S Chapter 37

“Why aren’t you answering? Hey, it’s you, isn’t it?”

Yang U-dam gestured with his head, pointing at Shin Jukyeong. His defiant posture was no ordinary stance. For someone who had been abducted, he was incredibly audacious. He was showing off the same stubborn courage he displayed in the Fight Club.

Uh, but why did I feel so uneasy? Shin Jukyeong shivered. His brother’s (that brat’s) triumphant pose and unyielding rudeness somehow triggered an unknown anxiety. It seemed all the incidents and accidents that had occurred so far were now resurfacing in his memory.

Far in the past, Shin Jukyeong 1 (Fight Club victim) was chain-smoking, saying ‘serves you right,’ and Shin Jukyeong 2 (Dreamland victim) let out a chuckle. Damn it. Are you saying you guys don’t care?

“Me? What about me?”

Though he was afraid, he couldn’t pretend not to know, so he asked. His modulated voice was similar to Eve’s. An unfamiliar voice, half child and half white-haired elder. Normally, anyone would have flinched, but U-dam was truly tough. He didn’t even bat an eye.

“Your acting is top-notch, isn’t it? You played with my body as you pleased.”

‘……Excuse me? I did what?’

Shin Jukyeong calmly decided to bite his tongue. He felt like striking an ‘OMG’ pose. Why on earth… had he become such a scummy punk? Could it be karma for turning his brother into an ‘octopus-legged gay king who even seduces his cousins’?

“That… that would definitely come back to haunt you.”

‘Be quiet.’

“Anyway, only Shin Jukyeong can hear Eve’s voice, right? (ㅇ.ㅇ)”

‘I said be quiet.’

“Bleagh~”

‘Ugh, what a headache.’

Honestly, from the moment he forcibly brought his brother here, he was indeed a scummy punk. He admitted it. However, he couldn’t shake off a slight, a very slight, feeling of unfairness.

That’s because there are certain types of people even criminals don’t want to get involved with. The type of crime U-dam was currently accusing him of usually fell into that category. He’d rather be misunderstood as a loan shark, a swindler, a kidnapper… those were somewhat accurate. Anyway, don’t misunderstand it that way. No, those guys are scummy punks too, but!

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Oh well, he decided to deny it first.

‘What part of me could possibly lead to such a misunderstanding? Seriously. No matter how you look at me—!’

“Suspicious.”

‘Right. Suspicious, no. Eve.’

“You’re getting away with it (´∀`)~”

Everyone around him was an enemy, apparently.

“Don’t you remember? Without my permission, against my will, you did as you pleased, forcefully…”

“Stop.”

Shin Jukyeong quickly cut him off. Though it wasn’t visible, he subtly glared at U-dam.

There are things one should say and things one shouldn’t. What nonsense was he spouting? By the looks of it, this brat clearly knew how to incriminate someone. He thought he’d just heard the sounds of police officers clucking their tongues in the distance. No, he’d heard it clearly.

‘He keeps trying to put handcuffs on an innocent person, doesn’t he? I can’t let my guard down.’

They were filming a shonen manga, not some erotic manga that required adult verification with parents’ numbers. Don’t arbitrarily slap an ‘R-rated’ label on it. As Shin Jukyeong appealed to the heavens, proclaiming his innocence, U-dam spoke again.

“I’ve been looking for you for a long time, so if you keep doing this, I’ll be upset, you know? Don’t drive me crazy.”

‘I think I’m the one going crazy.’

Shin Jukyeong swallowed a sigh and said,

“Explain it so I can understand.”

“Hm? Oh… I didn’t say Fight Club. How about it, do you remember now? If you pretend not to know again, I’ll become completely obsessed. I’ll be more tenacious than the Hunter Association, you know?”

Oh, so that’s what he was talking about.

‘Phew, for a second there, I thought…’

He was relieved, yet surprised. How on earth did he figure out it was him? All he did was manipulate his nerves and control him. Even though he was his younger brother, he was truly like an animal. Or did he just make a lucky guess? That was also possible. Given his usual behavior, he probably had a good relationship with the god of guessing.

‘Hmm…’

Shin Jukyeong pursed his lips. He was conflicted about what to do. He wondered if it would be fine as long as his identity remained hidden, but a secret, once one part of it was revealed, tended to unravel completely. Hmm. The Fight Club had even been broadcast on TV, so there was no harm in being cautious.

‘Should I just keep denying it like this? There’s no evidence, so I could probably just insist.’

But without time to ponder, U-dam abruptly closed the distance. Step, step, step! Shin Jukyeong was flustered by the audacious action. He gasped and stumbled backward, but U-dam didn’t stop. His eyes were burning brightly. It was the look of someone who had just caught their prey.

“Why did you help me? How did you do it? You’re a Hunter, right? What’s your name?”

It seemed his claim of having searched for a long time wasn’t a lie, as he was quite agitated. Thanks to him, Shin Jukyeong felt like he had a machine gun to his ear. Ugh, his ears were going to bleed.

“Wait. Calm down, just calm down a little…”

He was close to making another mistake. That wouldn’t do. As Shin Jukyeong showed a troubled reaction, U-dam’s intensely raised eyes softened. Contrary to expectations of a tantrum, U-dam sighed and brushed his hair back. It seemed he was in a mood to be lenient.

“Alright, that’s enough. That’s not what’s important anyway.”

His eardrums were all burst, and now he says that? But Shin Jukyeong didn’t bother arguing.

“Instead, listen.”

Just as Shin Jukyeong let his guard down, a white hand shot out and slammed against the wall next to his face. He’d seen this pose quite a bit in dramas. So… what was it called? A wall slam, he thought. Or a ‘park-kung’. Anyway, he knew it was the kind of move that would get you kicked in the shin these days. And his ear was a bit noisy.

‘But gently leaning against it would be funny too. Would that be a ‘soft-kung’?’

“Shin Jukyeong is getting scolded.”

Eve cut him off sharply. …Believe it or not, that was a joke he was quite proud of. It was all because of that junior who kept cracking useless jokes instead of doing his work.

‘Senpai!’

‘Please… please, can you just do some work?’

‘Do you know what they say when they buy a ball in North Korea?’

‘Please… please, there’s so much work, please…’

‘Communist Party.’

‘……!’

He was innocent. He had simply been influenced. As he was blaming others like an adult, U-dam gave him a smirk. His appearance was still the same. To cut to the chase, this guy was handsome.

‘Even though he’s my brother… seriously.’

Regardless of Shin Jukyeong’s internal rambling, U-dam, still trapping him, said,

“Train me.”

What kind of sudden suggestion of sole parenting was this for an unmarried man? Yet, he was drawn to it. If he were an adult, he would have said “Go for it!” without hesitation, wouldn’t he? Going beyond just his brother, the roles of father and son didn’t seem so bad either. At least he was more confident than whoever currently held the “father” title.

However, it didn’t seem to literally mean ‘feed me and pamper me like your own child.’ Given the flow, it seemed to be about fighting… Hmm. Shin Jukyeong recalled a few self-defense techniques that were once popular. For example, things like “How to subdue an opponent without a fight: Stare into their raised eyes for 3 seconds!” or “How to dodge incoming artillery: Boldly step aside!”

‘These are surprisingly effective tactics, but he wouldn’t be talking about those, would he? “Train me,” he said…’

As Shin Jukyeong stood blankly, maintaining silence, Yang U-dam, the brave Korean man, immediately blurted out the answer.

“Take me as your disciple.”

Typical Korean. Silence lasting more than 10 seconds is unforgivable. Go do that in Canada. It’s legal there. Here, it’s illegal.

“You’re strong, aren’t you?”

U-dam chuckled. Shin Jukyeong got the feeling. That question wasn’t really asking if it was true. It was a period masquerading as a question mark. He was already concluding that the person in front of him was strong and then speaking. In other words, it was a question with a predetermined answer.

‘In other words, “You look strong, so train me as your disciple”… a reverse casting of sorts?’

What was this? Shin Jukyeong’s heart began to pound wildly. He swallowed hard. This, this… what, really… such an easy opportunity?! It was like winning the lottery. First place, too!

‘This isn’t a dream, is it?’

Since coming back in time, this was the first time things had gone so smoothly. Was it his lucky day today? It was an unimaginable turn of events, but a very fortunate situation with no reason to refuse. He had to make him a formal Hunter anyway, and now he was walking right into his hands.

The Gentleman within: I’ve been waiting for you. I will serve you faithfully. (bows)

Shin Jukyeong cheered internally. Tears of emotion streamed down his face.

‘Oh, this one, this one~ Where should I start, and how should I mold him?’

He chuckled secretly, ‘Eheheh.’ It was exactly the kind of sinister expression that would get him reported, but since his face was covered, he was safe. His cheekbones rose, as if doing a Hawaiian dance. Eve made a retching sound, but who cared? He was excited right now! Turn on the lights! Bring out the champagne tower!

However, his outer demeanor was as serene as the Heart Sutra. This was the vibe of a 10-year veteran of society who had perfectly mastered emotional control. Take notes, you youngsters.

“I won’t ask what your identity is. So, please accept me. Money, too… I can give it to you if you want.”

U-dam impatiently added the last part. Shin Jukyeong’s neither-affirming-nor-denying attitude must have made him quite uneasy. He had always thought his brother was good at emotional control, but now he saw that wasn’t true. A child was still a child.