An Ordinary Day (5)
Im Hyeong-uk was swearing inwardly. Fuck. Fuck's sake. Why do I always get stuck with the garbage chores? It's so annoying. They only remember I used to be a Warrior when shit like this happens, fuck.
The culprit was Kim Du-gyeom, sitting right in front of him.
With his head hung low, he looked like he was on the verge of snapping at any second. Fortunately, he wasn't carrying any weapons, but his aura was completely different from before.
"Du-gyeom. Um... I'm sure you've already heard from Chief PD Yun."
Im Hyeong-uk slid a document forward.
"It's your choice, really. You could try to hold out until the first tally..."
There was no need to even ask if the rumors—no, the controversy—were true or false. The voice recording was simply too damning. Kim Du-gyeom's elimination in the first tally was already a done deal.
The sweet, innocent boy persona he had put on was exposed as a complete act.
Kim Du-gyeom glanced up at Im Hyeong-uk. Im Hyeong-uk cleared his throat.
"Y-you could try to tough it out. Who knows? Maybe someone out there will recognize your true value—"
"No. I'm done."
Kim Du-gyeom signed the paper. He was choosing to drop out.
That fast? Im Hyeong-uk thought it was a stroke of luck, but then Kim Du-gyeom abruptly stood up. Im Hyeong-uk flinched.
"D-Du-gyeom?"
Without a word, Kim Du-gyeom walked out of the room. Outside, there were quite a few writers and PDs.
These were the very people Kim Du-gyeom had spent so much effort winning over, smiling brightly and helping out around the set.
But today, the looks they cast his way were dark and cold. They looked at him as if he were a ghost, or a criminal.
"What the hell are you looking at?"
"O-oh, it's nothing... What's wrong, Du-gyeom?"
"F-fight on, Du-gyeom! There might still be other opportunities in the future..."
He looked ready to unleash a torrent of abuse.
Kim Du-gyeom was about to just walk past them, but he paused. He cracked his neck with a sickening pop and turned back around.
Taking a deep breath, he screamed:
"You fucking pieces of shit—! You goddamn retards—!"
After spitting out his rage, he stormed out of the building.
He looked at his smartphone. They used to say the whole world was obsessed with Labyrinth Exploration NaN, but now, the whole world was talking about Kim Du-gyeom.
He was completely fucked.
Things had gone so far down the drain that he couldn't even begin to conceive a way to fix it.
Because of that, only one thought occupied his mind.
"I'm taking you down with me, you motherfucker."
That dog-like bastard. That piece-of-shit motherfucker who took fifty million won and still wrote that exposure post.
Was his name Lee Seon-uk?
"I always keep my promises."
You'd better look forward to what I'm going to do right in front of your eyes.
Kim Du-gyeom had hit rock bottom.
Articles on major portal sites, online communities, social media—public opinion across the board was treating Kim Du-gyeom exactly as he deserved.
For Lee Seon-uk, it was an immense relief. It felt as though the nightmare that had plagued him for years, clogging his chest like a heavy weight, had finally cleared. It felt like a long-overdue compensation.
He worried about retaliation, but he didn't regret it.
Even Kim Du-gyeom wouldn't do something that would land him in prison.
Exploration is the only thing that bastard knows how to do. If he commits a crime, his Explorer license will be permanently revoked.
Ding-dong—
The doorbell rang. He flinched, his body trembling instinctively.
Could it be Kim Du-gyeom?
No way. They haven't even officially announced his departure yet.
Ding-dong—
A second ring.
Lee Seon-uk swallowed hard. Just as he was about to ask, "Who is it?"—
Click.
The door swung open.
Lee Seon-uk scrambled to his feet, his eyes widening in sheer terror.
Standing there was...
A man with a black cap pulled low, a black scarf wrapped like a mask around his face, and a black jacket.
Ding-dong.
Kim Du-gyeom pressed the doorbell, a weapon concealed beneath his coat.
Ding-dong.
He pressed it once more. There was no response.
Of course there wouldn't be.
He grabbed the doorknob. Bzzzzt. His mana short-circuited the electronic lock.
Creeeeak.
He stepped past the threshold.
Thud. Thud. Trampling the clean floors of the home with his dirty shoes, Kim Du-gyeom pondered his options.
He had absolutely no intention of giving him an easy death. First, he would tie the bastard up and slowly flay him while waiting for his family to return. Once they arrived, he would murder them one by one, as painfully as possible.
Just as he finished that thought—
"...Haha."
Standing in the living room, Kim Du-gyeom grinned.
"So you were here."
The bastard was right there. The worthless insect who had dared to expose him. Lee Seon-uk glared at Kim Du-gyeom, gritting his teeth.
"You..."
"Thanks to you, I'm completely fucked."
"This is trespassing. Leave before I call the police."
"And if I don't want to?"
Kim Du-gyeom drew a sword from his waist. It was a short sword, about seventy centimeters long. Since it was a weapon he honed daily, even a light graze would slice right through flesh.
Lee Seon-uk took a step back.
"W-what are you planning to do?"
"I told you before, didn't I? If you exposed me, your dad, your mom, your sibling, and... where is that fucking dog?"
Kim Du-gyeom peered behind him.
He couldn't see that tiny, yapping dog—whatever it was, a Maltese or a Maltipoo.
"Anyway, none of you are getting an easy death. Just remember that you're the one who killed your family."
"Ah... I see."
Lee Seon-uk spoke in a trembling voice. Despite his ragged breathing, a smile spread across his face.
"Thank you."
"...Thank you? Is this retard crazy?"
Kim Du-gyeom's brow furrowed. Lee Seon-uk pointed toward a corner.
"For confessing."
Behind a flowerpot in the living room. Kim Du-gyeom followed his gaze. There was a smartphone set up, positioned perfectly to record the two of them.
Kim Du-gyeom let out a hollow laugh.
"...You stupid son of a bitch. I'm literally about to kill you, so what the fuck does that matter? You motherfucker—!"
Just as Kim Du-gyeom's roar echoed through the room—
Shhhhh.
Another presence made itself known. It was the sound of water running down a sink drain. Kim Du-gyeom froze and looked toward the bathroom.
Soon, the door opened.
"You're late."
A familiar voice, and a familiar face. The very man he wanted to rip to shreds right this instant: Seol Ha-woon.
He calmly wiped his hands on a towel and walked out, leaning on his cane.
"You're always late. Is it because your brain is underdeveloped?"
Kim Du-gyeom silently looked back and forth between Lee Seon-uk and Seol Ha-woon. Seol Ha-woon slowly pulled on his gloves, the leather creaking stiffly.
"Thank you for clearly confessing your intent to murder. You know that even attempted murder lands an Explorer in prison, right?"
"This motherfucker has finally lost his mind. Actually, this is perfect."
Kim Du-gyeom's pupils dilated. Mana began to whip violently through the room.
"A pathetic Spellcaster trapped in a confined space with a Warrior? You must really want to die."
Seol Ha-woon casually raised an eyebrow. He exuded an inexplicable, deep-seated composure.
"You know what they say? Empathy is a sign of intelligence."
"That's pseudoscience, you retard. I actually looked up the papers on it."
Seol Ha-woon's lips curled into a smirk. It was a sneer that seemed to cut straight to the soul.
"...Right. I've been completely destroyed by logic. My bad for being wrong, you loser."
At that moment, the last thread of Kim Du-gyeom's sanity snapped.
Grit. Gripping his sword, he lunged at Seol Ha-woon. It was a beastly charge, his blade radiating pure, murderous intent.
Seol Ha-woon simply closed and opened his eyes.
In the span of that single blink, the sword was already before him.
The blade trembled violently right in front of his forehead.
Kim Du-gyeom tried to bring the blade down. His muscles bulged to the point of bursting.
"W-what is..."
Yet, it didn't budge an inch. It remained frozen in midair. It wasn't even a barrier; he was holding it in place with raw mana alone.
"Fuck, what the fuck is this...!"
"Listen closely."
Seol Ha-woon spoke, glaring down at him.
A piercing, brilliant coldness that felt like a dagger to the heart.
Kim Du-gyeom was bewildered.
No, it went far beyond mere bewilderment. A bizarre sensation was rearing its head deep inside him.
A feeling he had never once encountered in his entire life... fear.
The trembling of an ordinary man facing an absolute powerhouse.
He shouldn't be this strong.
"The things you have done..."
Seol Ha-woon's eyes flooded with mana.
A light bluer than the ocean, deeper than the abyss.
"...are what will kill you."
Seol Ha-woon was facing an evil man. And that evil man was actively displaying his malice.
Therefore, his mana resonated.
His attribute blossomed.
The hour of Chastisement.
The sheer difference in status born from it was something Kim Du-gyeom could never hope to overcome.
Screeeeech—
The trembling blade began to glow cherry red.
Heat. Superheated mana concentrated on a single point was melting the sword.
Kim Du-gyeom tried to let go of the hilt, but even that was denied. His hand and the sword fused together.
"N-no—"
His distorted face was painted with despair. A torrent of thoughts flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
What the hell is this guy? What's going on? He's not just some limping Spellcaster. Fuck, then why did he—
BOOM!
The sword detonated. The blade acted as a muzzle. A torrent of explosive force, like a cannonball firing, swallowed Kim Du-gyeom whole.
Crash!
He was blown back by the shockwave, slamming hard into the wall. Household furniture shattered and scattered through the air. Seol Ha-woon looked down at him, crumpled amidst the debris like a piece of trash.
His entire body was half-scorched, but he had only fainted; miraculously, he wasn't dead. Seol Ha-woon hadn't wanted him dead anyway.
"...Are you alright?"
Seol Ha-woon asked the person behind him.
"Y-yes... I'm fine."
Lee Seon-uk nodded dazedly, but a sudden question crossed his mind.
"Um... but did you know from the very beginning?"
Seol Ha-woon had arrived before Kim Du-gyeom. He had warned him of Kim Du-gyeom's retaliation and asked for his cooperation.
"From the beginning..."
Seol Ha-woon limped over to the living room. He retrieved the smartphone from behind the flowerpot and stopped the recording.
"Let's just say I knew from the beginning. It'll make things easier for both of us when we explain this to the police."
"Ah... yes. Let's do that."
"Shall we rest for a bit? The police will be here soon."
Using mana in residential areas was illegal. Zones where mana usage was permitted were strictly designated. Of course, there were exceptions depending on qualifications and circumstances.
"Yes. Okay."
Seol Ha-woon sat on the sofa and pulled out a tea bag.
"Do you happen to have any spare teacups? I'm sorry, but the kitchen seems to be completely ruined."
"Oh, just a moment."
Lee Seon-uk retrieved a teacup from the kitchen cabinet. Just then, the small dog he had hidden in the master bedroom appeared. The door had slipped open from the shockwave of the blast.
The tiny dog trotted over on its little paws and stopped at Seol Ha-woon's feet, staring up at him as if to ask, Who are you?
"H-here it is. I'll bring the electric kettle too—"
"No need for that."
He poured bottled water into the cup and heated it. Dropping the tea bag in, he stirred it with telekinesis. Having prepared two cups this way, he offered one to Lee Seon-uk.
"Oh... yes. Thank you."
The two of them sat on the sofa, slightly apart. Seol Ha-woon looked at the family portrait hanging on the living room wall.
A happy family. The father's face looked familiar. It was because he already knew him.
Not a close acquaintance, but someone he had seen a few times during his childhood.
"Lee Shin-hyeong. That's your father, right?"
"...Yes?"
Lee Seon-uk looked at the family photo.
"Ah, yes, that's my father's name... How did you know?"
"He volunteered quite often, didn't he? He used to visit our orphanage frequently."
If someone volunteered regularly, especially for children, there was a decent chance of crossing paths. After all, there were fewer than three hundred orphanages in the entire country.
This is why I despise Kim Du-gyeom more than any other villain.
"He is a good man. Whenever he came to the orphanage, the kids would be so excited, calling it 'pizza day.'"
"...."
The young man stared at Seol Ha-woon in silence. Before long, his eyes welled with tears, and he began to sniffle.
Seol Ha-woon took a sip from his cup and thought to himself.
Did I protect them?
It wasn't out of some grand sense of justice, like saving a person destined to die a tragic death or changing the future. It was simply because it felt right by his own standards. No one would stand by and watch a child crawl into a well... It was nothing more than that.
And looking at the bigger picture, I received help from this family as well.
"...Will I ever be able to forget?"
Lee Seon-uk suddenly murmured, his voice cracking.
"It comes back to me every single night. Those memories always torture me..."
"Why do you try so hard to forget?"
"...What?"
"Forgetting doesn't change anything."
Seol Ha-woon looked at him, gazing into his tear-filled eyes.
"Even if you forget, the person you were back then and the devastating emotions you felt won't disappear."
A faint smile played on Seol Ha-woon's lips.
"And the things you've already lost won't return either."
Bitter wounds lingered within him as well, but he harbored no regrets.
"Just... carry it with you."
The miracle of regression.
He had retraced his steps by exactly two years.
It was far too short a time to set everything right. But it was more than enough to tie up loose ends and take another step forward.
"Instead of trying to forget, try to take a step forward. It might get easier over time."
Seol Ha-woon gestured toward Lee Seon-uk's black tea. Lee Seon-uk quietly lifted his cup.
"I don't think we can ever truly overcome the past. You, me... we just make peace with it when the opportunity arises."
A person cannot defeat their past. In the end, that past is who they are. You can't just slice away the shameful, humiliating, and despairing days and claim they aren't part of you.
"Well, everyone is different, but that's how I see it."
Just then, the front door burst open with a loud bang. Heavy footsteps echoed as the police rushed in. They took in the sight of Kim Du-gyeom sprawled on the living room floor, then looked at the two of them.
"We received a report and—huh? Je-Mal-Olh?!"
One of the officers pointed at Seol Ha-woon, his eyes widening. Seol Ha-woon gave a wry smile.
"I am Seol Ha-woon."
"I-I'm Lee Seon-uk."
"Wait, why is Mr. Je-Mal-Olh here...?"
"Why are you here, Mr. Seol Ha-woon?"
The police officers looked utterly bewildered. Soon after, a Ranker affiliated with the National Police Agency entered.
"Wow, what a mess... Huh? Je-Mal-Olh?!"
He reacted exactly the same way the officer had. Seol Ha-woon pointed at Kim Du-gyeom.
"First of all, that man over there is Kim Du-gyeom."
"Kim Du-gyeom... Excuse me?"
"The details should be recorded in this video."
Seol Ha-woon handed his smartphone to the baffled officers.
Tilting their heads in confusion, they played the recorded video.
"If you expose me, your dad, your mom, your sibling, and... where is that fucking dog? Anyway, none of you are getting an easy death. Just remember that you're the one who killed your family."
For quite a while, they watched the 'evidence' with grave expressions, nodding in agreement.
"It's been a long time since I've seen evidence this ironclad."
The detective looked back and forth between Seol Ha-woon and Lee Seon-uk.
"By the way, do you two know each other?"
"Um..."
"With my father!"
Lee Seon-uk spoke up first, cutting off Seol Ha-woon's hesitation.
"He knows my father. My father volunteered a lot, and he used to visit the orphanage where..."
Seol Ha-woon nodded with a bittersweet smile.
"Yes. That's how it is."
"Ah... Well, in that case."
The detective who seemed to be in charge pulled out his smartphone and asked shyly,
"Mr. Je-Mal-Olh—ah, I mean, Mr. Ha-woon. Could we take a quick photo together? My daughter is a huge fan..."