The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 126
“I want an equal relationship, J.”
Cha Eui-jae frowned.
“An equal relationship?”
“Yes.”
Lee Sa-young nodded lightly. His thumb gently brushed under Cha Eui-jae’s eyes as if telling him not to frown, then let go. Cha Eui-jae bit the inside of his mouth.
Even if he understood the meaning of the words, there were still things that didn’t resonate with him. An equal relationship. To Cha Eui-jae, that phrase didn’t sit well. For him, taking responsibility for Lee Sa-young was a given. He had saved him, revived him, and failed to save him once again…
‘But why does Lee Sa-young…’
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted. Noticing Cha Eui-jae’s expression, Lee Sa-young spoke softly, as if to soothe him.
“Even if I explained it in detail here… it probably wouldn’t resonate with you.”
Though it was the first time hearing this tone from Lee Sa-young, it felt strangely familiar. Cha Eui-jae, even in his dazed state, quickly found the answer. It was similar to the tone he used when dealing with the bandaged boy.
“You’ve lived half your life like that, thinking it was only natural, so of course, it’s hard for you to understand.”
“…”
“So think about it yourself. What kind of equal relationship I want, and why I want it.”
“…”
“When you find your answer, I’ll tell you.”
Lee Sa-young emphasized his last words.
“I’ll tell you directly.”
After finishing his sentence, he extended his pinky finger. Cha Eui-jae stared blankly at the black finger. The boy, Lee Sa-young, who once struggled to intertwine his finger with Cha Eui-jae’s, despite his weak fingers. Cha Eui-jae hesitated but eventually touched his pinky finger to Lee Sa-young’s. The familiar sensation of warm leather met his skin.
Lee Sa-young, who had entwined their fingers quickly, added in an annoyed voice.
“Until you find your answer, don’t think about asking someone like Jung Bin. As you said, the one who can best tell you about me is me.”
“…”
“You should answer.”
“…Alright.”
Cha Eui-jae nodded slowly. Lee Sa-young’s violet eyes, which had been watching him suspiciously, narrowed into a slight smile.
“Oh, by the way…”
“…Yeah?”
“Do you even know what an equal relationship is? You might not. I understand.”
“This guy…”
Cha Eui-jae instinctively spat out the rough words and swallowed hard. The moment those rude words left his lips, the feeling of bitterness that had been weighing him down vanished, and a surge of emotion welled up in him. This wasn’t an unconscious reaction. It was a conditioned reflex he had developed after his time with Lee Sa-young post-escape from the West Sea rift!
How frightening are human habits? Even when he consciously tried to be kind, Cha Eui-jae’s body operated based on the accumulated data from their past. Moreover, in his mind, the bandaged boy and the smirking Lee Sa-young were still tilting their heads side by side.
Lee Sa-young raised the corners of his lips.
“Oh… ‘this guy’?”
“…”
“Isn’t it strange…? Wasn’t I supposed to be your ‘only success’?”
“…”
There was no room for excuses. How could it be so difficult to be kind? Cha Eui-jae’s head slowly lowered to the floor. He tried to distract himself by searching for an ant crawling on the ground with his widened eyes, but it was in vain. Only a few lonely blades of grass were swaying pathetically among the soft floorboards.
Lee Sa-young, who had been watching Cha Eui-jae’s round crown, asked in a voice tinged with laughter.
“Oh… is it a new nickname?”
“…Sa-young.”
“Yes?”
“Shut up.”
Lee Sa-young stifled a laugh with his hand, but soon he leaned back and burst out laughing.
“Hahaha!”
At the sound, Seo Min-gi, who had vanished into the shadows, reappeared, peeking out and staring at them. His eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, were wide open in surprise. It seemed that Lee Sa-young laughing out loud was a rare occurrence. But Cha Eui-jae didn’t care.
‘Look away.’
Cha Eui-jae tilted his head slightly to the side. Seo Min-gi obediently turned his head. Meanwhile, Lee Sa-young was still laughing out loud. Cha Eui-jae gritted his teeth and whispered.
“Hey, stop laughing.”
“Haha… Are you trying to make an effort right now?”
Cha Eui-jae responded calmly but seriously.
“I’m really trying, so stop interrupting. Let me try to be kind.”
“Oh…”
Lee Sa-young, who was trying to stop laughing, took a deep breath and snickered. His voice, still tinged with amusement, asked.
“Confused?”
“…”
Cha Eui-jae didn’t answer. Lee Sa-young smirked knowingly.
The time he spent with the boy he had saved was so precious that he would never forget it. He had endured a long time just with those memories. However…
“Hyung.”
Cha Eui-jae’s life was split in two by the great wall known as the West Sea rift. Before the wall, he had lived with his aunt and the bandaged boy; after the wall, he lived with his grandmother, Park Ha-eun, and Lee Sa-young.
Cha Eui-jae opened his palm. The scar that remained like a fine crack shimmered with a soft golden light. The moment he cut his palm with a dagger was still vividly etched in his memory.
From the moment he first faced Lee Sa-young after escaping the rift until now, he had spent a considerable amount of time with him. So much so that it was impossible to describe that time without mentioning him.
He knew well that the bandaged boy and Lee Sa-young were the same person. However…
Lee Sa-young’s thick lips curved into a smile. His lazy voice whispered.
“You know it’s the same person, you’re grateful he’s alive, you feel sorry for him, and now that you know, it’s hard to treat him the same as before… So you want to treat him well, but it’s not working out.”
Each word pierced Cha Eui-jae like a dagger.
“Well… I had acted pretty nicely before.”
Lee Sa-young’s violet eyes, devoid of light, stared at Cha Eui-jae. He spoke playfully but sharply.
“Yet, you’re not even ready, Hyung.”
“…”
“You haven’t even decided how you should treat me… so what are you going to do?”
Cha Eui-jae let out a short sigh. Lee Sa-young was right. From the moment he suddenly realized that Lee Sa-young was the bandaged boy until now, he hadn’t looked back at his own emotions. He had only been running around trying to learn about Lee Sa-young’s hardships and his past. Ignoring the subtle sense of dissonance that gnawed at him.
Lee Sa-young, with a mask in his hand, crossed his arms.
“If you’re only moving out of guilt, then stop.”
“…”
“It would be wiser to spend that time thinking about the task I gave you.”
Cha Eui-jae, who had been standing still listening to his words, snatched the mask from Lee Sa-young’s hand and put it on his face. The slightly twisted expression on his face disappeared behind the black mask. His altered voice grumbled.
“You’re so disrespectful to Hyung.”
Lee Sa-young tilted his head.
“So, do you dislike it?”
“…”
Cha Eui-jae didn’t answer. Instead, he suddenly reached out and tousled Lee Sa-young’s hair. Lee Sa-young, who let out a short, annoyed sound, glared at him.
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t dislike you.”
“…”
“How could I dislike you?”
Lee Sa-young slightly opened his mouth. His violet eyes widened. Cha Eui-jae scratched his head awkwardly and turned around abruptly.
“Fuck it… I’m leaving.”
“…Wait, Hyung!”
The moment Lee Sa-young reached out his hand, the wind blew. A low voice mingled with the wind.
“I’ll think about what you said.”
The wind died down. By then, Cha Eui-jae had already vanished. Lee Sa-young, staring blankly at the empty playground, clenched his fist. At that moment, he heard rustling sounds from behind.
“Guild leader.”
Seo Min-gi approached with his headphones around his neck. Lee Sa-young glanced back at him. Romantic Opener was still draped over the seesaw like a half-dried squid.
Seo Min-gi stood two steps behind Lee Sa-young and cautiously asked.
“Are you sure it’s okay to let him go? Based on our experience so far, it doesn’t seem like just talking will make him stop. I’m worried he might head to another lab or something…”
“No.”
Lee Sa-young’s foot came to a sudden halt. The streetlight that had been flickering finally went out. His lips curled up in the darkness.
“He won’t be able to move. Not for a while…”
“Pardon? Why…”
“Because he made a promise.”
Lee Sa-young slowly began walking again. Seo Min-gi snapped his fingers, and the shadow under the seesaw gathered into the shape of a small person. It then began dragging the unconscious Romantic Opener along.
“He’ll be too busy thinking about me.”
“Is there even an answer to that problem?”
“Who knows…”
Lee Sa-young stuck out his black tongue and lightly bit its tip. It was a playful gesture.
“I think it’s only fair to cause a bit of trouble.”
“Yes, well. I doubt our customer would agree, though.”
Seo Min-gi let out a short sigh. As they approached the exit of the playground, Lee Sa-young suddenly spoke up.
“I do regret it.”
“…”
“If I had known he was J… I wouldn’t have let him get close.”
His sighing voice faded into the wind. Soon, the three figures melted into the shadows and disappeared.