AGENT 26

Yongnae’s two tightly shut eyes snapped open.

It was an unforgettable voice that he had heard even in his dreams. And the sight seen immediately was that face, even more unforgettable than the voice.

That face, which he could dare to call more beautiful than anything else he had ever seen.

“Hi—.”

Folding those two eyes, which were beautiful enough to lose oneself in, into half-moons, the man offered a greeting to Yongnae.

The white suit he wore when they first met suited him well, but his straight hair falling calmly over a light gray trench coat with a hint of sky-blue was also so beautiful.

Ah—

Even seeing it again, it was an ecstatic face. No, seeing it again, it was more beautiful and marvelous.

“…Hel, lo.”

He didn’t even remember that he had almost been killed by a madman killer just a moment ago. Yongnae stared blankly at the man and squeezed out a greeting in a cracking voice.

At the sight of Yongnae, laughter flowed from the man’s throat. It felt as if a speech bubble with “haha” attached next to the man would suit him perfectly. To that extent, the man looked strangely out of place, as if he had just popped out of a manhwa. Even the situation was like that. An appearance like a prince on a white horse, appearing exactly in time for a life-threatening crisis.

“What, how did you get in…”

At the man’s appearance, the fellow he had forgotten turned his body toward the man with bloodshot eyes. That’s right. This was the situation. Come to think of it, he was currently in a situation three seconds before being struck by the killer’s axe.

“…What?”

The fellow also seemed to have lost his senses instantly upon seeing the man’s beauty, and even embarrassment was buried in his tone as he asked what it was.

“…No, you can’t.”

And even before a judgment could be made about the situation about to unfold from the fellow’s tone, the words “you can’t” burst straight out of Yongnae’s mouth.

“No…!”

Unlike his small frame, the fellow had taken down Lee Suji and was now even holding an axe in his hand. The fellow might harm the man. No, the fellow might even rape the man.

He might defile that beautiful face. That must not happen. Never.

“No!!”

A voice more rigid than before burst out of Yongnae’s mouth. At the shout bordering on a scream, as if he hated it more than being victimized himself, the killer’s body turned back toward Yongnae.

“Fuck, so noisy…!”

As if Yongnae, who had been full of interest just a moment ago, had now become a mere nuisance, the fellow raised his hand to strike down with the axe haphazardly, as if to just kill him quickly.

Psh—

However, along with the sound of wind, Clang—! In an instant, the axe flew out of the fellow’s hand. No, the axe flew away along with the body part that appeared to be the hand.

Splatter—

And from the fellow’s hand, blood began to gush out like a fountain. It was so severe that the warm liquid even splattered onto Yongnae’s face.

“Aaargh—!!”

Simultaneously, the fellow slumped to the floor while clutching his arm. What on earth is this situation.

“Suji—.”

Dumbfounded. Yongnae, with the fellow’s blood smeared on his face, looked up blankly at the man again without even having the chance to wipe it off. The man, holding a gun with a long barrel presumably equipped with a silencer, approached while calling for Lee Suji, who was collapsed on the floor.

“Are you dead—?”

Then, tap tap with his black leather boot. He kicked Lee Suji’s chest lightly, and the sight was truly like a scene from a movie.

“It would be troublesome if you died.”

“…”

“Suji, you haven’t even paid back all your debt yet—.”

Was he joking, or was he telling the truth? In the midst of this situation where his colleague might truly be dead, was the man a psychopath for saying he shouldn’t die because he hadn’t paid his debt?

“…”

“Mr. Researcher—.”

“…”

“Is Suji dead?”

Be it this way or that way. No thoughts came to mind. No, it didn’t matter what kind of person the man was or what kind of frame he wore.

“…Susu.”

“Yeah—?”

“…To see,”

It only mattered that that beautiful face was calling him and looking at him.

“You came…”

Thud—

Yongnae, who had met the man’s face, perhaps because his tension had snapped, collapsed right then and there without even being able to continue his words properly.

And the man, who only watched Yongnae falling backward with indifferent eyes, let out a small exclamation devoid of any emotion.

“Oh dear—.”

Rustle, rustle. A gentle breeze blew and tickled Yongnae’s face. Opening his eyes to the pleasant tickling, reed-like feathers, not the wind, were fluttering before his eyes. Warm and tickling reeds.

And a warm scent.

It’s the man…

Yongnae sat up abruptly and turned his head this way and that, searching for the man. And far in the distance, the man stood looking at him.

Thump, thump—

He approached the man. Every time Yongnae drew closer, the man smiled, folding his eyes even deeper. And soon, upon arriving in front of him,

‘Did you come to see me?’

‘…Yes.’

‘Good job—.’

The man stroked Yongnae’s face with his large hand. It was warm and tickling. But what was more tickling was his heart, which was so full it wouldn’t be strange if it burst right now.

Yongnae reached out toward the man’s face. He wanted to touch that face with his hands. He wanted to pull that face toward himself and kiss it.

However, as if he would not yield his face, the man took a step back from Yongnae. Then he turned around just like that and picked up the axe lying on the ground.

An axe?

Yongnae shuddered and checked the man’s face again,

‘You’re awake?’

Before he knew it, the man had transformed into the killer. The killer approached Yongnae while holding the axe, and behind him, he could see the man collapsed on the floor, drenched in blood.

The beautiful brown pupils were losing their vitality as the light faded out.

…Is he dead?

Did the man die? His heart went thump—. It felt like he was falling to the very end, even from a cliff at the lowest point.

‘No…’

No…!

“N, no…”

Yongnae’s two eyes snapped open. However, at the same time, a bright light suddenly poured in, and he had to close his eyes quickly again.

“Are you awake?”

However, at the same question as the one the killer had asked him in the dream, Yongnae was startled and had to snap his eyes open again. Then he quickly turned his head to check the source of the voice, and what he saw right before his eyes was a familiar gray ball of fur.

“…Gami?”

Woof—!

When Yongnae called the name, the gray ball of fur, which had been showing its butt, turned its body and began licking Yongnae’s face.

“Kim Yonggam— don’t eat your big brother’s eye crust. It’s dirty—.”

And behind that, his mother’s voice was heard.

“…Mom?”

Yongnae pushed Gami’s head away and lifted his upper body. The sight that then appeared was a luxurious private hospital room like those seen in dramas. The bed he was lying on was wider than his parents’ bed back home, and at the dining table in front of it, his entire family was gathered around eating snacks, ice cream, and bread.

…What on earth happened?