Lee Kanghyun roughly soaped up his entire body. The foam turned red and flowed down to the floor.
He had to sit down several times to catch his breath from the surging pain. He gritted his teeth and barely managed to stand up to finish washing. Sitting on the cold tile floor gasping for breath, then washing again repeatedly—it took a full hour to finish bathing.
Lee Kanghyun came out of the bathroom, rubbing his hair with a towel as he headed to the living room. Kang Yujun was sitting on the sofa.
It wasn’t very surprising. He figured he’d find a way in somehow anyway. He was just curious how he’d undone the safety lock.
Surely he didn’t come in through the window. Lee Kanghyun was curious but decided not to ask. If that were really the case, it would be a bit scary.
Lee Kanghyun naturally sat down next to Kang Yujun and continued drying his hair.
“I told you not to come.”
“I came to take care of you in case you were lonely. But why did you shower for so long? I was worried you’d passed out or something.”
“I was tired so I fell asleep while washing. Happy now?”
“You really…”
Absurdly enough, Kang Yujun seemed to believe it. That was so ridiculous to Lee Kanghyun. Even if I sleep anywhere, you believe without a doubt the lie that I fell asleep while washing?
Of course, he had actually done that a few times… but then and now were different, weren’t they? Anyway, it was different.
Just then, Lee Kanghyun’s hand trembled slightly. His brow furrowed slightly at the sudden pain. He immediately shoved his hand into his pocket and made an expression like he was annoyed.
He couldn’t let Kang Yujun catch on.
If that inflexible bastard catches on… I’ll be reported as a drug addict and go straight to prison.
Kang Yujun also somewhat noticed that Lee Kanghyun was different from usual.
“Lee Kanghyun. You said you can’t feel pain. So why do you look like you’re hurting?”
It felt like cold sweat was running down his spine, but Lee Kanghyun spoke calmly.
“I’m not hurting, I’m tired.”
“It seems a bit different from that though?”
He narrowed his eyes and carefully examined Lee Kanghyun’s body.
“Ah, this is really annoying me to death.”
When Lee Kanghyun spoke irritably, Kang Yujun hesitated and made a flustered expression. Good, that’s it. Lee Kanghyun continued to push with that momentum.
“I’m already tired from clearing a Gate by myself. Why are you doing this too? Is tormenting me your hobby?”
“No, it’s not like that…”
“If it’s not like that, then what?”
“I’m just worried.”
Kang Yujun spoke in a dejected voice. Seeing him look sullen, Lee Kanghyun’s heart softened again. Ugh. Whatever. He responded with deflated energy.
“…Then come tomorrow. I’m going to sleep now. I can’t even sleep with you next to me. You’re too noisy.”
Kang Yujun’s eyes sparkled at the words to come tomorrow.
“Really? I can come tomorrow?”
Lee Kanghyun nodded roughly as if it was bothersome. At Lee Kanghyun’s usual attitude, Kang Yujun felt somewhat reassured and stood up.
“Okay. I’ll come tomorrow. If anything happens, call me right away.”
“I got it.”
“I’m really leaving. Lock up properly.”
When he heard the sound of the door locking, Lee Kanghyun’s body immediately collapsed.
“Urk…”
The groan he’d been holding back burst out. He’d barely managed to act calm, but it was his limit. The pain didn’t decrease with time but rather accumulated. His fingertips trembled uncontrollably. Cold sweat poured out like rain.
He needed Altrapin. Right now, if he didn’t take that damned drug, it felt like his head would melt.
“Ha… fuck…”
Lee Kanghyun swept back his wet hair with trembling hands.
He didn’t want to move. He was so exhausted he couldn’t move a finger. But he couldn’t fall asleep with this pain. He probably wouldn’t be able to sleep from the pain anyway.
Lee Kanghyun staggered to his feet.
He didn’t even have the energy to change clothes. He roughly pulled a hat down over his head and covered his face with a mask.
He stood on the broken window frame again. He didn’t have the patience to go out the front door and wait for the elevator.
Whoosh. He threw his body into the air from the 25th floor.
No one’s eyes caught him.
***
A redevelopment area on the outskirts of Seoul.
Lee Kanghyun made his way to the basement of a shabby shopping building that had long been abandoned.
Creak. He pushed open the rusted iron door and entered.
The interior was completely different from the exterior. All kinds of cutting-edge chemical equipment, beakers, and bottles containing liquids of unknown identity were scattered chaotically. And in the middle of it all, a man was eating cup ramen while looking at a monitor.
“Huh? Lee Kanghyun? What brings you here?”
The man turned only his head to greet him with chopsticks still in his mouth.
This man was Seo Jihoon.
Though he had genius-level talent, for some reason he couldn’t get hired at a normal place and was living in hiding. Currently, he was Lee Kanghyun’s only Altrapin supplier and also worked as an information broker.
According to Seo Jihoon’s claims, he and Lee Kanghyun were friends. Lee Kanghyun denied it though.
Lee Kanghyun plopped down on the sofa without even responding.
“Medicine.”
“You come after several months and don’t even greet me. Aren’t you even happy to see your friend?”
Seo Jihoon grumbled as he slurped the ramen broth.
“Hurry.”
Lee Kanghyun’s voice came out cracked. Only then did Seo Jihoon examine Lee Kanghyun’s condition. Cold sweat was beading on his forehead, and his hands were strangely trembling.
“What’s wrong with your condition? I saw on the news today that you cleared a Red Gate by yourself and came out. Is it because of that?”
“Don’t talk long. Give it to me.”
“So impatient.”
Seo Jihoon rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a small glass bottle and tossed it. The moment Lee Kanghyun caught the bottle, he opened the cap and poured the pills into his mouth. He just chewed and swallowed without even water. A bitter and nauseating taste spread in his mouth, but it didn’t matter.
Gulp. After the medicine went down and a few minutes passed.
Lee Kanghyun’s rough breathing gradually calmed down. The tremors in his shaking hands also stopped. The pain disappeared. The terrible sensation pressing down on his head became numb, and a languid feeling enveloped his body.
“Phew…”
Lee Kanghyun let out a languid breath as he buried himself deeply into the sofa backrest.
Seo Jihoon clicked his tongue.
“Ease up on taking that stuff. Once you build tolerance, there’s no answer.”
The more tolerance built up, the longer the pain lasted when not taking the medicine. Even Lee Kanghyun, who had abused it before, was gradually reducing it after experiencing that firsthand.
“If you’re that worried, you should’ve given me less from the start. A few years ago you just gave me whatever I asked for.”
“Hey! You threatened me saying you’d kill me if I didn’t give it to you while choking my neck!”
Such exaggeration. He just grabbed his collar and spoke a bit threateningly.
Once the medicine kicked in, he felt like he could live. Now that the pain was gone, laziness washed over him again, but today there was something else he had to do besides this.
“Hey.”
“What now?”
“Look for one person. Yellow hair, height similar to mine. He’s someone who artificially creates and opens Gates. He also controls monsters.”
Seo Jihoon’s eyes widened.
“Creates Gates? Controls monsters? Are you writing a novel? Where in the world is there such an ability?”
“It exists, that’s why I’m telling you to find him. At least according to his own claims.”
Lee Kanghyun recalled the face of that crazy bastard he saw inside the Gate earlier. Just thinking about it made disgust surge up.
“Let’s say that’s possible. Why are you looking for that guy?”
“That bastard disturbed my rest. I’m going to kill him.”
Seo Jihoon looked at Lee Kanghyun with an absurd expression.
“For just that kind of reason?”
“It’s an important reason to me.”
Well, besides that, there were several of that bastard’s criminal acts… but he didn’t bother explaining. It was too tiring to explain.
“No.”
However, perhaps the explanation was insufficient, as Seo Jihoon flatly refused.
“What?”
“I make medicine, but I don’t do background investigations. My major is chemistry, not information science. Go somewhere else and find out.”
Seo Jihoon picked up his chopsticks again and stirred the cold ramen.
“I’m busy. I have to develop new drugs. I don’t have time to track down guys like that.”
Lee Kanghyun’s eyebrow twitched. This bastard’s lying. He’s unemployed with nothing to do. Besides, background investigation was one of Seo Jihoon’s specialties.
Aha. So you’re daring to try to negotiate with me now, is that it?
“You really won’t do it?”
“I won’t. I can’t. Am I a detective? Go to the police for that kind of thing, or ask Kang Yujun who follows you around like a puppy.”
“Kang Yujun won’t work.”
“Oh my, too bad. I can’t help either. Go back.”
The moment he finished speaking, Lee Kanghyun stood up from his seat. And slowly approached Seo Jihoon.
“Hey, hey. Why’s your expression like that? You gonna hit me? I’m against violence. I’m a non-Awakened!”
Seo Jihoon screamed and tried to run away. But Lee Kanghyun’s foot was faster.
Thwack!
“Agh! You crazy bastard!”
Lee Kanghyun’s foot precisely kicked Seo Jihoon’s butt. Then he screamed and rolled on the floor.
“Are you really insane? How can you kick a person with S-rank strength! My tailbone! Isn’t this shattered?”
“Don’t exaggerate. I controlled my strength.”
Lee Kanghyun tapped the air to open his inventory and pulled out a roughly large-looking Magic Stone. Thud, and the giant stone fell from the air onto the table.
“This is the advance payment. I’ll give you one more when you find him.”
It was a size that would sell for roughly 100 million won. Seeing it, Seo Jihoon jumped up. His expression showed the pain in his butt had completely disappeared. He smiled and bowed his head to Lee Kanghyun.
“You’ve come to the right place, customer. I’ll find him right away.”
The change of attitude was way too fast. Lee Kanghyun let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity.
“You said you wouldn’t?”
“Hey, why are you being so cold between friends? If I don’t do it, who will? Where else in Korea can you find someone with information skills as good as mine who keeps their mouth shut?”
Seo Jihoon smiled obsequiously while massaging Lee Kanghyun’s shoulders.
“I’ll start right away. What does he look like?”
“Yellow hair. Looks annoying.”
Seo Jihoon waited for Lee Kanghyun’s words to continue. That couldn’t be all, right? But when no more words followed, Seo Jihoon’s smile disappeared.
“That’s it?”
“Yeah. Yellow hair. And an annoying face. You’ll know when you see him.”
Seo Jihoon’s expression filled with absurdity to the point of distorting.
“You crazy bastard. There are truckloads of dyed thugs in Korea, how can I find him with that? Eyes, nose, mouth! You have to describe features so I can draw a composite sketch or something!”
Seo Jihoon screamed.
“You got paid and you can’t even figure that out?”
“Am I Gungye with mind-reading powers? At least you should tell me if his eyes are big or small, if his nose is high or low, so I can find him or not!”
