By Zephyria Eye of the Typhoon
Thwack— A flatfish powerfully struck the water’s surface with its tail, causing droplets to scatter. The Noryangjin Fish Market was quieter than usual. Quiet enough to hear the sound of a single flatfish’s tail. Most Hunters who would come for information were either injured or too busy running around, so it couldn’t be helped.
A week after Monsters rained down from the sky, the world was quickly finding its place again. People who had already experienced similar events twice before recovered quickly. The government reported that it was a Rift issue and that the Hunters had resolved it. Most people didn’t believe it. How could hundreds of such massive Monsters falling from the sky simply be a Rift issue!
Various conspiracy theories emerged. Something went wrong with an experiment, the Rift broke down, it’s a sign that the Whitehole is disappearing, and so on…. However, the Doomsday theorists who usually surfaced with each conspiracy theory were nowhere to be seen this time. As if they had all vanished. In the end, the conspiracy theories failed to obtain any meaningful information and fizzled out. It seemed like things were returning to normal. This was only possible because they were unaware of the impending Doomsday.
And currently.
There was a man busily crossing the quiet fish market. With each tap, tap of his footsteps, his cyan hair fluttered. Amidst the chaotic scenery, people wearing vinyl aprons recognized him.
“In-seok, are you feeling alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I told you I’m fine.”
“What’s fine about a guy who was sprawled out in front of the market! I should feed you some Yeonpo-tang. You, come to the store tonight! Got it! Bring Hyung too!”
Ugh. The younger Mackerel avoided eye contact and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Ah, please don’t talk about that. It was an act of God, I’m telling you.”
On the day the Monsters rained down, younger Mackerel was found sprawled out at the entrance of the fish market. Moreover, it was just before the fish market doors were locked to avoid the Monsters, so Mackerel Hyung almost foamed at the mouth and collapsed, they say.
But hey, it wasn’t my fault. Who knew those white guys would launch a mental attack. However, the merchants didn’t seem to think so. One of the merchants brandished a scoop net.
“Act of God, my foot. Do you know how horrified your Hyung was? He cried as if the sky was falling!”
“Ah~ I don’t know, I don’t know. It’s overprotection….”
Mackerel’s feet stopped in front of the Rose Seafood sign. Mackerel bowed his head. Jang Mi-sook, sitting on a small chair and fanning herself, pointed with a nod to the room attached to the store.
“You’ve come? He’s inside.”
“What is he doing?”
“Who knows? He asked to borrow the room, so I just lent it to him.”
“Ha, dealing with difficult customers isn’t my job….”
Mackerel grumbled and opened the tightly closed door. Light poured into the dark room. Mackerel craned his neck and whispered.
“Hyung, Hyung?”
The pouring light illuminated the yellow linoleum floor and the cushions with their gaudy, multicolored patterns. Mackerel raised his voice a little more.
“Hyung~nim? Are you sleeping? I thought you’d wake up just by hearing my voice?”
Eh, whatever. Mackerel flung the door open. Only then could he see someone lying crookedly. The lanky young man was sprawled out with his legs up, using the colorful cushions as a blanket and pillow. Light reflected off the smooth mask. The slowly turning mask stared at Mackerel. A distorted voice replied.
“What.”
The black mask, the nation’s hero, the Hunter known as the top contributor to resolving this crisis. It was J. But he was lying down like a bum in the corner of a room. If it weren’t for the black mask on his face, his behavior would have been that of a common bum.
Why is he here? Mackerel was also curious. On the night the Monsters poured down, J appeared at the Awakened Management Bureau with the tattered Song Jo-heon on his back. Lee Sa-young with a displeased expression was also with him. What was publicly known ended there, and only a very few people, including Mackerel, knew the more intimate details.
Anyway, since that day, the Awakened Management Bureau was said to be maintaining a state of emergency. To the extent that they were requesting help even from Mackerel’s side, the so-called heretics.
Younger Mackerel scratched his head roughly and then snapped.
“What, isn’t the right way to greet someone. No, Hyung-nim. Aren’t you busy? I thought you’d be busy? Isn’t the Awakened Management Bureau turned upside down? It’s a complete mess, isn’t it?”
“No? I’m incredibly free?”
“That can’t be? There’s Song Jo-heon to deal with, and Prometheus… Oh, there’s meeting with those guys too. The Director even asked us for help because he’s short-handed?”
Instead of answering, J pretended to pick his ear.
“I went on strike. I even got permission from the Director.”
“What strike, have you finally gone crazy? How busy are you these days!”
“Ah, just think of it as I left a blanket here.”
“Where’s there a blanket as noticeable as this? No, this is clearly a business establishment. It’s a problem if you use it as a boarding house like this.”
“You can pay the usage fee, right?”
“How much?”
“I’ll kick out any difficult customers.”
“Ha, really.”
“No…. How much have I done until now, I can take a strike…. Huh? It’s a legitimate right….”
He sat up unsteadily and began to mutter like a drunk person. Mackerel quickly looked back at Jang Mi-sook-ssi. But Jang Mi-sook-ssi promptly shook her head. Meaning she didn’t give him any alcohol or anything. J reached out and picked up a kernel of dried corn on the table. Crunch, it flattened with just a little force. He lowered his head and muttered.
“They don’t need me.”
If his Hyung heard that, he would flip out. Younger Mackerel hurriedly looked around, then threw off his shoes and entered the room like a chicken with its tail on fire. And after slamming the door shut, he whispered.
“Wh-who, who said they don’t need you? What crazy brat said such an evil thing?”
“There is, a crazy brat.”
“No, what crazy brat said that!”
At that, J raised his head sharply. The smooth black mask, which hid his expression, stared at Mackerel. He beckoned Mackerel to come closer. Mackerel sat across from J and subtly leaned forward. J whispered.
“…Listen.”
“Yes, Hyung-nim. Can I charge a consultation fee for this?”
“Shut up. Imagine there’s someone you’re really close to, no. Moderately close to? No… Anyway, someone you used to be close to? Uh, someone like family. You know?”
What was with redefining the relationship three times in one sentence. Younger Mackerel tilted his head, then hit the nail on the head.
“You’re not close now?”
J, who had been silent, muttered hesitantly.
“…Still… we’re kind of close? …Am I the only one who thinks so?”
The quick-witted Mackerel instinctively realized. This is a really interesting story! At least as serious as a love triangle. The private affairs of the globally famous J. He rubbed his palms together and urged him on.
“Yes, let’s say that’s the case. But?”
“But that person had a hard time in the past.”
“Yes.”
“But it seems like it happened because I wasn’t there?”
“Huh? Yes.”
“So I’m a little worried…. Anyway, since it was a little tough, I want to pay attention to them, comfort them. You know? I even saw that they were having a hard time.”
“I think I understand, Hyung-nim.”
“But that crazy brat told me to mind my own business.”
“Oh.”
“So we fought. I even grabbed him by the collar a bit.”
Mackerel raised his hand.
“Can I ask one question, Hyung-nim?”
“What is it.”
“Is the other person alive?”
“He’s perfectly fine.”
“Ah. Okay. Please continue.”
So it’s not just any Hunter or ordinary person. Younger Mackerel nodded in agreement, as if agreeing, and narrowed down the candidates.
“Anyway, then, that crazy brat…. Said, don’t you get it? That he’s saying he doesn’t need you now?”
“Oh, my God.”
Mackerel, lost for words, covered his mouth. To have the guts to say that he doesn’t need the hero J.
“F***, he said he doesn’t need me….”
Crack, the dried corn that J was clutching turned to powder and scattered. J buried his face in his arm and collapsed on the table. At the same time, one image floated into Mackerel’s head. A human as black as night from head to toe. The person who could still be alive after going up against J to this extent. J, who had watched the same video several times in the fish market’s video room. The protagonist of that video was the newly Awakened Lee Sa-young.
‘Could it be….’
Even though he thought it couldn’t be, Mackerel couldn’t stop the curiosity of the information broker from rising. Mackerel whispered secretly. Adding agreement.
“Can I be honest, Hyung-nim?”
“Yeah.”
“That crazy brat is a little rude, isn’t he?”
“…….”
The breathing that had been heard nearby stopped for a moment. The head that had been buried in the arm slowly rose, and the black mask tilted crookedly.
“What?”
“…….”
“What did you just say?”
Ah, seriously. Mackerel rolled his eyes upwards.
‘Dealing with difficult customers is so hard….’
It was a moment when he deeply felt the joys and sorrows of the service industry. Instead of answering, Mackerel nimbly jumped up. Bang! A fist split the table. J shouted.
“Still, he’s not that rude!”