By Zephyria Now that they were here, Gu-reum was the only contact in Goryeo City among the numbers he’d found in the contact list.
Although the existence of Kang was noticed in Seogyeong City. Not all the numbers he couldn’t reach would be in other cities.
He wouldn’t have lived with a beacon until this day, wouldn’t have responded to connection attempts, and wouldn’t have even risked coming here if he didn’t want to get involved at all. Gu-reum’s face, which had been like a mask, crumbled a little at the rebuke that he shouldn’t act so twisted.
“You’re good with words. And not stupid.”
She muttered bitterly after a long silence.
“Okay. What do you want to know?”
Still sensitively checking on Joo-oh, Gu-reum finally showed a cooperative attitude.
“To be honest, I just found out about the Return flight. As you might have guessed, my father’s research records are also scattered for security.”
Gu-reum seemed to know more information than he thought, and even grasped the current situation.
Mu-hae had learned from years of mercenary life that there was no point in bluffing in front of such a person.
“I need a stepping stone to the remaining information.”
“That’s me.”
Joo-oh nodded as if he knew something. Mu-hae quietly grabbed his leg and gave a slightly embarrassed expression.
“I didn’t say anything.”
Mu-hae tried to ignore the whispering. Joo-oh had developed enough sense not to keep rambling to the point of ignoring the atmosphere if he pretended not to hear him outright.
“I won’t make empty promises. I’ll definitely be helpful.”
Gu-reum asserted.
“But why should I take the risk and participate now?”
Her face was quite serious. She wasn’t just being difficult like before, but seemed to want to be persuaded.
“I don’t know about others, but I’m satisfied with the generous treatment of Central Goryeo City. I don’t want to go against them.”
Certainly, Gu-reum’s attire was different from Mu-hae’s father or his two friends.
She must have had a position originally, and she had continued to enjoy it without losing it.
Mu-hae was starting to understand. The Return flight, formed by elites from various classes, had scattered so easily because, paradoxically, the punishment imposed on them was lenient.
Because they had something to lose, there was little resistance. Once the plan failed, humans couldn’t leave their Comfort zone to survive.
So, what should he offer to a citizen who had already conformed to the system, especially one who lived a life without lacking anything?
“Make a Deal.”
Joo-oh interrupted their conversation again.
The fact that he was stepping in even after being given so many hints meant that he had his own brilliant idea.
Joo-oh had caused countless accidents despite the warning not to ‘meddle’ and had received compensation each time. After catching the stonemason and grabbing luck again, Mu-hae began to attach meaning to his actions.
It was a remarkable development for Jin Mu-hae, who didn’t believe in superstitions or delusions just as much as Joo-oh didn’t.
“A Deal?”
A different light flickered in Gu-reum’s eyes.
Was it close to the answer she wanted? Mu-hae didn’t miss the timing and racked his brains as hard as he could.
“How about remaining as a non-public member of the Return flight, as an advisor?”
“Advisor.”
“A paid advisor. If I pay the price I want, you’ll arrange information or opportunities for contact that match it.”
Mu-hae had only ever used his brain to catch Beasts or Aberrants and make money.
This kind of mental battle was really unfamiliar… but he had to become proficient in the future. He vaguely felt that he could only make progress that way.
Joo-oh’s mouth was drawing a curve as he glanced back. He always smiled whenever he had the chance, so there was nothing special about it.
But somehow, he had a hunch that he understood the situation properly and was smiling. It was a sense of déjà vu.
“What if I want information in return?”
“Then it would be a more favorable Deal for one side. You’ll be able to grasp the value of the information better than I do.”
Before the answer was finished, Joo-oh shook his legs and added.
“He’s helping.”
Gu-reum frowned and averted her gaze from Mu-hae to stare at him.
“He’s helping. It’s Jin Mu-hae.”
“…You have an interesting companion.”
“Haha. Thank you.”
Gu-reum closed her eyes slightly and leaned back in her seat. Her atmosphere, which had been impenetrable, had softened a little, as if she had accepted what Joo-oh had emphasized.
‘No. To be precise…’
It was like she felt a kind of debt. Gu-reum, who had been organizing her thoughts for a moment, opened her eyes wide again as she felt a vibration from inside her.
“Okay. I’ll lend a hand.”
“……!”
“You don’t have to report all the progress. Just tell me what you want. I’ll provide the right opportunity.”
Gu-reum shook Jin Mu-hae’s outstretched hand firmly.
At the same time, the mobility stopped smoothly. The scenery of the simple bus stop they had departed from was reflected outside the window.
“Contact me in the same way.”
“I will.”
Mu-hae grabbed Joo-oh’s arm and hurried away from the spot.
The bus stop, which they had returned to in just about 20 minutes, was still deserted and shabby.
Something… didn’t feel real. Just like when he entered Central Seogyeong City, he felt disconnected from his life.
“What do you want to eat?”
Mu-hae’s brow furrowed at the bright, cheerful voice as he stood blankly.
He stared at Joo-oh silently for quite a while, then shook his head and moved his feet.
“You eat.”
“Jin Mu-hae has to buy it for me.”
“I linked your account to your Watch. Pick something out yourself.”
“It’s gone now.”
“……I put 200 Deal in there the day before yesterday, didn’t I?”
“That’s what happened.”
Joo-oh, who had reduced his mumbling and had lost quite a bit of his dazed appearance, had been going out alone since last week.
He was told to take walks on relatively safe roads only during daylight hours. He didn’t know when or what he had bought and eaten, but he seemed to have enjoyed some very extravagant entertainment.
Really, a pointless conversation was exchanged, and Mu-hae closed his eyes tightly and opened them, and everything returned to normal.
The feeling of his floating legs sticking to the ground, to Goryeo City, and to the familiar Starlight Road.
“Let’s eat later. Let’s go home.”
“Hmph… okay.”
He readily grabbed Mu-hae’s arm.
Jin Mu-hae pressed Joo-oh’s hat down a little more and walked towards the back door of the city.
He planned to examine his father’s records more closely when he returned. Even if he didn’t fully understand them, he needed a brain to judge the information that was gathering, at least.
So, he would ask Teacher Jung to acquire the knowledge that might be needed in the future, and he would have to learn about the Return flight to some extent.
Wow. He never thought he’d be studying again when he was all grown up. The life he had been living until now was flowing in a new direction more and more noticeably.
Mu-hae rubbed his throbbing forehead and looked back at Joo-oh.
He didn’t know what was so fun, but the corners of his mouth under his hat had been raised wide since earlier.
Was he doing that on purpose? He knew that he looked pretty good when he tilted his head and smiled like that…
“That’s good. It’s good to enjoy life.”
Mu-hae picked a fight with Joo-oh for no reason, and then blankly moved his eyes in the direction of his house.
WELCOME TO LA VIDA 🙂
~15 years, 174 days~
[Quest]
Main Quest
Tutorial (Completed)
Chapter 1
☞ The Heretic of the City (Completed)
The Wolf That Lays Gold √
200,000 Deal Worth of Belongings √
☞ The Unquenched Embers (Completed)
Intangible Legacy √
The Beginning of the Journey √
A Pair of Wedding Rings √
Kingfisher √
☞ Mayday, Mayday (Completed)
The Missing Blueprint √
Secret Deal √
The Direction of the Wind √
Beep-!
The progress of [Chapter 1] has been 100% completed.
[Chapter 2] Entry reward will be provided.
[▒▒ will be partially unlocked.]
Boom, boom-!
[Quest]
Main Quest
Tutorial (Completed)
Chapter 1 (Completed)
Chapter 2
☞ The Person in Charge of the Past Reform (In Progress)
Dawn. Not a single ray of moonlight entered the study, where the windows were blocked with construction paper.
A figure who had been sleeping peacefully suddenly trembled as if convulsing.
Then, under the tightly closed eyelids, the pupils began to move quickly.
His already pale face turned even paler, and a rare cold sweat formed at the end of his forehead.
Then, Huff!
Joo-oh opened his eyes wide. His large, swollen pupils were about to devour his red eyes.
He felt the pounding of his heart and looked around at his surroundings with a fresh feeling.
Jin Mu-hae’s house, the study that Jin Seong-jo used to use. He carefully examined the space that had now become Joo-oh’s room with a fresh feeling.
Only then did he lower his head and find his fingertips trembling finely.
What happened? Joo-oh slowly recalled his memories, but nothing came to mind.
The day before, he had eaten dinner with Jin Mu-hae, watched TV, and quietly entered the study because he seemed busy.
And he slept. That was all, but why was he so anxious and scared now?
It felt like a hole had been punched in his chest. He felt like he had been thrown somewhere alone.
“Jin Mu-hae…”
Joo-oh staggered to his feet and opened the door. He bit his lip tightly at the sudden chill that came over him.
However, the scenery of the living room outside the study was calm and peaceful.
Jin Mu-hae was lying asleep in the middle of the bed. He was breathing in, breathing out, and breathing in again, and although he wasn’t tossing and turning, he was perfectly present there, making his heart beat.
“Jin Mu-hae.”
He called out too quietly for Jin Mu-hae to wake up. He knew that, but he deliberately didn’t raise his voice.
Joo-oh hesitated and approached the bed, sitting on the edge of the mattress. The scent of the sleeping Mu-hae spread like a haze from behind him, tickling his nose.
Only then did the churning stomach begin to subside…
It was fortunate that he was good at reducing his presence. Joo-oh moved very slowly and lay down on the bed.
He slowly turned his body to the side and stuck close to Jin Mu-hae.
As soon as he felt the warmth, the anxiety he had felt until just now disappeared as if washed away…
‘Jin Mu-hae’s scent.’
It was proof that he existed. Joo-oh smiled without realizing it, his face still pale.
Then he closed his eyes and carefully put his face on his body and fell asleep again.