Looking at the weapon, the Boss showed no particular reaction. But, guilty as I was, I fidgeted with my hands clasped behind my back.
A whip.
You could've told me you ordered it off the internet, never mind from a dungeon, and I'd believe it. That's how ordinary the thing looked.
...Why on earth was that crocodile bastard holding something like this, of all things.
Sure, swallowing the pearl was partly my fault! But it had been necessary.
After twirling the whip around this way and that, the Boss gestured to me.
When I stepped closer, the Boss handed the whip back.
“The location's the usual place.”
“Understood.”
It meant to go deliver the item.
Phew.
I let out a sigh of relief inside. The truth was, I'd come bracing myself somewhat for getting whipped with that thing.
As I was carefully packing up the item, the Boss shifted his gaze.
“That ring?”
His eyes had landed on my finger. There was a glittering jeweled ring on it.
“Huh? Ahh... I just bought it.”
“...”
The Boss exhaled a long stream of smoke. I rolled my eyes around for no reason.
I messed up.
I had to keep flashy accessories to a minimum in front of the Boss. Since I wore it every day for the effect, I'd clean forgotten to take it off today.
“...”
“...”
The longer the silence stretched, the more it felt like cold sweat was trickling down.
Don't tell me he caught on that it's an artifact?
Right about when that thought crept in.
“A grown man, wearing...”
The Boss turned his head away.
“It's distracting. Take it off.”
“Yes.”
Without a word of complaint, I slipped off the ring and put it in my pocket.
Just his usual nitpicking, then.
While I waited for him to tell me to get going, Go Sangwon came into the room carrying a kettle. Once the teacup was filled with warm tea, the Boss lifted it and took a sip.
“Indulge their nonsense in moderation.”
“Yes.”
“You'll handle it well enough on your own...”
I knew what he was worried about. Because I was worried about the same thing.
Looks like I'll be taking the whipping over there.
...
In truth, where I ended up taking the whipping didn't matter one way or the other. The real problem lay elsewhere.
Because at the place I was about to go, a gate was going to break open, and an important figure was slated to die.
Stepping into the hotel, a spacious lobby welcomed us.
It was a place I was visiting for the first time in six years. Not a spot with any particularly fond memories, but coming back after so long stirred up an odd sort of feeling.
I was looking around with a vaguely curious mood when a restless movement at my side disrupted the sentiment.
“A bowling alley, a convenience store...”
“...”
“Oh, there's a bakery too.”
It was Jang Yijung. Figuring it'd be easier on me to keep him close, I'd appointed myself his mentor.
Not sure bringing him along was the smart move.
I grabbed the collar of Jang Yijung as he started to wander off somewhere, stopping him.
“Let's sightsee after we drop off our bags, all right?”
“Okay.”
Towing along this guy who fussed about like a distracted child, I approached the front desk, when a staff member with an unmistakably suspicious getup blocked our path.
“...”
“?”
“I'll show you the way.”
An employee sent to greet us?
Sunglasses, and a mask on top. The effort to hide their identity was blatant.
“We're in your hands.”
Suspicious as it was, I offered a greeting for now.
I boarded the elevator as directed. The doors closed, and the employee silently pressed a button.
As the elevator rose quietly, I stared hard at the round back of their head.
Something feels familiar...
The more I looked, the more suspicious it got.
On closer inspection, the black hair seemed to be a wig, with pink fur poking out beneath it.
The moment I confirmed it.
“!”
I grabbed and yanked the person's head at once.
“Ow!”
“? Seo Sinwoo?”
The employee held on, gripping their hair. Jang Yijung looked a touch flustered.
Paying it no mind, I gave the black hair a hard tug.
“What's the matter with you, sir! Agh... gak!”
After a scuffle, the wig came off and pink hair appeared.
Just as I thought.
Smoothing down the mussed hair, the person turned around. At the familiar sight, I met the eyes behind the sunglasses and smiled.
“Luru. I told you to fix that bad habit of pulling pranks, didn't I.”
“...”
Ding-
The doors opened, but no one got off.
“Uh... uuugh...”
In the silence, Luru trembled all over as if mortified.
“Hng... sniff, sniff.”
“Quit the acting.”
Brushing past Luru, who was deep in the performance, I stepped out of the elevator first. After some hesitation, Jang Yijung followed me.
“Someone you know?”
“You remember the café we went to last time?”
“Yeah.”
The shop on the first floor of the hideout.
“That's the owner.”
And, at the same time, a member of the organization.
“...But is it okay to just leave them like that?”
“They'll come on their own.”
The words had barely left my mouth when I heard the clatter of someone running up behind us.
“Sunbae!”
The acting was apparently dropped, their face now bare of sunglasses and mask.
“Why'd you just walk off? Bully me some more.”
“...”
“How was Luru's acting? I didn't think you'd see through it that fast.”
“...”
“Well? Hmm?”
It looked like there'd be no guiding us to the room until I gave the answer they wanted.
“It was good.”
“Hehe...”
Once they got the answer they craved, Luru finally took the lead and started showing us the way.
Following us into the room, Luru flushed.
“Sunbae, you've got a different vibe since I last saw you. I think you've gotten even cooler.”
“Is that so.”
“And I heard the news! Smile Clean! Is that our organization's name? It bugged me that we didn't have one all this time, but, that's our sunbae for you!”
“Is that so.”
Luru, clinging to me as usual, kept stealing glances toward the back for some reason. My eyes naturally rolled back there too.
There stood Jang Yijung, being treated like an invisible man. His eyes were aimed subtly downward.
What's he looking at, my arm?
As I went to slip my caught arm free, Luru leaned their face in closer.
“There's one more person?”
They whispered into my ear, but it was pointless in such a cramped space anyway.
“What do we do, this room's a single.”
“Is that so.”
I'd expected as much.
“Should I switch your room? Or a cot?”
“It doesn't matter. Just don't go announcing that there are two of us.”
Once night fell, I wouldn't even be in the room anyway. The bed would be Jang Yijung's alone, so there was no need to bother bringing in another.
Oblivious to my reasoning, Luru raised a clenched fist.
“Should Luru kick that guy out?”
“I'm the one who brought him.”
“Gah!”
The tour wrapped up in an awkward mood.
“Ah, sunbae.”
Luru, opening the door to leave, paused and looked back.
“You're coming down later, right?”
“Yeah. We'll keep it quiet, just the two of us.”
“Luru will spread the word!”
After firing off a delighted salute, Luru shut the door... no, it didn't quite close, leaving the door cracked open.
I ignored it and stepped over to Jang Yijung.
“Tired?”
“No...”
The door eased open. A face poked out through the gap.
“...You sure you don't need a bed? Maybe I should still switch your room-”
“I said it's fine.”
Luru pouted. With a sulky face, they turned their attention to Jang Yijung.
“Hey, you.”
As ever, Jang Yijung turned around with a vacant expression.
“Luru's got a question. You're not gay, are you?”
“Grey?”
Jang Yijung cocked his head dumbly and shook it.
“...Sunbae, you idiot!”
Jang Yijung was the one who answered, but I was the one who got cursed.
The door slammed shut with a bang. The thumping footsteps grew fainter, and in the suddenly quiet room, Jang Yijung glanced at me.
“Girlfriend?”
“No.”
I deliberately didn't explain at length. I was hoping for the shock when he learned the truth.
“...?”
Leaving behind Jang Yijung, who still looked unconvinced, I set the briefcase down on the shelf.
The interior was laid out as a two-room suite, but, just as Luru had said, there was only one bed.
I looked at Jang Yijung. He was tearing into the chocolate set out as a snack. His mind was surely elsewhere, but he didn't ask a thing.
The lack of questions was convenient. I picked up a shopping catalog and sat on the sofa. When I patted the seat beside me, Jang Yijung came over and sat down.
“Just think of today as a vacation.”
“A vacation...”
“Yes, a vacation. Nice, right? Don't worry about the details, just stay here until tomorrow morning.”
“...”
Jang Yijung floated a question mark over his face for a moment, then took a bite of chocolate. He seemed to accept it.
I stretched briefly and struck up a conversation.
“Nothing to do anyway... let's rest a bit, then go for a walk or something.”
“A walk sounds good.”
“I'll show you around the hotel.”
Jang Yijung nodded, sprawled across the sofa. His already-curly hair had gotten even more disheveled. I ran a hand through it to smooth it out.
I took Jang Yijung into a watch boutique. The staff, having been told in advance, gave us space and told us to browse at our leisure.
After a rough look around, I turned to Jang Yijung, who was still standing there blankly.
“What do you think?”
“...Eh?”
Was he even really looking?
I'd better pick something fast and get out.
I pointed at another product in a nearby display case.
“This one?”
“Dunno.”
“Nothing you like?”
“Not really... more importantly, let's hurry up and go eat, Seo Sinwoo.”
An exasperating attitude, like he couldn't care less either way.
That kind of exchange repeated several times.
“How about this one?”
Anything's fine, just say you like one.
“It's nice.”
It had the feel of a careless answer born of boredom, but I got the response I wanted all the same.
Figuring I'd just get it over with, I called over the employee who'd been waiting at a distance.
“...You got money?”
“Haha.”
A laughable question. I confidently pulled out my wallet. I had the cash I'd wheedled out of the Boss. It was bills that had been scattered on the floor, so it was a little dirty, but...
“Of course I've got enough to buy something like this. What do you take me for?”
“A nobody.”
“...”
This son of a bitch...
I hid a fist behind my back.
“Please gift-wrap it.”
After paying and stepping out, the sun was blazing high overhead. I checked my watch. It was still early afternoon.
Grrrowl-
A booming sound rumbled at my side. Jang Yijung laid a hand on his stomach.
“I'm hungry. When do we eat?”
“One moment. There's still a bit of time before the restaurant reservation...”
Looking around, a bakery tucked in the corner caught my eye. Jang Yijung seemed to like sweets.
“How about over... ah.”
In the moment I'd looked away, Jang Yijung was already walking toward the bakery.
“Let's tide ourselves over here.”
I ordered a strawberry latte and an americano and grabbed a seat. Around when the drinks came out, Jang Yijung returned with a tray loaded with one of each kind of bread.
“Looks good.”
Judging by how he couldn't take his eyes off the bread, he was clearly thrilled. His face was expressionless, but he was easy to read.
Watching him eat, I seized the lull to speak up.
“Our Boss really is a great boss, isn't he. Pays well. Sends us to a fancy hotel.”
“...?”
“Where else would you find such a wonderful superior? Right?”
It was a pitch to win him over. Jang Yijung, absorbed in stuffing bread into his mouth, didn't even respond, though.
“The bread you're eating right now, the Boss is paying for all of it. Tasty, isn't it?”
Doesn't make you want to betray him, does it?
“Yeah.”
Only then did Jang Yijung answer. The pronunciation was mushy from the bread he was chewing.
I leaned back in my chair, satisfied.
“Anything else you want to do?”
“Bathroom.”
“...Go ahead. You know where it is, right?”
Jang Yijung nodded and got up. I watched his retreating back.
The more I looked, the more childlike the man seemed. Whether that was a mask or not, I'd only know once I cracked him open. A little more and he might come around...
I rose from my chair, planning to settle the bill in advance.
Just as I went to head to the counter, an unfamiliar voice came from behind me.
“Kim Cheolsu?”
“?”
The moment I turned around, water was thrown in my face.
