Chapter 570. Persuading (5)

Chapter 570. Persuading (5)

After grabbing a taxi and loading the drunk Ju Yeong-Gi into its backseat, Kang Jin-Ho watched his friend leave while leisurely mouthing a cigarette.

Click...

He expertly lit the cigarette with a lighter and slowly puffed away in silence. He then glanced at Park Yu-Min. “Aren't you going to take a taxi, too?”

“Nah. Seongsim's not too far from here, you know. I'll just walk home.”

“Still, wouldn't it be better to take a taxi?”

“Listen, Jin-Ho. This thing called money? It disappears the more you use it. Living like a total scrooge is uncool, but you should still know when to be more financially responsible.”

“...I don't think now's the time, though?”

“It's fine. Let's go for a walk, Jin-Ho. I wanted to talk to you about something, you see? Besides, I gotta sober up too, so a stroll might do us good.”

“Mm...” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded.

He was also not a fan of riding in taxis. Even so, he still wanted Park Yu-Min to find a taxi since his friend would inevitably attract people's curious gazes while walking through crowded streets.

It wasn't done out of malice, of course. Kang Jin-Ho would've destroyed any bastard daring to mock Park Yu-Min for his limp, but half of the gazes were done instinctively.

Those gazes were—mostly—from people finding someone different from them somewhat strange to behold. However, those gazes without malice sometimes were harder to endure. And Park Yu-Min had to live his entire life being subjected to such gazes. Kang Jin-Ho was well aware of what it felt like to live that way.

“Okay, let's go,” said Park Yu-Min.

It seemed he didn't particularly mind those gazes. Although, it was unknown whether he genuinely didn't mind them, or he was desperately hiding his real feelings.

Whatever the case might be, Kang Jin-Ho still believed Park Yu-Min was truly a remarkable, strong individual.

Park Yu-Min looked up at the dark sky. “The weather's getting a bit chillier, isn't it?”

“Mm... Autumn's coming, that's why.”

“I don't dare to walk around like this in the middle of summer, though. I'm seriously weak against hot weather, you know? The greatest person in the history of mankind has to be the dude who invented the air conditioning.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

The two of them chatted about this and that while heading toward the orphanage. While walking along the familiar streets, Park Yu-Min suddenly recalled the past. “Hang on. That street over there.”

“Mm?” Kang Jin-Ho glanced at the alleyway.

“Whenever you gave me a ride on your bicycle, you took that street.”

“Oh, yeah. That's right,” Kang Jin-Ho chuckled softly.

Back then, Kang Jin-Ho's Golden Elephant acted as Park Yu-Min's feet. It would've been quite taxing for Park Yu-Min to walk up the steep hill everyday, so Kang Jin-Ho used to give his friend a ride almost all the time.

“Now that I think about it, that's when I noticed you're a weird guy,” said Park Yu-Min.

“Mm?”

“It's already hard walking up that hill, yet you wanted to tackle it on your bicycle, of all things. How did you do it, anyway? With me as a passenger, no less?”

Kang Jin-Ho shrugged his shoulders. “Anyone with sturdy legs could've done it.”

“I'm pretty sure no one in the world will meet your standard of 'having sturdy legs', Jin-Ho.”

“Maybe.”

Park Yu-Min raised his head and stared at the distant skies again. Kang Jin-Ho naturally followed his friend to look up as well. All they could see was the night sky so dark that some divine entity must've splashed black paint all over the place. Such a gloomy, star-less night was looking back at them.

“Hey, Jin-Ho?”

“Yeah?”

“Would... Sister Yi say I'm doing great if she sees me now?”

Kang Jin-Ho didn't reply right away and kept staring at the sky.

'Sister Yi... The orphanage's director...'

That name had become a little more distant in his memories these days. However, hearing it in moments like this would always bring back everything—what she said, her warm expressions, and most of all...

...Her hands.

Her frail, emaciated hands grasping Kang Jin-Ho's hand back then... The sensation of her skin was still burned deeply into Kang Jin-Ho's soul, even now!

“Yes, I'm sure she would've said you're doing great, Yu-Min.”

“You think so?”

“Yes.”

Even if Park Yu-Min had strayed down the wrong path, Sister Yi wouldn't have criticized him. No, she'd gently reach out and guide him back to the light.

Unfortunately, Kang Jin-Ho couldn't emulate her. He couldn't become like her. A figure like Sister Yi, seemingly a personification of all mercy and benevolence existing in this world, was not someone the likes of Kang Jin-Ho could even hold a candle to. Even if he was reborn countless times, he'd never be able to follow her example. Even so...

“That I do. Your best and greatest friend,” Kang Jin-Ho harrumphed proudly.

“Heh...” Park Yu-Min chuckled softly, then looked up in front. “Wow. We're already here.”

“Mm...”

Even though they deliberately walked slower than usual, they had already reached the orphanage's gates.

Kang Jin-Ho slowly rubbed his chin. “Should I drop by and say hello?”

Park Yu-Min chuckled in dismay. “What are you talking about? Everyone's asleep by now, you know? Please come back during the daytime, dear customer.”

“Mm. I should do that.”

“Good. Anyway, I'm going in. Later, Jin-Ho.”

“Yeah, later. Give me a call before moving into the team residence, okay?”

“I was going to call you before that, though?”

“Suit yourself,” Kang Jin-Ho casually shrugged his shoulders.

Park Yu-Min smiled brightly and waved his hand. Kang Jin-Ho waved back while watching his friend head toward the orphanage. And when Park Yu-Min's figure slipped inside the building, Kang Jin-Ho took out a fresh cigarette and mouthed it.

The unhealthy smoke rushed inside his lungs before slowly entering the atmosphere. As his senses picked up the smell of the cigarette burning away, Kang Jin-Ho raised his head and stared at the skies.

'What would Sister Yi think about me now, huh...?'

Maybe Kang Jin-Ho should've been the one asking that question, not Park Yu-Min. After all, Park Yu-Min hadn't done anything wrong.

No, all he was guilty of was trying to live his life to the fullest. However, what about Kang Jin-Ho?

Wasn't he willingly waltzing into the flames of war? By insisting on sticking to his current path, death and bloodshed would always, always, accompany him wherever he goes.

Kang Jin-Ho's initial wish after returning to the modern era was to live an ordinary life. An ordinary life similar to everyone else's. To live as a person living in the modern world who didn't have to kill or be killed.

But now...?

“Am I doing the right thing, Sister?”

Kang Jin-Ho quietly closed his eyes. Yes, he knew that someone had to do it.

Even the modern era couldn't completely isolate itself from violence. Martial artists still existed everywhere. Knowing that truth meant Kang Jin-Ho would've had no choice but to go through this experience sooner or later. Even so...

'Right. I'm different now.'

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the current Kang Jin-Ho was a totally different person from the 'Kang Jin-Ho' right after his return. Even if they looked the same on the surface, the contents had completely transformed by now. And that reality sometimes made Kang Jin-Ho hesitate.

'Should I be proud of myself?'

Kang Jin-Ho's situation was the total opposite of Park Yu-Min's. From his perspective, Kang Jin-Ho hadn't done anything wrong. It had always been other people invading his life, and he simply responded appropriately to protect the world he lived in.

He could ask himself this question thousands, nay, a million times and still respond with the same answer. That he was not in the wrong.

However... Would Kang Jin-Ho be able to say that in front of Sister Yi?

Could he proudly say he was not wrong after killing people to protect people? That he didn't regret anything while cutting people's heads off to protect his acquaintances?

Kang Jin-Ho thought that... No, it'd be difficult to do so. He wouldn't even be able to look Sister Yi in the eyes. And he found this deeply ironic.

Kang Jin-Ho looked up at the skies again. He thought he briefly saw Sister Yi's visage on that inky-black canvas of the starless night.

“I... won't say I'm sorry,” Kang Jin-Ho quietly muttered, his voice sounding bitter and hollow. “I'm simply different, that's all. And I do not believe I'm in the wrong, ma'am.”

What would Sister Yi say after hearing that? Would she get angry? Or look back at Kang Jin-Ho in sorrow? Or...

Or smile warmly as usual and reach out to him again?

Kang Jin-Ho had no way of knowing. He couldn't know. Sister Yi always had been someone who... Who transcended Kang Jin-Ho's ability to comprehend, after all.

“I will honor your request, ma'am. That request for me to become someone who knows how to reach out to people... Yes, I will honor it. I'll follow your example and work hard to lower the number of people going through difficult times.”

However...!

“You might say this is not the way, but this world requires someone willing to dirty their hands. Someone who doesn't care about staining themselves in blood. If others can't do it, then I will. That is why you... Please don't look at me with those eyes, ma'am.”

Kang Jin-Ho eventually lowered his head. Sister Yi's eyes looking down from the heavens were too sorrowful for him to keep staring back.

“I will protect my world.”

Even if that meant some people would lose their lives... Even if countless souls would have to shed their blood because of him!

What would change at this stage, anyway? After all, Kang Jin-Ho had been an evil incarnate from the very beginning.

“It's just that...”

Kang Jin-Ho tossed the burnt cigarette butt on the ground, then stubbed it in silence. He couldn't bring himself to finish the rest of his sentence.

Kang Jin-Ho turned around and wordlessly walked toward the darkness that had settled on the street. His silhouette seemed to cut a somewhat melancholic figure.