CH 201

“Welcome, Deputy Master Ha Tae-heon. I have been waiting for you.”

“……”

Ha Tae-heon frowned slightly as he faced the blunt face of the opponent whose expression wasn’t reflected at all.

His current location was the main hall of the Requiem Guild. Ha Tae-heon, who entered the entrance, was greeted by a man with a gloomy impression with two bodyguards behind him.

‘His name… did they say Woo Seo-hyuk?’

The most capable secretary of Requiem and Cheon Sa-yeon’s right-hand man. Today was their first proper meeting since the Gangnam incident.

“I was told the purpose of the visit. I will guide you right away.”

Woo Seo-hyuk moved to the elevator dedicated to officials at the end of the hallway on the right, not the central elevator. Following him quietly, Ha Tae-heon recalled what had happened earlier.

Additional compensation was confirmed for the families of the bereaved family who died in the gate attack and a related meeting was held. Ha Tae-heon, who attended on behalf of Lee Joo-ha, who had an outside schedule, noticed the phone call only after the meeting was over.

Since he had it on silent, he would have missed it if he hadn’t pulled out his cell phone from the pocket of his suit jacket at the right time. Ha Tae-heon couldn’t hide his surprise when he saw the name of the number owner that appeared on the screen.

Han Yi-gyeol.

How the hell did he get in touch?

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi!”

When he answered the phone, he heard a familiar voice. He couldn’t possibly not notice. It was the voice he had been missing every moment since he came back from China.

“Umm, yes. That’s right.”

He was disappointed by Han Yi-gyeol’s decision to go to Requiem instead of himself, but he was still happier. Han Yi-gyeol was finally back. To Korea.

“If it’s okay with you… could you come to the Requiem Guild?”

Of course, even so, the proposal to come to Requiem was quite surprising. Rather than being upset, he was curious as to why. There was no way he could have said something like that for nothing.

‘No way…’

Come to think of it, Korea was full of people who were aiming for Han Yi-gyeol in the first place. Did something happen? It was at that moment when Ha Tae-heon frowned when he remembered the Praus Cult.

“Continue here.”

“……”

Suddenly, Cheon Sa-yeon’s voice interrupted. Hearing this, Ha Tae-heon’s sharp eyebrows twitched unpleasantly.

“Let go. I need to finish the call… hello? Ha Tae-heon-ssi?”

The questions that had risen to the tip of his chin disappeared in an instant. Ha Tae-heon spat out the answer that he would go without accepting anything.

“Pardon? Hold on a second, Ha Tae-heon-ssi. It’s not that…”

He felt sorry for Han Yi-gyeol, who was bewildered, but in order to leave immediately, he had to end the call and leave right away. They would see each other soon anyway, so they could talk again then. So Ha Tae-heon left Roheon and headed for Requiem.

“Where is Talented Han Yi-gyeol?”

When Ha Tae-heon, who got on the elevator, asked a question, Woo Seo-hyuk opened his mouth while pressing the 23rd-floor button.

“He is in the room on the 23rd floor.”

“Room?”

“Yes. This is the room he has been using ever since.”

He had been using it ever since? It sounded strange to say that it was used only to stop by Requiem.

Come to think of it, he had no idea where and how Han Yi-gyeol had been. Ha Tae-heon realized this only now and his heart sank.

Of course… he thought he had a place to return to. He was very poor but at least, he had a place to stay.

“I think he bought it… for his sister. But his sister is already…”  

The story he heard when he met Cha Soo-yeon the other day ran through his mind. As if stabbed by something, his chest felt stuffy and a piercing pain spread out.

Trring.

Just then, the elevator arrived on the 23rd floor. Wiing, beyond the slowly opened elevator door, a white hallway appeared.

“This way please.”

Following Woo Seo-hyuk and getting off the elevator, Ha Tae-heon struggled to overcome his complicated heart.

Whatever it might be, let’s meet first. He would have to meet him, explain the situation, and return his necklace.

‘And…’

If he really couldn’t find a place to stay, it wasn’t bad to go home with him.

There were plenty of rooms is empty and the clothes he wore the last time he stopped by were kept clean, so there wouldn’t be any inconveniences.

Ha Tae-heon, who had been thinking up to that point, suddenly realized.

‘…it’s very good.’

Why didn’t he do that earlier? Han Yi-gyeol had already stopped by a few times, so he wouldn’t be too awkward.

He had one more thing to say when they met in person. According to Han Yi-gyeol’s personality, he would certainly say it was okay at first, but… it didn’t matter though. If he persuaded him step by step, he would understand.

The place they arrived after passing through several doors was the end of the corridor on the 23rd floor. In front of the cleanest and only door with a door lock, Woo Seo-hyuk gestured.

“It’s not locked, so you can go inside.”

As he said, Ha Tae-heon grabbed the doorknob and opened the closed door without hesitation.

Squeak.

At the same time as the faint sound of metal resounding from the joint, a fairly wide entrance was revealed. Beyond that, a glimpse of the inside of the living room with a sofa, a table, and a TV could be seen.

“Agh, Yi-gyeol-ssi. He must be here.”

A voice he had heard before flowed through the faint scent of coffee. Then someone hurriedly got up and ran towards him.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi!”

As he expected, or as expected, the opponent who ran out was Han Yi-gyeol. Ha Tae-heon, who stood in front of the front door and didn’t move at all, like a beast wary of unfamiliar places, loosened his stiff shoulders.

“Han Yi-gyeol.”

When Ha Tae-heon called his name affectionately, Han Yi-gyeol smiled broadly. It was so bright that it looked like a flower blooming.

Ha Tae-heon, who was closely examining his white, small face that he hadn’t seen in a long time, confirmed that it hadn’t changed much from the last time he saw him.

He had something white on his shoulder, but at least, he didn’t appear to have been hurt. The moment he thought he was relieved.

“……?”

Ha Tae-heon’s gaze fell on Han Yi-gyeol’s ankle.

* * *

Kim Woo-jin, who said he would bring snacks, literally brought the first cookie I had ever seen on a plate. It was a small cookie in the shape of a bear and it was very fragrant and delicious. He said it was a snack, so I thought he would bring me more of the cake Kwon Jeong-han bought earlier.

“Where did the cookie suddenly come from?”

When I asked a question while blocking Fox from sticking his face in the cookie with my palm, Kim Woo-jin hesitated, avoiding my gaze, and answered.

“I just bought it… a few days ago…”

“You just bought it?”

“…if you come back, I’ll give it to you…”

“Ah.”

At those words, everyone sitting on the sofa turned their attention to me. Somehow, in an instant, I became very ashamed. I felt like I had become a bad adult who bullied a pitiful puppy somehow.

‘Is my heart stinging because my conscience hurts?’

Cheon Sa-yeon, who was sitting next to me, whispered with a small smile into my ear, who was hardened.

“Scum.” (쓰레기)

“……”

Shut up. I don’t want to hear from you even if other people don’t know.

I couldn’t even curse him because they saw me. I put the cookie in my mouth with the bitterness in it. Then, with a happy face, Kim Woo-jin pushed a mug of milk toward me.

“Is it that tasty? Eat slowly.”

“……”

My heart hurt more than before.

‘I’m sorry, Kim Woo-jin… I’ll definitely tell you next time.’

I didn’t know the future, so I couldn’t say that I wouldn’t leave.

Piiik! Piik!

In the meantime, Fox continued to be greedy for cookies. I sighed as he continued to whimper while his head was being caught and stretched his front paws toward the plate.

I was sure Elohim said I didn’t have to give him food. Seeing that he ignored everything else and was only doing this for dessert, it was obvious that he wasn’t hungry.

“Stop it.”

Just as I put Fox on my thigh and grabbed his front paws with both hands to hurray, I heard the sound of the front door opening.

“Ah, Yi-gyeol-ssi. He must be here.”

Hearing the news that the person I had been waiting for had arrived, I put Fox on my shoulder and stood up straight away. I ran out to the front door with chains that rattled and rumbled here and there.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi!”

Ha Tae-heon’s black eyes, dressed in a navy blue suit, turned towards me. After examining my face, he opened his mouth in a familiar voice.

“Han Yi-gyeol.”

I was delighted to hear that call. It had been a long time since we met properly.

“You’re busy, but aren’t you having a hard time coming here?”

“…it’s okay.”

Ha Tae-heon, who responded slowly by one beat, suddenly wrinkled his forehead harshly.

…why, what’s wrong? He was fine just now. Was it because here was Requiem? I first took out the apology that I hadn’t finished since the call was cut off.

“I wondered if I was putting pressure on you. I can’t help it because you’ve already come… I’m really sorry. You will be uncomfortable in many ways. Next time I will…”

“Han Yi-gyeol.”

“Yes?”

“That’s enough.”

Ha Tae-heon, who had interrupted me, said a word while pointing his hand at the shackles on my ankle.

“What is this?”

“Ah, this is…”

Cheon Sa-yeon bastard. I asked him to release me, but he ignored all. I smiled awkwardly as I felt the heat spread across my face.

“Um, it doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t matter?”

“Yes. It’s just a shutter item.”

I answered in the brightest voice possible, but the atmosphere around him and me grew even colder.

“I want to solve it too, but the situation is a little… I’m sorry. I welcome you in this way.”

“……”

Ha Tae-heon, who had been quietly listening to me, suddenly gave off cold energy and black dust quickly gathered near his hand.

“Ha, Ha Tae-heon-ssi?”

Did he hate me so much that he used his ability? When I didn’t know what to do, Ha Tae-heon, who was holding a black sword, suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me in.

“Ugh…!”

Ha Tae-heon, who held me in his arms, swung his sword without hesitation. Kaang! The sharp sound of the sword hitting each other resounded loudly.

“Your greeting is pretty rough, Deputy Master Ha Tae-heon.”

Before I knew it, Cheon Sa-yeon, who was behind me, stopped Ha Tae-heon’s attack with an S-class sword and smiled slightly. When the hell did you get the black one out?

“What have you done? Explain.”

“Do I have anything to explain? It’s exactly what it looks like.”

Cheon Sa-yeon, who skillfully struck the sword, asked shamelessly.

“I don’t know why you’re angry. I think you would have acted the same if Han Yi-gyeol had gone to Roheon instead of Requiem. Isn’t that right, Deputy Master Ha Tae-heon?”

Everything I heard made me dumbfound. Who was it treating the same as you? Ha Tae-heon would never do such a useless thing…

“…release it now.”

“……”

…why didn’t you deny it, Ha Tae-heon-ssi?