45
The destination for the three of them was Seoul. To be precise, it was a famous shopping complex in Seoul.
Their primary goal was to buy suitable clothes for the two men. Yeon Ji-ho discreetly checked his bank balance on his phone, making sure the others couldn’t see.
In fact, since his parents passed away, Yeon Ji-ho hadn’t checked his bank balance. His parents had substantial life insurance policies, and with all ties to his cousins cut off, all that money had come to Yeon Ji-ho.
Moreover, even when his parents were alive, Yeon Ji-ho never felt financially lacking. His parents were financially comfortable enough to venture into the pension business at a young age.
“Alright… This should be more than enough.”
Checking his living expenses account after a long time, he saw that quite a bit of money had accumulated. Before meeting Set, Yeon Ji-ho had barely any expenses living alone. Today, he intended to use that money to buy clothes for the two men.
“But you two, why are you sticking so close behind me?”
Feeling the heavy presence right behind him, Yeon Ji-ho quickly turned his head. He felt both of them halt abruptly.
“…”
“…Is it alright for us to wander around so freely in a place like this?”
Ah.
Yeon Ji-ho let out a short groan. Come to think of it, both men were considered criminals in Asterra. Moreover, before losing the war, they were known as the “Gorgon’s Beasts” and were often avoided due to their notoriety.
So, they probably had little experience walking confidently in such a populated area. Yeon Ji-ho thought for a moment, then smiled and said,
“It’s fine as long as you don’t do anything too conspicuous.”
“But… everyone is staring at Shango, Ji-ho.”
At those words, Yeon Ji-ho glanced around. He made eye contact with some of the onlookers.
Shango, thinking all those gazes were directed at him, was visibly uncomfortable, his shoulders hunched. Indeed, in Asterra, Shango, with his dark skin, would have always attracted such stares.
But now…
“They’re not looking at you, Mr. Shango.”
“Then?”
“They’re all looking at Mr. Set. He’s very handsome, you know.”
Set was the type to attract attention even when trying not to. His muscular build and imposing height already drew eyes, not to mention his rugged hair, mysterious odd eyes, high nose, and sharp jawline.
To be honest, he looked like he could have stepped out of a magazine. Even the cheap clothes bought from the market looked like expensive brand items on him.
“They’re… looking at me?”
Set frowned, uncomfortable, and deliberately made eye contact with a few people who had been staring persistently. He expected them to flinch or look away in displeasure.
However, those who met his gaze didn’t cower; instead, they looked at him with awe. Seeing this, Yeon Ji-ho chuckled and said,
“This won’t do. Let’s go buy a hat for Mr. Set first.”
“…I suppose so. Do they have robes here?”
As Set and Yeon Ji-ho were about to move quickly, they noticed Shango wasn’t following. He stood still, looking down at his hands and feet. When Yeon Ji-ho called out to him, Shango finally raised his head and spoke.
“They’re not… looking at me…”
It was bizarre for Shango. Wherever he went, whatever he did, he was always the most noticeable under the bright sunlight. Even among the Gorgon Knights, known for their unusual members, Shango was the one who caught attention first.
But here, he wasn’t such a special existence. Shango couldn’t believe it, his lips trembling.
“Mr. Shango?”
Then he noticed.
Beyond Yeon Ji-ho and Set, a person with skin color similar to his own passed by.
Unconsciously, Shango started to follow that person. Instead of stopping him, Yeon Ji-ho and Set quietly followed along.
“…”
The dark-skinned foreigner was a common sight for Yeon Ji-ho when he visited Seoul. Shango, following him, urgently reached out his hand.
When the foreigner, suddenly grabbed, looked at Shango with a puzzled expression, Yeon Ji-ho popped out from behind and said,
“Hi, this guy wants to be close to you.”
Set and Shango simultaneously looked at Yeon Ji-ho with surprised eyes at his sudden display of English skills. Though he hadn’t had the chance to mention it, Yeon Ji-ho had always been a top student in his school days.
With his parents’ comfortable financial situation, he had private tutoring, and having no friends, studying was all he could do. His conversation skills were naturally acquired from frequently traveling abroad with his parents when he was young.
“What? Really?”
The foreigner, hearing Yeon Ji-ho’s words, looked at Shango with interest. Shango felt his heart sink as the man’s black eyes focused on him. The man’s dark skin shone remarkably under the blazing lights.
Yeon Ji-ho’s words were true.
In this world, Shango wasn’t such an unusual existence. His dark skin, upon closer inspection, was something that could be found anywhere.
This unremarkable reality brought such relief that Shango suddenly started to cry. Both Yeon Ji-ho and the foreigner seemed taken aback by his sudden tears. The foreigner, apparently learning Korean, spoke haltingly.
“Why… cry?”
“Ah… Ah, oh God…”
As Shango couldn’t speak through his tears, Yeon Ji-ho stepped in to manage the situation. Set silently led Shango a little way back.
[He says he’s happy to meet you.]
[Oh! Please tell him I’m happy too. I’d like to be friends with him, can you give me his contact information?]
On behalf of Shango, who didn’t have a phone, Yeon Ji-ho gave the foreigner his own contact information. The foreigner left, promising to meet again, and now only the three of them remained in the corridor.
“He says he wants to know more about you too.”
Yeon Ji-ho patted Shango’s shoulder on behalf of Set, who wasn’t overtly affectionate. Then, Shango, who had been silently shedding tears, called out to Yeon Ji-ho without even raising his head.
“…Ji-ho… Mr. Ji-ho.”
“Yes?”
“I… I want to stay here together…”
Yeon Ji-ho closed his mouth at Shango’s desperate voice. Instead of answering hastily, Yeon Ji-ho raised his eyes to meet Set’s gaze once, then looked back at Shango.
Shango’s head, bowed low, was round. Yeon Ji-ho carefully raised his hand and gently stroked Shango’s head.
“Alright.”
It was just a short word. But Shango started crying even more, as if a faucet had been turned on. The sad part was that despite his tears, not a single sobbing sound escaped him.
“We’ll all come together someday.”
Now Yeon Ji-ho understood that the Gorgon’s Beasts considered each other family. The bond between them, which he had only seen in novels and felt distant, now felt close to him as well.
If he had decided to take responsibility for Set, he should also take responsibility for Set’s only family.
Having made his decision, Yeon Ji-ho smiled and added,
“But Mr. Shango, what are you going to do now? That man from earlier thought you were flirting with him.”
“…?”
At those words, Shango’s tears stopped abruptly. Seeing that he didn’t fully understand, Yeon Ji-ho explained further with a playful smile.
“He left thinking you were interested in him ‘that way.’ That man was an omega, you know.”
The Gorgon’s Beasts.
Even if they were described as infinitely cruel and utterly destructive in the novel, to Yeon Ji-ho, they were just pitiful and lovable beings. He wished they would stop crying. At least here, he hoped they would live with only happy smiles.
Having stopped Shango’s tears in his own way, Yeon Ji-ho clapped his hands and announced it was time to go shopping. His first step in making them happy was to splurge.
“…Ji-ho.”
However, their grand ambitions were short-lived as they stepped back into the center of the shopping mall. The three of them had to stop in their tracks once again as they encountered a mysterious presence.
Among them, Set was the most surprised. He narrowed his brows deeply, glaring at something that had entered his field of vision. Then, showing an extremely wary attitude, he stood close to Yeon Ji-ho.
“That…”
“Ji-ho. What is that?”
Set’s voice was bristling with wariness. Of course, Yeon Ji-ho clearly understood why. What blocked their path was none other than…
“What kind of monster is this?”
Snow-white fur with a glossy sheen, beautiful black markings scattered across it, a pointed snout with a muzzle attached. And above all, what drew the most attention was…
“Why… does this monster have eyes like mine?”
One eye yellow, the other a deep blue – odd eyes.
It was a Siberian Husky.
