By Zephyria 
“That’s true, but.”
“I won’t be easily defeated like Kwon Hyeon-oh, and I’ll subdue Tae-hwon and lock you up. If I put that collar on you from before, you won’t be able to harm me, right?”
“Can you subdue me? It’s hard for me to say it myself, but I was really strong.”
“Of course. What wouldn’t I do for Tae-hwon?”
I wonder. Is that really possible?
If Woo Tae-hwon, who was trying to kill, and Kwon Rae-i, who had to capture him, fought, which way would the victory lean…?
‘Haa…’
Tae-hwon, who had become troubled at once, slowly sighed. He felt like he knew who Kwon Rae-i was aiming for and why he had become so strong.
“Okay. Once you put the collar on me, you must never let me go. You have to tie me up tightly.”
Tae-hwon couldn’t shake off his worried heart and repeatedly urged Kwon Rae-i. Never let him go. Don’t let your guard down until the end, and use all the restraints you can, shackles and ankle shackles, to neutralize thirty-year-old Woo Tae-hwon.
“If I’m too violent, starve me. Don’t give me a drop of water.”
“Ehh, I can’t do that. It’s Tae-hwon.”
“Then… cut my tendons or something. So I can’t hold a knife.”
“Tae-hwon, what you’re saying is getting extreme. And I can’t do that.”
Kwon Rae-i drew a firm line with a smile.
“I couldn’t do it before, but I can’t do it now.”
Now?
Why can’t you do it now? Before he could ask, Kwon Rae-i lowered his voice and added one more thing.
“And to tell you one more thing, Tae-hwon didn’t kill Kwon Hyeon-oh.”
“What?”
At those words, Tae-hwon abruptly raised his head.
“That bastard is still alive.”
‘Kwon Hyeon-oh is alive. How?’
Kwon Rae-i, staring intently at his surprised eyes, affectionately kissed Tae-hwon’s nose. Then, he lightly bit his bridge and answered.
“He ran away. After Tae-hwon fainted. He crawled across the floor like a centipede, desperately.”
“Ha, crazy…”
“I checked the entire situation on-site with the CCTV footage installed in the house. I saw everything, but I was late in arriving… I was so anxious that my whole body was shaking while driving.”
‘Is that so? He was watching.’
The house had not only iron bars but also surveillance CCTV and motion detection sensors. The preparations must have been thorough. If it hadn’t been for Han-seon, they wouldn’t have been attacked like that…
No, it’s all in the past anyway. Rather than dwelling on the misfortunes and arguing about who was at fault, the more urgent and critical matters were Kwon Hyeon-oh, who had stubbornly survived and escaped, and his brain, which was a terrifying time bomb that could explode at any moment.
“Then what happened to Kwon Hyeon-oh?”
“Huh? What is it? You have to speak informally to me.”
“No, ah, right. What happened, happened to him?”
“Add Rae-i too.”
“What happened, Kwon Rae-i!”
“Puhaha, that’s right, Tae-hwon.”
Kwon Rae-i giggled and was happy. It didn’t seem like it was the time to be laughing like that, but he was relaxed. No, he seemed like someone who had made some kind of decision.
Kwon Rae-i, who had stopped smiling after laughing so much, murmured coldly.
“What happened? It’s a good thing.”
It was such a ruthless voice that Tae-hwon flinched unconsciously.
“I’m relieved that the bastard has a long life… I must kill him with my own hands.”
“…”
“I can’t let him die so easily. Don’t you think?”
After that, there were no more words. Silence flowed.
“…”
“…”
Tae-hwon already knew the story that should have come out of the void of the conversation. They must have been dwelling on the same thoughts.
Kwon Rae-i stared blankly at Tae-hwon. Then he put his forehead against his and muttered. Soft hair tickled above his eyebrows.
“Han-seon is dead.”
“…Yeah.”
“I let him go comfortably at the end. I’ll take care of his family.”
“He was in a terrible state. It seemed like he had no choice but to reveal various information after being tortured…”
“Don’t worry. It won’t change anything, no matter what he found out.”
Warm body temperature was transmitted through their foreheads. He could feel the boiling bloodlust. It was the determination and vengeful desire of someone facing a battlefield. Tae-hwon, although he had no religion, offered a small prayer in his heart. If there was any transcendent being beyond the realm of humanity, he hoped that they would illuminate their future.
“We’ve already prepared for battle.”
The trumpet sounded and the flag was raised.
It was time to step forward.
***
The fluorescent light flickered. A desolate atmosphere filled the hospital room, and the streetlights reflected outside the window seeped under the blinds. The smell of medicine and disinfectant wafted through the air.
On the single bed, a man with bandages wrapped around his head and face was lying down. His right ear was completely cut off and gone, and his nose was broken and covered in bruises. The deformation caused by the severe impact on his jaw was clear, and it seemed difficult for him to even speak because it was fixed with a splint.
Groaning filled the room. The eyes, forcibly opened from the battered face, were trembling with fatigue and fear.
At that moment, the hospital room door slid open, and the heavy sound of shoes echoed on the cold floor.
A dark shadow was entering.
It was Kwon Tae-oh, wearing a black coat and suit.
He frowned at the sight of Kwon Hyeon-oh’s miserable appearance and paused at the entrance for a moment.
“Oh dear.”
Kwon Tae-oh gave a sharp smile to his younger brother lying in bed. The voice he uttered as if he had expected this result was low, indifferent, and nonchalant.
“Half of your proud face is gone.”
Kwon Tae-oh, who had slowly approached, stood next to the bed and pulled up a chair. Kwon Hyeon-oh barely turned his head to look at him. One eye was so swollen that it was difficult to even open it properly.
Kwon Tae-oh took out a cigarette from inside his coat pocket. He took out one and put it in Kwon Hyeon-oh’s mouth, then took out a silver Zippo lighter and lit it.
“You must have been hit hard. But you still managed to come back alive.”
“Ugh.”
Kwon Hyeon-oh took a deep breath with the filter in his mouth. The end of the cigarette glowed red as the cigarette was lit. Kwon Hyeon-oh, who had deeply inhaled the smoke and absorbed the nicotine, forced his mouth open.
“You knew, ha, you knew everything and sent me, didn’t you?”
The pain in his jaw blocked his words. The pronunciation was terrible. But Kwon Hyeon-oh did not give in.
“You stabbed Han-seon to tell me to go there and crash and die, you fucking brother.”
Kwon Tae-oh, who had put the lighter away and put it in his pocket, coldly fired back.
“Isn’t it good that you’re alive? And if you’re going to die anyway, it’s better to just die.”
“It’s fucked up… How far was your calculation?”
“Moderately. To keep Kwon Rae-i in check, and to make Hyeon-oh understand his place.”
“Shit…”
At those words, Kwon Hyeon-oh, enraged, spat out the cigarette butt in his mouth. He threw it at Kwon Tae-oh as if he had no more use for it after taking one puff. Thud. It didn’t even reach him because it was too far away, and the cigarette butt rolled weakly down the blanket and simply fell to the floor of the hospital room.
Kwon Tae-oh chuckled and stomped on the cigarette butt. He rubbed it with his heel to put out the fire and murmured.
“You still have the nerve to act like you’re doing well. Yeah. You must want to save your petty pride since you were crushed by the youngest brother you ignored.”
“Youngest brother?”
“Are you pretending not to know? Kwon Rae-i. He’s not ordinary.”
“Kwon Rae-i… Kwon Rae-i my ass, damn it, Tae-oh.”
Kwon Hyeon-oh groaned and squeezed out curses. As the situation flowed unexpectedly, Kwon Tae-oh was the first to be suspicious.
“Do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know until the end?”
“What.”
“Are you going to be like this until the end?”
“What is it.”
“What is it… That idiot. He doesn’t know anything. Huh?”
Kwon Hyeon-oh chuckled and let out a trembling breath. His brown eyes were filled with the fear of a miserable defeat, but even so, his unyielding pride and recklessness were rising.
“Hehe, right. So, you’re saying he didn’t know that bastard and then plant me there… Is that what you’re saying…?”
“Kwon Hyeon-oh. What are you talking about? Speak clearly.”
Kwon Hyeon-oh rolled his eyes upward and revealed the truth.
“Woo Tae-hwon.”
The moment he spat out that name, a cold chill settled in the hospital room. Darkness fell, and shadows stretched long. Surrounded by blackness, Kwon Hyeon-oh, cornered, still focused all his energy on mocking his older brother, Kwon Tae-oh.
“Woo Tae-hwon was there. There.”
“…Hyeon-oh. What nonsense are you spouting? Even if you’re embarrassed about getting thoroughly thrashed by your youngest brother, this is too much.”What the hell are you talking about, brother?” The bastard who wrecked me like this, that bastard is Woo Tae-hwon.”
Kwon Hyeon-oh leaned forward, raising his voice. Forgetting his pain, he shouted triumphantly.
“Heh, you didn’t even suspect it? Wow, you look dumbfounded?”
“Woo Tae-hwon?”Yeah, damn, that’s what I’m saying.” Woo Tae-hwon joined hands with Kwon Rae-i. The reason you’ve been scouring airports and ports all over the country and haven’t found a single hair on that son of a bitch’s head is because he’s been hiding behind Kwon Rae-i all this time!”