The Unbelievers Chapter 64

The tension that had spiked when he thought they had discovered Eunseong’s existence shifted into an entirely new form. Master Manpo didn’t seem to know anything beyond that. He, too, knew that valuable information carried corresponding rewards, as well as significant risks.

“Will you go there now?”

“He wouldn’t have gone as far as Taebaek.”

They were talking about Eunseong. Eunseong disappeared on the day Yoo Siun and Manager Nam were away from the house at the same time. Master Manpo, whom they had met at the ceremony, had signaled that he possessed high-priced information. Even if something had been found in Taebaek, the dates didn’t align.

Nevertheless, there was no guarantee that it wasn’t Eunseong. Yoo Siun became increasingly anxious. He was filled with a sense of regret that he shouldn’t have rejected Eunseong that day—a nonsensical regret that he should have just become a cowardly adult, granted the child what he wanted, and let everything fall apart.

“It makes no sense. If that were the case, it would mean they knew of Mr. Eunseong’s existence beforehand, but there was no sign of that at all. There’s also no reason to take Mr. Eunseong all the way to Taebaek.”

Manager Nam replied that it couldn’t be and turned the car around. The heavy sedan smoothly navigated down the winding mountain path. Manager Nam formed his own hypothesis and asked:

“Could it be that another target was discovered? I heard there were many personnel shifts on Executive Director Yoo’s side. There are also rumors that Executive Director Yoo found a target and has begun managing them.”

Manager Nam was talking about Chairman Yoo’s son.

“There have only been two clearly identified in all of history. Throughout that long span of time. The probability of several more existing in the same era is slim.”

While saying that, Yoo Siun also felt a flicker of doubt. However, the idea of two “Great Rifts” existing at once was an impossible story.

“For now, I’m heading to Taebaek.”

“Has any news come in yet?”

“No, not yet…”

They were searching by deploying a massive number of people, but there were no particular reports. There was a dire lack of time and manpower to verify all the thousands of people seen on CCTV who were suspected to be Eunseong.

Since he had gone so far as to pack Yoo Siun’s own clothes, he had pinned his hopes on the bag, believing the boy would surely return to fetch it. But Eunseong did not appear at the subway station restroom. That could mean a situation had arisen where he was unable to come for the bag. They shared the same thought, but they did not speak the ominous words out loud.

The car raced toward Taebaek.

“I couldn’t find the bag.”

“The bag wasn’t there? Not even at the lost and found center?”

Kim Dong-jun, who had set out to find Eunseong’s bag with his ball cap pulled down, returned about an hour later. The bag Eunseong had hidden in the restroom was not in his hands.

Taking off his hat and running a hand through his disheveled hair, Kim Dong-jun took a deep breath as if trying to calm his startled heart. He was in a state of confusion, like someone who had experienced something terrifying.

“I arrived at the subway station and was about to go straight to the restroom, but the bread that’s sold out at all the convenience stores in this neighborhood had just arrived at the subway convenience store. It’s quite profitable to resell those. So I stopped at the convenience store first to buy the bread, and when I came out… Haaa.”

Kim Dong-jun explained that far, then caught his breath once before continuing, saying his heart was still racing.

“And then?”

“I was just about to enter the restroom when I saw someone being dragged out by men in black suits. But those bastards were carrying the bag you mentioned. A black North Face, with a Minions key ring on the zipper. That’s the one, right?”

“…That’s right. Were there three Minions attached?”

“One playing a guitar, one holding a doll, and there was an AirPods case attached too. That’s the one, right?”

It was Eunseong’s bag. He had described Eunseong’s bag exactly. Eunseong had only said there were three Minions; he hadn’t described their shapes in detail.

“I have a really good gut feeling, you know? Those three Minion key rings caught my eye immediately, and I saw two scary-looking men dragging him away. It felt so damn ominous that I went back into the convenience store and kept watching while pretending to eat ramen. But after a while, those men who took the bag reappeared.”

“Where? At the restroom?”

“Fuck, do you know what’s even more chilling? They put that bag back in the restroom.”

“…”

“Wow, fuck. Can you see the goosebumps on my arm right now? Seeing that gave me the real creeps. Two perfectly normal-looking men reappeared with that bag with the Minion key rings and put it back inside the restroom. And then they hid and started checking and monitoring the people coming and going.”

“…”

Eunseong also felt goosebumps rising on his arms. His startled heart pounded. Kim Dong-jun also gulped down water repeatedly and rubbed his pale face.

“So what could I do? They were standing guard in front of the restroom. There was no way to bring it out. I had no choice but to watch and then just come back.”

Kim Dong-jun added dejectedly that that was the reason he couldn’t bring the bag.

Yoo Siun was chasing Eunseong, who had vanished into the crowd. Eunseong couldn’t understand why he was going to such lengths. Just as Kim Dong-jun was spooked, Eunseong even had the illusion that he was being chased by bad people.

Since having feelings for each other was a “trashy” thing, he was disappearing for him; he was getting out of his sight; he was vanishing on his own before he became a nuisance to be cleared away—yet the person who should be grateful was interfering.

Eunseong had left him so that he would no longer have to beg for feelings that weren’t right.

It wasn’t a house without descendants; his grandfather had five brothers, so it made no sense that there wasn’t a single person among their children fit to be an heir.

Eunseong was the legitimate successor by blood, but he was lacking in ability. He thought he might barely manage to graduate high school, but even getting into a university in Seoul was a distant dream.

If it was out of a sense of responsibility to keep the promise he made to his father when he brought him in, Eunseong wanted to call him right now and tell him to stop. He was an adult now anyway, and there was no need or reason for anyone to take responsibility for him. Especially, he never wanted to lean on Yoo Siun, of all people. He had run away because he hated that.

“They didn’t look like ordinary guys. Just what kind of private loan did you take out?”

Kim Dong-jun clicked his tongue.

“I’ll have to give it up. The bag.”

“Yeah, I think it’s best to give up. Was there anything important in it?”

“No, nothing important. I have my money with me.”

They were things he treasured, but there was nothing he absolutely couldn’t do without.

“Phew, then give it up right away. Don’t even think about it. It was truly terrifying itself.”

Kim Dong-jun said he would look after his own business now and told Eunseong to come out in time for his shift. There weren’t many customers during the day.

“Since you couldn’t get your bag, does that mean you don’t even have things like underwear right now?”

“I’m going to go out and buy some later. There are other things I need too.”

“If you need money, I’ll ask the boss for an advance for you.”

Kim Dong-jun misunderstood Eunseong’s situation and tried to help him in any way he could. It seemed he wasn’t someone without luck when it came to people. During his last runaway, Choi Jungeon was frantic to help, and this time, Kim Dong-jun was anxious because he couldn’t help Eunseong.

“It’s okay. I have some emergency money. I can buy them with that.”

“Winter clothes are expensive, so don’t buy new ones. There’s a place that sells secondhand clothes in the next alley. Go pick some out there. Most of them are clean and are brand names, so they’ll be wearable.”

“I’ll do that. Thanks, hyung. And I’m sorry for making you go on a wild goose chase today.”

“Don’t mention it. We should help each other out. You look like you’ve never known a day of hardship… Hang in there. If it’s a debt your family owes, you have to keep your paperwork in order so the debt isn’t inherited. I’ll explain that to you in detail later. Don’t try to do anything alone; make sure to ask those around you.”

“…Yes, hyung.”

The kinder Kim Dong-jun was, the more uncomfortable Eunseong felt, as if he were deceiving him. He quickly left and entered the small room used as staff quarters.

Kim Dong-jun’s space was on the inside, hidden by a curtain, and Eunseong’s spot was on the opposite side. A single bed and a chest of drawers were the only furniture.

Perhaps the staff quarters were converted from an old storage room; it had been excluded from the remodeling, preserving the shabbiness of the previous building. It was narrow, and since the window was on Kim Dong-jun’s side, very little light entered. No matter how much he braced himself to live diligently, it was a place so humble and unsightly that it felt like it would drain whatever energy he had just by entering the room.

Eunseong tried sitting on the bed. The springs, burdened by his weight, sank deeply.

Until just a few days ago, Eunseong lived in a penthouse. The night view he saw from there, the luxurious life of being chauffeured every day, the environment where he could get anything he wanted just by speaking. He only now realized how exceptionally well he had been treated, as the reality before his eyes set in.

Should he have just stayed?

Should he have just… pretended not to like him, and not asked for things like a kiss?

Then he could have seen his face every day, gone for a run with him in the evening, and shared the coffee he brewed. He could have wandered the garden at night on the pretext of strange noises and gotten soaked by the heavy scent of grass.

Then once, because the sprinklers actually went off, his body had ended up dripping wet. The image of the water droplets sparkling in the moonlight and Yoo Siun wiping his wet face moved slowly, like a dream.

Eunseong had been looking down, unable to properly stare at his frame revealed by the soaking clothes, and Yoo Siun had approached him, asking what was on the ground, his scent wafting over. Even then, Yoo Siun didn’t know why Eunseong’s face was flushed red.

He shouldn’t have said he liked him. He shouldn’t have begged for a kiss.