Chapter 129  

"Wait…"

At the same time, Choi Yu-Seong remembered the content of the original novel he had recorded on his cellphone's notepad, particularly the story about Yoo Jin-Hyuk, whom he had read quite attentively.

『The Demonic Beast King committed his first murder on a day when thunder was roaring, and rain was pouring down. It was when his lying uncle had come to see him.

Yoo Jin-Hyuk indifferently watched his victim die and began to question whether taking someone’s life was wrong. It had been much easier than he had thought. Eventually, evil began to sprout from such a small starting point.』

The content of the original novel was rather vague, so Yu-Seong did not know the exact circumstances nor did know how Yoo Jin-Hyuk had killed his uncle, who was a B-rank hunter. However, one thing was certain—soon Yoo Jin-Hyuk would commit murder, and this would be the first step leading him deeper into the dark.

Thus, Choi Yu-Seong no longer had time to hesitate. He jumped up from his seat and looked outside the window where the spring rain was pouring down. He asked, "Would running or riding a car be faster?”

"On a day like this, it's definitely faster to run. Are you going straight to Yoo Jin-Hyuk's house?" asked Jin Yu-Ri.

Yu-Ri was quick-witted as usual as she sensed the seriousness of the situation. Without any further words, she put on her coat quickly.

"What's the shortest time?" Yu-Seong asked.

"10 minutes," she said.

"I'll leave it to you."

When Choi Yu-Seong opened the window and stood in front of the pouring rain, Yu-Ri grabbed him and said, "Hold on tight.”

"I already am…"

At that moment, Yu-Ri leaped out of the window like a bird. Unfortunately, there was no romantic mood under the current circumstances. The pouring rain pelted their faces relentlessly.

***

Yoo Jin-Hyuk was hunched on a narrow chair while moving his mouse about. His eyes shone.

"Choi Yu-Seong."

The face of the handsome man who had briefly visited him during the day had suddenly came to his mind, so Jin-Hyuk searched the internet. The man was quite a celebrity, so a lot of information came up.

※ Comet Group's troublemaker, progressively transforming his image in a good direction.

※ Choi Yu-Seong once again breaks new records!

※ From the rascal son of a chaebol to Korea's top Super Rookie

※ How much is Choi Yu-Seong's NewTube revenue?

※ Choi Yu-Seong's social network photos are a sensation!

Reading the articles one by one out of idle curiosity, Yoo Jin-Hyuk furrowed his brows.

'Why did this person come to see me?'?

To be honest, Yoo Jin-Hyuk thought that Choi Yu-Seong was much more suspicious than Yoo Choong-Ryeol.

'Come to think of it, I did claim a considerable amount of death insurance from Comet Insurance...'?

Even if there were a problem, the insurance company employee would come instead of the son of a chaebol.

"...I haven’t a clue."

Yoo Jin-Hyuk light licked his lips and suddenly looked outside the window where lightning flashed. He really liked rainy weather. He found the dark scenery comfortable, and the sound of rain pouring down made his ears buzz. He looked at the raindrops hitting the window with a somewhat complicated expression.

‘Uncle…’

Although there were slight differences, Yoo Choong-Ryeol’s face resembled Yoo Choong-Ho, and their body shape, body size, and the vibe were also quite similar.

Was that the reason? Yoo Jin-Hyuk intuitively thought that Yoo Choong-Ryeol was scheming something, yet the influence of the brainwashing on his mind made him have good feelings toward Yoo Choong-Ryeol. To be more precise, it made him crave the man’s love. ‘Maybe he came looking for the money that father hid?’

If he gave his uncle the money, could he be loved?

‘Stupid thought.’

However, he couldn’t avoid the thought that it may not be a bad idea to fill the hollow feeling in his heart in such a way.

Feeling the sudden pain that gripped his heart, Yoo Jin-Hyuk rolled around on the chair while letting out a rough breath. "Huff...huff..."

The familiar yet harsh smell of cigarettes from under his nose brought up memories of the dead rose, reminding him of the faces of his loved ones. He remembered his mother who had laughed while covering him with a blanket and stepping on him, all the while saying she that loved him. He remembered his older brother calling his small and delicate hands adorable and then suddenly breaking his finger. And he remembered his father smoking a cigarette while watching with a viciously delighted yet indifferent expression.

Yoo Jin-Hyuk had been told to love them. In fact, he had lived with feelings that he would do anything for them.

"But why…?!"

Bang!

As thunder roared and shook the entire house, someone pounded on the front door.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

"Jin-Hwan, it's your uncle. Did something happen? Open the door, please."

The firmly closed front door was blurry. Still groaning in pain, he slowly stood up and took a deep breath. He opened the front door with great effort, once again seeing the middle-aged man whose shoulders were slightly wet from the rain.

Yoo Choong-Ryeol looked at Yoo Jin-Hyuk with a bright expression while holding a black plastic bag in one hand. He said, "You finally open the door. How are you, kiddo? Are you even eating properly?"

Yoo Jin-Hyuk did nothing to stop Yoo Choong-Ryeol when he naturally entered the house as if it was his own. Instead, Jin-Hyuk moved aside and let him pass.

Yoo Choong-Ryeol’s gaze quickly scanned the surroundings. He then commented, "Nothing seems special.”

"...Because I live alone," replied Jin-Hyuk.

"The things that were in the original house... You didn’t leave them behind, did you?"

Yoo Jin-Hyuk's eyebrows twitched at Choong-Reyol’s question. He quietly closed the open front door and locked it.

Clank.

“I brought everything I need. I just left everything else in the warehouse.”

“Warehouse? You have a separate warehouse?” asked Choong-Ryeol.

“What did you bring with you?” replied Jin-Hyuk with a question.

Finally, Yoo Choong-Ryeol turned around and smiled brightly. "I assume you couldn't eat properly living alone. I asked for a take-out from a nearby haejanggukrestaurant. You don’t dislike it, don’t you?"

Without waiting for Jin-Hyuk’s response, Yoo Choong-Ryeol started reheating the haejangguk in the kitchen. Yoo Jin-Hyuk sat in the corner of the living room, silently staring at him cooking.

‘Damn punk, did he already hide the money somewhere else?’

Yoo Choong-Ryeol’s eyes flickered. He had been planning to search the house after killing Yoo Jin-Hyuk with the poison hidden in the haejangguk.

‘Should I try a little persuasion before feeding him the poison?’?

Yoo Choong-Ryeol originally planned to wait for one more day but decided to move up his plan. The reason for this was simple.

‘That sissy-looking guy I saw earlier.’

For some reason, that guy was stuck in his mind. Yoo Choong-Ryeol felt like something big would happen if he delayed the plan even a little. That was why he acted urgently and came to Jin-Hyuk at dawn. Fortunately, Yoo Jin-Hyuk did not defy him this time. ‘Let's talk slowly. He's still young. He doesn't know anything yet… If I just coax him a little, he'll spill everything.’

Yoo Choong-Ryeol's eyes were filled with desire as he watched the haejangguk simmering, and the flame of the gas stove burning underneath.

"Isn’t it hard living alone? I have a house in Seoul. If you want, you can come and live there anytime. It’s not something to brag about, but since I'm not married and don't have any other family, nobody else would be there. I would be happy if you came."

Taking advantage of the conversation, Yoo Choong-Ryeol opened a drawer, took out a few serving dishes, and slowly ladled out the hot haejangguk.

"The house is big too. All of your stuff from the storage should fit, and there should still be room left, but I won’t' be sure until I see it for myself… Where is the dining table?"

As Choong-Ryeol asked Yoo Jin-Hyuk while slowly turning his head, Jin-Hyuk gestured towards the side of the fridge. There was a small and neatly folded dining table.

"Even though things may be tough, it's good to see that you're taking care of yourself and have all the essentials you need for eating."

"...Because I am scared of dying."

"Did you ever think of suicide?" asked Choong-Ryeol.

Yoo Jin-Hyuk smiled slightly at Choon-Ryeol, who pretended to be surprised. He muttered, "I was considering it…when I had the courage to die. I just thought about it."

"You kiddo," said Yoo Choong-Ryeol. He spoke calmly, but at that moment, he felt his heart pounding when he saw Jun-Hyuk’s gaze.

‘Now that I think about it, this guy's eyes look...similar to mine.’

To be more specific, the expression on Jun-Hyuk’s face seemed to suggest that he was quite familiar with death. It was unlike his words about being scared to die.

‘It seems like he killed someone before...but there's no smell of blood.’

Choong-Ryeol awkwardly laughed and tilted his head, then brought the unfolded table with a bowl of haejangguk to Jun-Hyuk. Afterward, he looked for cutleries and asked, "Where's the warehouse? While you eat, I'll go and look around by myself. At the very least, I need to know the approximate size so it will be easier when we move."

Yoo Choong-Ryeol continued speaking, assuming that Yoo Jin-Hyuk would follow him. Though his method was somewhat clumsy, Jin-Hyuk didn't seem to have any objections and obediently received the spoon that Choong-Ryeol had handed him.

“It’s not far from here. Since I’ll have to take items out and use them whenever I need them…”

Yoo Choong-Ryeol smiled brightly.

‘I’m sure there's money in the warehouse.’

He felt a slight tinge of nervousness. However, he didn't show it on his face. Instead, he slowly looked at Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who was stirring the soup with his spoon. He asked in a friendly manner, "That's fortunate. I’ll be back soon. So, where was it located...?"

"Want to know?" Yoo Jin-Hyuk raised his head and smiled, holding his spoon filled with soup.

"What?"

"I'll tell you, but you have to eat with me."

"Ah... I’m okay. I had it before I came…”

"Eat with me." Jin-Hyuk emphasized again, and then he pushed the spoon toward Choong-Ryeol. He added, "I get lonely by myself."

Choong-Ryeol looked at the soup and held his spoon with a trembling hand. He couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

'Did this kid notice something?'

Yoo Choong-Ryeol wondered while trying to read Jin-Hyuk’s expression. However, Jin-Hyuk had a calm look on his face, like a seasoned gambler, not showing any hint of emotion.

‘I can't read his thoughts.’

Yoo Choong-Ryeol sighed, eventually settling into his seat. He urged, "I understand. I’ll stay by your side, but I need you to eat first. After all, I brought it here for you…"

"Our country has been known as the land of Eastern manners since ancient times," said Jin-Hyuk.

"What?"

"Father always hated it when I started eating before him. Sometimes he would get so angry that he would splash boiling water on me."

"What does that have to do with…?"

Yoo Choong-Ryeol couldn't understand Jin-Hyuk’s words. Behind him, a figure with dark red eyes slowly rose from the floor.

. It refers to hangover soup that relieves the stomach after drinking alcohol.