Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: Chapter 33: Small World (3)
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K stared at Kim Yul with an utterly impassive face, crooking his index finger.
“If you’re done cursing, come in.”
Even in his frozen state, Kim Yul reflexively shuffled his feet with a creak creak.
It was the result of being unknowingly conditioned to K’s Spartan mindset over time.
“Close the door and sit.”
Thanks to that, he could perfectly carry out K’s instruction as the finger crooked once more.
Kim Yul carefully shut the door without a sound, then awkwardly perched on the edge of the bed.
He glared down at his own knees. He couldn’t bring himself to look at K.
Just then, a deep sigh came from K’s direction, followed by something flying straight toward the bed.
Kim Yul instinctively checked the object that landed on the bedsheet.
‘A passport……?’
Why was that here? And of all times, now?
He unwittingly tilted his head, and K crossed his arms and legs.
Cold sweat began beading down Kim Yul’s back. That was the sign of a dictator’s displeasure.
‘Shit, am I really getting kicked out of the party like this?’
He rolled his eyes for a moment.
“I won’t say it twice, so listen up.”
The moment K’s mouth opened, Kim Yul swallowed dryly.
He clenched his fists resolutely on his knees.
No matter what came out of that mouth, he wouldn’t go down without a fight.
How could he get booted from a party like this after everything?
“Basically, I don’t trust humans.”
Kim Yul steeled himself and listened to K.
“My great-uncle saw his own niece and nephew starving and still swiped their parents’ insurance money and bolted.”
Right after, he snapped his head up in shock at the completely unexpected story.
“He knew full well what kind of life those kids would have without that money before they even became adults, but he split anyway.”
K’s face remained coldly expressionless as always.
“I’ve seen the bottom of human desire, and I think everyone has that same bottom.”
His familiar reddish-brown eyes were sharper than usual.
“Tae-ho hyung-nim, you, me—we all have it. We just haven’t had the trigger to show it yet.”
“Uh…….”
“So don’t expect unconditional trust from me.”
Kim Yul blinked silently at K.
“When dealing with others, I don’t factor in shaky things like trust or affection. It’s cleaner and easier to classify them by their utility value.”
It was coldly calculating, almost chillingly so. But why?
“As for Ahn Ki-jun, there’s a high risk he could access personal info on someone important to me. So I play along and keep tabs on him. Even if it’s just to gain something from me, he’ll stay under my control.”
As K’s cold words continued, Kim Yul’s churning emotions began to settle.
“If you’re going to stick by my side from now on, keep that in mind.”
If he was looking for warm feelings or tight bonds, K would recommend switching parties.
“I can introduce you to the guys in the club if you want.”
The final decision would be up to that party leader, of course……
“With your attribute rank, they’d all be scrambling to recruit you.”
K tossed a glance toward the bed and spoke in his usual tone.
“If you’re switching parties, just go. If you’re staying, look.”
“…….”
“While I was waiting for you to think, I figured I could allow this much.”
With that, K uncrossed his legs and leaned back in the chair.
It was his way of saying he was done talking and would wait for Kim Yul’s choice.
Kim Yul clearly understood the meaning.
But he couldn’t respond for a while.
He was too flustered, too confused.
‘This isn’t like him……?’
The K he knew wouldn’t justify himself or explain like this.
K crushed others with logic rather than emotional appeals in interactions.
No, he probably didn’t even feel the need to persuade people in the first place.
‘He’d cut ties rather than convince someone not following him.’
He promised generous rewards to those who trusted and followed him.
But he was merciless to those who doubted his judgment or chose another path.
K’s leniency didn’t extend to coddling or dragging people by the collar.
‘He’d give a final warning before cutting them loose, though.’
Even if they ignored it and chose differently, he’d let go without regret.
He believed the responsibility for any choice lay with the chooser.
Having observed K for quite some time, Kim Yul knew his thought process well.
‘So why is he telling me all this?’
That wasn’t the only thing confusing Kim Yul.
The passport sitting plainly on the chair beside him. An item containing K’s personal information.
He pondered its presence here dozens more times.
Finally, one hypothesis emerged.
‘Bait……?’
Candy to make him stay in this party instead of leaving.
To compensate for making him feel bad just now?
‘Apologies or comfort don’t fit his style—he’d rather reward instead.’
He was skeptical at first, but the more he thought, the more it felt right.
‘There’s no way he’d share personal details without reason.’
K rarely spoke about himself.
He’d occasionally share past stories or experiences.
Even then, he never revealed a single detail that could identify him.
He’d talk about high school days without naming the school.
K controlled his personal info with obsessive perfection.
Yet here he was, handing over his passport himself.
And saying to look only if he planned to stay in the party.
‘Once I know his real name, he’ll never kick me out.’
A guy who didn’t trust humans—how could he let Kim Yul go after that?
The moment he saw it, he’d be stuck in this party until death.
In other words, the risk of getting booted was gone.
If this wasn’t candy, what was?
“This is insane……?”
Too shocked, Kim Yul didn’t even realize he’d muttered aloud.
* * *
“This is insane……?”
Kim Yul, staring blankly at the passport, suddenly muttered.
My eyebrows shot up, wondering if he was talking to me.
But he didn’t even seem aware he’d spoken.
‘He looks flustered.’
Might as well wait.
Leaning comfortably in the chair and staring at him, my thoughts naturally wandered.
‘Who’d have thought I’d show him my passport.’
Not the fake ID from Director Yang Jo-cheol, but the real one with my actual name.
I’d grabbed it just in case when I returned to Earth last time.
If something happened requiring me to move on Earth, I needed a way without going through Yang Jo-cheol.
‘Even I’m surprised.’
Honestly, Ahn Ki-jun and Kim Yul’s actions weren’t that different at their core.
Kim Yul had approached me strategically to gain something, too.
Yet my attitude toward them differed clearly.
‘Unlike Ahn Ki-jun, I kinda like this guy.’
It was endearing how he pushed on with grit despite being outmatched.
From watching him closely, Kim Yul was the type to fight tooth and nail for every opportunity.
‘Hardworking, too, despite his looks.’
After I set his training regimen and schedule, he’d never once deviated.
He’d gripe with his mouth, but his body moved diligently.
Maybe that’s why he stood apart from Ahn Ki-jun, who was just a surveillance target.
‘With some baseline fondness built up, and then Tae-ho hyung-nim saying that…….’
It gave me plenty to mull over.
I admitted I’d been a bit harsh with Kim Yul.
Maybe I’d been stricter on purpose to curb my growing fondness.
‘Maybe because he’s the twins’ age…….’
Being the same age as the twins surely played a part.
Breaking it down like this made it clearer.
I wanted Kim Yul to survive. So I’d watched him with a stricter eye.
I felt like the more I whipped him, the better he’d grow.
‘And he’s kept up so far.’
Of course, I wouldn’t cling to someone who wanted out.
If he couldn’t grasp my line even after this explanation……
‘I’d just connect him to the party with the highest survival rate.’
Having already decided, I snapped Kim Yul out of his daze.
“Need me to repeat it?”
He knew how sensitive I was about personal info.
Giving my passport as an option to a guy like that—he had to realize what it meant.
Kim Yul flinched, shoulders jerking as he picked up the passport.
But he hesitated to open it, so I added one more thing.
“For reference, I’m not planning to add any more party members anytime soon. So if you’re staying, quit the pointless guarding.”
Our firepower was plenty. Yang Tae-ho had even picked up new magic lately, so frontline aggro wasn’t an issue.
No need to recruit extras if Kim Yul stayed.
Hearing that clearly stated, Kim Yul grinned awkwardly.
“Was it that obvious?”
“You thought it wasn’t?”
“Hahaha…….”
I knew he bristled a bit whenever outsiders approached me.
It was my call on party members, so I hadn’t cared.
‘The ones he guarded against weren’t even candidate material.’
Back then, I figured as long as there were no disputes among party members, their relationships didn’t matter.
If I hadn’t heard Yang Tae-ho’s words earlier, I’d have kept thinking that.
‘Sticking together ongoing, huh…….’
To be brutally honest, I didn’t see either of them as unconditionally on my side.
But in a pinch like the bounty mission fiasco, I could trust them with my back.
We shared interests as a group, after all.
I could afford this level of care for someone like that.
It was a hassle, but not unbearable.
So I tacked on one more line.
“If you’re staying, quit sharpening your claws at Tae-ho hyung-nim too.”
Might as well smooth out party relations while we were at it.
“He’s got a good temper, so he lets it slide. If it were me, I’d have flipped out.”
“Hey, that ajusshi can handle just enough that he puts up with it.”
Kim Yul shrugged at my mix of warning and advice.
Then he extended his hand to return the passport.
I squinted one eye at him.
“Not gonna look?”
“Feels like I don’t need to.”
Was he really switching parties after all?
“Of course, no plans to switch!”
“Huh?”
“I know you’re secretly weak to persistent drizzle, hyung, so I figure it’s fine.”
I faltered, at a loss for words at the guy grinning cheekily like always.
“Woof!”
An out-of-place bark came from outside the window.
Not a one-off—I heard it persistently from in front of the building.
I alternated glances between Kim Yul and the window, then stood.
Better to skip rehashing the earlier topic and pretend I hadn’t heard.
‘Drizzle, my ass.’
With his rank, effort, and enough trust to watch my back, it’d be hard to find a replacement easily—that’s all it was.
‘No plans to switch? Good enough.’
I took the passport back from Kim Yul and approached the window.
Then, despite myself, I scowled.
“……Why the hell is that here?”
“Woof, woof!”
Circling and barking furiously at the front door was the mystery beast I’d picked up.
I’d clearly left it at the Ha Temple before heading to the contaminated zone?
“That guy found his way here all on his own.”
“What?”
Kim Yul sidled up beside me with that unexpected bombshell.