Chapter 18

With a sigh, Jaekani tugged off Jaebad’s shoe, his father’s leg falling limply to the floor. Jaebad, clearly intoxicated and muttering nonsense, spoke in a slurry tone.

“Blood… that’s just life for you.”

Jaebad often spouted gibberish when drunk, so Jaekani didn’t pay much attention. As he moved to remove the other shoe, one precariously hanging on Jaebad’s foot tumbled and rolled under the table.

“Ugh…” Jaekani sighed.

He crawled under the table to retrieve it. The dim candlelight barely reached the space beneath, making it even darker and harder to see. As he groped along the floorboards for the missing shoe, his fingers brushed against something unfamiliar.

Jaebad continued mumbling, but Jaekani’s attention was solely focused on the odd sensation beneath his fingertips. Lowering himself further, Jaekani carefully explored the floor. In the deep darkness, his sense of touch sharpened, guiding him to a small groove in the floorboards.

Pressing his fingernails into the groove, Jaekani slowly pried open a hidden compartment. His breathing quickened as he reached into the concealed space. Cold metal met his touch.

The faint jingle of something in his palm echoed in the still room. Jaekani emerged from beneath the table, clutching his discovery. His father, now asleep with his head tilted back against the chair, was completely oblivious.

Jaekani quietly lit every candle in the house. The room brightened, casting warm light on his face, though his expression remained shadowed.

In his hand were two keys. One had a rounded tip—strikingly similar to the keyhole of Huikyung’s control device.

Mechanically, Jaekani shoved the keys into his pocket, picked up a few candles, and blew them out. The extinguished flames left trails of smoky wisps behind. Still clutching the candles, he stepped outside into the cool night air.

At first, Jaekani moved sluggishly, dragging his feet. But after only a few steps, his pace quickened, growing into a desperate sprint. His breathing was labored, yet his mind was entirely consumed by the keys. Though small and light, they felt like heavy stones weighing down his pocket.

The late hour didn’t matter. Jaekani needed to know if these keys fit.

But if they did…

What would that mean?

If the keys worked, wouldn’t that make his father the one who imprisoned Huikyung?

Why? Why would he do such a thing?

Jaekani arrived at the facility in no time, his frantic pace leaving him breathless. Without hesitation, he charged through the debris, scratching his limbs against broken machinery and pipes.

Pushing past the skewed iron door, he made his way straight to the prison where Huikyung was held.

“Jaekani?”

Huikyung’s voice called out from the distance.

Sweat poured down Jaekani’s face like rain. He wiped his drenched chin and reached into his pocket for the keys. The metallic clinking echoed in the corridor, accompanied by his ragged breathing.

“Jaekani, what’s wrong? Look at me—are you hurt?”

Despite the uncharacteristic concern in Huikyung’s voice, Jaekani’s trembling hands fumbled with the keys. He opened and closed his hands repeatedly, his fingers stiff with nerves. Finally, steadying his wrist with his other hand, he managed to focus.

He aligned the key with the lock. The smooth slide of the key entering the hole wasn’t new—ten of the previous keys had fit as well. The real test was turning it.

Jaekani pressed his forehead against the bars, biting his lip. For the first time, his emotions were so conflicted. Did he want the key to fit, ending this ordeal? Or would he rather it fail, allowing him to return to the mundane life of dealing with his drunk father?

He raised his eyes slowly. At some point, Huikyung had come closer, standing right before him.

The two locked eyes, Huikyung’s green gaze steady and unreadable under the faint moonlight.

Jaekani turned the key.

Click.

Huikyung, holding the bars, seemed almost otherworldly under the moonlight—cool and distant.

Unlike Jaekani, who gasped softly, Huikyung showed no reaction. This lack of response gave Jaekani a chilling certainty: Huikyung had likely known all along who had the key.

The door opened, and Jaekani stepped inside.

Unlike the many times he had peered at Huikyung through the bars, standing on the same ground brought the same mix of awe and shock. Up close, Huikyung looked a bit thinner, his arms hanging limply at his sides. Yet those same arms had crafted a flower ring for him not long ago.

Jaekani had many things to say, but he still had one task left. Grabbing the other key, he approached Huikyung. Without hesitation, Huikyung knelt on one knee, lowering himself to Jaekani’s level. The control device around his neck felt heavy, like a loaded gun.

The key slid into the lock as if it had been waiting for it. Jaekani wasn’t surprised—it was the match he had anticipated.

With a soft click, the device unlocked.

“Ah…”

A satisfied sigh escaped Huikyung’s lips.

The control device fell with a metallic clatter.

The control device fell to the floor with a hollow clatter.

Still kneeling, Huikyung reached up to touch his neck. His sharp jaw tilted slightly as his wide hand roamed over his throat, pressing firmly against the skin before sliding to the back of his neck.

“You did well, Jaekani.”

Rough fingers ruffled Jaekani’s hair, pushing his small head side to side. Jaekani looked up at Huikyung, his lips trembling in a mix of frustration and emotion.

“Can I ask you one thing?”

“Sure.”

Jaekani’s gaze shifted to the now useless device on the floor and the drain beneath it.

“What happened here?”

Though he was glad Huikyung was finally free, a heavy dread weighed on him. He knew his father—an addict who could barely manage the slaughterhouse—was incapable of anything else.

“Let’s leave, Jaekani.”

“Answer me! You said I could ask!”

“Why do you want to know so badly?”

“…”

Where should he begin? Did Huikyung owe him an explanation, or did Jaekani want to demand it?

“Did you find the keys with your father?”

“…Yes.”

The question’s implication was clear: Huikyung had known all along that Jaebad had the keys. So why had he pretended otherwise?

Before Jaekani could fully grasp the betrayal, a storm of questions flooded his mind. Had Huikyung kept quiet out of concern for him, knowing it might be too shocking? Or had he hoped the keys might be found elsewhere to spare Jaekani the truth? Was this eventual revelation part of some twisted plan? Or, worse, was Jaekani just rationalizing his trust in someone who had deceived him all along?

Jaekani bit his lip hard, trapped in his swirling thoughts. His head drooped, overwhelmed by dizziness and nausea.

Huikyung, watching the boy’s slumped form, hesitated. How much truth should he reveal? Would ignorance shield Jaekani better from what lay ahead?

“Come here. Let me hold you.”

“Stop avoiding the question!”

Though Jaekani called out his deflection, he still stepped closer, as if compelled. Biting his lip in frustration at his own compliance, Jaekani moved into Huikyung’s arms.

Huikyung scooped him up with one arm, his warmth radiating immediately. Jaekani’s eyes widened at the unexpected comfort.

Human warmth was more potent than he had thought, directly affecting his emotions. Without realizing it, Jaekani relaxed, his body melting into the embrace. Feeling the firm warmth against him, he instinctively tucked his head closer into Huikyung’s chest. Memories of being held by anyone else were scarce for the boy.

“Let’s go,” Huikyung murmured softly.

Resting his cheek against Huikyung’s solid shoulder, Jaekani gave a small nod.

There wouldn’t be any reason to stay. Huikyung couldn’t remain in the village now that he was free.

This was their last moment together.

Jaekani braced himself for goodbye, clenching his eyes shut to sear this fleeting moment into memory. A man shrouded in secrets, refusing to give any answers—a wave that had crashed into Jaekani’s small, fragile boat and shattered it completely.

‘Goodbye,’ Jaekani whispered silently in his heart.

But just then—

“Huikyung!”

A deafening noise shattered the stillness, followed by a cold blast of air. Jaekani tightened his grip on Huikyung, his arms trembling.

Something had exploded. The night was thick with dust, making it impossible to see beyond a few steps. Though Huikyung stood firm, Jaekani couldn’t shake the fear that debris might have hit him.

Before he could even ask, Huikyung’s hand reached behind Jaekani’s head, holding it securely in place. His grip pressed Jaekani’s forehead against his neck, as if shielding him from any further harm.

“Are you okay? What exploded? Was it because of the control device?”

Jaekani tried to lift his head, but Huikyung’s unyielding strength prevented him. Resigned, Jaekani rested his forehead against Huikyung’s collarbone, raising his voice urgently.

“We have to run, Huikyung. That noise will wake up the whole village!”