The blue-haired man’s explanation was exceedingly simple, yet his meaning was clear.He’d always been sitting somewhere in Sakdal, gathering intel like clockwork, until one day stories about a mercenary with a god-awful win rate started creeping in.By chance, Jin Muhae was already a name among mercenaries, and even within Sakdal some people knew of him.So, out of boredom, Cheong dug into Muhae’s background—and soon drew his conclusion:The miraculous windfall came from the entity that clung to Muhae like an accessory.That mysterious man, temporarily registered as Muhae’s guarantor, picked up in Kan Rano…and forever trailing Muhae like a newly hatched duckling…Joo-o.“Is ‘Ju’ the surname and ‘O’ the given name? Or did ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) they not know his surname, so they just wrote ‘Joo-o’?”“It’s just Joo-o.”From that moment, Cheong focused on that lucky presence. He didn’t know what power he possessed, but everything about him—from origin to fashion—was unique and intriguing.Then Cheong realized Muhae himself was also distinctive, and that the criminal record he’d inherited by association was no small matter: a Level-1 crime whose details could not be uncovered by any method, committed by people who suddenly began living in the Gajagi slums… and then a massive incident quietly buried at that time…Jackpot! Cheong was electrified by the revelation, and set things up so he’d be notified anytime Muhae came to Sakdal.Once Muhae entered Cheong’s sphere of influence, Cheong tracked his every move, provoked him, and waited.“I’m losing my mind. Such delusions don’t exist.”No sooner had Cheong finished than Muhae flatly denied any connection to Hweh-hang. Whether Cheong believed him or not, there was no way Muhae would foolishly admit it.Cheong shrugged as if he’d anticipated that reaction.“So why approach me—what do you want?”“Nothing special. Entertainment.”At this, Joo-o nodded eagerly, as if relieved the conversation was finally going where he understood. He looked visibly reassured, having visited Sakdal before and met Cheong.“I’ll make you an offer.”Gulp. Cheong raised his glass and took a drink, then lifted one finger. His expression turned serious, and the charged air around them snapped taut.Despite his boyish hair color, Cheong wore seriousness well. His earlier shady ramblings forgotten, he now feigned normalcy.“Whatever you’re working on, I can back you—fully. People, resources, everything.”“…”“But there are conditions, so you’ll have to agree to them.”Then he paused—without yet revealing his terms. He raised that finger again, as though asking Muhae to think it over.Was Muhae supposed to answer on the spot? Sign some blank contract without knowing the crucial clause?“I don’t need your backing.”Muhae’s eyebrows drew a hard line. He hated the way Cheong’s eyes seemed to be waiting for him to ask what he wanted in return. Hweh-hang was no mere curiosity to be leveraged for “fun.”True, Cheong’s insinuations felt threatening, but Muhae had no guarantee Cheong really held any proof against him. And he wasn’t so foolish as to spill his objectives to a stranger on fear alone.“So if you refuse, you’ll accuse me of those absurd delusions?”“Nah, not like that.”“Then I refuse.”Without another word, Muhae rejected the offer. He paused only long enough to think of Cloud—no matter what, she was too cautious to send him into a trap like this. She’d merely sought to forge a contact to tap Cheong’s resources.Better to hold back a few steps, assess the danger, then decide, rather than be blinded by Cheong’s wealth.“What a pity. Guess I’ll have to offer my support to someone else.”Cheong’s awkward finger slid down as he turned away. At the edge of his vision, Joo-o sat wide-eyed and rigid.“I’m someone who always needs luck. A lot of it. More than anyone.”“…So?”“Are you satisfied with your pay? If you help me, I can give you anything you want.”Before Joo-o, puzzled and blinking, a vivid hologram appeared: piles of sizzling meat chunks stacked high. Cheong was shamelessly exploiting what he knew made Joo-o lose all reason—food.“You said you like delicious things. Ever tried farm-raised meat?”“I don’t know.”“Whether you want food and drink or entertainment, I’ll treat you to the best.”“Why not offer it to Muhae?”“Because Muhae said he doesn’t want it.”“Then I’ll ask again!”As if righteous, Joo-o clenched his fist and insisted. Cheong began to raise a corner of his mouth, amused by the scene.When Cheong reached out again, Muhae shot him a murderous glare. Unfazed, Cheong grabbed Joo-o’s jaw.The warmth of another’s hand on his face made Joo-o squint and purse his lips reflexively.“Oh my. You’re well-trained.”A strange smile crossed Cheong’s normally impassive face.“If you need someone, I’m even better.”He massaged Joo-o’s soft cheek as if it were a toy. Joo-o let out a satisfied “Mmm,” then jerked awake and shook his head.“I like it better when Muhae touches me.”“And yet you shoved your nose in my hand?”“Your scent’s different.”“Does it have to smell good? Then anyone will do?”Cheong scratched behind Joo-o’s ear, and Joo-o went limp with pleasure. What on Earth was this doing in front of others?Unable to bear it, Muhae kicked the guard aside. The tea table shattered, glasses crashed, and Muhae struck Cheong’s hand away.“Ugh.”“You’re fucking insane.”Only then did Joo-o snap back to reality, clinging to Muhae and complaining,“Cheong says he won’t help Muhae.”“Because Muhae said no.”“Why didn’t he ask me instead? I did nothing.”Joo-o’s eyes even flushed red as he appeared utterly lost. He didn’t look like he was crying, but his drooping brows were pitiful.“Let’s go.”Muhae dragged Joo-o to his feet. The negotiation wasn’t over, but Cheong’s presence left a bad taste.“On the way, let’s pick up that new gear we saw last time?”Muhae’s scowl deepened—he recalled buying some monster-tracking device parts to crack the signal code. At least Cheong didn’t know that was Muhae’s objective.Relieved, Muhae led Joo-o out. Joo-o glanced back at Cheong several times.“I never thought about this kind of thing.”He muttered, lips trembling in confusion.The walk home felt heavier than usual—a crushing silence blanketed them.Joo-o, who normally chattered nonstop, fell silent in deep thought, staring at nothing with pouty lips.By the time they reached home, it was past midnight. As soon as he kicked off his shoes, Muhae halted Joo-o.“Didn’t I tell you not to pull any weird crap outside?”“I didn’t do anything.”“You.”Muhae began to scold him, then abruptly stopped, swallowing his irritation. Joo-o had acted strangely, but how to warn him? He hadn’t asked to be touched—but could Muhae forbid anyone from touching him? Was this adult education overkill?Then Muhae realized the words he nearly spoke: “Any hand would do if it touched you.”Someone hearing that would think he liked being groped. Terrifying.Of course, Joo-o in Muhae’s bed was different—but still…“Go wash up.”He flung his shirt onto the bed, trying to calm the turmoil in his chest. His shoulder’s ache felt like a blessing—it hindered his worst thoughts.“Jin Muhae.”“What?”“Your shoulder’s red.”At that, Joo-o, heading for the bathroom, spun around and approached Muhae. Muhae motioned for him to go on, but Joo-o wasn’t one to obey orders.“Let’s go see Dr. Jeong.”“You don’t have to. Do you know what time it is?”Muhae replied coldly, about to ignore him—then recalled Joo-o’s sullen face and met his eyes. Unaccountably, Joo-o looked composed again. He suddenly dropped to the floor, rummaged under the bed, and pulled out a first-aid kit from Burkta.Muhae had completely forgotten he’d shoved that aside—yet here it was, neatly organized. Joo-o inspected the medicine inside.“Then I’ll treat it.”Joo-o triumphantly held up a tube of pain-relief gel and tugged Muhae toward the bed.

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