Black Paradise Chapter 3.2

Han Taeju finished what he was saying with a face that looked like he was forcing down his irritation.

“Anyway, that is what happened, so do not worry about it. And I would like it if we could switch rooms for tonight. As you can see, I was hit with a surprise flood while the room was empty.”

The woman Han Taeju was speaking to glanced in turn at Seo Juhyeok, his bathrobe, and the puddle of water. Her face, which showed no change in expression, was consistently pale, but her posture was perfectly upright.

“I will take care of it and get back to you.”

The woman bowed and left the living room. Seo Juhyeok stared intently at her back until she closed the guest room door and disappeared.

“That is a face I have not seen before.”

“I am sure it is. She is a girl who started working under me a few weeks ago, and though her title is secretary, she is more like my watchdog. It is so tiresome it could kill me. It is even more unsettling because I have no idea what she is thinking.”

“One of Chairman Han’s people?”

“Yes, her loyal dog act is killing me. Just now, for instance, I was horrified when she reeled off my movements for the past few days. I wonder if she has a surveillance camera planted on my clothes. It is truly absurd.”

Han Taeju shook his whole body agitatedly, as if to ward off some ominous energy.

Seo Juhyeok smiled lightly and walked slowly to the stone home bar table. As the tail of the water puddle grew longer, Han Taeju’s face turned red and then blue, his complexion changing.

“Why on earth are you doing this when there is a perfectly good towel? Why are you in my room? And why did you take a shower here?”

“I wanted to wash up, and this room was the closest.”

“If you are going to persuade me, you should use words that make sense. Your room is right next door! How in the world did you get in?”

Seo Juhyeok leaned against the table without answering and smiled with the corners of his mouth turned up. When he tossed the card key that was in his gown pocket, Han Taeju’s expression crumpled, needing no further explanation.

“How did you get this…”

“Do not ask too many questions. I just picked it up off the street.”

Naturally, Han Taeju did not look like he believed him at all. Seo Juhyeok had no intention of persuading him, so he just met his gaze shamelessly. Han Taeju, who seemed at a loss for words, suddenly rubbed his forehead, utterly aghast.

“Alright, let’s say I concede a hundred times over and accept the key situation. But since she saw this mess, I am bound to get another earful from my father. He is already telling me to stop hanging around you as it is.”

“Is that so? My father says the same thing. The more I see them, the more they seem like a well-matched pair. I hope we hear some good news soon.”

“What is that supposed to mean? Fix that habit of yours of speaking whatever comes to your mind. Sometimes I feel like I am going insane along with you.”

Seo Juhyeok, with an unconcerned face, picked up a cigarette from the table and put it in his mouth. When he brushed back the hair that had fallen onto his forehead, his hand became soaked with water. He casually shook his hand dry and then lit the cigarette with a Zippo lighter. The living room was quickly enveloped in a murky smell.

Han Taeju walked over languidly as if he had given up on everything, slumped down on the sofa, and said.

“My body’s been feeling a bit strange lately. My head is splitting like I slept wrong, and I keep getting anxious and restless for no reason, it is not good…. I think it might be the side effects of the drug.”

It did not seem to be an empty complaint, as Han Taeju’s eyes were bloodshot, and the look in them was as murky as a dying corpse. Seo Juhyeok looked at the face of his friend, who was groaning as if enduring pain.

“What exactly are your symptoms?”

“It feels like there is some kind of fog in my head. I suddenly feel like everyone around me is going to rush at me with knives. The delusions are also quite specific, which is a headache…. And crucially, I feel like I will die if I do not guzzle down some Black.”

Han Taeju, who had been wheezing as if he would stop breathing at any moment, shot up as if he had been zapped by electricity and muttered gravely.

“Wait, didn’t they say General Jin suffered from these symptoms before taking his own life? I should be careful.”

General Jin was the first person to inform Seo Yoonseok of the existence of Black. He had also demonstrated firsthand to the buyers how severe the withdrawal symptoms of Black were. His death was therefore sublime and worthy of respect. This was regardless of how sordid and disgusting his life had been.

Of course, the buyers’ fear was only temporary, and almost no one quit Black. All the buyers were already terribly addicted to this bewitching drug.

Since both Han Taeju and Seo Juhyeok had reduced their dosage since boarding this cruise, it was about time they started experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

“It sounds like typical drug addiction symptoms. How much of the drug do you have left?”

“If I portion it out little by little, just enough to last a week…. Once we arrive at Paradise, I am going to chew it until my brain melts from the drug’s effects. Are you okay?”

“As you can see.”

Does that monstrous body of his just chew up and spit out even the withdrawal symptoms of drugs, Han Taeju grumbled, frowning. Then, as if he had remembered something, he let out a gasp of, Ah.

“I ran into Heeyoon on the way to this room.”

Jang Heeyoon. That was the name of the woman Han Taeju was currently busy chasing. Even while suffering from a headache, Han Taeju, uncharacteristically, had his earlobes tinged with pink as he stared at the ceiling and continued speaking.

“She said she saw you at the 10th-floor restaurant a little while ago?”

“She did?”

“She said you barged in carrying some man. And that it was Doctor Kwon Ilyeong from the 5th Evacuation Zone.”

“She certainly saw in great detail.”

Seo Juhyeok stroked his chin and narrowed his eyes. It was something he had done without caring about onlookers because he had lost his temper in the first place, but he did not expect word to spread this fast.

What was more bothersome than being seen in such a scene was the fact that the witness had properly identified Ilyeong. Han Taeju turned to look at him with a dumbfounded expression.

“You are not even denying it? Is it really true?”

“It seems everyone is very interested in Doctor Kwon.”

“You did not know? It is amazing enough that he is the fourth winner, but more than that, his handsome face is even more famous. Pretty-faced kids get a story no matter what they do. They look like they have a backstory for no reason. There are quite a few kids sniffing around, trying to figure out how to hit on him.”

Han Taeju’s group, who attended orgies, were hyenas who would hit on anyone they liked first and ask questions later. This also meant they were the type of people who would ignore the fact that Ilyeong was from an evacuation zone without batting an eye.

Seo Juhyeok recalled Ilyeong’s face from a few dozen minutes ago. A pale face, hair as black as night in contrast, and features with a strange atmosphere that would not let go of one’s gaze once it was caught.

Among them, what always amused him were those two eyes. Those blue eyes that resembled the night sea.

His expression was sullen and indifferent, but those eyes alone frankly expressed emotions every moment. It was like the only window in a tightly sealed stone tower. As he looked into that window, he would find only himself left behind, desperate to read every deep corner and unable to do so.

For now, it was an interest closer to curiosity, but one never knows how things with people will turn out. In the distant past, they said sailors who were enchanted by the sea were apt to be swept under and die, and he could only hope that it was not a prophecy for his own future.

“So you are saying I am not the only one bewitched by that pretty face.”

“Well, he is not my type, but he is a handsome man you do not see every day. Moreover, Doctor Kwon seems to be popular in a dangerous way, too.”

Seo Juhyeok’s eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean?”

“You know what you talked about last time. As it happens, a few employees sponsored by my family are on this ship, so I asked them a favor. To let me review the winners’ personal information. But I heard something quite unsettling along with it at that time.”

Han Taeju handed Seo Juhyeok the manila envelope he had been holding under his arm. It seemed he had been in a war of nerves with that secretary woman over this envelope earlier.

Seo Juhyeok shifted the cigarette in his mouth and took out a bundle of papers from inside. Brief personal information about three winners from each zone, from Zone 1 to Zone 23, followed one after another without evoking any emotion.

Seo Juhyeok went straight to Zone 5 without hesitation.

Kwon Ilyeong. When he found that name, Han Taeju continued.

“There was someone who requested to view the evacuation zone’s personal information before me. No, he is someone for whom the word ‘request’ is laughably inappropriate, but….”

“Colonel Jamie More?”

Han Taeju lifted his head and his eyes widened.

“Huh? How did you know? I heard he scraped up all the information on Doctor Kwon and nothing else. And as it happens, Doctor Kwon’s room was also changed today. But it doesn’t seem ordinary.”

“Why.”

“The new room is a suite on the same floor as ours. They said they gave him an empty room on Colonel Jamie More’s authority. This is one of the classic methods of seducing a date, isn’t it? Is the Colonel also making a move to try and get Doctor Kwon in bed? I didn’t see him that way, but he has a surprisingly romantic side. He is not usually one to put so much effort into a bed partner.”

Seo Juhyeok’s eyes turned murderous. Han Taeju, not noticing, tilted his head and chattered on.

“Anyway, right then, my gut told me. Doctor Kwon has been caught on the Colonel’s radar.”

“Have you read this file?”

“No, not yet. Out of curiosity, I just skimmed through the part about Doctor Kwon. I just received it myself and was on my way here. On the way, I unfortunately ran into Secretary Im….”

A sound of a tongue clicking slid over the printed words. Seo Juhyeok quickly read down the information written on it. As befitting information procured in a short time within a limited space, it was not a long document.

In the meantime, Han Taeju got up from his seat and headed to the refrigerator. The sound of him twisting off the cap of a water bottle and drinking it as if rinsing his mouth was distinct.

“Now I get it. What you wanted to know was about Doctor Kwon all along, right? The other people were just a smokescreen. You should have just told me honestly. Anyway, I feel a little hurt every time you do this. Why do you keep hiding your true intentions from me, too?”

“You have a big mouth.”

“I can’t even deny that. But I forget things just as easily. Honestly, what do I care about someone from an evacuation zone? I am not interested. Anyway, since you two seem to have gotten acquainted, if there is anything else you are curious about, ask Doctor Kwon directly.”

Seo Juhyeok stubbed out the cigarette he had been holding in his mouth in the pooled water on the table and replied.

“No, as soon as we arrive at Paradise, have him more thoroughly investigated. If possible, I would like you to gather every single grain of information, like what kind of rumors circulated about Doctor Kwon in Zone 5, who his associates were… whatever it may be.”

“Why go to such lengths for someone from an evacuation zone?”

Han Taeju asked, horrified. Seo Juhyeok, with only his eyeballs moving over the paper, stared at him.

Han Taeju’s point was not wrong at all. Just reorganizing the script for the finale of a perfect play and finding the creator of Black who would be its lead was already enough to make him lose his mind.

Nevertheless, the reason his gaze was constantly drawn below the stage was because of an uneasy gut feeling. Especially the story Doctor Kwon had told him earlier. The story of his father, who was accused of being a rebel and unjustly executed…….

Seo Juhyeok lowered his gaze to the paper again. Father: Kwon Hajin. Deceased. He traced the words with his fingertip.

“If that is true, then that means Doctor Kwon is a ghost.”

The family of a rebel, even if they are lucky enough to survive, no longer receives the protection of Paradise. Naturally, it is also impossible for them to enter their names in the lottery.

Seo Juhyeok wet his dry lips with his tongue. Han Taeju tilted his head with a look of confusion.

“What do you mean, Doctor Kwon is a ghost?”

“It is nothing.”

“How dull. I have a friend in Zone 5, so I will contact him separately for you. It might take some time, though.”

After thoroughly reading the short text, his eyes naturally turned to another page.

Information about other people from the 5th Evacuation Zone followed. It was at that moment that Seo Juhyeok’s eyes stiffened abruptly. He quickly flipped through the paper from front to back, checking the red letters printed there.

“It seems this cruise was a prison on the sea.”

About half of the winners had criminal records. Robbery, rape, murder—the charges were all different, but it was an unusual characteristic.

Seo Juhyeok flipped through the papers from the beginning again, this time checking the identities of those without criminal records. Those whose criminal record section was blank were mostly engaged in research positions.

Kwon Ilyeong fell into the latter case. Two thirds criminals, one third researchers…….

It was difficult to pretend not to notice when it reeked of something so openly suspicious. He had a flash of intuition that this was the very secret Seo Yoonseok, Seo Chaejun, and Jamie were trying so hard to hide.

Han Taeju, who had sidled up next to him, took the half crumpled papers and began to flip through them. His bloodshot pupils dilated widely.

“What is this? Are all these people criminals? If this is real, isn’t it quite dangerous? No, what on earth were they thinking….”

Leaving Han Taeju to his fuss, Seo Juhyeok slowly chewed over his thoughts.

Currently, the stationed military is in charge of public security and law enforcement, including Paradise. Although each evacuation zone has a prison, it is difficult to expect them to function properly due to the poor conditions. There were probably many cases where criminals were released with only their criminal history recorded, without serving their full sentences.

The prison in Zone 11, where he had stayed, was unable to accommodate all the overflowing criminals, so they had handled cases by weighing the severity of the crime. The fact that so many criminals were on this cruise was proof of that.

Could this all be a coincidence? An answer immediately followed the question that popped into his head. There is no way. Seo Yoonseok and Seo Chaejun had cunningly used the lottery system to invite the criminals from the evacuation zones onto this cruise.

Suddenly, Doctor Kwon’s words flashed through his mind.

“How do the lottery winners live in Paradise? What about their jobs? Their livelihood?”

Seo Juhyeok chewed over every single thread of that tone of voice, which had felt strangely desperate. And how Doctor Kwon had looked at him with confused eyes afterward, when he failed to give a proper answer.

He had no way of knowing the inside story, but Doctor Kwon had also smelled something strange about this lottery. Thinking that far, his sharp vigilance made sense.

Seo Juhyeok rubbed the bridge of his nose and quickly reviewed his plan. Should he dig into this lottery matter as it is, or not?

His head ordered him to follow the set signposts and go down the planned path, while an unknown instinct whispered for him to try taking a side road.

It was difficult to make a rash decision, as there was a risk of moving up the timing of a direct confrontation with Seo Chaejun if he touched it carelessly.

Seo Juhyeok, who had been groaning to the tune of Han Taeju’s loud voice, soon let out a light sigh.

“There is no other way. I cannot be satisfied unless I do everything I want to do. Taeju. Bring me all the remaining Black.”

“Why, why?”

Seo Juhyeok smiled brightly at Han Taeju, who was already trying to back away in anxiety.

“A little while ago, I received a lesson from the one in the sky to live like a human, and it was quite impressive. I must become a faithful believer and go spread this teaching far and wide.”

Contrary to the turmoil in his head, his face was as sacred and calm as if he had truly met a god.

*

It was three days later that Ilyeong ran into Seo Juhyeok.

At the evening banquet, Seo Juhyeok was slouched at a central table even before the people from the evacuation zones entered the dining hall. Half lying as if draped over the chair, his eyes staring at the ceiling were as dazed as those of a spaced out junkie.

The field mice who were entering the dining hall were overwhelmed by the presence of that single person and hesitated, unable to advance rashly.

His existence alone boasted a greater presence than any soldier in the dining hall. It was a downright violent dominance, even without a gun or a blade.

Ilyeong hid behind his group and quickly shifted his gaze to the table next to him. The table where, just a few days ago, Colonel Jamie had sat with young soldiers, was vacant. In fact, it had been empty ever since that day. Only the tablecloth, with a burn mark from a cigarette so black it was clearly visible even from a distance, testified to what had happened then.

Naturally, the carrier pigeon was also not to be seen. He no longer made contact with Ilyeong either. It was not as if they had promised to keep in regular contact, but…….

Ilyeong bit his lower lip hard to quell the anxiety that surged up like a wave of nausea.

“Wow…. This is suffocating.”

“……”

Haoran, who had reflexively checked the same spot as Ilyeong, seemed to act relieved at Jamie’s absence, but then turned to look at Seo Juhyeok and pressed his solar plexus repeatedly. It was his silent protest, saying he would get indigestion from this atmosphere even without eating anything. For once, Ilyeong agreed with him.

Whether it was unfortunate or not, the dining hall had a clear view from every table, so Seo Juhyeok’s bizarre behavior was clearly visible from Ilyeong’s table as well. He had thought that as soon as Seo Juhyeok spotted him, he would rush over and acknowledge him, or snatch him away, or do something, but Seo Juhyeok remained in his initial posture.

Seo Juhyeok’s sturdy legs, stretched out long under the table, boasted a sleek line. Each time the tip of his foot tapped, the bone of his ankle peeking out from under the fabric became more prominent.

Even while the hesitating field mice sat down and ate their meal on eggshells, he did not stop staring at the ceiling. His long eyelashes fluttered slowly. Perhaps because of the unfailing string melodies of the violin and cello, that leisurely movement looked just like an elegant waltz, out of place for the occasion.

“You all, do you know about this.”

It was Jun who spoke first.

“I heard a little something from the other people yesterday. You see, that next in line for leader…”

His eyes, buried in flesh, rolled to glance at Seo Juhyeok’s side, then Jun leaned his upper body close to the table as if to prostrate himself. Then he lowered his voice and poured out words of his own accord.

“They say he is completely obsessed with killing people. There is a rumor he is a murderer.”

At the same time as Ilyeong’s eyes hardened slightly, Haoran also leaned over the table and whispered.

“Gasp, are you crazy. Is this mister trying to get us all killed too! How can you say something like that so recklessly? What if that person hears you! But, how did everyone find that out?”

“They say he was famous even before we boarded this cruise. Apparently, he was originally a soldier.”

“Oh, that’s right. I heard yesterday, I think they said he was a lieutenant colonel. Right, Mr. Kwon Ilyeong.”

“I do not know. Do not talk to me.”

Haoran pouted with a look that said, ‘This guy is at it again.’ In the meantime, Jun continued speaking with his eyes narrowed to slits.

“They say he has been constantly suppressing the rebels, and his methods are supposedly tremendously cruel. You heard the story about the 23rd Evacuation Zone yesterday, didn’t you? They say he was the one who first discovered and subdued that place. He was recognized for that achievement and got his current position. They say he was notorious in the 23rd Evacuation Zone. That he has no blood or tears.”

“I cannot tell just by looking at him now. Right now he just looks like he is dead drunk…”

“You must have heard that Leader Seo Yoonseok had four children under him. But one of them got caught up in a rebellion and died. For the next in line for leader, that would be the death of a sibling. They say he lost many comrades at that time, too. They say it was most severe around that time, not now.”

“Whoa…. Are you trying to say that the people from Zone 23 killed the next leader’s sibling and comrades?”

“I would not know that far. The death of that blood relative was at least ten years ago. Zone 23 was officially discovered three years ago. The timing does not match up.”

Ilyeong remembered it too. A few years ago, a news video of the leader’s child dying at the hands of rebels in the evacuation zone’s plaza had been played repeatedly. He had not known until yesterday that it was something that had happened in Ji Taeun’s evacuation zone.

Even if he did not know about the others, once he found out that the rebels from Zone 11 had moved to the land that was now Zone 23, he naturally became certain.

Seo Juhyeok’s sibling and comrades died in the Zone 11 rebellion.

So he chased the escaped rebels from Zone 11 and hid in what is now Zone 23. And he waited for the right time and paid them back in full. In a very cunning and vicious way…….

Seo Yoonseok’s face in the news video, as he spoke of his youngest son being killed by the hands of rebels, was calm. However, he emphasized several times that the rebellion had ended with his son’s sacrifice as the last.

Ilyeong thought that was not all there was to it. Ju Yunchae, who had watched the video with him, had also snorted.

“Anyway, they just spin it to their advantage. Do you really think only Paradise soldiers died in that rebellion? What is the reason they keep showing us this? Are we supposed to feel a sense of solidarity or guilt together? What a great piece of brainwashing.”

The other colleagues at the research institute grimaced as soon as they heard those nasty words and pretended not to have heard, but Ilyeong alone thought it was not an entirely baseless story.

Judging from their past public opinion manipulation, spearheaded by the plaza screen, Paradise had always only told stories that were advantageous to them. That was a fact that Ji Taeun had also pointed out yesterday.

“Well, they say now he lives immersed only in pleasure, like he has a screw loose. It seems he has been continuously drunk like that since before we got on here. Like he has become a completely different person.”

“Could it be that. War PTSD.”

“I wonder. They say he was ruthless in killing people from the beginning. There is also a story that he used the death of his younger brother and comrades as an excuse to hunt and kill people.”

“A psycho.”

The voice of Nam Giyun, who had given a simple and clear definition of Seo Juhyeok, came to mind. Ilyeong unconsciously reached a hand under the table and squeezed his thigh tightly. His fingertips trembled.

Nam Giyun, Ji Taeun, Seo Juhyeok, and now the story Jun just told.

The stories gathered like fragments were cogs to create one massive picture. What was being ground up like sawdust between the meshed cogs was his soul and regret.

I should not have gotten involved. If he had been a worthless junkie trying to get an evacuation zone person under him once, just like any other soldier, his regret would not have been as deep as it was now.

As he peeled back the layers of veils surrounding him, the reality of him that he faced made his heart grow colder by the second.

“Wow, but who on earth is leaking so much information?”

“There are no eternal secrets in the world. This place is already a small society. It was a story that was hushed up for us, but in Paradise, it is a publicly known story, so it spreads more easily.”

“What is with all that…”

“Do not take my words lightly. I myself learned firsthand from a neighbor long ago that information can become power.”

Ilyeong ignored Jun’s meaningful words and the uncomfortable gazes that he could feel on his body. The presence that had been pricking his skin like a needle soon disappeared. Haoran grumbled as he pulled the freshly served salad on the table towards him.

“Forget it, you can know a lot by yourself, mister. It is really funny. What are we supposed to do if we get hurt too for blabbing about things like this? Right, Mr. Kwon Ilyeong.”

He was the one who had stepped forward to ask all sorts of questions, but he was self centered as always. Even Jun looked a little dumbfounded.

Ilyeong pretended not to hear and pulled his own bowl of porridge closer. Haoran pretended not to care, but he kept glancing back as if he was bothered and said.

“Ah, but after hearing the story, he does seem a little different…. Yesterday, I was a bit grateful that he saved me from that murderous colonel. But is there really something on the ceiling. He keeps looking only over there.”

Haoran muttered as he stole a glance at the ceiling Seo Juhyeok was looking at. Ilyeong also casually looked up at the ceiling he was watching while just poking at his plate. The large, high hung chandelier was pouring out a brilliant light, no different from the day before. For a moment, the ceiling around it seemed to lurch as if it would collapse, and he was startled. After blinking his eyes, he realized that too had been a misconception.

“Ah…”

“Mr. Kwon Ilyeong, are you okay? Are you in pain again?”

“Please mind your own business.”

As Ilyeong pressed the bridge of his nose, something he had not seen until now began to enter his vision.

Today, only three people were sitting at this table. Ilyeong, Haoran, and Jun.

Yuuto was pointedly occupying another table. That was unexpected. Because the person sitting with him at that table was Ji Taeun, the woman from Zone 23 who, just a few days ago, had been burning with murderous intent towards Seo Juhyeok.

While everyone else was intimidated and glancing pitifully at the side where Seo Juhyeok was sitting, only Ji Taeun was glaring in that direction with blazing eyes. The knife in her hand reflected the light sharply.

Ji Taeun literally exuded an atmosphere that was the exact opposite of Seo Juhyeok’s. As if a line had been drawn between them, the atmosphere, divided into looseness and tension, was incongruous.

Ilyeong pressed down on his tight chest. He had a bad feeling. And these bad premonitions were rarely wrong.

“……It is bothersome.”

“Phew, I feel like I am going to get indigestion too. That next leader, he knows you, Mr. Kwon Ilyeeong. Go and ask him. Why he is acting like that without even eating.”

“Why would I. We do not know each other.”

Haoran made a sound of tsk with his tongue, with an expression of utter disbelief.

“What are you talking about. A few days ago you two were happily sucking each other’s…”

“Hey.”

“Alright, alright. I really cannot say a word.”

Haoran dramatically held up both hands and made a fuss. Ilyeong, who had glared at him with murderous eyes, clamped his mouth shut again.

He could tell without having to turn his head. Seo Juhyeok was in the same position as before, melted limply on the chair, staring at the ceiling. Now, in addition to that, he was turning his stiff neck once or twice. The reason for the various subtle rumors circulating about him on the cruise was highly likely due to that loose attitude of his.

“The infirmary is going to be selling out of digestive medicine like hotcakes. I will be leaving first. My goodness.”

In the end, even Jun, who rarely ever left food, shook his head as if he was about to get indigestion and stood up as if fleeing. For someone who had always complained about the absence of the leader and the next in line for leader, he had a rather uncomfortable face. It was not just Jun. Before long, the number of people standing up increased.

“Lieutenant Colonel Seo.”

It was then. A voice abruptly and clearly pierced Ilyeong’s ear. Ilyeong, who had been mechanically spooning porridge into his mouth in silence, regardless of whether others were leaving or not, flinched and turned his head toward the source of the sound.

It was a sound from quite a distance that he would not have normally heard. But he did not know why that threadlike voice, filled with rage, sounded so intense, as if it was tearing at his ears.

It was almost instinct that made him stand up. It was almost at the same time as Ji Taeun, who stood up tightly gripping a knife.

The woman’s steps had no excess movement, not even hesitation. He could feel a madness in her, as if she would feel relieved even if she were shot and killed immediately if this succeeded.

Ilyeong kicked back his chair, stood up, and ran, clenching his teeth. Not even realizing his chair had fallen backward, he jumped out and leaped between Ji Taeun, who was rushing forward with a frightening momentum, and Seo Juhyeok, who was limply melted as if he was truly high on drugs.

A dry gleam flashed in Ji Taeun’s bloodshot eyes. At the same time he met those eyes, he felt a sharp pain from his left hand.

“Ugh…”

The force of the woman crashing into him with her whole body was fierce, as if she had not controlled her strength.

Ilyeong clenched his teeth and put strength into his two legs. Then, with his uninjured arm, he pulled the woman’s shoulder, who seemed flustered and was about to step back, as if embracing her. The sensation of the blade that had sliced through his palm was cold.

“…Kwon Ilyeong?”

“How are you trying to kill someone with this thing. No matter how crazy you have gone, you should at least know what you are holding in your hand and what the situation is.”

“……”

“Stay still if you do not want to die.”

As he warned her through clenched teeth right by her ear, Ji Taeun’s shoulder flinched. There were no more words, but the strength in the hand holding the blade also began to drain away little by little.

From her trembling hand, which showed what kind of feelings she had when she rushed at Seo Juhyeok, Ilyeong snatched the knife. Then he turned around and faced the prodigal son of Paradise.

“……Mr. Seo Juhyeok.”

“Hello. We meet like this.”

He reeked of alcohol. His languid eyes blinked normally. But in the middle of them, his black eyes shone with a curiosity that could not be overlooked. As if he had encountered something unexpected.

His focus now flowed gracefully from Ilyeong’s face to his hand, which was even lower.

“Mr. Kwon Ilyeong. We have some unfinished business, don’t we.”

“……”

“I was waiting to see when you would acknowledge me. Isn’t that why you came?”

The words that defined the tense, suffocating situation were nonchalant, and the eyes he met held an intelligence unbecoming of a drunkard.

A stream of cold sweat ran down Ilyeong’s back. He said it so naturally that it was even confusing.

Unfinished business. Was there such a thing? No, of course there could not be. Hadn’t the conversation they had at the restaurant three days ago made him even more certain? It was an animal instinct that told him if he got entangled any more complicatedly than this, it would become more of a headache than it was now.

Seo Juhyeok was giving him a chance now. Ilyeong slid the knife he was holding onto the table and nodded his head indifferently.

“……There is something I would like to tell you, may I join you.”

“Say my name. Like you did before.”

“Suddenly, what is that…”

“Hurry.”

Ilyeong was not the only one left speechless by the absurd request. Curious gazes from the surroundings gathered. Ilyeong bit his lips repeatedly and then lowered his gaze.

“……Mr. Seo Juhyeok.”

Seo Juhyeok, who had been sitting as if he were melting, straightened his body as soon as those words fell. Even the overwhelming scent of alcohol, so strong it stung his nose, was sharp as if it had been refined.

“So we know each other now.”

“Why would I. We do not know each other.”

His own words to Haoran just a few minutes ago overlapped with Seo Juhyeok’s voice.

“Let’s go. I am fine with you not joining my table.”

Then… did he hear everything from the beginning? Leaving the frozen Ilyeong behind, Seo Juhyeok stood up from his seat and strode out. It was around that time that the soldiers who had been standing guard at the entrance of the dining hall came running.

“Lieutenant Colonel Seo-nim!”

Two soldiers came running, having detected the commotion. Both had blazing eyes, but they were nothing more than belated uninvited guests.

The blood that dripped and pooled on the floor, and the knife on the table, Ji Taeun’s eyes from which the murderous intent had not completely died out. The entire situation painted a single picture.

“Lieutenant Colonel-nim, are you alright?”

“You are late.”

“I am, I am sorry.”

Seo Juhyeok looked down at the tops of their heads with an indifferent eye. The black eyes, tinged with a cool light, were his true self. The real him disappeared at the same time as he blinked his eyes once.

Only a crooked smile was draped over his face like an accessory.

“And I am not a lieutenant colonel anymore. You all make me uncomfortable, one and all. Let’s take it easy. I do not dislike people who know how to cut corners.”

“Still… Lieutenant Colonel Seo-nim, we will handle this according to procedure.”

“What procedure? I do not understand anything.”

At his nonchalant reply, even the soldiers could not push further and were at a loss. Seo Juhyeok, who had been staring at them for a moment, turned his gaze behind Ilyeong. The sound of Ji Taeun’s worn out shoes hesitating and dragging backward also reached Ilyeong’s ears.

“If you have something to ask, you can ask that person over there instead.”

The eyes that swept over Ji Taeun were impassive. Before he could even fathom the emotions contained within them, Seo Juhyeok straightened his shoulders and stood tall again.

“Although she will probably say nothing happened.”

Seo Juhyeok’s fingers seized Ilyeong’s wrist, where a stream of blood had trickled down like the head of a snake. The trembling that started from his wrist spread throughout his body. His firm fingers pushed through the trembling and coiled around his wrist in place of the blood.

Seo Juhyeok, unable to add another shred of a word, patted the soldier’s shoulder and walked ahead. Despite exuding all sorts of chaotic smells, his steps were straight.

*

Ilyeong sighed. He felt dizzy the entire way across the dining hall. This time again, there were many eyes watching him in shock.

Fear soon gives birth to curiosity, and curiosity gives birth to unnecessary rumors. The smell of blood spreading at the tip of his nose also fueled his dizziness.

“Let me go. Mr. Seo Juhyeok.”

“……”

“Lieutenant Colonel Seo-nim.”

It was resignation. Ilyeong moved his feet stiffly, being dragged along. He knew how ridiculous it would be to shake him off and run away, or to pretend he did not know him now.

“It hurts.”

Seo Juhyeok, who had not even pretended to hear him when he asked to be let go, immediately looked down at the hand he was holding when he said it hurt, and clicked his tongue briefly. Red blood had dripped like breadcrumbs on the path they had strode past side by side.

At that moment, Seo Juhyeok took a handkerchief out of his pocket. It was such an unexpected possession that Ilyeong felt like he was about to burst out laughing, inappropriately for the situation. For a person who lived however he pleased with his shirt buttons undone, it was too meticulous an item.

“Of course it would hurt, you got stabbed.”

“It is not to the point of being called ‘stabbed’.”

“The one who was just whining that it hurt was none other than Mr. Kwon Ilyeong. So why did you rush in.”

The hand that held his to stop the bleeding was skillful. As if he had experienced this kind of thing very many times…….

“You must have heard that Leader Seo Yoonseok had four children under him. But one of them got caught up in a rebellion and died. For the next in line for leader, that would be the death of a sibling. They say he lost many comrades at that time, too.”

The stories Jun had told him wandered aimlessly in his ears. Did Seo Juhyeok act like this every time? How many deaths had he seen to become so composed even after smelling the scent of blood?

He wanted to ask. Did Ji Taeun, did her family, kill your sibling and comrades? If he kept looking at him, he felt like those words would really come out.

Ilyeong did not want to do that, so he lowered his eyes. There is a world of difference between guessing on your own and hearing and being certain.

“You cannot inflict a big wound with that kind of knife.”

“So why did you block it.”

A sharp pain spread from the wound that had opened up because of the tight knot. It felt like a punishment for avoiding the answer.

Such a thought suddenly occurred to him. When Ji Taeun had rushed in, seeing his composed face without a single sign of surprise, he might have felt the murderous intent and deliberately let it be……. Ilyeong naturally clenched his teeth.

“It was not something I did after thinking about it.”

Seo Juhyeok’s expression changed strangely upon hearing the answer.

“You got stabbed without thinking. For me.”

“I told you. I was able to rush in because I knew my life was not in danger with something like this.”

“What if what she was holding was not such a pathetic knife.”

“I would not have done it.”

At the curt answer, Seo Juhyeok’s lips curved into a smile. It was not the feigned smile he put on when he was acting like a libertine. For some reason, he now seemed to be truly enjoying himself. What appeared on his face this time was also, without a doubt, curiosity.

“Mr. Kwon Ilyeong, I was thinking this yesterday too……. you have a way of stirring people up. Just when I am on guard, wondering what ulterior motive you have to keep getting entangled with me, in the next moment, you wave your tail with such an unexpected side, as if to tell me not to doubt. You confuse people.”

“……”

“If this was also something you did unintentionally, that is quite something.”

It was a line he had thrown out casually, but to Ilyeong, it sounded sharp. It meant that even while their bodies were pressed together, while he was saving him from Jamie, while they were showing each other their rock bottoms, Seo Juhyeok had been wary of him. Who was the truly unpredictable one here.

So how much suspicion had today’s events lessened and added for him? No, what was Seo Juhyeok wary of about him?

“A tail. I am not a dog…”

“I know. It is just a figure of speech.”

Just as he was retorting with a nonchalant pretense, the elevator doors opened. With a single stride, he stepped inside and faced Ilyeong.

“Get in. You are my savior, so I should treat you accordingly, shouldn’t I.”

Ilyeong glanced down at his hand, where the handkerchief was tied tightly. After meeting Seo Juhyeok’s face, which was waiting patiently, once, he quietly stepped in next to him. Seo Juhyeok’s face looked even more pleased than before.

Silence continued while they were in the elevator. Ilyeong swallowed a groan and leaned the side of his head against the elevator wall. The area under his hair was soaked with cold sweat. He pulled up his turtleneck a little more and hid his signs of tension. It was only when the signal sound announcing their arrival rang that the number displayed on the panel came into his view.

“This place is…”

“Let’s get off. I heard we are on the same floor.”

Many words were omitted, but Ilyeong understood their full meaning. The 8th floor. The floor where the room given to him by Colonel Jamie was located. He had guessed from the size of the room, but it seemed Seo Juhyeok was also staying on the same floor.

He had thought they would go to the infirmary at best. But then again, as Jun had said, that place would be full of people suffering from indigestion right now, so it would do no good for him to appear there side by side with Seo Juhyeok.

However, once he became aware of it, his words hit him differently. He already knew that Ilyeong’s room had been moved to the 8th floor, and he had brought Ilyeong here without asking anything. How was a mere evacuation zone winner supposed to explain how he came to stay in such a luxurious room?

“Are you not getting off? Was I mistaken.”

Seo Juhyeok, who had gotten off the elevator, tilted his head and asked Ilyeong. He did not ask anything, but his gaze was strangely cold, as if he was being tested. Since he was such an unpredictable person, it was difficult to grasp his intentions.

“……You are right.”

“Is that so? Then get off.”

Ilyeong bit the soft flesh inside his mouth without showing it and stepped out of the elevator. Seo Juhyeok slowly turned his body and led the way. The red carpet laid in the long hallway stole the sound of his shoe heels and the drops of blood.

“By the way, do you always carry that bag around?”

He almost bit his tongue by mistake. When he maintained his silence, pretending not to have heard, Seo Juhyeok also quickly lost interest, as if he had said it without any particular meaning.

“Have a seat.”

Slam. The sound of the door closing made the skin on his back flinch. Seo Juhyeok left Ilyeong, who was standing frozen in the entryway, and calmly went into the bedroom. Ilyeong’s wary gaze was directed straight ahead.

It was a structure no different from his own room, with the living room clearly visible from the entryway. Beyond the terrace, a chillingly clear sky was visible.

If he had not opened his eyes wide and clearly checked the room number, it was an identical scene that he would have mistaken for his own room.

That was the problem. It had only been three days since Ilyeong had moved rooms. But Seo Juhyeok must have been using this room all along, yet there was no particular trace or smell of a person having lived there. Who would know this place was a junkie’s den?

“Are you trying to run away again?”

In Seo Juhyeok’s hand, as he reappeared, was a white first aid kit. His voice was light, but his gaze, which pierced like an arrow, was sharp. Ilyeong shook his head and stepped into the living room.

“When did I ever run away.”

“Every time. Every time we meet.”

“How many times have we even met. And you were drunk most of the time, yet you manage to remember everything.”

When Ilyeong sat down on the sofa, Seo Juhyeok grinned and sat down next to him. His knees naturally leaned to one side due to his weight.

“Right. Only a few times. Give me your hand.”

Seo Juhyeok replied as if it were no big deal and pulled Ilyeong’s hand. Because of that, the pain he had forgotten deepened, and his fingertips twitched.

His touch as he untied the knot of the blood soaked handkerchief was careful. Still, the hemostatic effect seemed to have been quite good, as the amount of blood leaking out was less than at first.

The wound that cut across the middle of his palm squirmed as if opening its jaws. The sight was quite bizarre, so Ilyeong held his breath and turned his head. His stomach churned because of the smell of blood and disinfectant that pricked his nose. Seo Juhyeok, who saw this with only a slight movement of his eyes, fixed his gaze on the hand again.

“When you are in the military.”

Seo Juhyeok started talking without context and then fell silent for a moment. In a way, it might have been an attempt to divert his attention, which was overly focused on the wound. Although he was not sure if he was that meticulous of a man. Ilyeong clenched his teeth and tried to relax the strength in his stinging hand.

“Please continue talking.”

It felt like cold sweat was breaking out on his forehead. Seo Juhyeok gave a short laugh. The disinfectant being sprayed on the wound and a groan clumping like a stone in his throat happened almost at the same time.

“Then, continuing. When you are in the military, you tend to see all sorts of people.”

“That… would be the same no matter where you go.”

“That is also true. Mr. Kwon Ilyeong, when do you think a person is at their most honest?”

Seo Juhyeok’s random question, without any warning, suddenly penetrated the depths of his inner self and touched a part he had not expected. It was not likely a question with a fixed answer, so he decided to answer without much thought.

“Wouldn’t it be when they have no worries? In other words, when life is worth living.”

Here, in front of Seo Juhyeok, only lies would save him. The truth would tear him to pieces. So he just had to faithfully play the role of a field mouse from the 5th Evacuation Zone who was lucky enough to win the lottery.

Upon hearing the answer, Seo Juhyeok stared at Ilyeong with unreadable eyes. It had never been so difficult to make eye contact. It felt as if he might just split his throat open and pull out the truth he was holding like an egg in his belly. His gaze had that kind of power. This time, his palms becoming damp was probably not just because of the pain.