The next day, when I looked in the mirror, I was hit with a huge shock.
What is this?
Stepping closer to the mirror, the redness and swelling on my chest came into sharper focus. When I touched it, a stinging pain shot through.
“……”
I wanted to believe it was a wound from the whip. But the bruise circling my nipple was clearly the mark of someone’s mouth sucking on it.
My memories from after I started drinking were patchy. I’d been hanging out with the Director’s group at the penthouse, wandered around looking for my room, and collapsed on the floor. But when I woke up, I was in Yeom Hajae’s room.
After that, I’d been hanging out with Jang Ijung when Yeom Hajae broke down the door and came in.
…It wouldn’t be strange no matter which of the two—the Director or Yeom Hajae—had done it.
Why on earth would either of them suck on my nipple?
“Haa.”
Too absurd for words, I covered my face with one hand. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find an answer.
“It’ll go back to normal… right?”
I’d never had my nipple injured this way before, so I couldn’t be sure. I put the Ring of Healing, which I’d taken off, back onto my index finger.
Just as I was about to check the mirror again, feeling troubled, the bathroom door burst open.
“Senior!”
“?”
“Aack!”
The one who’d barged in jumped back as if startled and covered his eyes.
“Lu—Lulu knocked, but… there was no answer.”
I must’ve been too absorbed in thought to hear the knock. I took my hands off the sink and turned around.
“Is something urgent?”
His covering hand was useless—our eyes met through the gap between his fingers. Lulu quickly closed them up.
“Director Kim said he’d like to have breakfast together….”
“Ah.”
I remembered what I had to do today.
…Having to look at that irritating face first thing in the morning. My already-aching head seemed to throb even worse.
“I’ll get ready and come out soon. Can you wait just a little?”
“Yes, sir…!”
Lulu backed away quickly.
***
A cheerful voice rang out in the hallway.
“Senior, Lulu had such a hard time yesterday.”
“……”
Maybe because of the hangover, my head was still throbbing.
“Lulu wants a reward.”
“A reward?”
“Just a light touch… hehe.”
Is he asking to be hit?
A foul mood to start the morning. Part of me wanted to give him a good beating. But thinking about the incident that was about to happen, I couldn’t afford to risk the penalty.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Thanks.”
Listening to his trivial chatter as we walked, we ended up arriving at the restaurant. Lulu opened the door with a bright smile.
Stepping into the restaurant, I had to hold back the urge to retreat.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, Direc—I mean, Director.”
Even though we’d been drinking together just yesterday, he looked refreshed all by himself.
“Ah!”
Spotting me, Yeom Hajae half-rose awkwardly from his seat.
Why is that guy here?
I greeted them with a nod first and scanned the room.
Facing him felt awkward, given what had happened just hours ago. But there were exactly three chairs at the table.
I had no choice but to sit beside Yeom Hajae. While I was sorting out my muddled thoughts, Yeom Hajae spoke first.
“Did you sleep well last night? I, um, caused a bit of a commotion.”
“I’m on the top floor, so I didn’t hear anything.”
“I see.”
“I slept fine after that.”
After I’d finally managed to coax a reluctant Yeom Hajae into leaving, that is. Thanks to that, I’d barely gotten an hour of sleep.
“You couldn’t even sleep an hour, could you….”
“That’s right.”
“……”
Yeom Hajae, who’d been fumbling for words, fell silent.
“Let’s talk business while we eat.”
“Sure. But the order….”
“Ah, the food’s already been ordered.”
The junkie gestured toward the seat beside me with his eyes.
“That hunter picked your menu too.”
“I heard an awakener who uses electricity was coming.”
Singled out, Yeom Hajae smiled shyly. What had he ordered? My stomach was still churning—I just wanted some hangover soup. Though anything expensive would do too.
After enduring the discomfort for a while, the food arrived.
The moment I saw the dish placed in front of me, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes.
“It’s pine mushroom porridge.”
“……”
“You like pine mushrooms, right?”
I could feel his gaze, hopeful for a positive reaction.
“…Thank you.”
The words barely managed to squeeze past my tight throat. At that, I heard a low chuckle from across the table.
“I didn’t realize you two were so close.”
“C-close, what do you mean, that’s…!”
“Ha ha.”
“Pine mushrooms? I didn’t even know you liked that kind of thing, me.”
Ignoring the curious gleam in the other’s eyes, I looked down at the plate.
“……”
Neatly arranged pieces of pine mushroom.
It was an expensive dish, just as hoped for. And it would’ve been good for a hangover, too.
But there was an issue with this menu choice that couldn’t be ignored.
I’m allergic to pine mushrooms.
Is he doing this on purpose?
I glanced to the side. My eyes met Yeom Hajae’s, who’d just happened to be sneaking a look this way.
Yeom Hajae looked away, flustered. Fumbling, he started mashing his already-cut meat with his knife as if grinding it down. The tips of his reddened ears showed not a trace of malice.
I swallowed a sigh, looking at the food that had become a forbidden treat I couldn’t touch. Setting my utensils down without taking a single bite, I felt a gaze on me from beside me.
“My stomach’s not feeling well.”
“Ah….”
Yeom Hajae lowered his head, looking sorry. He was being unusually passive today. Maybe he was embarrassed about secretly sucking on my nipple last night.
Nip—
I decided to set that topic aside for now.
More than that, I was curious about the junkie’s intentions.
Given how much of a scene had been made, there was no way he didn’t know that Yeom Hajae and I had clashed yesterday. So why call the two of us here together?
Had he sensed my question? The junkie, catching my eye, opened his mouth.
“Nice to get acquainted, isn’t it? You two are going to be seeing a lot of each other from now on.”
Seeing a lot of each other?
The corner of the junkie’s mouth curled up crookedly. I had a bad feeling about this.
Don’t tell me.
A sentence suddenly surfaced in my mind.
“Good thing we got another supplier this time…”
That supplier being—
“That person….”
Clatter.
Yeom Hajae loudly dropped his utensils.
“Cheolsu-hyung?”
“Hm? Cheolsu?”
“……”
The conversation paused for a moment.
The junkie, glancing back and forth between Yeom Hajae and me, seemed to have some thought cross his mind, and smirked.
“Well, yeah. Go ahead, introduce yourselves.”
“!”
I straightened my clothes. As I pushed back my chair and stood, Yeom Hajae stood up with me, a little hesitantly.
“Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Seo Sinwoo.”
“I’m Yeom Hajae, guild master of Atlas.”
Is this really okay…?
With that doubt lingering in a corner of my mind, I smiled with practiced ease, eyes crinkling. Yeom Hajae, who’d looked a bit surprised, smiled back. We shook hands and sat back down.
This never happened in my previous life.
Atlas getting involved in something like this. How on earth did they manage to win them over for cooperation?
It’s not like he’s smooth-talking—this guy doesn’t even think to fake his own personality, so I can’t imagine him pulling off something that clever. Even now, he’s talking to Yeom Hajae without honorifics.
“Working with the Atlas Guild itself, what an honor.”
In truth, until just before my death, I hadn’t even known what Atlas was. Yeom Hajae seemed quite moved by that remark.
“N-no, the honor is mine…. If there’s anything I can help with, please let me know anytime.”
“Ha ha, sure.”
Yeom Hajae hurriedly rummaged through his pocket and, with trembling hands, held out a business card.
After I took the card and the mood settled somewhat, the junkie spoke up.
“Glad to see you two getting along.”
And then, as if about to say something ridiculous, he propped his chin on both hands and set the mood.
“Since it’s a rare occasion, there’s something I’d like the two of you to handle together….”
No way. My hand reflexively tightened, crumpling the business card.
While Yeom Hajae had turned his head, I tossed the card under the table. The card, which should have rolled along the floor, instead suddenly dropped straight down.
A black circle, steadily growing larger, swallowed the card whole.
“Oh.”
“?”
Yeom Hajae’s gaze followed mine to the floor. The curiosity in his eyes gradually turned to shock.
I watched his expression shift moment by moment out of the corner of my eye.
“!”
Yeom Hajae grabbed my arm and bolted up from his seat.
With my arm caught, I was naturally pulled up along with him. Left sitting alone all of a sudden, the junkie looked bewildered.
“What’s wrong?”
Without answering, Yeom Hajae tried to rush out. I tensed my arm and held my ground. Yeom Hajae turned back urgently.
“Right now, we have to—!”
“It’s too late.”
I said it shortly, with finality.
“If it were just the two of us, we might be able to get out….”
“……”
“Hunter. You’re not going to just let everyone here die, are you?”
I deliberately struck at Yeom Hajae’s weak point. As expected, his face twisted in distress. He looked like he wanted to curse out loud.
“What’s going on?”
Even in a situation like this, the junkie was slow to catch on. I smiled gently for his sake.
“Executive Director—I mean, Director. You can just stay seated comfortably.”
“?”
Screams started coming from outside. Yeom Hajae pulled me toward him. This time, I went along obediently and climbed onto the chair.
“Wh-what is this.”
The junkie, finally grasping the situation, began to scream. With his legs already swallowed up, he flailed his hands wildly instead.
“Hyung.”
Yeom Hajae, who’d already jumped to the window, gestured toward it with his eyes. The gate’s boundary was precariously stretching just outside it. In other words, it meant that as long as he stuck close to the outside of the hotel, he’d be safe. I’d used that exact method to escape alone before.
“Seo Sinwoo!”
A sharp voice from behind made me turn my head on reflex. The junkie, his body half-swallowed, had one hand outstretched, glaring at me. His bloodshot eyes were filled with the anxiety that I might leave him behind.
“Is that any way for someone asking for help to act?”
“……”
No response. Typical of a man like trash, full of nothing but useless pride. I shook my head.
“You’re supposed to say ‘please help.'”
“Quick, help.”
The junkie ground out the order through gritted teeth.
“……”
Ever since being caught by Choi Haegang, I’d thought a lot about the past.
I regretted quite a bit having let the junkie die back then.
If I’d had even one more ally to help, maybe that wouldn’t have happened.
If I’d had more power. If there had been someone to develop stronger gear for me. If, six years later, there had been even one person with the authority to access the dungeon I’d been trapped in. I’d only just recently realized how important allies like that were.
So this time….
I grabbed the hand sinking into the abyss. The man pulled me into the pitch-black darkness, as if he’d been waiting for this.
Wait so he tried to help and got betrayed immediately lmao???