Under Creature Chapter 14.1

Yigeom was quietly lost in thought. It certainly sounded plausible. So much so that it was strange he hadn’t noticed sooner.

Kang Taeha’s athletic abilities were far superior to others, to the point of being comparable to Yigeom, a Hunter. Yigeom had always thought it was a natural result of Taeha’s love for exercise since he was young, but what if it was all because he was a Hunter?

What if he had awakened even before Yigeom and had been hunting creatures?

It all made sense.

Especially the overflowing money he claimed was from stock market success and his occasional disappearances – it all became completely understandable if it was because he was hunting creatures.

But even after reaching this plausible conclusion, there was one thing Yigeom couldn’t understand.

‘If Kang Taeha is really a Hunter… he would have noticed that I’m a Hunter too, so why doesn’t he say anything? Is there some reason for it?’

And considering how long they had been Hunters, Seo Dohyun, Seo Doa, or Cha Jewoo should have run into Kang Taeha at some point, but they all acted as if they were seeing him for the first time.

If Kang Taeha had been active as a Hunter for a while, there should have been at least one or two people who knew his face.

Isn’t it a bit strange that no one knows him….

‘Ah, there is one person.’

Someone who wouldn’t be found out even if they hid their face.

‘Do you even know what Kang Taeha is up to?’

Yigeom pondered. Why did Jooseungtae drag me into the fake kidnapping incident? For what reason? What could he possibly gain from me?

‘A.’

That day, A came. It was something he could have had his subordinates do, yet A made a personal appearance.

Come to think of it… A also appeared when they captured the Blood Hunter group that had kidnapped Seo Doa as a child. And Yigeom’s parents were involved in that incident.

‘He showed up in matters related to me… huh.’

Even if it was jumping the gun a little, this added more evidence to the claim that ‘A = Kang Taeha’.

Furthermore, A’s fighting style, his habits, the ones he saw at the Cheonan containment facility, were strangely similar to Kang Taeha’s.

‘What is it?’

Is A really Kang Taeha?

Yigeom tentatively called out to Seo Dohyun.

“Seo Dohyun, do you remember Kang Taeha? My friend.”

“I think so.”

Seo Dohyun replied nonchalantly, his eyes fixed on the book he was reading.

“Yeah, him. Have you ever seen him separately while you were working as a Hunter?”

“Why do you ask?”

“No… um, I just thought he has a similar vibe to A. Is he maybe his bro, brother?”

Yigeom made a clumsy excuse. It was incredibly awkward. As a childhood friend who knew the family situation inside and out, he knew better than anyone that Kang Taeha was an only child, so for him to say A might be Kang Taeha’s brother was a painfully obvious lie.

Seo Dohyun quietly curled his lips into a smile, scratched his neck, and glanced sideways at Yigeom, who was playing dumb.

‘He’s going to find out soon.’

What would happen first, Kang Taeha confessing himself, or Yigeom figuring it out?

Whatever the case, it seemed like something interesting was about to happen.

🦅࿐

You probably heard last time that A’s ability is healing, and the rank is fine now, so just find out A’s identity. It’s urgent.

Jin Geonwoo recalled the text message he had received from Yigeom a few days ago and let out a short sigh.

‘What for….’

Even A’s closest aide, Kim Hyungkyu, didn’t know his identity. He heard that the person before Kim Hyungkyu, someone named Bae Sangwoo, didn’t know either.

So how on earth was he, a newcomer to the Vigilante Corps, supposed to find out an identity that was so tightly hidden?

Being pushed to succeed at a mission that was impossible to succeed at, he felt a sense of dread.

Deciding to at least dig up some peripheral information, he loitered around the break room where the Vigilante Corps members were chatting.

He pricked up his ears while pretending to get a coffee from the vending machine.

“Did you hear? About Latter this time…”

“Hey, hey. Later.”

“Ah… right.”

But the members who were about to start chatting glanced at Jin Geonwoo and slyly left.

‘What was that?’

It seemed like they were about to talk about Latter. He completely understood that they would feel awkward talking about it with him right there, since he used to be a member of Latter.

‘Still….’

Jin Geonwoo secretly followed them and hid behind a corner.

“You know that Latter rookie, right? The one who comes here often too. The one who’s friends with Jooyoung.”

“That kid who looks like a jerk?”

“No, he still greets me well whenever we run into each other.”

“Ah, I think I know who you mean.”

If asked to choose between Seo Dohyun and Yoon Yigeom who greeted people properly, the question was too easy.

Naturally thinking of Yoon Yigeom, he listened intently to their conversation.

“So what about him?”

“I heard he got another earful from the Association.”

“What? Do they cause trouble all the time? What happened this time?”

“I didn’t hear the details, but anyway, because of that, they’re raising the CA fee by 5%.”

As the conversation continued, Jin Geonwoo’s concentration sharpened. He knew that outsiders thought of Latter as a troublesome, troublemaking group, but it was still interesting to hear it for himself.

“Then aren’t they deliberately not hunting creatures this time? Because they don’t want to pay the higher fee to the Association. Didn’t they have a similar incident before?”

“A similar incident?”

“You know. You know that big guy in Latter? The one with arms this big.”

“Oh yeah, I know, I know.”

‘Sanha?’

The man was so distinct that it was impossible not to know him, so Jin Geonwoo’s guess was close to a certainty.

“That guy was originally in the military, but he deserted and was disciplined by the Association.”

“Huh? The military? Why? We don’t have to go to the army, do we? Did he awaken after enlisting?”

“No, he had already awakened before that. He just went because he wanted to, but I guess once he got there, he couldn’t adapt and had a hard time. So he deserted and whined to the Association about it, right?”

“Ooh, that sounds plausible.”

“Anyway, because of that…”

Jin Geonwoo had by then forgotten his main objective of finding out A’s identity and was listening with interest as the two recounted stories of incidents that had happened before he awakened.

They said that Namgoong Sanha had deserted, and in exchange for the Association handling it, they had ordered Latter to deal with 10 creatures without pay.

Latter, not wanting to work for free, did catch the creatures, but whereas they usually caught them without any damage, they suddenly damaged the corpses so much that they couldn’t be used, in turn making the Association’s processing costs even higher just to spite them.

Jin Geonwoo tilted his head as the two of them giggled at the story.

‘Still, no pay is not right.’

“So the Association begged them to stop damaging the corpses, saying they’d give them at least a small part of the fee.”

“Haha! What a bunch of clowns.”

Having heard a story about Latter he didn’t know, and since no information about A was coming up, Jin Geonwoo turned back without any lingering attachment.

‘But what did Yigeom do wrong to get an earful from the Association.’

He thought about asking him via text, but then held himself back, feeling that they weren’t close enough for that anymore.

Then he came to a halt at the sight of a figure appearing in front of him.

“Ah, hello!”

A, who ran into Jin Geonwoo, gave a short nod and went on his way. For some reason, Kim Hyungkyu, who was always with him, was nowhere to be seen, so A was alone. Thinking it was a good opportunity, Jin Geonwoo quickly called out to him.

‘Maybe I can get something if I talk to him?’

Of course, he couldn’t do sign language like Yoon Yigeom, nor did it seem like A would speak, but he decided to try and bring up the time he infiltrated Latter as a spy.

“Um… excuse me, about that favor you asked me last time.”

“……?”

A looked around, somewhat flustered that Jin Geonwoo was talking to him, then shook his head.

“Ah! Are you perhaps very busy right now?”

Nod, nod. Jin Geonwoo gave an awkward smile as A nodded as if he had been waiting for the question.

“Then I’ll talk to you next time.”

It was actually a relief for Jin Geonwoo too. He had stopped him just to try and start a conversation even though he had nothing to say.

A, perhaps embarrassed for refusing, scratched the back of his hooded head, bowed his head in farewell, and calmly walked away.

Jin Geonwoo stared intently at his retreating back.

“Huh?”

For some reason, A’s hand gestures and other actions felt very slightly, yet somewhat frivolous today.

‘Am I imagining things?’

For some reason, he seemed a little different from the usual A.

🦅࿐

“…Do we really have to do this?”

Yigeom muttered, his hands trembling on the steering wheel. He had passed the written test, passed the practical test with a high score, and passed the on-road driving test right away to get his driver’s license.

But actually holding the steering wheel felt like a different experience.

“What’s the problem? You’ve done on-road driving before.”

“That time… I had an instructor next to me, watching.”

“Right. And today, I’ll be watching you, won’t I?”

Yigeom glared at Seo Dohyun with eyes full of disbelief. Dohyun was speaking leisurely, his arm resting on the window frame and his chin cupped in his hand.

‘Is that the attitude of someone who’s supposed to be watching?’

He had a nonchalant attitude that suggested he wouldn’t care if Yigeom stepped on the gas and crashed into the car in front of them or sped.

‘I really shouldn’t have asked him.’

Since he rode in Seo Dohyun’s car more often than Kang Taeha’s, he was more familiar and comfortable with it.

He wanted to try driving in a car that didn’t make him feel mentally tense, so he had asked him to watch from the passenger seat, but since it was starting off like this, he figured today was a lost cause.

“How about we just go here for a quick trip. It’s a road we always take, so you’re familiar with it, right?”

Yigeom checked the address Seo Dohyun had entered into the navigation. The office, huh. Well, since he went there often, he figured it would be okay as long as he drove slowly.

“Alright, I’m starting now. You’re wearing your seatbelt, right?”

“Of course. It’s on tight.”

Just as he started the engine and was about to set off, Seo Dohyun suddenly spoke.

“Gyeom-ah.”

“What. I need to concentrate. Don’t talk to me.”

“If it comes down to it, just crash.”

“What?”

“If you think you’re going to get into an accident, just go for it. It’s fine.”

“Are you crazy?”

He couldn’t tell if Seo Dohyun was trying to reassure him or trying to provoke him.

“You seem too scared.”

“What does that have to do with…”

He replied with a faint laugh. It was his own way of comforting him.

“Even if there’s an accident, I can make it like it never happened, so don’t be scared.”

Seo Dohyun’s car entered the parking lot peacefully. Yigeom, with a tense expression, finished parking and turned off the engine.

“You’re good.”

“Phew, your car is uncomfortable.”

“Should I change it?”

Yigeom muttered with an embarrassed look to Seo Dohyun, who had replied without a moment’s hesitation.

“That’s not what I meant. It’s too expensive for a beginner to drive, so I was worried I’d scratch it.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t ask you to pay for it even if you do scratch it.”

Seo Dohyun chuckled and got out of the car.

“Oh? Hyungs? Are you going to the office now? Let’s go together!”

Jewoo, who had stopped by a convenience store and was on his way to the Latter office, greeted the two and ran over.

“But Gyeom hyung is getting out of the driver’s seat? No way, did you drive?”

“Yeah, it just kind of happened.”

Yigeom replied awkwardly.

“Wow- you’ll give us a ride later too, right? It’s not fair for just the two of you to ride together.”

“You really want to ride in a car driven by a beginner?”

“What’s the big deal. It’s not like you’ll get into an accident, hyung. I trust you.”

“Trust can be a double-edged sword.”

“Haha! So you’ll give me a ride next time?”

Yigeom didn’t bother to answer and changed the subject.

Once they arrived at the office, Cha Jewoo, in his excitement, chattered on to Seo Doa and Namgoong Sanha, saying that Yigeom had promised to give him a ride.

“Really? I want to ride in Gyeom’s car once, too.”

“No, hyung. I was really bad at driving…”

Namgoong Sanha said with a look of anticipation.

“What do you mean, you were good.”

“……”

Seo Dohyun, who was usually quiet, chimed in from time to time.

‘What’s he up to?’

Seo Dohyun had no ulterior motives and was just complimenting Yigeom with a pure heart, but Yigeom was not yet at a stage where he could understand that.

“Perfect. We were planning to go here tonight, so Gyeom oppa, you can drive.”

“Me?”

Yigeom checked the location Seo Doa sent him and frowned.

“No way. This is a downtown area.”

There would be a lot of people and a lot of cars. The traffic would be complicated, of course.

“Hey, that’s how you learn. By the way, oppa, now that you have your license, aren’t you going to buy a car?”

“Not yet.”

“Well, since my brother has a car, there’s no need to buy one.”

What does Seo Dohyun having a car have to do with me buying one, he wanted to argue, but Yigeom also agreed to some extent internally, so he remained silent.

“Oh, right. Hyung, more importantly, did you check the message from that person?”

“Who’s that person?”

“You know! The person who joined Latter for a bit and then went to the Vigilante Corps!”

“Geonwoo hyung, Geonwoo hyung! Jin Geonwoo-ssi! At least call him by his name.”

Yigeom shouted, fed up with this behavior. It’s not like he’s a villain from a famous wizard movie, so why on earth couldn’t they say his name properly.

Within Latter, besides himself and Namgoong Sanha, no one called Jin Geonwoo by his correct name.

Seo Doa and Cha Jewoo referred to him as ‘that person,’ and Seo Dohyun never even mentioned him unless Yigeom brought him up first.

“Anyway, did you check the message?”

“Not yet.”

Although Jin Geonwoo contacted Yigeom the most frequently, he also provided information equally to the others. Internal information about what was happening in the Vigilante Corps, even if it wasn’t about A.

At Jewoo’s urging to check it quickly, Yigeom reluctantly took out his phone.

Then he spotted a familiar name.

Didn’t Yigeom say the name of the guy he caught at the containment facility last time was Kwon Sanghyuk? There’s a rumor going around internally that he’s being interrogated, so I contacted him.

‘Kwon Sanghyuk?’

Just as Yigeom was feeling puzzled, Namgoong Sanha raised his hand and informed him.

“Ah, if it’s about that, I asked separately, but he said he doesn’t know the details of the interrogation. It seems he only heard rumors circulating among those in the know.”

“…Is that so.”

Yigeom muttered in a disappointed tone.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t curious about what Kwon Sanghyuk might have said. He wondered if he had talked about him, if he had spilled information about Adam since he had sided with him the last time they saw each other, or if he had mentioned Bae Sangwoo.

There were many things he was curious about. Should I casually ask A what happened to Kwon Sanghyuk? He thought about it, but decided against it, thinking it would be too obvious that he had an informant on this side.

So, he just sent a text to Jin Geonwoo asking him to investigate as much as possible about what was said during the interrogation.

“And Gyeom-ah, here’s this month’s financial statement. The fee hit is pretty big. 5% is nothing to scoff at.”

“…I’m sorry. Let’s just deduct it from my share. Everyone else besides me should receive the basic fee, of course.”

“Will that be okay?”

“Of course. It’s my fault alone, so that’s the right thing to do.”

Yigeom, pretending to be calm so as not to worry Namgoong Sanha, examined the financial statement and calmed his boiling insides.

‘5%, how many creatures did I catch this month, haah…’

He was furious at the thought of being ripped off by the Association for a few hundred thousand won just because he won some prize money at the athletic meet.

Besides, the prize money from the athletic meet was for the entire department, so if it was divided by n, he’d probably only get a few tens of thousands of won.

“Hyung, don’t be too sad. I’ll treat you to dinner tonight! Eat as much as you want.”

Jewoo patted Yigeom’s shoulder and comforted him.

“Yeah… thanks.”

🦅࿐

Jewoo clicked his seatbelt on and spoke with determination.

“Alright, Gyeom hyung! Let’s go!”

They had finished all their work at the office and were on their way to dinner. Yigeom, who had gotten into the driver’s seat, grumbled at Jewoo in the back seat.

“You said you trusted me? Didn’t you just praise me, saying I’d be a good driver?”

“Hey, that’s that, and safety is another matter. Seatbelts are a must!”

“You’re all talk.”

Yigeom clicked his tongue softly, checked that everyone else had their seatbelts on, and searched for the restaurant’s address on the navigation system.

“Oppa, if it’s hard to drive in the downtown area, we can go somewhere else. We can eat there next time.”

“It’s fine. What’s so hard about driving on a road with traffic lights.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“What’s there to not be okay about?”

Nothing had happened on his way to the office earlier. He had a complacent thought that an accident was unlikely.

And as expected, nothing happened.

In addition, everyone was excited to be in a car driven by Yigeom for the first time, so the atmosphere was cheerful.

“Ah, Yigeom-ah. He said to turn left into the alley after crossing this intersection.”

“Okay.”

Following Namgoong Sanha’s guidance along with the navigation, Yigeom turned left.

Then he gradually reduced his speed and stepped on the brake to enter the parking lot.

“……?”

But strangely, the speed didn’t decrease.

Yigeom hesitated in surprise, then drove past the restaurant, continuously stepping on the brake.

But no matter how many times he tried, the car wouldn’t stop. Questions filled with confusion erupted from those around him.

“Hyung? What are you doing? The restaurant is over there… Where are we going?”

“Oppa, you passed the restaurant. Is something wrong? Why…”

“Yigeom-ah, what’s wrong? It’s not a one-way street, you could have just gone in…”

“……”

Yigeom bit his lip, breaking out in a cold sweat. Then he glanced at Seo Dohyun in the passenger seat and asked cautiously.

“Seo Dohyun you… you didn’t play a prank on me or anything, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“No… like, to surprise me with some kind of event… nothing like that?”

Seo Dohyun frowned at Yigeom’s absurd words.

“What’s wrong?”

“You, you really didn’t do anything, right?”

“Speak clearly, Gyeom-ah.”

Seo Dohyun soothed Yigeom, who was muttering in a confused manner with a pale face.

“…The brakes aren’t working.”

“Wha, whaaat!? Hyung! Really? You’re not kidding!?”

“Why would I lie about something like this!”

To Jewoo’s urgent shout, Yigeom also shouted urgently.

“No… the car that was working fine until now, of all days!? To think this happened after paying a high price for it… Oppa, don’t panic too much, let’s just get out of here for now…”

“Gyeom-ah. Um, right! A place with no people! Let’s go to a secluded place first! And modern cars are well-made, so even if there’s an accident, it won’t be that dangerous…”

Those around him tried to calm Yigeom, who was clutching the steering wheel, but unfortunately, he didn’t hear them at all. He was too busy looking around frantically in a state of panic.

Once they got out of the alley, it was a downtown area again. Traffic was already heavy at this time, and it was obvious that he would get into an accident if he sped between the stationary cars.

“Move over.”

At that moment, Seo Dohyun reached out and grabbed the steering wheel.

“Uh, uh?”

“You took your foot off the accelerator, right?”

“Uh…”

Yigeom answered blankly to Seo Dohyun’s calm question.

Seo Dohyun surveyed the surrounding terrain and then yanked the steering wheel to the right.

CRASH-!

As the car with the broken brakes crashed into a tree on the side of the road, the airbags deployed. Smoke billowed from all sides, and the clamorous voices of people could be heard.

Yigeom, who had come to his senses, hurriedly checked on everyone. They all seemed to be in shock, but no one appeared to be seriously injured.

‘Seo Dohyun is…!’

When he quickly checked the passenger seat, Seo Dohyun was wiping away the blood flowing down his forehead as if it were a nuisance.

“You…”

Yigeom looked at him with horrified eyes. It seemed that when he turned the steering wheel, he had deliberately turned it towards his side of the passenger seat to avoid any impact on the other seats.

He grinned and asked.

“Are you okay?”

“…Your forehead…”

Just as Yigeom was about to reach for Seo Dohyun’s forehead, Namgoong Sanha shouted urgently.

“Let’s get out first! Is everyone okay?”

“Ugh… Yes. Seo Doa… are you okay? What about you, hyungs?”

One by one, they escaped from the smoking car, and Yigeom checked on Seo Dohyun. Seo Dohyun covered his wound with his disheveled hair.

“It’s nothing.”

“What? Nothing? You wouldn’t say that if we were the ones who got hurt.”

“You weren’t hurt.”

Yigeom was dumbfounded by Seo Dohyun’s attitude, which implied that as long as the outcome was good, the process didn’t matter.

“Let me see.”

Seo Doa swiftly brushed her brother’s hair aside. It was a wound that would need stitches at a regular hospital, but it would disappear quickly if shown to a healer.

It was a relief that he wasn’t seriously injured, but Seo Dohyun’s attitude just now was something he could not overlook.

“Were you dying to get killed!?”

Seo Doa shouted, fuming with anger.

“I didn’t die. And no one else got hurt.”

“Yes! Look at the saint here! Are you happy now? You try so hard to die alone, huh? Do you think we’d feel at ease watching? If you save us, do you think we’d say, yes, thank you for saving us!”

“…Gyeom-ah, don’t worry about the car repair costs. It’s a good chance to get a new one.”

Seo Dohyun avoided answering, not wanting to fight with Seo Doa. Of course, Yigeom, who agreed with Seo Doa’s opinion, also pretended not to hear and avoided answering.

Cha Jewoo and Namgoong Sanha seemed to think the same way, as no one took Seo Dohyun’s side. Separately from that, they brought gauze and bandages and gave Seo Dohyun first aid.

Just then, the ambulance they had called arrived, and the incident was brought under control.

🦅࿐

In the end, they canceled the dinner and returned to the office to call a visiting healer. Although Seo Dohyun was the only one with external injuries, they all decided to receive treatment just in case.

Jewoo muttered as he was being treated, sounding puzzled.

“But can a car that was running fine just suddenly do that?”

Even though the car had stopped after hitting a tree and everyone was safe, the investigation of the incident was a different matter. No matter how he thought about it, it was strange.

A car that had never had any problems before, suddenly? It wasn’t an old car, and it certainly wasn’t a car whose brakes would suddenly fail.

“Of all days, it had to be when I…”

Yigeom mumbled under his breath. This ominous event happened on the day of his first drive. Could it be because of me? He felt a sense of unease.

At that moment, the visiting healer spoke nonchalantly.

“These kinds of things happen a lot these days.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Being suddenly attacked. I’ve been busy these days because of it. Well, it’s good for business, but it’s a sad state of affairs.”

Seeing Latter’s uncomprehending reaction, he let out a low sigh and explained.

“The Vigilante Corps. To be precise, these incidents are mainly happening to the guilds that have joined hands with the Vigilante Corps. It’s retaliation from the Blood Hunters. A warning not to partner with them.”

The Vigilante Corps, which had always been short-staffed, had been catching Blood Hunters with unstoppable momentum, as if they had grown wings, thanks to the reinforcements from the guilds they had partnered with.

“A cornered rat will bite. But it’s also been quite effective, so there are many guilds that are distancing themselves from the Vigilante Corps these days.”

The Vigilante Corps had been making deals with various guilds, offering to be the first to rush in when problems arose due to Blood Hunters.

But as they were attacked one after another by the Blood Hunters, avoiding these attacks became a priority. As a result, the terms of the deal lost their value, and many guilds turned their backs.

Surprisingly, once they broke ties with the Vigilante Corps, such attacks ceased completely.

The healer warned them that if they were going to continue working with the Vigilante Corps, they should be careful too, and then left.

Seo Doa, with her legs crossed on the sofa, was lost in thought.

“…But why didn’t we know?”

In a way, it was natural that they didn’t know this news. Latter rarely showed up at the Association, they had no close guilds, and the only place they went was the Vigilante Corps, who were unlikely to speak ill of themselves.

The vexing point was whether Jin Geonwoo didn’t know this fact, or if he knew and didn’t tell them.

Putting this issue aside, Namgoong Sanha began awkwardly.

“Then how about we just cut ties for now? That… Gyeom-ie also got his revenge on Kwon Sanghyuk? And today’s incident almost led to a major accident. So before it gets more dangerous… Huh? What do you guys think?”

“I’m in favor. We’ve been resting since the containment facility incident. We haven’t really been active in the Vigilante Corps, so I don’t want to be in danger just because we’ve partnered with them. You guys agree too, right? Seo Doa, what about you?”

“I’m definitely in favor. Absolutely. Oppas, don’t get involved in that anymore. It’s true that the Vigilante Corps is doing good work, but our safety comes first. I can’t stand to see you in danger.”

With everyone leaning towards agreement, Yigeom was in a difficult position. Then what about Kang Taeha? He hadn’t confirmed that A was Kang Taeha yet, but what if they were the same person? If I turn my back on them here, what will happen to Kang Taeha?

The Vigilante Corps is already in a difficult situation…

“B-but, it’s not like it’s been completely concluded that the incident just now was the work of the Blood Hunters. It could have been that the brakes just malfunctioned at a really bad time, aren’t we jumping to conclusions too quickly? Let’s check the black box and investigate a bit more before we decide…”

“It’s certain. So we’re cutting ties.”

“……Huh?”

At Seo Dohyun’s unexpected words, Yigeom blinked. He wasn’t the only one who was surprised.

‘What’s this? Did he have a change of heart after being scolded by Seo Doa earlier?’

Seo Dohyun, who would rush headfirst into danger like a moth to a flame, ‘that’ Seo Dohyun, was cutting ties?

Even if Seo Doa, Cha Jewoo, and Namgoong Sanha agreed, he had expected Seo Dohyun, of all people, to be against it, so this was very surprising.

‘So am I the only one against it now.’

“Oppa, are you sure you’re quitting?”

Doa questioned Seo Dohyun with a look of disbelief. Seo Dohyun smiled gently and affirmed.

“Of course.”

“…Alright. But I’m not done being angry about what happened earlier, so let’s talk again later.”

He silently stroked the head of Doa, who was grumbling sullenly, and then got up from his seat. Jewoo tilted his head and asked.

“Huh? Hyung, where are you going?”

“Something came up.”

“Oppa, you don’t even have friends, what could have come up? Don’t try to run away, just sit down. And you don’t even have a car right now.”

Despite Seo Doa’s attempts to stop him, Seo Dohyun silently opened the office door and left. Yigeom stopped Doa, who was about to follow him angrily.

“I’ll go after him. I have something to say to him too.”

“Something to say? Hmm, alright, but you have to let me know if you find out where he’s going.”

As if she trusted Yigeom, Doa nodded slightly and let him go.

“Seo Dohyun!”

Yigeom, who had left the office, shouted at Seo Dohyun’s back, which he could see in the distance. At the sound of his voice, Seo Dohyun turned around and waited for Yigeom to approach.

“Why did you follow me?”

“Where are you going?”

“The Vigilante Corps.”

“Why the Vigilante Corps. Don’t tell me you’re going alone…”

Yigeom questioned him suspiciously. He was suspicious that he might be secretly moving on his own after agreeing to cut ties with the Vigilante Corps.

“It’s not like that.”

“Then why are you going to the Vigilante Corps? At this hour, no less.”

After the whirlwind of the incident, it was already well past dinner time and a late night with the moon shining brightly. Seo Dohyun smiled brightly in the moonlight and answered.

“I need to at least know who the son of a bitch who messed with the brakes is.”

“……So you’re going to the Vigilante Corps now to find the culprit?”

“They’ll probably know something there.”

At Seo Dohyun’s nonchalant words, Yigeom wiped his dry face and took out his phone.

“Haah, wait a minute. Let’s at least contact Geonwoo hyung before we go.”

Then Yigeom, suddenly concerned, asked.

“But what are you going to do when you find the culprit? The others and Sanha hyung said it’s better not to get involved anymore. You said you were cutting ties too…”

Of course, Yigeom was hesitating because of Kang Taeha, but if he thought about Latter as a whole, cutting ties was the right thing to do without a second thought.

“I’m going to cut ties. After I kill that bastard.”

“…So you’re going to move alone? After telling the others that?”

“It’s a personal matter.”

“As if. Hey. Just leave it to the Vigilante Corps.”

Seo Dohyun was silent. Yigeom, with a wry smile, retorted, “Here we go again.”

“No… Blood Hunters? Let’s say we were really in danger because of them just now. Yeah, I’m angry. Of course I’m angry, we were all almost in big trouble. So? Did anyone ask you to get revenge for us? Why are you moving alone again just because you’re angry.”

“……”

“You should have told us and moved together. Is there anyone among us who would say anything negative to you? What’s wrong with you? Fix this habit of moving alone.”

As he spoke, he started to get worked up.

“Yeah, come to think of it, it was the same earlier. Doa said a thing or two, but let me add something. If you’re going to crash into a tree, then crash, but why did you turn the wheel towards the passenger seat? You were dying to die, weren’t you?”

“I won’t die. As long as it’s not instant death, I can just turn back time with my ability.”

“Aha, so you were going to crash on your side multiple times to pick the future where you get hurt the least?”

“In that sense, I was lucky. I ended it in one go, so a little something on my forehead is nothing.”

He chuckled and ruffled his hair. The wound on his forehead had already been treated and was neatly healed.

Yigeom only got angrier. Seo Dohyun wouldn’t stand by and watch Latter get hurt, but he didn’t take care of his own body. It was to the point where he doubted if this was the same man who had killed him over and over again when they first met.

“…Seo Dohyun.”

Yigeom calmed his boiling insides and called out to him quietly. As he remained silent, taking deep breaths to calm his anger, Seo Dohyun smiled prettily and asked.

“Yes, did you call me, Gyeom-ah?”

At his reply, Yigeom glared at him sharply and muttered.

“You know, every time you do this, it’s really annoying.”

Seo Dohyun was silent for a while, then asked calmly.

“How should I interpret that?”

“Literally. Every time you do this, it’s really annoying.”