Vol 6 Chapter 55

"According to my feeling, it can't be anyone but him. It's just that the timing of my realization happened to be now. If you're so doubtful, why don't you meet him yourself and judge? If it's so hard to trust me, I'll just withdraw from this matter...!"

Mugeon stopped mid-shout when his eyes met Yoon Seok-ho's, who was quietly laughing. Yoon Seok-ho was smiling with a truly strange expression. As Mugeon stood dumbfounded at that face he had never seen before, which seemed both self-reproaching and refreshed, Yoon Seok-ho removed his hand from his chin and nodded.

"What... what is this?"

"I was testing you a bit. I apologize."

"Te... testing..."

Watching Mugeon's eyes widen as his strength drained at these words that would shock even ghosts, Yoon Seok-ho smoothly averted his gaze.

"Your intuition is useful in situations like this. I told you I trust you, didn't I? Then of course I trust you."

"Then... you believe what I said?"

"Yes. Actually, I had a feeling too from the moment I heard your story."

At those words, Mugeon almost tore at Yoon Seok-ho's hair in rage.

"However!"

As if seeing through his thoughts, Yoon Seok-ho's demeanor suddenly changed as he spoke forcefully with a serious face. Mugeon flinched and stood back in place.

"It's not good to act on anything uncertain yet. So I'll watch through you for a while. Since you've marked him with your intuition, observe carefully and report immediately. Understand?"

"Ye... yes!"

"Good. I don't know if he's the one who stole the data, but I've thought the name Kwon Cheon-woo was somewhat suspicious from other reports that had been coming in. Even if he's not the culprit, I think there's a need to watch him."

With those words, Yoon Seok-ho smiled slightly. Looking at his sharp features illuminated by sunlight through the window, Mugeon thought for the first time that perhaps his initial impression of Cheon-woo and Yoon Seok-ho being similar might have been somewhat different.

Kapros set an alarm function on the capsule to get out before six o'clock, his promised time with Jin Je-hwan. Though the function felt unfamiliar since it was his first time using it, it worked well, allowing him to properly terminate the game at five o'clock.

After carefully showering to avoid touching the torn wound on his head that still throbbed slightly and the wound near his neck, he felt refreshingly renewed. It felt especially novel since he hadn't thought he could feel this way again until just yesterday.

After applying new medicine and attaching gauze, he sat down on the sofa and felt drowsiness wash over him, but he encouraged himself to stay awake just a bit longer since a guest was coming, and turned on the TV he rarely watched. As always, similar-looking celebrities were appearing on TV, talking about themselves and laughing loudly.

After watching meaninglessly for a while, he looked at the computer clock reflected on the wall and saw it was about fifty minutes past five. He should be coming soon.

- Ding dong. A visitor has arrived. Activating intercom function.

As if on cue, the doorbell suddenly rang and the computer switched to intercom mode. As he stood up and approached the entrance, the familiar face of Jin Je-hwan appeared on the screen.

'...Open up.'

As Je-hwan spoke in the screen, Kapros unlocked the door, and moments later Je-hwan came in, taking off his shoes. Somehow, meeting face to face again made him feel complicated with a mix of awkwardness and unfamiliarity.

What made it especially more complicated was that Kapros knew well why Je-hwan had come here.

'Though I said it... it's really embarrassing when it becomes reality.'

It had seemed fine enough until the morning when he left, but now standing face to face, it was the first time Kapros felt the silence was uncomfortable.

"Don't be nervous."

As if knowing what Kapros was thinking, Je-hwan lightly touched his shoulder before heading into the living room first. Though it was Kapros's house, somehow Je-hwan's attitude seemed more natural. After hesitating for a moment, Kapros followed right after to find Je-hwan already sitting down, having booted up the computer and opening the zipper of the bag he had brought.

"What's that?"

Je-hwan glanced at Kapros as he took out a small laptop from his bag.

"I was concerned that I couldn't properly fix things this morning because there wasn't enough time. So I brought some more things I need from home."

With that brief explanation, he also pulled out a long cord and plugged one end into the laptop and the other into what could be called the connection cord of the computer that controlled Kapros's entire house, causing the booting screen to turn black.

The subsequent parade of indecipherable English and numbers that appeared... clearly seemed to be a continuation of that work from the morning when Je-hwan had made Kapros anxious, saying incomprehensible things about only touching the security.

"Are you going to do that in earnest now?"

"Can't I?"

Je-hwan just raised his head to look at Kapros. His hair had grown much longer since Kapros first saw him in the game, with his bangs now naturally falling below his eyebrows. Though it gave him goosebumps to hear what sounded like words from a three-year-old coming from a dark-looking guy over twenty, somehow Je-hwan had an aspect that made such an attitude feel very natural.

Though severely quiet and taciturn, his personality of being utterly direct and confrontational when expressing what was in his heart would have seemed awkward if it were anyone else, but it suited him well. Kapros thought this might be his true nature.

"...Just don't break it. It's an expensive computer."

Finally giving in with those words, Je-hwan returned to work with a satisfied expression. Though Kapros's words were gruff, he was actually somewhat relieved inside.

Though Kapros had suggested testing the contact first out of curiosity about his limits of tolerance for Je-hwan, he had been somewhat burdened by the thought that if Je-hwan charged at him like during last night's sudden attack, he might reflexively throw a punch first. But looking at the current atmosphere, that didn't seem likely.