The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 160
‘Seriously, this is driving me crazy.’
His fingers twitched involuntarily. His rapidly rising heart rate refused to settle. Thump, thump, thump… It was a completely different kind of tension from facing a monster. Cha Eui-jae was clearly agitated. That lazy voice kept echoing in his ears.
“Do you kiss your younger brother?”
Would you? Would you do it if you were me?
His inner traditional self suddenly resurfaced, pointing a finger at him. Cha Eui-jae agreed with his traditional self.
Yeah. According to all the values I’ve built up, I can’t kiss my brother. But Cha Eui-jae had already shared countless…
‘Damn it…’
…acts of affection with Lee Sa-young. Even though it was unavoidable, it was still him who kissed first, and just now, it was him who didn’t avoid those falling lips and embraced them. He liked the warmth that touched his body. He even welcomed those lips on his face, almost as if he were addicted. A little more…
‘Ugh, get a grip!’
Cha Eui-jae banged the back of his head against the pillar. The sharp pain barely brought him back to his senses.
‘Have I finally gone crazy…’
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. He still felt the large hand on the nape of his neck. The low laughter, the sly whispering voice. His fingers curled up. The heat that had risen wasn’t easily cooling down. Neither was his burning face.
Spring had arrived, but the evening breeze was still chilly. The cool wind tickled his hair. Somewhere, a cricket chirped. Cha Eui-jae turned his head and blankly stared at the sky. The white hole wasn’t visible within the barrier.
“You should really think about who I am and what you want from me. Stop denying it to yourself.”
What exactly is Lee Sa-young? Cha Eui-jae’s idea of a brother or sibling was no longer applicable. They had already taken the wrong path and had come too far.
So, what path are we on now? What does Cha Eui-jae want from Lee Sa-young?
‘I…’
But whenever he tried to think a little deeper, that black tongue that had stirred in his mouth came to mind. Cha Eui-jae rubbed his face dry and pulled at his hair before suddenly standing up. The best way to clear your head is to move your body. Naturally, there was no way to avoid Lee Sa-young’s gaze.
Lee Sa-young, who had been poking the increasingly curled-up Hong Ye-seong, tilted his head.
“Where are you going?”
“…”
Just going for a walk, why? Cha Eui-jae held back the words that were about to spill out. In his current state, whatever he said would only get him caught up in Lee Sa-young’s web. Lee Sa-young, who had been quietly watching Cha Eui-jae, slightly lifted the corners of his mouth.
“Your face is really red.”
“…”
Cha Eui-jae didn’t answer and quickly turned his head.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“…”
“Ah… Are you planning not to talk to me anymore? After doing all that?”
Although his question was sharp, there was a hint of laughter in his voice. Cha Eui-jae ignored the questions and picked up the mask he had taken off. As he hid his face behind the mask, his rapidly beating heart calmed down a bit. Only then could he respond normally.
“Shut up.”
In fact, it wasn’t even that normal of a response. But, for whatever reason, Lee Sa-young, who normally would’ve pressed further, let it go, seemingly in a good mood.
“Sure. Okay.”
At that moment, Hong Ye-seong, who had evolved from a cocoon to a pill bug, finally regained consciousness and mumbled.
“Ugh… Stop hitting me… Crazy bastard…”
“Oh, you’re awake?”
“Huh? This… this bratty voice is…”
From the round cocoon of the blanket, a brown head popped out. Still half-asleep, Hong Ye-seong blinked between Lee Sa-young and Cha Eui-jae before suddenly widening his eyes.
“Holy crap, what’s this? You’re awake? Wait, why am I in the blanket? How long have I been asleep?”
Of the three people and one creature present, only Cha Eui-jae knew the cause of Hong Ye-seong’s sudden nap. Cha Eui-jae rubbed the back of his neck and replied nonchalantly.
“You fell asleep after drinking the sikhye.”
“Me? Really? A sugar spike? Can hunters get diabetes? Oh right, I still need to tell you what Lee Sa-young ordered!”
Hong Ye-seong started bustling around as he got up, with Kkokko flapping its wings around his feet. But Lee Sa-young cut him off with a short nod.
“It’s fine. I already know what needs to be done.”
“Know? How?”
“Well.”
A short and clear answer. Hong Ye-seong looked up at Lee Sa-young in a daze, his clear eyes brimming with tears.
“So… You’re going to leave me behind again? After just using me like this? I’m so bored!”
“Bawk…”
Kkokko, who had somehow ended up on top of Hong Ye-seong’s head, also let out a pitiful cry with added vibrato. It was a double dose of pity. However, Lee Sa-young wasn’t one to be easily swayed. He looked at Hong Ye-seong with a crooked expression.
“Sorry, but I just woke up after three months, so I need to assess the situation.”
“I’ll tell you everything!”
“What would a guy roasting rice crusts on a mountain know about the secular world… right?”
It was a cutting remark. Hong Ye-seong’s body trembled. Kkokko wobbled like a roly-poly in response.
“I-I’m…”
“Well… I do know what you want, though.”
Lee Sa-young leaned down slowly and whispered.
“I’ll remove the signal jammer for you.”
“Go ahead, sir!”
“Bawk!”
“Ack! Sorry, Kkokko!”
Hong Ye-seong slammed his head onto the floor with a thud. At the same time, Kkokko, who had rolled to the floor, swiftly slapped him with its white wing. Hong Ye-seong’s pitiful scream echoed throughout the room.
Lee Sa-young tugged on Cha Eui-jae’s arm and whispered.
“Let’s go while they’re distracted fighting.”
“Wait, shouldn’t we say goodbye? Isn’t it rude not to?”
“The moment we say goodbye, our stay here will be extended by five minutes each time.”
No thanks. They looked at each other and firmly nodded before quickly grabbing their shoes and escaping from Hong Ye-seong’s love nest.
Click, as soon as they stepped out of the barrier, the smell of rain greeted them first. Cha Eui-jae reached out his hand. The soft drizzle dampened his palm. The mountain was already shrouded in darkness. Inside the barrier, it had been dimly evening, but outside, the surroundings were pitch black, likely because of the rain.
‘We’re on the mountainside.’
It’s easy to get lost in the mountains at night. Cha Eui-jae glanced at Lee Sa-young beside him.
“Seo Min-gi will be waiting at the bottom of the mountain. Let’s head down quickly.”
Lee Sa-young nodded slightly. Cha Eui-jae, whose eyes had already adjusted to the darkness, began to walk, recalling the path he had taken while climbing the mountain. At the same time, he paid attention to the presence following behind him. A voice came from behind.
“Did you stick with Seo Min-gi all the time? While I was out.”
“Yeah.”
“What did you do for three months?”
“…Didn’t you just look up all the articles?”
“I wanted to hear it from you.”
“Just, you know… the usual stuff. Hunting monsters. Clearing dungeons.”
“And kissing me in between?”
“Hey.”
Cha Eui-jae snapped as he turned around. Even in the darkness, Lee Sa-young was laughing softly, covering his mouth with his fist. The damp night air filled his lungs. Lee Sa-young’s violet eyes shone brightly even in the dark.
“Did you wait for me?”
“…”
Cha Eui-jae resumed walking. Perhaps the rain had washed away his hesitation, or maybe the feelings that had grown while waiting made it easier to answer.
“Yeah.”
“…”
The presence following him stopped. Cha Eui-jae also stopped. He waited for Lee Sa-young to close the distance, but Lee Sa-young stood there, as if rooted to the spot.
“…”
Cha Eui-jae turned his head. Lee Sa-young stood still, like he was one with the surrounding darkness. He looked like someone who didn’t know where to go, or perhaps like a child who had lost their way. His murky violet eyes darted around, as if seeing something unfamiliar.
“…Lee Sa-young?”
Cha Eui-jae cautiously called out his name. The eyes that had been staring blankly into space turned towards him.
Is it ‘Lee Sa-young’ that’s surfaced? But the atmosphere hasn’t changed. Confused, he took a step closer.
“Why are you acting like that all of a sudden?”
“…Hyung.”
“Yeah.”
“Will you hold my hand?”
In an instant, the surroundings lit up in a flash of white. Rumble… The sky growled. It seemed like the rain would start pouring in earnest. They had to descend the mountain quickly. But Cha Eui-jae was fixated on the look on Lee Sa-young’s face when the light briefly illuminated it. What surfaced there was…
Anxiety.
Asking about it would probably yield no answers. There was no time to argue about it here either. Cha Eui-jae extended his hand.
“Just until we get down the mountain.”
“…Okay.”
A large hand cautiously approached and took his. A firm grip wrapped around his hand without hesitation. Warmth slowly spread from where their skin met. Cha Eui-jae, holding that hand, began to walk slowly.
Lee Sa-young quietly watched Cha Eui-jae’s back as he walked ahead. The smell of rain-soaked earth and grass filled his nose and lungs. Rain soaked his head and body. The hand holding his was Cha Eui-jae’s. But what Lee Sa-young’s violet eyes saw was…
A white wasteland.
“…”
Over the ruins of what once stood, a black figure appeared and vanished repeatedly. Memories that were not his own replayed in his mind. They told him Cha Eui-jae was already dead.
But Lee Sa-young knew that Cha Eui-jae was alive. He understood that the memory of Cha Eui-jae’s death wasn’t his own, but an intruder’s. Lee Sa-young clung to the warmth of the hand in his grasp. The more he squeezed it, the more warmth returned to him. That was the only clear proof.
Proof that Cha Eui-jae existed.
