At that ti, Koo Hui-seo, reading my countenance, opened his mouth, “So, Moon Issak-ssi seed to know Lee-kyung-ssi quite well…”
“Yes.”
“I was a little…angry, so I cursed him a little…”
“What?” I asked, a bit flabbergasted. Koo Hui-seo blinked before suddenly opening his mouth. When he stuck out his tongue slightly, a black-bordered magic circle appeared on his previously clean, pink tongue.
Startled, I asked, “What… is that?”
“Mm… the ‘protection’ magic Mother cast on …? Actually, it’s more akin to a curse… If soone tries to harm , the curse retaliates, right? This… I learned how to control it a little” Koo Hui-seo reached for a single stem from the flower vase bouquet, as if he were going to show first-hand the effect he talked about.
[Wither.]
He said sothing with his unusual, black-dyed tongue; the flower quickly wilted and dried up, as if it was reduced to black charcoal. I was fascinated by what I had seen. “Wow… That’s amazing.”
Koo Hui-seo lowered his eyes at my sincere admiration while fiddling with the now-crispy flower. Perhaps he was feeling a bit bashful.
Looking at it, I wondered what kind of curse Koo Hui-seo cast upon Moon Issak. I voiced my question out loud.
Koo Hui-seo rolled his eyes around before shyly saying, “Mm… That’s… Well, he pretended to be intimate with Lee-kyung-ssi… Stuff like… If he just voiced his desires, you’ll get married to him soon… And he said that Lee-kyung-ssi was clinging to him willingly…”
“Is he crazy?” I frowned. I was concerned about what bullshit Moon Issak may have spouted.
However, Koo Hui-seo soon smiled and shook his head, “So… I wished that [it wouldn’t co true].”
“What?”
“Ah, I just wished for his desires to ‘beco unfulfilled’… Moon Issak-ssi said that Lee-kyung-ssi was in love with him. But, no matter how I thought about it, sothing seed off… My curse made it so that whatever he wanted did not co to pass.”
I thought for a mont–did Koo Hui-seo’s powerful curse sohow influence Moon Issak’s deterioration? ‘Judging by the timing, I don’t think those two are totally disconnected…’
If Koo Hui-seo’s curse truly had such a strong effect, I should be careful going forwards. Even if he doesn’t beco hostile towards , I can’t be sure how the interplay of his curses may unfold.
So, I asked him for further details about the curse. “Koo Hui-seo-ssi. That curse… Does it take effect imdiately? Or, is there a delay?”
“The ti the curse takes depends on the target’s resistance.. Also, the curse’s activation condition is that my blood should touch or sar onto the target…”
I frowned once more. That ant that Koo Hui-seo’s blood sohow found its way onto Moon Issak. “Did you fight with him?”
“Well… As soon as we were left alone, he suddenly hit …” Koo Hui-seo said. He resembled a child tattling to an adult. “If it weren’t for the other Hui-seo… It might have been a disaster..”
“Were you hurt a lot?”
“Just a hole in my abdon? But, I’m okay now.”
“That’s not a small injury!” If his fragnted personality had resurfaced, there was no way that was a minor injury.
Koo Hui-seo only blushed slightly in response to my concerned expression. I sighed deeply when I looked at him. He grinned like a dog wagging its tail whenever it saw its owner.
Just as he opened his mouth to speak–
–“Aaaarghh!”
I suddenly heard Kim Sangyoon’s scream from a near distance. “What’s that? … Sangyoon-ssi?”
“Yes…?”
Startled by the familiar voice, I quickly leapt out of my seat. I reflexively looked towards Koo Hui-seo, but the man wore a puzzled expression. I swiftly opened the door of the sitting room and rushed outside. “Sangyoon-ssi! Where are you?!”
“Ah–Ahhh! AhhrghH!”
Upon hearing Sang-yoon’s screams echoing through the corridor, I could sense that sothing was seriously wrong. Koo Hui-seo grabbed my hand and led in the direction of the screams. “This way.”
The room Koo Hui-seo led us to, running, was decorated like a VIP hospital ward. Various dical devices and hospital beds furnished the room, and Kim Sangyoon was screaming on a large hospital bed next to the window. It was as if he had gone hysterical from so great shock.
“Sangyoon-ssi! Are you alright?” I asked.
“…Lee-kyung-nim?” Fortunately, when Kim Sangyoon heard my voice, he returned to his senses and rushed to my side. However, his hands were still trembling.
Kim Sangyoon held my hand tightly with his hand and pointed with his other finger at the curtain-drawn bed opposite to his. “Th-Th-There’s a bizarre monster in there… N-No… A corpse…!”
“What?” I looked where the Warrior pointed, but I could only see a shadow made by a pile of blankets.
However, the ensuing answer ca from Koo Hui-seo. “Ah… Did you see Kyungman-ie?”
“Huh?”
“…Ky-Kyungman-ie?” Kim Sangyoon stamred.
“Because this is the only room that has dical devices… Kyungman-ie also uses this room… I forgot to explain in advance.”
Listening to Koo Hui-seo’s casual explanation, I finally realized the identity of the bulky shadow behind the curtain, and I shuddered slightly. It made sense why Kim Sangyoon had scread like that. That thing wasn’t a proper corpse… The Warrior’s fright was understandable…
However, Kim Sangyoon looked even worse when he heard Koo Hui-seo’s explanation. “Kyungman-ie… No way–are you referring to the missing forr Red Dragon Guildmaster?”
“…Yes.”
“Y-You’re saying the person over there is Koo Kyungman? But, the stomach…”
“……” I couldn’t bring myself to explain the situation and kept my mouth shut.
Kim Sang-yoon looked at and Koo Hui-seo alternately, as if he couldn’t believe those words. Then, he seed to gaze at with a hint of reproach when I avoided eye contact. The Warrior took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself.
It was then–
“……” A faint groan could be heard from Koo Kyungman’s bed. As soon as he heard that, Kim Sangyoon rubbed his forearm–goosebumps had risen all over his skin. The Warrior retreated half a step. On the other hand, Koo Hui-seo approached the bed.
As Koo Hui-seo’s footsteps rang out, the slight movent behind the curtain beca more pronounced. Perhaps Koo Kyungman had recognized Koo Hui-seo by the sound of his steps alone.
“Mm, are you awake?” Koo Hui-seo crooned.
“……”
Fortunately, Koo Hui-seo didn’t fully draw back the curtains; he walked to the bedside by slightly lifting the curtain. The interior remained hidden. When Koo Hui-seo placed his hand on the ‘inflated’ shadow, the violent movent suddenly ceased. The wriggling tentacles on the ground slowly began to crawl up.
I stared blankly as those tentacles wrapped around the rounded, swollen stomach… When, suddenly, Kim Sangyoon gripped my arm with his clammy hand. I managed to tear my eyes off the bed and look at the Warrior.
Kim Sangyoon whispered, lowering his voice, while sweeping back his cold, sweat-soaked bangs. “Then… Did Koo Hui-seo turn Koo Kyungman into that…thing?”
“……”
“That’s… That’s seriously not sothing any human being should do. I almost threw up when I opened the curtain. I thought I was pretty immune to creepy and grotesque things, but…”
“……”
“Wouldn’t it be better to kill him? Koo Hui-seo is… Koo Hui-seo is insane. Lee-kyung-nim… I truly don’t think this is right.”
I carefully examined Kim Sang-yoon’s repulsed face. He didn’t take his eyes off the bed across from us, and, with each passing mont, his emotions seed to shift from disgust to sothing closer to hostility.
Of course, what he just saw was enough to elicit those feelings. The mory of when Koo Hui-seo had first ruined Koo Kyungman’s body had made suffer from nightmares for quite a long while. But ti had passed since then; I wager that Koo Kyungman probably didn’t even resemble a human being by this point.
But…
“The reason why Koo Hui-seo is cooperating with us is… because we’ve thrown Koo Kyungman into his care,” I said.
“…What?”
“And Koo Kyungman brought about his own death for what he’s done to Seo Dawon and the other Red Lotus guild mbers. Koo Hui-seo’s life was horrid because of him as well.”
“But…!” Kim Sangyoon grabbed by the shoulders, slightly frustrated. He probably wanted to maintain a general baseline of decency afforded to all human beings…Well, sothing like that, I suppose.
However, I couldn’t say anything to console the Warrior. Since…When was it? I had long thought that Bae Jaemin and the remaining HaHae mbers needed to be dealt with as brutally (or more) as Koo Kyungman.
After sighing, I told him, “Sangyoon-ssi also needs to kill Ahn Joo-sung.”
“That’s…”
Kim Sangyoon’s protest dwindled off. Though he aid to kill Ahn Joo-sung, he probably had no intention of making him live through torture like that.
‘Sangyoon-ssi is… more compassionate–a better human–than I had thought…’
He used to be a real punk, but there was a line in his heart the Warrior was loath to cross.
And strangely, my heart hurt as I faced Sangyoon-ssi’s dislike. Even though I knew that those feelings were directed towards Koo Hui-seo rather than , I was a bit sorrowful at his abhorrence.
I used to believe the sa thing as Kim Sangyoon–that there were lines a human being should not cross. And, I lived according to my conscience as well. But… People who live like will get beaten and injured by those more morally corrupt.
I recalled what Koo Kyungman had done to Koo Hui-seo.
I also recalled what Moon Issak tried to do with .
And, I even recalled that Bae Jaemin’s current revered position in society originally belonged to Seo Dawon. Therefore, I was determined to make my thoughts clear to the Warrior.
—-
Beco a Patron!
TL: ahaha… T_T For all ya’ll who had forgotten about what had happened to Koo Kyungman… I guess we’re getting reminders this arc. Also, ngl ya’ll, Kim Sangyoon is slowly shooting up my fave character list. What a good boi. Lee-kyung also shows signs of trauma from what had happened with Moon Issak. He’s hardened in reaction to Moon Issak’s attempts to overpower and, quite frankly, rape him. As a victim, I think he’s blaming himself for not being stronger.
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