood-stained whip under the sofa with my foot. Next, I picked up the powder said to be made from dried Siren’s Blood. Anyone could tell this looked suspicious.
“What are you doing?”
“!”
I quickly shoved the powder into my pocket.
“I was checking if there was a monster around.”
“It looked like you were holding something…”
“You must be mistaken.”
Apparently he’d caught a glimpse before I could fully hide it, because Yeom Hajae began pressing persistently. In the middle of our brief back-and-forth, the old man lying at my feet shifted in his sleep.
“Seo… Sin… woo, mmnn…”
“?!”
He even talked in his sleep?
I covered his mouth with my foot, but he’d already blurted out my name. Yeom Hajae tilted his head with a strange expression.
“Didn’t this person just say ‘Seo Sinwoo’?”
“What? No way. Haha.”
I cleared my throat and casually tugged at his arm.
“Rich people really do have a lot of perverts among them, huh. It’s embarrassing just to look at—let’s head to the next room.”
I tried tugging him along a little, urging him to move, but Yeom Hajae stood firmly in place, blinking slowly.
“…Something’s strange.”
“Hm?”
“I’ll take a bit more time looking around the living room. Hyung, please go check the other room.”
As if it understood what he said, Whitey dashed off somewhere—toward a room whose door was slightly open.
It was a place that had always been locked, one I’d never been inside before. I followed after Whitey and stepped into the room.
The room of a drug addict, huh.
Maybe there’d be something good in here. A second Hyunwoo, perhaps…
I swallowed in anticipation and was about to open a drawer when—
“Ugh…”
Suddenly, my vision went black.
Stumbling, I grabbed the dresser to steady myself. Taking a deep breath, I placed a hand on my stomach.
Not this again.
My stomach was churning strangely. It felt like I was going to throw up. I’d been barely holding it back, but it might have reached its limit now.
A hangover?
Cold sweat trickled down my forehead and into my eyes. I wiped my face with my arm. Too weak to stay standing, I gripped the dresser and slowly sank to the floor.
“Kiek?”
A confused little cry came from beside me.
I needed to get up, but my stomach wouldn’t cooperate. How long had I been clutching my stomach like that?
“Hyung.”
Yeom Hajae’s voice came from outside the room.
“…..”
I forced myself to take a deep breath.
Calm down. Calm…
I needed to check what Yeom Hajae had found. As I consciously steadied my breathing, my unsteadily pounding heart gradually settled.
I finally managed to get up and went out of the room. Lulu was nowhere to be seen—Yeom Hajae was the only one in the living room.
“Was there a monster?”
Despite having called my name first, Yeom Hajae was standing with his back to me, facing the window.
“Hunter?”
“…This.”
Yeom Hajae slowly turned around. In his hand was a familiar shoe.
“Isn’t this your shoe, hyung?”
“!”
I swallowed reflexively.
“No…”
“It is. The other one’s in my room.”
“…..”
Yeom Hajae stared at me without a word.
“…Ah, now that I think about it, didn’t I stop by here briefly yesterday because the Director called me?”
“I see. So that matter you mentioned yesterday was…?”
“Yes. The Director and I just had a wholesome conversation.”
“You were having a strategy meeting in this room, right?”
Yeom Hajae’s expression brightened slightly.
“That’s right?”
“Yes.”
I nodded, relieved.
But then Yeom Hajae’s face hardened in an instant. As if his attitude until just now had all been an act. He spoke in a flat, dry tone.
“You’re lying again.”
