I saw First Ki-Young. He had no mask on as he smiled straight at Song Jung-Wook. I had no idea how to describe it, but his smile somehow gave me chills. In this line of work, I had seen plenty of people with smiling mouths but indifferent eyes. However, this guy looked like only the corners of his mouth were lifted.
His eyes showed no emotion at all, which was astonishing, but before long, various emotions began to return to his face—joy and ecstasy; hatred and anger. Perhaps because he held such conflicting feelings, but his expression appeared strangely distorted in my sight.
With that familiar hood pulled over his head, he looked even thinner than when I hit my lowest weight ever. His skin was pale, the area under his eyes was dark, and his lips were dry and dull.
His hands and feet were trembling, though it wasn’t clear whether it was from faint anticipation and excitement or from some side effect or withdrawal symptoms, but I believed he was really mentally exhausted at this time.
I couldn’t know exactly how big the gap was between the cleaning incident and the present, but he had to have been holding it in for quite a long time. After being rescued by Kasugano Yuno, joining the Brigade, and gaining the trust of its members, he had to have been sharpening his blade in earnest. Without a doubt, there was nothing in his mind except the determination to take revenge.
I was certain he was replaying that scene in his head over and over again. I was also sure that he had never stopped training to achieve his goal. It wasn’t strange that his appearance had deteriorated at all. If anything, it was impressive that he managed to stay that sane.
What was interesting was that he had already gotten acquainted with Song Jung-Wook. When I thought about it, however, it wasn’t really that strange at all.
Song Jung-Wook had been maintaining close ties with Castle Rock’s black market. Back then, First Ki-Young and First Deok-Gu survived by walking a thin line between illegal and legal, so the sight before me didn't look unusual.
Likewise, Song Jung-Wook remembered Ki-Young, too.
Song Jung-Wook’s face looked surprised as he looked at the unmasked First Ki-Young.
— Y-you’re... Lee Ki-Young? Why are you here? No, wait... Are you actually Lee Ki-Young?
— Looks like you haven’t forgotten me after all. I didn’t think you had a good memory, but I guess even a head full of useless things can be useful sometimes.
— How did you... No, before that, how are you even alive...
— Why is that surprising?
— ...
— Are you amazed that someone who should’ve died is standing right in front of you? Is it hard to believe I’m alive and standing here like nothing happened? Is it surprising that someone who should’ve burned to a crisp is here chatting away in front of you? Hmm? Are you curious how I made it out alive?
— You...
— But does that matter? What you should really be wondering right now is why I’m here and why you’re over there crumpled on the floor.
He grinned slyly. At a glance, he looked almost normal, but I knew better than anyone that he was anything but. It didn’t seem like he was acting either. The situation was overwhelmingly in his favor, so there was no need for bluffs or hiding behind a mask.
In truth, Song Jung-Wook was already in a state beyond recovery. One arm and one leg were both shattered, and his mana circuits didn’t look normal, either. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he had completely lost his ability to fight.
What was interesting, though, was Song Jung-Wook's bizarre calmness. No, to be exact, he was looking down on the one standing before him. He was relieved that the one standing in front of him without his mask was Ki-Young.
— I don’t know what happened, but... anyway, I’m relieved.
— ...
— You’ve got a potion on you, right? Hurry up and bring it here. Can you come over and help me up? Hm? Even water is fine, just bring me something to drink... Damn it, what a ridiculous situation. I thought I was done for. I came here to take down something big. Damn it.
‘Wow. He really has no idea what’s going on. He hasn't even realized that the Grim Reaper himself had come for him.’
— What are you doing? Lee Ki-Young? You bastard. Didn’t you hear me?!
‘Wow...’
— Hurry up and get over here! You little shit!
‘This bastard can’t read the room.’
— Do you want to get beaten up again?!
‘...’
— Are you deaf?! You disgusting parasite! Crawl over here now!
He wasn’t putting on a show or trying to bluff anymore. Watching him act as if his behavior were completely normal made it clear that it was a habit ingrained in him.
I couldn’t help but think about the life First Ki-Young lived.
For Song Jung-Wook, this was ordinary behavior, something he believed he had every right to do. It was obvious what kind of relationship they had. Their dynamic had probably been a one-sided relationship between master and subordinate.
With no abilities of his own, the actions First Ki-Young would have had to take in order to survive back then were easily predictable.
Considering he even had Park Deok-Gu as extra baggage, he had to have been wagging his tail everywhere just to get by. It wasn’t strange to know that Song Jung-Wook was one of the lifelines First Ki-Young clung to at the time.
‘Maybe he has been providing the black market goods or information.’
To put it simply, it was the relationship between an employer and an employee.
He had been feeding that pig just to keep Deok-Gu alive, and of course, he hadn’t felt any shame or humiliation about it. He had to have forced a smile every time, humored the bastard, and overlooked all his idiotic behavior.
If that went on for a long time, then Song Jung-Wook’s words and actions now were understandable. There wasn’t a trace of nervousness on his face. If anything, once he confirmed the man in front of him was Lee Ki-Young, he became smug.
First Ki-Young, too, showed no surprise at Song Jung-Wook’s behavior.
Just then, I heard him mutter.
— Right. What was I even expecting from an idiot like you?
— What the hell are you talking about, you little shit?! And what’s with that stupid mask?
— Do you remember?
— What the hell are you babbling about?
— Do you remember what I said at the very end?
— Speak so I can understand you, you bastard!
— Why didn’t you keep your promise, Song Jung-Wook, you pathetic piece of trash?
— Wh-what?
— Why didn’t you keep it? You son of a bitch?! You said you wouldn’t do it! You disgusting bastard! You promised you wouldn’t agree to the cleaning! That was the deal!
— You only had to say you were against it! That was all it took for everything to end! You rotten bastard! I never asked for anything else, you filthy animal! Nothing! I
didn’t want anything else! It wouldn’t have cost you anything either! Even if you said no, you wouldn’t have lost a damn thing! You told me everything would turn out fine! You bastard!
— ...
— That was the first and last time I ever begged you for anything! Cough, cough, damn it!
Veins bulged all over his neck as he shouted like a man possessed.
'Christ, how terrifying.'
It felt like the temperature in the room spiked all at once; it was like the anger he had been bottling up finally burst out. The one he was yelling at wasn’t the only one startled by the sudden shift. The man facing him could definitely feel it more than me.
The guy who used to grin and fawn over him was suddenly someone entirely different. He looked like he was feeling an uncanny sense of wrongness, and he looked like he was questioning whether this was really the same Lee Ki-Young he used to know.
— Uh...
He was stupid but not so stupid that he couldn’t read the situation.
— You... What the hell are you...
He wasn’t dumb enough to miss the fact that he was in danger. Alarms had to be going off in his head right now. Without realizing it himself, he was probably feeling afraid of the man right in front of him.
— Haah... haah... haah... cough... haah...
— ...
— Haah... Damn it... so annoying. Damn it! You idiot!.
— You... you...
— Ugh! Urrgh!
— H-huh?
— Damn it! Damn it! So annoying! You disgusting bastard! Urrgh! Cough! Cough! Damn it! Damn it!
— ...
He looked frozen in place.
‘What the hell? He’s... scary as hell.’
There was an indescribable madness in him, and fear flickered in Song Jung-Wook’s eyes at the sight.
— L-Lee Ki-Young.
— ...
— I-is this because of that? Huh? I-is that why? Is this why you’re doing this? Huh?
— Shut up. Shut up, you bastard!
— I-I couldn’t help it, okay? I had my own circumstances, too. S-sorry. I mean it. I’m apologizing, see? I really thought you’d already gotten out of the area! W-would I have abandoned you on purpose otherwise?
— We were good, weren’t we? Huh? We were good partners. If I had known you hadn’t gotten out yet... would I have been crazy enough to do that?! Huh?!
— ...
— You know it was all political, right? You can understand that much, can’t you? When you’re involved in big things, sometimes sacrifices are necessary. You know that better than an idiot like me, don’t you?
— You’re alive. Things got a little messy, but you look fine, don’t you? Huh? We can get along again, just like before, if you want. What do you want? Huh? Is there anything you want? If it’s something the black market can get, I can get it right away. Right now.
— ...
— C-come to think of it... a shield... right, a shield! Didn’t you say you needed one? And some decent armor came in as stolen goods, too, if I remember right... I think that’s what it was, right? I’ll give it to you. I’ll just give it to you for free. If I can just get back to Castle Rock... I can get you all the equipment you need and supplies, too!
— I can introduce you to a good clan, no, a good guild! I can get you some dungeons. If I transfer all the dungeons we got under our guild’s name, it’ll help you grow, right? That pig... your bro... If I can find the elixirs he needs, then maybe...
— ...
‘Oh no. He stepped right on a landmine.’
— ...
— ...
— I don’t... need it anymore.
— What?
— Stuff like that means nothing to me now.
‘He went too far. How do you not get it? He really is stupid.’
He seemed to have realized it only after the fact. He had run his mouth, and it finally struck him. It was like it had never once occurred to him why they weren’t together. Perhaps he was too shaken, or perhaps he simply never cared enough about Lee Ki-Young, but now, he looked like a man who knew he had stepped on a landmine.
He finally understood why the other one wasn’t here, and how Lee Ki-Young was still alive and standing in front of him. He looked completely out of it.
— Ha... hahaha... ha... hahaha...
—
— I-I don’t even... know what to say... I mean... you... I-I didn’t know... it would turn out like that... I-I never...
‘He looked like an idiot.’
— I never thought... it would end up like... th-that...
I had no idea if it was because he couldn’t meet First Ki-Young’s eyes or if his head was busy spinning something, but he couldn’t look First Ki-Young in the face.
When First Ki-Young stepped toward him, he flinched.
— I can... I can make it up to you... I can... Lee Ki-Young...
— How?
— A-anything you want. Anything.
— Then bring him.
—
— Bring the pig.
— ...
— Then... cough—I’ll forgive you.