Chapter 64: The Season of Violence

“I already informed the Director that we’d return without being late. It’s not like this is the first or second time we’ve done this. We’ve followed this schedule every year, so how are we suddenly supposed to change it now?”

“N-no, what I mean is… couldn’t you at least shorten your stay at the main house and return a bit sooner? We’re already short-handed as it is, and requesting three full days off instead of two is a little… excessive. Surely both of you understand we’re already straining the schedule to accommodate this.”

Among the crowds constantly moving through the plaza, two particularly tall figures stood out.

I blew softly against my ginger tea to cool it, then turned my head toward the commotion despite myself.

Park Suchang and Park Suchan.

For once, despite their busy schedules, the two brothers were together.

“Ever since when did paid leave — earned fairly through our labor — become some kind of ‘favor’ the administration is graciously granting us? You’re aware of this already, aren’t you? Out of everyone in Attack Team 3, my brother and I rank highest in terms of performance. Yet you’re calling this convenience? Don’t you think that wording’s a bit much?”

“N-no, that’s not what I meant…”

“If that’s not what you meant, then fine. Please inform the Director we’ll proceed exactly as scheduled, with no changes.”

Dressed side by side in black formal uniforms, the brothers continued arguing with the Director’s personal secretaries.

From what I gathered, the secretaries were desperately trying to persuade the two brothers not to disappear for three entire days.

The sight of middle-aged officials practically bowing and sweating before men young enough to be their sons — or even grandsons — looked pitiful beyond words.

Normally, it would have been Park Suchang loudly fighting with the secretaries.

Yet strangely, today he stood silently beside his brother without saying a word.

“!”

As I secretly observed the commotion from the corner of my eye, Park Suchang suddenly turned his head.

Our eyes met directly.

His gaze today was particularly volatile.

Cold.

Heavy.

Like molten metal barely restrained beneath solid iron.

Park Suchan, seemingly noticing his brother’s condition, quickly tried ushering the secretaries aside and leading him away from the center.

“Hyung, hyung, where are you going!”

But then—

Without warning, the previously motionless Park Suchang shook off his brother’s grip and strode straight toward me.

“……”

“……”

Despite Park Suchan’s attempts to stop him, Park Suchang continued advancing until his shadow swallowed me whole.

Startled, I nearly spilled the ginger tea in my hands.

A droplet of hot liquid splashed onto my fingers and slid painfully beneath my nails before dripping onto the floor.

Standing against the light, Park Suchang’s face remained obscured in shadow.

“Hyung, why are you suddenly bothering Jaeyoon-hyung?”

“……”

Sometimes, Park Suchang became like this.

Every year.

Right around this season.

The transition from winter into spring.

When the frozen world began thawing beneath blooming flowers and warm air, Park Suchang’s violence reached its peak.

His behavior became impossible to predict.

He fought viciously with Park Suchan despite doting on him normally.

Occasionally he hurled abuse at me too.

I privately referred to this period as Park Suchang’s puberty.

Last year, he had even hit me.

To him, it had probably been nothing more than a light slap across the face.

But I’d suffered something close to a concussion and ended up hospitalized afterward.

For quite a while after that, merely seeing him approach me was enough to make my entire body tremble in fear.

“Hyung, let’s just go. Please, let’s just go today. Okay?”

“……”

“Hyung, please…”

Every year during this period, the two brothers took leave and stayed in the Upper District anywhere from two days to a full week.

Normally they hardly ever visited the Upper District at all.

Yet every single year, without fail, they returned home around this time.

I didn’t know why.

But I knew better than to provoke Park Suchang during this season.

I avoided even going near him.

If our paths crossed accidentally, I held my breath and waited for him to pass.

To be fair, Park Suchan wasn’t exactly stable either.

But at least he never laid hands on me.

If anything, he acted as the safety pin restraining his brother’s violence.

Smack—!

“…You can still swallow something like this right now?”

Before I could react, the paper cup flew from my hand and crashed onto the floor.

Scalding tea splashed directly over the back of my bare hand.

My already thin skin instantly reddened and blistered.

I tried to suppress it.

Really, I did.

But a short gasp escaped anyway.

I’d had a terrible feeling since morning.

And now, inevitably, something had finally happened.

Park Suchan hurriedly stepped between us and shoved Suchang’s shoulder angrily.

“Hyung, what the hell are you doing right now?!”

Even though lunch hour had technically ended, people still filled the area.

Attention instantly converged toward us.

Hundreds of eyes — like a black tide — swept back and forth between me and the brothers while whispers spread quietly behind them.

Their stares felt like blades.

Sharp enough to pierce permanently into my skin.

Instinctively lowering my head, I pressed a hand tightly against the throbbing burn while tears threatened to rise from shock.

I bit down so hard on my cracked lips that I tasted blood.

“…That thing keeps irritating me.”

“Jaeyoon-hyung was literally just sitting there quietly! What exactly irritated you?!”

“Just… his existence itself irritates me. It irritates me so much I could lose my mind.”

Words were deep things.

Deeper than actions sometimes.

Words lingered.

In hearts.

In memories.

In emotions.

Which was why I had spent so long shaving down my own heart.

Smoothing every sharp edge.

Removing every thorn.

Not for any grand reason.

Just because I thought if I kept carving pieces away, eventually nothing would remain.

And if nothing remained, maybe I wouldn’t have to feel anything anymore.

“Stop saying insane shit and come with me already. If you need to vent your anger, do it to the actual people involved. Why are you taking it out on innocent Jaeyoon-hyung?!”

“Hah. And when exactly did you start acting innocent too? You went along with it before. Besides, even if he isn’t directly responsible, that thing—!”

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear another word from you. If you keep going, then this time I really won’t forgive you. Got it?”

Only after Park Suchan genuinely exploded in anger did Park Suchang finally calm down.

Two fully grown S-rank Espers glaring at each other like they were about to start fighting at any moment—

Only then did the surrounding crowd seem to grasp how serious the situation was.

People gradually fell silent.

Turning away, Park Suchang’s hands trembled violently as he struggled to contain himself.

For a moment, his figure overlapped with someone else I once knew.

If I thought that resemblance existed, perhaps I had truly gone insane.

No.

Who had it been again?

“Sorry, Jaeyoon-hyung. I’ll take him away, so please go get treatment once we leave.”

“Ah…”

“…And about today too. I’m really sorry. Seriously.”

Keeping a firm grip on Park Suchang’s arm, Park Suchan bowed apologetically toward me.

The sight of him carefully looking after his brother wasn’t unpleasant exactly.

But from the perspective of someone struck by lightning out of nowhere, even that felt like making excuses for family.

“Haah…”

Watching the brothers gradually disappear into the distance, I suddenly felt the burn on my hand flare sharply again.

Everything had happened so quickly that I barely understood what occurred.

Yet somehow, my body had gained another wound.

Still—

Strangely enough, it felt like my heart was in worse condition than my body.

All I wanted was to quietly drink a warm cup of tea and calm myself for a while.

“Ow…”

I lightly touched the reddened skin.

Thankfully, the burn didn’t seem too severe.

Since I’d already cooled the tea by blowing on it earlier, the damage had been limited.

Had it been freshly served straight from the counter, my skin probably would have peeled badly and taken far longer to heal.

Ignoring the sticky stares still clinging to the back of my head, I hurried away from the plaza.

I felt humiliated.

But more importantly, if I didn’t receive treatment soon, blisters would probably form.

Only after reaching the elevator did the tension finally leave my body.

My legs weakened immediately.

Ding—

Smack—

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

In my rush, I stepped forward without checking whether anyone was exiting first.

As a result, my shoulder slammed hard into the chest of a man stepping out.

He wore an external reinforcement combat suit, likely from field support duty.

So I immediately recognized him as either a Guide or an Esper.

Step—

But for some reason, after I hurriedly apologized and tried entering the elevator, an unexpected obstacle blocked my path.

The man himself.

If I moved left, he moved left too.

If I moved right, he mirrored me again.

What kind of childish nonsense was this?

I’d already apologized.

Why deliberately block my way afterward?

Annoyed, I finally lifted my gaze from the floor and checked the ID card hanging from his neck.

Against the white background, three neatly printed characters stood out clearly:

Ahn Ijeong.

Deputy Team Leader.

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