Chapter 109

“I meant for you to wash me.”

Kwon Haeju parted his lips slightly, looking as though he wanted to say something, but ultimately swallowed his words. Lifting himself up, he stepped into the massive tub, the warm water rising to lap against his chest. Closing his eyes, Nam Shin-hoo leaned his exhausted, naked body against the younger man, letting him wait on him like an attentive servant.

He had reached his absolute physical limit. His swollen eyes stung fiercely, and he felt as if he could lose consciousness at any second.

“Let’s… talk tomorrow.”

A large, warm hand gently cradled the back of Nam Shin-hoo’s wet hair. As his completely drained body went limp in the water, Kwon Haeju’s broad, muscular frame securely anchored him. The steady, rhythmic thrum of the younger man’s heartbeat vibrated against his cheek.

It was an incredibly satisfying sound.

***

The next day, Nam Shin-hoo received confirmation that his decision to aggressively stabilize Kwon Haeju with his own body had been the right choice.

“Did you talk to Kwon Shinju on the phone?” Nam Shin-hoo asked.

“Yes.”

“Make sure to soothe him properly. He was practically sick with worry.”

Having washed up and slept together peacefully, the terrifying, hyper-unstable demeanor Kwon Haeju had exhibited earlier was completely gone. Even upon hearing that Nam Shin-hoo had inadvertently run into his younger brother, he merely offered a calm nod. Regardless of whatever chaotic storm still raged internally, his exterior had entirely regained its relaxed, composed facade.

The suffocatingly dead, pitch-black abyss that had consumed his eyes had finally receded, replaced by the natural, sharp glint of life. They even shared a meal. While chewing solid food still appeared to be a significant struggle, he successfully managed to swallow soft, easily digestible portions.

And then there was the ultimate confirmation.

[Quest: To Save a Perishing World.

What a shame. There is no remaining combat power capable of responding to the battle. Do you wish for another chance? If so, find the ‘true’ savior this time.
Reward upon Success: ???
Penalty upon Failure: Annihilation of humanity.
Success Rate: 50%]

As if validating Nam Shin-hoo’s drastic methods as the perfect answer, the frozen success rate had finally increased.

Everything was proceeding smoothly. He had largely recovered from the initial shock of losing four years, and he had successfully stabilized Kwon Haeju, who had been the most volatile variable.

Every choice he had made thus far was undeniably correct. However…

“Ugh.”

He hadn’t quite anticipated Kwon Haeju relentlessly clinging to him at every conceivable opportunity. Nam Shin-hoo grabbed the hand that had stealthily slipped beneath his shirt to caress his lower abdomen.

“…”

Kwon Haeju looked back at him with an expression that practically demanded to know why he was being stopped. It was utterly ridiculous.

“I looked in the mirror this morning,” Nam Shin-hoo said dryly. “It’s a complete disaster.”

The corners of Kwon Haeju’s eyes curved into a delighted half-moon. Instantly understanding exactly what Nam Shin-hoo was referring to, he obediently withdrew his wandering hand and sat quietly by his side.

Having drifted off to sleep while soaking in the tub, Nam Shin-hoo certainly hadn’t expected the younger man to just meekly wash him and tuck him into bed like an angel. Given how aggressively and abruptly their physical encounter had begun, he had simply assumed Kwon Haeju would use the aftermath to cool his head and process the violent sensory overwrite alone.

But when he woke up and checked his body, it was completely ruined. His chest and the entire column of his neck—areas Kwon Haeju had barely even touched during the actual act—were heavily mottled with brutal bite marks. Judging by the bright red bruising blooming across his inner thighs, it was glaringly obvious the man had ruthlessly fondled him however he pleased while he was completely unconscious.

“Isn’t that a bit cruel to do to someone while they’re sleeping?” Nam Shin-hoo pointed out.

“That is hardly something the person who straddled a heavily drugged man gets to say,” Kwon Haeju retorted smoothly.

“…”

“…”

“Let’s call it a draw.”

“Yes.”

Nam Shin-hoo had momentarily forgotten. Just because Kwon Haeju acted blindly devoted and obsessed didn’t mean he was the type to lose a verbal spar. He had always been the kind of bastard who ruthlessly spoke his mind while hiding behind a perfectly polite tone.

Since Nam Shin-hoo was undeniably guilty of his own severe transgressions, he quietly leaned back against the sofa. Feeling the familiar, heavy weight of Kwon Haeju affectionately leaning against him in return, he decided he could tolerate a few dozen bite marks.

“A guest will be arriving shortly,” Kwon Haeju announced.

“Kwon Shinju?”

“No. A different… guild member.”

Another guild member visiting this house? That would have been entirely unthinkable four years ago. Kwon Haeju had always been incredibly paranoid, zealously guarding the location of his residence from absolutely everyone. Had that obsessive trait actually faded during the missing four years? Or had he simply found someone else he could genuinely rely on?

‘…’

Why does that put me in such a bad mood?

Nam Shin-hoo scratched the bridge of his nose, thoroughly annoyed by his own reaction. Logically, he should be thrilled if Kwon Haeju had managed to open his heart to another person during those agonizing years.

“Should I wait upstairs, then?” Nam Shin-hoo asked.

“No. This is someone you need to meet as well.”

Nam Shin-hoo couldn’t even begin to guess who it could be. Should he ask for a name? While he debated whether prying too much would make him seem overly defensive, a sound broke the silence.

Ding-dong.

The mysterious guest had arrived. Nam Shin-hoo stood up from the sofa. Under normal circumstances, it would be proper for Kwon Haeju, the homeowner, to greet the visitor. But Nam Shin-hoo was far too impatient; he desperately wanted to see exactly whose face belonged to the person who had somehow managed to get close to the violently unstable Kwon Haeju.

Throwing the front door wide open, he was immediately greeted by a shock of bright red hair. The slightly short man with auburn locks stared at him, his eyes widening comically from behind a pair of dark sunglasses.

“Uh… What the hell? Why are you alive—no, wait. Why are you here? No. Hold on a second.”

“…Why are you here?” Nam Shin-hoo demanded, equally stunned.

“…”

The man standing on the porch whipped his head back and forth between Nam Shin-hoo and Kwon Haeju several times before violently clapping his hands together.

“No wonder the Master ordered me to rush over here! Wow. Yeah. This definitely warrants an emergency summons!”

The foreign Hunter dramatically whipped off his sunglasses and offered a belated greeting.

“Ahem. Let me properly reintroduce myself, since Koreans place such high value on formal greetings. I am Bae Tae-il, an S-Rank Hunter belonging to the Epic Guild.”

“…”

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Still shamelessly slick and incredibly quick to adapt to the situation, the red-haired foreigner standing before him was none other than Bale Taylor.

***

The only sound breaking the heavy silence in the living room was the sharp clink of teacups against saucers. Nam Shin-hoo, Kwon Haeju, and Bale Taylor—an incredibly familiar yet deeply unwelcome combination of people—sat staring at one another.

It was the exact same trio that had met right before they departed for the United States; the very meeting that had essentially served as the catalyst for this entire disaster. Pressing two fingers hard against his throbbing temples, Nam Shin-hoo glared at the thoroughly unwelcome guest.

“So, why on earth are you running around working for the Epic Guild using such a ridiculous name?” Nam Shin-hoo demanded.

“Hahahaha, well, you see. It’s actually a bit of an embarrassing story,” Bale Taylor admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin.

The explanation he provided was surprisingly straightforward, yet defied absolutely all common sense.

Following Kwon Haeju’s devastating rampage across the United States, the power dynamic between the two nations had completely and violently inverted.

If they hadn’t stopped the fight, the United States would have faced the very real threat of losing half of its entire S-Rank Hunter population. The US government could no longer use Kwon Haeju’s eye treatment as leverage to control him; every single one of their proudest, strongest Hunters had been utterly crushed by a single S-Rank Hunter who couldn’t even see.

At the exact moment the United States was pushed to the absolute brink, Bale Taylor—acting as the official representative of the American Hunter Association—sat down at the negotiation table with Choi Kanghyeon, the only person present who was still somewhat capable of rational thought. Driven entirely by crushing guilt over losing Nam Shin-hoo, Kwon Haeju would only listen to Choi Kanghyeon’s commands.

However, Bale Taylor had made a fatal miscalculation. He hadn’t realized that Choi Kanghyeon was actually a far more vicious, ruthless bastard than Kwon Haeju.

Choi Kanghyeon ruthlessly extorted them. He not only reclaimed the unique artifact Kwon Haeju had brought, but also demanded exorbitant compensation for the Korean S-Rank Hunters who had been sacrificed during the initial betrayal. Beyond astronomical financial reparations, he slammed down a final, unprecedented condition: the United States had to surrender one of its own S-Rank Hunters.

Since this entire catastrophe had been triggered by the depletion of Korea’s S-Rank roster, Choi Kanghyeon demanded a replacement. And out of the dozens of available American Hunters, Kwon Haeju had specifically demanded Bale Taylor.

While the initial reparations were settled relatively quickly, the final condition sparked years of fierce, deadlocked debate. After four grueling years of relentless negotiation, the deal had finally been finalized just recently, resulting in Bale Taylor officially transferring his affiliation and nationality to South Korea.

“I’m officially affiliated with Korea now, so you can relax,” Bale Taylor beamed cheerfully. “Let’s get along well from now on, yeah?”

“…”

Kwon Haeju listened to the entire explanation with an utterly impassive face. Nam Shin-hoo couldn’t begin to fathom why, out of all the incredibly powerful American S-Rank Hunters available, the man had specifically singled out Bale Taylor.

“So, what’s the reason you called me here today? I’m assuming you’re finally going to tell me exactly why you dragged me to Korea?” Bale Taylor asked, turning to the younger man.

Kwon Haeju offered a small, confirming nod.

“I want you to place a restriction on me.”

“On who? You, Master? Or Hunter Nam over here?”

The exact second Bale Taylor so much as gestured toward Nam Shin-hoo, Kwon Haeju’s eyes flashed with a chilling, murderous light. Startled by the sudden killing intent, Bale Taylor hastily scooted his chair further away and cleared his throat.

“Ha, haha. Of course, I’ll do whatever the Master desires. It’s not like I have a choice anyway, right? Hurry up and tell me the conditions.”

“You will place a restriction binding my life,” Kwon Haeju stated evenly. “The condition is…”

He slowly shifted his gaze, locking eyes with Nam Shin-hoo.

“If the physical distance between the two of us ever exceeds 50 kilometers, my heart will instantly stop. That is the restriction you will place.”

“Hey!”

Nam Shin-hoo violently kicked his chair back, surging to his feet. Registering Bale Taylor’s wide, utterly horrified eyes, Nam Shin-hoo brutally grabbed Kwon Haeju by the arm and hauled him upward.

“You, don’t you dare listen to his insane bullshit. Sit right there and don’t move,” Nam Shin-hoo barked a vicious warning at the American Hunter before dragging Kwon Haeju out of the room.

Pulling the younger man into a secluded corner, Nam Shin-hoo pressed a hand to his violently throbbing forehead once he was absolutely certain they were alone.

“Are you out of your fucking mind?!”

“…”

“I guess you know damn well you aren’t.”

Kwon Haeju was smiling. Despite having just been violently grabbed by the collar and dragged into the hallway, he was looking down at Nam Shin-hoo with an expression of profound, sickening relief.

“I have already scheduled a meeting with Choi Kanghyeon for this weekend,” Kwon Haeju said softly. “Once we finalize this contract today, you are free to go wherever you please.”

—There’s a guest arriving in a few days. After they leave, I will contact Choi Kanghyeon for you. 

This was the horrific plan he had been preparing. From the very moment he demanded Bale Taylor from the United States and spent four years relentlessly forcing the nationality transfer, he had been meticulously laying the groundwork for this exact scenario.

He had done it all solely to physically chain Nam Shin-hoo to his side the moment he returned.

Half-hearted persuasion was never going to work on a man who had spent four agonizing years obsessively planning for this single, desperate contingency. If Nam Shin-hoo refused to establish the restriction contract, Kwon Haeju would never, ever believe that he wouldn’t abandon him again.

Which, frankly, was entirely accurate.

Nam Shin-hoo clutched his aching head. He couldn’t completely reject Kwon Haeju’s contract outright—he needed to find an acceptable compromise to placate his madness.