Chapter 94 - You Said I Could Break It, Right?

* * *

Hyeon-yul blinked naturally. Ever since his mind had been damaged, he had stopped dreaming.

If he could at least dream, maybe something about his past would appear there.

Beside him lay a book titled 101 Ways to Make Office Life Go Smoothly. He had read it closely several times, yet there had been nothing in it resembling what happened yesterday.

Hyeon-yul shifted his gaze toward the other books beside him.

「How to Read People’s Hearts Through Physiognomy」

「Emotional Expression Even a Passing Dog Can Learn」

「How to Hold a Conversation That Doesn’t End With “Yes” or “No”」

「Emotion-Reading Beam for Those Bad at Human Relationships!」

There were plenty of other books too. Apparently he had fallen asleep while reading as soon as he came home yesterday.

Hyeon-yul rolled onto his side, and his long hair slipped over his shoulder.

‘No matter how much I read, I still don’t understand why they waited for me.’

Jeongmin refused to give him the answer.

—You need to think about this one yourself. You can’t keep asking me to spoon-feed you everything.

Hyeon-yul had replied, ‘That isn’t how the expression spoon-feed is normally used,’ but Jeongmin had only laughed harder.

A crease formed between Hyeon-yul’s brows. Until now, Jeongmin had explained everything while talking about emotional training, so why suddenly stop?

Hyeon-yul had always disliked being left without an answer.

He pulled his phone over with darkness and fiddled with it. There were another six hundred messages waiting.

‘...I should read them, right?’

The instant Hyeon-yul opened the chat, messages began appearing.

[Senior Choo Nayun: He read it.]

[Senior Choo Nayun: Hyeon-yul read it!]

[Senior Choo Nayun: Hyeon-yul! Are you okay?]

[Senior Baek Shinwoo: Hey, wait a second.]

[Senior Baek Shinwoo: Why are you rushing him?]

[Senior Ye Jihwan: It really looks like Hyeon-yul hyung read them, though?]

[Senior Ye Jihwan: Hyung! Are you awake?]

[Senior Ye Jihwan: How are you feeling?]

A brightly smiling fox emoji appeared immediately afterward.

Seeing the flood of messages, Hyeon-yul immediately set his phone down. In a different way, they had woken him up completely.

‘...How did they know?’

The phone kept vibrating. Hyeon-yul exhaled with a troubled expression.

They came at him too quickly. It was as though the concept of personal distance did not exist between them.

When he was with them, Hyeon-yul sometimes felt surrounded.

[I’m fine.]

He replied for now, then hesitated.

[Senior Choo Nayun: Baek Shinwoo! He says you’re making him uncomfortable!]

[Senior Choo Nayun: What are you going to do about it?]

A hissing cat emoji appeared beneath Nayun’s message.

The instant Hyeon-yul saw the message, he looked around the room.

Hyeon-yul seriously wondered whether someone was monitoring him.

He had only written that he was fine. How had she inferred even that much?

[Senior Baek Shinwoo: I wasn’t the one who messaged him first, Choo Nayun.]

[Senior Baek Shinwoo: It was you, not me!!!!]

[Senior Ye Jihwan: So does that mean Hyeon-yul hyung really is feeling pressured by us?]

After Jihwan’s message, the chat went silent for a moment.

[Senior Choo Nayun: Maybe.]

[Senior Choo Nayun: We.]

[Senior Choo Nayun: Were.]

[Senior Choo Nayun: A little much?]

[Senior Baek Shinwoo: Hey! Writing it like that doesn’t make the question more careful!]

[Senior Baek Shinwoo: Ask him properly.]

Shinwoo immediately sent an emoji of a dog holding a letter in its mouth. Another followed, showing the dog tilting its head.

[Senior Baek Shinwoo: Got it, Hyeon-yul?]

[Senior Choo Nayun: Hahahahahahahaha!]

[Senior Choo Nayun: That’s nothing, Baek Shinwoo!]

[Senior Choo Nayun: What are you even doing?]

[Well.]

[Senior Ye Jihwan: Yesyesyesyes!]

A fox emoji with sparkling eyes appeared with it. Nayun and Shinwoo followed with cat and dog emojis that looked intensely focused.

[No.]

Hyeon-yul had almost written that it was burdensome, but stopped himself.

No messages came for a while.

[I have a question.]

[Senior Ye Jihwan: I’m listening!]

[Senior Choo Nayun: Ask anything! I’ll answer all of it!]

[Senior Baek Shinwoo: If you need advice, obviously you ask me.]

[Yesterday.]

[Why did you wait for me yesterday?]

After sending the message, Hyeon-yul immediately covered the phone.

Was it acceptable to ask something like that?

His eyes wandered through empty space. Why did he suddenly feel as though he had made some kind of mistake?

Hyeon-yul fiddled with the phone again. Strangely, strength seemed to leave his body.

He set the phone down for a moment and pulled the blanket higher. After hesitating for a long time, he finally looked again.

Hyeon-yul’s eyes widened when he finally saw the replies.

[Senior Ye Jihwan: Because we were worried.]

[Senior Choo Nayun: Yeah. Of course we waited because we were worried.]

[Senior Baek Shinwoo: We wanted to confirm you were okay so we could sleep without worrying.]

The word was worry. Hyeon-yul stared at it for a long moment. It was one of the emotions he had learned to recognize fastest because Jeongmin always looked at him that way.

Eventually he had no choice but to understand that expression as worry.

[Senior Baek Shinwoo: I’m saying this in case you’re about to ask WHY????]

[Senior Baek Shinwoo: You’re our teammate.]

[Senior Baek Shinwoo: We’d worry if that happened to any of us.]

[Senior Baek Shinwoo: Villain companies? They’re the strange ones. They’re abnormal. Let’s dismantle your old standards one by one.]

[Senior Choo Nayun: You have to agree with this.]

[Senior Ye Jihwan: Agreed! I agree with both arms!]

[Team Leader Oh Haeryeon: I agree too!]

The instant Haeryeon’s message appeared, the chat fell eerily silent.

[Team Leader Oh Haeryeon: Don’t disturb Hyeon-yul while he’s resting. All of you need to rest properly before coming to work too.]

[Senior Ye Jihwan: I suddenly feel all the strength leaving my body.]

[Senior Choo Nayun: Agreed.]

[Senior Baek Shinwoo: I absolutely agree too. Both arms and both legs!]

[Team Leader Oh Haeryeon: Agreeing won’t change anything.]

[Team Leader Oh Haeryeon: Rest well, Hyeon-yul. See you tomorrow.]

A waving squirrel emoji appeared at the end of Haeryeon’s message.

No more messages arrived after the team leader’s final warning.

Hyeon-yul moved his finger and reread the conversation.

‘So that’s it.’

A few parts still bothered him, but he finally understood the overall idea.

There was something like this in one of the books.

—People worry when someone they know is hurt.

His teammates were simply putting that into practice. Villains had never practiced even that much because they were villains.

These people were human. They were not villains.

‘They’re people.’

Hyeon-yul stared at the ceiling and blinked.

‘So that’s why Doctor said I changed.’

He could roughly understand what Jeongmin had meant too. Hyeon-yul had lived among villains, so merely living among ordinary people could change him.

Hyeon-yul nodded slowly. No matter how many times he reconsidered it, the conclusion remained the same.

Becoming a Black Eagle had been the right choice.

Hyeon-yul got out of bed. His body felt fine, and the replacement medicine was gradually settling into his system.

There were no lingering aftereffects anywhere in his body.

There was one place he needed to go.

—Yeah. Those bastards. I’m telling you, they took one of our workshops.

Not long ago, Hyeon-yul had obtained three drugs that had been used on him during the experiments.

At the time, he had heard that the Poison King’s faction had taken over one of their workshops.

Hyeon-yul had ordered Lee Seungyu, the figurehead president, to keep anything connected to drugs untouched because Hyeon-yul would deal with it personally.

It was time to check that site.

Hyeon-yul picked up his phone to check the next step.

BZZZZT.

The phone vibrated. It was Haeryeon.

“Yes, Team Leader.”

<I realized there was something I didn’t get to tell you earlier.>

“What information?”

<The company run by the leader who said he knew your past was Linda.>

“...Linda?”

The name sounded familiar, and Hyeon-yul searched his memory.

<Remember that villain we heard about recently, the one who supposedly wanted to eliminate drugs?>

“...Ah.”

One by one, Hyeon-yul remembered the messages he had found on that phone.

—Linda sells cosmetics, and Frunal sells milk, don’t they?

Linda had definitely been the name mentioned in that message.

“Was it part of the information I gave you?”

<That’s right. That’s the one. It’s a shame. Nayun likes that cosmetics company, and honestly, so do I. They’re pretty well-known for basic skincare products.>

Hyeon-yul could hear her grinding her teeth. It was obvious she was angry.

—If you don’t know what to choose, I can pick for you. There’s a brand called Linda, and they make really good stuff.

‘...Ah.’

Only then did Hyeon-yul remember what Nayun had said before. At the time, he had been too overwhelmed by Nayun and Jihwan to think about it properly, but it was the same company.

<Wait for me, Hyeon-yul. I’ll put it up as a mission soon.>

“Yes. I’ll wait.”

<Good. Rest well, and I’ll see you later.>

“Understood.”

Hyeon-yul waited for Haeryeon to hang up, but the call did not end.

<Stay home and rest. Don’t go wandering around.>

Hyeon-yul blinked once before answering the unexpected instruction.

“...Did Doctor tell you to say that?”

<Of course. He told me to remind you at least twice. He also added that even then, you probably wouldn’t listen.>

Haeryeon giggled softly from the other end of the call.

“That’s not true.”

Hyeon-yul’s eyebrows drew together in visible displeasure at that.

Why had Jeongmin told her something like that?

<I really am hanging up now.>

“Yes.”

Hyeon-yul checked his phone just in case, but this time the call actually ended.

He yawned and walked to the bathroom. When he looked into the mirror to wash his face, he lifted the corners of his mouth to practice smiling.

His brow tightened for a moment before he turned on the water.

‘It still doesn’t suit me.’

* * *

Hyeon-yul briefly lifted his head. Several towering buildings rose high enough to look as though they might pierce the sun.

There was a district where many corporations were clustered together. It had several names, but the Poison King’s true core company had been located here.

That meant villains were mixed in among all the ordinary people going to work as though nothing were unusual.

It also meant other factions could not simply enter this district. This entire area itself belonged to the Poison King’s organization.

In other words, the Poison King had contributed greatly to why Hyeon-yul had struggled to locate other villain factions quickly.

Before he realized it, Hyeon-yul had blended into the crowd wearing his rabbit mask.

Some people stared, while others reacted with curiosity.

“Mom, Mom. A rabbit. A rabbit.”

A child tugged at her mother’s arm and pointed at Hyeon-yul.

“That’s right, a rabbit. You should say hello.”

“Hello.”

The child bowed deeply, and Hyeon-yul thought of Serin.

He waved, then pretended to take a piece of candy from his pocket, one of the candies he had bought for Serin, and held it out.

「Hello.」

「Have a happy day :D」

Hyeon-yul showed the phone, then walked forward with the changing signal.

Attention gathered on him. Anyone suddenly appearing in a rabbit mask would attract looks, but the gazes mixed several different emotions.

There was curiosity, reverence, and wariness.

The curiosity obviously came from the sudden appearance of the rabbit mask. The reverence belonged to members of the Poison King’s faction, while the wariness came from people tied to other factions.

Hyeon-yul usually chose caution, but today was different.

Today was the time to choose boldness instead.

‘They should be getting curious by now, so I should show them.’

Enough time had passed for countless rumors to spread, and plenty of eyes would now be watching this organization.

If he never appeared, all those rumors would eventually burst like balloons.

Hyeon-yul walked confidently toward the main entrance.

The expressions of the villains in black suits standing guard changed. They had been yawning a moment earlier.

No way. Could it really be?

Their faces seemed to say exactly that.

Hyeon-yul raised his phone where the guards could clearly see it.

「Hello.」

After greeting them, he walked to the information desk.

「Call Lee Seungyu.」

He ordered them to summon the figurehead president. Nothing could be more symbolic than that.

“...Excuse me?”

The employee behind the desk looked completely confused, so Hyeon-yul clarified.

He pointed upward with one finger, then showed the phone again.

「Call him.」

“J-just a moment. Could you please wait here?”

「Sure :)」

Hyeon-yul added the emoticon, then quietly drew a dagger.

There was not a single ordinary civilian in this place.

That meant he could do this.

With his back to the information desk, Hyeon-yul looked at one man nearby.

He did not like the man’s expression.

Hyeon-yul walked calmly toward him. The closer he came, the more the man watched him with visible caution.

Hyeon-yul stopped directly in front of him and held out his phone.

「What’s with that expression?」

“...Are you really the one?”

「What do you mean?」

“Are you really our king?”

Under normal circumstances, Hyeon-yul might have ignored it. This was not a normal circumstance.

The correct reaction here was to consider the question insolent.

Hyeon-yul let out a short breath at the words that rose inside him.

「Why do you think you get to decide whether I am or not?」

After kindly typing the answer, Hyeon-yul swung his hand.

A dagger was already there. Blood sprayed as the blade pierced the man’s throat.

Hyeon-yul immediately drew the blade sideways through the throat.

「Who.」

「Told you.」

「To speak to me like that?」

Hyeon-yul looked down at the blood spreading across the floor, then raised his head.

The atmosphere had changed in an instant. The gazes that had been fixed on him disappeared.

Villains with quick instincts began lowering their heads.

Everyone finally understood that the rumored figure was real.

Hurried footsteps approached. The instant Hyeon-yul turned, he grabbed Seungyu by the throat.

“...Kgh.”

Hyeon-yul said nothing. He simply tightened his grip.

“...I’m sorry.”

Hyeon-yul did not release him immediately.

“It was... my failure.”

Only after the apologies continued did Hyeon-yul lower his hand.

The hierarchy between them had been engraved clearly into everyone’s minds.

That was exactly what Hyeon-yul wanted to demonstrate.

「Seungyu.」

Seungyu looked at him with a face gone bright red. Even with tears in his eyes, he was smiling.

Apparently he had realized why Hyeon-yul had come here.

「You can’t let this happen.」

「Why doesn’t he know me?」

“I’ll take care of it.”

Seungyu immediately dropped to his knees.

Only then did everyone else in the lobby kneel as the doors closed behind them.

“I will immediately kill every worthless bastard who failed to recognize you.”

「Good. You should.」

「Seungyu.」

「I’m in a mood today.」

「I’m angry.」

“I’m sorry.”

Hyeon-yul looked down at Seungyu, who had even lowered his head, then extended a hand.

He wanted to bring the spectacle to an end. Remaining the center of attention for too long was unpleasant.

Seungyu stared at Hyeon-yul’s hand in shock.

“...Do you really mean it?”

Was he truly allowed to do this?

Seungyu asked with extreme caution. Hyeon-yul waved his hand impatiently.

Everyone in this organization seemed to behave exactly like this.

‘I’m telling you, I’m not the strange one.’

Watching Seungyu tremble over something as simple as an offered hand made Hyeon-yul want to tell Jeongmin.

Seungyu carefully placed his shaking hand on Hyeon-yul’s palm.

Hyeon-yul merely pulled him to his feet, yet the look in Seungyu’s eyes changed so dramatically that it became uncomfortable.

「Be careful of impostors.」

“Someone is... impersonating you?”

Seungyu’s gaze immediately sharpened at the possibility of impersonation.

「There probably will be soon.」

「Maybe we need some kind of hand signal.」

“No. That won’t be necessary. I’ll handle it. You only need to remain still.”

Seungyu shook his head solemnly. No matter what happened, he would never allow anything to inconvenience this person.

「Really?」

Hyeon-yul was about to say more, then stopped.

‘If he refuses to establish anything, is he planning to stab me in the back?’

Hyeon-yul decided he should remain cautious and pointed toward the elevator.

「We’ll use the elevator today.」

“Yes. This way. I’ll guide you.”

Seungyu walked ahead to guide Hyeon-yul toward the elevator.

While everyone else remained bowed, Seungyu felt as though his shoulders had broadened.

The person who had always visited only him had walked boldly through the front entrance today.

Most of the others had never actually seen him. They had only heard stories, so many probably thought of him as something close to an illusion.

Seungyu had kept everyone suppressed through force, but there was no telling when resistance might begin.

Then Hyeon-yul appeared at exactly the right time.

To Seungyu, the timing made Hyeon-yul seem almost like a savior.

‘As expected... As expected, he’s incredible. Truly incredible.’

All the murmuring and doubt would probably disappear after today.

Several emotions filled Seungyu’s chest at once.

* * *

「You took over a drug production factory, didn’t you?」

The moment they entered the room, Hyeon-yul asked Seungyu directly. This was the entire reason he had come today.

Should Seungyu pretend not to know?

Should he instead tell Hyeon-yul the complete truth?

Hyeon-yul lightly shook the phone in his hand.