episode_0019

“You can’t open the status window? This kind of kid got into [Daon Hammer].”

“Ah, you brought Baekhyun alone? Huh, disciple? Has the old man finally lost his mind?”

“Well, that old lady’s influence was so dirty and annoying, but is it a good thing for me that the heir of the noble family, who doesn’t have much time left, is such a loser? If we just get rid of that mold, it’s our world.”

“Hey, anyway, nice to meet you? Don’t be so formal and call me Jinhyung.”

“When I hear you call me senior from a retard like you, I feel so bad for you. I hope you don’t go around bragging that you’re a member of [Daon Hammer] because it’ll be embarrassing. Okay? Sihyuk?”

The memories of the past that came to Sihyuk’s mind reflexively, or rather, forcibly, when he saw Kim Jinhyung, felt familiar.

It’s like looking at the remains of a pigeon that was hit by a car.

It felt like my nose was stuck in a pile of rubble that had spilled onto the sidewalk.

It feels like putting a live snail in your mouth and chewing on it, with its shell still intact.

The feeling of hearing the last words of the person you love the most.

It was a disgusting and unclean feeling that could not be described as good even in empty words.

Shi-hyeok, who had experienced the sensations he had experienced for the past 20 years and had forgotten for a year after Hyun-man died, was surprised at how little he felt.

Is it because I’ve experienced it so many times in the past that I’m used to it?

Or, is it that you have reached a point where you are detached from everything and are no longer swayed by negative emotions?

Or is it that Lee Si-hyuk was already broken from the beginning, and that some part of his emotional line was broken?

It could be one of the three, or maybe all three… .

… that wasn’t important right now.

Shihyuk looked around.

The sudden commotion was drawing people’s attention. It was okay for now, but if the situation continued like this, there was a concern that Eunha would be recognized, or that she would be caught by the police or the crowd.

And above all.

‘… There it is.’

The Kim Jin-hyung he knew was meticulous about harassing others.

In the past, Kim Jin-hyung was always a man who tried not to create an excuse, such as when Shi-hyeok’s teacher was away for a while or when he visited Shi-hyeok’s studio alone to make fun of him, and he was a man who always cleverly escaped from the gossip while making him miserable.

A sadist who always creates a hole for himself to escape through and enjoys suffocating others. It is impossible for Kim Jin-hyung not to have planned some kind of scheme just because he was drunk.

Kim Jin-hyung was still mocking the universe.

The universe was still holding back, but her hot-blooded personality could explode at any moment. If there was a chance for Shi-hyuk to intervene, it would be now.

Shihyuk looked at the galaxy hidden behind him.

The girl’s complexion wasn’t very good, as if she had calmed down a little, but her breathing and pulse were gradually returning to normal.

Shihyuk opened his mouth.

“Galaxy, please leave me alone for a moment. I think I need to stop you.”

“… .”

“Don’t worry, trust me. I’ll figure it out.”

“… … .”

Eunha didn’t say anything. But she slightly tightened her grip on Shihyuk’s collar, then released him.

He was able to smile slightly, as if it was somehow encouraging Sihyuk to ‘cheer up’.

The feeling of being trusted by others came as a refreshing tonic that diluted the dirty sensation he had experienced as he recalled the past.

Shihyuk headed straight towards them.

Kim Jin-hyung was wagging his tongue as he pleased, glancing at the window of the billiard hall on the second floor of the building facing him, behind the stairs of the building on the right that Si-hyuk had identified.

Shihyuk grabbed Woojoo’s arm, which looked like it was going to burst at any moment.

“Stop. Stop there.”

“You…!!”

The universe growled at him. Well, it was bad timing, and it was bad to meet Kim Jin-hyung, who seemed to be the cause of everything. It was not surprising that her misunderstandings were deepening.

But clearing up the misunderstanding is a matter for later.

Shihyuk grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer with strength. It was a force so strong that even Woojoo, an awakened member of the strategy series, was momentarily taken aback.

‘What power…!’

Shihyuk’s hand that held her was careful not to hurt her, but there was something about it that made it impossible to resist, as if he was caught in the grip of a giant.

The universe screamed as it was dragged along without mercy.

“Let go of this!! You’ll end up with that kid too-”

“Please listen for a moment.”

Shihyuk whispered into Woojoo’s ear as they got closer.

“I’ll take care of this, so Mr. Universe, take care of Ms. Galaxy.”

“What are you-”

“-There are people filming this place even though people haven’t paid much attention yet. Two of them. I think they’re probably Kim Jin-hyung’s subordinates. If Mr. Woo-joo behaves more arrogantly here, they’ll probably use the footage to worsen public opinion. ”

“… !”

“And, Mr. Space is getting the order wrong.”

“It’s natural to be angry at the man who hurt your precious little brother. But shouldn’t you first look after the well-being of your wounded little brother?”

The mouth of the universe was shut tight.

Her face turned pale as she looked at Eunha, who was bowing her head pitifully behind Shihyuk like a puppy that had lost its mother.

“I, I… . -Galaxy!”

Sihyuk stood in front of Jinhyung Kim, glancing sideways at the universe running towards the girl.

When he saw Kim Jin-hyung again after a long time, he had gained weight, changed his hairstyle, and become a more disgusting person than when he last saw him.

“Fuck, what are you?”

The meticulous villain seemed quite displeased with the situation not going according to his plan.

Phew! Kim Jin-hyung glared at Si-hyuk, spitting out pink saliva mixed with the alcohol he was drinking on the tiles of the street.

“Senior Kim Jin-hyung.”

“What are you, do you know me?”

“… Don’t you remember me?”

“No, this is so frustrating! You idiot! Who the hell are you!!”

“Indeed.”

Kim Jin-hyung looked at Si-hyuk and couldn’t remember him at all from the past, when he had been his toy.

Of course, the person Kim Jin-hyung remembered was probably a pitiful man with a hunched back, hunched shoulders, and chronic arthritis, so it was not surprising that he did not recognize him.

However, in the past, Si-hyuk, who had suffered and been in pain, could not forget Kim Jin-hyung and recognized him at a glance, but the fact that Kim Jin-hyung, who had enjoyed laughing at and looking down on him, had forgotten and could not remember the past,

Even the emotionally insensitive Shihyuk was slightly shaken.

Anger, hatred, resentment. Leaving all that aside, — I felt a little miserable.

Shihyuk chuckled. He thought it was ironic that this man was the one who made him taste dirty emotions that he had never felt before.

“Are you laughing? You son of a bitch, are you laughing at me?”

The person who enjoyed insulting others became very angry when he realized that he was the one being insulted. Kim Jin-hyung roughly pushed Si-hyuk’s shoulder with his body weight.

And Jinhyung Kim, who had been pushed, fell down on his buttocks in an ugly way due to his own strength.

‘Huh? What is this?’

It didn’t feel like I was pushing a person, but more like I was pushing a rock. Although he was a little shorter than Shi-hyuk, he was fat, so the difference in size was more in Kim Jin-hyung’s favor.

Clearly, it was not Sihyuk, who was still standing still without any preparation despite being pushed with all his might, but Kim Jinhyeong who was pushed back.

Now, amidst the crowd that was starting to gather, a giggle and a laughter could be heard.

Kim Jin-hyung jumped up from his seat with a bright red face.

“You little shit, are you going to hit me?”

As a man, Kim Jin-hyung was hurt by the fact that he had been pushed back by force, and his reasoning was clouded by the alcohol he had consumed since entering the exhibition hall. Now, without even paying attention to his surroundings, he threw a punch at Si-hyuk.

Tak, his wrist was caught by Shihyuk.

Kim Jin-hyung’s fist was too slow for Si-hyuk, who had achieved enlightenment and was now free of his shell, and he didn’t really feel the need to carefully squeeze the wrist that was in his hand like he did in space.

Shihyuk’s hand began to tighten around his wrist. Like a broken blood pressure monitor, the pressure only got tighter and tighter without decreasing or stopping, sending shivers down Kim Jinhyung’s spine.

Pain. And he screamed in fear that his wrist might be crushed, as if he was crushing a can of soda with one hand.

“Let go of this-!! F*ck!!”

Kim Jin-hyung, who lost his wits for a moment due to fear, struggled, swinging everything he had in his other hand.

Coincidentally, he was holding a bottle of wine in his hand, and the bottle hit Shi-hyuk’s head, sending shards flying with a loud noise.

The galaxy screamed briefly, and the universe that was caring for her was shocked.

Even among the crowd of onlookers, a few gasped in relief.

“Eek… .”

Even the terrified sound of Kim Jin-hyung belatedly realizing what he had done.

Shihyuk absentmindedly brushed the pieces of the bottle off his head and wiped the alcohol running down his forehead with his sleeve.

He was in perfect condition, having spat out even the smallest fragments that had entered his mouth.

The body of the Arahant he attained was not affected by anything evil in the world that did not contain a strong will. He was not even slightly injured by such things.

“You, you fucking idiot, you’re a raid-type awakened one! Right?! You’re using [Skill] and you’re fine, right?!!”

Kim Jin-hyung, who tried hard to appear calm, screamed.

Si-hyuk, who did not find it necessary to answer, remained silent and swept up the glass shards that had fallen at his feet and threw them into the sewer.

“You little shit, don’t you know that if you use [skill] to assault someone in the strategy series, you will be punished more severely for special assault?! You little shit, don’t you know that I’m the son of the CEO of [Daon Hammer]? I’m going to report you! I’m going to feed you beans and rice!!”

Even if that is true, it was Kim Jin-hyung who pushed first and threw the punch. Self-defense was established.

Furthermore, no matter how much you argue that the opponent was an awakened player of the strategy series, the fact that Kim Jin-hyung swung a glass bottle and injured Si-hyuk did not change.

The reason Kim Jin-hyung was foaming at the mouth like that was because he was an awakened member of the strategy series, but it was nothing more than an ugly self-consolation to avoid being considered as having lost in a fight between men. And it was nothing more than an excuse to cover up the serious crime of swinging a glass bottle at someone’s head.

‘It’s still messy to the end.’

Si-hyuk was miserable not only because of his painful past but also because Jin-hyung Kim did not recognize him, but also because he was swayed by ‘something like this’.

There was quite a crowd.

Now was the time to really dig up the place. It was the moment when Shihyuk took a step forward after sighing.

“If you’re an awakened member of the attack series, you’re partying with those bitches, right?! Ha! What are you trying to eat with those things? Why, give me one? You acted so proud and expensive, you little orphans, and now you’re going to pick a guy and kill him-”

“Speak,”

Kim Jin-hyung’s body, which had been spewing out dirty words without hesitation, suddenly froze.

The pig couldn’t even breathe properly, overwhelmed by the overwhelming something emanating from Shihyuk.

From the insignificant man who had turned his back, a clear image of death was felt.

As if he was left alone in the vast ocean with no place to rely on, as if something indescribably vicious and horrible had put its hand on the back of his neck, instincts screamed, scratching at the inside of Kim Jin-hyung’s skull. If you don’t want to die, do as that man says.

“Please refrain from speaking.”

Jinhyung Kim, unable to breathe properly, stumbled, groaning and gasping for breath.

The son-in-law gradually became darker, and eventually his heavy body was stretched out on the floor. The pants of the fallen Kim Jin-hyung were soaked to the thighs, and bright yellow urine was flowing out.

Leaving behind the unconscious Jinhyung Kim, Sihyuk supported his sister and loaded her body into the space vehicle.

The universe, which had started the engine and started driving, seemed to be still in awe at the amazing sight unfolding before its eyes.

She came to her senses while waiting for the traffic light, pursed her lips for a moment, and then looked at Si-hyuk through the rearview mirror.

“Excuse me, can I ask you something?”

“Please speak.”

“What’s your relationship with that guy…?”

The voice asking was weak and trembling thinly.

Shihyuk took a moment to find something to say.

If he had insisted that they were complete strangers, her misunderstanding would have been completely cleared up. However, Shihyuk did not want to do that.

“We just knew each other a little bit before. I don’t think he remembers me though. It wasn’t a very good relationship.”

He wanted to be honest with these sisters.

He didn’t want to betray even a little bit of the trust that the galaxy had placed in him. Likewise, he didn’t want to lie to the universe.

“Did this answer help you?”

“… Yeah.”

Woo-joo bit his lip until it bled, then pulled over to the side of the road and rested his head on the steering wheel.

“I see… .”

The cat realized that he had made a terrible mistake.

Eunha, who was sitting in the passenger seat, kept her mouth shut after looking around, and Sihyuk, who was looking at Woojoo’s back who was crouching, also closed his eyes and leaned back against the backseat.

There was a brief silence inside the car as the engine started.

-.-.-

The universe, which had remained silent for a while, soon stirred.

She looked briefly at the sky where the sun was slowly setting, then carefully opened her mouth.

“First, I have to go to my accommodation. It’s impossible to continue with my schedule in this state.”

That was a fair point.

The sister who had suffered from malice once looked terrible. Even Si-hyuk, who had been drenched in alcohol, could not say that she looked good.

The dark brown parka he was wearing was stained with dark red stains from the spilled wine, and the liquor that had dried on his skin left his chin and the nape of his neck uncomfortablely sticky.

The time was considerably delayed due to being involved in unnecessary matters.

If the schedule included a distance that required a car ride, it would not be possible to proceed smoothly in this state. Above all, Eunha, who was exhausted from having had so much hard work, was already dozing off in the passenger seat.

“I’ll call you later to ask for your understanding to postpone the schedule, and first I’ll find a place to stay. Hey, if your house isn’t near here, why don’t you come too? I’ll pay for the accommodations… .”

Woojoo’s attitude towards Shihyuk was completely different from before.

There was no sign of his overbearing and rude attitude, and he was as fragile and cautious as a cat approaching you with trepidation.

“Well, your clothes are dirty, and you need to wash them too… .”

The face of the universe seen beyond the rearview mirror was ugly.

Her nose was bright red, and her mascara was smudged from tears. Shihyuk pretended not to notice, turned his head, looked out the window at the sunset, and opened his mouth.

“I would be happy to accept your favor.”

The place where the universe parked the car was a shabby motel that was almost like an inn.

The room he gave me to look around had yellow sheets, tan flooring, an old TV, and a bed, but there was no refrigerator. The blanket smelled musty like it had been soaked in cigarette smoke.

Even though it was located in the middle of Gangwon-do, where the Superhuman Expo was in full swing, the motel had a shabby and unappealing appearance that even tourists would turn away from, and there were no guests staying there.

Woo-joo, who had found a room for his sister to stay in and a room for Shi-hyuk to stay in, gave Shi-hyuk the room keys.

“The Milky Way is sleeping, and I don’t have any plans for dinner, so aren’t you hungry? Should I order something delivered?”

“You don’t have to worry about meals. Fortunately, there seems to be a convenience store nearby, so I’ll take care of that.”

“… … .”

The universe, carrying the galaxy on its back, looked at him silently for a moment.

There was a lot of emotion in that gaze. The carrying galaxy tossed and turned for a moment in her sleep, feeling uneasy about her feet.

“Ms. Galaxy is very tired. Don’t worry about me, and let her get some rest.”

“… Yeah.”

Contrary to the answer, the universe remained frozen in place until Shihyuk entered the room where he had decided to stay.

“After.”

Shihyuk wiped his sticky body clean and shook his wet hair. The room he was staying in was small and shabby, but he was still satisfied with the shower.

Although the sink smelled like naphthalene, which you would expect to find in a public restroom, the hot water came out properly, and since Shi-hyuk was not picky about detergents, he was able to wash himself with soap.

I washed the parka by hand and hung it on the window. I couldn’t completely remove the stain, but it was relatively clean considering that it had hardened completely and was past the time to wipe it off.

The problem was that I had nothing to wear.

The alcohol that had spilled over his head soaked not only his parka but also the shirt he was wearing underneath, so there was no way he could do anything without washing it.

Of course, since it was a room he was using alone, it was okay for him to be wearing only pants for now, but Sihyuk prayed that the laundry would dry by the next day.

“… .”

I lay down in bed, but I couldn’t sleep.

It was night, but it was still too early to go to sleep, and I had had a lot going on that day. I wanted to go for a walk, but I didn’t have anything to wear.

As he was tossing and turning, there was a knock on the door.

Sihyuk had never been to Gangwon-do, and there weren’t many people who would come to see him at this hour. He opened the door, wearing a wet shirt, and as he expected, Woojoo was standing in front of the door.

“Hello. Can I come in for a moment?”

Her gaze looking up was earnest.

“… Come in.”