Chapter 256
“Whatdoesthatmean....”
“fyou’recuriousaboutsomething,askproperly.Socananswer.”
“.......”
fKwonaehangotinvolved,plausibilitycouldberesolveduptoacertainpoint.wouldn’tbeabletotellhimeverythingofmyownwill,butsomethinglikethiskindofloophole......they’dprobablyallowit.Maybe.
henwhyhadn’t“SeoJehyun”triedtoletKwonaehanknowthisbefore?
‘Because’dhavetokillhimagain?’
fyouhadtokeeprepeatingsomethingwhenyoudidn’tevenknowwhenitwouldfinallysucceed,you’dprobablywanttoshoveasidelittleriskslikethat.ButhadneverintendedfromthestarttobearKwonaehan’sthousandlives.
couldseethelookinKwonaehan’seyesashetriedtoreadwhatwasthinking.
‘e’stakingfuckingforever...thinking.’
presseddownhardonthetipofhisshoe,meaningtohurryhimalong.Kwonaehan’sbrowstwitchedstrangely,maybebecauseeventhatcausedafaintstabofpain.
Afterafairamountoftimehadpassed,Kwonaehanslowlyaskedinasubduedvoice,
“Doyou...knowme?”
“Well,you?hewholecountryknowsyou.”
“meandoyouknowwhatthisquestionmeans.”
Becausehisvoicehaddroppedsolow,italmostfeltalittlelikewasbeingthreatened.otthatitfeltthreateningatall,ofcourse.
lookedatKwonaehanforamoment,thenansweredsimply.
“Yeah.”
Atthat,Kwonaehan,whohadbeenmovinghislipslikehe◈оvеlіgһт◈(Continuereading)wasabouttopouroutquestionsatonce,closedhismouthagain.
hereweregapsbetweenhisquestions.didn’tthinkhewasthetypetothinkthisdeeply,butitlookedlikehewasearnestlyworkinghisbrain.
leftKwonaehantothinkonhisownandquietlyobservedhim.Wehadn’tactuallybeenfacetofacethatmanytimes,buthefeltexcessivelyfamiliar.
Wheneverthoughtaboutthe“SeoJehyun”Kwonaehansearchedforandevenresented,feltastrangesenseofdissonance.haddefinitelylookedintothatpointinthepastseveraltimes,andsometimes’devenbeenassimilatedintoit,butthatstilldidn’tmakeitmymemory.Atbest,itwaslikewatchingitalittlemoreclosely......likeavideo.
Butseparatefromthat,didfeellike’dknownKwonaehanforaverylongtime.
Kwonaehanstaredatmeforalongwhilewithcomplicatedeyes,thenopenedhismouth.
“hat’salie.”
What?
heguywhohadbeenstrugglingwithhimselfjustmomentsagospokeinafirmvoiceallatonce.Forasecond,mybrowfurrowedwithoutmerealizingit.
“You’rejustmakingassumptionsbecauseofhow’vebeenacting,figuringthere’ssomethingthere.hefactthatyouwon’ttellmedirectlyandaremakingmeaskquestionstoo...you’retryingtodrawwordsoutofme.”
“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”
“You’regoodatpsychologicalgames...andeverytimesomethinglikethishappens,youactclever.”
Foramoment,thatinsanebullshitpouringoutofhismouthalmostmademegrabhimbythecollar.Kwonaehankepttalkingstubbornlythroughmybaffledreactionanyway.
“Youprobablywon’tunderstandevenifsaythis.......Butit’scertainsomethinghaschanged.Andthere’snowaythat’sbecauseofyou.”
“aehan,getittogether.”
“already...amtogether.”
Sayingthat,Kwonaehanaddedcalmly,
“fwasn’t,would’vebelievedyouagainthistime.”
Withthosewords,feltKwonaehan’shandremoveminefromhisarm.esteppedback,thenwidenedthedistancethathadclosedbetweenus.
“Asettlement....Dowhateveryouwant.don’twanttogetinvolvedwithyouanymore.Atleastnotthistime.”
“.......”
“Justonce...please.”
Forsomeoneusingthewordplease,hedidn’tlookallthatdesperate....Wasthisanotherresultofemotionalwearandtear?
Whenlightlyfurrowedmybrow,Kwonaehanstaredsomewhereelseforalongwhile,thenturnedhisheadbacktowardme.
didn’tsayanything.justwaitedforKwonaehanquietly.elookedatmelikehestillhadmorehewantedtosay,groundhisteethslightly,theninaninstantletallthestrengthgooutofhimself.
“And,SeoJehyun.”
“.......”
“venifeverythingyousaidistrue,stillwon’ttrustyou.”
hadn’tansweredanythinghe’dsaidthiswholetime,butthisoncecouldn’thelpaskingback.
“Why?”
“Becauseevenifeverywordyousaidisthetruth,it’sstillbetternottotrustyou.”
Withthat,Kwonaehanlefthishospitalroom.
o,tobeexact,hetriedtoleave,andtheattemptfailedprettyeasily.grabbedKwonaehanashewasfiddlingwiththedoorlock,spunhimaround,andshovedhimagainstthewall.
“Ugh!”
bracedanarmtightlynearKwonaehan’sshoulder,pinninghiminplacesohecouldn’tmove.
“hereareCCcameraseverywhere,anddon’twanttomakethepicturelookweird,sohowaboutwekeeptalkingalittlelonger,quietly?fonemorestrangescandalbreaksout,feellikesomeone’sreallygoingtokillme.”
“Areyoudoingthisbecauseyouwantyourarmbrokenorsomething?”
“o,hategettinghurt.”
loosenedmyarmandpressedthecenterofKwonaehan’schestwithmypalm,blockinghimfromgettingpastme.houghifKwonaehanreallydecidedtouseforce,hecouldbreakoutofthisinnotime.
“akeyourhandoffme.Beforeknockitawaywithforce.”
“Don’tshowoffyourstrengthagainstsomeoneweaker...andlistentotheend.”
“Weaker?a,sincewhendidyou...?”
easilyignoredwhatKwonaehansaidandsmiledaslookedathimquietly.
“ow....aehan,thinkaboutthissimply.”
“.......”
“venifyoukeeptryingtoavoidme,itwon’treallydomuch.You’regoingtokeepgoingaroundclearingatesanyway,andthemedia’sgoingtoshowyoucountlesstimes.fyouhatethat,thenstartlivingasarecluserightnow.ohideyourselfquietlyonsomeislandnobodyknowsthenameof...thenmaybewon’tbeabletofindyou.”
“.......”
“Butthere’snowayyou’ddothat.Youknowthatyourself,don’tyou?”
slowlyletthestrengthoutofthehandthathadbeenpressingagainsthischesttoholdhiminplace.WaitingforKwonaehan’sgaze,whichhadbrieflydroppedtomyhand,torisebackuptomyeyes,wentoninaneasyvoice.
“Don’tthinksomethingliketoday...isonlygoingtohappenonce...justwait.”
“a....SeoJehyun,areyoufuckingkiddingmerightnow?couldkillyourightnow,thissecond.heonlyreason’mnot...”
“henwanttotrykillingme?”
cutoffKwonaehan’spatheticwordsandaskedseriously.
“...What?”
hadthoughtonceortwicethatmightlethimkillmeonce.Well,if’dkilledhim999times,thendyingoncemyselfwasn’texactlyaloss.fcourse,ifheactuallycameatmetryingtokillme,it’dbefuckingawful.
grabbedKwonaehan’shandwhereithadfallenlimpathissideandpulledituptomyneck.couldseehimbracingandresistinghalfwaythrough,butnotenoughtomakeitdifficulttoforcehishandaroundmythroat.
“etgo.”
“owaboutwetradeonceeach?don’tmind.”
Rightafterthat,feltasharpstingingpainatmyneck,andhishandwasroughlytornaway.Whenlightlybrushedthespotwhereithurt,athinbeadofbloodhadformed.
“You...!”
“Setupanoffice.t’llbebetterforyoutobeattachedtoaguildanyway.”
“.......”
“here’snoguildouttherethat’llsuityourtaste,soputyourownnameononeandbuildit.”
venifdidn’tsaysomethinglikethis,afterrepeatingseverallives,hewouldendupfoundingaguildonhisownanyway.Butifthatgotpulledalittleearlier,thingswouldgetaloteasier.
“Yeah,allthatlong-windedcontact...don’tneedthateither.”
“.......”
“But’llcomefindyou.Whetherit’smycuriosityoryourquestions...ifsomethingcomesupthatneedstoberesolved?Ah,justsoyouknow,’mverycuriousaboutalotofthings.vennow.”
“.......”
“Sothinkcarefully.”
meantthat.fanotherdaycamewhenweendeduptalkinginahospitalroomagain,fromthatpointonitwouldbeprettyfunny.
Withthat,leftthehospitalroom.utside,sawDoYehyunwaitingquietlyforme.
“et’sgo.”
“...Whataboutthesettlement?”
“esaidhe’ddoit.Doesn’tseemlikehecaresmuch,though.”
Wewentdowntothefirstfloor,talkedaboutthebrokenlock,gavethemJooSeowon’snumberasthecontactforfuturecompensation,andthenimmediatelycaughtataxioutside.
WhilesittingsidebysidewithDoYehyuninthebackseat,suddenlygotcuriousabouttheexpressiononhisfaceandturnedtolookathim.
“Sointheendtherewasnopointbringingyoualongtoday.Wedidn’tevengettogointothedungeon.”
“twasworthit.Youdidn’tgethurt,hyung.”
“Really?henthat’sgood.”
DoYehyunstayedquietforabit,thenabruptlybroughtsomethingup.
“Whileyouweregone,lookedintosomethingsaboutyou.”
“Whatdidyoulookat?”
“henewswasup...people’sreactionsandstuff.thoughtmaybeitmighthelpyou.”
“Yeah?Andhowwasit?”
Well,howgoodcouldthereactionpossiblybetomecleanlyrammingthecountry’snewS-rankwithacar?
Still,pretendingtobeinterested,askedDoYehyun,
“t’snotverygood.Alotofpeoplearearguingoverwhetheritwassuddenunintendedaccelerationornot,andthere’sspeculationaboutyouandunterKwontoo.aturally...thebadkind.”
“mm.”
“Doesitbotheryou?”
DoYehyun’seyesstaredstraightatmewithoutwavering.lightlyansweredwhilebrushinghischeekwithmythumb.
“o.”
“figured.”
“Why,doesitbotheryou?”
suddenlybecamecuriouswhatDoYehyunwasthinkingwhenhebroughtthisup.elookedcalmontheoutside,butwashecalmontheinsidetoo?
DoYehyunlookedatmeandslowlyblinkedthosebigeyes,thenaskedbackinavoicestrippedofpersonalwill,
“Shoulduseit?”
Withoutanswering,quietlystudiedDoYehyun’sexpressionandslowlywithdrewthehandthathadbeentouchinghischeek.venafterthat,hisgazeremainedthicklyfixedonmeforquiteawhile.
***
thadbeenaverylongtimesincemaekyunghadfeltsomethingsounusual.tseemedclosetoanger,butcallingitangeroutrightdidn’tquitefit.tfeltfresh.
“aha....”
Quietlylookingatthephonethathadeitherdisconnectedorsimplyreturnednoresponse,hecalmlyrosefromhisseat.
herewasnowayithadbeensomesuddenaccident.fithad,SeoJehyunwouldn’thaveactedthatcalmly.fanything,hewouldhaveexplodedinanger....
maekyungimmediatelyopenedtheofficedoorandcalledovertheemployeestandingoutside.
“CouldyoufindoutwhathappenedjustnowinvolvingunterSeoJehyun?”
“Yes.”
heanswerthatcamebackatoncewascrisp,butatthesametimefaintlyuncomfortable.maekyungconsideredforamomentwhethertowipethesubtleinterestandquestionoutoftheemployee’seyes,thenquicklygaveuponthethought.
‘Whatamsupposedtodowiththis....’