The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 142
Bwoo…
A pure white whale lifted its head and let out a roar. The once-calm atmosphere shook. Finally, the entire body of the whale emerged from the white hole, from head to tail. It swam leisurely through the air as if the sky were the sea.
Each time its tail gently moved, debris falling from the white hole shattered into pieces and scattered everywhere. Thud, thud… Even beyond the soundproof glass, the crashing and breaking noises were clear.
He hurriedly searched his pockets. Thankfully, his phone was still in his pants pocket. He turned it on. The battery was low. There were only two numbers in his contacts— Park Ha-eun and Lee Sa-young.
Cha Eui-jae entered Park Ha-eun’s number and pressed the call button. The dial tone dragged on and on. Could the communication lines have already been cut? That couldn’t be. Just as cold sweat began to form on the hand holding the phone, the dial tone abruptly stopped.
—…Uncle? Is that you, Uncle?
A whispering voice asked. Cha Eui-jae squeezed his eyes shut. Though his hand trembled uncontrollably, his voice fortunately did not.
“Yeah, it’s me, Uncle… Are you okay? Where are you now? Where’s Grandma?”
—Grandma’s with me. We’re… um… at a shelter, I think.
“A shelter? Which shelter?”
—I don’t know. A strange man with black glasses brought us here. He said he was a friend of yours. Is that true?
Only one person came to mind when she mentioned ‘black glasses.’ Seo Min-gi, who always wore sunglasses. Cha Eui-jae vividly recalled Seo Min-gi’s face, expressionless but throwing up a peace sign. Cha Eui-jae asked,
“Was that man wearing a black suit?”
—Huh? Yeah. And his eyes looked like a panda’s!
…It was definitely Seo Min-gi. The tension eased. Cha Eui-jae replied, his voice mixed with a sigh of relief.
“Yeah… He’s a friend of mine.”
At that moment, there was a rustling sound. Then, a familiar voice came through.
—Excuse me. Hello? I’m called Romantic Opener. Can you hear me? Do you remember me? I hope I’m talking to the right person?
Of course, he remembered. Although their last encounter wasn’t exactly a pleasant one. Romantic Opener, who had been draped over the seesaw like laundry, seemed to have recovered well. Cha Eui-jae’s anxiety calmed somewhat after confirming the safety of Park Ha-eun and Grandmother. Pressing his forehead against the glass, Cha Eui-jae responded,
“Yes, it’s me.”
Romantic Opener let out a deep sigh.
—Phew… I’ve been waiting for you for so long. You’ve finally come back! Park Ha-eun and your grandmother are at the Pado Guild shelter. Seo Min-gi brought them there right after things went down.
“Is that place safe?”
—The Pado Guild members are guarding it, so it’s safe. You don’t have to worry.
“…”
—But by any chance, has the Guild Leader awakened…?
Give it back! Huh? Can’t I talk a little longer? Hand it over!
After a brief scuffle, it seemed that Park Ha-eun had won the right. Her cheerful voice chimed in.
—I’m okay, Uncle! Grandma’s asleep on the bed.
“…”
—Your friend said you had to go somewhere for something urgent. That’s true, right?
“…Yeah, that’s right.”
—Will it take long?
Ooooo… The whale’s tail brushed against a low building. The building crumbled to pieces. Cha Eui-jae’s eyes, glowing blue, followed the whale.
“…Yeah. Quite a while.”
—Oh…
Though her voice trailed off, Park Ha-eun answered resolutely.
—That’s okay! You can take your time. I’ll wait.
“…Alright. Don’t go anywhere, and if you get bored, ask the guy next to you to play with you. Tell Grandma that Uncle is okay and that he’s sorry he can’t come.”
—Okay, Uncle.
Without waiting for her reply, Cha Eui-jae ended the call and took a deep breath. Then he asked the Basilisk’s Fang,
“…Is there a way to stop this?”
[Fang’s thoughts: This isn’t the end. It’s a problem caused by a world that should have vanished but remained.]
[Fang’s thoughts: We just need to endure until it vanishes…]
[Fang’s thoughts: That’s what Master said.]
“…”
But Lee Sa-young, who lived as a shackle, couldn’t endure and disappeared. Or perhaps…
“Tell him this; everything will flow to where it’s meant to go… so he shouldn’t worry too much.”
Maybe even that was anticipated. To find a clue, he needed to go to the hangover soup restaurant and check the clock. Perhaps mistaking Cha Eui-jae’s silence for something else, the Basilisk’s Fang began chattering loudly.
[Fang’s thoughts: The end comes for those who dwell on it.]
[Fang’s thoughts: Don’t let fear consume you, foolish human.]
[Basilisk’s Fang comforts you.]
[Fang’s thoughts: This is not comfort! Foolish one.]
[Basilisk’s Fang is embarrassed.]
The Basilisk’s Fang began thrashing around in rage. It was better when it was noisy. Ironically, the Basilisk’s Fang’s serious demeanor didn’t suit it at all. Cha Eui-jae averted his gaze from the glass and asked the Basilisk’s Fang,
“…Where did your former master, Lee Sa-young, disappear to?”
The thrashing stopped. The Basilisk’s Fang, which had been so noisy, suddenly clamped its mouth shut. No answer came. Instead, footsteps approached. Cha Eui-jae slowly turned around.
Lee Sa-young, with a grimace on his pale face, was walking toward him, clutching his head. A large hand reached out, grabbed Cha Eui-jae’s shoulder, and pulled him into an embrace. A warm heat enveloped him.
A hushed voice muttered.
“…If you went out looking like that…”
“…”
“They must have figured out you’re the part-timer right away… am I right?”
“…Seems so.”
He was still dressed in a gray hoodie and jeans. Anyone who frequented the hangover soup restaurant would immediately recognize that the part-timer and J were the same person based on the outfit. Lee Sa-young, who was rubbing his hair against Cha Eui-jae’s cheek, whispered.
“I’ll lend you some clothes. Wear them before you go.”
“Your clothes might be a bit big for me.”
“You can just roll up the sleeves.”
Lee Sa-young released Cha Eui-jae from his embrace and took his hand, leading him. His retreating figure struck Cha Eui-jae as oddly new.
Lee Sa-young entered the dressing room and began sorting through the neatly arranged clothes. After a moment, he handed over a plain black crew-neck t-shirt. Just as Cha Eui-jae grabbed his hoodie to take it off, Lee Sa-young pulled out some kind of armor.
“I’ve got armor too, if you want it?”
“Wearing something I’m not used to might just get in the way.”
“Yeah… I guess you’re right.”
Cha Eui-jae slipped off his hoodie. Although his well-toned muscles were revealed, the first thing that caught the eye was not his build but the countless scars that covered his upper body.
As he moved, the scars seemed to come alive. Cha Eui-jae had just folded his hoodie and placed it on the dresser when something warm and soft touched the back of his neck. He froze. Lips pressed against the nape of his neck.
“…Aren’t you being a little too defenseless?”
“What? Hey, wait… urgh.”
Cha Eui-jae unconsciously held his breath. The lips that had been tickling his neck began slowly moving down his skin. A shiver ran down his spine. It was a strange sensation. The lips stopped at a scar on his prominent shoulder blade. A languid voice chuckled.
“Even after kissing someone…”
“Hey, now’s not the time…”
“Of course… I know that.”
A sharp pain settled on his shoulder blade. Lee Sa-young was baring his teeth and biting down on the flesh. Cha Eui-jae covered his mouth with his hand and swallowed the sound. Compared to all the pain he had endured, this was only ticklish, but the sensation was strangely vivid. Lee Sa-young licked the red teeth marks on the shoulder blade.
“Even if I tell you not to go, you’ll still go, right?”
“…”
“Still…”
A light kiss was placed over the stinging pain.
“If it gets too hard, it’s okay to run away.”
“…”
“I’ll always be waiting for you. For you, Hyung.”
Cha Eui-jae turned to face Lee Sa-young. Lee Sa-young was smiling gently. The only success that Cha Eui-jae had finally achieved shone brightly in that smile.
Cha Eui-jae reached out and grasped the soft hair at the back of Lee Sa-young’s head, pulling him close. Their lips met. Neither of them closed their eyes, so they could see each other perfectly in their gazes. A whispered promise melted into their kiss.
“I’ll be back.”
“…Okay.”
A small laugh was swallowed between their lips.
Lee Sa-young’s clothes were still a bit big on Cha Eui-jae. After he rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, Lee Sa-young suddenly extended a finger toward him, raising a small pinky. Lee Sa-young wiggled his hand, pinky raised.
“…”
Cha Eui-jae chuckled and extended his hand. Their pinkies intertwined briefly before parting. However, Cha Eui-jae’s hand was gripping something else— Hong Ye-seong’s teleportation scroll. His eyes widened as the scene before him began to change. The last thing he saw was Lee Sa-young’s smiling face.
Lee Sa-young waved his hand gently.
“Come back soon, Hyung.”
…And then Lee Sa-young was left alone in the house, where Cha Eui-jae’s warmth had vanished. He walked across the empty hallway to the bathroom. With a click, he turned on the bathroom light. His face reflected in the mirror looked especially pale today, more unfamiliar than usual. Suddenly, the light went out with a snap.
When it flickered back on—
The reflection of Lee Sa-young in the mirror was grinning with eyes that had burned completely white.
Staring straight at the grimacing Lee Sa-young—
He gripped the sink and bowed his head. His vision wavered dizzyingly. A trickle of black blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
The Lee Sa-young in the mirror tilted his head. He raised his hand and tapped his lips. His fingers, his hand, and even the wrist peeking out from his sleeve— everything was stained as black as if he were wearing gloves. His pale violet eyes narrowed slightly.
A lazy voice whispered:
‘I waited a bit… for the occasion. Sending someone off is important. Keeping promises is important too…’
“…”
‘Well then, now…’
“Ah…”
Veins bulged on the back of his hand. A bead of cold sweat ran down his temple. Lee Sa-young sneered.
“This is seriously messed up…”
Thud—
The blackened body collapsed helplessly.
