Jeff and Hyungoh were silent until they reached the airport. It had been a full four hours. Although Jeff had calmed down relatively faster than Hyungoh, it wasn’t easy to speak to Hyungoh who kept his head lowered.
“Pretty one, Theo will be fine.”
Jeff carefully spoke to Hyungoh, who wasn’t leaving even though they had arrived at the airport. But Hyungoh showed no reaction.
“I’m telling you the truth. I know because I’ve seen Theo a lot…”
“I know Theo too.”
I know him very well. Hyungoh touched his forehead. He was someone who either had multiple lives or had no fear in dangerous situations. What if he really dies? Hyungoh felt conflicted.
“So you’re not getting out?”
We’ve arrived at the airport. Jeff groaned at Hyungoh who was ignoring him again. The departure time was approaching.
If I don’t send him off, Theo will blame it all on me, won’t he? Jeff pondered. He struggled so hard to send him to Korea. Feeling like he had no choice, he picked up his phone.
“Oh? Hello? Theo?”
Jeff pretended to be surprised and shouted into the phone. You were safe after all! Hyungoh looked up.
“Yeah, we just arrived. Yes, the pretty one is safe too. Want me to put him on? Huh? No, why? He-hello?”
“Let me talk to him too!”
“He hung up.”
Jeff said. He said he was putting you on, but he hung up saying he didn’t have time.
Hyungoh’s hand, stretched toward Jeff, was embarrassing. Was he not injured anywhere? Hyungoh asked. Judging by his voice, he seemed fine. That’s a relief, right? Jeff answered in an excited voice.
Hyungoh exhaled deeply as if relieved. Yes, it’s a relief. It’s really a relief. I was worried that things would go wrong. It felt like a burden had been lifted. That’s right, Theo was always like this. Escaping crises as if they were nothing.
“Now, you should go too. You’ll miss your flight.”
If you don’t go, Theo will kill me. Jeff urged Hyungoh.
“…Thank you.”
Hyungoh said as he opened the car door. Jeff, was it? This person turned out to be quite nice after all. Noticing Jeff puckering his lips toward him, Hyungoh unknowingly scrunched his face. Jeff laughed out loud. Take care, darling!
Jeff quickly started the car. Hyungoh stood rooted to the spot until his car disappeared from sight.
Is it really okay to leave like this?
Hyungoh moved his heavy feet with difficulty. Regret dripped from him, but he didn’t stop. Finally escaping. I can escape.
But is this really the best choice?
Hyungoh quickly turned around. The entrance to the airport was bustling with people pulling their carriers. Should I go back? To Michael, to Theo. As Hyungoh kept trying to step forward only to stop, a couple standing next to him with backpacks looked at him curiously.
Wait. Are you really going back? To that place rife with murder and violence?
Hyungoh squeezed his eyes shut. That sensation full of fear came back to him. I must be crazy. To think of going back when such an opportunity has presented itself. Hyungoh ran through the airport doors. I don’t belong there. Not even confident I could survive.
Hyungoh kept recalling Michael’s final appearance in his mind. No matter how hard he tried to shake it off, it was useless.
Yes. Escape.
He ran as if fleeing. It felt urgent, as if someone was chasing him from behind. Call me a coward if you want. It’s not wrong anyway. Hyungoh didn’t stop running, even pushing past people blocking his way. He felt that if he stopped now, he would never be able to move forward again.
And so, Hyungoh distanced himself from the memories that had been tormenting him.
* * *
When Theo regained consciousness, he felt around his eyes in pitch darkness. He thought something might be covering his eyes, but there was nothing to grasp. What’s this? Why can’t I see anything? After blinking his eyes for a moment, Theo discovered a faint beam of light in front of him. As he reached out to touch it, his arm wouldn’t respond as if broken.
Theo carefully moved his trembling hand to feel his surroundings. From the familiar smell of oil and the vibration from the floor, he realized he was trapped in a car trunk. Moving his feet, which still had some strength, a small toolbox in the corner rattled.
He pulled up the box and took out a hammer and a screwdriver. Swallowing a curse at his body’s condition that couldn’t even properly make a fist, Theo barely managed to wedge the tools between his fingers to secure them.
“…doesn’t seem to have arrived yet. Is he even coming?”
“He’ll come. The neighborhood has turned into such a mess, how could he not know?”
Theo listened to the voices coming from outside. Just two people? Whether they were in a forest, the undergrowth rustled as they moved slightly. What a situation to be in. Taking a breath, Theo raised his foot and stomped hard where the taillight was mounted.
“Oh.”
“Wow, impressive. He’s already regained consciousness after being beaten like that?”
“Should we contact the boss?”
“Forget it. How hard can it be to knock out someone who can barely walk properly?”
The rustling sound came closer. Theo hid both hands behind his back. They were being careless. Keep underestimating me, please. Theo swallowed dryly.
“Hello, Cooper.”
The man who opened the trunk grinned. Just lie there, why try to damage someone else’s car?
Theo mouthed at him. What? The man bent his waist slightly. As he tried to bend more, annoyed by Theo’s constant metallic sounds, Theo seized the opportunity and struck his head with the hammer.
The man’s mouth fell open. Seeing him collapse, another man fumbled to draw the gun from his waist. However, he soon had to sink down helplessly due to the screwdriver lodged in his neck.
Leaning against the car, Theo looked around. It was a familiar forest scene. It was even close to home. What’s this? Why am I here? Theo wondered, looking down at the men sprawled on the ground.
Ah. That woman was looking for Hunter.
He headed home, dragging his legs that seemed about to collapse at any moment. It was around dawn, but still no one was visible on the road. As the roof of Hunter’s house appeared in the distance, Theo approached it as quickly as he could.
As he stubbornly continued walking, he spotted a familiar sedan not far away.
“Hunter…?”
Theo’s face brightened. He moved closer to confirm. Indeed, it was Hunter’s car.
Looking around, he saw numerous other cars parked besides Hunter’s. Scanning Hunter’s yard, nothing seemed different from before. Is he not home?
Theo headed towards Michael’s house. He had a strong intuition that Hunter would be there. As he moved his feet, he coughed a few times due to a nauseating feeling, only to spew a bucketful of blood onto the ground.
“Damn… Am I really going to die like this?”
Feeling the rough sensation in his throat, Theo muttered with a serious face. It’s still too early. Struggling to take a shortcut, Theo collapsed with little distance left. It was a rougher and more treacherous path than others. Normally, he would have crossed it easily. Theo thought as he crawled along.
“What’s this feeling?”
Theo, who had been diligently crawling, stopped. Suddenly, an old memory came to him. Hadn’t his father crawled like this too? Approaching me, begging for his life.
Ha. Theo buried his face in the hard ground. His hands scratched the ground as if filled with resentment. Me, in this state, disgustingly, like my father…
Theo struggled to lift his head. He saw a child’s thin legs in front of him. The child’s legs, neither approaching nor moving away, stood fixed in place as if nailed.
This is ridiculous. What do you want me to do? Theo sneered coldly. I don’t regret it. What I did to my father that day.
Really?
The child squatted down. The child, now at eye level with Theo, revealed his face. It was Michael, full of smiles.
How does it feel to be a father?
Michael asked. Tell me honestly, it’s miserable, right? Theo glared at such a Michael as if he wanted to kill him.
You’ll die like your father.
His laughter grew so loud it felt like it would tear Theo’s ears apart. Theo clenched his blood-covered hand. His nails dug into his flesh, wounding himself.
“Theo?”
Someone grabbed Theo and lifted him up. With an unpleasant churning feeling, Theo vomited blood again. Someone who had stiffened in shock muttered a small curse. Theo barely lifted his swollen eyelids.
Hunter. The Hunter he had been waiting for so desperately.
* * *
Hunter didn’t even have time to sigh. He had a bad feeling from the moment Marsha’s call was cut off. But he hadn’t expected such a complete mess.
The house half-burned from fire, the grass covered with blood and corpses, Michael with his injured leg, Herick shot in the side, and Theo collapsed in front of the entrance with his body in tatters.
Marsha and Hyungoh were nowhere to be seen. Every situation had been reversed, mocking his expectations. Beyond the worst of the worst developments. Hunter twisted his lips as he looked down at his shirt covered in Theo’s blood.
“You’ve really messed it up perfectly.”
