2.1 The First Leap (1)

“This is mine?”

“Yes. Would you like to try these shoes on?”

Geum Seoul blinked, staring at the clothes and shoes laid out neatly before him. The cotton fabric looked so soft and fine that Seoul hesitated three times before he finally touched the t-shirt.

On the day he took the helicopter, Geum Seoul came straight to this house. And he nearly fainted. The living room was so vast and beautiful that he couldn’t take his eyes off the tiled walls and the floor, where the stone patterns looked as if they had been painted. On one side, there was a wall made entirely of wood, adorned with a painting so large it seemed to occupy the entire space, and trees were planted one by one in concrete pots scattered here and there.

Even that was just one hallway of the living room, and there were several large doors that reached up to the ceiling. Among them, the bedroom was stunning enough to make his jaw drop.

“Becksa, turn up the lights a bit more.”

At Yoo Jeong-ham’s command, a voice answered from the speaker, and the house immediately became brighter. Since he had only ever read about AI home programming in newspapers and had never experienced it in person, Seoul had even pressed his nose against the pitch-black speaker at first.

It was the kind of house he had never seen in his life. Of course, he had often heard from Bunhong-i about how many wealthy people lived in Seoul, but he had never imagined it would be this magnificent.

The bed was so plush that even after several days, he still hadn’t adjusted to it, frequently snapping awake from dreams of falling off a cliff. There [stolen content]was a large window Read on Read BL Novelson one wall of the bedroom, but since Yoo Jeong-ham told him he must never open the curtains, he had never once drawn them back.

“Are you dressed?”

While he changed into the t-shirt, Yoo Jeong-ham kept his back turned. Geum Seoul, adjusting the hem of the t-shirt—which was slightly large but a comfortable size—replied “Yes” and leaned down. He did so to slide his feet into the white sneakers. Though they were a bit loose, the pristine white sneakers were so wonderful that he gulped.

“Hmm. You’ll need that size for the clothes, but the sneakers are one size too big. A size smaller would be perfect.”

“How much are these?”

“…The price?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not sure. I don’t really know.”

As Yoo Jeong-ham leaned down to press the toe of the sneaker, Geum Seoul stepped down from the sofa and crouched beside him. Suddenly, the two men were in the strange position of crouching together on the living room floor. Realizing that even something like this was unfamiliar to him, Yoo Jeong-ham stood up first. Only then did Geum Seoul awkwardly stand up, perch on the edge of the sofa, and set the sneakers aside neatly.

“Don’t you feel suffocated?”

“By what?”

“…….”

Since he looked as if he truly didn’t know what was suffocating, Yoo Jeong-ham simply nodded. Geum Seoul was a man with a narrow range of activity. Even though it had been three days since he arrived, he hadn’t set foot anywhere other than the bedroom, bathroom, living room, and dining room he was first introduced to. Following the instruction not to open the curtains, he didn’t even seem to go near them; he simply spent his days quietly sleeping, eating, washing, and sleeping again.

‘But why did I come here?’

That fundamental question on the first day was all he had said. In truth, Yoo Jeong-ham, who didn’t know what the Deputy Director was thinking and had no choice but to follow orders, had replied, ‘I’ll let you know in a few days, so could you wait a little?’ That was the end of it. Even though a specific time hadn’t been given, Geum Seoul had lived quietly inside the house until the third day.

“I told you that you can watch movies if you ask Becksa, right? You can also read the books on the wall as much as you like.”

“I will. Thank you.”

Seeing Geum Seoul jump up again as if to see him off, Yoo Jeong-ham waved his hand to tell him not to stand and turned to walk across the living room.

The decision to launch the helicopter that day had been sudden. Moreover, the model was a helicopter in name only—it was a modified high-speed transport, meaning any launch would inevitably leave a record at the main office. Yet, unauthorized copyit was launched suddenly, and Read on Read BL Novelswithout warning, at a time when No Pil-gyu was particularly vigilant. He was doing this to take down No Pil-gyu.

Given his position, he was fully entitled to use it, but the timing was the problem. No Pil-gyu and Gwak Chun-young, who spent every spare moment huddled together, happened to be having a late-night meeting. If No Pil-gyu happened to mention it, they might find it suspicious. Of course, to lend weight to the excuse of reconnaissance, the helicopter carrying only Yoo Jeong-ham detoured to several other locations after completing the original objective, but it was better to have no seeds of doubt from the start.

Furthermore, he had already planted an insurance policy in that neighborhood before returning.

‘Seonbae!’

While staying in that village, Bae Seo-woo, having finished a dawn mission, sought out Yoo Jeong-ham with a slightly flushed face.

‘Yeah. Did the Deputy Director give you an order?’

‘He told me to stay here. To pretend to be a Jewel Omega and live hidden on the second floor.’

‘Is that so?’

‘Yes. Code Inferno 1.’

‘What?’

‘This is my first time on a task like this, so I’m so excited. What should I do? Will I be able to do it well?’

Bae Seo-woo, who lacked experience and had only handled group missions, seemed thrilled about his first solo assignment, but Yoo Jeong-ham’s face was clouded with worry. He couldn’t understand the order to leave someone who wasn’t even a Gemstone in a neighborhood where their business was already finished, pretending to be one.

Regardless, following the orders from above, he infiltrated the neighborhood as a Jewel Omega and succeeded in capturing Park Gil-pyeong.

Setting everything else aside and looking only at the timing, it was almost eerily perfect. The very next day after he left, Gwak Chun-young ransacked Geum Seoul’s neighborhood. If he hadn’t extracted Park Gil-pyeong and Geum Seoul a day prior, the two would now be dragged away by Gwak Chun-young, spilling everything. Park Gil-pyeong was an idiot who knew nothing, so that was one thing, but Geum Seoul had many ties and had visited the lodging, making the risk quite high.

In any case, his boss had entered another project for the past few days to avoid raising No Pil-gyu’s suspicions. He had to pretend to be immersed in the nonsense he was ordered to do to pass through quietly without any tantrums.

Click.

Yoo Jeong-ham left, and the large front door closed. Geum Seoul, who had been sitting in the living room stretching his neck to watch until the door fully closed, very slowly pinched and pulled the t-shirt. Even burying his nose in it, he couldn’t smell the man.

‘We’re going to my house.’

The man had told him that while he was in the helicopter, unable to even open his eyes. That they stolen contentwere going to his house. Therefore, stolen contentthis place where he was staying now was the man’s house.

Actually, he knew even without being told. He couldn’t help but know. Inside the house, the man’s scent, which he had felt on the bed in his previous lodging, lingered faintly. It was so pleasant that Geum Seoul thought he could live here every day.

Sadly, however, Geum Seoul was the type of person who could clearly distinguish between hope and reality. He knew better than anyone that such a thing was impossible. He had come here out of necessity and had received the man’s help. He didn’t know the details of how it happened, but it was certain that if the man hadn’t come then, he would have suffered terrible things at the hands of Park Gil-pyeong.

“I need to thank him, and there are things I want to say.”

If he were allowed, there were things he wanted to ask. But the man who brought him here had gone outside and hadn’t shown his face for several days. If they met, he would thank him, and then… he got stuck at that part again. Could he go back and live in that neighborhood? The CEO wouldn’t leave him alone. Would he be beaten to death for having lived with a fake identity all this time?

“…….”

Suddenly, the images of several doors opening and closing behind Park Gil-pyeong that day flashed through his mind. He thought everyone on the second floor must have noticed what was happening in the hallway. Park Gil-pyeong had intended to violate him right there. His pheromones were saying so.

Bunhong-i closed the door she had opened, and he had locked eyes with Rini. Her face had been full of shock. Probably because I was a complete fake.

He wasn’t hurt. To begin with, Geum Seoul didn’t think they would help him. The Omegas on the second floor, including those two, lived under Park Gil-pyeong’s help. If they offended him, the fallout could hit them.

Blinking while looking at the high ceiling, Geum Seoul curled his body up before his thoughts could wander further. After thanking him, he stolen contentshould go back out. Then, maybe some work would come up. He wondered if there wouldn’t be at [visit our site]least one errand to run in the alleys, but he couldn’t help the feeling of hopelessness. He slowly closed his blinking eyes. As if the heat had vanished, cool air continued to flow through the house, causing goosebumps to break out on his skin.

‘Arm.’

The man who dropped him off at this house had first given him an injection. He recalled receiving medicine from them twice before, and remembering how his body had improved quickly, it was clearly an expensive and good medicine.

He made a small sound while curled up. Because he had wrapped his arms around his knees, his arms filled his tilted field of vision, but the mottled marks were gone. Of course, it could be because he was no longer sweating, but it was highly likely due to that injection. His ankle, which had been throbbing from struggling with Park Gil-pyeong, no longer hurt. When he received the injection last time, all the heat rash on his body had vanished. Though it didn’t last long back then.

Unable to resolve any of the curiosities floating in his head, Geum Seoul lowered his blinking eyelids. As soon as his thoughts ceased, silence descended upon the already quiet house. Without any intention of fighting it, he drifted into sleep.

Click.

“Did the ghosts just achieve enlightenment on their own without taking that piece of shit away, or are they just fucking around? Why the fuck do I always have to be the one to step in and cut the line? Do they like it better when they take him so there’s no corpse left?”

Guichang, drenched in fatigue, opened the front door while berating other ghosts. He needed to quickly slice up that son of a bitch No Pil-gyu, who only knew how to take bribes and play around. He felt like he was going to vomit from spending days digging up only minor, petty filth. Of course, weeding out the small fry was part of the job, but the most cancerous existence was No Pil-gyu. When he thought of whoever had appointed such a bastard as a boss, he felt like his head was splitting open.

The entire house was silent without a single light on. Only after stepping a couple of paces inside the entrance did he faintly sense the presence of another. A weak pheromone.

Without bothering to turn on the lights, he loosened his tie and entered the living room. Only then did his vision adjust Read on Read BL Novelsto the dark, and [visit our site]he felt a presence as faint as the pheromones. Why is this kid sleeping here instead of the bed? Is he a dog? Loosening a couple of [unauthorized copy]shirt buttons, he flopped down on one side of the sofa. At that sound, the lying body seemed to move slightly, and after a soft “Mmm,” it became motionless again.

Tap.

He took the remote from the coffee table and turned on a small lamp. It was only the light near the entrance, so a yellow glow seeped in from a distance, but that was enough to clearly reveal Geum Seoul’s features. Compared to where he had been staying, a cloud-like bed was right beyond the wall, so why bother? However, considering his small frame, this sofa was also large enough for Geum Seoul to lie on.

“…….”

Why did I bring this thing here? It was the first self-question he had ever had in his life. The cameras installed in the neighborhood were the first problem. Even after giving the orders, the first time he saw the footage was the evening after the first day of the business trip. While receiving reports from Yoo Jeong-ham in the hotel, he had spent the whole time tracking Geum Seoul on the monitor.

Geum Seoul’s day, which started early in the morning, had nothing much to see. The laundry he was so obsessed with was part of his errands, but even that was often a waste of time. Since there was only one washing machine in the entire poor village, he could have raised the price, yet Geum Seoul earned at most five hundred won after diligently folding and delivering laundry early in the morning.

And then he would collect a pile of laundry and waddle back to the building. He repeated this throughout the morning before the sun fully rose. When the sun was at its peak, he would hang the laundry over the second-floor window frame and come down, sweating profusely. He went back and forth several times a day, and it seemed Geum Seoul also had lunch there, judging by the food in small packs of unknown origin he carried.

Then, if Park Gil-pyeong shouted, he would run out immediately. Even in worn-out sneakers, he ran so fast that Geum Seoul seemed to flutter as he sprinted. While Park Gil-pyeong appraised gemstones or prepared for the next auction, Geum Seoul would offer his backside to a thick palm a couple of times.

Geum Seoul was easily startled. He was so timid that even though he hadn’t seen it many times, the scenes of him jumping with his shoulders hiking up were vivid. The way he trembled easily and curled his body—the things he first suspected were fake were actually Geum Seoul’s real personality.

Nevertheless, Geum Seoul did not flinch when Park Gil-pyeong squeezed and kneaded his backside. Even at the vulgar comment that his backside was the only thing worth touching, he stood still without [unauthorized copy]a flicker unauthorized copyof emotion and did his work. As if it were a daily routine. Guichang stared at the hand reflected stolen contenton one side of the screen. The slender fingers were tense. Because he hated it. Because he was enduring it.

Guichang silently stared at the sleeping Geum Seoul beside him.

That day, too, it was a hunch. On the way back to headquarters. The moment he saw Park Gil-pyeong waddling into the entrance of the village on the monitor he had casually turned on, he searched for Geum Seoul in another camera. About five minutes prior, he saw him going up to the second floor with a towel around his neck. Geum Seoul preparing to wash. In the next scene, which looked like a painting, he launched the transport without a second thought.

●

SYSTEM

Code Recall 2, TQ Shoot

The recipient of the mission code sent while boarding the helicopter was Bae Seo-woo on the second floor of the building.

There was no particularly grand reason. He had simply planted a team member and brought Geum Seoul back based on his own damn judgment, as usual. Only after seating him at home and giving him the injection did the belated question arise: why did I bring this useless kid?

Rustle.

Perhaps the air conditioner was too cold, as Geum Seoul curled his body further, his [visit our site]skin appearing white. Since Guichang was sitting on the sofa by his [stolen content]feet, the soles of his feet, ankles, shins, and calves were more visible than his facial features.

The reason he had specifically requested ‘shorts’ when ordering appropriate clothes was that he thought they would look good on him. Through the gap of the short pants that cut off halfway down the thigh, the pale thighs and the edge of the buttocks pressed against the sofa were vaguely visible.

Guichang gripped the white ankle. When he pressed slightly above the ankle bone with his thumb, it turned red and then faded. A faint sense of guilt, like poking a piece of fruit on a street stall.

Slide.

The body moved again as if trying to wake up. Perhaps the hand gripping the ankle felt warm amidst the slight chill, as he turned his body and both feet wiggled up onto Guichang’s thigh. A whore-like act of asking to be touched. Guichang continued to move his hand. The shinbone was straight, so the hand that had simply gripped the ankle could easily slide up. Having lived in places swarming with filthy, hairy bastards regardless of gender, Guichang knew the characteristic musk of Alphas well.

Guichang, who utterly loathed the typical arrogance of trait-bearers who acted as if they would die if they didn’t radiate their presence, had beaten anyone who showed the slightest hint of filth since a long time ago. The same went for those who couldn’t control their pheromones or tried to prove their existence with all sorts of smells. Thanks to the temper of the Deputy Director, who suffered from trait-bearer hatred at headquarters, rumors circulated that the people around him were like betas, and even when he heard those rumors, he had nodded with satisfaction.

In that regard, Geum Seoul was clean. His legs showed no sign of hair; it would be more rational to expect soft peach fuzz. Did he say he was twenty? Guichang lightly lifted the calf he held in his hand. The snow-white toes were rounded, and even the toenails were neat; the pink-tinted heels were so soft that one had to press the very end to feel a slightly firm spot.

“Mmm….”

Geum Seoul, who had shown signs of waking up by squirming about three times, finally made a sound with his vocal cords and moved his fingers. He tried moving his feet a bit, and realizing they were being held, he immediately lifted his closed eyelids.

“…Huk.”

A startled gasp. It was only natural to be surprised, having woken up to find both legs resting on someone else’s lap, with one foot being held. As he bolted upright, his toes curled tightly. He seemed to try and pull away immediately, but the grip on his ankle easily won.

“You used someone else’s lap as a footrest without permission, and now that you’re awake, you’re pulling your foot away?”

“I’m sorry. I….”

Geum Seoul, who had just faced a confusing scene the moment his subconscious drifted up from sleep, couldn’t help but be flustered. The drowsiness that had been hanging precariously over his eyelids vanished instantly, and instead, he kept applying strength to his ankle.

I apologized for now, but I wasn’t sure if the problem was that I had ‘used someone else’s lap as a footrest without permission,’ or if it was that I ‘pulled my foot away after waking up.’ I applied pressure to pull my foot back, but the hand warmly enveloping it remained motionless.

“You… need to let go of my foot.”

My voice broke, sounding flustered. Guichang tilted his head and gazed at Geum Seoul’s face, which had become much closer as he pushed himself up. Only after scanning from the long eyelashes down to the neatly pressed lips did he release his grip on the ankle. A thumb slid slyly across, lightly pressing the red big toe, but Geum Seoul desperately tried to convince himself it was a misunderstanding.

With a rustling sound, Geum Seoul straightened his back and sat up properly. It was a posture that contrasted sharply with Guichang, who leaned back deeply, as if burying his back into the sofa.

“When did you get here? It’s very late.”

“Just now.”

Geum Seoul was glad to see the man. Not just because it had been a few days since they last met, but because he felt a sense of regret that the man’s scent was gradually fading from this house. Since the man, leaning his head completely against the backrest, was out of his line of sight, Seoul turned his head slightly to one side.

“You were limping like crazy.”

Ah. That’s why he was touching it. Understanding this, Seoul shifted his gaze to the tips of his toes.

“It’s healed.”

“The rash on your body.”

“It’s not hot here at all. I’m not sweating… I think it’s thanks to the injection you gave me last time.”

Guichang’s gaze drifted to the nape of Geum Seoul’s neck as he sat perched on the edge of the sofa. The slightly oversized t-shirt was wrinkled exactly where it had been pressed against his body while sleeping, clearly revealing his attractively lean frame. Guichang’s gaze flowed down to the elbows beneath the short sleeves.

“How about the inside of your mouth?”

“What?”

“The scratches.”

Ah. Seoul nodded. The fake braces used for makeup always caused wounds inside the mouth. Even just moisture could make them sting, and whenever he was hit by Park Gil-pyeong, it was common for pieces of flesh to be pinched or cut. Still, it had already been several days since he wore the makeup, and since wounds inside the mouth tend to heal quickly, there wasn’t much soreness. Nevertheless, to answer carefully, Seoul gently felt around the inside of his mouth with his tongue.

“There are no wounds left now.”

“Let me see.”

“…….”

Seoul’s body turned a bit more toward him. His brown eyes wandered over Guichang’s face as if he didn’t understand what he meant. With his head leaning back and chin slightly raised, his gaze sunken—a posture that made him look ten times more arrogant than usual—Guichang demanded again.

“I said open your mouth. I won’t know how much it’s healed unless I see.”

Both of them knew this wasn’t a joke. Geum Seoul, who had been receiving that languid gaze over his entire body, hesitated for a few seconds before lowering unauthorized copyhis plump lower lip and opening his mouth. In truth, he visit our siteexpected the man to get up and come closer by now, but the [unauthorized copy]man remained motionless. Hesitating, Geum Seoul folded one leg and climbed completely onto the sofa, bringing his upper body close to him. Even so, it was still too far a distance to show the inside of his mouth.

“More.”

Tap.

When Guichang touched his own thigh, Geum Seoul closed his half-open mouth and swallowed hard.

“How much do you want to show off that face? You have to show me the inside of your mouth. Look closely and see where my eyes are.”

Despite knowing full well that Seoul was hesitating and wavering, Guichang’s voice sounded natural, as if his intentions were pure. He could see Geum Seoul lightly biting his sufficiently plump and red lower lip. The brown eyes rolled in the air a couple of times before stopping around the broad shoulders. It seemed he had made a decision.

Rustle.

Geum Seoul moved away. Stepping on the plush leather of the sofa with his knees, he moved very slowly, or perhaps very cautiously, to get closer. Then, gripping the backrest of the sofa tightly with both hands, he positioned himself right in front of the man. Because he had stepped up onto the sofa to get close, his thighs were almost pressed tight against the man’s side. For a long while, as if he couldn’t bring himself to sit on someone else’s thigh, he dropped his gaze and looked back and forth between his own knees and the man’s thigh.

“Want some help?”

“Yes, please.”

Geum Seoul nodded. He thought the man would move his body. All he had to do was lean his upper body forward a bit, moving away from the backrest.

“Yeah.”

However, defying that expectation, Guichang gripped one of Geum Seoul’s pale thighs and forced it open, pulling the lean body tight against himself. Ah. As the upright body sank down, Seoul instinctively pressed his hands firmly against the man’s solid shoulders. Unable to sit down all at once, he awkwardly tensed his buttocks before slowly settling down and attaching himself.

Even though they were now completely close, Guichang did not move the back of his head from the backrest. He simply gripped both thighs exposed beneath Geum Seoul’s shorts and rubbed them slowly with his thumbs. The flesh was so soft that it pressed in smoothly even without applying much force. As if uncomfortable with this, Seoul bowed his head deeply and looked at the large palms.

Thump. Thump. It felt like his heart would burst. How could he be this close to another person? He was flustered, but it wasn’t that he disliked it.

While he found Park Gil-pyeong’s touch abhorrent, every touch from this man sent a pleasant shiver through him. The palms covering his slightly cooled skin were warm, and the closer they were, the more a pleasant scent seeped through the smell of cigarettes. Tap. A thumb touched beneath his lower lip.

“I know you can see that you’re a turn-on, but the goal isn’t to show me the crown of your head.”

“Ah.”

Only then did Geum Seoul lift his head. He wanted to say he wasn’t looking because he was turned on, but he couldn’t look directly into the eyes that were so [unauthorized copy]close. With [visit our site]his ears turning red, Seoul opened visit our sitehis mouth again. Guichang, lifting the back of his head slightly, pushed his thumb into the gap of the red lips without hesitation.

Naturally, it was an absurd trick. Since the body rash had healed, it was obvious that the wounds inside the mouth would have vanished without a trace. However, Guichang was a brazen man. Whether it was innate or the only thing he had learned while growing up, he was exceptionally skilled in using any means necessary; from his previous team before the appointment until now, he had broken hundreds of necks with that ability. This meant that manipulating one soft, docile boy in front of him was nothing.

The purpose was purely harassment. Guichang pressed down on the incredibly cute tongue and gently felt around the red inner mucosa, acting as if he were truly examining it. The brown eyes wavered, then rolled following the direction of the finger. Every time he blinked, the long eyelashes descended and rose again. His reddish cheeks seemed to vividly show what sensations he was feeling in this position. The fingers that had been resting on the shoulder twitched occasionally.

“Who in that neighborhood saw this face?”

Guichang’s voice, which had always been light, became soft, almost as if soothing him. The moment Geum Seoul’s body sat atop him, his cock had become half-erect, but the boy, unaware of what he was sitting on, only answered, “I… don’t know.” The teeth, closing slightly to pronounce the words, brushed against Guichang’s thumb without hurting it and then pulled away. One of his eyes narrowed halfway. Just now, he became fully erect.

“Then I’m the first? Right?”

“Yes.”

This time, the thumb was pressed between the tongue and the roof of the mouth. The corner of Guichang’s mouth curled up obliquely.

The nausea he had felt while eating, sleeping, and washing at the official residence for several days, catering to that boar No Pil-gyu, had been dangling at the tip of his chin until the moment he opened the front door. In fact, he had even washed and lied down to sleep at the residence today, but he had come here thinking he might actually commit murder if he endured any longer.

Naturally, he hadn’t imagined that Geum Seoul, whom he assumed was sleeping in bed, would be [unauthorized copy]lying on the sofa. Since he Read on Read BL Novelshad only brought him here without thinking about what to do with [visit our site]him, he hadn’t particularly hoped for anything upon entering the house. However, the pale skin and Geum Seoul’s pheromones, stripped of the cheap makeup, were proving to be a quite decent reward.

Guichang pulled his wet thumb from between the lips. He used his index finger to lift the chin a bit more, pretending to look inside the mouth once more, and Seoul obediently showed all the red mucosa. The bent index finger stroked the soft cheek like a compliment. Only then did Seoul close his lips tight like a clam.

“Um.”

“What.”

“I was waiting because there’s something I wanted to tell you.”

A slightly wet lower lip. Guichang, whose black eyes had been on Geum Seoul’s eyes while stroking his thigh and thinking about rubbing his glans against the inside of that lip, looked up. As if the close distance was still burdensome, the brown eyes were fixed around Guichang’s chin. Unaware or not, the fingers on the shoulder were still tapping away like they were playing a piano.

“That day… you might not remember, but you saved me. From the CEO.”

The phrase ‘you might not remember’ was terribly naive. Guichang knew exactly what was happening and acted accordingly. He knew clearly what would have happened if he hadn’t arrived at the right time. He was also the one who gave the shoot signal while Geum Seoul’s vision was blocked. However, explaining it in detail was a tedious task.

“But.”

“…I became curious about something.”

“Tell me.”

Having said that much, Geum Seoul swallowed. Then, the eyes that had been wandering finally met the man’s eyes squarely. The fingers resting on the white thigh were sliding slightly under the gap of the shorts.

“You’re not a police officer, are you?”

The context jumped abruptly. That wasn’t a question asked out of simple curiosity. Interest filled the black eyes.

“What makes you think that?”

There was a hint of laughter in the voice, but it wasn’t a sneer. With a calm face, Geum Seoul opened his pressed lips.

“I saw it in the newspaper a while ago.”

“What?”

“That the country is introducing Phantom Helicopters.”

He continued to walk an unexpected path. Guichang thought he would say it was because of the tactical vest that day, or that he deduced it from the movements, but the basis was entirely different. This piqued his interest intensely, so he stopped the movement of the fingers sliding under the fabric and leaned the back of his head against the backrest again.

“Really? You even remember when you saw it?”

Geum Seoul blinked. Not out of confusion, but likely because he was recalling it.

“…The helicopter article was about a year ago, in the first week of September. But I always read old newspapers.”

The pitch-black eyes shone a bit more. The official launch date was August 21st. It roughly coincided with Geum Seoul’s statement about reading a slightly old newspaper. Look at this kid. As the brown eyes tried to avoid his gaze again after finishing the answer, Guichang touched his chin once more. Only then did he show those high-saturation eyes again. Guichang laughed shortly.

“Then you already know who I am.”

It had been a very long time, or perhaps the first time. A kid who knew how to provoke a person in such various ways. He tilted his head slightly. He persistently drew Geum Seoul’s gaze, and within his half-open mouth, he rolled his red tongue several times.

From that alone, he realized the answer was already there. Geum Seoul was certain his guess was correct. He was simply contemplating whether he was allowed to say it. As Guichang waited quietly, strength gathered at the tip of the small red tongue.

“National Special Security Department, Deputy Director Gye Do-hyeop.”

At the correct name, Gye Do-hyeop’s eyes crinkled into a smile.

At the end of the chaos, the people chose order… Cho elected on pledge to establish ‘Special Investigation Department’

Early spring of last year, when the dusty winds were fluttering. It was a regime that declared the end of internal political strife that had reached an extreme for 15 years. At that time, the customers at the local auction house would always shout about politics with veins popping in their necks, but the locals were more concerned about the next meal. Geum Seoul was the same.

After finishing cleaning the building and coming up to the second floor, Geum Seoul would open the newspaper while listening to the radio that Rini or Bunhong-i had turned on.

Geum Seoul had no interest in other people’s lives. Nevertheless, he bought old newspapers at a cheap price from Mr. Jang every week. They were often crumpled or torn because someone else had already read and rummaged through them, but that wasn’t important.

‘Mom. Why do you read the newspaper?’

‘Because I’m curious about how other people live.’

That was the only habit Seoul had inherited from his deceased mother.

Anyway, at that time, he was quite free and had the luxury of reading the newspaper every other day. Geum Seoul often read the headlines printed on the thin paper. Since it [unauthorized copy]was a habit ingrained for over ten years, it was the same the next month, and the month after that. That was why stolen contentGeum Seoul could organize the storyline following the newspaper headlines he had seen around early summer of that year.

Cho, “‘NSSD’ aims for official launch next month, will serve as national security control tower”

In August, the ‘National Special Security Department,’ an agency directly under the President, was established. It was an agency that put forward the eradication of corruption and the rooting out of irregularities as its main tasks, claiming it would cut away the most rotten parts. Despite facing extreme backlash because the scope of its authority was too broad and ambiguous, the launch was pushed forward. And the first man to put his name in that place, known as the ‘NSSD,’ was a man who had belonged to the counter-terrorism team under the former Security Department.

Government carries out first NSSD personnel appointment… Gye Do-hyeop of Security Department deployed to the front lines of practical operations

No Pil-gyu of the Command Center appointed as Team Leader, other personnel list decided to remain undisclosed “for security reasons”

And about two weeks after that, he saw an article stating that the new Phantom Transports to be used by the NSSD were being introduced for the first time. Reorganization of the aerial maneuver response system. Such a subtitle remained somewhere in his memory.

Snap.

The sound of a finger snapping. Geum Seoul’s focus tightened.

“Where the fuck did you go while I’m standing right in front of you?”

Geum Seoul’s eyes, which had been piecing [unauthorized copy]together the puzzle step [stolen content]by step, fixed on the man in front of him, Gye Do-hyeop. His Read on Read BL Novelseyelids closed and opened in a blink.

“…….”

Gye Do-hyeop read the other’s expression with familiarity. He seemed lost in thought for a moment, and now he was stealthily gauging the situation. He seemed to be weighing whether the fact that Seoul had realized his identity was a dangerous factor or not.

“I told you to keep talking.”

However, Gye Do-hyeop was actually very amused, and Geum Seoul, who read even that mood, slowly began to lay out his thoughts.

“…Um, the newspaper said the reason for bringing in the Phantom Helicopters was because of the NSSD. It said they have strong peculiarities, so they can’t be used elsewhere.”

“You’re certain that the one you rode was that helicopter from the newspaper?”

Even if it was in silence mode, if it was his first time riding a helicopter, there was no way he could distinguish it properly. Moreover, since it was modified to be similar to an unmanned transport, it would have been difficult for an ordinary person to recognize it by appearance alone. Geum Seoul’s fingers tightened.

“Because it was engraved there, on the seat.”

“What was?”

“QV2….”

Geum Seoul mentioned the transport model. To be precise, it was the MCW-QV2 Phantom Hawk model.

“Did you see that in the newspaper too?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

Gye Do-hyeop dragged out the sound.

The fact that he accurately remembered the contents of an article from a newspaper a year ago and even the name of the helicopter model was quite a peculiarity. Geum Seoul, who wouldn’t have had the spatial or temporal luxury to spread out a newspaper and memorize it by writing, noticed that the model name engraved on the seat in front of him upon boarding the helicopter was the same alphabet he had seen in the newspaper before. Not only that, but he deduced the identity by recalling that the helicopter was used only by the NSSD and the personnel details of that department.

“If there’s anything else you want to ask, go ahead now.”

Geum Seoul did not decline the man’s offer.

“Can I… call you Deputy Director?”

It was another unexpected question, but it was a title he heard every day anyway. He nodded.

“Yeah. Next.”

“Did you find Noki?”

“I found her. She’s already dead.”

“…….”

There was no need to lie. At the toneless explanation, as if describing a daily routine, Geum Seoul’s face stiffened. As the expressions of confusion, surprise, and caution were erased and he turned pale, Gye Do-hyeop placed a hand on his stiff back.

“There was someone else besides us looking for Lee Hee-jung. While I was doing something else for a bit, that piece of shit found her first.”

“Ah….”

That wasn’t an answer. It was an exclamation. Geum Seoul bit his lip. Was he grieving? Was it a sense of kinship or fear felt because they were both Jewel Omegas? He wondered if he would cry, but the eyelashes remained neat.

“Next.”

“The part about your parents looking for me… that was a lie, right?”

This time, Geum Seoul asked that. In truth, he had vaguely thought so when Im Gyun-il lunged at him. He thought it might be because Lee Hee-jung possessed something precious. Gye Do-hyeop, pretending to be kind, tucked a strand of Geum Seoul’s grayish-brown hair behind his ear with a finger. A pale forehead was revealed.

“The ones who sold a newborn baby to a gemstone collector were those people called parents. Did he say he was abandoned and wandered the back alleys before catching the eye of the CEO of Iljang Trading?”

“…….”

“I heard you said you were going to find your parents.”

“…Yes.”

“Ugh, fuck, if he had become an actor, he would’ve been damn good. Right?”

Despite having lied just the same, the man reacted with brazen disgust.

“Why would you tell a lie like that?”