Vol 7 Chapter 32

[ Beep... A user requesting emergency call is attempting to contact you. Would you like to accept? Beep... A user requesting emergency call is attempting to contact you. Would you like to accept? ...Beep... ]

"Shut up."

Jeong Seung-jo muttered through gritted teeth with blank eyes, steeped in a headache. Just when he thought he had barely fallen asleep, he had to wake up feeling his nerves burning with pain because of another phone call.

"Power off."

[ ...Responding to user command, shutting down all systems. Thank you. ]

When the computer controlling the systems turned off, the house was filled with silence.

Should have done this earlier. Seung-jo tried closing his eyes again, but the thread-thin sleep that had already slipped away like sand through his fingers showed no signs of returning no matter how many times he tossed and turned.

Finally, he got up and roughly felt around for a crumpled cigarette pack, putting one in his mouth as if to chew it. He picked up a lighter rolling around and lit it, and the end started burning along with acrid smoke.

"Hah..."

When he drew deeply on the thin filter, at least his lungs felt warm for a moment. It was one of the few comforts he had gained from living in a foreign country. But now even cigarettes weren't having much pain-relieving effect. With his brows deeply furrowed from the headache that still felt like his head would split though it had subsided somewhat, Seung-jo stepped out of the room.

In the darkened living room, shards of broken liquor bottles that hadn't been cleaned up for days were scattered about. And among them were several brown, dried bloodstains.

"..."

Seung-jo couldn't take his eyes away from there for a while. Though such filthy stains could just be erased, why couldn't he do it? Why did he spend hours in front of this even though it made him feel like he would go crazy from difficulty breathing every time he saw it? Thinking himself pathetic for blankly recalling questions he didn't want to think about the answers to, Seung-jo languidly sat down in a chair.

Even if he turned off all the house systems manually, they would turn back on after a certain time due to the user protection program. After about an hour passed, hearing the annoying ringtone start again, Seung-jo quietly opened his mouth while stubbing out the cigarette he had been smoking into a bottle.

"Answer."

[ -Seung! ]

Along with the command, a man who appeared as a hologram shouted loudly.

[ Why aren't you answering... What? Are you hurt? ]

Seung-jo had bandages wrapped around his chest and shoulders without wearing a top.

[ Where are you hurt? Front? Back? Did you go to the hospital? ]

"Ben. Shut up and stop contacting me. I can't sleep because of the calls."

[ ...You answered just to say that? Oh, to think I was actually worried about a zombie who talks like this even in that state... I must be really nice. So, what's the reason you're hurt? Did you get in another fight while drunk somewhere? ]

"..."

Seung-jo ignored the other party's sarcastic remarks in English without even listening, lowering his eyes. Ben, the man whose upper body was floating in the air as a hologram, was about to continue raging but closed his mouth upon seeing the irritation and killing intent in Seung-jo's corpse-like dark eyes. It was somewhat different from his usual reaction. By this point he would normally curse up a storm and cut the connection... Could it be?

[ Did something happen... with Angel Boy after that last call? ]

"..."

Though there was still no answer, Ben could tell it was correct from seeing Seung-jo's brow severely distort.

[ Good Lord. Did you finally meet? ]

"..."

[ Tell me if that's what happened! ]

"He... came."

Seung-jo muttered while looking at the wall rather than at Ben.

[ ...What? Did I hear something wrong just now? Could you say that one more time? ]

Seung-jo turned away without answering. Ben started rubbing his chin with a sigh.

[ To think he came to find a coward like you first... That friend really must be an angel after all. But looking at your state... did it not go well? ]

"..."

The atmosphere instantly froze. Ben's expression also twisted in dismay seeing eyes mixed with despair and madness that had briefly subsided.

[ What exactly happened? ]

The back of the man who silently turned his head toward the darkness looked like a mannequin rather than a person. Ben tried throwing a few more words at the motionless Seung-jo, but seeing no response as if he couldn't hear anything, he soon spat out a curse.

[ This is really driving me crazy. Your parents may have given up on you, but that doesn't mean they don't worry, Seung. I can't understand you at all. Well, you've never properly talked about anything except when completely drunk or high. Sigh. I should have stopped you from going to Korea, no, before that I should have stopped you when Chen Jin first showed interest in you. ]

"..."

[ ...I'm going to Korea soon. ]

At those words, Seung-jo's head moved again. While facing those rolling eyes that seemed to say not to interfere in his business, Ben continued speaking while managing to hide his inner feelings of getting goosebumps.

[ You've already wasted months there. If you're not going to finish the work there or die, I'll have to drag you back to America myself. Chen Jin seemed to want to contact you, but I'll handle that... ]

"Mind your own business and get lost. I'll kill you if you show up in front of me."

[ There you go talking like that again. You think I want to go during this busy time, you coward? ]

Ben shook his head while looking at Seung-jo's face full of rage.

[ I've already booked the flight for two weeks from now. See you when I get there, Seung. ]

Bang!

With those words, the bottle being used as an ashtray flew through the hologram and shattered with a thud. The call was immediately forcibly terminated. Seung-jo, who had been glaring at the scattered remains of broken glass and cigarette ash that had stained the wall hideously, suddenly jumped up from his seat and approached that direction.