The Hero Returns

"Why? Can't I be here?" Su-hyeun asked.

"No, that is not what I mean... Wait, can you?"

Hak-joon was embarrassed and talked gibberish. Su-hyeun chuckled, looking at Hak-joon. He could be confused since Su-hyeun was not an awakener of Ares Guild.

"Well. I did just come in…" Su-hyeun blurred the end.

"Just?" Hak-joon asked.

"The door was open. It was not under heavy surveillance. There was a man who asked me to show my ID, so I showed him my awakener registration card. Then, he just let me in."

It looked like the manager of the guild house thought Su-hyeun was a guest of Ares Guild. It was a common thing that an awakener got an invitation and visited to awakeners' guilds.

"But why are you here...? Hak-joon asked.

The Ares Guild, Hak-joon thought, was like a tiger's den. He was glad to see Su-hyeun but that was another story. Jung Dong-yeong had been paying attention to Su-hyeun for a long time.

"Why? You don't glad to see me?" Su-hyeun grinned.

"Of course, I am glad. But that is that. Why did you come here? Wait. How did you know I am here?"

"Ms. Yun-seon told me that you will be here. Why did you not answer my phone?"

At Su-hyeun's answer, Hak-joon's face became stiff. Su-hyeun had never seen this cold expression of Hak-joon before.

Hak-joon asked in a very low voice, "...How did you meet her?"

"Well. I had been investigating," Su-hyeun answered.

"How? No. Why?

"You asked why I came here?"

Su-hyeun changed the subject and answered the previous question.

"Where is the bastard, Jung Dong-yeong?"

"…Yes?"

It was an unexpected answer. But that was also not something to pass on. At the obvious hostility in Su-hyeun's voice, Hak-joon was lost for words. His brane froze and could not find a word to say.

"I said, where is Jung Dong-yeong? I have a business for him," Su-hyeun pressed for an answer.

Hak-joon collected his mind and answered, "...He probably in the room at the end of the hallway."

"Over there?"

After hearing the answer, Su-hyeun immediately turned his body and started walking. Hak-joon urgently grabbed his arm and asked.

"Su-hyeun, how did you know about Jung Dong-yeong? And what are you going to do with him?"

"A conversation," Su-hyeun answered.

"What conversation?"

"A body conversation?"

"...What?"

"Why are you so surprised? Don't worry too much. Depending on the situation, I may not fight."

Su-hyeun shrugged his shoulder and asked, "So, what are you going to do?"

***

"...Whose information is this?"

The director, who was grunting, clenched his teeth at the sudden news.

Kim Do-ui replied to the director who was reading the report, "This is Kim Su-hyeun's report. What would you do?"

At Kim Do-ui's question, the director glanced over the report once again. In the short paper, there was a report from Su-hyeun and the opinion of Kim do-ui about it.

"What does he want?" the director asked.

"I think he is asking your favor to investigate."

"Favor? Favor my ass," the director grumbled.

Su-hyeun was not asking a favor. He pretended to be polite, but the report was nothing but an order. He was the guy who had been making a fuss about the director's weaknesses.

"What will you do?"

At Kim Do-ui's question, the director lit a cigarette. He took a puff on his cigarette. It made him clear his brain. He was lost in thought, blowing cigarette smoke. His head was emptied, but soon, thoughts were filled again. When he reorganized things again, there was only one answer.

"Well. Do some research. Take Seung-cheol with you," the director ordered.

"You mean the department head, Kang Seung-cheol?"

"Yes. They should start to move soon, too. They can't be in training forever."

"Ok, sir."

"Good. Now leave."

At the director's gesture, Kim Do-ui left the director's office. The director looked down the report again.

He mumbled, "It looks like the Awakeners Accreditation Authority came up to that dude's expectation."

At that moment, a thought crossed his mind. Might be, all this was what Su-hyeun aimed for.

***

It was a small room full of cigarette smoke. In the room, Jung Dong-yeong was talking on the phone, puffing up his cigarette.

"Yes, yes. Negotiation was over... Of course. People these days are quite dirty. It makes money and easy to do. This is a pretty good thing..."

Knock, knock—

Jung Dong-young hardened his expression at knocking sound.

"I will call you back. Yes,"

He finished the phone call and shouted at the door, "Who are you?"

"I am Hak-joon."

"Hak-joon? Come in."

When the person he had waited came, Jung Dong-young lit a cigarette again. The door jarred open. Hak-joon who entered the room saw the cigarette smoke and frowned his face.

"Don't frown. It doesn't harm your body since you are an awakener as well. Besides, you have plenty of money to buy those."

Jung Dong-young was a heavy smoker. He thought one of the greatest privileges being awakener was he could smoke as much as he wanted. The harm to the body of cigarettes was not much harm to the awakeners.

"Are you ready? Our guild was on the charge to guard in this party. You take care of directing young guild members this time."

"I will be ready when I get dressed. By the way, there is a guest to want to see you."

"Want to see me? Who is that?"

"Kim Su-hyeun. He is the one you were looking for."

"...Kim Su-hyeun?"

Jung Dong-young's eyes were crumpled. Kim Su-hyeun, who Hak-jun had known before, was a new S-Rank awakener candidate. He, who had been prominent for two years, was evaluated as having the best talent among the existing awakeners.

"Yes. He said he came here to talk with you."

"That man needed to talk with me?"

"Well. More exactly, he came for guild master of Ares Guild that I belong."

"Hmm…," Jung Dong-young thought for a moment and opened his mouth. "Hey, Hak-joon."

It was a low, benevolent voice. Hak-joon had rather hated Jung Dong-yeong's this kind of voice. He could not read what he was thinking.

"…Yes," Hak-joon answered.

"You are not planning some silly things, aren't you?

"Yes?"

Hak-joon was embarrassed and Jung Dong-young grinned. At that grin, Hak-joon shivered his body and lowered his head. Jung Dong-young smiled as if he was satisfied at Hak-joon's reaction. Then, he shook his hand and said.

"Never mind. Just go and get him."

"Yes, sir. And..."

"And what?"

"You didn't give me the medicine of this month."

"Ah, you mean this?"

Jung Dong-young took out a small bottle from his pocket and shook it.

"When things go well, I will think about it."

"What do you mean 'think'?"

"Kim Su-hyeun. You did hide him, didn't you?"

"That is…!"

"Shut up, you punk. Anyway, if I talk well with Kim Su-hyeun, I will think about it. That time, there is your contribution, too."

Hak-joon gritted his teeth. He had told him many times that he had never known it before, but Jung Dong-yeong did not believe it. He even beat Hak-joon up, blaming that, but he still was not over.

"But, sir. If you don't give that to me..."

"I know. Your girlfriend will suffer for a while. But what can I do, can't I?"

Jung Dong-yeong answered as if he was truly sorry and as if he was soothing his younger brother. Jung Dong-yeong's words burned deep inside of Hak-joon. He remembered the person who would suffer soon because of that medicine, he rather felt angry.

"You brat. What is that face? Huh? Hey, Hak-joon."

On the face of Hak-joon, Jung Dong-young likewise hardened his face and rose from his seat.

"Huh? What is that face? You f*cking..."

Knock, knock—

That time, somebody knocked on the door and entered the room.

"Sorry for interrupting."

Hak-joon and Jung Dong-yeong turned their heads.

Su-hyeun strode in the room and looked at Hak-joon and Jung Dong-yeong.

"As I am listening, I keep hearing a lot of annoying words."

"Su-hyeun?" Hak-joon said in surprise.

"Su-hyeun... Mr. Su-hyeun?"

Jung Dong-yeong frowned first as he saw Su-hyeun who had entered without permission. But that didn't go long. Soon, he made an amiable smile and welcomed him.

"Well. Sorry for showing you a bad situation. Don't stand like that. Please come in and take a sit."

Jung Dong-yeong did not think Su-hyeun had heard the conversation from the room. If he thought Su-hyeun had heard everything, he would not talk and make a smile like that to him. If that was not true, it would mean that Jung Dong-yeong was the same type of person with the director. Su-hyeun sat in a chair as Jung Dong-yeong had asked. It was the time when Hak-joon tried to stand up from the chair and stand back of Jung Dong-yeong.

Su-hyeun opened his mouth, "What are you doing? You sit down, too."

"Yes?"

"Sit down. why are you standing like that?"

Su-hyeun pointed next to him. Hak-joon saw Jung Dong-yeong's face. At that moment, Jung Dong-yeong's eyes frowned insignificantly. It was only a few moments, but it was rare for Jung Dong-young to show this change in front of an important guest.

"Sit down, Hak-joon. Yes. Don't just stand like that. He is my guest but also your bro."

His eyes and speech were not saying the same thing. Su-hyeun recognized those differences. He felt like he knew what kind of person Jung Dong-yeong was.

"He is the type of person who extremely sensitive when somebody challenges his authority. He is weak to the power but doesn't hesitate to press down weaker people than him," Su-hyeun thought.

It was not hard to figure out what kind of person he was. He had experienced this type of person so many times. It was just the difference between who was worse and iller. He had had to go through more details, but as he looked simple, the way to treat him would not be difficult. Hak-joon finally sat next to Su-hyeun. He wanted to rather stand. He felt like the seat made from the needle.

"Well. It sounded like you had a trouble with Hak-joon…"

As Su-hyeun began to talk, Jung Dong-yeong quickly cut his words.

"Oh. That was not a big deal. There was something I gave to Hak-joon every month, but he made a mistake, so I delayed a payday. I am not saying I won't give it to him..."

"But isn't that medicine?"

As Su-hyeun's question continued, Jung Dong-young's gaze turned to Hak-joon. When sharp gaze flew to him, Hak-joon turned his face. It was obvious what Jung Dong-young's eyes meant. He was interrogating him about how much he had told. Soon after, Chung changed his expression and replied. Soon after, Jung Dong-young changed his expression and answered.

"Ah, yes. That is right. But it is not like medicine for a fatal disease. It also has a side effect if someone takes too much," Jung Dong-young calmly continued to say, "My ability as an awakener is about poison and medicine. Hak-joon's girlfriend has an unusual illness. So, I made medicine for her. As his boss and bro, it is natural thing that I helped."

Hak-joon clenched his teeth while he was listening to what Jung Dong-yeong said. It was a lie.

"An unusual illness?" he thought.

It was true that Jung Dong-young made medicine for the disease that Yun-seon had. But in the first place, the disease was caused by Jung Dong-young's poison. It was more like an addiction than a disease. That poison ate away at Yun-seon's body and made it weak. It soon became fine with the medication, but the poison never disappeared.

"Hey, Hak-joon. You are a member of our family from today."

In a friendly voice, Jung Dong-young had welcomed Hak-joon. He didn't like it, but there was no choice. Hak-joon could not turn Yun-seon away. Hak-joon was not a fool to not know that Yun-seon started to suffer in pain because of him.

"Do you want to see your girlfriend die? Huh?"

When Hak-joon was tired a little or showed signs of rebellion, Jung Dong-young threatened her life. When he gave her a medicine a little late, she suffered in pain like a hell every day. And eventually, it would make her die.

"If you don't pass the 20th floor in three months, there will be no medicine. No, no. I'll give you ten days later than payday. Tut. I hope she doesn't bite her tongue to die because of the pain."

Clench—

It was a strange thing. The things that he had tried to not think, all the sudden, popped up his brain. He tried to stop thinking, but he could not help himself. He clenched his teeth. He clenched his fists. His fingers nails started to make the blood from the palms. He was frustrated, resentful, and angry. He bit his lips tightly.

"Tut…"

Su-hyeun looked at Hak-joon who was trying to hold his tears. Soon, he looked at Jung Dong-yeong's eyes.

"Hey, you."

"…Hey, you?"

"Yes. You."

Jung Dong-yeong was embarrassed by Su-hyeun's sudden attitude change. Su-hyeun who lost his temper got up from his seat and looked down at Jung Dong-yeong.

"Stop doing your bullshit and get up."