Hyungoh let out a hollow laugh. That’s my line.
He was recycling the words I blurted out when I tried to be friendly after eavesdropping on Theo and Herick’s conversation. And it was Herick of all people. Hyungoh couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or showing sincerity with casual wordplay.
“Is it my turn now to answer ‘Don’t take me lightly’?”
Herick tensed his smile. Hyungoh, ignoring his change in expression, scratched his head.
“You’re saying you can solve my problem?”
“Of course.”
“How do you know what my problem is?”
“In this situation, it would be stranger not to know.”
Herick pointed behind him. Men in black suits with sturdy backs glanced at Herick and Hyungoh.
“You’ve been scared these past few days in hiding, right?”
“I was tired and exhausted.”
“I understand. Without any proper explanation, a gunfight unfolding before your eyes, the fear of possibly dying at any moment in a place without anyone trustworthy must have been tormenting you.”
Herick whispered secretively.
“You want to escape.”
Hyungoh, who had made eye contact with the men in black suits, was about to frown but turned his head at Herick’s words. Well, I do want to escape. But why is he whispering that secretively, suspiciously?
It felt like falling into a trap if he gave a positive answer. What’s he scheming now? Hyungoh glared at him.
“You don’t have to be so wary. I’m similar to you.”
“You and me? How?”
“In that we both want to escape from something.”
Herick stood up after finishing his words.
“Herick?”
Hyungoh, who had half-risen, called out to Herick who was walking forward silently. Herick spoke as he slowly moved toward the back door.
“Unfortunately, I missed my chance.”
“Where are you going?”
Hyungoh urgently followed and grabbed Herick’s arm as he opened the back door. Are you crazy? After briefly surveying the outside, Herick forcefully pushed Hyungoh’s back as he struggled to close the door again.
“I’ll give you a chance. It’s not too late yet.”
Hyungoh, sprawled on the lawn, reflexively covered his mouth. At both ends of the backyard, men in black suits stood with straight backs.
Hyungoh turned around and gaped in protest at Herick. Herick slowly raised his hand, gesturing for silence, and helped Hyungoh up.
“Knock, knock.”
“I don’t want to play along, so please shut up.”
Herick and Hyungoh both flinched. Two men standing at the far left were whispering as if chatting.
“You’ve been quiet for five hours.”
“If you stay quiet for just one day, would you forget how to speak?”
“Not really, but my mouth tastes sweet. I’m sensitive to smells, so I’d like to avoid such side effects.”
Herick, who had been looking at them pitifully, carefully led Hyungoh toward the forest. Hyungoh resisted, shaking his head vigorously, but his body was already being dragged along.
“Knock, knock.”
“I’m not doing it. Don’t do it.”
“Knock, knock.”
“Who’s there!”
When Hyungoh made a commotion, struggling, one of the men who heard the noise turned around and aimed his gun. Herick pressed Hyungoh’s head down, and they both crouched low.
“Olive.”
“I wasn’t asking you, idiot.”
“Geez, why so sensitive? I didn’t hear anything.”
“No. I definitely heard something from over there…”
“Don’t waste energy on useless things. Come on, again, knock, knock.”
“Sigh… Just this once? Who is it?”
“Olive.”
“Olive who?”
“Olive ‘you’!”
“…That’s why I told you to keep your mouth shut.”
The man who was giggling was met with a raised fist and curses from the man beside him. Other men around reacted to his joke with jeers. Herick seized the opportunity to move. Hyungoh, hesitating to move for fear of stepping on a twig, was led by his hand.
“Why on earth did we come here!”
It seemed like they had gone too far. Worried that the men might notice and randomly shoot, Hyungoh had kept his mouth shut, but when he came to his senses, they were in a vast forest. Sensing the eerie atmosphere all around, Hyungoh finally shook off Herick.
“If you walk this way, you’ll reach a lake. Past that, you should find a subway station.”
“So what? Are you suggesting we take a stroll at this hour?”
“No.”
Herick kept walking without stopping.
“I’m helping you.”
“Or are you just messing with me?”
“Wherever you go, no place is more dangerous than this area.”
“Just be honest. You want to get rid of me because I’m in Michael’s way.”
Hyungoh burst out in anger. Herick finally stopped.
“You’ve been dismissing me as a punching bag since we first met. Saying I’m disgusting, a nuisance, and spewing harsh words because I can’t hide my emotions like a child. What changes now when you poorly package your lines claiming to help me?”
“All along, you were the one acting with just a glossy packaging. Have you forgotten?”
Herick calmly said.
“When did you become so cold, after trying to coax me saying you could solve my problems?”
“…Who was the one who rejected my outstretched hand of reconciliation?”
“Because I knew someone like you couldn’t handle my problems.”
“That’s just a judgment Herick made on his own.”
“Do you really think you can handle it?”
Herick grabbed Hyungoh’s shoulders firmly and glared.
“It’s a curse. An irresistible curse.”
“A curse?”
“Yes.”
Hyungoh’s expression twisted. He realized Herick was agitated from the pressure on his shoulders.
“Their anger, which was just delusions, torments me. I’m merely a murderer who has killed them countless times in ‘another truth,’ and Michael is the only being who knows this.”
Herick, looking briefly dejected, continued.
“We are all helpless before the ‘truth.’ Even Michael cannot change the ‘truth.'”
So you too wouldn’t be able to handle this issue. Herick’s assertion was firm. But Hyungoh didn’t yield.
“What do you mean by ‘another truth’?”
Herick’s eyes sharpened.
“Exactly as it sounds. Beyond this reality formed by my decisions, there are infinitely existing ‘reality worlds.'”
“…Wait, so did Herick actually kill them?”
“No! I didn’t kill them.”
“Then that’s the truth.”
“What?”
“You said you didn’t kill them.”
Hyungoh, who had given a straightforward answer, wrinkled his face incredulously at Herick who was silently glaring.
“I don’t know exactly what Michael meant by saying that, but there’s no ‘another truth.’ There are no ‘infinite reality worlds.’ The only truth and reality is that Herick didn’t kill them.”
“…It’s not that simple.”
“It is simple! Why are you trying to twist the interpretation? By that logic, I could be a human scum who started World War III in ‘another truth.’ With enough imagination, anyone could be a heinous murderer. But what’s the use of thinking like that? It just makes you feel awful.”
Hyungoh wiggled his finger as if to make sure Herick heard clearly.
“Anyway, Herick isn’t living in that truth, right?”
There’s nothing to call a curse. In the truth Herick lives in, ‘another truth’ is merely fiction. Hyungoh brushed off Herick’s arm from his shoulder. He was dumbfounded by such a nonsensical worry.
How much do you worship Michael’s words? This is way beyond excessive. Perhaps because it was such an unfounded logic that he responded so coldly, Herick’s expression wasn’t good. Was I too blunt? But if I hadn’t said it like this, he would have kept harboring such useless worries.
“So what I mean is, don’t worry too much about what Michael said. It won’t happen to Herick anyway.”
Seeing Herick frozen stiff, Hyungoh patted his back out of sympathy. But shouldn’t we head back now? Hyungoh glanced at him, checking his reaction. I don’t know the way.
Sigh. As if giving up on the petrified Herick, Hyungoh looked around by himself. Which direction did we come from? Feeling anxiety creep in, he stomped on the fallen leaves.
As Hyungoh poked around, he noticed a faintly glimmering light ahead. What’s that? Bending forward, Hyungoh nudged Herick’s arm as if to say “look at that.” But Herick was in such a dazed state, one might believe his soul had departed.
With no choice, Hyungoh decided to investigate first. Pushing through the undergrowth, the soft light seemed to get closer. Hyungoh repeatedly turned back to check Herick’s position as he walked forward.
“This is…”
A silver lake without a ripple revealed itself. The moon reflected on the water surface was incredibly beautiful. This was a place Michael often visited when he wanted to paint. Having always come by car, walking here for the first time felt awkward.
It was peaceful. Hyungoh stood blankly for a moment, admiring the lake’s stunning scenery.
“Choi.”
After staring vacantly for several minutes, an unexpected voice came from behind. Looking at the lake glittering under the moonlight, he felt almost dreamy. Wondering if he heard wrong, he turned around to see Michael standing in the distance, particularly radiant under the moonlight.
“Why are you here?”
That’s what I want to ask. Hyungoh tilted his head, trying to shake off the dreamy feeling.
“You promised.”
Michael’s voice trembled as if uncertain. To Hyungoh, Michael just looked mysterious. His forlorn, hunched figure was like an ill-fated angel with drooping wings. A mythical, surreal being. Hyungoh, staring blankly at Michael bathed in soft light, asked:
“What promise?”
Michael, who had been wearing a sad expression all along, became serious the moment he heard Hyungoh’s question. His eyes, no longer anxiously wavering, shone clearly, engulfed in betrayal and anger.
“That you wouldn’t run away.”
Hyungoh gradually came to his senses. It felt like Michael’s intense warmth was transmitted from afar. Why is he over there? Hyungoh, eyes wide, took a step back. Seeing Hyungoh’s confusion, Michael’s eyes gleamed even more as he shouted:
“You said you wouldn’t run away!”
