By Zephyria It felt like he was bewitched by something. He was clearly calculating and placing the stones, but after only a few moves, he was invariably surrounded.
Mu-hae couldn’t tell if the game, where Joo-oh seemed to foresee several moves ahead, was due to luck or skill. In any case, Mu-hae, who had lost every game until the last one, clicked his tongue and packed up his things.
Well, when he thought about it, Joo-oh was also good at solving twisted wire puzzles. Perhaps his limited intelligence was all focused on this kind of thing.
“Get out. You have to register your identity to enter.”
Finally, the truck stopped in front of Seogyeong City. Unlike before, when he was treated like a VIP with Sakdal, this time he was just a mercenary on a request.
Jin Mu-hae pushed his sweat-free, fluffy hair forward and held it up to the lens. Thanks to his official citizen registration in Goryeo City, Joo-oh was able to pass through the entrance relatively easily.
As always, they couldn’t go to Central and had to settle for accommodation outside the official residential area. Moreover, they could only stay for three days. Within that time, he had to find the acquaintance Banya had mentioned.
[Message Transmission Failed]
Returned for the following reason:
/Connection Delay/ or /Recipient Unavailable/
Damn it. But it wasn’t easy. He had received the contact information from Banya, but the connection code seemed to have changed, as there was no signal and the message was returned.
At this rate, it was like finding Kim in Goryeo City. Of course, if he looked at all the registered citizens who had come from outside in the last 20 years, he could pick out a suspicious person, but unfortunately, this was not Mu-hae’s Territory.
To narrow down the target while avoiding suspicious glances, it would take more than three days, more like a month. He desperately needed a new stepping stone to move forward.
“Finally, we meet.”
“Who?”
“Meat skewers.”
Whether Jin Mu-hae was frustrated or not, Joo-oh seemed very excited. This damn guy was making a fuss about buying meat again.
“Jin Mu-hae. Me salary.”
“Where do you get a salary?”
“Then allowance.”
Finally, he started begging for money, so he gave him a few coins, and as soon as he unpacked his luggage in the accommodation, he ran out like a shot.
A little later, he returned, reeking of familiar spices, and chewing something with his mouth full.
After that, skewers kept popping out of his bag whenever he had a chance. It was truly the reincarnation of the cursed meat skewers.
‘Should I have only given him about 100 Deal?’
He was already eating away at the food expenses, but he gave him 300 Deal for nothing. Even though most of what he ate was cheap stuff like bread and cereal, the budget was always tight because he ate so much every day.
Unaware that Mu-hae was looking at him unpleasantly, Joo-oh was humming. Then, as if he had forgotten, more meat skewers came out of his bag.
“Jin Mu-hae, want to eat?”
“Get rid of it.”
In the meantime, the sun gradually set, and they ended up going to bed on the first day without any results.
Unlike the last time he visited, they were in a run-down motel room with a musty smell. If you opened the curtains, you could see a dirty alley, so it was better not to expect any night view.
“Woo.”
Joo-oh opened the bathroom door and looked visibly disappointed when he saw that there was no bathtub.
He seemed to have liked making bubbles and splashing around in the water. He licked his lips and shook the shower hose like a snake.
“Don’t play around and wash up.”
“I will wash.”
“Don’t even think about getting on the bed until you’ve scrubbed properly.”
Only after he warned him did he hear the sound of water beyond the tightly closed door. He didn’t want to pay attention to the sounds of laughter, “Hehe,” “Haha,” that he heard from time to time, but his eyes kept going there.
Mu-hae steadied his mind, which was about to become chaotic, and tapped on the pad. Seogyeong City was a relatively small city, so there were mercenary groups that extended their reach to Goryeo City.
He was thinking of meeting some of them he knew. The only problem was how to explain why he was looking for someone from Solar City in another city…
‘If I make too much noise, I’ll get caught in Seogyeong City too, huh?’
It seemed that nothing had been easy since he found out about the Return flight. In the end, it always ended in the best possible way, but until then, Mu-hae had worked his ass off, so to speak.
Seeing Sakdal’s blue bird bastard coveting even the innocent Joo-oh, it was definitely luck. But it was damn ambiguous.
It was just like the Tinkle Friends that Joo-oh always shoved in his face. The purple plastic lump that supposedly granted wishes poorly flickered before his eyes.
“I’m back!”
“Already out? Did you wash properly?”
“Yes.”
Joo-oh, wearing a white T-shirt, shook his head and crawled into bed.
He put his damp head on Mu-hae’s shoulder. Despite washing quickly with cheap amenities, a fragrant scent brushed against his nose.
“Go to sleep first.”
“I’ll sleep when Jin Mu-hae sleeps.”
“How do you know when I’m going to sleep?”
“Shall I put you to sleep?”
He ignored him, thinking he was talking nonsense. But Joo-oh seemed to take it as permission and started patting Mu-hae’s thigh.
The song he was humming without lyrics was somewhat gloomy and didn’t sound like a lullaby.
Mu-hae found it funny that he was trying to put someone sitting down to sleep, so he left him alone to see how far he would go.
“…Ahem.”
When he opened his eyes again at dawn. Jin Mu-hae realized that he had fallen asleep sitting with the light on.
Joo-oh, who had said he would put him to sleep, had long since fallen asleep, hugging someone else’s leg.
After that, he continued to search the information network until a little after midnight, when he nodded off. Mu-hae pushed the pad away and covered Joo-oh with a blanket, then suddenly his gaze went to the Link Watch on his wrist.
…Come to think of it, he had contacted ‘Kang’ when he came to Gaeseong City before.
The connection was cut off as soon as it was made, so it was a bit of a misnomer to say that it was connected, but anyway, unlike in Goryeo City, there was a signal.
Kang was staying in Gaeseong City. Moreover, his Link Watch still had the Return flight function installed.
Tick. When he turned on the cheap night light, the pitch-black darkness in front of him became faintly bright.
After a moment of hesitation, Mu-hae entered the serial number stored in the Watch into the signaling device.
[>>>]
[>>>]
[>>>]
He wondered if Kang had removed the signaling device from his Link Watch after the last incident.
But it seemed to be a needless worry. The connection attempt to him was still working properly.
Mu-hae glanced down at the sleeping Joo-oh’s face and gripped the unresponsive Watch tightly.
Then, at some point, beep- beep-!
“……!”
A familiar notification rang and his wrist vibrated slightly. Mu-hae was startled and tried to get up, but he recognized the warm head and froze in his seated position.
There was a small hissing sound right away. It was definitely a sound from beyond the call.
Not long after, there was a clattering sound of someone touching the Watch.
……Jin Mu-hae. Is that right?
A slightly hoarse male voice echoed through the crude Watch’s speaker.
Jin Mu-hae felt his heart sink.
“Kang, I presume. You already knew it was me.”
I’ve been hearing news. But I didn’t think you’d come here and try to contact me.
Certainly, it was close to a whim for Mu-hae to come all the way to Gaeseong City and try to connect with Kang’s number. Maybe it was because he was sitting in a fancy hotel room for the first time and felt sentimental.
Anyway, thanks to that, he knew Kang’s whereabouts and now he had the opportunity to talk to him like this. This could also be seen as good luck.
If I didn’t know you, who do you think paid for your accommodation last time?
“……Company?”
As if they would waste money on a mercenary. Is it because you’re young? You’re clumsy.
Jin Mu-hae felt like he had been hit on the head by the muttering voice. The Company employee, who had been so polite and kind, the excessive treatment. In reality, it was this man’s favor.
The voice he had tried so hard to make sound normal almost faltered.
“Can I meet you?”
He asked urgently, afraid that the connection would be cut off again, and the other person stopped talking. There was silence for a few seconds, then a hmm, a groan mixed with hesitation.
Well. If I wanted to meet you, wouldn’t I have arranged a meeting already?
“I understand. It’s not an easy decision.”
You’re good at sweet-talking for someone who’s lived so recklessly. I like that about you.
Behind the man’s chuckling laughter, there was a sound of tapping, tapping, tapping on something. A hard and resonant material, wood.
In an instant, plausible furniture flashed through Mu-hae’s mind. It seemed that Kang was not only not in bed at this hour, but was sitting at his desk doing some work.
To be honest, I’m not going to get involved in things that have already passed. It’s been a long time since I settled everything and turned my back on Goryeo City.
“……”
Besides, you’re a bit careless. What if I had some animosity and you contacted me recklessly?
Kang’s tone became serious again. Although he was giving gentle advice, he was clearly drawing a line.
‘Don’t expect a member of the past to agree with an ambition that has flowed to this day. There will be more people who are uneasy about the future than those who are friendly now.’
Gu-reum’s cold warning echoed in his ears. Thinking about that advice, it was a reckless attempt, but unlike before when he was sentimental and turned on the signaling device, Mu-hae now had some certainty.
“Well, I have several helpers who will give me a heads-up about any risk factors in advance.”
It seems you’ve scaled up more than I thought.
“Let’s just say I’ve passed the stage of bumping into things head-on.”
Passed my ass, he was still being swayed every day. Fortunately, Mu-hae’s empty bluff was passed through the old Link Watch and packaged plausibly.
Kang, who had been tapping, tapping, tapping the desk with his fingertips again, finally stopped sneering.
But I still don’t want to get involved. However, if there’s anything I can help with in Seogyeong City, I’ll do a light favor.
“Like the child of someone you knew.”
Yes. Just that much favor.
In the end, he refused, but it was better that way. Hearing that he had been scammed from Gu-reum was enough.
Mu-hae smirked and leaned back against the headboard of the bed. Suddenly, a clue appeared in the midst of his frustration.
“I came to find someone. A man from Solar City who was transferred and is from the upper middle class or higher. He apparently went to your research institute in the past.”
Solar City, huh. That’s not very light.
“Then you can help me in a light way.”
What a funny guy, Kang muttered unpleasantly, then came up with a good idea.
I know a few researchers. I’ll arrange a meeting and completely step aside, so you can take care of the rest.
“That’s enough.”
Great. Unexpectedly, he got the stepping stone he wanted in the early morning. At that moment, he felt something twitching on his thigh, so he looked down, but Joo-oh was sleeping soundly.
What a carefree guy. Jin Mu-hae clicked his tongue and moved the position of the night light.
As a dark shadow fell over his face, his languid breathing became a little more peaceful, as if to be heard.