119
I Wanted to Ride in Your Dream
On the way home, I received a brief message from a client. The payment was confirmed shortly after. Working as a freelancer, I’ve realized that I was being extorted by the state all this time. The amount I receive for a single job is quite large. Ah, I should have become a freelancer earlier! I regret it. Plus, being able to pick my jobs is wonderful. When I was at the Security Bureau, it was impossible for me to choose my work, but now I can firmly reject anything I dislike.
Have you thought about it?
A message came as I was getting out of the car. It was Lee Martin.
About what?
The company! If you start a company with me, we can do well together!
I think I can do well on my own?
He’s just playing around. What do you know about paperwork? Don’t you know your subordinates were running in circles because your paperwork was a complete mess? You think you did well just because you had good subordinates
Why do I need paperwork? I don’t need that stuff?
Hey, when you earn money, you have to pay taxes. What you’re doing now is tax evasion. If you want to marry Sebastian, you should at least be legally clean. Sebastian has many enemies. Should you become a liability?
Wait, is that how it works? Am I committing tax evasion right now? Then who should I resolve this through?
Lee knows these issues well. If we partner up, he would probably make sure “there are no problems.” And Lee’s strong point is that he can smile and get along with anyone he dislikes. The only person he can’t seem to smile around is one of his sexual partners. Lately, for whatever Gleinach did wrong, Lee has been raging about killing him whenever he sees him. A few days ago, Gleinach suddenly appeared and asked me to list foods and things Lee likes. Of course, I responded with “If you don’t want to be beaten to death, get lost.”
But I don’t really want to work with Lee. Lee might be able to kill Gleinach, but he has no intention of ending things with him. And I don’t like even the slightest possibility of getting entangled with a freelance spy. Finally, Lee wants to leave the Security Bureau because the atmosphere there is ominous, but I think it’s right for that organization to maintain tight security. With the completion of the Andrea Dill and Nina Volkari line, the Security Bureau has tightened internal discipline. Of course. Did you think they wouldn’t crack down after discovering two Canaris spies among their high-ranking officials? How naive. Because of this, a stricter atmosphere unlike before has developed, and Lee seems to dislike that mood. So he’s fantasizing about luring me to open something like a detective agency. In Lee’s mind, the shadow of that famous detective in a fedora and trench coat is probably floating around.
And I dislike working with people who have fantasies. In an industry where lives are at stake, I think everyone feels the same. Fantasies are different from ideas.
Thanks for the advice, I’ll handle it myself. You should deal with your partner. He keeps pretending to be friendly with me whenever your relationship goes bad. It’s annoying
Next time he comes, I’ll kill him. How much do you want?
I don’t accept murder-for-hire requests, customer. Please leave
No loyalty
Look who’s talking
“What are you doing here?”
I was moving my fingers while leaning against the car, exchanging messages, when I heard a voice. I looked up and saw Sebastian. He naturally embraced me once, kissed my cheek, then glanced at my phone.
“Who is it?”
“Lee. Lee Martin.”
“Why?”
“He wants to partner up.”
I heard Sebastian make a small laughing sound. I deleted the message I was typing and turned off my phone screen. Looking at Sebastian, I saw he was smiling.
“Will you do it?”
“I don’t want to get involved with a freelance spy.”
“Would you consider partnering if Gleinach weren’t involved?”
“Is what I’m doing now tax evasion?”
I abruptly asked instead of answering his question, but he didn’t press for an answer. Instead, after thinking briefly, he hedged with “Well, if I had to say…” Sebastian speaks nicely to me, so when he answers like that, it undoubtedly means it’s tax evasion.
“Then I should partner up.”
Since I’m not confident about handling tax matters. As we were about to enter the house, I said this, and Sebastian asked:
“How about me? I’m good at raising funds and know many tax accountants.”
What is he saying? As I burst out laughing, a house employee opened the door for us.
Most of the employees who worked in our house have disappeared. Still, it’s fortunate that Anya and Mr. Becker remained. Otherwise, I would have been too worried about meals to focus on work. Many employees received severance pay from Sebastian and resigned, each pouring out tears as they left. Behind those tears were painful memories they had experienced.
Before leaving our house, without a single exception, they all held my hand and said “Thank you.” Apparently, Sebastian had sent everyone a photo of Yudorov turned into a human worm. I suspect Kouri might have taken it secretly, but as long as he didn’t get caught, it’s fine. If someone had leaked it to a newspaper, they could have received quite a sum, but no one did. That made me somewhat sad. For them, it wasn’t a photo that could be exchanged for money.
Sebastian kept his promise, and everyone left our house with happy hearts. It was a bit sad to be one of those remaining. Although it’s a good thing, seeing people off with waving hands each time, watching people gradually disappear day by day, feeling the air slowly growing colder—it’s a lonely experience. Especially for me, who lived in a crowded church orphanage, this kind of serenity was difficult to endure.
Last month, I was so upset that I invited my father and siblings, only to realize that my family, whom I thought would stay with me, were actually extremely extroverted people. Having come to the capital, Lumaier, from the provincial city of Romberg, each had a full schedule. Even Oliver, who was going through life’s hardships, had people to meet every night, so what more needs to be said about the others? Even our father, befitting a famous priest, was incredibly busy. Unlike me, my family members barely came to the house far from downtown and thought every day “it would be nice to be sent to a hotel.” Sebastian, who unlike me has impeccable intuition, gradually sent them one by one to hotels. And one day, when I realized everything and shouted “Get out!”, they all left for the hotel and are still staying there. I wonder if they’ll ever go back to Romberg. Moreover, two of them have been displaying strange entertainment skills on talk shows, living almost like celebrities these days. Good grief.
Unlike me who entered through the front door, Sebastian didn’t come in. He waited outside for me to turn back to him. When I turned around wondering why he wasn’t coming in, he said:
“I’m serious. Let’s partner up.”
“Wouldn’t that make me too much like a kept man?”
“Do you dislike being a kept man?”
“No, I like it a lot… It’s just, if I were boldly following you around, that would be one thing, but a vague partnership…”
Sebastian is busy.
He has no intention of inheriting the Riegel Group, but he operates various businesses with his personal assets. These businesses are scattered around the world, so he constantly has to move. Even this year, he has gone on several overseas business trips. For such a Sebastian to suggest partnering with me is like a global entrepreneur wanting to partner with a countryside convenience store for the sake of his lover. No matter how much I’m his lover, what use would I be?
Sebastian has a remarkable talent—he can read my mind just by looking at my face. He looked at me and smiled.
“It’s not like that.”
“What’s not like that?”
It is like that. Despite my negative response, he shook his head.
“It’s not that—I thought it would be good if we could do something like Batman together. You as the night Batman. Me as the day Batman.”
By Batman, does he mean an adult male wearing tights, roaming the streets at night, and beating people up?
For a moment, I imagined Sebastian wearing black tights, a mask, and a fluttering cape. Wow, he would look good in that too. That’s fine…
“Don’t imagine that.”
I was startled when Sebastian spoke with a hardened voice.
“Did I say that out loud?”
Did I unconsciously say that you in tights, with your contours showing, make my mouth water?
“I can tell just by looking at your face.”
Sebastian is fortunate to have been born into a good family. Otherwise, he would definitely have become a con artist. As I pursed my lips, Sebastian looked down at me. Suddenly, I read a hint of anxiousness in his eyes.
“You really want to do this with me.”
Even though you’re very busy and it’s no help to you at all. I couldn’t understand. For me, I’m just doing work that benefits me. I dislike killing people and dislike villains. I want to work, but I don’t have desk job skills. I can beat up villains. I gladly deal with nasty people and do things that get my blood boiling. So the job of troubleshooter I’ve chosen fits me perfectly. I just need to look at clients’ requests and catch those I consider villains.
But why would Sebastian want to do this? His revenge is over, and unlike me, he has several excellent businesses.
“I wanted to see the world with you.”
Sebastian gazes into the distance. I suddenly realized that now, when he’s talking to me, not about Lee Shin-yeon, he looks into the distance to organize his thoughts in order to explain something well to me. That’s a good thing. He was groping for something. Whether memories, reminiscences, or thoughts—something that doesn’t exist in reality.
“I always wanted to leave with you. In truth, I didn’t want to be left behind.”
“…”
“Things I had to do. Things assigned to me. Even though such things have no meaning, the train departed, and I couldn’t get off. If it were just me, I could jump off even from a moving train, but if I’m the one driving that train, I can’t. If I get off, everyone on this train will die.”
Does he think I understand this story? As I looked at him awkwardly, he contorted his face and smiled.
“But in truth, I wanted to abandon that train. I want to ride in your dream. I want to do what you do. Revenge was a tedious and painful process, but the parts where you were present became memories. Because I was with you. I want to do that for the rest of my life.”
Even if you don’t run a small shop, we’ll be together for life. Just as I was about to say that, Sebastian approached me. He instantly came into the house, took my hand, kissed the back of it, then slipped something from his pocket onto my hand. It was a ring.
“Let’s get married. And let’s fulfill your dream together for the rest of our lives.”
That’s not exactly my dream. I don’t have dreams. It’s just…
Then I suddenly realized. Ah, it was my dream after all. My dream that emerged from the Urnan days. A weed-like dream growing in the shadows of my heart, shadows I didn’t even know about. I wanted all those who destroy people’s lives to be punished. I regretted not having the power to mete out such punishment myself.
“I’ll buy your ring. I’ll buy the prettiest and best ring I can afford, Sebi.”
I embraced Sebastian and whispered. Yes, in this serene house, there are only the two of us. In my dream, there are only two people, you and me.
You always look into the desires within me that I don’t even notice. What kind of love makes that possible? I don’t know.
Still embracing Sebastian, I whispered, “Let’s get married and live the same fate.” Then he embraced me very happily. He looked like someone who had fulfilled all his wishes.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
