✽016

‘Where the hell is Blue Sky? Write the damn location!’

At 4 a.m., the streets were mostly empty, but wandering around in a hotel uniform would definitely attract attention. Just then, a taxi appeared in the distance. Without hesitation, Ju-wan practically jumped in front of it to flag it down.

“Taxi!”

The startled driver slammed on the brakes, and Ju-wan wasted no time. As soon as the car stopped, he yanked open the back door and hopped in.

“Hey! What are you doing? The shift’s over! And you can’t just jump out in front of a car like that! Are you trying to kill someone?” the driver shouted, clearly flustered.

“I’m really sorry. But could you take me to Bangbae-dong in Seoul?”

The driver gave him an incredulous look.

“Right now? You’re in Songdo, Incheon.”

Ju-wan’s face lit up. He’d braced himself for the worst-case scenario—like being all the way in Geoje—but Incheon wasn’t too far.

“Where do you live, sir?”

“Incheon, obviously!”

“Great. I’ll cover the round-trip fare and throw in extra for gas.”

The driver hesitated for a moment, his expression a mix of surprise and confusion, but eventually nodded. A few moments later, the taxi pulled away from the curb, heading toward Seoul without delay.

* * *

Ju-wan sat in the back seat of the taxi, glancing back periodically, but there were no signs of anyone following him. Thankfully, the early morning traffic was nonexistent. The sun wouldn’t rise until about 6:30 a.m. in October, and if everything went smoothly, he’d be able to reach Eden before then.

As the realization that he had escaped Shin Hwi-kyung finally sank in, a sigh of relief escaped his lips. He felt like the strength was draining out of his limbs.

But he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. His current situation was dire.

He had no money and no phone. His physical condition? Far from good. He was wearing a stolen hotel uniform, and to make matters worse, Shin Hwi-kyung knew where Eden was and was immune to his hypnosis.

To be honest, avoiding Eden altogether would be the safest option right now. But if he did that, there’d be no way to secure the cash he needed. At the very least, he needed to grab his jewelry and some cash before fleeing. Plus, there were things he needed to say to Choi Gyu-hyuk.

‘Still, that lunatic won’t be back for a few hours, right?’

But even that was optimistic thinking. While it seemed Hwi-kyung had left in a rush due to an urgent matter, there was no telling when his plans might change. And unlike the others who had discovered Ju-wan’s secret over the years, Shin Hwi-kyung was different.

‘He knows too much.’

Not only was he fully convinced of the existence of vampires, but he also seemed to have a disturbingly detailed understanding of them. Even in a world flooded with media about vampires, aliens, and superhumans, most people didn’t take such things seriously. Yet Shin Hwi-kyung spoke as if he’d seen a vampire before and had no qualms about chaining Ju-wan like a beast. He acted like a hunter dealing with a non-human prey.

And then there was Choi Gyu-hyuk. Hwi-kyung seemed to have investigated him thoroughly, too. That was an even bigger problem. If that were the case, it likely meant Hwi-kyung had money, connections, or both. None of those possibilities boded well for Ju-wan. He bit his lip in frustration.

Since integrating into modern society, it was rare for Ju-wan to feel this hunted. He hadn’t expected to encounter someone like Shin Hwi-kyung, forcing him to run again. Ju-wan grabbed his hair with both hands, frustration mounting.

And to top it off, Hwi-kyung had said he didn’t need money.

‘Who in today’s world doesn’t want money?’

In a capitalist society, money was just another name for power and identity.

After spending about an hour lost in thought, familiar streets came into view. Borrowing the driver’s phone, Ju-wan called for Choi Gyu-hyuk to meet him. Soon, a hulking figure in a massive padded coat appeared outside the bar. The taxi driver glanced nervously at him.

“Uh… is that the guy?”

“Yes, he’s with me. Please pull up in front of him.”

The driver reluctantly stopped the car in front of Gyu-hyuk. Recognizing Ju-wan in the back seat, Gyu-hyuk strode over and called out loudly, “Hyungnim!”

The taxi driver’s face turned pale with fear. Ju-wan sighed and rolled down the window.

“Hey, money.”

“Here.”

Gyu-hyuk handed over five 50,000-won bills, which Ju-wan immediately passed to the driver. The driver, visibly trembling, checked the bills and his face lit up.

“Thank you, sir! Have a safe night!”

Judging by his reaction, the driver must have thought he was about to get scammed.

Though the sun hadn’t risen yet, Ju-wan stepped out of the taxi, now wrapped in the padded coat Gyu-hyuk had brought him. Gyu-hyuk looked at him with concern.

“Hyungnim, are you okay?”

“…Let’s talk inside.”

Ju-wan quickly scanned his surroundings. No one suspicious was in sight. Descending the familiar, chilly stairs to Eden’s basement, he finally felt his mind begin to settle.

Gyu-hyuk, still fidgeting nervously, said,

“I was so worried since I hadn’t heard from you for days.”

Ju-wan’s eyes widened in shock.

“What day is it today?”

“It’s October 2nd.”

“When did you last call me?”

“September 30th.”

“Seriously?”

That meant three whole days had passed. No matter how heavily drugged he’d been, had he really been unconscious for that long? Suddenly, something clicked in Ju-wan’s mind, and he quickly asked, leaning over the counter.

“Now that I think about it, what happened to the guys you said were surrounding the bar that day? I didn’t see anyone suspicious around just now.”

“Oh, well… After I called you, they suddenly disappeared. I thought they had nothing to do with you, so I was going to tell you not to bother coming, but you didn’t answer your phone…”

Choi Gyu-hyuk’s voice cracked with emotion, and Ju-wan’s face hardened. Those suspicious individuals were likely part of Shin Hwi-kyung’s setup. Once they had successfully captured Ju-wan using a tranquilizer gun, there would have been no need to keep monitoring the bar. Grinding his teeth, Ju-wan muttered angrily.

“What kind of lunatic has access to that many people? Is he some shadowy boss or a third-generation chaebol? What the hell is his deal?”

Gyu-hyuk, looking bewildered, asked hesitantly, “Who are you talking about…?”

“Hey, remember that nutjob who came by with the wedding invitation?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Dig into him. Find out everything you can. Search for both Shin Min-kyung and Shin Hwi-kyung. If you hit a dead end, hire a private investigator or something. Oh, and check the CCTV footage from our entrance. Capture his face and send it to me. As for his phone number…”

Ju-wan instinctively patted his pockets but then froze as he remembered that Shin Hwi-kyung had taken his phone. For someone who had lived most of his life without a phone, it was infuriating how helpless he felt without one now. His face fell momentarily before an idea struck him, and he abruptly lifted his head.

“Ah! It should still be at my house. I think I left a note there and never threw it away. Once I find it, I’ll send it to you. It’s probably a burner phone, but track down every little detail you can. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And another thing!”

“Yes?”

“…You should lie low for a while.”

“What? Did something happen?”

Ju-wan hesitated before replying. “That guy… he’s digging into our backgrounds. Specifically, mine. I’m not going to show my face around here for a while, so don’t contact me unless absolutely necessary.”

Gyu-hyuk’s expression turned grave. “Is he dangerous? Should I take care of him?”

Gyu-hyuk clenched his massive fist as if ready to fight. Ju-wan looked between Gyu-hyuk’s face and his fist before letting out a long sigh.

“Forget it. You can’t handle him.”

“He’s that bad?”

“He’s not dangerous to me, but you should be careful. And hey, have you ever told anyone about your father?”

Gyu-hyuk’s face froze instantly.

“…No, I haven’t.”

“Good. Don’t ever mention it. To anyone. Especially not to that bastard!”

“…Hyungnim, seriously. Why would I even bring up that man to him?”

Gyu-hyuk pouted, as if offended by the implication that he was that foolish. Ju-wan smacked the back of his head.

“I’m just telling you to be careful. Alright, I’m leaving. Oh, and give me a spare phone.”

Without hesitation, Gyu-hyuk fetched a phone. Ju-wan powered it on and let out a long sigh. At least the immediate issues were handled. Tossing aside the ugly hotel uniform, he changed into a gray hoodie he found lying around in the host bar, layering a long black coat over it. Completing the look with a cap, sunglasses, and a mask, he now resembled a celebrity or model trying to go incognito. The only reason such an outfit looked natural was thanks to modern-day celebrities making this kind of disguise commonplace.

Thanks to Gyu-hyuk hailing a taxi, Ju-wan made it from the bar to his home in just ten minutes. Though it was morning, the sky was overcast, with no hint of sunlight—a perfect day for someone like him to move around freely.

As he walked cautiously, he scanned his surroundings. The streets were filled with busy office workers rushing to work and students heading to school. Nobody gave him a second glance. This kind of society, where people don’t care about others, really is the best.

He arrived at his safe haven without incident. As soon as he caught the familiar scent of his diffuser, a wave of calm washed over him.

The first thing he did was head straight for the living room table. Just as he’d hoped, the crumpled scrap of paper with Shin Hwi-kyung’s phone number, which he had carelessly discarded, was still there.

“Bingo!”

Ju-wan exclaimed quietly, immediately smoothing out the paper and snapping a photo of it. He sent it to Gyu-hyuk with a short message.

≪≪ 010-xxx-xxxx, that bastard’s number. Get a good private investigator on it. Don’t skimp on the money. ≫≫

≫≫ Got it.