Chapter 127
“What…?”
Seokjae thought there had never been a time when it was so difficult to follow Muyoung’s thinking, but soon he spotted an object rolling on the floor and let out an “Ah.”
‘Isn’t that what he pulled out of his ear? …Don’t tell me he couldn’t hear anything I’ve been saying?’
Finally understanding the situation, he let out a small laugh that sounded like a sigh.
‘Right. Otherwise, he wouldn’t tell someone who’s been called a murderer not to be kind.’
The confused expression, shouting at him not to come—everything had a different meaning than what he’d thought. Realizing this, he felt both relief and emptiness washing over him simultaneously.
Composing his slightly twisted lips, Seokjae nodded.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Really?”
As Muyoung turned his back with a look of relief, Seokjae tightly clenched his free hand. The feeling of happiness he’d felt during that brief moment, when he mistakenly thought Muyoung had accepted him despite knowing everything, was evaporating, twisting his insides.
However, seeing him move forward without once looking back at Lim Sangjin who remained sitting behind them, his mood easily improved like a child’s.
‘I guess the one who got his dick rubbed ranks higher.’
Not only choosing him over others but also urging him not to care for others—he was certain that Muyoung considered him special compared to other people.
At that moment, a desire that he had suppressed as too unrealistic, something he never thought possible, began to stir deep in his heart.
‘Maybe… he might accept me even if he knows everything.’
* * *
Upon leaving the management room, they saw the children who had awakened from the loud noise, looking around anxiously inside the study cafe.
“Hey-!”
“Seokjae hyung! Muyoung hyung!”
“Hyungs! Where were you!”
Before Muyoung could call the children, Junwoo heard their footsteps, spotted them and shouted loudly. Kyungho, who was next to him, also called out to the two of them and ran over.
Thud-thud-thud.
The children expressing their delight were quite cute, but being 19-year-old boys who could hardly be called small in stature, they had the force of charging wild boars. They were coming with enough momentum to send someone as small as Muyoung flying.
“Uh, uhh… hey, hey, wait a second.”
As Muyoung’s face began to turn pale as before, foreseeing a future collision, Seokjae stepped in front of him.
Thump. He simply stopped both of them by placing his hands on their foreheads. Then he pushed them lightly to create distance between them and the children.
“I know you’re glad to see us, but now’s not the time,” said Seokjae, nodding toward where they had left their things.
“Hurry and grab your bags. We need to leave this place right now.”
“Ah, yes!”
“Ah, understood!”
Having heard the loud noise earlier, the two already knew something serious had happened, so they followed without asking any questions.
Thanks to having kept their belongings organized to move at any time, it didn’t take long to prepare to leave. Until then, outside remained quiet with no significant changes.
Before heading out, Junwoo, who was watching Seokjae make final checks on his weapons, cautiously asked Muyoung who was beside him.
“By the way, hyung.”
“Yes?”
“Why is Seokjae hyung covered in blood like that? Is he hurt?”
“Ah, no, that’s not it.”
Though he had postponed his questions out of joy at finding the hyungs he thought had gone missing, Seokjae’s appearance was too jarring to look at in the night, so he couldn’t help but ask.
“And where were you hyungs earlier? What was that loud noise… It sounded just like a gunshot.”
Once he started asking, his curiosity overflowed and the questions he’d been holding in came pouring out one after another.
“Uh, well, about that-“
Muyoung smiled awkwardly with a troubled expression. It seemed inevitable that if he started explaining, the story between Seokjae and Lim Sangjin would come up. Reluctant to bring up someone else’s story carelessly, Muyoung rolled his eyes toward Seokjae for help.
However…
“…?”
When their eyes met, Seokjae merely shrugged with a clear look that seemed to ask “what’s wrong?” which wasn’t much help. Sweat was starting to form on Muyoung’s back when a desperate voice echoed through the building.
“Ta-take me with you!”
All four turned around at once. Startled by the sharp gazes, Lim Sangjin quickly pointed his gun at them. He seemed to have a strong feeling that if they didn’t take him along, he would die.
“Nngh… Or I’ll kill, huh, I’ll kill you all!!”
Even in a life-threatening situation, Lim Sangjin couldn’t give up the large bag that Seokjae had thrown to him. Struggling to lift the heavy bag made his already awkward stance even more clumsy, and ultimately, he looked like he would drop the gun if someone just bumped him. In other words, he didn’t look threatening at all.
“Is that a real gun? So what we heard earlier was actually a gunshot?”
“I-I think so…”
“Ha.”
The children, who had been surprised by the appearance of a lethal weapon, quickly calmed down after hearing Seokjae’s scornful snort. And Muyoung…
‘He should be on his knees begging us to take him along, but what? He’s threatening to kill us?’
He was quietly furious, his expression contorting at the thought that this man might have treated Seokjae this way in the past he didn’t know about.
Even if Seokjae had suggested they take Lim Sangjin along, Muyoung was determined to object. It was then—
Swoosh-
Seokjae stepped forward. Then, spreading both arms, he said:
“Go ahead and shoot.”
“Wh-what?”
“Hyung!”
Everyone was startled by his drastic move, and Muyoung called out urgently. But Seokjae’s provocation didn’t stop.
“A piece of junk that misfires after being dropped on the floor. What’s there to be afraid of?”
Despite the other man holding a gun, Seokjae’s nonchalant attitude—as if saying “do it if you dare”—made Muyoung feel like he would faint any moment.
“Hyung, what are you doing!”
Earlier too, he moved around without fear of the gun, and now he’s doing it again! That’s a gun! A GUN! Don’t you know what a gun is?!
Though he wanted to scold him, Muyoung could only speak briefly as he hurriedly blocked Seokjae’s path while keeping an eye on Lim Sangjin.
Growl. While he was glaring at Lim Sangjin, baring his teeth fiercely in his own way, suddenly he heard what sounded like a chuckle from behind.
“…Did you just laugh, hyung?”
The laughter seemed out of place in the dangerous situation, making Muyoung wonder if he had misheard.
“It’s okay. If he shoots, he’s the one who’ll get hurt.”
In truth, Seokjae had laughed because he found Muyoung’s small stature cute as he tried to protect him but failed to properly cover vital points like his head and neck.
However, afraid that Muyoung might feel bad if he knew Seokjae was laughing at his brave gesture, Seokjae grabbed Muyoung’s shoulder. Moving him back behind himself again, he changed the subject.
“What?”
“I’m saying that gun’s maintenance is sh… not good. I don’t know where he got it, but if he fires it again, it won’t shoot a bullet—it’ll just explode.”
Fortunately, Muyoung fell for his tactic.
“Wh-what?”
Having overheard Seokjae’s words, Lim Sangjin flinched in fear and tried to hastily remove his finger from the trigger. But perhaps because he was too flustered—the gun, which was already precariously held, slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.
Thud! Clatter-
“Eeeek-!”
He must have thought the gun would fire another bullet when it hit the floor heavily. The terrified Lim Sangjin kicked and thrashed, causing the revolver to slide all the way to Seokjae’s feet.
“…”
A long silence fell over the ridiculous and comical situation.
By the time Lim Sangjin, who had been crouching with his head covered, lifted his head to assess the situation, the gun was already in Seokjae’s hand. After glancing around cautiously for a moment, he seemed to have abandoned his pride as he knelt right there and begged desperately.
“Pl-please. Take me with you too! Please!”
“I’m sorry, but how can we take someone who threatens to kill people so easily?”
“I’m sorry about that! I was just so scared! I won’t do it again!”
Muyoung’s heart wavered at the sight of the man desperately crying out while rubbing his hands together as if he didn’t care if they wore down.
However, as soon as he turned his head to check, his eyes met Seokjae’s, who had been watching him—who knows for how long. His gaze was gentle, as if willing to accept whatever Muyoung decided. Realizing this, Muyoung bit his lip firmly and shook his head.
“I don’t want to. This is already the third time he’s nearly killed you, hyung. How can I be sure there won’t be a fourth time?”
“Third time?”
“It was because of him that you left, wasn’t it?”
“Ah…”
That had happened because Seokjae had approached Lim Sangjin for a deal first, but since he liked that Muyoung was taking his side, Seokjae simply nodded without correcting him.
“Right. Then let’s go.”
“W-wait. Wait!”
Lim Sangjin cried out desperately, but at Seokjae’s gesture, Kyungho and Junwoo glanced at him once and quietly went outside. Muyoung, afraid his heart might weaken, headed outside without looking back.
“J-just think about it one more time…!”
And before Seokjae was the last to leave, there was the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, as if to grab him. As soon as he heard the sound, Seokjae raised his machete.
“Don’t come any closer, okay?”
“Hik…”
The once arrogant demeanor with just a gun he hadn’t even properly fired was completely gone. Lim Sangjin’s legs trembled as if he might collapse at any moment.
Staring at him intently, as if glaring, Seokjae recalled the round head that had stood in front of him earlier and chuckled with a sound like air escaping.
“Well… Thanks to you, I got to see something cute. So I’ll give this back as a gift.”
With those words, Seokjae threw the revolver he was holding, and—
Thwack!
After taking a direct hit to the face with the metal object, Lim Sangjin fell backward.
“…”
“…Hmm.”
Looking at the motionless figure, unsure if he was unconscious or dead, Seokjae shrugged and went outside without checking his condition.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
