By Zephyria 
Why was he so anxious? Mu-hae’s intuition had never once led him astray.
Of course, for a while, the back of his neck had felt chilly for no apparent reason, but looking back, that had likely all been Joo-oh’s fault.
Once he discovered the source of the sense of crisis that occasionally brushed against his heart, he began to trust his instincts—honed from struggling to survive in harsh environments—even more.
‘Wait.’
Joo-oh…?
The sudden thought made his heart sink, this time for a different reason.
An ominous hypothesis flashed through his mind. Even as he scolded himself, telling himself it couldn’t be, that it was an absurd delusion, his mind already knew.
Infiltrating a place like this would be difficult even for him, but there was someone who could slip into a heavily secured building without a sound.
A human… no, a being who possessed the ability to scale walls if they could get even a single finger-hold, and who could crouch and suppress their presence like a dead mouse, was nearby.
‘No way.’
No. It couldn’t be. It was still absurd. It wasn’t a matter of possibility; it was simply hard to believe.
He wanted to dismiss it as mere speculation, but the threat pricking the nape of his neck was a sensation he had felt before. Mu-hae’s rationality began to waver slowly.
“I see you like the interior design.”
As the man sitting across from him looked up at the window again, Park Tae-sun followed his gaze upward.
Mu-hae unconsciously shook his head and lowered his eyes. Oops, that was rude. He shouldn’t be so distracted when he was about to ask for an introduction to someone with significant connections.
And even if that weren’t the case, if he assumed the worst-case scenario, he absolutely could not let the man’s attention drift in that direction.
“No, it’s just… a bit fascinating. It doesn’t look like a hologram, so I was wondering what method they used.”
“Everyone who comes here for the first time has a similar curiosity. Perhaps that’s why they’re always willing to answer when asked, haha.”
Whether Mu-hae’s excuse worked or not, Park Tae-sun burst into a hearty laugh. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, then spoke as if remembering something.
He explained calmly that it wasn’t a standard hologram, mentioning something about reflections, and that although it looked this way, the restaurant occupied two floors, with devices installed in the ample ceiling height to induce light scattering.
While it was somewhat interesting, it wasn’t something Mu-hae truly cared to know. While listening, he stealthily wiped his palms on his trousers.
Damn it. The suspicion was growing. Mu-hae calmly put the next dish served into his mouth.
It seemed to be an incredibly luxurious meal, but he couldn’t taste it. Honestly, he wasn’t in a state of mind to care about the flavor.
All Mu-hae could do was offer occasional responses to Park Tae-sun, who spoke to him from time to time.
“The fish dishes here are particularly excellent. I hear they come from a fish farm near Seogyeong City. Living fish are always fresher and more savory than frozen ones.”
“The cooking is exquisite. Fish isn’t a dish I eat often, but this is the best I’ve ever tasted.”
“Perhaps that’s why most people bring their families the next time they visit after being hosted here.”
“Certainly… there is someone who would love it if they tasted it.”
In the next instant, the bloodlust vanished as if it had melted away like snow.
‘Fuck.’
Curses bubbled up inside him. Now he knew. This wasn’t a sign of some disaster.
It wasn’t a premonition that the building would collapse, nor a prophecy that an assassin would suddenly leap out and slit his throat.
“I imagine you’ve brought your daughter here as well.”
“Haha, indeed.”
Bloodlust ON.
“A friend I work with… actually, despite being in a tight spot financially, he eats fish dishes quite greedily.”
Bloodlust OFF.
Where the hell had this crazy bastard snuck into, and what was he doing?
The scalp that had been prickling with fear and pressure just a moment ago now felt like it was vibrating with heat from anger.
“Oh, speaking of colleagues, it reminded me. Was that friend assisting Instructor Jin’s training?”
“Yes. He’s a bit clumsy, but his skills are considerable, so he’s a great help.”
“You two seem quite close. I heard he was very shocked by the last accident.”
“Since he’s someone with nowhere to go, we’ve lived together, and I’ve come to look after him like family. I was the one who rescued him from the disaster area a while back.”
Hmm. Park Tae-sun let out an ambiguous comment as he finished emptying his plate.
“I see he has such a story, despite being a citizen who was only recently officially registered. It makes sense that Instructor Jin would be his guarantor.”
It wasn’t exactly a secret, but the natural way he revealed that he had already investigated was unsettling.
Regardless of who he asked to contact today, that information too would remain in this man’s head and be converted into data.
Still, he couldn’t show that he felt burdened. The reason the man evaluated him favorably was thanks to his flawless Central-style social skills, despite his background.
They were the type of people who would screw someone over with a smile and highly valued the composure of maintaining a serene face even in a shitty situation.
Zzzzzzt—.
Then, a small vibration sounded from somewhere. Seeing that his own wrist was fine, it wasn’t Mu-hae’s.
Park Tae-sun raised a hand to ask for a moment’s excuse, checked his simple analog watch, and made an ambiguous face.
“It was a Link Watch. I thought it was just a simple watch.”
“Even chips have their limits. I’m sorry, but may I step away for a moment? It seems I’ve received an urgent contact.”
“Please, go ahead.”
Slide. Park Tae-sun twitched an eyebrow slightly in curiosity before leaving the room.
Once the door closed, the dining area, where even the low murmur of conversation had vanished, became utterly quiet and desolate.
Clink. Mu-hae set his utensils down completely and touched his own Link Watch. After a faint signal sounded for a moment, there was a click; someone had answered.
“Hey.”
—…
“You’re not answering, are you?”
—…
“Did you order plenty of food?”
—…
“Do you think I won’t know just because you keep your mouth shut? Who do you take me for, an idiot?”
—…
The reprimand, which was practically a monologue, echoed softly in the room. With its low tone and cold inflection, it was the kind of speech that would make anyone who had done wrong tremble.
“Come out. While I’m still being nice.”
—…
“I think you’ll only avoid being kicked out if you show some sign of reflection before I get even more pissed off.”
—…Jin Mu-hae did it first.
Only after the strongest medicine was administered did a shrinking voice drift in. From the Link Watch, and very faintly, from somewhere beyond the ceiling.
As he flicked his eyes upward, a bit of black hair peeked out from the edge of the window that reflected the blue sky.
It looked exactly like the top of some three-meter Aberrant’s head hiding in a bush. It was so absurd that his anger almost vanished.
Creak, click.
The glass, which had looked like a mere decoration, was technically a window, so it opened on a hinge.
From that gap, a huddled figure leaped down lightly. It was a perfect landing, without even a thud.
How on earth had he squeezed a body nearly 180cm tall in there? Before the reprimand of why he followed, Mu-hae let out a snort and asked a question.
“How did you get in?”
“…I jumped up before Jin Mu-hae.”
“You came down from the floor above?”
“No, the ventilation shaft…”
Having seen Mu-hae use ventilation shafts while infiltrating various places, the guy had learned and imitated it like a ghost.
Mu-hae pressed his hand to his forehead for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and approached him.
“You said you’d stay put. Do you think this is a cafe?”
“…I was hiding quietly.”
“Do I look like I’m out for a stroll? There’s a limit to interfering with work; what were you thinking following me all the way here? What if you’d been caught?”
“But Jin Mu-hae…”
Ugh. Suddenly, Joo-oh frowned. His red eyes flashed with a face that looked wronged, sorrowful, and even shocked.
“Jin Mu-hae…”
“What about me?”
“I hate Park Tae-sun. I wish you hadn’t come.”
“Are you crazy? Don’t even think about touching that man.”
“I’m going to Cheong!”
Thump. The guy, who stomped his foot as if he didn’t care who heard, spun around.
Caught off guard, Jin Mu-hae grabbed him and, suddenly feeling a surge of anger, pulled his ear painfully.
Naturally, he didn’t seem to feel any pain, as he glared back with his lips pouting.
“I’m going to ask people for food too. I’m going to go buy meat skewers by myself.”
The way he ghost-like picked only the things Mu-hae would hate to mutter made it impossible to endure without hitting him on the head.
Thwack. After one hit, his wide eyes drooped. Joo-oh let out a sad whimper and slumped down onto the floor.
“I hate Park Tae-sun. I hate him now.”
He muttered vacantly, as if someone had scammed him out of ten years’ worth of savings. Mu-hae glanced toward the firmly closed door, then reached down and hauled him back up.
“Just get out for now. We’ll talk later.”
“…”
“You’re not leaving?”
Though he meddled and caused trouble here and there, he had never openly interfered with important work.
For some reason, Joo-oh was being stubborn. He looked as if he would stay put and drool all over Park Tae-sun if he walked in.
Checking his wrist, three minutes had already passed. He would return shortly.
In the end, instead of dragging the guy who wouldn’t budge, Mu-hae grit his teeth and whispered in his ear.
“I clearly. Said I’d touch you.”
“…”
“Where did you hear such weird things to be acting out like this? Is this because of what happened at the award ceremony?”
Perhaps deciding that it wouldn’t be bad to be linked by blood to Mu-hae, Park Tae-sun had mentioned a second daughter back then.
Mu-hae hadn’t cared much, but Joo-oh had immediately started babbling strange things about drooling, so it had remained a vivid memory.
“I like Jin Mu-hae, though.”
Joo-oh looked up piteously with his red eyes, glancing at Mu-hae’s face repeatedly.
Then, he suddenly snapped his head up to look at the closed door. Mu-hae’s spine tingled. Since the guy had good hearing, he must have heard footsteps.
“I like you too, so just get lost for now.”
Warning him urgently, Mu-hae dragged him away. The bastard, who had been as immovable as a main beam, finally slid along as he was led.
In his haste, he pushed him into the cloakroom where the coats were kept. As the door opened, the light flashed on and a weak breeze blew in.
“If you get caught, know that we’re sleeping in separate rooms.”
After the short threat, he was about to close the door when he instinctively looked at the table. He grabbed the remaining fish dish from the plate and quickly stuffed it into Joo-oh’s mouth.
Then, like a mercenary encountering an Aberrant, he lunged and closed the ceiling window. As he awkwardly tried to sit back in the chair, slide, the door opened and Park Tae-sun entered.
“My apologies. I received a call from my family. I hope I didn’t disturb your meal?”
“No. The food was so excellent that I ate without thinking.”
Cold sweat trickled down his back. Mu-hae rubbed his sauce-stained hands under the table and lightly tidied his disheveled hair.
222 – I Became an Aberration in a Dead Game