I’d barely managed to keep them alive, and now they were furious at me for saving them—what a sight.
“You think that’s going to make me forgive you?!”
“No,”
Before I could even make an excuse, the kid shouted.
“Even if I owe my life to my enemy, I’m not happy about it at all!”
Not at all…!
Not…!
…!
The resentful voice echoed through the sewer.
“…..”
Maybe I should’ve let them die.
As I stood there speechless, the kid, seemingly deciding something, spun around.
“…Drop dead!”
Then they huddled in a corner and started sniffling. Choi Haegang went over to them.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Sniff, I’m cold.”
Only then did my rationality return. I added a remark, pretending to be friendly.
“…I’m glad you seem to be unharmed.”
There was no response.
After draping his jacket over the kid, Choi Haegang turned to look at me.
“I’ll treat your wounds.”
He finally seemed to notice that I was bleeding heavily from my stomach and back. I lay down obediently.
Honestly, I was exhausted.
While lying still and being treated, I caught the eye of the kid in the cap, who’d been watching me while pretending not to. Their lips were tinged blue. They were clutching Choi Haegang’s jacket draped over their shoulders like a lifeline.
…They said they were staying with Choi Haegang’s guild. I’d love to bring the cap kid back to the organization just like this. The Boss would surely be thrilled.
I smiled, remembering that he had a weakness for my face. The kid abruptly turned their head away.
“…There seems to be some big misunderstanding between us.”
I whispered gently to the kid.
“A misunderstanding?”
The kid, choked up, looked at me again.
“Don’t act like you’re a good person.”
“…..”
“I saw everything. After you all left, I saw my dad lying there dead…!”
“Did you actually witness the killing itself?”
“That’s—!”
They shouted boldly but then hesitated, unable to answer right away. So they hadn’t seen it after all. Good. There was still a chance to salvage this.
“You said ‘you all.’ Did you happen to hear other voices? I’m not the one who killed your family.”
“Liar.”
“That was done by a very scary, very bad person. Do I really look like such a bad person to you?”
“…You’re on their side anyway.”
The accusatory tone gradually lost its confidence. Just then, Choi Haegang tapped my body.
“Sit up.”
“Okay.”
I did as told, raising my upper body, and kept talking.
“Well, I admit I cooperated with them, but I wasn’t the one who did it ‘directly.’ I just… had a finger in it, so to speak.”
It wasn’t a lie. I’d just phrased it to sound somewhat ambiguous.
“And if killing someone who was merely a collaborator like myself is enough to satisfy you…”
“! No, that’s not—!”
The kid sat up abruptly. Seeing them so flustered, I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
“Once we get out of here… I’ll tell you who the real culprit is.”
“You… tell me right now! Talk before you die!”
Choi Haegang held back the kid, who’d shoved their face right up close. I continued at my leisure.
“Knowing just a name won’t solve anything.”
I knew very well how strong the obsession of a vengeful person could be. Having dangled a clue right in front of their eyes, they’d never be able to give up now.
“…..”
“I’ll take you to the real culprit.”
I threw out the final bait to seal the deal. Just as I finished saying that, Choi Haegang pressed firmly on my wound.
“Ugh.”
“Don’t make strange promises.”
As if telling me not to pull anything, he roughly finished tying off the bandage. The conversation broke off. But the kid was already looking my way with eyes full of longing.
That’s right, hyung. Just follow me. Let’s go to the hideout. Even better if we sign a contract there.
I grinned in response to that look.
***
Choi Haegang decided to take a short break from exploring, partly to let their clothes dry.
The kid, apparently quite exhausted, leaned against the wall without letting their guard down and fell asleep. Instead of their soaked clothes, which they’d taken off, they were covered with Choi Haegang’s jacket.
“Don’t you need to rest, Hunter?”
“No.”
“I could take watch too, you know.”
“…..”
“Haha, got it.”
Seo Sinwoo, having lightly tried to provoke him, laced his hands behind his head and lay down on the ground. He was still in his damp clothes. It would’ve been better to take them off, but Choi Haegang didn’t force the issue. He didn’t particularly want to see that man’s bare body.
Time passed like that.
Rustle.
A sound came from the other side of the sewer.
A monster?
Beyond the iron bars were the corpses of the dead monsters. It would be a problem if any of them were still alive.
Choi Haegang got up. The other two were asleep.
A moment should be fine.
It was close enough that he could come back immediately if he heard anything. Leaving a potential threat unattended was more dangerous. Having made his decision, Choi Haegang turned and walked off.
Crossing past the iron bars, he noticed something moving among the corpses.
Thwack!
He split the head of a crawling crocodile with a single strike of his sword. And in less than five minutes, when he returned to the spot—
“?”
“Uh-oh…”
Seo Sinwoo was carrying the unconscious kid on his back. When their eyes met, he opened his mouth as if to explain.
“Ah, this is…”
“Put them down.”
“…..”
Seo Sinwoo, gauging the mood, set the kid down on the ground. Choi Haegang beckoned with his hand.
“Come here.”
“You’re not… going to attack me, right?”
He nodded, but Seo Sinwoo still looked hesitant. He slowly began backing away.
“Liar!”
Seo Sinwoo broke into a run, trying to escape. As if he’d been waiting for exactly that, Choi Haegang drew his sword and lunged. Since the distance hadn’t been great to begin with, the gap closed in an instant.
Whoosh!
“You said you wouldn’t attack…!”
“I don’t recall agreeing to that.”
Choi Haegang struck Seo Sinwoo’s stomach with the hilt of his sword. The merciless blow sent Seo Sinwoo staggering backward.
“Ugh…!”
The struck wound throbbed. It was clearly different from their previous clash. The attack felt as if he’d analyzed Seo Sinwoo’s movements over and over.
Next, Choi Haegang aimed for his head. Without missing the moment Seo Sinwoo staggered from the heavy blow, he kicked his legs out from under him, knocking him down.
Choi Haegang then used a cord from his pocket to bind Seo Sinwoo’s wrists, grabbed the back of his head, and dragged him to the sewer water. His firm grip shoved Seo Sinwoo’s head into the water.
“Pfft!”
Seo Sinwoo thrashed reflexively. He struggled with all his might to break free of the hand gripping his hair, but the firm fist didn’t budge an inch.
Ripples spread out around him as his body writhed, submerged in the water.
How long had it been? Seo Sinwoo’s body went limp. Choi Haegang yanked the now-heavy, lifeless head out of the water.
Seo Sinwoo no longer resisted. The man simply closed his eyes weakly, coughing.
Gave up quickly.
As if he were used to water torture…
That was fortunate, at least. If he’d tried to use his ability, Choi Haegang had been prepared to push him back under. That would’ve just made things harder for both of them.
Choi Haegang flipped Seo Sinwoo’s body face-up.
“You’d best not move.”
Choi Haegang straddled Seo Sinwoo to prevent any resistance, pinning him down skillfully so he couldn’t move freely. He brought the flat of his sword to Seo Sinwoo’s neck.
Feeling the sharp edge of the blade, Seo Sinwoo slowly opened his eyes.
“…Are you going to kill me?”
“…..”
“If you kill me… that’s murder, you know, murder? You murderous b*st—…”
Gritting his teeth, speaking haltingly, Seo Sinwoo suddenly switched his tone. The venom abruptly vanished from his eyes. He murmured as if making a confession.
“Hunter. I’ll be honest with you. I’m sorry for trying to go ahead on my own. But we don’t know what kind of monster might show up, and it’s dangerous, so…”
His voice trailed off, sounding genuinely remorseful. But Choi Haegang didn’t withdraw the sword.
“What did you do to the kid?”
“I didn’t do anything— argh!”
When he pressed down on the wound on his back, Seo Sinwoo hurriedly spoke up.
“Wait, wait, I just knocked them out. They’d be startled if they woke up.”
“…..”
He wanted to confirm whether that was true right away, but he couldn’t leave this man’s side. Choi Haegang narrowed his eyes as if gauging the truth of it, staying ready to press on the wound again at any moment.
“Could you get off me, please? I’m scared.”
True to his words, Seo Sinwoo’s body was trembling slightly. But it was clearly more from the cold than fear.
Someone who’s only this scared wouldn’t do something like that…
He suddenly recalled how Seo Sinwoo had been unusually friendly toward the kid from the very start.
“Now, now. Don’t be too angry. Fooling two Awakeners at this age—that’s quite an impressive ability, isn’t it?”
“So the promise to turn yourself in was a lie. You were planning to bring that kid back to your organization.”
Seo Sinwoo’s eyes widened. But he quickly narrowed them again into a smile. It was a smooth smile that didn’t suit his soaked, disheveled appearance, but up close, the intent to hide his embarrassment was plainly visible.
He spoke amiably.
“…The organization. The organization is just a side gig for pocket money. I’ll quit anytime you want.”
He carefully left out any mention of the kid.
“Really?”
Choi Haegang asked again, his voice low. His cold eyes studied the face that was starting to bruise.
“Ahaha… of course…”
“Stop overthinking and answer honestly.”
Seeing Seo Sinwoo’s throat move as he swallowed, Choi Haegang pressed the sword closer.
“Your fingerprints—identity verification itself was impossible.”
“…Isn’t that common these days? Things are different now compared to before the Gates opened.”
“I know that better than anyone.”
“You know so well, so why are you being like this…”
Seo Sinwoo smiled, looking troubled. At the attitude that seemed to act as if he were being unreasonably threatened, Choi Haegang sighed and turned his head away.
“Hah. There’s really no talking to…”
“…..”
Having been waterboarded out of nowhere, Seo Sinwoo thought to himself.
That’s what I should be saying.
Cold sweat began to bead along the faintly forming bruise.
Choi Haegang paused for a moment, then, as if having made up his mind, looked down at Seo Sinwoo coldly.
“If you really have been acting this whole time with absolutely no ulterior motives…”
The blade gleamed as it came close to his chin.
“Then ‘prove’ it. Right here.”
“Prove it…?”
The haziness in Seo Sinwoo’s eyes cleared. His slightly unfocused gaze sharpened for an instant, gleaming gold.
“That’s really all it takes?”
“If you can prove it… then of course.”
Seo Sinwoo nodded readily.
“Alright, I’ll prove it.”
If it could be resolved that easily, there was no reason not to go along with it.
“…..”
He’d demanded it himself, but he hadn’t expected such an obedient answer. Choi Haegang, not quite believing it, asked again.
“How?”
“Could you get off me first? This position is uncomfortable.”
Seo Sinwoo, having apparently regained his composure, made the request. Choi Haegang got up, though he still hadn’t let go of the sword.
“…How do you plan to prove it?”
“Well, isn’t it obvious?”
Seo Sinwoo slowly knelt down. Choi Haegang, who had expected at most an exposure of his organization’s weaknesses or some evidence, was puzzled.
What is he planning to do?
Our son is do lovely 😭