Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: Loose Ends
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Gabriel’s face was tense.
Kanghyeok was wealthier than she’d thought.
A wave of shame washed over her, making her feel like he lived in a completely different world.
Reading her expression, Kanghyeok picked up a piece of bread and spoke.
“My life isn’t that cheap.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden…”
“The day we fought Iron Mask’s men, you helped me. I hope you’ll continue to help me. So this is fair compensation.”
Kanghyeok took Gabriel’s hand and placed the bread in it.
“So please, eat comfortably. I’d like that.”
Gabriel looked down at their joined hands, then pulled hers away with a soft groan.
She took a bite of the bread and mumbled.
“I’ll pay next time.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
“I’m telling you now, I can’t afford anything expensive.”
“I like sandwiches, too.”
“I can do that.”
Only then did Gabriel’s expression relax a little.
Just then, the food arrived.
*Clatter, clatter.*
Gabriel’s expression finally showed that she was seeing the food for what it was.
The softly playing classical music and the curtains created a space cut off from the outside world.
Feeling the warmth from the decorative candles and the heat from the food, Gabriel and Kanghyeok picked up their utensils.
*Clink, clink.*
The knife and fork made a sharp sound each time they touched the plate, but the atmosphere was anything but stiff.
“Why didn’t Amos come?”
“He’s busy. I was the only one who could barely make time.”
As soon as Gabriel put a piece of steak in her mouth, one corner of her lips twisted into a smirk.
“The others should have had this.”
“Maybe there’ll be a chance someday.”
“You really think so?”
Kanghyeok brought a glass of water to his lips and nodded.
“Absolutely.”
He knew the Errant Priests earned a decent amount of money.
Their skills were undeniable, so once their equipment was sorted out, they, including Gabriel, would become the complete Errant Priests he remembered.
“I was surprised at first. I didn’t expect you to wear something like that.”
Gabriel flinched, then looked into Kanghyeok’s eyes and asked.
“Does it look strange?”
“Not at all.”
For a brief moment, a look of relief crossed Gabriel’s face.
“Why?”
“It’s nothing. But I was surprised, too. I didn’t know you were rich.”
“I’ve saved up a bit.”
“I’m jealous.”
As the conversation continued, Gabriel’s voice seemed to soften.
Seemingly pleased with the food, Gabriel even tore the remaining appetizer bread to dip in the sauce. Kanghyeok watched her, rubbing his thumb and index finger together under the table.
The meal was winding down, and he thought it might be a good time to get to the main topic.
“Remember the body armor I mentioned before?”
“Of course. The Father hasn’t said anything, but I think he’s waiting for it, too.”
*That stiff old man?*
Surprised by this unexpected information, Kanghyeok let out a laugh before schooling his expression.
“I think I can provide it soon.”
Gabriel stopped what she was doing and looked at Kanghyeok.
“Already?”
“It’s still in preparation. Or, since you’re in the U.S., would you like to visit?”
“But we’re not a company…”
“It’s not a company.”
Gabriel, who had vaguely assumed Kanghyeok’s bulletproof suit was made by a company, darted her eyes and nodded.
“Okay.”
There was a new intensity in Gabriel’s eyes.
Thanks to that, regardless of her clothes or the setting, she seemed to have returned to the Gabriel that Kanghyeok knew.
The Gabriel who wore black and fought alongside him against Iron Mask’s men with a submachine gun.
“Can you give me a rough timeline?”
“It’ll probably take a month.”
“That’s not bad.”
Gabriel smiled faintly, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.
“Lately, the need for body armor like yours has grown.”
“Why is that?”
“We’re tracking Iron Mask. It’s not easy, but we’re persistent.”
With the eyes of a warrior, Gabriel continued.
“Recently, his men attacked a U.S. military base.”
“A U.S. military base?”
Gabriel looked Kanghyeok straight in the eye and nodded, and Kanghyeok rubbed his chin.
*Something’s strange.*
Were they the type to do that?
Iron Mask?
His people were extremely cautious about revealing themselves, to the point of using a cruise ship as a front. It didn’t make sense that they would attack a U.S. military base.
“Did they clash with the U.S. military?”
“What we’ve identified are the items they stole from there.”
Just as Kanghyeok’s gaze urged her to continue…
he sensed a presence outside the curtain. He held up a hand to silence Gabriel and pulled the curtain aside.
The middle-aged waiter from before was standing in front of the curtain, holding a tray with dessert and drinks.
*Clatter, clatter.*
A coffee was placed in front of Kanghyeok, and a bowl of ice cream in front of Gabriel.
The middle-aged waiter bowed and retreated. Gabriel looked down at the ice cream with a *Why do I get ice cream?* expression.
“So?”
Kanghyeok prompted, and Gabriel lifted her spoon and her gaze.
“They stole two things from the U.S. military base.”
*So it wasn’t a battle for revenge or some similar reason, but a theft.*
Kanghyeok sipped his coffee.
The heavy aroma and smooth taste of the coffee spread through his mouth, offering a small bit of comfort.
“A partial roster of special forces members, and an enhanced exoskeleton suit that was under development.”
Both were unexpected items, causing Kanghyeok’s brow to furrow.
“Is that information reliable?”
“I confirmed it myself.”
Gabriel poked at her ice cream with the spoon and sucked on her lips.
Her expression looked somewhat complicated.
“It was a roster of Northeast Asian special forces members. But they must have deemed it useless, because they discarded it partway through. It seems like they’re looking for you.”
*If that’s the case…*
“Hmm.”
Kanghyeok let out a deep sigh and set down his coffee cup.
“Why? Did something happen?”
“I already know they’re after me.”
“What?”
Gabriel’s face became as white and cold as the ice cream in front of her.
“What happened? Are you hurt?”
To Gabriel, who looked ready to jump out of her seat, Kanghyeok explained what had happened in the Middle East.
“Men in body armor attacked me.”
“Body armor…”
“I took them all down. The holes in the helmets were a weakness. But it looked like there was plenty of room for improvement.”
Gabriel fell silent, unable to say a word. Kanghyeok lifted his coffee cup to his lips as if inhaling its scent.
Then, after taking a sip, Kanghyeok shook his head and spoke.
“More importantly, what’s this enhanced exoskeleton?”
“Hah.”
Gabriel rubbed the back of her neck, then scooped up a spoonful of ice cream with an annoyed gesture.
“It’s a device the U.S. military is developing. It increases the wearer’s physical strength. Hearing what you said, I think I know why they stole it.”
“I agree.”
Iron Mask’s men, wearing full-body armor, were slow.
It made perfect sense that they would steal an exoskeleton to improve that.
“The military hasn’t announced it yet, and they don’t seem to have identified the culprits, but the information is solid.”
Gabriel added in a low voice, carefully meeting Kanghyeok’s eyes.
“Are you going to be okay?”
Iron Mask was moving beneath the surface, targeting Kanghyeok.
She didn’t know why they were ignoring her and Amos and fixating on Kanghyeok, but since they were in the same boat, she couldn’t think of it as someone else’s problem.
That was why Gabriel was genuinely worried about Kanghyeok, and that feeling was fully conveyed to him.
“Thanks. That was a big help.”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
“Anything like what?”
“I’ll fight with you. Whenever you need me, no matter who the opponent is.”
Kanghyeok could tell from her eyes that this wasn’t an empty boast or a hollow promise.
Kanghyeok gave a faint smile and said thank you.
As he did, he drank his coffee, but it had already cooled and no longer comforted him as it had at first.
Still, he didn’t feel like a death row inmate awaiting his execution.
In fact, knowing their specific movements brought him a sense of ease.
*It’ll be soon, then.*
Considering Iron Mask’s men, technology, and financial power, he was certain to attack Kanghyeok in the near future.
“Are you worried?”
To Gabriel’s very cautious question, Kanghyeok raised one corner of his mouth and shook his head.
“No.”
“Your eyes say otherwise.”
“I’m just worried about losing something else. That’s all.”
If they were going to attack, it would be better if they did it when he was alone.
But the thought that they could attack when Leila, Jeff, William, or Yohan were around weighed heavily on his mind.
*Damn it.*
*Why am I thinking of Aiden’s face right now?*
Kanghyeok rubbed his face and downed the rest of his coffee.
“I don’t like it when people I know die.”
It wasn’t intentional, but he found himself echoing words similar to what Aiden had once said.
Kanghyeok smiled bitterly and continued in a low voice.
“That’s the only thing that bothers me. I’m not scared or worried about him.”
It wasn’t just because of Aiden.
It was because he had seen a future filled with nothing but death.
That had made him sensitive to the deaths of others.
“If you’re done, shall we get going?”
At Kanghyeok’s words, Gabriel took a large bite of ice cream with her spoon and stood up.
Then, she spoke to Kanghyeok as he was about to open the curtain.
“If… if you’re okay with it…”
“Hm?”
“I could stay with you.”
It was clear she had mustered her courage.
Her tightly pressed lips made it especially so.
Kanghyeok looked at Gabriel and let out a soft laugh.
“You do your job. Gather information on Iron Mask, and let me know if you find anything, no matter how small.”
“…Okay.”
Gabriel intentionally spoke in her usual tone.
But she couldn’t hide the faint trace of disappointment in her voice.
***
*Flick, flick! Flick!*
The shabbily dressed man, flicking a lighter, threw it to the ground.
“Fuck! Goddamn lighter!”
It was a filthy, dark alley.
The walls were covered in messy graffiti, and a deflated ball rolled among the trash on the ground.
“Buy a new one, you idiot.”
A young man of a similar age leaning against the opposite wall scowled, and the one who threw the lighter held out his hand.
“Got a light?”
“Fuck, you moron.”
The man pulled a lighter from his pocket and tossed it over.
*Flick, flick, flick! Fwoosh.*
The man lit his cigarette and took the first drag as if it were precious. His head spun, feeling as if an invisible hand had shot up from the ground and snatched him.
It was because he hadn’t smoked in so long.
“Haaah, fuuuck.”
*How did I end up like this?*
Having to ration something as measly as a cigarette.
Before fall, it would have been unimaginable.
Back then, he could get whatever he wanted.
Women, booze, drugs.
If he needed something, he stole it or took it by force.
No one under the sun dared to mess with them, so they had acted like kings of the world.
“Give me back my lighter.”
“Stingy bastard.”
But now, he was reduced to caring about a cheap lighter.
With sunken eyes, the man looked up at the sky and smoked his cigarette.
“Fuck, if it weren’t for that Asian guy.”
“Shut the fuck up!”
It was a sensitive topic, and the man opposite him yelled.
“Tsk.”
The man with the cigarette twisted his lips and blew smoke toward the innocent sky.
“Hooo—!”
*Who would have known?*
That that idiot would turn out to be such a monster.
Thanks to him, they had to quit the gang life and flee to a nearby city.
That’s why this city was crawling with guys like him, and it was an unwritten rule not to acknowledge each other even if they recognized one another.
Because it was obvious what kind of lives they were all living.
Of course, they could try to live as gangsters here, too.
But what if Kanghyeok caught sight of them?
Not wanting to throw away the lives they had barely managed to keep through some pointless bravado, they were just endlessly waiting for Kanghyeok to leave that city.
“Fuck, fuck.”
The guy opposite him, as if having the same thought, muttered like someone on the wrong kind of drugs.
Then he gritted his teeth and grabbed a handful of his hair.
“Fuck, you made me think about it again, you son of a bitch.”
“Shut up, you idiot!”
“You wanna go? Huh!”
Raising their voices, they moved toward each other.
Spewing thick killing intent from their eyes and spitting as they yelled, the veins in their necks bulged.
“You bastard! If you hadn’t mentioned that Asian guy! Fuck! Why’d you have to bring that up!”
“So what! If you’ve got a problem, then shoot, you fucker!”
Just then.
*Thud.*
A man appeared at the mouth of the alley, striding toward them with an intrigued expression.
Both of their gazes shifted to the man, whose distinctly Mexican skin tone and upturned eyes stood out.
“Who are you…”
Before the words were even out, the man pulled a pistol from his pocket and released the safety.
Before the startled man could even move his hand to his own pocket, the newcomer pulled the trigger.
*Thwack!*
A silenced pistol fired, and one of them collapsed as if he’d been struck in the head. The man in front of him stared at the newcomer, unable to even wipe away the blood that had splattered on his face.
“Wh-who are you?”
“You don’t need to know. Just tell me that story about the Asian guy again.”
The man stared at him with gleaming eyes, his face as calm as someone accustomed to killing.