Everything about the man was intimidating. His thick torso, his low voice, his large hands… even his sleek profile was like that. No wonder the people who had been chasing him to his death at the incinerator couldn’t move an inch at a single gesture from him.
Still, looking at how the man had treated him so far… he certainly couldn’t be called a good person, but at least it seemed like he wouldn’t just kill him out of the blue simply because he didn’t like him. As for the incident where he beat Ahn Seong-ho to the brink of death, it seemed closer to him merely giving orders rather than directly participating, so perhaps he could let his guard down a little…
“Hmph!”
Whoosh! Someone suddenly appeared and lunged at the man. A sharp sound like something cutting through the air was heard, and his vision flashed for a moment. A mass targeting his chest reflected the light as it nimbly weaved between him and Yi-an. The man dodged it by a hair’s breadth, quickly regained his balance, and identified his opponent.
Yi-an, who instinctively pressed himself against the wall, was able to confirm the identity of the attacker not long after. It was because the wrist holding the gleaming jackknife had been grabbed by the man and snapped in an instant.
“Ugh, cough…”
Clang! The blade fell limply to the floor and rolled, and before anyone realized it, the man had bound the opponent’s wrists, climbed on top of him, and was kneeing him in the solar plexus. As the breath of the one pinned beneath tightened, he trembled violently, his eyes rolling back.
“Heuu…”
Yi-an slumped to the ground at the blow that unfolded right before his eyes. Gasping for breath, he watched blankly as the man easily pinned down and subdued his opponent.
Despite the sudden blow, the man was draining his opponent’s strength without the slightest hint of hesitation. Except for the initial strike, the guy pinned beneath the man could not offer the slightest resistance. “Ugh…” As the trembling eyelids closed and movement ceased, the man slowly lowered his knee, which had been pressing down on the guy’s solar plexus, to the floor.
Was it all over now? Yi-an was startled by the sudden lunge, but it was a relief that he didn’t see any blood. Just as Yi-an thought this and braced himself, the man picked up the weapon lying on the floor. Then, thump! Thump! He began brutally thrusting it into the man pinned underneath.
“Ack! Cough! W-wait! Ugh!”
Whoosh! Thud! Thud! Despite the pleas of the victim, who had no strength to move even a finger, the man continued to thrust the blade into the bloodied body without changing his expression. Making the brief moment of unconsciousness seem pointless, the attacker writhed and screamed with all his might, as if making a final desperate struggle.
“Heeuu…”
The man punished the one pinned beneath him for a long time, until drops of dark red blood surged up, leaving marks not only on the body fallen to the floor but also on his own forearm.
Along with a agonizing sound that tore at his eardrums, the stench of blood that had made Yi-an shudder just hours earlier enveloped the space. Goosebumps ran up his entire body, and Yi-an curled up tightly against the wall. Not long after, the limbs pinned beneath the man trembled violently as if having exhausted their last ounce of strength, finally snapping and collapsing abruptly to the floor.
“Huff, huff…”
His hands and feet trembled uncontrollably, as if his body had been butchered. Yi-an clutched his uncontrollable body and squeezed his eyes shut. Just then, burly men swarmed in with the loud sound of footsteps.
“Hyung-nim! Are you okay?”
Only then did the man put down the jackknife he was holding. Clang! The blood-stained knife plunged vertically into the floor, scattering crimson blood in all directions. Yi-an shuddered at the sight of a drop of red blood spreading right at his feet.
“Sorry we’re late!”
The man’s henchmen examined him, who was unharmed unlike the mutilated one, and bowed their heads in unison. Then they grabbed the fallen attacker’s ankle. Dragging him out carelessly, they occasionally stomped on him with their feet. Bloodstains formed in the direction he was swept away, seeping thickly into the floor.
“Damn, fuck…….”
The man shook his wrist as if it were no big deal. There were bloodstains on the forearm, where thick veins were lurking, but judging by his overly nonchalant expression, they probably weren’t his. As expected, it was a one-sided assault.
“Bring a new shirt.”
“Yes, Hyung-nim!”
A new gang member, who had been waiting somewhere, suddenly appeared at the man’s words and hurriedly ran down the stairs. Thump, thump. Yi-an, who had been looking toward the exit, turned his eyes at the sound of footsteps slowly fading away. His gaze met that of the man wiping the bloodstains off his body with his dress shirt.
“…….”
“…….”
Their gazes met, but neither Yi-an nor the man spoke. Just as they were silently staring into each other’s eyes, his subordinate hurriedly ran up the stairs with a new shirt.
The man handed him the blood-stained shirt and quickly threaded the new one onto his arms. Then, rolling up the sleeves of the newly worn shirt, he moved his stiff neck from side to side with a cracking sound. His expression was emotionless, as if nothing had happened.
“Fuck. Seeing blood makes me hungry.”
“Where should we take you?”
“There is no need to go so far as to escort me…”
At the man’s single word, people swarmed in again. It was ironic that just moments ago, not a single ant had been seen in the place. It seemed they had all rushed in at once because he had been ambushed while on the phone.
“Let’s go somewhere nearby.”
“Yes, Hyung-nim.”
Starting with the henchman standing right next to the man answering politely, a series of loud voices followed in succession: “Yes, Hyung-nim.” Seeing that the clothes of some of those who had bowed their heads were stained with fresh blood, Yi-an had to shiver again.
“…….”
He felt foolish. Yi-an, who had been trying hard to sugarcoat the man’s actions, telling himself he wasn’t as bad as he thought, swallowed back the tears welling up. The man was someone who could kill him out of the blue.
***
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