The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 284
“Die in front of me.”
The voice was chillingly low. Cha Eui-jae’s eyes widened. It was a language he understood, yet he couldn’t immediately comprehend. Lee Sa-young intertwined his fingers with Cha Eui-jae’s.
“I’ll be watching beside you until the moment your breath stops.”
“…”
“Don’t think about dying alone.”
It was a soft threat. Cha Eui-jae could only open and close his mouth without saying anything, until he finally managed to utter a single word that filled his mind.
“Why?”
“Why?”
A snicker followed.
“I don’t want to be the fool who doesn’t even know why you died.”
“…”
“And…”
The blunt end of a finger lightly grazed the palm of Cha Eui-jae’s hand. There was a rustling sound, followed by a metallic clunk as a helmet fell to the ground. A sweet scent grew stronger.
Soft hair tickled Cha Eui-jae’s temple and ear. His cheek brushed against a cold, smooth mask. After a long hesitation, a quiet whisper followed.
Being alone is lonely.
Cha Eui-jae couldn’t bring himself to respond. The loneliness he hadn’t realized, the fear of death, and another layer of loneliness hidden in the voice washed over him like a wave. Instead of responding with words, the lonely person raised a hand to embrace the back of another lonely person. Lee Sa-young curled up, clinging to Cha Eui-jae like a child.
It was strange. Even though the back felt broad and solid, it was as if…
“…”
It felt like holding a child. Like a boy who clung to Cha Eui-jae as if he were his entire world. Ignoring the sting at the tip of his nose, Cha Eui-jae closed his eyes. The fear of death that had dominated him seemed to have eased slightly.
At that moment,
A white screen appeared in the darkness.
[Warning! Synchronization rate is decreasing.]
[Re-measuring synchronization rate…]
What?
Cha Eui-jae’s eyes snapped open. The synchronization rate had dropped. It meant they were one step further from the risk of dying together. Though he still couldn’t see anything. Cha Eui-jae nudged Lee Sa-young, who was nestled in his arms.
“Hey, Lee Sa-young.”
“…What now?”
Lee Sa-young asked, irritation lacing his voice. Judging by the tension in his limbs, he had no intention of letting go. Holding Lee Sa-young, who clung like a koala, Cha Eui-jae pondered.
‘Why did the synchronization rate drop?’
Was it because of Lee Sa-young? Remembering those past memories? The memory of leaving Lee Sa-young would be one that ‘J’ in this world doesn’t have. His mind was finally starting to function properly again. It seemed the influence of the poker face trait had lessened slightly. Cha Eui-jae moved his fingers.
‘I need to lower the synchronization rate even more.’
In a state dominated by ‘J’s despair and fear, nothing could be done properly. Cha Eui-jae started walking, carrying Lee Sa-young who clung to him. Lee Sa-young, moving along reluctantly, snapped irritably.
“Can’t you just stay still? What are you planning to do now?”
“I have a plan. Sa-young, just talk about anything.”
“Anything? Like what?”
“Anything at all is fine.”
“Do you think I’m some kind of talking vending machine…”
Muttering grumpily, Lee Sa-young rested his chin on Cha Eui-jae’s shoulder and asked.
“Then… what will you do when it’s over?”
“When what’s over?”
“When the end is over.”
Cha Eui-jae had told him to talk about anything, but still, this was…
“Isn’t that too distant a topic?”
“We came all the way here to deal with it, so we need to think about the future. What will you do?”
He asked again, indicating he wouldn’t easily change the subject. In the end, Cha Eui-jae had to think of an answer. The future. Cha Eui-jae silently turned the word over in his mouth. It felt unfamiliar. After the end had passed, what would he be doing? He had never even considered it.
No, he had thought about it before. When he was with the boy. Back then, he imagined a future where he healed Lee Sa-young, became a family with him, and lived together. But after the West Sea rift, Cha Eui-jae could no longer envision such a future. After losing his only family, his aunt, and his comrades, even the thought of living felt like a luxury.
Cha Eui-jae pondered for a long time but couldn’t come up with a suitable answer. Whenever he tried to think, his mind was filled only with the imminent death and the flickering shadows that loomed like smoke.
In the end, Cha Eui-jae shook his head.
“…I don’t know.”
“…”
“I’ve never thought about it.”
“Nothing comes to mind?”
“No.”
“Well… I figured.”
Lee Sa-young sighed next to his ear. Was he mocking him? Just as Cha Eui-jae was about to snap back, Lee Sa-young whispered softly.
“Then I’ll decide for you.”
While Cha Eui-jae was momentarily distracted by the tickling breeze on his ear, Lee Sa-young began to lay out an ambitious plan.
“First, we’ll take over Grandma’s hangover soup restaurant.”
“What?”
“And we’ll reopen it under your name. Eui-jae Hangover Soup, or something like that.”
“Wow…”
Having missed the chance to interject, Cha Eui-jae blurted out his honest thoughts.
“That’s lame.”
“It’s your name, and you’re calling it lame… fine, then J’s Hangover Soup.”
“No. It’ll attract weirdos.”
“Then I’ll lend you my name. Sa-young Hangover Soup.”
“That really sounds like no one would come.”
“Bae Won-woo would come.”
“That’s true.”
“Then, we’ll use the money we make from the hangover soup restaurant to send Park Ha-eun to college and buy a house.”
“…”
“Oh, and I like houses with big living rooms.”
Listening quietly to the future Lee Sa-young was laying out, Cha Eui-jae asked hesitantly.
“Why are your preferences in this?”
“Obviously, we have to live together. You weren’t thinking of living separately, were you?”
“…”
Something soft touched Cha Eui-jae’s shoulder. Lee Sa-young had leaned his head on him. Cha Eui-jae absentmindedly reached out and ran his fingers through Lee Sa-young’s hair. The thin, soft strands tangled between his fingers.
Taking over the hangover soup restaurant, serving regulars, watching Park Ha-eun grow, and living in the same house as Lee Sa-young. The future Lee Sa-young envisioned was vivid and easy to picture. So vivid that Cha Eui-jae wondered why he hadn’t thought of it himself.
[Warning! Synchronization rate is decreasing.]
[Warning! Synchronization rate is decreasing.]
[Warning! Synchronization rate is decreasing.]
“…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Cha Eui-jae rested his chin on Lee Sa-young’s shoulder as well.
“Keep talking.”
“That’s unexpected.”
A voice, tinged with laughter, murmured. Cha Eui-jae decided to escape. To turn away from the fear of death, from the relentlessly dwindling red numbers. And he listened to the future Lee Sa-young painted.
It wasn’t such a bad feeling.
***
Thud, thud… The footsteps of the three echoed down the wide corridor. Every time the lantern in their hand swayed, massive shadows flickered on the brick walls. The three shadows didn’t go far before stopping.
“…”
Jung Bin raised the lantern he was holding. The dark, long underground passage was stained white at the end. The red bricks had turned white, and the concrete floor was covered in a layer of white ash. Erosion. Seo Min-gi, standing next to him, pushed up his sunglasses.
“It’s progressed more since we contacted team leader.”
Jongno 3-ga underground dungeon. Ever since J and Lee Sa-young entered and communication was lost, the Pado Guild had been monitoring the dungeon’s state regularly. And just a few hours ago, Seo Min-gi confirmed that white ash and vines had started to protrude from the portal and immediately contacted Jung Bin.
“…”
A growl echoed through the corridor. Jung Bin searched for the source of the sound. Rustling noises came from within the control post, which was covered in white ash and vines. Jung Bin signaled for the others not to approach and moved closer.
At that moment,
Bang—!!
A beast, covered in white fur, slammed its paw against the window. Crack, crack, the thick glass began to splinter until it shattered with a sharp noise.
Simultaneously, a hand suddenly emerged over Jung Bin’s shoulder and grabbed the beast’s massive paw. A sly voice sneered.
“My, my~ You’re not even thinking of dodging? The man who fumbles around monsters.”
Jung Bin glanced sideways. Gyu-Gyu, Ban Gyu-min, was grinning mischievously at him. Jung Bin brushed off the glass shards on his jacket and responded with a gentle smile.
“Haha, anyone listening would think I’m an incompetent official who can’t even handle a single monster.”
“Oh? Aren’t you?”
“I can take a hit like this just fine. I could dodge it too, you know. So then…”
Jung Bin gracefully ducked under the arm holding the monster and pulled out a small notebook and fountain pen from his suit pocket.
“Since you’ve caught it, hold it steady. I have something to check.”
“Huh?”
“Seo Min-gi-ssi, did you bring the camera?”
“Yes. Should I take a picture?”
“Please do.”
Click, click, the camera flash went off. Jung Bin examined the monster’s form. Its entire body was covered in white fur, and its shape was more human than animal. Likely a Yeti type. Considering the torn clothing and broken phone around, it seemed…
“It seems like a poor human couldn’t escape and mutated~”
“…”
Then, a distinct blue color peeked through the fur. Jung Bin removed the glass shards clinging to the frame and reached towards the Yeti’s neck, sifting through the thick fur. A government ID, dangling from a blue lanyard, emerged. Though the white spots made it hard to read entirely, 3 words stood out clearly.
[Rift Management Bureau]
“…”
It was then.
Rustle, rustle…
The white vines covering the red bricks began to extend towards them.
