There’s something they call the High Risk, High Return Syndrome among the outer gods—a condition that, frankly, only Heroes ever seem to suffer from. You know, that mindset where if you just manage to pull off the mission, a blissful retirement awaits you on the other side.
Anyway, judging by the intel from Moon Tae-young, it seemed like they were using the dungeon as a tool for “cleanup and something extra on the side.”
But knowing what he did about the Outer Gods and the Demon King, that “something extra” definitely felt more significant than the cleanup part.
I’ve confirmed something like that exists, so I can just dig deeper later.
Cha Eui-sung couldn’t suppress the grin tugging at the corners of his lips.
Despite his earlier fears of being benched for the revenge op, it felt like he’d landed squarely within Moon Tae-young’s boundary—yet again. What was surprising, though, was that this whole information exchange felt like a bit of a losing deal for Moon Tae-young. Saying he was fine had never been something he hid anyway. And when it came to explaining his health, he would’ve gone on and on about it without even needing to be asked.
Surely Moon Tae-young knew that. Cha Eui-sung glanced at him with a strange expression.
Maybe the panic had worn off—he looked much calmer now.
“Thanks for letting me in.”
“Why would someone offering to help be the one saying thank you?”
“I know you weren’t planning on opening up. I just kind of barged in and made you talk.”
“……”
“And you worried about me too. I mean, you didn’t need to, but still.”
Saying it out loud now, he realized Moon Tae-young had probably just reacted instinctively in his panic. That totally fine-looking face, finally back to its normal color. He might not have shown it outwardly, but between the skill backlash and dunking himself in a bathtub, the guy had clearly taken a blow to the head. His mind must’ve been in a daze for a while.
So… I did help a little, I guess?
He had totally botched the skill activation timing, but seeing it this way, maybe it hadn’t been all bad. Still, it felt oddly pitiful that even someone as stone-hearted as him had been that shaken. Not that he was pitying the guy—just…
Why the hell was he crying?
That twisted expression as he tried and failed to suppress his emotions while holding someone in his arms. The tears that streamed down his cheeks in silence, soaking his face. The way he stood at the very heart of a tragedy, crying so quietly. That image wouldn’t leave Cha Eui-sung’s mind.
Just how deep would the wounds have to be to make Moon Tae-young cry? Would it take a gauge filled to 90% or something? The curiosity clawed at his chest, and the whole thing left a weird, heavy ache in his gut.
Ugh. Cha Eui-sung let out a short groan and stood up. Not giving a damn about how Moon Tae-young looked at him, he shuffled over and suddenly pulled him into a hug.
Moon Tae-young looked a little startled.
It’s a service, okay? He’d gotten so much out of the guy lately—he could afford to give a little back. Cha Eui-sung muttered silently to himself, not sure who exactly he was seeking permission from, and buried his face in the man’s chest.
That familiar scent lingered at the tip of his nose. He’d said it was a service, but honestly, he was the one letting go of all the tension. Leaning in that awkward, uncomfortable position, he felt a strong arm wrap tightly around his waist.
Suddenly, his whole body lifted, and he found himself seated on Moon Tae-young’s lap. He knew he wouldn’t fall, but still, Cha Eui-sung pulled him even closer.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The pounding heartbeat echoed through their bodies where they touched. Despite the calm face, he still wasn’t entirely composed.
This guy…
So that’s why he’d been so quick to let go of that nonsense about bleeding but being fine. He hadn’t actually believed it. He hadn’t accepted it. He just needed to hear it from Eui-sung himself—needed that confirmation. Wanted to know if he was really okay. Even if he knew he wasn’t, he still wanted to be involved.
Seriously. Every now and then, Cha Eui-sung was reminded of this. Moon Tae-young’s kind of care always came like this— Silent, like an assassin, handed over without a sound, remembered only by him.
It wasn’t some elaborate intention. That was just… who he was. Realizing that made a shiver run down the inside of Cha Eui-sung’s throat.
Then came an odd emotion that filled his lungs—not joy, not lust, just… strange warmth. The heat expanded with each breath, slowly growing inside him. He exhaled softly and pressed his face into Moon Tae-young’s chest.
The two of them—crammed into a single-seater dining chair—looked pretty ridiculous. But even so, they stayed like that for quite a while.
***
“What I just sent you—the list. I did put it together, but honestly, I’m not completely sure about it.”
“I already took that into account. It’s not like they’re hosting some VIP dinner party over there. People will come and go as they please.”
The school sports day was right around the corner. All the stuff that had been pushed aside by serious matters—Go Yeong-won, Oh Se-dan, traces of the Outer Gods—came circling back, now processed into data through Kim Jeong-baek.
“The ones marked in blue are the primary targets.”
“Someone’s cousin, a nephew-in-law, a grandson… What is this, a tribal society? Every single one of them is related by blood.”
“They’re only still around because they’ve got family here. Otherwise, why would they bother living in a place like this?”
“You’re not wrong. Still, you’re one suspicious guy, Mr. Kim Jeong-baek.”
Unfortunately, the few people who could even be considered young around here were all parents—and many of them were planning to move within a few months. If Cheongse Elementary Branch School shut down, it would become harder to spot someone under forty in this village than a wild pine mushroom.
Looking back, the fact that he’d ended up playing host here without anyone mistaking him for a cult leader was practically a miracle. Didn’t he once see a news report about a religious group taking root in an emptied-out village like this?
“I do my best to show my face and mingle around, but as you know—I’m still an outsider.”
“I did vouch for you as much as I could, but you’re not sure how convincing it actually sounded, huh?”
“Yeeep. So just do what you will. I did my best, okay?”
He’d already planned to make himself look as good as possible. Forget the rumors—Moon Tae-young would be there. Making a fool of himself in front of him would be more than humiliating. It would rot his pride from the inside out. Just imagining that gave him chills. Best to avoid that scenario at all costs.
“How’s Seo-ryong doing, by the way?”
“You saw her just earlier, didn’t you? Even got a report.”
“I meant if there’s anything else worth remembering. Haven’t heard anything about her friends in your updates lately.”
“Uh… well… Her social life seems fine. She’s doing okay in her studies too. Apparently, she got into a bit of an argument during dodgeball, but the teacher was the referee and sorted it out right away?”
Yeah, he’d heard about that one. Something about how she pretended to get hit in the head by the ball so she wouldn’t be eliminated. Then it turned into a small debate about whether it counted since she’d deliberately leaned her head in. In the end, she was just warned not to do anything dangerous and the game resumed.
“How do they even play dodgeball with so few kids?”
Cha Eui-sung muttered with a grumble and turned his head. On top of a colorful cushion lay Seo-ryong’s blue wristband, abandoned carelessly.
“Oh, right. I also poked around the Association a little.”
“That’s dangerous, you know.”
“I didn’t touch anything suspicious. Just looked around because I was anxious…”
Kim Jeong-baek tapped on his phone and sent over a link via text—it was someone’s SNS account.
(Video of fallen leaves tumbling along a street)
2 likes
juhakpark23 A bitter day… Passion given to others never pays you back.
#That’sLife #NoUnderstanding
(Photo of LED lights and a drink)
1 like
juhakpark23 Time for myself. Comfort.
#DrinkingAlone #Healing
“What the hell is this?”
“It’s nothing major, but looks like they got shuffled out of their position or something.”
“Judging by how dramatically they’re sulking online, they probably think they were kicked out.”
“If no one’s even tossing around the word ‘lawsuit’ as a joke, then they probably did screw up somehow.”
“Well, yeah, but still…”
From experience, digging always turns up something. No department goes without the occasional mess. And when it comes to managing Awakened, the variables are endless. Who could’ve predicted a seemingly stable Awakened would go off the rails and ram into someone’s car for no reason?
Still, if everyone’s keeping their mouths shut, the mistake must’ve been bigger than they’re letting on.
And if they were really worried about consequences, maybe it wasn’t so much getting kicked out as losing a project they’d been handling. Something about it didn’t sit right.
Cha Eui-sung stared at the SNS for a moment, then opened his call history. Now that he thought about it, it had been a while since he last heard from Kim Nocha.
[Hey, hyung. Hope you’re doing well. I’ve been swamped lately and haven’t had the chance to reach out~]
He fired off the message, not expecting an immediate reply—
[Long time no see! Whyyyy’d you disappear like that]
Came flying back instantly, typos and all. The guy must’ve leapt to check it the moment he saw the notification. Well, of course—he always poured high-end booze down his throat like it was holy water whenever they met. Of course he’d be glad to hear from him.
[I’ve actually got a ton to vent about lately]
[Perfect timing. When can we meet?]
This bastard seriously thinks I’m his emotional trash bin just ‘cause there’s alcohol involved.
Cha Eui-sung wasn’t even exasperated anymore—he was incinerated. But still, every little “trash” word that spilled from that mouth was discarded paperwork from the Hunter Association. Honestly, he wanted to pick it all up and devour it on the spot, but he couldn’t head to Seoul right away.
[Ahh, I really should come see you. My schedule’s a bit packed till next month.]
[Yeah?? When next month?]
[Early next month? I’ll reach out once I’ve sorted a few things. By the way, hyung, what’s been eating at you so bad lately?]
He asked without much hope. The guy had at least some sense of security. Normally, you had to practically drown him in liquor before he’d drop even a single scrap of info.
[It’s kind of hard to say, since it’s Association business…]
[But yeah, had something sour happen at work.]
[Honestly, feel a bit betrayed. They won’t even give me a clear reason…]
[Forget it. Why am I even texting all this. We need to sit down, slam some shots, and just go off.]
Surprisingly, all it took was a little poke for the guy’s mouth to start running.
