Chapter 190
Chapter 190
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 190
Chapter Title: The Yandere Fairy's Gaze is Strange
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The air in the room seemed to shimmer hazily.
I quietly opened the door, and a faint light spilling through the gap illuminated the living room.
I took a short breath and spoke in a low voice.
"Detective, you can come in."
Those words shattered the silence in the living room.
Detective Yoo Seongjae shot to his feet, eyes wide, and slowly made his way over without a word.
Each step felt heavy and cautious.
Like someone afraid of waking from a sweet dream, he gripped the doorframe gingerly and peered inside.
And in that moment—
"...Hyung?"
Yoo Seonghyeon's eyes turned toward Detective Yoo Seongjae.
From my vantage point as an observer, the instant their gazes met made it seem like the sounds of the world had stopped.
"...!!"
Detective Yoo Seongjae's eyes went wide as saucers.
His gaze held a mix of shock, overwhelming emotion, and an unbelievable joy.
His lips trembled, but not a single word escaped.
Tears simply welled up in his eyes.
"...Seonghyeon-ah."
His voice came out strained, like it had been squeezed out with effort.
Yoo Seonghyeon slowly nodded.
His mind must still have been foggy and his body heavy, but his eyes were clear.
"Hyung..."
Clear emotion filled Yoo Seonghyeon's voice.
It was joy and longing, mingled with bewilderment.
"You little—"
Detective Yoo Seongjae couldn't even finish his sentence before rushing to Yoo Seonghyeon, dropping to his knees beside the bed and pulling him into a fierce embrace.
His breathing was almost a sob, his shoulders shaking violently.
What must Detective Yoo Seongjae be feeling right now?
I had no idea.
As someone without siblings, it was an emotion I couldn't even begin to imagine.
Yet, regardless, a swell of warmth rose from deep in my chest.
If I'd had a brother like Detective Yoo Seongjae, would I have felt a little less alone when Dad passed?
Meanwhile, Yoo Seonghyeon, enveloped in his brother's arms, froze in surprise for a moment before slowly wrapping his arms around his back.
"Is it really... you, Hyung?"
Yoo Seongjae gripped the nape of Yoo Seonghyeon's neck with one hand and clutched his back tightly with the other before speaking.
"Yeah, you punk!"
"But... why do you look so old, Hyung?"
Detective Yoo Seongjae, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, paused and looked at Yoo Seonghyeon.
"You... don't remember?"
"W-what memory?"
"You don't remember the accident...?"
"Accident...?"
Yoo Seonghyeon clutched his head.
It seemed a sudden pain throbbed somewhere in his brain.
"Why... does my head hurt?"
Tremors entered Yoo Seonghyeon's voice, and an inexplicable anxiety swirled in his eyes.
Seeing this, Detective Yoo Seongjae panicked and hugged his brother again.
"S-sorry! Don't remember! No, it's fine if you don't. It's okay. Just don't think about anything right now, got it?"
"O-okay."
"I'll buy you chicken. Your favorite spicy kind! And... let's go fishing."
"F-fishing? Hyung... aren't you busy these days?"
"I can make time for fishing with you, even if I am!"
Swipe.
I quietly lowered my gaze.
It no longer felt right to stay here.
No, it felt outright rude for an outsider to intrude on this intimate emotional space.
Creeeak. Thud.
I carefully stepped out of the room on tiptoe and let out a long breath.
"Ha..."
One step, another toward the living room sofa.
Then, like a deflated person, I flopped onto the sofa.
The soft cushion cradled my back, but an inexplicable emptiness seeped into a corner of my heart.
...I'm kinda jealous...
I'd envied Junseok and Yerim's bickering, but seeing the raw brotherly bond between Detective Yoo Seongjae and Yoo Seonghyeon with my own eyes made the loneliness hit harder.
I stared blankly at the ceiling.
Swipe.
The living room ceiling light swayed hazily beyond my blurred vision.
...Dad, are you doing well up in heaven?
Of course. With no worthless son around to worry you, you must be happy.
I'd been such a disobedient son, never even calling properly despite getting older.
Why didn't I call more...?
Just laziness?
No, that wasn't it.
I simply lacked the courage to tell Dad about my hellish life.
If it were now, I'd give him allowance, a new house, a car...
It was just belated regret.
"Ha..."
After the divorce, I'd always pretended to be fine living alone.
Told myself I was used to it, that I could get by without anyone.
But seeing the Yoo brothers made the longing I'd buried resurface.
"Family..."
The word felt awkward and lonely even as it left my mouth.
How great a blessing is having a family?
Why had I forgotten it completely while they were around?
Damn... this feels weird.
A heavy emotion bloomed deep in my heart.
I didn't want to be alone anymore.
I hadn't realized it when time just drifted by vaguely, but now it felt urgent.
Creeeak.
At that moment, Detective Yoo Seongjae emerged from the room.
Our eyes met as I sat on the sofa, and he bowed deeply before raising his voice.
"Haeseong! Thank you so much!!"
*
"Hm, so Yoo Seonghyeon doesn't remember anything from before?"
Butler Lee Hyeonseok, who had been guarding Jua Fairy's villa until coming to our house, and I slowly nodded to his question.
"Yes. I called the detective today too, but it seems Yoo Seonghyeon is still in the recovery phase."
"Recovery comes first, I suppose. Anyway, the detective must be thrilled."
"Haha... He's been sending me photos every day."
"Photos?"
"Pictures with his brother."
Butler Lee Hyeonseok gave a faint smile at my words.
"By the way, you're truly impressive."
"Nah, it's not me—it's King Yama who's amazing."
"Still, without you, Yoo Seonghyeon's mind might never have returned."
I cleared my throat awkwardly at Butler Lee Hyeonseok's praise, my face flushing.
"Ahem! Anyway, fewer fairies are visiting the villa than expected."
"Yeah. Normally, they'd drop by at least once by now..."
We were guarding Jua Fairy's villa to catch fairies raping humans, but...
Why weren't they coming?
Had they caught a whiff of something?
Maybe because of Jua Fairy, Byeolha Fairy, and Yuha Fairy?
The fairies committing crimes alongside them had vanished because of me.
So I'd thought curiosity alone would draw them to the villa.
But.
Contrary to my ambitious plans, no fairies were visiting the villa at all.
I needed some way to lure out those demonic bitches.
"At least Sowol Fairy seems to be on the move, but we have no way to catch her."
"Why not just show King Yama the victim Yoo Seonghyeon and catch Sowol Fairy?"
"We need evidence. Yoo Seonghyeon has recovered mentally, but as you know, he doesn't remember that time."
"So we have to wait for another incident..."
Ha...
This was a problem too.
The system only let us catch fairies after a victim appeared.
On top of that, Detective Yoo Seongjae couldn't investigate for a while, busy caring for his recovered brother. It was a double whammy.
Bzzz.
Bzzz.
Then my phone vibrated.
The caller ID was an unknown number.
I gestured to Butler Lee Hyeonseok for permission and answered.
"Hello?"
"Hello. This is Kim Heegyung."
"...Yes?"
"We met at the cafe last time."
Hearing her voice jogged my memory.
Kim Heegyung was a witness to the Lee Youngjun case.
She'd reacted to the montage of Sowol Fairy that Butler Lee Hyeonseok had drawn.
Still.
I'd given her my number just in case, but why call suddenly?
Did she remember something else about the incident?
"Oh, hello. How have you been?"
"It's not anything major, but I saw that woman again."
"You saw that woman!?"
"Yes, I'm pretty sure."
I shot up from my chair, and Butler Lee Hyeonseok across from me flinched in surprise.
No time for apologies, I pressed on.
"Where did you see her?"
"I'm hiking with my husband right now. She was right there at the trailhead entrance."
"When?"
"I called as soon as I saw her. I didn't stare too much, just in case."
Why would Sowol Fairy show up at a hiking trail?
Planning to drag some guy deep into the mountains and rape him?
Gulp—
This might be the one chance to catch Sowol Fairy without a victim.
I swallowed dryly and raised my voice.
"Where exactly is the location...?"