S Chapter 66

Chapter 66

“I thought it was just a bunch of losers, but I guess there’s one who isn’t? You know how to run your mouth. But do you know what happens if you just go around spouting nonsense? You get a beating.”

U-dam’s neck muscles visibly tensed, showing how infuriated he was. He kept sneering, hands shoved into his pants pockets. A confrontation had finally ignited.

“Don’t cause trouble.”

Even Won Go-yu took a step closer to U-dam. Both looked like they wouldn’t back down.

Ah, this is driving me crazy. Why are you two like this? Shin Jukyeong’s face went pale. He could already picture them shoving each other and yelling “Hey! Hey!”

…That absolutely can’t happen. Not after all the effort I put into this.

‘Damn it.’

At this rate, the scenario he worried about would unfold. A fistfight in the middle of a party? And by the party’s guest of honor, no less!

‘What kind of embarrassing history would that be?’

Shin Jukyeong sighed. No, it would be lucky if it just ended as an embarrassing history. If things went wrong, he’d even get on the Hunter Association Chairman’s bad side. That would be no different from his Hunter career being over. He could practically see Aolluseu, which he’d pushed away, slowly crawling back. Ugh, can’t you just disappear!

Shin Jukyeong quickly surveyed his surroundings. Eyes were already gathering, all of them filled with curiosity.

It was understandable. The party’s guest of honor, currently the center of attention, the Hunter Association Chairman’s grandson, and even the eldest son of the house who had been left out in the cold… The lineup was insane. If it had been someone else’s business, he would have been watching them too.

‘Yes, if it were someone else’s business, I would have enjoyed it.’

If it were someone else’s business! Shin Jukyeong clicked his tongue and separated the two.

“Both of you, stop now. Won Go-yu. I’ll apologize instead. I’m sorry. It’s my brother’s first time at a party like this, so he might be a bit nervous. Please don’t misunderstand. And please, put in a good word with the Chairman.”

“…”

“There’s nothing good about causing more of a scene, is there? Hmm?”

“…That is.”

Shin Jukyeong patted Won Go-yu’s arm a couple of times, then switched his attention.

“U-dam, you come with me. Let’s go outside and get some fresh air. Clear our heads.”

In truth, he was running away to avoid the gathering gazes, but there was no need to blabber on about his true feelings. Shin Jukyeong cleared his throat and gestured towards the terrace with his chin. Then, before his brother could retort, he took the first step and disappeared, a silent pressure for him to follow without argument.

“Shin Ju-”

“Don’t call him.”

As Won Go-yu tried to call out to the retreating Shin Jukyeong, U-dam stopped him.

“He said he’s going to get some fresh air with me.”

Then he stretched a finger out towards Won Go-yu’s face and lightly flicked it.

“Didn’t you hear?”

He even smiled brightly, watching Won Go-yu’s face scrunch up. He was the annoying little fox himself, only missing a tail.

“My brother has an urgent schedule to get some fresh air with just me. So, as an outsider, you can go ahead and enjoy the rest of the party on your own.”

And, of course, he didn’t forget to scoff.

‘That bastard. Trying to act all important…’

U-dam grumbled fiercely about Won Go-yu as he headed for the terrace. When he opened the door and stepped out, he saw Shin Jukyeong, facing the night breeze, looking up at the sky and exhaling white breath.

Shin Jukyeong’s relaxed appearance made U-dam calm down as well. He could feel his angry heart cooling. U-dam lightly ruffled his hair and slowly breathed. The headache-inducing scent of perfume finally seemed to dissipate.

‘I can finally breathe a little.’

“Are you tired?”

Just then, Shin Jukyeong leaned against the railing and asked, rubbing his eyes, seemingly tired. U-dam stared at Shin Jukyeong, then casually stretched. For some reason, his body felt restless, and he couldn’t stand it.

After a moment’s pause, he shook his head. It meant he was tired before, but he was fine now. Fortunately, it seemed to be understood, as Shin Jukyeong smiled faintly and said, “Is that so?” Soon, silence settled between the two of them. It was a natural phenomenon since neither was particularly talkative.

They both looked up, enjoying the night sky. There were an unusual number of stars. They twinkled, looking as if they would soon pour down.

“It’s pretty,” U-dam murmured. Shin Jukyeong nodded slowly, seemingly agreeing. The only regrettable thing, however, was that the weather was quite cold to endure wearing only a suit. Before long, cold air escaped from his lips, and white breath filled the dark background.

“Haa…”

His cheeks, nose, and earlobes were turning red. He looked exactly like someone who would catch a cold staring at the sky.

However, U-dam didn’t dislike this moment. His body might be cold, but his heart was at ease. He judged that the quiet terrace was far better than the noisy party hall.

“Hyung.”

U-dam, having finished his thoughts, approached Shin Jukyeong and cautiously asked,

“You didn’t bring me out here to scold me, did you?”

“Scold you? Why?”

But Shin Jukyeong, bewildered, asked back. He looked genuinely clueless.

“Well… just…”

U-dam didn’t answer, ambiguously mumbling. When asked why, he didn’t really have anything to say. No, to be precise, he didn’t want to be honest. He didn’t want to mention the recent incident himself, nor was he keen on showing that he cared about Shin Jukyeong.

Moreover, he somehow felt that if he prattled on about what happened earlier, he would seem like a childish whiner begging for someone to join him in badmouthing, so he had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.

U-dam didn’t want to look like a loser. Just like any teenager who wants to show off in front of someone they like. Of course, Shin Jukyeong wasn’t ‘that’ kind of person to him, but… regardless, the desire not to show any pathetic side was the same.

“U-dam?”

“…No. It’s nothing.”

He hadn’t expected that “Let’s go get some fresh air” truly meant just getting some fresh air. No matter the circumstances, since it was an event hosted by the family, he’d expected Shin Jukyeong to lecture him about manners or something.

…No. Would Shin Jukyeong really not do that?

‘Because he loves me?’

U-dam glanced at Shin Jukyeong. Objectively, he was a handsome man. Clean and flawless. He was even tall and well-built. He certainly wasn’t unattractive; he’d be popular wherever he went.

But why him, of all people? Just because he was moderately handsome? Would he really make a life-ruining choice for just that one thing?

‘I am handsome, but…’

Even so, there’s a limit. He was by no means a legendary beauty capable of captivating men and women of all ages. If U-dam were Shin Jukyeong, he would never have liked a man.

Why? It was simple. He had more to lose than to gain. Even if he couldn’t live as a Hunter, wasn’t he still the UA Group’s successor? That’s why, at first, he had misunderstood Shin Jukyeong, thinking he was rebelling due to a failed Ability Manifestation, or perhaps had gone crazy.

But as time passed, he realized that wasn’t it. Shin Jukyeong was sincere, and it was still ongoing.

‘I’ll cherish you my whole life. Just trust me once.’

Shin Jukyeong had definitely said that. He was so persistently pursuing him that if this wasn’t love, U-dam would think it was a scam.

However, U-dam knew better than anyone how shallow emotions could be. No matter how precious someone might be, humans would always prioritize their own desires.

Shin Jukyeong would naturally be the same. For now, he might endure, trying to catch the fish that hadn’t been caught yet, but once he realized it could never be achieved, that love would soon turn into anger and attack him.

That’s human nature. If you give freely and don’t receive a corresponding reward, you get angry. At least, the world U-dam had learned about until now was like that. In media and from those around him, love was always one-sided.

And the branches of anger wouldn’t be just one. Starting with him becoming a Hunter instead of Shin Jukyeong, all the resentment that had been harbored, that he thought was fine, would be unleashed.

‘…Resentment.’

U-dam, lost in thought, suddenly paused. He slowly raised his hand and rubbed his mouth. His slightly furrowed brows indicated deep contemplation.

‘But it’s Shin Jukyeong…’

That sentence contained many meanings. First, the initial “but” negated all his previous thoughts. And for good reason. It was Shin Jukyeong, of all people.

He was the kind of guy who, despite being rejected multiple times, persistently confessed. Saying things like “I like you,” “I’ll cherish you my whole life,” and other embarrassing things without a care, clinging to him and asking for trust. He was even a sucker who would risk his life to save U-dam from danger. An idiot who would choose a life-ruining option just for love.

For such a guy to eventually resent him? Is that even possible? No, it’s impossible. He didn’t care if others scoffed at his arrogance. Because it was the truth.

‘He really loves me like hell… damn.’

The more he thought about it, the more amazing it was where such a spirit of sacrifice could come from. And at the same time, a strange confidence bloomed within him. A baseless confidence that no matter what he did in the future, Shin Jukyeong would never give up on him.

‘Isn’t this gaslighting?’

U-dam’s lips curved into a faint smile. There was no sign of disgust as before. He even seemed a little happy. Of course, he would never admit it, but that’s how it was.