CH 23

“Hunter Baek Tae-beom, are you listening?”

Baek Tae-beom slowly opened his eyes. Cold, golden eyes that looked like they would embrace nothing stared at him as he crossed his legs while sitting loosely on the sofa. He yawned a beat too late. But nobody here could say anything to such a man.

Only Lee Myung-won frowned and touched his forehead.

“You weren’t listening.”

“I slept late last night.”

“Didn’t I tell you to go to bed early when you have to show up in public?”

“Do I need to hear that?”

Baek Tae-beom tilted his head back and smiled. He had an unbelievably beautiful appearance, but no one was deceived by the man’s appearance anymore.

It has nearly been a year since the first monster incident, and the second incident was just about to be sorted out. It goes without saying that Baek Tae-beom’s contribution was great in managing it. However, as it was true that a Hunter’s grade and personality are inversely proportional, no one could easily touch Baek Tae-beom. As he did not belong to any guild, he was truly an outlaw.

The legislator coughed briefly, but he continued to murmur.

“My hair isn’t even dry yet….”

There was no way that an S-class hunter could not hear it, but Baek Tae-beom insincerely ignored it. Of course, the meeting ended unsatisfactorily. Baek Tae-beom, who was watching the people leaving, looked up at Lee Myung-won standing in front of him.

“What is it?”

“I want to talk. Are you doing this on purpose?”

“What?”

Baek Tae-beom pretended to be innocent, but Lee Myung-won was not such an easy person.

“Are you saying that Choi Ga-hyun’s anniversary is coming soon?”

TL/N: Also translates to death anniversary…

Baek Tae-beom’s expression noticeably stiffened. He spit out in a ferocious voice.

“It’s not the anniversary.”

“Isn’t it time for you to accept it?”

“I’m sorry, but Hyung is not dead. So shut up.”

Baek Tae-beom got up from his seat and pushed Lee Myung-won’s shoulder. Lee Myung-won, who stepped back a few steps, shouted at the back of Baek Tae-beom, who left without giving in.

“Choi Ga-hyun-ssi is dead! Now let him go!”

Baek Tae-beom exhaled heavily. People freaked out and stepped aside as they saw him stride quickly.

‘I know, I know.’

Baek Tae-beom knew well enough.

That Choi Ga-hyun was dead.

Where was he? He even witnessed his body disappear before his eyes. He searched all over the country just in case, but he was nowhere to be seen. As funny as it was that he was worried about Baek Tae-beom, who was left alone with his younger brother, Choi Ga-hyun had no connections whatsoever. He didn’t even have an address. It was like all traces of his existence had become an illusion.

Choi Ga-hyun is dead.

But Baek Tae-beom could not accept that fact.

Was Choi Ga-hyun that important to Baek Tae-beom? Was he the only one who was important to him?

If you think about it that way, it wasn’t necessarily so. He still had his younger brother. But then the whole story goes back to the beginning.

So.

‘Choi Ga-hyun….’

Everything came down to Choi Ga-hyun alone. He was the one who endeavored to get him out of the illegal hunters’ trap, moved his brother away from the hospital in Seoul, the center of the first incident, contributed to his living and hospital expenses, and kept faith in all of his actions, helping out, holding him, and supporting him.

He looked at me with such honest eyes… Choi Ga-hyun.

Baek Tae-beom was going crazy.

He left abruptly, leaving a huge and deep scar on the life of a man who had nothing. He didn’t even have time to prepare himself. He had to live emptily forever. The place that Ga-hyun Choi cut off was too big. He believed that he was the man that saved his life, but rather, he was the one who ruined him. Baek Tae-beom slept every night with solely the wishes of Choi Ga-hyun being alive.

Cruelly.

Lee Myung-won probably doesn’t know why he was doing this. Baek Tae-beom himself doesn’t know either, so how could he know? He bumped the shoulder of the man who was blocking the way to his car in the parking lot. He sat in the driver’s seat and put his head on the steering wheel.

Today, he has to go back home again.

Alone.

He bit his lower lip hard. Two empty eyes swayed aimlessly. He would cause an accident if he continued driving like this, so he leaned back on the backrest. Then Baek Tae-beom thought of Choi Ga-hyun again. He couldn’t get rid of him. As time passed, he only became clearer. Baek Tae-beom washed his face dry. And exhaled a long breath.

“…That fucking good-for-nothing constellation.”

Since Choi Ga-hyun’s death, he had been grinding his teeth thinking about his constellation, who had been silent. No coin giving, no messages. He could only feel the sense that he was Baek Tae-beom, as if it was proof that he signed the contract.

Are you saying you’re not interested anymore because you’ve seen the worst of others? The man rested his forehead as he witnessed the complete opposite of Choi Ga-hyun. Thinking that maybe his true constellation was Choi Ga-hyun….

TL/N: He’s thinking that Ga-hyun was more of a constellation to him than his own constellation… which is ironic.

“Wait a minute.”

Baek Tae-beom raised his upper body hastily. He looked down at his hand with trembling eyes. The ring that Choi Ga-hyun wore was placed on his finger.

True, constellation, Choi Ga-hyun.

He slowly combined words. Baek Tae-beom recalled the first time he signed a contract with the constellation.

[The constellation, ‘One Who Knows The Fall’ asks Baek Tae-beom to make a contract with him.]

[The constellation, ‘One Who Knows The Fall’ warns Baek Tae-beom that if he doesn’t sign a contract with him, he will seriously injure his nose.]

[The constellation, ‘One Who Knows The Fall’ shouts at Baek Tae-beom.]

“I, there… What kind of window is in front of me right now… .”

“Do it! I don’t know what it is, but just do it!”

Baek Tae-beom’s hardened expression gradually changed subtly. He rolled the word in his mouth with the tip of his tongue. When he first heard the story of the constellations, he also remembered Choi Ga-hyun, who was trying to cover up the story with a strange expression. He also thought of his constellation, who did not send any messages after Choi Ga-hyun’s death.

“Surely….”

At this moment, Baek Tae-beom felt joy.

Choi Ga-hyun is not dead. It was clear he was not dead. A shiver ran through his head. Baek Tae-beom foolishly saw his eyes reflected in the rearview mirror. The man reflected in it looked overly joyful.

Oh.

Baek Tae-beom realized.

A name he has not said for over a year came out of his lips.

“Choi Ga-hyun.”

Baek Tae-beom decided to buy a house first with the money he had accumulated. After deciding on one, buying it was easy. It was a house with a pleasant view and was close to the Han River. One of the largest rooms was decorated for Choi Ga-hyun. A bed was brought in, and the sheets were changed periodically. Because he didn’t know when Choi Ga-hyun would come back.

He was so excited that he told Lee Myung-won that Choi Ga-hyun would return. Of course, Lee Myung-won thought that Baek Tae-beom finally went crazy. Lee Myung-won carefully recommended Baek Tae-beom get some counseling, but Baek Tae-beom didn’t even listen.

Instead, he bought clothes that would suit Choi Ga-hyun in advance and filled the wardrobe. He had to make a place for him to come back to. A guild was also founded under the name of ‘Ga-hyun.’ At this point, Lee Myung-won, the Hansung guild leader, and Oh Kwon-hyuk of the Goblin guild also began to treat Baek Tae-beom like he was a real madman.

However, Baek Tae-beom couldn’t be happier.

He admitted. Choi Ga-hyun was the only one with a different infatuation from him apart from his younger brother.

He was trying to deny such a man, and so he became like this.

Perhaps it is still too early to say that he felt an unfamiliar sensation he had never felt before. But Baek Tae-beom finally admitted it.

[The constellation, ‘One Who Knows The Fall’ is looking at you.]

Baek Tae-beom turned his head slowly. He was, fortunately, wearing a black suit today. It was an outfit that would look good even if there was a bit of blood splatter on it as he was picking rotten apples at that moment. He blinked his golden eyes and saw it in the air.

At this moment, Baek Tae-beom felt joy.

Baek Tae-beom wanted to cheer at the sensation running inside his whole body that felt as if he was boiling. He harshly let go of the collar he had grabbed and trampled on the man who wriggled to get up. Baek Tae-beom could not hide his smile.

“Finally….”

Wiping off the blood on his face with his sleeve, the man cleaned up his wrinkled suit. He called Lee Myung-won, ignoring the people around him who looked tired.

– Hello?

“He’s back.”

– Huh?

“Hyung is back.”

– What are you talking about…

.

“Please contact the hospital first. Right now.”

Baek unilaterally hung up the phone and ran outside. He couldn’t get rid of the smile on his face.

He admitted. Choi Ga-hyun is Baek Tae-beom’s one and only.

And he decided. He will never lose him ever again.

Even if their relationship goes in the wrong direction, Baek Tae-beom will continue to believe so. He will be Choi Ga-hyun’s one and only. They will be the only ones for each other, and he will never let him escape.