AGENT 47

“….”

At Yongnae’s answer, the face of Seo Soo, who was looking down at him intently, was so expressionless that it was impossible to fathom what he was thinking.

But Yongnae saw it. Unlike that expressionless face, his eyes, which had flashed for a fleeting second, held a complexity as if several emotions were intersecting. That complexity, as Yongnae felt it, was flusteredness and hesitation. Of course, since it was truly just a split second, he might have been mistaken.

“…Suji would be glad to see me, but I cannot trust him.”

Was he angry because Yongnae had dared to tell him to follow along? At Seo Soo, who was just staring at him without offering any answer to a point that felt excessive, Yongnae stammered out an excuse of his own.

“At the killer’s house… Even though there was only one person then, didn’t he end up collapsed without being able to subdue him?”

However, as far as excuses went, it was a fairly valid one. In reality, Lee Suji had been unable to subdue even a single killer in Korea and had ended up collapsed on the floor as a bloody mess. Here, several guys like that Gwancheon-si killer might attack at once, so it didn’t feel reassuring to have Lee Suji attached to him. Besides, Lee Suji was a bit… of that Black Horse Gang material, wasn’t he? It meant he was a little stupid.

“…Then, what about Weizhen.”

Seo Soo, who had been listening to Yongnae’s excuse, asked if Weizhen would do, as if thinking there was logic to it. But for some reason, his voice felt definitely different from a moment ago. It was as if his throat were tight, or no… choked up? It was that kind of feeling.

“Ah, ah… Weizhen is…”

Actually, there was no excuse regarding Weizhen. Weizhen was smart and capable of rational judgment. He was a reliable person who could provide a solution alongside Yongnae in any situation.

“Weizhen is…”

Because he doesn’t seem like he can fight? To say that, he probably fought as well as Lee Suji. That must be why he became one of Seo Soo’s closest associates along with Lee Suji, and why Seo Soo mentioned attaching either Lee Suji or Weizhen.

“The…”

There was no excuse to give.

“Just…”

So, he had no choice but to push through head-on.

“Just, can’t you be the one to stay with me, Seo Soo?”

Although he had made a wish to stay by Seo Soo’s side, it was the other party who had first asked him to stay. He was confident he could solve the problem that was giving Seo Soo a headache. Therefore, he also needed a reward for that. He needed Seo Soo.

“….”

“….”

At Yongnae’s response, Seo Soo again looked down at him blankly without a word. No, it was more like he was glaring. The eyes looking at Yongnae were a bit fierce. Was he thinking he was brazen? Or was he thinking it was disgusting that a fellow male’s ulterior motive was so obvious?

“….”

Even if he had an ulterior motive, it was just to admire his face; was that really so disgusting? Ah… at this rate, isn’t he going to just tell me to go to Korea? Isn’t he going to tell me to get lost? Should I just ask him to attach Weizhen or Lee Suji and re-propose on the condition that he shows his face once every three days?

“Th-Then…!”

Feeling like everything was about to fall through, Yongnae was about to open his mouth to suggest it again with the feeling of clutching at straws.

“Fine.”

“Three days, pardon?”

But Seo Soo answered before Yongnae could even part his lips.

“I said fine.”

“…What is?”

What was fine? Was he using mind-reading like a ghost again and agreeing to the condition of showing his face once every three days?

“That I, personally, will stay by your side.”

What? Why? Why was he saying yes after glaring at him with eyes that seemed to say absolutely not?

“…Why?”

“You don’t like it?”

“No. I like it.”

No matter the reason, there was no way he wouldn’t like it. Yongnae shook his head vigorously to say no and answered quickly, telling him he must do exactly that. At that, Seo Soo scanned Yongnae from top to bottom once, then immediately walked out of the temple with a brisk, cold pace.

“…Yes!”

And Yongnae, who had been staring blankly at that retreating back, couldn’t control the corners of his mouth from curling up and gave a broad smile until his cheekbones ached.

“Well, well, look who it is! Isn’t this the teacher who survived the pits of death with us, only to go off drinking, doing drugs, and committing lewd acts—and then running out without any panties—?”

However, at the familiar voice saying such malicious words, Yongnae’s cheekbones quickly lowered.

He had followed Seo Soo out of the temple, but Seo Soo was nowhere to be seen, and in front of him, someone with an appearance he could never get used to was greeting Yongnae mischievously. It was Lee Suji.

“So you were alive, Mr. Lee Suji.”

Yongnae didn’t back down and dealt a blow back to Lee Suji. At that, Lee Suji let out a hollow laugh as if it were absurd and impudent.

“You knew I was alive!”

“I didn’t know.”

“Like hell you didn’t!”

Of course he knew. He had been a bloody mess back then, but he had guessed he was alive because of the phone message Lee Suji left for Yongnae. Still, seeing his face truly alive again made him feel glad. However, since the thought of Lee Suji giving him a hug of welcome was a bit burdensome, Yongnae pushed Lee Suji away as he approached.

“Kuh— look at you being shy!”

“I’m being burdened.”

“They both start with ‘B’! Then it’s the same thing! Weizhen is waiting at the restaurant. Let’s go quickly!”

As if such things didn’t matter to Yongnae, Lee Suji smiled brightly and told him to get in the car. To think that being shy and being burdened are the same because they both start with the same letter. He really was of the Black Horse Gang type.

Yongnae, having climbed into the passenger seat of the black sedan, glanced back at the empty rear seat and spoke.

“…Are we the only ones going?”

“No? Daesik and everyone are there.”

“Who is Daesik.”

“You know, my subordinate. The red-haired one.”

“Ah.”

That wasn’t what he was asking. How could he be so lacking in intuition? Even though he had just said he would stay by his side, he disappeared after immediately dumping only Lee Suji on him. Yongnae’s lips were about to stick out again.

“The restaurant we’re going to now is re—ally delicious.”

“Joe’s Dumpling?”

“Ah— Joe’s is good too, but that’s not it.”

“….”

“They have something called spicy crab there? But the sauce there is incredible—”

Was Seo Soo in the black sedan going in front? Or was he in the silver SUV following behind? Lee Suji was giving a long-winded lecture about crab dishes next to him, but nothing reached Yongnae’s ears. He was just more curious if Seo Soo was also going to the restaurant, or if he wouldn’t see him anymore today. Or if they would be together starting tomorrow.

“…Is Seo Soo coming too?”

“The chili sauce…, what?”

“I asked if Seo Soo is coming to the restaurant too.”

So, cutting off Lee Suji’s words, he asked about Seo Soo’s whereabouts.

“How, how, how do you know Seo Soo?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did I say it? Did I tell you the name?”

“What name, Seo Soo?”

“Hey!!”

Goodness. At Lee Suji suddenly screaming, Yongnae frowned and turned toward the driver’s seat to tell him he was being noisy.

Screech—

However, Lee Suji even pulled the car over to the side of the road and began to glare at Yongnae with bulging eyes.

“You, who did you hear that from. Was it me? That can’t be right… It wasn’t me, right?”

“It was you.”

It wasn’t Lee Suji. He heard that name from the curly-haired guy. However, seeing Lee Suji’s face looking considerably anxious, Yongnae immediately realized that Seo Soo disliked people hearing his real name and calmly told a lie. It was revenge for Lee Suji teasing him as soon as he saw him.

“Fuck, really?! Hey, did you say that to Susu?”

“The name?”

“Yeah!”

“Yes. That’s what I called him.”

I’m fucked. I’m totally fucked. Lee Suji muttered and grabbed his baldy as if he would have torn his hair out if he had any.

“Does Seo Soo hate his own name?”

“Ah, seriously! Stop saying Seo Soo!”

“Why.”

Why would he hate his own name? It wasn’t a name like Deokpal or Ttolgu; it was the very pretty name ‘Seo Soo,’ so why would he hate it?

“That…!”

“That?”

“…He just hates his name being called.”

“I’m asking, why?”

“Ah, seriously! Just know it as that!”

Did he get teased for his name when he was young? It was a name that suited his face very well, so why did he hate it? Furthermore, didn’t he say Susu was a variation of his name Seo Soo? If someone like the curly-haired guy knew his real name, it meant he used to be called by the name Seo Soo quite often in the past; what kind of change of heart occurred that made him hate being called by his name now?