ANTITOXIN Chapter 18

On the daily stem of Gyesu (癸水), the partial officer and the injury official clashed sharply. It was a state of conflict between water and fire (水火相戰) where a boiling fire demon seethed beneath a cold stream of water; even if he appeared cold as ice on the outside, his inside would be quite sensitive and anxious. Because his own standard was like a blade, he would hold a blade-like standard to others as well, and to this kind of human, an envelope of money would approach not as sincerity but as an insult. He would rather be the type where properly observing formalities once would work much better.

This was the characteristic of the broker that Seolwon read. His personality was a part that a quick-witted person could grasp even after mixing words a few times, so it couldn’t be said to be particularly special information. What Seolwon paid attention to was the smell coming from him. Mysteriously, the smell of gunpowder he had smelled from the business card did not come much from the person himself. It wasn’t that it didn’t come at all, but rather, the fact that the smell of paper was severe… he seemed like a person more proficient in paperwork than weapons made of iron.

One more thing. Traces of tears were visible on his face. It wasn’t that it actually existed, but it was visible through his spiritual eye. The trace was even quite dark. This signified the density of the sadness he felt. The cause of the sadness was also guessed. It must be because he sent away a precious life. Probably… it would be an animal, not a human. How did he know, he knew by looking at the hairs attached on top of his clothes. Actually, it was so faint that it was embarrassing to even express that it was visible, but it clearly existed. The hair of a beast presumed to be a puppy or a cat.

For a person who can feel sadness at the death of a life to smash another person’s head without a care… He didn’t even just kill him. It was close to purposely crushing him as if to display or warn. Even if murder according to a purpose is possible, it was not thought of as the action of a person who possessed human sympathy. By Seolwon’s common sense, it was so.

The more he looked, and thereby the more he came to know, Seolwon was a bit flustered by the broker’s characteristics that deviated from expectation. The sense of disparity between the figure already constructed inside his head and the broker existing in reality before his eyes felt distantly large.

That aside…

“Haha! That’s it! That’s right, HEAD101!”

Slap!

He hits again.

No, should he say he touches?

Seolwon glanced down at Executive Director Hwang’s hand placed on top of his thigh. Since some time ago, Executive Director Hwang’s left hand had been repeatedly touching his thigh. At first, it seemed simply like a hand habit committed unconsciously, so he didn’t mind it. But it grew bothersome as it went on. To be precise, it became unpleasant. Originally, he didn’t like skinship with people anyway, but let alone that, because it was a contact committed without consent by a person he didn’t know well. Furthermore, it felt like the hand was coming deeper inside as it went on.

“That drone is precisely our masterpiece. Honestly, well, it’s safe to say we are making a living with that. But because it’s made that well! Isn’t it so, Team Leader Go?”

“That is correct. In the industry, they are already evaluating our HEAD line as a tier above the Zalpa series. Naturally, you would know better than us, but considering the position the Zalpa series possesses in the market…”

Whether because of the deepening smell of alcohol or Executive Director Hwang’s rude hand, his stomach slowly began to feel nauseous. It was due to being exposed to an unpleasant environment for too long. For now, even to naturally shake off Executive Director Hwang’s hand, it seemed necessary to escape from here once.

Seolwon carefully gauged Executive Director Hwang’s reaction. He was watching Team Leader Go, who was passionate about appealing the company, with a pleased eye. It seemed like a notation that wasn’t bad to talk to him.

“Um, I am sorry, but I will go to the restroom for a moment.”

When he requested implicitly, Executive Director Hwang raised and waved the hand he was keeping on his thigh as if to tell him to do as he pleased. It was an attitude of having absolutely no interest outside of work talk.

Seolwon, who safely obtained permission, quickly rose from his seat.

“Haa…”

Coming outside, he exhaled a long breath. A cool wind harboring darkness brushes his cheek. He didn’t like the night air all that much, but right now it was just refreshing. It would mean he was feeling that much suffocation inside.

The garden was thoroughly quiet with no one around. Occasionally, there was a sound leaking outside from the main building, but it wasn’t to a noisy level. As for wandering spirits, only a faint energy was sensed, and there was no shape caught in his eye. In many ways, it was a place that wasn’t bad to take a temporary rest.

Seolwon, who was looking around the surroundings, bent his knees, sat down, and looked up at the sky. If possible, his intention was to kill some time here until that drinking party ended. At any rate, he had roughly grasped about the broker. Although he didn’t know if it was meaningful, words to say to President Kim had arisen. It meant he had done all his work.

By the way.

“A weapons broker…”

Somehow it left an unpleasant aftertaste. No, the expression that it was strange is more correct.

How should he say it. The figure felt from the photograph or business card and the broker he saw earlier did not connect easily, should he say. Especially the wandering spirit that was attached next to President Kim… that man was definitely killed by the broker without a doubt. Yet, the broker he met just now had an energy that was too clean.

Usually, an extremely murky and dark energy is bound to be felt from a murderer, but he didn’t sense such an energy at all. He didn’t smell the bloody stench that was wafting from the wandering spirit either. If he were truly the murderer who killed the wandering spirit, a similar smell should have come out even a little bit.

The smell of gunpowder is also like that. That was also strange. If it was to the extent of remaining on the business card, it was normal for it to come out thicker from the person himself.

“Hmm…”

The more he chewed on it, only a sense of incompatibility arose. At last, a fundamental suspicion even arose wondering if the man’s occupation was correct as a weapons broker.

Seolwon, who was swept by a sense of incompatibility for which he couldn’t know the reason, tilted his head and muttered.

“What is it… why is it this strange?”

It was then.

“What is?”

Into his thoughts, an unfamiliar voice suddenly broke in.

“…!”

Seolwon, who was startled, quickly turned around. At that, his eyes met. With a man of a face that gave a sense of déjà vu.

And,

“Hi.”

A refreshing greeting flew in.

Along with a light hand gesture, a slight nod.

“Uh?”

He didn’t think, ‘Who is it?’ Because he knew as soon as he saw him. It was that man he saw at the art museum a month ago.

To put it differently, it also meant that even though he had seen him exactly once a month ago, he was an extraordinary person to the extent that he recalled him at once.

Naturally, it wasn’t a welcome thing. He was merely thoroughly flustered. It wasn’t just to a flustered degree. It was to the extent that his head turned blankly white as soon as he saw him. It was because he hadn’t thought at all that there would be a day to see him again.

The man intently gazed at Seolwon, who was frozen without even being able to blink his eyes. Then, unexpectedly, poke, he extended his hand and poked Seolwon’s cheek. Only then did Seolwon blink his eyes. Much like a person who broke free from anesthesia.

Soon, the corners of the man’s mouth curled up.

“Uh? Why is this person here? Wow, I see this person again? My, this person is handsome even looking at him again. Which among the three is it?”

“…Pardon?”

“I’m asking what you thought about me just now. In my opinion, it seems like number 3, is that right?”

Number 3? If it’s number 3…

The expression of Seolwon, who quickly chewed on the words the man said, crumpled greatly.

“Number 3… it isn’t.”

Although he knew that not giving food to nonsense was best, because it was a misconception that he couldn’t pass over at all, Seolwon denied it. At this, the man opened his eyes wide.

“Really? That’s unexpected.”

Exactly what.

To say it was unexpected would mean he thought number 3 was the correct answer. To Seolwon, it was a certainty that felt ridiculous. Because he wondered how anyone could be this shameless.

That the man was handsome was a fact both objectively and subjectively. Manifestly to the extent that he had no choice but to acknowledge it. Even so, neither then nor now had he ever done anything like admiring. Rather, a sigh almost came out at the appearance of a shirt more splendid than last time. It was a shirt where blue-colored floral patterns were very densely embedded. It was loud to the extent that it was mysterious where on earth he bought and wore such clothes.

Soon, a question flew in from the man again.

“If it’s not number 3? Ah, is it number 4?”

Number 4? What was number 4?

It was just when Seolwon was about to try groping his memory again.

“For your reference, number 4 is, ‘To think I’d see you again like this, how moving,’ you see.”

“…”

Seolwon’s gaze toward the man turned chilly in an instant. At the gaze signifying a stubborn denial, the man pouted his lower lip and asked repeatedly.

“It’s not number 4 either? Then what number is it. By any chance, number 5…”

“It’s number 1.”