Chapter 14: Confrontation and Choice

As everyone fell silent in the chat right after the previous question, as if by unspoken agreement, Kyunghun raised an eyebrow. Of course, these guys were trying to corner Machoking.

The high-level, expensive-looking items he had received from Seohyun were clearly what they were after. The suspicion that had been nagging at him turned quickly into certainty, prompting Kyunghun to open his map again for navigation.

However, just as he was about to move to the cross marker he had set, Yaong burst in, breaking the silence.

[General] Yaong: Haㅋ sir
[General] Yaong: I just told you, ㅇㅅㅇ
[General] Yaong: The items are from the vice-guild masterㅋ
[General] Yaong: Don’t you get itㅋㅋㅋ
[General] Yaong: ㅋ Were you fooled? ㅎㅋ
[General] Yaong: ㅋ

[General] Machoking: You’re flustered now, huh
[General] Yaong: Me??? No
[General] Yaong: And “you”?? We just met

[General] LA EngGuy: Yes, Machoking, trust us^^
[General] LA EngGuy: Don’t corner Yaong too much^^

[General] Machoking: I didn’t do that
[General] Yaong: ㅇ,ㅅㅇ?? Ridiculous? You cornered meㅋㅋㅋ
[General] Machoking: You started talking
[General] Yaong: We’ve been doing this in good faith――
[General] Yaong: You’re so upset on our first meeting――

Watching Yaong’s sudden display of hurt, Kyunghun couldn’t resist asking:

[General] Machoking: Is this “yeo-yeo” speaking style a thing?
[General] Yaong: What’s “yeo-yeo”?
[General] Machoking: Nn… forget I asked

Leaving the incomprehensible Yaong aside, Kyunghun turned his attention to LA EngGuy.

[General] Machoking: Alright, I’ll trust you for now
[General] Machoking: But if this is a scam, I’ll sue
[General] Machoking: I do what I say
[General] Machoking: I’m rough, by the way

Even with this sudden tough confession from the elf, EngGuy responded with a smile:

[General] LA EngGuy: Don’t worry^^ You can even take screenshots and sue

Kyunghun paused, considering EngGuy’s bold invitation to submit evidence. Eventually, his fingers returned to the keyboard:

[General] Machoking: ;;Then fine
[General] Machoking: I’ll just take the items

[General] LA EngGuy: Yes^^ Wise choice^^))9 I’ll send the invitation~

A notification popped up indicating that an invitation had arrived. Despite deciding to join under the relentless persuasion, a hesitant groan escaped Kyunghun as he read it.

<You have received an invitation from the guild “Black-Haired Beasts.” Y/N>

The unusual guild name made the mouse cursor hesitate. Would joining here mean I’d be treated like a beast too?

“Ah… this feels a little off.”

Moreover, Seohyun’s earlier pestering to join the guild flashed across the screen. Remembering the little brat whining, Kyunghun felt a pang of conscience. Still, the mouse cursor slowly moved toward “Y.”

Finally, he clicked YES and muttered to himself:

“Better if no one knows… whatever…”

<You have joined the guild. Congratulations!>

Yet a strange tingling at the back of his head persisted, as if someone was watching.

A gentle breeze came through the slightly open window. Kyunghun blinked a few times in the autumn sunlight falling on his deep-set double eyelids, then looked up at the clear sky. Even in the darkly tinted car, the season’s atmosphere made him feel drowsy.

“Jongwoon, I’m exhausted.”

Two weeks and two days after his discharge, with his cast removed and some mobility returned, Kyunghun was out on surveillance duty with junior Cha Jongwoon. Though it was called “surveillance,” they were basically stuck in a 4-seater car, yet neither complained.

Creak—

Every time he stretched his stiffened back from eating and resting in the car, his bones made snapping sounds. He furrowed his brow in irritation, pressing his jaw together to endure boredom.

“Why aren’t they coming out?”

Jongwoon, in the passenger seat, shook off sleep and mumbled:

“Senior Yoon, the guys who went down the mountain yesterday aren’t going to show up outside in one day, are they?”

“Pfft, I get nostalgic for the world immediately when I go hiking,” Kyunghun replied.

“That’s because you went with the section chief,” Jongwoon muttered, lowering his head to hide a yawn.

Even amid trivial chatter, Kyunghun’s gaze fixed on the old building across the street. Four people were supposed to leave that building today. Thanks to them pairing up in twos in each building, the work was easier, but missing even one meant failure.

“Senior Yoon, I’m tired too. I can’t eat hamburgers anymore, I feel sick.”

Hearing the junior’s whining from the steering wheel, Kyunghun quietly replied:

“Okay. We’ll have spicy pork for dinner.”

“Ah, spicy pork again? I can’t eat that either. The smell drives me crazy.”

“Fine, then let’s have pork cutlets.”

“…I’ll just eat hamburgers.”

Jongwoon, faced with limited choices, gulped down the remaining drink. Kyunghun, running his fingers through his messy hair, spoke:

“Hold on. Support will arrive in five minutes.”

Jongwoon’s eyes lit up.

“Support? The section chief approved?”

“Yes. If even one escapes, it could ruin our plan, so they said to bring them all at once.”

Two of the four targets today were gamblers setting up house games, and the other two were Kyunghun’s personal targets. He rubbed his stiff wrists, recalling some information from the office a few days ago:

“They’re sending someone from the U.S. soon.”

“Ah,” Jongwoon groaned.

“They said he’s coming, but no confirmation yet. Apparently, he’s a developer and contacted a third country without our knowledge. So there’s talk that we’ll be doing ‘surveillance without surveillance.’ Lots of chatter.”

“Surveillance?”

“Yes. And he was only born in Korea; he emigrated before the army.”

“So he avoided military service?”

“Hey, I didn’t avoid it for laziness. I went to Kyungdae University, that’s all. This guy coming is basically American. I was curious how impressive he was when they mentioned redesigning the police site. Turns out…”

Kyunghun sprayed his rough mouth and stared out the window. From the basement stairs of the opposite building, two familiar figures emerged. Jongwoon, sharing the gaze, groaned. Kyunghun’s lips slowly curled into a smile.

“Why? Afraid I’ll kill you?”

“Senior, it’s been two weeks since you got your cast off. If I break a bone again, I’ll go alone.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it the same way.”

Kyunghun stepped out of the car, slamming the door for emphasis. The two targets noticed and murmured among themselves, but he focused intently ahead.

Striding forward, Kyunghun slowed for a moment, scanning his surroundings. He grabbed a wooden broomstick leaning beside a shop entrance and kicked it with his foot. The bristles snapped off, leaving only the pole. The two men froze.

Opening the glass door, Kyunghun confronted them:

“Hey, long time no see. You remember me, right?”

His voice conveyed the casual excitement of meeting a long-lost classmate.

“Why…? Did you survive that hit-and-run?”

“Yep. Lucky that Jaechun survived too.”

“Uh, congrats…”

“You okay?”

The two tried to back away, but it was futile.

“Damn it. I’m not dead. See? I’m breathing.”

As Kyunghun stepped closer, the two men moved back further. His hair swung slightly over his brow. A playful hum escaped his lips.

“Good thing. I remember exactly who was in the driver’s seat when you hit me.”

“…W-what?”

These were two of the four he needed to handle personally. They had attempted a hit-and-run on him last month. Kyunghun, voice low, addressed them:

“Not just one, two in the passenger seat.”

He swung the broomstick lightly. The air whooshed. Unclear swallowing sounds echoed.

Then his voice dropped, directed at the two heads before him:

“Come here, you bastards.”