The Unbelievers Chapter 11

Eunseong retorted cheekily to the man who was staring blankly at him, chin resting on an arm leaned against the car window.

“Ah, right. That sounds logical.”

Only then did the 5th cousin, a man named Siun, nod his head once as if he finally understood.

When Eunseong ignored him and started walking again, the car began to move as well. Two black sedans followed slowly, matching his pace side-by-side, irritating Eunseong’s nerves as he tried desperately to look away.

Eunseong intended to escape into a narrow alley where cars couldn’t enter once a crossroad appeared. If he went to the shop where he worked and explained the situation, he’d be able to stay there for a few days, and after that, he could just find a job that provided room and board.

As soon as a side path wide enough for only a single motorcycle appeared, he quickly turned. The pursuing car stopped immediately. He looked back as if mocking his 5th cousin to try and follow if he could, but the man was getting out of the car and walking toward him. Not having anticipated that far, Eunseong turned his gaze forward in flustered surprise.

With long strides, the man caught up to Eunseong in just a few steps.

“It seems your father didn’t explain things properly earlier.”

“What? That your family is a bunch of lunatics?”

“Did he say it was a family of lunatics?”

“He said they weren’t sane. Though I don’t know yet in what way or how they’re insane.”

“It’s true they aren’t sane. But did he not mention that I’m the one who will protect you there?”

A little more walking and the main road would appear. From there, he could take a bus straight to the shop where he worked.

Eunseong stopped and turned toward him to tell him not to follow. The man, who had been walking with both hands thrust into his suit pants pockets like a weary office worker, also stood before Eunseong.

“He didn’t mention it? He just said your family is crazy and not sane. And then he told me to go live in that insane house. What do you think I should do? Please answer me logically.”

“…Hmm.”

The man simply wore a thoughtful expression and did not answer Eunseong’s words. At his reaction—failing to retort immediately—Eunseong grew even more agitated, as if to say “See?”

“I’ve worked a lot of part-time jobs, so I’m not ignorant of how the world works; in fact, people call me shrewd. Don’t underestimate me.”

“I didn’t underestimate you. You don’t look that way, either.”

It didn’t seem like he was annoyed or disliked Eunseong for being disobedient. He didn’t particularly consider the cheeky defiance to be rude. It was as if Eunseong’s personality didn’t matter either way.

“You understand what I mean, right? A distant relative doesn’t need to take responsibility for my life, so don’t feel burdened and just go on your way. Goodbye.”

“That’s a bit difficult.”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do. I have no interest in that family, and I don’t have a speck of interest in things like being an heir. I heard children are rare or something. What kind of era is this where you take someone from another house just because you don’t have a son? There’s no reason for Mister to protect me or anything, and I can live well enough on my own. Got it?”

“Then why did you leave home?”

“I was planning to leave anyway. It was just moved up a bit. How can I keep living with a dad who tells me to follow a man I’ve never seen before in my life?”

“…”

Eunseong snapped that he would be the one to abandon such a father first. There was no particular emotion on the 5th cousin’s face. There was no annoyance at having to persuade a child, nor any curiosity or expectation toward someone who could potentially become the family heir.

Rather, he was businesslike as if processing a task, and his expression was clinical. Only a most inorganic sense of responsibility, like one carrying out a mission, could be glimpsed.

He pulled his left arm out of his pocket and checked his wristwatch. Tattoos were engraved on the backs of both his left and right hands; the tattoos, which had looked mysterious at first because they suited his appearance so intensely, now felt disgusting and terrifying, like those of a gangster.

“As you said, children are rare in our family. Especially a boy like you… is very, very rare. Rare beyond words.”

He seemed extremely bitter about that fact.

“And?”

“It means there are quite a lot of people who want you. They are searching for you even now. Oh, I’m not sure if your father mentioned this. Your last name isn’t Seo, it’s Yoo.”

“…”

“Your name isn’t Seo Eunseong, it’s Yoo Eunseong. Though you’ll have to live as Seo Eunseong for the time being.”

That meant the man’s name was Yoo Siun.

The more Yoo Siun explained, the less Eunseong understood why his father had fled the family even to the point of changing their last name, and his desire to avoid going to such a family only grew stronger.

“Since I’ve found you, the clan will find you soon as well. It’s only a matter of time now, and you might even be taken by force. If you’re dragged to that side, you’ll end up doing things you don’t want to do.”

“And? So how is this side any different from that side?”

“…I’m saying it’s better to go with me than with those people.”

“Is it really better?”

“…”

“I asked if it’s really better.”

Only then did his eyes shift their gaze to look at Eunseong. It wasn’t an air of annoyance, nor was it the tedious responsibility of handling an assigned task. He was pondering the question Eunseong had asked for a long time. At his inability to answer hastily, Eunseong bared his sharp, glaring eyes at him.

“I guess this side isn’t any better than that side.”

“…It is better. I’ll promise you that.”

“Forget it. I’ll take care of myself. I’m almost twenty. I’m as good as an adult.”

“…”

“I’m not such a fool that I’d follow someone I don’t even know. How many years do you think I’ve been working part-time?”

“…Right, you’ll be twenty next year.”

The determined, passionate speech didn’t seem to reach his ears. Yoo Siun’s lips drew a bitter smile, as if Eunseong’s age—the fact that he would soon be twenty—reminded him of something. Emotion could be read in the slight but clear crack in his composure. It was responsibility again; the sense that someone had to endure it and handle it.

“Then let’s go our separate ways. Goodbye.”

Eunseong told him to keep working hard at whatever he was doing and tried to turn away, but Yoo Siun grabbed the top of Eunseong’s backpack. The weight that had been pressing down on his shoulders vanished in an instant, and his body was hoisted up along with it. Eunseong lifted his head toward Yoo Siun while his toes scraped the ground.

“What are you doing?”

“I feel sorry for getting you caught up in something like this so suddenly. But we don’t have much time right now? Manager Nam will explain the details.”

Eunseong couldn’t even manage a struggle. Both his backpack and his body were lifted simultaneously like a piece of luggage in Yoo Siun’s hand. He didn’t drag the person; instead, he held Eunseong aloft as if carrying a piece of dirty trash at a distance and took him to the car.

“What is this? Let go! Don’t touch my bag! Let go of me! I said let go!”

His two legs flailed in the air. It was a level of physical force incomparable to the strength of Choi Jungeon, who used to hold onto him and not let go. Because he was being moved while hanging so simply that it felt absurd, he tried to just shrug off the backpack, but the car door opened and his subordinates joined in, loading Eunseong directly into the back seat.

Yoo Siun also circled the car and climbed in beside him.

“Let’s go.”

“What do you think you’re doing! I’m going to report you to the police! I’m going to report all of you to the police!”

Eunseong took out his anger on the bag that had been so unsightly gripped by the man, shaking his body roughly and pulling out his cell phone. The man driving glanced through the rearview mirror at Eunseong, who was huffing and trying to dial 911. Before Eunseong could even press the numbers, Yoo Siun took the phone away.

“Being qualified as the heir to the Seongha Group means being able to control countless interests.”

“Give me my phone!”

“There will be many people who want you, and none of them will be as gentlemanly as I am.”

A faint edge of temper was laced in the voice of Yoo Siun, who had previously only shown clinical responsibility. His eyebrows were knit in a slight but unpleasant distortion. The wolf-shaped tattoo drawn on the nape of his neck scowled along with him.

“Dammit…”

“Do you want to be dragged away like a dog?”

“…”

“You’re not at an age where you should experience such things, and there’s no need to go through it needlessly.”

“…”

The man hadn’t said much, but Eunseong’s heart dropped.

The eyes that had been staring intently at Eunseong now gave a glance as if saying “shall we go quietly now,” and he turned back around, obediently returning the phone. Eunseong huffed and turned the screen back on to report it to the police. His hand, about to press the numbers, hesitated in mid-air.

He said I’d be dragged away like a dog, and that there’s no need to experience that, pointlessly.

Having worked part-time for years, Eunseong was quick-witted. It was an unmistakable threat. It meant that if he didn’t listen any further, the man would break a limb. The man in front of him looked like someone who would do such a thing without even blinking. He was pretending to be polite, kind, and gentlemanly on the surface, but he was holding back with extreme patience.

Judging by his father, who went so far as to change his last name to escape, it was obvious that whatever would happen once that patience vanished would be far more horrific and cruel than Eunseong could imagine.

“…”

Quieting his ragged breathing, Eunseong put the phone away. He pulled the backpack he’d been wearing off his shoulders and down to his front. He hugged the bag tightly with both arms as if it were the only thing he could rely on.

He felt Yoo Siun’s gaze watching his pathetic state, but he buried his face in the bag and didn’t look up. Without comforting him or saying any more soothing words, the man fell silent.

Silence soon filled the car where four people sat.