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A car with its headlights on sped down a two-lane highway in the early morning hours as winter rain drizzled down. The old car soon turned onto a side road and entered a long, low-built building at the base of the mountain.
Normally, the expansive clearing would have been green and lush with spindle trees and sprawling lawns, but now it was dark as the sun had not yet risen. The grass and trees were wet from the rain, making them look even darker.
After pulling into the outdoor parking lot, he grabbed his black umbrella and got out. He followed the path through the well-kept grass and entered the building.
<356 Days 24h OPEN>
The words on the electronic sign hung above the entrance were colourless, and only the lights at the desk were lit, but the employee was nowhere to be seen. Not caring, he headed inside. The marble floor was a little slippery as the rain-soaked soles of his shoes touched it.
Room 101 was the most well-lit room, but with the sun not having yet risen, there was only artificial light. The fifth floor, the most royal of the nine floors for the altars of couples, was where his parents were enshrined. He had signed up for a service that changed the flowers every day, so today there were fresh chrysanthemums soaked in water.
A scrooge who bought flowers every day.
He laughed at himself and stood there, unmoving. Sometimes, when he saw other people coming to the columbarium, they’d say all kinds of things. How are you? I’ve been good. I came because I missed you. Let me introduce you to my new family.
But Lee Juwon never had anything to say, so he just stood there.
Outside the window, the rain continued to fall. He couldn’t tell how much time had passed. Eventually, the blue light of dawn seeped through the window taking up one wall. This year, perhaps because it coincided with the last day of the Lunar New Year, there were a few visitors.
As cars began to pull into the parking lot, one or two at a time, Lee Juwon climbed back into his car. There were still a few cars on the outer highway, and the winter rain was still streaming down. The sky, with its dark clouds, was low and murky. The day dawned before he had even realized the sun had risen.
It was 8:30 when he arrived at work. It was later than usual, but he was still roughly on time for work. Though, it was a holiday, so the work time didn’t matter.
The company was deserted except for the special emergency force on standby. There had been no urgent work lately, so it was okay for Lee Juwon to take a day or two off, but he did the work that he had to do later in advance.
“Sigh…”
The early winter sun had already set when he looked out the window and stretched his neck, stiff from looking at various documents all day. The tedious winter rain had been falling for the entire day. The sky was so sombre that he couldn’t even properly tell when the sun had set.
Cloudy days like today should pass quickly, Lee Juwon muttered, rubbing his stiff shoulders.
Before burying himself beneath the documents again, he stood up for a moment. As he left the representative’s office and looked around the quiet company, he saw the lights of the annex building outside the window.
It was the shooting range. There was a separate formal training centre, and it was just a simple place constructed at the headquarters, so there was no reason for the lights to be on right now. Wondering who hadn’t turned the lights off, Lee Juwon went through the connecting passageway to the annex.
…Bang, bang, bang!
It wasn’t loud because of the soundproofing, but the closer he got, the more he heard gunfire. Someone was practising shooting alone.
At the entrance to the shooting range, he could only see his back, half hidden by the wall, but he knew who it was. He wasn’t the only one who could recognize who it was, as there was only one person in all of December who had perfect posture and a sculpted physique that could be found in textbooks.
Beeeep—.
“…Huh?”
He hadn’t finished shooting yet, but the scram was pressed, and the target board was raised up as the system stopped.
Kang Inheon put the gun down, turned around, and made eye contact with Lee Juwon. He took off his headphones and approached him.
He must have been concentrating with his ears covered, but he recognized his signs… No, that was natural for Kang Inheon, but he didn’t need to stop…
A little embarrassed and abashed, Lee Juwon said, “…What are you doing here? Weren’t you off-duty today?”
“Well, I was bored,” Kang Inheon casually replied. For Kang Inheon, shooting like that was just a way to pass the time. Seems like he really does have nothing to do? He should have instead gone to the training center, so he couldn’t understand why he was doing this at the company, but he was unable to interfere with the stuff he was doing on holiday.
“Hm… finish up. Will you turn the lights off when you leave?”
Whether it was training or because he was bored, he really had no intention of interfering. He just wanted to watch for a while from the back, but even that was impossible for Kang Inheon. The fact that he had stalkers despite it being impossible to watch him secretly was amazing. Though, he didn’t know whether it was the stalkers who were amazing or Kang Inheon, who left them be, who was amazing.
Taking a few steps back, Lee Juwon left the shooting range and quickly walked down the corridor as if he were being chased. Kang Inheon’s voice cut through the echoes of footsteps in the quiet hallway, “Mr. CEO?”
When Lee Juwon looked back, Kang Inheon put his hands in his pockets and walked over.
“Have you eaten?”
“…Not yet.”
“Would you like to have dinner?”
Pang!
A huge umbrella opened up in the air. The winter rain that had been falling since dawn hadn’t stopped even as the sun set.
The two people, who had left the office, walked far apart from each other since they each used their own umbrella. It looked like they were walking on their own, strangers to each other, as one walked ahead and the other behind.
The back alleys near companies were always busy, regardless of whether it was day or night. Crowds gathered for lunch during the day and for drinks at night. Restaurants and bars were brightly illuminated with their signs lit up in various lights, but it was quiet right now.
It was the last day of Seollal, and the next day, Saturday, was in the middle of Golden Week. It was no wonder all the shops catering to office workers had their doors closed.
It wasn’t silent, though, with the pouring rain and the sound of a motorcycle engine passing by. Over the noise, Lee Juwon said, “Are there any shops open today?”
Kang Inheon nodded and replied, “The owner keeps it open 365 days a year. His creed is that you shouldn’t turn customers away at the door.”
“Oh… that’s a great creed.”
Lee Juwon entered the alley between Dami Baekban restaurant and a coffee shop specializing in take-out, which Lee Juwon had been to a few times. The alley was narrow, so they had to walk in single file. Kang Inheon led the way, and Lee Juwon followed. The tip of the umbrella scraped against the stone wall, so it needed to be turned at an angle.
After walking for about ten minutes after leaving the company, Kang Inheon stopped walking. It was a hotpot restaurant on the first floor of a four-storey building with its name colourless, “Jamae Pocha”. There was a handwritten note on the A4 paper in front of the shop’s door that said, “Open for business on Seollal,” but the sign was unlit.
“…Are we perhaps the first customers to be turned away at the door?”
Kang Inheon looked at the unlit sign and rubbed his earlobe.
“…There’s someone inside, though…”
“Ah…”
Lee Juwon pointed to the plastic stuck under the handle. The business hours were engraved on the small panel.
open 20:00
close 4:00
Kang Inheon looked down at his watch. It was currently 7:40 p.m. Often times, he only came at night, so he didn’t think of the business hours. Twenty minutes… Would Lee Juwon wait? Kang Inheon said, “…Should we just go?”
Lee Juwon folded his black umbrella and went under the store’s awning.
“Let’s wait.”
The weather was dreary, and it was a consecutive holiday. That meant it was better to wait than go and find other restaurants that were open. Kang Inheon, who had been staring at Lee Juwon, folded his umbrella as well and went under the awning.
Swaaaa—.
The alleyway inside was empty of people and filled with the sound of rain.
Kang Inheon took a secret glance at Lee Juwon. Like felt, the black coat Lee Juwon was wearing was too thin. His lips trembled, as if he were cold standing still after the sun had set and rain was coming down.
The green awning was drenched in rainwater and looked darker. The raindrops falling at the ends of the awning fell on the tips of Lee Juwon’s worn-out shoes. Staring down blankly at that, Lee Juwon took a step back.
There wasn’t any place to back up against in the narrow interior of the awning. When his back touched the wall, he just leaned against it and watched the rainy alleyway. Rainwater splattered against the asphalt where the water had accumulated. With his eyes lowered, he watched the varied scene of water splashing.
Lee Juwon usually always looked tired, but he looked especially tired today. His thin hair and eyelashes drooped and sank in the humidity. His drowsy side profile was still pale, but his round ears, revealed through his hair, burned red because of the cold wind.
Kang Inheon lightly grabbed his elbow and pulled him towards the inside. Before he could even look at him with a puzzled gaze, clack, the store door opened.
Realizing that the spot where he had been standing was at the end of the entrance, Lee Juwon lightly shook off his arm and straightened his body.
“Aigoo? We had guests?”
The owner of the shop, Jamae Hotpot, who had indifferently appeared, was a middle aged man with a benevolent impression. Kang Inheon smiled kindly and greeted him, “Hello, boss.”
“Gasp, well if it isn’t Hunter Kang-nim! Gosh, it’s cold, don’t just wait and come inside!”
The owner’s gaze moved to Lee Juwon. He recognized Lee Juwon, but he was at a loss for a moment, unsure what to call him, whom he met for the first time in person but was gaining notoriety for his bad reputation.
“I’m here with our CEO today.”
Only when Kang Inheon introduced him brightly did the owner burst into hearty laughter.
“Gosh, Mr. CEO, yeah, CEO Lee! I’ve hit the jackpot today, serving such precious people.”
Leading them into the dark shop, the owner quickly turned on the lights. Tak, tak, tak, the LED lights hanging from the low ceiling dyed the shop’s interior a desaturated orange light.
“Now, now, VIP guests must sit in reserved seats!”
The shop was narrow, so there weren’t many tables. The owner guided them to a spot at the very end of the window. There was a low wall between every table, so it was a separated space in its own way. Sitting down, Lee Juwon looked around and said, “So there was a place like this near the company.”
“You must’ve not known since you don’t go out to eat with the people from the company.”
“It’ll be uncomfortable if we eat together.”
“Who’ll be? Mr. CEO?”
Lee Juwon smiled wryly and unfolded the menu that was placed on each table.
The menu was also simple. Fish cake hotpot, tofu hotpot, and dumpling hotpot. There were only those three. The only other things you could choose were the size and type of liquor.
Not particularly asking for Lee Juwon’s opinion, Kang Inheon ordered a large fish cake hotpot, two bowls of rice, and two bottles of soju.
“Why soju? You can’t even get a proxy driver on a day like this.”
“I’m not drinking. Still, we should let him sell some liquor.”
He had a puzzled expression, wondering why he was ordering liquor when he wasn’t even going to drink it, but Lee Juwon didn’t speak any more.
Perhaps it was because the heater was on, but the interior of the shop quickly warmed up. With the gas burner on the table and the hotpot boiling in the pot, it even felt a little hot.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“If you don’t mind, I’m attempting to sell it as a regular item, so why don’t you try it and tell me how it tastes to Mr. CEO and hunter-nim?”
Kang Inheon smiled while nodding his head.
“Thank you.”
Grabbing the kettle, he poured the liquor into two glasses. He placed one in front of Lee Juwon and downed the other. Lee Juwon tilted his head.
“You said you weren’t going to drink, though?”
“We have to tell him how it tastes.”
Lee Juwon leaned back in his chair and watched as Kang Inheon filled his glass and drank alone before saying, “…Indeed, breath tests don’t mean anything to Hunter Kang anyway.”
“Well… if I’m drunk, then I’m drunk, and if I’m sober, then I’m sober.”
“Plus, it’s heated liquor, it kind of makes you seem like Guan Yu. If it’s Hunter Kang, you’re capable of bringing seven monster heads before the liquor cools, right?”
“I don’t know. It’ll cool down in the entry area.”
“Hm… The entry area is the most complicated area, but…”
“It’s done.”
The hotpot was boiling. Kang Inheon scooped up the fish cake and soup and placed them on Lee Juwon’s plate. He didn’t really have an appetite, but he held up his spoon. When he actually drank the warm soup, his stomach felt better. Looking at the white porcelain cup in front of him, Lee Juwon picked it up and drank it in one go. Kang Inheon spoke, “…Didn’t you say you weren’t going to drink?”
“He asked the CEO to give my opinion on how it tastes, too.”
“…Since when did you care about such things?”
Even as he said that, Kang Inheon poured liquor into Lee Juwon’s empty glass. He wasn’t the type of person to eat when told to eat and not eat when told not to eat.
It was unclear whether it was because he liked the warm liquor or because he felt like drinking today, but he followed and drank it down. Kang Inheon matched his pace and drank. Lee Juwon didn’t refill his glass, nor did they clink their cups together.
Rainwater trickled down from the glass outside the window, and a cold breeze leaked in from the walls. It burned with the fan heater and heat, so the cold wind was rather welcomed.
Perhaps because a few tables had been filled up in the meantime, it was different from when it was quiet earlier, as the sound of whispers was heard. Compared to that, the two who drank the liquor accompanying the hotpot exchanged no words all throughout. However, they didn’t have a relationship where silence was uncomfortable.
Not a lot of time passed when Lee Juwon put down his chopsticks. Kang Inheon tilted his drink and said, “Are you done eating?”
“No.”
“Does a person who’s always stingy with everything leave food behind every time?”
“I said I was going to eat more.”
Tsk, Kang Inheon lightly clicked his tongue. When he was at a disadvantage, he would shamelessly lie without blinking an eye. Even so, Lee Juwon’s eating habits were obvious.
“When you die, you’ll have to eat everything you left over mixed together. Are you confident you can do that…?”
Kang Inheon thought of the food stall they had visited together a long time ago. Back then, it was evident he was a good eater, but… After that day, the school was closed for a long time, and when the semester started again, Lee Juwon wasn’t there anymore as he had transferred. He had only heard that he went to Busan.
“Hunter Kang, are you aware that you’re sneakily using informal speech?”
Kang Inheon was speechless for a moment. When he was alone with Lee Juwon, he would often let his words slip without realizing it. Was it because he kept thinking of when they first met?
“…Your words aren’t exactly formal either.”
“It’s because you keep speaking informally first that I forget too.”
“.…..”
“Well, forget about it. We’re the same age and alumni.”
Kang Inheon’s expression hardened. Lee Juwon cupped his chin and spoke while looking at him, “You’re looking all serious again. Do you really hate the fact we went to the same school that much?”
“That’s not it…”
“It’s okay, I hate that time too…”
Lee Juwon rubbed his cup, the tips of his fingers reddening with the heat of the gas burner and his tipsiness. Lee Juwon swept his face, rubbing his warm eyes with the hardened area of his palm.
“So, it’s okay even if you hate it…” Mumbling as if speaking to himself, Lee Juwon picked up the kettle again and poured himself a drink. The yellowish liquid trickled down. Even though he tilted the kettle as far as it could go, the stream grew weak and stopped before half the cup could be filled.
“No more?”
Lee Juwon shook the kettle. The tactful owner, scanning all the tables from over by the kitchen, quickly brought them a new kettle. Starting with the second kettle, he diligently named the price. It was because the owner was like that that the business could soar.
After filling his cup, which was half empty, Lee Juwon filled Kang Inheon’s cup as well. They both drank on their own without doing any cheers, but the speed at which they emptied their cups was similar. Drinking like that, the second kettle quickly bottomed out too.
“Don’t just drink, eat some more.”
Kang Inheon scooped up the hotpot with a ladle and placed some on Lee Juwon’s plate. Lee Juwon stared at the cooked fish cakes and vegetables blankly. His eyelids were drowsier than they had been earlier. His voice, equally drowsy, settled on the table.
“You know, there are things in this world that don’t go the way I want them to go?”
Kang Inheon looked at him, puzzled. Lee Juwon grinned.
“Well, everything goes the way Hunter Kang wants it to go, doesn’t it? Even alcohol levels?”
Kang Inheon was dumbfounded. To say that everything went his way, the person who wouldn’t go his way the most was right in front of him.
“What doesn’t go your way?”
Kang Inheon guessed that he was still bitter about losing the bid for the Changsang Dungeon.
Beyond the window, raindrops pelted down. The headlights of a motorcycle passing by in the alley caught the raindrops, illuminating them briefly before disappearing.
Cupping his chin and staring outside the window, Lee Juwon spoke as if talking to himself: “I also want to eat until my stomach’s full, but it won’t go my way.”
The crackling of the gas burner was similar to the sound of rain pattering outside. Kang Inheon said, “…Why doesn’t it go your way?”
“Um…”
Lee Juwon picked up a chopstick and tapped the hotpot bowl.
“…Rather than thinking I want to eat, or that it’s tasty… I think it’s a little scary first. Like having an upset stomach.”
“Why?”
“…Why… Why so?” Lee Juwon rubbed his temple with his hand, trying to think of the reason before continuing in a low voice, “When I was a kid… No, I wasn’t a kid… I was in middle school, so wasn’t I all grown up?”
Swaaaa—.
The rain grew thicker. Under the orange glow of the street lamps, the raindrops cut diagonal lines. The sound of the rain falling like a knife made Lee Juwon blankly stare out the window again. He blinked as if he were seeing his appearance reflected in the glass window for the first time.
“…I think I’m a bit drunk.”
Lee Juwon straightened his slackened posture and swept a hand through his dishevelled hair. He picked up the cup of water in front of him and gulped it down, then buried his head in his hands and rubbed his face. However, rubbing the skin on his face didn’t make the alcohol that went inside his body disappear.
“Sigh…”
When he tried to wake himself up by slapping himself on the cheek, his wrist was quickly grabbed by Kang Inheon.
“Don’t do that.”
His hand was hot, as if to scald him. His unfocused gaze travelled to his grasped wrist.
“Ah… oh…”
When Lee Juwon put his hand down, Kang Inheon also let go of his wrist. Then he poured liquor into his empty cup.
“Don’t sober up.”
“…Alright.”
In his drunken state of mind, Lee Juwon understood Kang Inheon’s words as ‘sober up’ and took the glass of water from Kang Inheon’s hand and downed it in one go.
“Hm…?”
Lee Juwon blinked.
“The water here also tastes good…?”
“…Drink a lot.”
Kang Inheon poured alcohol into his cup again. He stared unmovingly at Lee Juwon’s Adam’s apple as he held up the cup and gulped down the alcohol.
“Why are you scared?”
“…Of what?”
“Of eating.”
“Ah.”
Lee Juwon nodded, as if he had only remembered then.
“When I was a kid… No, I wasn’t a kid… I was in middle school, so wasn’t I all grown up?”
Lee Juwon was repeating the same words again; it was an unfamiliar sight. He continued weakly with incorrect pronunciation as if mumbling, “I lived with my aunt in Busan for a bit, but… If I took something out of the fridge to eat, I’d get beaten by my uncle. But it was my growth period at that time, so I couldn’t really hold back my hunger and just ate anyway… Then, even if the food in the fridge had only diminished by a little bit, he’d start beating me without question, I guess…”
“…Your aunt, too?”
“No, my aunt tried to stop him… She told him not to hit me in the face because there were calls coming from the school and strange rumours going around in the neighbourhood… Still, I could hold in my hunger later on, but Kim Taegyeom… That son of a bitch told me he’d make me eat shit, that I was secretly abandoned, and that I was pretending to be unaware that I was the reason his family’s appearance was ruined… Ha… Shit, what am I saying right now…?”
Shaking his head vigorously as if to shake off the tipsiness, Lee Juwon gulped down the liquor in the water glass again. Then, as if amazed, he looked into the cup. As if he were looking at a magic lamp.
“Who’s Kim Taegyeom?”
“…Kim Taegyeom? How does Hunter Kang know Kim Taegyeom?”
His eyes, which had been looking amazed at the water cup, turned to Kang Inheon. Perhaps because his eyes were only usually half opened, his wide, open eyes looked like they occupied half his face.
“How did Kim Taegyeom make you eat shit?”
“Uwa… How does Hunter Kang know Kim Taegyeom…?”
“.…..”
“That bastard’s a total scumbag, though… He’s not the kind of guy to be associated with Hunter Kang…” Lee Juwon waved his hands and continued, “He’s my aunt’s son… He went into the boiler room at night holding a hamburger to make me eat shit and made a crazy fuss saying he bought it for me, so I taught him how to eat a hamburger with his face…”
Saying that look fit him pretty well, Lee Juwon giggled and added on, “It’s said that you can’t beat a dog when it’s eating; as expected, old sayings are an ensemble of wisdom… Dogs who are beaten when they eat either develop insane gluttony or their appetite drops like fucking hell.”
“Are you the latter?”
“.…..”
“What happened to your aunt?”
“…Still living and eating well, I guess. Talking about business or scams or fraudulent schemes like it was a habit of mouth, and she even scammed me. They kicked me out and said they were immigrating to Vietnam, but they’re still living in Korea.”
Lee Juwon giggled and drank up the liquor in his water cup again.
“How long did you live there?”
“Ah… so…”
Lee Juwon stretched out his palm and folded his fingers one by one. When he folded five, he was thrown into confusion and stared at his fist as if he didn’t even know what he was counting.
He lowered his head in a defenceless state, unlike usual, so Kang Inheon could openly look at him. His white forehead was hidden by his dishevelled hair, his eyes were red from drinking, his lips were redder than usual, and his Adam’s apple moved every now and then, as if he were thirsty.
His white shirt was fastened up to the end of his neck, and unlike usual, he wasn’t wearing a tie. He wore a black suit, and it was winter, so he could cover himself with a coat, but still, there was no way he’d throw a black tie on top of that and go to work that way. He probably only put it on at dawn and took it off before coming into the company.
“Gosh, there isn’t anything else you need?”
The owner’s magnanimous voice broke the silence that had fallen.
“No, we’re alright.”
“I’m not sure if it suits your taste.”
The owner nonchalantly turned off the gas burner. Come to think of it, it had still been turned on, so the broth all boiled down and the meat and vegetables scorched and stuck to the bottom of the pot. The owner left a small clipboard with the receipt on it on the end table.
Seeing that, Lee Juwon fumbled to pick up the bill, but Kang Inheon was faster. Looking at the check in Kang Inheon’s hand, Lee Juwon mumbled, “Um… when eating with an executive, I’m the one that should pay… That’s why I don’t eat with others…”
“…It’s different with me.”
“Why?”
“Because my salary is much higher than yours.”
“…That’s true.”
Perhaps because his throat was thirsty from only drinking alcohol, Lee Juwon grabbed his water cup again, but it was empty. Kang Inheon poured real water this time. Lee Juwon tilted the glass and gulped it down, then frowned quite a bit and said, “No, what do you want me to do if you keep giving me alcohol?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?”
“Yes.”
“If you’re sorry, Hunter Kang, give it a try…”
“…What?”
“Regulating alcohol levels… Like getting rid of alcohol poisoning with qi regulation?”
“…It seems like you’re completely out of it.”
“Try letting the alcohol run down to the tips of your fingers…”
“…Why drink if the alcohol can run down?”
Hahaha, Lee Juwon laughed. Normally, he didn’t laugh much, only sneering or smirking, but he openly laughed out loud. Kang Inheon stared unmovingly at the sight.
He said that all martial arts protagonists did that, and his laughter gradually faded after a while. At some point, it turned into regular breathing noises.
Long lashes fell over tightly closed eyes. His mouth parted slightly, and his body gave way as if it were going to melt into the chair.
“…Mr. CEO?”
He told him not to sober up, but he didn’t tell him to become a drunkard…
He thought it’d be better if Lee Juwon didn’t drink in the future. It seemed that the reason he didn’t usually drink was because he was weak to alcohol. How could he lose his senses like this after they had only drank seven bottles of refined rice wine?
It was also Kang Inheon’s first time seeing a drunk Lee Juwon. He seemed to get drunk faster because he drank something warm after being in a cold place.
The winter rain didn’t stop pouring down even as he left the store helping a sleeping Lee Juwon. They had to go out to the main road because the car couldn’t go into the narrow alleyway.
He held an umbrella in one hand and supported Lee Juwon with the other. The bodyguard who followed offered to take over after verifying that Lee Juwon was unconscious, but he shook his head. Kang Inheon was soaked as he tried to keep Lee Juwon out of the rain as much as possible.
Kang Inheon wasn’t drunk, but he wasn’t going to drive after drinking. It was quicker to call someone than go back to the company’s parking lot.
The bodyguard glanced at the backseat in the rearview mirror but didn’t speak. Kang Inheon’s aura was cold, as if drenched in winter rain.
Arriving at the door of Lee Juwon’s house, Kang Inheon said, “Enter your passcode.”
However, Lee Juwon didn’t respond.
“Mr. CEO.”
Only after several calls did Lee Juwon slowly lift his eyelids.
“Your passcode.”
“Ah…”
His fingers pressed slowly against the door lock out of habit. He didn’t mean to see it, but he did, and he didn’t mean to memorize it, but he did. Kang Inheon furrowed his brows. Of all the days, why would he use today’s date as a passcode…?
Creak, the front door opened. It was his first time entering the house Lee Juwon had just moved into.
Because of an employee who held a grudge against Lee Juwon and waited in front of his one-room apartment to throw an egg at him, a small scratch had formed under his eye. At that time, Kang Inheon, who had heard the news, barged into the representative’s office, and Lee Juwon, who had been puzzled, raised the corners of his mouth and said,
‘Did you come to watch?’
‘…Watch?’
‘Everyone said it gave them vicarious satisfaction.’
Looking at Kang Inheon’s furrowed eyebrows, Lee Juwon continued,
‘Don’t even mention it because I won’t go easy on them.’
Go easy his foot, he wanted to grind them into meat to put into spicy chicken soup. Just thinking it could’ve been either hydrochloric acid or a deadly weapon made his blood run cold. Lee Juwon only recently moved homes under the grilling of the security team under Kang Inheon’s influence. Still, that didn’t reassure him, so Kang Inheon placed a private bodyguard on him without telling him.
As an ordinary person, there was no way Lee Juwon could detect the signs of a professional hunter. He had unintentionally gotten to know Lee Juwon’s every move, but… there was no helping it since it was for the sake of his safety.
The house was empty. The interior of the house was vacant, as if it had been in a state before the furniture could be put in. No, it was also possible that he didn’t intend to add any furniture… Kang Inheon sighed and shook his head. He decided not to wish for much. He was satisfied with him moving houses and decided to fill it up gradually, one by one.
He wondered if he should say it was a relief that there was a mattress in the room. He laid Lee Juwon atop the mattress and went to the kitchen to get him some real water to drink. But there was no refrigerator, no bottled water, and no water purifier.
His anger rose again. Should I really grind up that damn aunt and uncle…?
He regretted not being able to kill them. At times like this, his words about being a righteous hunter and paying back his debt to the world felt like shackles. Still, it was fortunate that those bastards were still doing illegal work. There was still room for them to fall into the abyss.
He just needed to expose their hidden sins and punish them to the point it didn’t deviate from the norm. Lee Juwon disliked thinking of the past, so it seemed like he moved on from it, but Kang Inheon had no intentions of doing so.
Kang Inheon placed a cigarette in his mouth. He didn’t light it. He just carried the cigarette pack around for peace of mind and didn’t even have a lighter.
It was funny. The cigarette he learned from Lee Juwon, which he used to smoke whenever he wanted to see him… When he met Lee Juwon again, he hated cigarettes so much that he couldn’t remember ever having smoked one, so Kang Inheon didn’t smoke either.
Lee Juwon was still sleeping peacefully. Kang Inheon sat down next to him and stared at him. His shirt was fastened up to his neck and looked suffocating, so he wanted to loosen it for him, but it was difficult since he didn’t dare reach for it.
He stood up, as if shaking that thought off, and walked out of the house. He stood in the winter wind for a while, even though the cold air didn’t clear his head.
“Ha…”
Kang Inheon laughed. Laughed at himself. Disgusted with himself.
He wasn’t purely angry and gutted by his misfortune. He felt sad for him, but he also felt a sense of kinship. He found a part that was in line with his own unhappiness, and somehow it felt like a part of his heart was relieved. It gave him a strange sense of comfort to know he wasn’t alone.
He just pitied the misfortune of others, but… Rather, he was a lowly human being who was comforted by the misfortune of the one he loved.
He bought some water bottles and pre-cooked dried pollack soup packages from the in-complex convenience store and headed back upstairs. His mind felt rather complex as he had entered the passcode to Lee Juwon’s door lock himself and entered his house.
Riiiiing, riiiiing—.
Vibrations came from the phone. It was Lee Juwon’s phone. ‘Secretary Kim’ was displayed on the screen.
…It was 2 a.m., though?
A secretary had been hired to lessen Lee Juwon’s workload and for him to identify his whereabouts, but he was calling him at this hour?
Kang Inheon flipped the phone over and put it on silent.
Riiiiing, riiiiing—.
It vibrated again. This time, it was Kang Inheon’s phone. The name that appeared on the screen was the same as Lee Juwon’s.
Secretary Kim Jiwoon
Kang Inheon went out onto the terrace and answered the phone. The night view overlooking the river stretched out. It was a sight he was reluctant to see, but it was okay since he was with Lee Juwon.
A voice came from the speaker.
– Hunter Kang-nim?
“Yes.”
– I’m so sorry for the late hour. Have you perhaps… been able to contact the CEO?
“What happened?”
– Ah…
After a moment’s hesitation over the receiver, Kim Jiwoon spoke,
– I just got an urgent call from the audit team saying that something’s about to blow up regarding the donated potions. They said December’s standard was too low…
“By how much?”
– That’s…
“……”
– They said the content was… 0,1%…
“What?”
Kang Inheon doubted his ears. Not 10%, not 1%, but 0,1%? It wasn’t a sitcom, nor was this a prank, so he wondered if that number was possible. Kim Jiwoon said nervously,
– It was instructed by the CEO, so I have to report it, but…
“The CEO ordered it?”
– Ah… Yes, from what I’ve heard from the lab…
“There’s no way… He’s not…”
He looked through the window and saw Lee Juwon asleep. Kang Inheon shook his head and continued, “—that kind of person. Not to… that extent.”
– ……
“Proceed with an internal investigation first. It’s possible there was a mistake.”
– …Yes. Please let me know if you’re able to reach the CEO.
The call was disconnected.
Since Lee Juwon could not be reached, the progress of the situation was reported to Kang Inheon. He didn’t sleep a wink while checking and dealing with the flood of messages.
Even though he felt a sense of kinship and comfort, he didn’t want that misfortune to eat away at Lee Juwon. He wanted him to be different from himself. Unlike him, who was a thief, he didn’t want Lee Juwon to steal anything. Just like that time when he bought three copies of a Christmas seal that nobody else bought…
Lee Juwon woke up at exactly 4:30 a.m. Out of habit, the first thing he did was turn off the alarm clock that hadn’t gone off yet.
“Ugh…”
The time of waking up was the same as usual, but unlike usual, Lee Juwon woke up with a groan, feeling as if his head was going to crack open.
“…What?”
He had fallen asleep without changing his clothes properly, and his body reeked of alcohol. When he staggered out of his room while rubbing his face dry, his eyes widened at the sight of Kang Inheon standing tall like a totem pole.
“…Hunter Kang?”
Wondering if he was seeing things, Lee Juwon furrowed his brows and slapped his own cheek. Racking his brains for a memory, he opened his mouth and said, “We… drank, right?”
Kang Inheon nodded, and Lee Juwon’s frown deepened.
“…Did I perhaps do something wrong? Ha, why can’t I remember anything?”
As he headed to the sink to get some water, Kang Inheon popped off the cap of a bottle of water and held it out to him. Lee Juwon sourly took it and gulped down the water.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. Still, please don’t drink alcohol from now on.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Lee Juwon apologized when he realized that Kang Inheon had brought him all the way here after he lost consciousness. But his eyes were still filled with questions. His eyes asked why he was still here and not leaving when he had already apologized. When he looked at the front door as if to say, if you’ve seen that I’ve woken up, go, Kang Inheon let out a sigh and said, “There seems to be a problem with the company’s donated potions. We’re conducting an internal investigation, but for now…”
“Ah… Has that been exposed already?” Lee Juwon rubbed the back of his neck and said, making Kang Inheon even more surprised.
“…What?”
“That’s a shame, I thought we could make one more delivery in the first half of the year.”
“…You ordered this?”
Lee Juwon nodded as if it were obvious. He took a step forward and patted Kang Inheon’s stiff arm.
“Don’t worry, I’ve checked the legalities.”
“…That’s not the problem.”
Lee Juwon looked at Kang Inheon with a look that said, then what’s the problem?
“Official hunters almost died trying to infiltrate a dungeon with that potion…”
“It’s alright as long as they didn’t die.”
“What…?”
“Even if they had died, it wouldn’t really matter to us, and, well, they didn’t actually die…”
“…What are you saying?”
At the sound of Kang Inheon’s low voice, Lee Juwon’s eyes also turned cold.
“It’s not like I broke any laws, so why do you keep acting like this?”
“Ha, what’s the difference between this and fraud? You just narrowly avoided the law, right?”
“What’s the difference between a scam and a business…?”
Lee Juwon smirked like he was joking, and Kang Inheon’s face hardened.
“Is this… the time for jokes?”
Sighing, Lee Juwon pressed down on his tired eyes.
“Then… am I supposed to offer to the government what our hunters earned with their hard work?”
Lee Juwon gulped down the water again. He shook his head lightly, as if the creeping hangover were an annoyance, and then continued, “It was a voluntary donation anyway, and it doesn’t even have a content label, so why would someone carry something they don’t even know the content of into a dungeon? They were the ones acting indolently, so why are you getting mad at me?”
Kang Inheon smiled bitterly and said, “…Don’t blame the hunters. You were just being cheap. Even if you were going to deceive people about the content, there’s such a thing as moderation, right? Not even you would’ve guessed it’d be distilled water, would you?”
Lee Juwon crumpled up the empty plastic water bottle.
“There’s 0,1% in it, so why would it be distilled water?”
With a heavy sigh, Kang Inheon shook his head.
“How is what you’re doing right now any different from stealing…? Don’t do it. Please…”
In the dawn before the sun had risen, silence fell over the living room, which was lit only by a dim glow. The silence was broken by Lee Juwon’s hollow laugh.
“I don’t want to, though.”
“……”
“It’s legal theft, so why can’t I do it? If you can sell it with reduced content or whatever, why not?”
“……”
“That way, we can give our righteous Hunter Kang a simple salary, right?”
Huu, Lee Juwon let out a thin breath and said while heading to the bathroom, “Go home. I’ll go to the company and see.”
The bathroom door clicked shut.
The so-called Daedong River incident was reported on the 9 o’clock news, and even the law was changed as a result, but Lee Juwon didn’t care.
Even now, the first report on the 9 o’clock news was about December.
<…Hunter service company December has announced that it will take an active role in releasing information about dungeons and monsters to the public. To make the information easily accessible to the general public…>
When Lee Juwon asked for his opinion on releasing the information to the public, Kang Inheon initially agreed, but he couldn’t guess what he was thinking. It was better not to get his hopes up, as it was quite bitter to have his hasty expectations shattered to pieces.
Even though he was currently making a big fuss about releasing his most treasured information to the public. There was no telling what he was up to or what the next day’s news would report.
No, maybe he was sincere. But the expiration date of that sincerity was the problem.
Kang Inheon had seen countless people promise to live a new life if they gained another one after being rescued from a dungeon. He’d also seen how countless people never changed in the end.
The effectiveness of the resolutions varied from three days to three months to three years, but most of the time, they all equivocally returned to their original selves. Feelings may fade, but habits remain.
Kang Inheon was now confused. He couldn’t tell if the memories of the faint Lee Juwon from back then were his true self, if the Lee Juwon he’d seen for seven years was his true self, or if it was his eyes or his mind that were obscured by his dark affection.
Click—
The television screen went black. He leaned his head back against the couch and closed his eyes. It was better not to get his hopes up anyway, as it was quite bitter to have his hasty expectations shattered to pieces.
orcinus comments:
oh boy, here it comes
kang inheon’s view on juwon’s change is rather realistic, i’d say… but i dont want realism i just want them to be happy 😭
tbh, there are some chapters of the side story i dread to translate because they already hurt me enough the first time i read them 🥲 dont worry though, this is the last flashback
Thank you for the translation! I’m still in my feels 😢
It got dark real quick
Thank you dear translator
Thank the fucking lords I’m tired of flashbacks
I just want them to be happy too. Why am I hurting in the process? QAQ
Thank u for the chapter
wait there’s more sad even past the flashbacks D:
Ohhh cantjmagine KIH’s heartbreak over the yrs. 😢
Geez, and here I thought drunk people go out of their way and spill all their secrets. But looks like Juwon still manages to keep most of them to himself. But damn those potions. He really shouldn’t have done that.
First thought reading them drink alcohol, was my concern for mc’s stomach 😅I feel so hurt for mc, looking where his stomach problem started 😭 How could his aunt and uncle be humans! Beating him up whenever he tried to eat. Also, it’s hurtful to read ml try to get a glimpse of the ghost of mc – that mc he briefly met in the ‘past’ 😭
The potions were really low tsk tsk. So mc knew all along how low they wereee! He has become cold to human life and profit after he grew old :’) I’m glad mc got a chara development. And how he changed stuffs at that one chapter.
/sigh/ that cute drunk scene…
Thank god. Tbh I’m really really really super not into non-linear storytelling especially tons of flashbacks cause I’m the type of person who like to focus on the present. But this story is better than I expected so I kept holding on. Finally it’s the last flashback.