“Should I believe that?”
Some reporters spoke as if they were dumbfounded, but even if they didn’t believe it, there was nothing they could do about it. At first, only Stigma was running wild, but now Phoenix had joined in too. On top of that, with the Management Bureau getting involved, digging deeper into Ian would mean betting their lives.
“Even if it’s a lie, we have to believe it.”
Someone who was writing an article about how Choi Jaeheon’s younger brother, Choi Ian, possessed talent as a healer answered from the side.
“That’s true, but… something feels off.”
“Farewell. I won’t see you out.”
“No, I wasn’t thinking of doing anything more either!”
That’s how the situation turned out. And then, Vermouth drove the final nail with a sad expression.
“To consume a lifesaver as the subject of a scandal and overlay it with filthy imaginings. Is South Korea a country so lacking in respect for heroes?”
With those words, public opinion flipped 180 degrees.
Those who had been clamoring about ‘promiscuous private life’ instantly became ‘sinners who insulted a lifesaver.’ Vermouth’s fanatical fandom, [Verguard], moved to purify internet public opinion, and Ian suddenly began to be revered as a ‘hidden hero.’
Thus, the controversy about Ian died down.
However, the insides of the two men were burning pitch black. No matter how much they quieted public opinion and cleaned up the trash, Ian, who should be walking back down that path, was nowhere to be seen.
“You still haven’t found him?”
Bang!
Choi Jaeheon slammed down on his desk. The highest-grade solid wood desk split in half. Then the detective agency employee in charge of tracking Ian bowed his head with a pale face.
“I-I’m sorry. We searched through everything—card records, CCTV, communication records, even transportation card usage records—but there’s not even a trace. It’s as if he evaporated.”
Other detective agencies gave similar answers. Believing Ian couldn’t be found through legal means, they even used underground routes, but it was useless. With the situation turning out this way, one person naturally came under suspicion. When he was young, there was someone Ian used to run to when he got angry.
‘Hong Seoyoon.’
But right now, he’d been out of contact for a week. According to Phoenix’s official announcement, he’d entered an uncleared gate in Gangwon Province. But why did that feel like a lie?
Hong Seoyoon cherished Ian like a younger brother. Would such a guy enter a gate that took a long time to clear when Ian had disappeared, out of the blue? It didn’t make sense.
Choi Jaeheon stopped being angry and leaned back in his chair. Still, if Hong Seoyoon really was helping Ian hide, that would be better. Because it would mean he was safe.
“So what’s that bastard Vermouth doing?”
At that, the detective agency employee’s eyes rolled.
“About that. He’s been showing some strange behavior.”
“Strange behavior?”
“Yes, he rented the entire top floor of L Tower in Jamsil.”
“…Why would he rent that?”
“From what I heard, he said he’s praying…. Tsk, isn’t that a bit strange? Who rents such an expensive place to pray?”
“…Crazy bastard.”
“Right! He really seems insane!”
Choi Jaeheon pressed his forehead with his hand at the oncoming headache.
At the same time, Seoul’s night sky was slowly being dyed an eerie golden color. Vermouth stood at the tip of L Tower’s spire, looking down. Seoul’s night view spread out below his feet like stardust, but nothing entered his eyes.
Every night, he was opening his vast divine power and sweeping through all of Seoul.
Wuuuung—
A massive golden aurora spread out with L Tower at its center. Citizens looked at the beautiful light decorating the night sky and grew anxious, calling it an ominous phenomenon. Some even captured the scene in photographs.
“Ian-nim, where are you?”
The longer Ian remained out of sight, the more anxious Vermouth felt. Ian already had a history of fleeing across dimensions to avoid Vermouth.
He wouldn’t move to another dimension since he had family, but even knowing that, anxiety pricked Vermouth like thorns.
One week since Ian disappeared.
The two men’s patience was gradually hitting rock bottom.
***
Ian was lying on a plush sofa, blankly watching TV. He had a large potato chip container tucked under his side, and didn’t forget the cola either.
“No, what a terrible guy.”
One week holed up in Hong Seoyoon’s hidden villa. Ian had thoroughly consumed all of Korea’s makjang dramas. The one he was watching now came out a long time ago, and the man was a son of a bitch. He was cheating despite having a legal wife. Even after being caught in the act of infidelity, the man remained shameless.
—Why can’t the three of us live together!
He didn’t understand why they were looking for polygamy in Korea.
“A guy like that should be torn limb from limb!”
Hong Seoyoon had turned it on so Ian wouldn’t be bored, but watching it, he understood why people sought this stuff out. It was provocative and spicy, and that was also fun. Curses naturally burst out the whole time watching, but he couldn’t take his eyes off it.
And Hong Seoyoon was looking at Ian like that with narrowed eyes.
“Ian.”
“Mm.”
“How about going outside for a walk sometimes?”
“Don’t wanna. This is an important scene right now.”
The legal wife and the mistress simultaneously slapped the man’s cheeks.
—You crazy bastard, choose just one person!
—You said you only loved me!
He deserved to be hit. But in the previous drama, they slapped him with kimchi, so this was a bit weak. There must not be any PPL products coming in. Now Ian perfectly understood the physiology of dramas.
The cheating man struggled to the end, but the legal wife, a former wrestling champion, put him in a headlock, and the woman planted her elbow and threw her body onto the fallen man. It was an absolute mess.
Just like Ian’s current situation.
“The kid’s gone strange. Yeah, rest up. Rest.”
Hong Seoyoon ruffled Ian’s hair vigorously and refilled the now-empty potato chip container.
“Cola too.”
He could see the kid plumping up, but what of it? He needed to relieve stress even if it was like this. Hong Seoyoon shook his head and headed to the kitchen to get more cola.
Only after Hong Seoyoon’s figure disappeared did Ian let out the sigh he’d been holding back. While resting here, he’d thought about many things. From thinking too hard, he even developed a fever and fell ill.
Vermouth was a problem, but Choi Jaeheon was no pushover either.
“No, so suddenly?”
They’d been getting along well all this time, calling each other hyung and younger brother. He even felt depressed, wondering if he’d been the only one who thought of Jaeheon as family. But thinking of the sacrifices Choi Jaeheon had made for Ian in the past, he couldn’t simply ignore it. Back then, they had definitely been family.
Choi Jaeheon’s brocon tendencies had been excessive, but he’d thought it was natural because they were family. Ian could have sacrificed for his hyung too. Though Jaeheon hadn’t given him the opportunity.
That’s why it was even more difficult.
“Here’s your cola.”
A new cola appeared before Ian like that.
“Hyung. Hyung, did you know?”
“Out of the blue? What do I know?”
“I got confessed to by my hyung.”
At Ian’s words, spat out as if vomiting, Hong Seoyoon blinked. As expected, this hyung was bad at lying.
“You knew.”
This time, Ian narrowed his eyes and glared at Hong Seoyoon.
“Well, yeah. It came up when we were drinking last time.”
Hong Seoyoon didn’t seem to have any particular intention of hiding it either.
“I found out then.”
Ian didn’t press him about why he hadn’t told him. If it was the day they drank, it was the day the reporters had swarmed. Even if he’d wanted to tell him, there wouldn’t have been time.
“Anyway, so what do you think?”
“Whose side are you on, hyung?”
“I’m on both sides!”
Hong Seoyoon shouted proudly.
“One’s a friend, one’s a younger brother. How can I take just one person’s side?”
Right, this hyung had this kind of personality.
“But this isn’t right!”
“What isn’t?”
“We were family, how could he do that?”
“Mm, Ian.”
“What!”
“You’re scared right now, aren’t you? That the family will break apart?”
“That’s part of it. I’ve never seen hyung as that kind of target until now.”
Hong Seoyoon felt like he’d be hurt by such a blunt statement. But he also understood Ian. They’d been living as family all along, so it would be confusing if someone suddenly said they liked you sexually.
‘I need to do something here, don’t I?’
Hong Seoyoon began desperately racking his brain.
“He was very confused too. And from what I see, that guy has only looked at you since you were even younger. It’s called brocon, but who acts so affectionately toward their younger brother? Normal younger brothers, at home, they act like that.”
He pointed at the man who was still getting beaten up on screen.
“Son of a bitch, little bastard is basic, and they feel too embarrassed to call names, so they don’t do it often?”
“How do you know that, hyung?”
“Other families are like that. Think about it, how has Choi Jaeheon treated you all this time?”
He’d been kind and affectionate. He’d wanted to send Ian to university so badly that he’d tried to bury his own outstanding talent. Even though hyung was young too, he’d worked late every day for Ian.
That’s why his heart was even more confused. Ian clamped his mouth shut.
“Think about it slowly.”
Leaving those words, Hong Seoyoon gave Ian time to think alone.
