At that time, Koo Hui-seo, reading my countenance, opened his mouth, “So, Moon Issak-ssi seemed 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 me…? Actually, it’s more akin to a curse… If someone tries to harm me, 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 me first-hand the effect he talked about.
[Wither.]
He said something 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 come true].”
“What?”
“Ah, I just wished for his desires to ‘become unfulfilled’… Moon Issak-ssi said that Lee-kyung-ssi was in love with him. But, no matter how I thought about it, something seemed off… My curse made it so that whatever he wanted did not come to pass.”
I thought for a moment–did Koo Hui-seo’s powerful curse somehow 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 become hostile towards me, 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 immediately? Or, is there a delay?”
“The time the curse takes depends on the target’s resistance.. Also, the curse’s activation condition is that my blood should touch or smear onto the target…”
I frowned once more. That meant that Koo Hui-seo’s blood somehow found its way onto Moon Issak. “Did you fight with him?”
“Well… As soon as we were left alone, he suddenly hit me…” 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 abdomen? But, I’m okay now.”
“That’s not a small injury!” If his fragmented 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 something was seriously wrong. Koo Hui-seo grabbed my hand and led me 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 medical 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 some 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 came from Koo Hui-seo. “Ah… Did you see Kyungman-ie?”
“Huh?”
“…Ky-Kyungman-ie?” Kim Sangyoon stammered.
“Because this is the only room that has medical 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 screamed 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 former 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 me and Koo Hui-seo alternately, as if he couldn’t believe those words. Then, he seemed to gaze at me 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 movement behind the curtain became 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 movement 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 something 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 moment, his emotions seemed to shift from disgust to something closer to hostility.
Of course, what he just saw was enough to elicit those feelings. The memory of when Koo Hui-seo had first ruined Koo Kyungman’s body had made me suffer from nightmares for quite a long while. But time 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 members. Koo Hui-seo’s life was horrid because of him as well.”
“But…!” Kim Sangyoon grabbed me by the shoulders, slightly frustrated. He probably wanted to maintain a general baseline of decency afforded to all human beings…Well, something 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 members 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 aimed 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 me, I was a bit sorrowful at his abhorrence.
I used to believe the same 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 me 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 me.
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.
At that time, Koo Hui-seo, reading my countenance, opened his mouth, “So, Moon Issak-ssi seemed 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 me…? Actually, it’s more akin to a curse… If someone tries to harm me, 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 me first-hand the effect he talked about.
[Wither.]
He said something 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 come true].”
“What?”
“Ah, I just wished for his desires to ‘become unfulfilled’… Moon Issak-ssi said that Lee-kyung-ssi was in love with him. But, no matter how I thought about it, something seemed off… My curse made it so that whatever he wanted did not come to pass.”
I thought for a moment–did Koo Hui-seo’s powerful curse somehow 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 become hostile towards me, 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 immediately? Or, is there a delay?”
“The time the curse takes depends on the target’s resistance.. Also, the curse’s activation condition is that my blood should touch or smear onto the target…”
I frowned once more. That meant that Koo Hui-seo’s blood somehow found its way onto Moon Issak. “Did you fight with him?”
“Well… As soon as we were left alone, he suddenly hit me…” 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 abdomen? But, I’m okay now.”
“That’s not a small injury!” If his fragmented 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 something was seriously wrong. Koo Hui-seo grabbed my hand and led me 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 medical 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 some 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 came from Koo Hui-seo. “Ah… Did you see Kyungman-ie?”
“Huh?”
“…Ky-Kyungman-ie?” Kim Sangyoon stammered.
“Because this is the only room that has medical 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 screamed 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 former 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 me and Koo Hui-seo alternately, as if he couldn’t believe those words. Then, he seemed to gaze at me 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 movement behind the curtain became 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 movement 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 something 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 moment, his emotions seemed to shift from disgust to something closer to hostility.
Of course, what he just saw was enough to elicit those feelings. The memory of when Koo Hui-seo had first ruined Koo Kyungman’s body had made me suffer from nightmares for quite a long while. But time 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 members. Koo Hui-seo’s life was horrid because of him as well.”
“But…!” Kim Sangyoon grabbed me by the shoulders, slightly frustrated. He probably wanted to maintain a general baseline of decency afforded to all human beings…Well, something 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 members 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 aimed 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 me, I was a bit sorrowful at his abhorrence.
I used to believe the same 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 me 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 me.
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.
