By Zephyria 
Matteo brought Luca, the youngest, to the hospital. Luca, who had grown significantly since the last time he saw him, hugged him as soon as he saw him, his eyes welling up with tears before he finally burst into sobs. Then, as time passed, he became engrossed in talking about joining the school soccer team with his friends, as if nothing had happened.
“When are you coming to my house, hyung?”
Looking at the bright child’s face, Ire offered only a smile instead of an answer. “Later,” he replied, but he couldn’t guarantee when that would be. He hadn’t yet decided whether it was right to bring Luca, who was doing well, to Zone D. He had held on with the thought of bringing his family over, but now that the opportunity was near, he hesitated.
Then, his eyes met Matteo’s, who had been listening silently beside him. Matteo said he was living by alternating between the hospital and home. He was relieved to hear that Luca was now controllable with drugs and that the frequency of his episodes had decreased. Matteo explained that he had pretended to have lost his memory because he feared Ire would be held back because of him.
Suddenly, Ire wondered.
How much did he know?
Gilsu had said something before.
“Our captain said you have a special ability, Ire. That you’d be the talent to lead us.”
Their captain was Matteo’s sworn brother. If Matteo had known the whole truth from the beginning, if he hadn’t raised Ire with pure intentions but for some purpose… But he had genuinely loved Ire, cherishing him like a son. Regardless of how it began, that fact remained unchanged.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
Ire shook his head at Matteo, who asked with a worried expression. “No, it’s nothing.” Shaking off the overwhelming thoughts, he called Luca, who was fitting together a puzzle beside him, and stroked his head. Just then, with a knock, two men in uniform appeared.
“We are police officers. We’re here to ask a few questions.”
As they presented their identification, Matteo’s expression darkened.
“What is this about?”
Ire grabbed Matteo’s arm as he stepped forward.
“Take Luca and go. Now.”
“Michael.”
“It’s nothing serious. They just have some questions about the accident at the lake.”
Matteo was about to say something, but he stopped when he saw Ire’s resolute expression. He thought Ire seemed to have grown taller since he last saw him. It felt more like a void than disappointment. Still, he couldn’t keep him in his embrace forever.
Before leaving, Luca waved and hugged him several times, rubbing his face against Ire’s. The watching police officers chuckled, finding him cute, but their expressions changed drastically once Matteo disappeared. They looked around the hospital room, brought chairs, and one sat down while the other recorded something from behind.
“Can you tell us where you were all day yesterday?”
“I went to the lake where the accident happened, and then I stayed in the hospital room afterward.”
“What time did you return?”
“1 AM.”
“That’s strange. Your gate entry time was 7 PM.”
Ire sighed at the slightly accusatory tone.
“If it’s about the accident at the lake, the intelligence agency already questioned me.”
“We’re not here about that incident,”
The man showed a tablet, and a photo appeared. It was someone Ire knew. A confident smile on his face, with short hair, as if taken when he joined the military.
“Park Mu-jin, you know him, right? He was your special forces colleague.”
“Yes. I know him.”
“He was murdered last night. At his home.”
Ire nodded with a calm expression. “I see.”
“You’re not surprised?”
“Were others surprised? Considering his usual behavior, I would have answered that his death could happen anytime.”
The police officer laughed with an incredulous expression and leaned back in his chair, staring at Ire. His gaze conveyed that he knew Ire was lying.
“If you don’t answer properly, we’ll take you in. You don’t seem to grasp how serious this is. The deceased is the second son of the Vice Chairman. Do you understand what that means?”
“I’m tired of repeating myself. If you insist, check with the car owner.”
“Are you saying you were with Ms. Kwon So-young until that time?”
They even knew exactly whose car it was. Disbelief was evident in the police officer’s eyes. They seemed to think it impossible for Kwon So-young, the daughter of a prominent family, to associate with a street thug from another district.
Ire pressed the external call button and asked the nurse to fetch Kwon So-young. Kwon So-young, who came in without knowing why, frowned upon seeing the police officers.
“What is this? This is a patient who needs rest.”
One of the officers asked in a polite tone, different from how he treated Ire.
“Is it true that you two were together from 9 PM last night?”
Taken aback by the sudden question, Kwon So-young looked at Ire. However, she was quick-witted and quickly grasped the situation.
“Does that pose a problem?”
“Do you have any evidence? May we check your home CCTV?”
Kwon So-young visibly recoiled.
“Do you really think I’d meet someone while leaving evidence? You know who my father is. And we’re not as deeply involved as you might think. We just enjoy each other’s company to a certain extent. I kept it a secret because I didn’t want to cause trouble, but I’m not pleased that you’ve come all this way.”
One of the officers explained the situation. Park Mu-jin had died, and there were several suspects, so it was just a procedural check. He tried to comfort her, telling her not to take it too personally, as if she were the one who should be surprised. Kwon So-young’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of Park Mu-jin’s death.
“He died? Why?”
“It’s presumed to be due to a grudge.”
“Are there no witnesses?”
“Not yet.”
“Oh dear,” Kwon So-young said with a sympathetic expression.
“That’s terrible. Especially with all the commotion from the accident. I hope the culprit is caught soon.”
“Yes, I hope so too.”
After speaking, the officer glanced at Ire. It was as if he was saying, ‘You are still a suspect.’ However, without concrete evidence, they couldn’t act rashly. Once the police officers left the room and were completely gone, Kwon So-young looked at Ire and laughed with an incredulous expression.
“You’ve gotten quite cute since I last saw you. You can even lie now?”
“It’s not a lie. I was with Ms. Kwon So-young yesterday. I hope you won’t change that answer, no matter who asks.”
“Wow, are you threatening me? You’ve grown up. But what a shame. It’s a rather cute threat?”
Suddenly, two CCTVs on the ceiling shattered with a loud crack. Shards flew and menacingly surrounded Kwon So-young’s neck. In the blink of an eye, Kwon So-young’s mouth hung open, and she stared down at the sharp fragments pressed close to her chin.
“H, my god…”
“How is it? Still cute?”
Kwon So-young stared directly at Ire. His grayish-blue eyes, unlike before, now held a murderous glint.
“You said you didn’t remember. Liar.”
The fragments fell to the floor simultaneously, and Kwon So-young stared at them for a long time, unable to believe it. Her prediction had been correct. Her eyes held anticipation, hope, and madness. Conversely, fear also arose. The man before her could now not only take lives but could also level a building if he set his mind to it.
* * *
“Hayun, come here.” In her dream, his mother stroked his head, made eye contact, and treated him kindly. That’s how Kim Ha-yoon knew it was a dream. In reality, his mother had never shown such a demeanor.
Then, the ground beneath him crumbled, and his surroundings changed completely. Shells that had been flying returned, and the scene instantly turned into chaos. Among the scattered corpses, Ire was there. He was so focused on taking care of his comrade that he didn’t notice the enemy approaching.
He didn’t know why. All he could think was that he had to save him.
So, knowing he would die, he charged in.
“Will he wake up?”
“Shh, be quiet.”
“Grandpa, can I eat this person if he dies?”
“No. He might be sick.”
“We can boil him.”
Wandering between the boundaries of dream and reality, Ha-yoon heard unfamiliar voices. As he struggled to open his eyes, he saw faces looking at him. A child, an elderly man, a well-built young man, and two women. He didn’t even have the strength to move his pupils, and his eyes kept closing. This time, the child’s face came a little closer, full of regret.
“He’s alive…”
“Jio, stop it. Dad said he’d get us something to eat.”
“But I want meat.”
“Not people. How many times do I have to tell you? Are you teaching your child properly?”
“You can’t help innate nature.”
The more he heard, the more outrageous the conversation became. So, they were treating him like a piece of meat, waiting for him to stop breathing? He managed to move his head and looked to the side. An injection needle was inserted into the arm of the large man, and his blood was entering Ha-yoon’s body through a transparent tube. When he reached out to pull it out, the old man grabbed his hand.
“Don’t touch it. You’re bleeding heavily, so we have to do this.”
Damn it. Sticking a needle into someone else’s body without permission. And with someone else’s blood, whose identity he didn’t even know. He tried to move, but his body wouldn’t obey. Pain in his abdomen made him frown involuntarily. He felt around with his hand and found it was bandaged. Amidst this, the old man’s explanation continued.
“You sustained a penetrating wound to the abdomen, but fortunately, you missed your organs. It was a miracle. Of course, your own resilience was the biggest factor. An ordinary person would have died by now.”
His consciousness grew hazy, and his eyes kept closing. “You’ll feel much better after you sleep. Then, voices followed one after another.
“What happens if he lives?”
“Should we leave him where we found him?”
“He’s got a handsome face, so we could sell him as a gigolo.”
“Good idea. Women will line up.”
“Be quiet. Watch your mouths.”
Kim Ha-yoon snorted with his eyes closed. He wanted to smash all their heads for mocking him, but he didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger now. Should he be glad he was alive? As his consciousness faded, one face came into sharp focus.
If I return alive, what expression will he wear?
…If I live, will that be your misfortune?