CH 133

Chloe, who was originally scheduled to be in Korea for about a month, flew back to the United States with Edward on a morning flight.

Chloe, who called me before she got on the plane, gave me a number she was using in the US and said she would contact me by the messenger when she learned about the culprit.

[See you again! Han Yi-gyeol-ssi!]

Edward said his final goodbye in a bright voice. I replied with a slight smile.

“Yes. See you next time. Be careful, Edward-ssi.”

When the call ended, Kim Woo-jin, who had just left, returned. In his hand was a kraft paper envelope as he had previously received the gate information.

“Here.”

Kim Woo-jin, who walked in front of me, handed me the documents, took off his hat, and lightly brushed his hair.

“Thanks.”

I sat on the sofa and removed the tape that had blocked the entrance to the envelope. Today, no one came into the room except Kim Woo-jin. Kim Woo-jin, for some reason, didn’t take out his clone and sat quietly next to me.

“Han Yi-gyeol, I’ve also forwarded the contents you organized earlier. Hyde says he will get back it to you as soon as there’s progress.”

I nodded at Kim Woo-jin’s words. I told Kim Woo-jin about the information I got from meeting Samael in person. When he activated his ability, he flicked his fingers, summoned people that wearing black masks, and possessed hard-to-find items such as space movement and shutters.

“If he has a conscience, he will bring anything this time.”

“Don’t do that too much.” (너무 그러지 마)

I lightly grabbed Kim Woo-jin’s white wrist, who was grumbling with his sullen face.

“You’re purposely taking the time to help.”

“…that.”

Kim Woo-jin, who had opened his mouth to say something, blinked a few times and then pulled out his grasped wrist. Kim Woo-jin’s ears, who turned away from me and stared straight ahead, were exceptionally red.

He was out of his mind again. In a sense of concentration, I said as I pulled the documents out of the envelope.

“Samael and the puppeteer are difficult. We need to find out the name of the puppeteer quickly.”

The surrounding area continued threatening, it was necessary to obtain information as soon as possible. It would be better if their purpose was revealed.

Calculating the remaining time in my head, I opened the first page of the document. Personal information was lined up along with an ID photo of Kang Seung-geon in a suit. Kang Seung-geon in the picture was a little more fine than the last time I saw him.

Kang Seung-geon. Blun Guild Master. 32 years old. The only son of Rep. Kang Cheol-woo.

Unlike Cheon Sa-yeon, Lee Joo-ha, and Hong Si-ah, who set up a guild by themselves and sat in the master’s position, it was said that he took over the Blun Guild Master’s position. The previous master of Blun Guild was Lee Seung-woo, an S-rank talented person.

‘That’s a name I’ve heard of.’

In the current situation where Kang Seung-geon was arrested and received mental therapy, he was the most often referred to as the next person to occupy the master’s position. I thought it was simply because the evaluation was good, but was there a reason for this?

The party was currently refusing him as the leader of Blun Guild because they were quite satisfied with it, but anyway. The important part was the incidents that occurred when Kang Seung-geon took the master position from Lee Seung-woo.

Until 2017, when Lee Seung-woo was in charge of the Blun Guild, it was a simple and ordinary guild with no problems. Rather, the profit part or overall evaluation was higher than that of Jayna. In March 2018, when Kang Seung-geon ascended to the master’s position, the situation in the Blun Guild completely changed.

From June 2018 to the Gangnam incident not long ago, large and small problems were lined up so that it was difficult to count with both hands. Assault on employees, assault on reporters, and assault on the general public were basic, and there had been cases of negligence in gate management or the guild master’s rudeness.

Kim Woo-jin, who was sitting close to me and looking at the documents together, frowned and said a word.

“Garbage bastard.”

“That’s a bit harsh.”

I answered lightly and calmly looked at the listed things. I didn’t know when Kang Seung-geon and Han Yi-gyeol met, so it was better to go back to the past from recently.

“The Gangnam incident.”

I went down slowly, stroking the letters with my fingers. It was the C13 Area gate explosion that stopped me.

The memory of that day flashed into my mind. It was the day I secretly met Ha Tae-heon and returned. At that time, I met Cheon Sa-yeon in this room… I followed him out. To learn about gate anomalies.

As if rewinding a video, everything that happened then came to mind in detail.

“Han Yi-gyeol?”

Kim Woo-jin, who felt something strange as I stared blankly at the documents without doing anything, grabbed my shoulder, but my memory continued without interruption.

“Hey, Master Cheon Sa-yeon. This time, I’m really embarrassed!”

Kang Seung-geon sweated and made an excuse to Cheon Sa-yeon. That was how I started talking to Cheon Sa-yeon…

“Master Kang Seung-geon.”

Cheon Sa-yeon pushed Kang Seung-geon.

“Up ‘til now, the C12 Area incident was not properly organized, then the C13 Area exploded, so this time it will be difficult to avoid disciplinary action from the headquarters.”

C12 Area. I quickly put my finger down.

Six months ago from now. On October 12, the gate of the C12 Area exploded. Talented people from the guild management headquarters and nearby guilds were urgently dispatched, and among them were Master Cheon Sa-yeon and Requiem employees.

As I read the article, I suddenly remembered a scene I had seen in my dream. A thick smell of gas and a burning fire. A scream echoed in every narrow alley and a girl collapsed on the sloping floor. I inadvertently touched my injured side in my dream.

“You? It was you, right? Shit, that time. That stinky shantytown!”

What was the probability that the shantytown that Kang Seung-geon talked about and the place I saw in my dream coincide?

“… Kim Woo-jin.”

“Oh?”

I asked Kim Woo-jin, who was watching me with an anxious expression.

“When did you meet me?”

“When… did you meet me?”

“Han Yi-gyeol. When was the first time we met?”

Kim Woo-jin, who was bewildered by the sudden question, barely answered.

“I think it was November… I don’t remember exactly. It was probably October or November.”

If so, it was most likely late October or early November. If the C12 Area gate exploded on October 12th, and that was the opportunity meeting between Han Yi-gyeol and Cheon Sa Yeon…

“Han Yi-gyeol, wait a minute.”

Kim Woo-jin grabbed my shoulder and forced me to turn, slowly examining my face.

“Kim Woo-jin?”

“Just now, for a second, your eyes seem to have turned black.”

The guy said something I didn’t understand.

“Is it just imagination?”

Kim Woo-jin, who muttered while narrowing his eyes, sighed.

“I don’t know what surprised you so much, but calm down. You’re too pale right now and you’re sweating.”

“Sweating?”

I reflexively touched my forehead, and then I recognized the sweat. Not only that, but the headache gradually worsened and my body was rapidly exhausted. As if I had run with all my might, I was extremely exhausted.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but…”

Kim Woo-jin, who held my droopy me in his arms, took the documents.

“I haven’t read it yet.”

“How can you read more in this state?”

Kim Woo-jin, who pushed the documents on the table, leaned forward while holding me. I lay my back on the sofa and looked up at Kim Woo-jin. He locked me between his arms and said as if to comfort me.

“Rest for now. There’s no reason to be in a hurry.”

“Uum.”

I blinked my eyes slowly while groaning. It was definitely comfortable to lie down on.

“I’ll have to go to C12 Area tomorrow.”

“Let’s go together.”

Not knowing what the situation was right now, Kim Woo-jin replied as if he had waited for it.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Samael might appear again. If I take you, things get more complicated. It’s easy to run away alone.”

“But.”

“And you already took two days off. You’re going to training tomorrow.”

At the last words, Kim Woo-jin kept his mouth shut. Surely he couldn’t use his vacation for three days in a row, and he lowered the corners of his eyebrows and became very sullen.

“Will it be really okay?”

“Yeah. It probably won’t take long.”

“Why are you going there?”

“……”

This time, I couldn’t easily answer. After hesitating for a while, I raised my upper body.

“That, about this one.”

“Alright.”

Kim Woo-jin, who stopped me from speaking, laid me down again. Lying flat on the sofa again, I opened my eyes wide to the distance with Kim Woo-jin, who was too close. Kim Woo-jin’s behaviour, sitting between the legs apart and sticking his upper body close together, made his posture a bit uncomfortable.

“…Kim Woo-jin?”

Kim Woo-jin’s handsome face in front of my nose was very burdensome. Kim Woo-jin, who had been biting his lip with conflicting eyes, bowed his head in my arms as if giving up. Looking at Kim Woo-jin’s red hair tickling the nape of his neck, the guy mumbled belatedly.

“I understand, don’t force yourself if you don’t want to talk.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to say it.”

“No matter what, I will be by your side.”

The voice that spoke like that was full of desperation. It was more like a plea to please don’t throw him away. I carefully rubbed Kim Woo-jin’s back.

“Kim Woo-jin. What’s the matter?”

It was strange to see him suddenly depressed. He seemed to have gone through some major failure. I was worried and tried to look at his face, but it wasn’t easy to lift Kim Woo-jin, who was lying so close to me.

“It’s nothing…”

Even after saying those words, Kim Woo-jin, who had been burying his face in me for a long time, got up to his feet. His face, which was barely revealed, was stained red, and somehow I felt a sense of sadness.

“I, that… in the kitchen. I’ll bring you something to drink.”

“Okay.”

Kim Woo-jin got up from the sofa and walked to the kitchen. I scratched my forehead as I looked at Kim Woo-jin’s round head with my head slightly stretched while lying down.

‘Is there anything difficult these days? Did Kwon Jeong-han even harass him when I wasn’t around?’

I didn’t know if I could leave it alone. He was very sensitive, so it was a bit awkward to ask.

I sat on the sofa and thought seriously with my arms folded, but my cell phone vibrated. To my surprise, it was Ha Tae-heon’s phone call.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi!”

I was happy to hear the phone call, so I quickly pressed the call connection button. Ha Tae-heon answered my call in a low voice.

[Han Yi-gyeol. Where?]

“I’m in the Requiem Guild. Did you have a safe trip to China?”

[Yeah.]

Ha Tae-heon said immediately.

[I have a lot to talk about, so I’ll see you tonight.]

“Tonight?”

I frowned at Ha Tae-heon’s voice, who seemed to have nowhere to spare. Something didn’t feel right.

“What time is it?”

[Do whatever you feel comfortable with. But, it would be nice to see you sooner.]

“Then are you okay on the usual time?”

[I get it. Then let me wait at the hotel.]

“Yes.”

When I finished the call, I could feel my heart beating nervously. Judging from Ha Tae-heon’s reaction, it seemed that something happened in China.

I was nervous every time I met Ha Tae-heon, but this time it was especially severe. Even though there was still time, I was already nervous.

‘I have to finish reading the documents.’

I felt like I couldn’t concentrate at all in this mood. While exhaling a tired breath, I reflexively smiled at Kim Woo-jin, who came out of the kitchen with a better complexion, and hid my shaking emotions.