Chapter 32 - Street Casting (2)

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"... Wasn't that movie really good?"

Sinu smiled happily.

Hyeonyul had planned to go home after the movie, but Sinu tagged along, slipping naturally into step beside him and suggesting dinner.

["Want to get something to eat? This isn't a work dinner. I'm genuinely asking with no ulterior motive."]

Sinu had made a point of saying that. Being told it wasn't a work dinner made refusing awkward.

Hyeonyul was tense as he followed Sinu. He had very few good memories of eating with coworkers. Despite his anxiety, however, Sinu said nothing until they entered the restaurant.

Laying out the utensils with practiced ease, Hyeonyul looked at Sinu.

"Honestly, it delivered what I expected. Apart from a slightly boring opening, it paid off every plot thread perfectly, to the point that I'm looking forward to the sequel."

Sinu chuckled at his precise assessment, poured a glass of water, and passed it to him. Hyeonyul stared at the glass, seemingly startled even by that small gesture.

'Ugh...'

Sinu suppressed the anger surging inside. Every reaction like that showed just how much the villain-run company had treated Hyeonyul like shit.

Instead, Sinu smiled even more as he spoke.

"That director is one of my favorites. I happened to watch their first movie, and it was awful."

"Yes. It is awful."

"By all rights, I shouldn't have expected anything from the next one, but there was this strange pull. Did you feel it too?"

"No. I watched it because the ratings were good. I don't follow directors."

There was no guarantee that another film by the same director would be entertaining. He simply wanted to watch something good. Life was short.

"As long as you enjoy it, that's what matters. It was nice to relax and watch a movie for the first time in ages."

Sinu chuckled. Hyeonyul asked with his eyes what that meant.

"My first mission was at a movie theater."

"Was it?"

"I couldn't save anyone. I watched them all get blown to pieces."

"And you still come to movie theaters?"

"You're curious, aren't you? Aren't you?"

The corners of Sinu's mouth rose, revealing a mischievous streak. Watching Hyeonyul struggle to work out how to respond, Sinu stopped teasing and gave him the answer.

"It's an anxiety symptom. I have to check regularly to feel reassured. Then movies turned into a hobby."

"That happens?"

Hyeonyul's eyes widened. That part was genuinely surprising. This wasn't just anyone—it was a Black Eagle.

"Everyone else has one thing or another too. Sometimes several. This isn't a job you can do and stay sane, is it?"

Every day at work, they saw corpses. Even if they grew numb to it, it wasn't a sight they could get used to. They probably never would.

"Is that so?"

Hyeonyul remained impassive, his expression giving no hint of his thoughts.

"Yeah. Everyone has at least one mental illness. So you're not strange either."

Whatever the circumstances, Sinu wanted to tell him when the opportunity arose. The Black Eagles had never been a normal group to begin with. What was strange about an abnormal person coming to an abnormal place?

"... Is that so?"

It was the same answer as before, but Hyeonyul's gaze deepened. His thoughts remained as difficult to read as ever.

"One second."

Sinu casually picked up the phone, thumbs moving rapidly.

[Oh, what do we have here?]

[Just happened to come see a movie and just happened to run into Hyeonyul.]

[Now I'm having dinner with him. Just the two of us.]

[Hope you all enjoy your dinner.]

[Have a great evening!]

Sinu finished with a smug ghost emoji.

[Chu Nayun: What? ??????????????]

[Chu Nayun: Are you insane?]

[Chu Nayun: If you're drunk, knock it off and go home.]

[Chu Nayun: 🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕]

'... Heh, I win.'

Sinu felt almost carried away by the swell of triumph. Nayun was always bragging about having so many friends, but this time Sinu had won.

[It's true, though?]

[Want a photo for proof?]

Sinu's thumbs glided effortlessly.

[Youngest Jihwan: Bro bro bro bro bro b-b-bro!!!]

[Youngest Jihwan: Where are you?]

[Youngest Jihwan: Tell me!!!!]

[Youngest Jihwan: Pleeease..., bro!!]

Jihwan sent a crying fox emoji, then another.

[Oh, Jiihwaaan.]

[Your big brother is sorry.]

Sinu put the phone away. Whatever messages were pouring in, the phone was practically crying.

"Oh! Hyeonyul."

"... Yes."

Hyeonyul looked at Sinu warily.

"We're going to have a welcome party. When works for you?"

"I'm the only new recruit. Who am I supposed to kill?"

Hyeonyul had participated in plenty of welcome-party events where new recruits killed one another, so Sinu's words made no sense.

"... Huh?"

Now Sinu was bewildered. Kill someone? A welcome party was literally meant to welcome people.

"... Oh. You mean, eat till we drop? Something like that? You're funnier than I thought, Hyeonyul."

"What?"

They ended up staring at each other in confusion.

"... That's not it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Hold on. Something's getting tangled here. What does a welcome party mean to you?"

"Isn't it where you kill the new recruits?"

"With alcohol?"

"You can kill them with alcohol too?"

Hyeonyul reacted as though he had learned something new.

"Wait. Waaait a second."

Sinu hastily stopped him again. This needed sorting out. Something was different. Very different.

"You actually killed them...? The new recruits?"

"I didn't kill them. I just kept out of their way, and they all died on their own."

New recruits were ordinary civilians. There was no reason to kill them.

Where had things gone wrong? Sinu gulped down water and spoke.

"... We don't do that."

"You don't?"

"No. It's just a gathering to welcome you."

"Why would you welcome me?"

The genuine incomprehension on Hyeonyul's face was unmistakable, so Sinu set down the glass. To think that this was the one expression Sinu had finally managed to read. It felt awful.

"If it's difficult to explain, you don't have to answer. I can find out myself."

Hyeonyul responded as he always did.

Even medication couldn't make him respond naturally to things other people took for granted. If he didn't understand, he just had to study and find out. If he still didn't understand, he could ask Jeongmin. That was how he had always lived.

"Hyeonyul."

"Yes."

"We're welcoming you because you joined our Team Three instead of somewhere else. Because we're happy to have you, and grateful."

Hyeonyul didn't understand, but he listened. This was information he needed.

"Of course, plenty of places aren't like that. But we are. 'Colleague' means something special here, unlike elsewhere. It means someone you can trust to watch your back."

"I've never experienced it, so... um, is it like celebrating someone's birthday...?"

"It's similar!"

Sinu's voice grew slightly louder. What a relief.

"Did Dr. Jeongmin do that for you?"

"Yes. Every year, the doctor gave me a cake and celebrated. It probably wasn't even my real birthday, but it didn't feel bad."

"That's exactly it. What do you think? Is that okay?"

Hyeonyul didn't answer immediately. After a moment's hesitation, he said,

"That's fine."

"Great. We have a group chat too. Want to join?"

"No."

Hyeonyul answered without hesitation. Then he frowned, reconsidered, and sighed.

Sinu didn't rush him. There was no limit to how long Sinu could wait.

'He's awkward. So very awkward.'

Perhaps Sinu needed to approach Hyeonyul even more slowly than originally planned.

"Could you give me... some time?"

"As much as you want. If you say no and regret it later, just tell me. I'm ready to invite you anytime."

Sinu smiled brightly. Having already secured the welcome party, Sinu felt no impatience at all.

"Oh, and this might sound a little strange, but have we ever met before?"

"We might have, but I don't know."

"You don't know?"

Sinu blinked at the peculiar answer.

"I have memory impairment, so I don't know who I am."

Silence followed Hyeonyul's answer. Sinu wanted to punch that stupid mouth right now. It had been a casual question, prompted by how increasingly familiar Hyeonyul looked, only to come flying back like an enormous boomerang.

'I can't believe... I made that mistake.'

Sinu wanted to drag a hand down that face, but held back and managed a faint smile.

"Here's your order."

Only at the server's words did Sinu release a deep breath, staring foolishly as the table filled dish by dish.

"Thank you for the meal."

Hyeonyul offered his thanks, and Sinu forced a smile.

"... Eat plenty."

Something felt lodged firmly in Sinu's throat. Though Sinu was chewing, it didn't feel like chewing at all.

'Ah...'

A thought suddenly occurred to Hyeonyul as he ate, and he looked at Sinu.

"Is there a villain called the Night Rat? Someone with that nickname?"

The assassin had said the Night Rat had ordered the recent assassination of the collaborator.

Night Rat. He didn't know what it meant. Since he couldn't tell Haeryeon how he had found out, he hadn't been able to mention it at all. But surely it would be all right just to ask Sinu.

"There is."

Sinu's expression shifted, growing quite serious—and extremely cautious. Villains didn't have the word written on their faces. They knew what very few villains looked like. Whatever else might go unnoticed, there could be a villain here who would prick up their ears at a nickname.

"Who is it?"

"An information broker. We don't know what the name means or who they are. That's all."

'An information broker... Something feels just out of reach.'

Had he seen them once? Thanks to Shin Daeho, he had seen plenty of villains. He didn't know their names, but he knew their faces.

"By the way, have you decided to move?"

Sinu asked while chewing. Hyeonyul had come into contact with the Red Witch. She would undoubtedly be looking for him by now. If the Poison King had discovered where he lived, other villains could soon figure it out too.

"Yes. I'll have to look soon. Take my time about it."

As his words trailed out, Hyeonyul looked to the left. Sinu, about to say something, followed his gaze.

Was it a villain?

'... No.'

Sinu relaxed. Without a sound, various ingredients flew repeatedly out of a frying pan amid dazzling flames. It was quite an eye-catching display.

"There are three."

Hyeonyul spoke while watching the fire show. Villains on his day off. It was infuriating, but the food in front of him kept him calm.

"... What?"

Sinu tensed sharply.

"How far away?"

"Far enough that they can't hear our conversation. I wasn't quite sure before, but I was right."

Hyeonyul narrowed his eyes. How could he pick villains out of a crowd when they hadn't identified themselves as such? He couldn't decide someone was a villain simply because they had looked at him. But when they followed him into the restaurant, he was certain.

"Where did they start following us?" Sinu asked.

Embarrassingly, Sinu hadn't noticed at all.

"When we left the movie theater."

Hyeonyul turned back to his food. Those eyes had been on him ever since.

"... That's strange."

Sinu frowned. Both of them were wearing smartwatches. Didn't that mean the villains had recognized their disguised faces and followed them?

"We can check later," Hyeonyul answered simply.

Perhaps they had no intention of causing a scene either; they weren't doing anything at the moment. Frankly, Hyeonyul didn't want to do anything at all, but Sinu was here. He couldn't pretend not to know.

"For now, eating comes first."

Hyeonyul took up his spoon.

Egg, onion, and all sorts of ingredients mingled among the fluffy, separate grains of fried rice, with a black coat gently draped over the top. How could he sit idle before such beauty? Right now, the villains weren't what mattered. The food was.

"Can you eat just anything, though?"

The thought had suddenly struck Sinu. With all the medicine Hyeonyul took, some foods might cause problems.

"Yes. I'm not picky."

"That's not what I mean. Is it safe for your body?"

"Oh. As long as I take medicine to help my digestion, I can eat anything without problems. In the first place... Never mind."

Hyeonyul stopped himself from saying more. Jeongmin needed to hear about his condition, but Sinu didn't. It might only make Sinu uncomfortable.

"Eat plenty."

Sinu offered him the sweet-and-sour pork. Failed test subjects hadn't even remained human. Thinking that no matter how much time passed, asking about Hyeonyul's days as a test subject would be out of the question, Sinu forced down the food.

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Hyeonyul was satisfied. This was the first time anyone other than Jeongmin had bought him a meal. Once he had finished, he felt strange. It wasn't unpleasant.

"I enjoyed the meal. Thank you. I'll pay next time."

"Don't worry about it. Just let me treat you."

Sinu waved a hand. There was more than enough money to buy a junior colleague dinner.

Hyeonyul gazed at Sinu. Somehow, it felt like being with Jeongmin.

Then his eyes shifted, and one eyebrow rose. They were coming.

Hyeonyul surveyed his surroundings. They were beside a busy main road.

'Are they planning to attack right here?'

Their method didn't matter. Interrupting his day off was a grave offense.

All three approached at once. Hyeonyul was about to draw his dagger, then hesitated.

"Um, this is who we are."

They suddenly held out a business card.

S.T.D Entertainment.

It was a real business card. There wasn't even any poison on it.

"... Would you perhaps be interested in becoming a singer or an actor?"

At the words that followed, Hyeonyul froze.

'...?'