Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: I Have Somewhere to Go for a Bit
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A week had passed.
For Kanghyeok, it was a time so peaceful he wondered if it was really okay.
When morning came, he would open his eyes.
He'd take bread, boiled pork neck, and boiled broccoli from the fridge, eat, do a light workout, and then take a shower.
And when he stepped out the door, Yohan was always waiting for him.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Morning workout?”
“Already done.”
“Follow me.”
Kanghyeok headed to the vacant lot with Yohan and helped him with his shooting practice.
Crack! Crack!
Yohan had fully adapted to the new pistol and was starting to learn how to handle a rifle and a shotgun.
Clank.
Still a bit awkward, though.
“Ugh.”
“Calmly clear the jam.”
Yohan took cover and cleared the jammed round from his rifle, then quickly performed a functions check.
Then he leaned out from behind cover and pulled the trigger, while Kanghyeok watched in silence.
Yohan’s form was now solid.
Not on Gabriel or Amos’s level, but good enough to take down most gangsters.
But he was still far from ready.
Still not enough.
He hadn't reached the level Kanghyeok wanted, nor had he reached the level he was aiming for himself.
Yohan had one goal.
Revenge for his mother.
There were people connected to Nobody, and Yohan’s goal was to eliminate them.
Could he really achieve it?
Yohan could have lived a normal life.
But he had kicked that chance away and taken up a gun.
Click.
Kanghyeok took out a cigarette, put it to his lips, and lit it.
Either way, he would see it through to the end.
It was the life the kid had chosen, and Kanghyeok had decided to take him under his wing.
He didn't know how far Yohan could go, but as long as the boy didn't lose his will, Kanghyeok intended to look after him.
It was then.
Vrrrrrrm.
A car approached, slowing down.
Yohan stopped shooting and checked his remaining ammunition, while Kanghyeok, cigarette in his mouth, put a hand in his pocket.
Grasping the cool, heavy grip of his pistol, he watched the car and exhaled a puff of smoke. The car stopped quite close.
And a woman got out.
“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
Kanghyeok watched Leila take off her sunglasses and hang them on her jacket’s breast pocket, the corners of his mouth lifting.
“Enjoy your vacation?”
“Thanks to you. Did you enjoy your vacation in Mexico?”
Kanghyeok, who had told Leila he was vacationing in Mexico, kept the cigarette between his lips as his smirk widened.
“It was what it was.”
“A shame. A vacation is meant to be enjoyed.”
“Things don’t always go my way.”
“That’s true of everything.”
“More importantly, how did you find this place?”
Kanghyeok kept his eyes fixed on Leila, the cigarette still in his mouth.
Leila didn't know this place.
She didn't know Kanghyeok was training Yohan here.
She couldn't have found it without information.
“Are you seriously asking?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s quite famous. As a no-go zone. Gunshots all day, and you’re here. The person who told me about it said not to come unless I had a death wish.”
So that's the rumor going around?
As Kanghyeok was lost in thought, Leila looked at the targets and continued.
“Well, looking at this, I can see why the rumors started.”
Leila narrowed her eyes at Yohan, who was standing awkwardly with a pistol in his hand.
She gave him a little wave, then spoke to Kanghyeok, who was rubbing his chin in thought.
“How long have you been training him?”
“Didn't you hear anything from William?”
“I don’t make it a habit to listen to work-related stories while on vacation.”
Kanghyeok let out a short laugh and replied.
“Not long.”
“For not long, his shot grouping is quite impressive.”
“Why don't you two say hello?”
Leila beckoned for Yohan to come over.
Yohan put all the guns on safe, set them aside, and approached Leila, glancing cautiously at Kanghyeok.
“You know who I am, right?”
“Yes.”
Yohan answered like a younger brother facing his scary older sister.
Leila stared at him for a moment, then placed a hand on the crown of his head and gently ruffled his hair.
Yohan flinched noticeably before quietly accepting her touch.
“What are you two doing?”
The two continued like this until Kanghyeok spoke up.
“My apologies. He reminds me of my little brother.”
“He’s almost an adult.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Any other reason you came? Or not?”
“Ah, about that.”
Leila’s eyes shifted as if she didn’t know where to begin.
“Have you heard anything from William?”
“No.”
Strangely enough, William hadn't contacted Kanghyeok at all.
One would expect at least a call or a text.
William knew the job was over, and he must also have known that Kanghyeok was spending his time resting at home and training Yohan.
And yet, William hadn't reached out to Kanghyeok even once.
‘He's a cunning old fox, so he must have his reasons.’
It was obvious.
Whether he was trying to make him anxious.
Or giving him time to sort out his thoughts.
Either way, William was intentionally giving Kanghyeok time for a reason.
“On my way back from vacation, I got a call from HR. They said my position had been changed.”
“Mine?”
“No. Mine.”
Leila touched her hair, her expression showing she didn't quite understand it herself, and continued.
“They told me to be a secretary.”
“Whose?”
Leila looked at Kanghyeok and replied.
“Whose do you think?”
Kanghyeok watched Leila in silence, then tossed his short cigarette and lit a new one.
Click.
“Hoo. William’s orders?”
“Probably? If you’re uncomfortable with it, I can request they assign someone else to you.”
Kanghyeok answered immediately.
“No, that’s fine.”
Getting a secretary all of a sudden was honestly unexpected.
‘Is he trying to plant a watchdog on me?’
He had a rough idea of the intention.
Still, it didn't feel like a bad thing.
Leila could be trusted.
She was one of the few people he could rely on, someone who would genuinely worry about him when he was hurt and struggling.
Getting rid of someone like her for another secretary seemed like a poor choice, no matter how he looked at it.
“It’ll be tough. You’ll have to double as a supporter when needed.”
“We already negotiated my salary to reflect that.”
“Did you get what you wanted?”
Leila replied, her eyes shining with a satisfaction that seemed unparalleled.
“A reasonable amount.”
“Hmph.”
“Anyway, congratulations. Having a secretary means you’re getting team leader-level treatment.”
“A meaningless promotion.”
“The other deputy team leaders in the company would be crying tears of blood if they heard that.”
Kanghyeok didn't deny it.
Yohan, unfamiliar with company regulations, was looking their way with a 'What are they talking about?' expression, but as Leila said, it was a reward that would surely inspire jealousy.
Only team leaders and above were assigned secretaries.
It meant he was being treated as a junior executive, and most of his requests to the company would be granted.
Whether it was about health.
Money.
A car, a house, anything.
That was why countless people risked their lives to become team leaders, and Kanghyeok had essentially been promised the same treatment.
“Is there anything you need me to do?”
Leila, new to the role of secretary, asked in a somewhat awkward tone. Kanghyeok stared at her for a long moment before speaking.
“Perfect timing.”
“Just say the word.”
Kanghyeok fell silent for a moment, then shifted his gaze to Yohan and spoke.
“I need you to look after Yohan.”
“What?”
Yohan’s eyes widened as Leila asked again.
“Yohan?”
“You’re the only one I can trust him with.”
Leila was also a company employee.
Though a supporter, she had passed the tests to join the company.
She was more skilled than most mercenaries and could handle a variety of firearms proficiently.
And above all, she was the only one he could entrust Yohan to without worry.
“Are you planning on leaving?”
“I have somewhere to go for a bit.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll accompany you. Someone else can look after Yohan…”
“No, that won’t work.”
Kanghyeok said curtly.
Though it had been a short time, Yohan had been trained by Kanghyeok.
He was a kid the company would covet.
To put it bluntly, Yohan might not be here when Kanghyeok and Leila returned.
“Please. I won’t be long. A week at most.”
“I have experience looking after my younger brother, so it shouldn’t be difficult, but…”
“Just focus on his shooting practice and hand-to-hand combat training.”
Never imagining her first secretarial duty would be something like this, Leila exhaled through her nose and blinked slowly.
“Understood.”
“Yohan.”
Kanghyeok met the still-bewildered Yohan’s gaze.
“Yes.”
“Think of Leila as an older sister. She’ll take care of you as well as I do.”
“…Yes.”
“Where are you going?”
As his secretary, she needed to know his whereabouts, so Kanghyeok answered readily.
“Italy.”
“That’s far. Is it for work?”
Leila, knowing Kanghyeok’s social circle was extremely small, gave him a questioning look. Kanghyeok nodded and replied.
“I’m going to meet a friend.”
“When do you leave?”
“Right now.”
With Leila here, there was nothing holding him back. Kanghyeok dusted off his clothes and stood up.
He once again asked Leila to take good care of Yohan, and only after receiving her reply did he walk toward his car.
“Hmm.”
Leila, who hadn't expected to part ways again so soon after meeting, shook her head slightly.
‘Still, he said he'd be back soon.’
Vrooom.
Leila stood with her arms crossed, watching Kanghyeok’s car until it completely disappeared from view.
“Ah.”
Then she realized she had forgotten something important.
“Wh-what is it?”
Leila scratched her hair in annoyance and met Yohan’s gaze.
“Want some walnut cakes?”
“Walnut cakes? What… are those?”
“Something that needs to be eaten soon.”
The walnut cakes sitting neatly on the passenger seat of Leila’s car were a souvenir she had bought during her vacation as a gift for Kanghyeok.
Kanghyeok arrived in Italy by plane.
With the company’s support, he could have gotten there faster and more comfortably.
But the reason he took a commercial flight was because this was a matter the company couldn't be involved in.
It also helped that he wasn’t carrying a gun, making air travel possible.
Honk! Honk!
The taxis lined up in front of the airport honked their horns when they saw Kanghyeok. He made his way to one driven by a middle-aged man with a sandwich in his mouth.
The driver hastily put down his sandwich, preparing to greet the customer.
Clunk.
“Welco—.”
Having no extra luggage, Kanghyeok sat right down in the passenger seat, cutting off the driver to state his destination.
“Brennero.”
“Brennero? Goodness, all the way out there?”
Kanghyeok gazed out the passenger window and nodded.
“There’s not much to see there. Well, I’ll be.”
The taxi driver tilted his head and started driving.
Not many tourists went out of their way to visit Brennero, a quiet country town.
And yet, Kanghyeok had to go to Brennero.
It was the town Gabriel and Amos had told him about, and the headquarters of the Errant Priests.