Chapter 85 - A Cup of Tea, a Slice of Cake (2)

* * *

“Why are you scared?”

Hyeon-yul looked at Kim Yujong strangely. He had only asked a question.

“N-no. I’m not scared... at all.”

Despite what he said, Yu-jong was trembling. Hyeon-yul looked down at the hand gripping his dagger, then quickly put the weapon away.

“If you have nothing to feel guilty about, don’t be nervous.”

“I really don’t! I swear, I swear there’s nothing at all!”

Yu-jong vigorously shook his head in denial.

“I only asked because I knew you’d be curious.”

Information was the most important thing to an information broker. There was no way Yu-jong could simply let this pass, so he merely nodded vigorously.

“Before you get out of this business, shouldn’t you sell one last big piece of information? If I find out who the major player behind the drugs is, I’ll give it to you.”

“...Really?”

“Yes. Really.”

Yu-jong’s expression turned ecstatic at that answer. The mad dog suddenly looked beautiful to him, to the point that he almost felt like walking over and hugging him.

“Oh, and the people who asked about Black Eagle information were former Black Eagles.”

If something came in, something had to go out in return. Hyeon-yul handed Yu-jong a piece of information of his own.

Yu-jong slowly opened his mouth with a dumbfounded expression.

“...What? Former what?”

“Former Black Eagles.”

The instant he heard the words Black Eagle, Yu-jong’s face twisted.

“Aren’t those bastards insane?!”

SPIT! SPIT!

Yu-jong grimaced as though he had seen something filthy.

“This whole damn business is disgusting enough already! Of all things they could do, Black Eagles are buying information? I took money from those bastards?!”

Yu-jong looked so revolted that he seemed ready to set the money on fire. That was the proper reaction. It was the basic attitude villains had toward Black Eagles. Ask any villain what they found most disgusting in the world, and without exception they would point to Black Eagle.

“You can tell the others about this. It might help us find whoever is behind them faster.”

“I honestly can’t let this go! Since the day I stepped into this world, nothing has ever been this disgusting or insulting!”

Yu-jong even shook his tightly clenched fist. His anger was plain in both his expression and his voice.

“I’ll find them! No matter what...!”

Yu-jong offered to do it entirely on his own.

“Yes. I’ll come back again soon.”

Hyeon-yul waved and left the room.

“Take care on your way back.”

Yu-jong bowed his head, then immediately stepped outside. He wondered whether a window had been open, but there was nothing open anywhere.

‘...It feels like I see a ghost every damn time.’

He narrowed his eyes as he thought it over.

‘Still, I guess the mad dog wasn’t so bad today.’

Yu-jong picked up his phone and made a call.

“Hey. It’s me.”

<Yes, Boss! Good morning!>

“You remember the people who traded with us for Black Eagle information, right?”

<Yes, I do!>

“They’re former Black Eagles.”

<...That’s impossible. Is that really true?>

“It’s true. I don’t know what kind of bullshit they’re trying to pull, but are we supposed to sit back and let Black Eagles infiltrate our side?”

<Absolutely not!>

“Then spread the word and find them.”

<Understood. We’ll find out exactly who they are.>

‘I may have built myself up through every kind of information imaginable, but this crosses the line.’

A sharp smile appeared on Yu-jong’s face. People often said villains were like bulldozers that never stopped. That was not entirely wrong. Since they did not care about means or methods, it could look as though they had no standards at all.

But that was not true. The one absolute line they would never compromise on, even if it killed them, was Black Eagle. Black Eagle existed to uproot them completely, yet some idiot had actually brought people who had once been Black Eagles into this world. Whether they had been expelled or not did not matter. The fact that they had been Black Eagles at all was unacceptable.

“Pull everyone we have off the civilian side for now and find out which bastard incited these people too.”

<Understood.>

Even after giving the order, Yu-jong’s anger did not subside.

‘...I don’t know who the bastard is, but he’s dead.’

Whoever it was had effectively picked a fight with every villain.

* * *

Hyeon-yul looked to his left and saw Choo Nayun. When he looked to his right, Ye Jihwan was there.

‘...How did this happen?’

A crease formed between Hyeon-yul’s brows.

“Hyeon-yul, you’re going to be in trouble if you keep doing that. You’ll get wrinkles later. Oh, do you use basic skincare products?”

“...Am I supposed to?”

“Of course.”

Nayun raised an eyebrow at his question.

“That’s the bare minimum. Right, Jihwan?”

“Right. I used to be the type who didn’t put anything on either, but Noona talked me into it.”

Nayun giggled softly at Jihwan’s reply.

“If you don’t know what to choose, I can pick something out for you. There’s a brand called Linda, and their stuff is really good.”

Linda. Before Hyeon-yul could even think about it, the barrage of words rushing toward him made him feel pressured. He felt as though he had been trapped in a very small space, and he gripped his cup for no reason.

After going home and sleeping, he had gone out to investigate the locations based on the information he had received from Yu-jong. When the villain who had given him the drug said his business had been “taken away,” Hyeon-yul had immediately thought of Lee Seungyu, the puppet president.

He had considered going to Seungyu first, but Seungyu could deceive him. Hyeon-yul had known Yu-jong, the Night Rat, longer, and Yu-jong’s emotions were easy to read from his face. Seungyu was different. The man looked at him strangely, almost as though he worshiped him.

There were expressions Hyeon-yul could not read, making it difficult to judge whether his interpretation was correct. For safety, he decided it would be better to locate the relevant sites first and then compare what he found with the information Seungyu gave him.

After visiting several of Yu-jong’s business contacts, Hyeon-yul was checking the fifth location when Jihwan’s voice stopped him in his tracks.

—Hyung!

He could not simply ignore that voice. When Jihwan asked where he was going, the excuse that sprang out of Hyeon-yul’s mouth was “a café.”

Even thinking back on it made him feel ridiculous. It irritated him that he had no quick reflexes when it came to things like this.

—Is your head okay? Were you badly hurt? Why are you wandering around when it’s cold? I know a café. No, wait, Nayun Noona told me about it. Once you go there, you’ll keep coming back, seriously. Let’s go there.

Jihwan had started by worrying about him, then swallowed eagerly and launched into one thing after another. Hyeon-yul had been so overwhelmed that his thoughts nearly tangled.

He was dragged along almost before he knew it, only to find Nayun there. He should have expected as much the moment Jihwan said it was a place Nayun had introduced to him.

Hyeon-yul suggested they leave because she was surrounded by a large group of people, but Jihwan did not listen. Then Nayun spotted them and smiled like a predator sighting prey. After saying goodbye to the people she was with, she naturally came outside and brought them to another café, which was how they had ended up here.

Before the topic abruptly shifted to cosmetics, Hyeon-yul had already been asked whether his head was all right so many times that he was exhausted by it.

“...Basic skincare is important, but honestly, Hyeon-yul, your skin is so good that you could probably get away without it.”

“That’s true. I thought that from the first time I saw you, Hyung. The scars are the only shame, and even those can be covered.”

“You were thinking the same thing as me?”

Nayun looked at Jihwan, who grinned. The two raised their cups and lightly tapped them together.

CLINK.

Hyeon-yul wondered whether he was supposed to raise his cup too.

“Of course, if you start using something now, your skin will get even better, right? You’ll practically glow.”

Hyeon-yul blinked at what Nayun said.

“Hyeon-yul? Are you listening?”

“...Yes. I’m listening.”

“Was I... talking too much?”

“I don’t think you’ve talked much at all.”

Jihwan slipped the comment in. In fact, Nayun had spoken so little that it was almost strange.

“Right? I was worried I might be talking too much without realizing it.”

Nayun broke into a nervous sweat. Some people liked conversation, and some did not. She suspected Hyeon-yul was closer to the latter. It was only natural to be careful when the other person disliked something.

“That’s not it. I need to ask the doctor first. He told me to avoid anything with ingredients I don’t know, so I was wondering how I should say that.”

“Then you can just say exactly that.”

Nayun did not seem bothered at all by his refusal.

“Is that so?”

“That’s how it works. I don’t like situations where I can’t say what I want either.”

“...!”

Hyeon-yul set his cup down. His eyes widened, making Nayun burst out laughing for a moment. She could not understand why that was so surprising.

“Hyeon-yul, don’t be so shocked. Just listen for a second.”

“...All right.”

As Hyeon-yul watched her cautiously, Nayun pushed the plate of cake toward him.

“I thought that if I didn’t talk to you, I’d keep losing every chance to have a conversation with you. The only time you’d ever come talk to me is obvious. During a mission, right?”

Hyeon-yul thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

“I know that even if we keep telling you what being teammates means to us, it won’t be easy for you to accept. I also understand that it’s something that will take a lot of time.”

Nayun leaned against the table with her arms folded and looked at Hyeon-yul. Her deep green eyes gently closed for a moment.

“But I don’t want us to stay like that. So I’m the one who should be careful. I’m the one who wants to get closer to you, right? I don’t want to do things you hate. Not talking can be frustrating, but I’m only holding back as much as I can handle. You don’t have to be startled or feel pressured.”

When Nayun finished, Jihwan studied Hyeon-yul’s expression. A tiny crease had formed between his brows. It meant he did not understand.

“It helps on missions.”

Jihwan explained it in a way Hyeon-yul could understand.

“How does it help?”

“For example, there could be a mission where we have to entrust our lives to each other. Could you do that if you didn’t trust the other person?”

Hyeon-yul considered it for a moment. He had never even imagined taking on that kind of mission, but the question itself was not bad.

Trust was an uncertain factor. The idea that he might have to rely on that too was horrifying.

‘...Terrible.’

“Talk while you eat. We’re not interrogating you or anything.”

Nayun loosened the mood again before it could become too stiff.

“Right. That’s important. We’re just exchanging opinions.”

“Opinions... Ah! How about thinking of this as communication practice?”

Nayun lightly tapped the table as though a good idea had occurred to her.

“Practicing communication...?”

Interest appeared in Hyeon-yul’s eyes immediately.

“Exactly. Better communication would be good for you too, wouldn’t it?”

“It would. I always feel I’m lacking in that area as well. ...It’s quite difficult.”

“Then think of it as practice and try speaking a little more comfortably.”

“I don’t know what I should talk about.”

A conversation was not the same thing as making a demand. Threats were easy, but conversation was difficult precisely because it was not simply a matter of demanding something. He had to observe the other person, listen carefully, and even respond.

“You overthink things. The more you think, the more things you feel you have to be careful about. Still, practicing like this might not be bad. What do you think?”

“I think you’re right.”

Hyeon-yul gave her a firm nod.

“Good. I’ll help you, Hyeon-yul. You’ll help too, right, Jihwan?”

Jihwan started nodding, then glanced at Nayun. Her smile was different.

‘...Wow. Even I almost fell for that.’

Jihwan suddenly snapped to attention. Nayun had been the one who quietly slipped Hyeon-yul into the group messenger room before.

Jihwan’s expression shifted slightly, and the corners of Nayun’s mouth rose higher.

‘Agree already.’

Pressed by her gaze, Jihwan hurriedly spoke.

“...Of course I’ll help. Why wouldn’t I?”

Nayun pushed the plate of cake toward him, and Jihwan picked up his fork without saying anything else.

“How about it, Hyeon-yul? You feel a lot more comfortable now, don’t you?”

Hyeon-yul nodded when Nayun asked with a smile.

“Yes.”

Thinking of it as training definitely made it less burdensome. They had actually said they would help train him.

Only then did Hyeon-yul pick up his fork and eat some cake.

“...!”

His head lowered toward the plate. Something was different.

“Good, isn’t it?”

“...It tastes different.”

“I know lots of places that are actually good, not the ones that are only hyped up on social media. Let’s come often, Hyeon-yul.”

“May I bring the doctor with me too?”

Nayun looked at him fondly at the question. Good food was something people naturally wanted to share with someone precious to them.

“Of course. I’d love that. I like the doctor too. He’s really kind, and he feels like a real adult, you know?”

“The doctor is an adult.”

“And he’s a good person too, right?”

“Yes.”

Nayun rested her chin on her hand and looked at Hyeon-yul. She felt like she was beginning to understand how to deal with him. Perhaps the conversational age she should use with him was even lower than she had thought.

“You eat plenty too, Jihwan. Good, isn’t it?”

“Is this a place you just discovered?”

Jihwan’s eyes sparkled. Nayun giggled at the sight. Who could possibly dislike good food?

“Of course. Let’s keep this one a secret between us. You didn’t invite that idiot Baek Shinwoo, did you, Jihwan?”

“I didn’t. Shinwoo Hyung kept bragging so much about doing something with Hyeon-yul Hyung. I’m allowed to brag too, right?”

“Jihwan. My wonderful Jihwan. Brag as much as you want. If it’s Baek Shinwoo, you absolutely have to. I already did.”

Nayun held up her phone. A neatly arranged photo of three forks, cake, and drinks had been posted in the team group chat. Beneath it was a cat sticker flashing a V sign.

“You’re fast as always.”

“Of course I am. And for the record, he started doing things like this first. It wasn’t me, Hyeon-yul.”

Nayun quickly defended herself in case Hyeon-yul misunderstood. Hyeon-yul merely nodded, wondering why she was telling him this.

He still did not understand Team 3’s atmosphere. Conversation flowed back and forth around him, and after concentrating for a while, Hyeon-yul gradually relaxed and grew drowsy.

He remembered what he had been trying to pursue earlier. Since he could not simply leave now, he kept eating cake instead. He had meant to stop, yet his hand kept reaching for it. He should not even have had an appetite.

“...Oh, right. About the drugs.”

The words spilling from Nayun’s mouth instantly snapped Hyeon-yul awake.

‘The drugs?’

“After checking with the other teams, apparently they’re compiling the place we found, the place Team 2 found after asking for support, and the place you found yesterday. For now, they look like separate factions. The locations aren’t exact, but they have rough areas, and I saw them too.”

“You saw them?”

Hyeon-yul immediately asked, and Nayun nodded with a slightly startled expression. His eyes had changed completely.

“The locations kind of form a triangle, so doesn’t the center look really suspicious?”

‘...A triangle?’

At her words, Hyeon-yul pictured the places he had seen in his head, but his brow soon furrowed. He had never looked at how they appeared on the full map. No matter what it concerned, Nayun’s observation felt like a new way of thinking to him.

“It bothered me so much that I deliberately went near the center and took just a tiny peek. Just a tiny one.”

Nayun deliberately drew out the last words.

GULP.

Jihwan swallowed his drink while looking at Nayun, suddenly nervous about what she was going to say next.