CH 134

As soon as I confirmed that Kim Woo-jin was returning to his room, I immediately wore the outdoor clothes and shoes and went out through the bedroom window. The moon shone yellow in the clear sky and the noise of cars and the night view spread wide below.

As I flew to the alley next to the hotel I was used to, I saw Ha Tae-heon standing next to the parked car. You were always waiting in the car… why were you out today?

“Han Yi-gyeol.”

Ha Tae-heon found me floating in the air and spread his arms very naturally. Feeling a bit tickled by the sight, I hesitated for a moment and then went down slowly.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi.”

Ha Tae-heon grabbed my waist and I grabbed his shoulder. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I looked up at Ha Tae-heon and asked.

“Have you been well when you were there?”

“Yeah.”

I carefully looked at the appearance of Ha Tae-heon in front of me.

He was the same as the last time we met, except that his skin got a little rough because he hadn’t slept well.

“Han Yi-gyeol, you.”

“Yes?”

“Did nothing happen?”

I was relieved in my heart and then I hardened at the next question.

“Um, oh. That…”

Ha Tae-heon wriggled his sharp eyebrows as I hesitated to answer right away. Ha Tae-heon, who noticed that I was slowly stepping backwards like a ghost, gave strength to his two hands holding my waist.

“Ugh!”

“Han Yi-gyeol.”

A cold sweat broke out at the stern voice as if scolding a child. Ha Tae-heon said slowly to me, who was smiling awkwardly while feeling the tingling sensation in my waist.

“I think the conversation will take longer than I thought.”

“Ha, haha…”

“We’re leaving right away.”

Ha Tae-heon shoved me into the car. I was seated in the passenger seat in an instant and headed to Ha Tae-heon’s house without any noise.

* * *

Arriving at Ha Tae-heon’s house, I quietly stuck myself on the sofa in the living room.

‘I didn’t expect to feel familiar with this place.’

Without looking back, Ha Tae-heon went straight to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. I swallowed dry saliva at the past memory of me drinking the milk after a wine. But were you going to give me something again this time?

“Eat it.”

What Ha Tae-heon gave me were raw strawberries in a transparent bowl. I placed the bowl on my lap and looked at Ha Tae-heon with a puzzled look.

“Eat.”

“……”

I wasn’t very hungry… But I didn’t have the courage to say that. I took a deep breath as I put a strawberry neatly arranged up to the top into my mouth. You didn’t think I was going to eat it all this time, did you?

“Talk slowly as you eat.”

“Uum.”

“While I was in China, what happened?”

Even though I was prepared, when I heard the question, the strawberry I was eating stuck in my throat. Ha Tae-heon continued to say to me, who was coughing a little.

“I remember contacting you in the middle.”

“I didn’t lie.”

Ha Tae-heon sent me a distrustful gaze. This was a bit unfair.

“I had some work to do.”

Ha Tae-heon, noticing what I had decided to explain, sat down across from me. Where should I start? My tongue licked my dry lips once.

“The mental-controlling ability person that was targeting me has approached me.”

“What?”

Ah. Did I bring it out too quickly? I hurriedly added to Ha Tae-heon’s reaction, who had a harsh impression.

“Bu, but it’s been resolved well!”

“Don’t miss a single thing. Explain everything, Han Yi-gyeol.”

I smiled belatedly, but there was still no way I could do it. At Ha Tae-heon’s words, I put the strawberry bowl on the table and made eye contact with his black eyes.

“…Deputy Master Chloe has a younger brother. He’s a producer and he’s someone I’ve been indebted to before.”

I started talking slowly so that Ha Tae-heon could understand. I followed Samael to save Edward and Kwon Jeong-han, and brought out the most important fact that we luckily survived until Cheon Sa-yeon came to rescue us.

“Samael’s mental control ability didn’t work on me.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Samael said it himself. Even I’m an A-rank, but the ability doesn’t work. Of course… it’s still dangerous.”

“I see. There are countless ways to use others like this one.”

“That’s right.”

Holding my hands, I bowed my head. Could I say this? When I hesitated, Ha Tae-heon waited for the next word without urging.

“…I’m being honest with you.”

With my eyes closed, Kwon Jeong-han, who was bleeding on the floor, and Edward, who was bleeding from the cut by his dagger, came to mind. It wasn’t just that. I had seen people who stayed by my side get hurt and bleeding because of me over and over again.

“I don’t care if it’s someone else I don’t know who was mind-controlled by Samael.”

“……”

“Because I can subdue anyone I don’t know.”

Even by killing them.

“Rather, the people around me are getting in the way.”

“Yes.”

I raised my face. From now on was important. I didn’t slow down my tension and opened my mouth in a hard, firm voice.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi. Please keep the contract.”

“Contract?”

“I need the Prophet’s information.”

At those words, Ha Tae-heon put on a complicated expression.

“You met him.”

If they hadn’t met in the first place, the conversation wouldn’t have been this long. When I rushed with conviction, Ha Tae-heon took a long, stuffy breath and put his back on the sofa and said.

“If I tell you?”

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi.”

“Are you going to see the Prophet?”

I frowned at the unexpected question.

“Why are you asking that? I.”

“What you just asked has nothing to do with the contract. This is just…”

Ha Tae-heon looked at me without finishing his words. After a long silence between him and me, I couldn’t stand it and asked first.

“Just?”

“It’s just a common concern among friends.”

Friend? I was very wary, but I couldn’t hide my surprise at the word ‘friend’ and opened my eyes wide.

“Friends…?”

Me and Ha Tae-heon? The protagonist and I were friends?

“How could I become friends with Ha Tae-heon-ssi?”

In embarrassment, the tone of voice jumped out as if arguing. However, Ha Tae-heon tilted his face slightly without showing displeasure.

“Is there any reason not to?”

“Do you believe me?”

I had always believed in Ha Tae-heon, but Ha Tae-heon was different. Of course, it wasn’t that I didn’t understand. The actions I had been doing so far were suspicious to anyone and Ha Tae-heon didn’t trust others easily due to his personality.

As I expected, Ha Tae-heon didn’t respond right away. Ha Tae-heon, who lowered his head with a shadowy face and wiped the corners of his eyes with his hand, looked at me immediately.

“I believe.”

Contrary to the attitude he had been pondering for a long time, the answer that came out was firm. Thanks to this, it was me who had nothing to say. We had been having a good conversation so far and suddenly I was confused about how to treat Ha Tae-heon.

“……”

Blood rushed to my face uncontrollably. Even without looking, I could tell that my neck and face were extremely red. I turned my body slightly to the side and covered my face with my hands as much as possible.

“Han Yi-gyeol.”

“Ahem. Yes.”

Ha Tae-heon, who was watching me with a strange look, continued to say what stopped him.

“Do you remember the conversation we had at Gulupdo Island Gate? I said that if I believed in you, you would answer honestly.”

Was it because my body was warm? It suddenly became very hot. I grabbed the neck of the T-shirt and flapped it to cool it off.

“I ask again. Are you going to see the Prophet?”

“…yes. So I’m gathering information.”

I answered as calmly as possible, but somehow it sounded like a child’s grunt.

“What are you going to do when you meet him?”

“I can’t say that.”

I wrapped my hands around my still hot neck.

“Please tell me now, Ha Tae-heon-ssi. Where did you meet the Prophet?”

“……”

Ha Tae-heon’s straight lips slowly opened and I heard the explanation of the prophet I had longed to know.

* * *

It was just past 5 in the morning. I opened the window on the terrace leading to the living room.

Looking up at the sky in the cool night breeze, I turned my attention to the presence I felt from behind.

“I’ll see you off.”

“No.”

My hair fluttered pleasantly. I smiled lightly as I watched Ha Tae-heon with his bangs swaying in the wind like me.

“The weather is nice so I will fly. I also need to organize my thoughts.”

I said as I sat on the terrace railing.

“Remember what I said when we went to the D8 Area to get the coat?”

The shirt I was wearing fluttered in the wind. Ha Tae-heon’s face that reflected in the moonlight was beautiful.

“My goal hasn’t changed since then.”

“To break free from Cheon Sa-yeon?”

“I want to escape and live without dying.”

“Are you saying that if you stay by Cheon Sa-yeon’s side, you will die?”

“It’s probably more dangerous.”

In the novel ‘Abyss’, Han Yi-gyeol protected Cheon Sa-yeon and died instead. It was never known he would die under what circumstances. Because Han Yi-gyeol’s death had nothing to do with the life of the main character, Ha Tae-heon. Even if he died, he was a trivial villain with no presence so much that he would be forgotten after a day. It was just that.

Now, everything had changed from the novel’s content, but I was still not at ease. Because Cheon Sa-yeon was still a dangerous opponent. I didn’t want to be swayed anymore.

“If you want to go see the Prophet in person, I will follow you.”

“Pardon?”

“How are you going to go to China if you can’t even take a mobile phone at will? Wasn’t it that you were going to leave in secret?”

“That’s true, but…”

The original plan was to ask Chloe for a favour. I hurriedly rolled my head around and calculated again then smiled.

“Is there any good way?”

“Yeah.”

To be honest, Ha Tae-heon was more reliable than Chloe if I wanted to move without being detected by Cheon Sa-yeon. Above all, if Ha Tae-heon solved this problem, Chloe’s ability could be borrowed at other times.

‘It’s not bad.’

Even a small opportunity was precious. I nodded my head while touching my mouth.

“All right. This time, I will trust Ha Tae-heon-ssi.”

“When are you going?”

“Honestly, I want to leave right away, but… there is still work to be done. I think it will take two days.”

“I get it.”

When I got up from my seat and used my energy, my body floated.

“Is your schedule okay?”

“I’m on vacation for a while. Don’t worry about unnecessary things and just contact me in time.”

“I will contact you on the cell phone you gave me in the first place.”

Ha Tae-heon grabbed the outstretched hand and slowly moved out of the terrace. As the distance increased, my hand holding Ha Tae-heon gradually loosened.

“Then… have a good night. Ha Tae-heon-ssi.”

“Yeah.”

After hesitating for a while, I released Ha Tae-heon’s hand and turned around. I crossed the darkest sky just before dawn.