Uichan was speaking with a face full of distrust. With nowhere to retreat, his hands kept groping the wall as if searching for an escape route. His whole demeanor screamed that he was certain he’d be captured and handed over to the Hero Association. Watching the way Uichan bristled like a cat with its fur raised, Yeo Taehwon shook his head.“…No. I’m not here to arrest you, Uichan.”“Then that day—why did you do it?”Yeo Taehwon fell silent for a moment. From Blacktan, who looked down at him without expression, Uichan sensed a faint trace of sorrow. He couldn’t tell why, but the man seemed at a loss for what to do.It had only been a few years since Blacktan’s company, Litan, stationed their branch in Korea, yet their record was widely known to the public through endless reports.They were merciless toward villains. Even civilians who had colluded with villains never received leniency. They believed the sacrifice of the few for the many was only natural, and they judged good and evil according to the law alone. There was nothing wrong with that legally—but in the process, they had sometimes discarded humanity.And yet this man wouldn’t take Uichan into custody? It was impossible to believe.Uichan, # Nоvеlight # pushing away Nel’s head that kept rubbing against his leg, muttered defensively,“I might’ve gone along that day, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to admit it so easily.”“…What do you mean?”“I’m talking about Under Doom. If I go to the Association and deny it… they won’t find any proof anyway.”The muscles along Yeo Taehwon’s jaw tensed sharply. Why that expression? Black hair, golden eyes like the sun, thick brows, a heavy, rock-like presence—just looking at him standing there, he seemed the kind of man who’d drag Under Doom off in chains right now. Yet, at those words, the light vanished from his eyes. His gaze cooled, a subtle frown forming.“…So you think I’d drag you off to the Association by force.”“What other reason would you have to approach me?”He’d said he wanted to protect Under Doom—but maybe that had been a lie to gain his trust before seizing him. It could be the same now.Even earlier, when he’d chosen to protect Uichan instead of capturing Hyde, perhaps it was simply because restraining Uichan would be easier than catching Hyde.Suddenly, Blacktan lowered his arm and stepped back. Uichan flinched, eyes widening. When he looked up, the man’s gaze was lowered, deep in thought. He said nothing. But as Uichan turned to leave, an arm came up to block his path.He stood there, wordless, lost in thought, preventing him from leaving. Then, in a much calmer tone, he said,“…I understand what you meant, Uichan. That’s why you were so wary—and trembling.”The back of Blacktan’s hand brushed against Uichan’s flushed cheek. Uichan hadn’t even realized he was shaking until that moment; startled, he glanced down. His own tightly clenched hands were faintly trembling. Then a beast’s tongue flicked across his skin. Uichan glanced at Nel, then quickly hid his hand behind his back.“It’s just—because I hit the ground too hard earlier. I wasn’t shaking because of you, Yeo Taehwon.”“…I see. Then, are you hurt anywhere?”The warmth in his voice made Uichan’s guard soften slightly. He could feel Blacktan’s gaze sweeping over his body, but he quickly shook his head.“No.”Almost immediately, a large hand brushed over his hair. Uichan blinked in confusion. Why his hair? It felt like a gesture of praise—something you’d do to a child.While Uichan stood there, startled, Yeo Taehwon turned away and peeled off one blood-stained glove, tossing it into a trash can at the corner of the alley. Watching that, a strange thought crossed Uichan’s mind.The way he casually threw away the bloody glove began to answer an old question. It seemed he had a habit of discarding contaminated gloves at the scene.So, if Uichan had been injured somewhere, he would’ve thrown away a blood-stained bandage or handkerchief too. And Yeo Taehwon would have tracked that smell of blood to find him.If that was the reason, then it made sense that he’d been rummaging through trash bins to look for Under Doom.“If you wish to keep your identity hidden, then do so.”Blacktan’s tone had returned to its usual calmness.“But if you ever decide to leave In the Hell, come to me. You’d have to reveal yourself eventually, but I have more than enough resources to protect you.”“What are you talking about…”“If it comes to bail, I can arrange it. Under Doom’s crimes are minor compared to his bounty, so we could push for a suspended sentence with a capable Hero Association lawyer. If that fails, I can act as your remission guarantor and assume your sentence myself. The current Hero Law allows one to atone by transferring guilt.”…Uichan was at a loss for words. Even family rarely said they’d take on someone else’s sins. The idea that he meant that much to Yeo Taehwon made his mind reel.After discarding the glove, Yeo Taehwon strode toward him again. Uichan braced himself, wary of what strange thing he might say next. But the man simply extended a bare hand.His scarred hand bore faint water marks, wiped clean with a tissue.“Let’s go home, Uichan.”The voice that wrapped around him was quiet and steady. Uichan looked at his hand for a long moment, then cautiously reached out. The instant their palms met, warmth enveloped him—like a promise that nothing more would be demanded.And so, Uichan walked beside Yeo Taehwon. His original destination had been the hospital, but there were no more injuries left on his body. He tried to figure out why, but every thought led only to a creeping fear that made him clutch his stomach.Only when they reached his apartment building did Uichan stop. Walking beside him, Yeo Taehwon halted as well.“If, hypothetically,” Uichan said suddenly, eyes still fixed on the lobby doors, “I decided to keep hiding my identity forever… what would you do?”Blacktan looked up at the apartment window and answered easily,“If that’s what you want, then do it. It’ll be fine. As I said before, I’m still looking for that reason myself.”Right—he had said he needed to confirm something with Under Doom. Which meant he still hadn’t found his answer.“I… hope you find it.”At that, Yeo Taehwon seemed to smile. The expression vanished before Uichan could see it.“Of course I will. It won’t take long.”He released Uichan’s hand and met his gaze, a silent gesture telling him to go inside. The trembling in Uichan’s fingers had completely stopped. He looked at the man for a moment longer, then nodded. He didn’t dare ask what it was Yeo Taehwon was searching for.He felt that if he asked, he’d cross a river he could never return from. Still, he was slowly beginning to realize that the Blacktan shown in the media and the Yeo Taehwon he knew were not the same person.Maybe it was Uichan who had been the one wearing tinted lenses. He didn’t lash out with his fists, nor did he look at people with cold, detached eyes. Even Nel, who seemed terrifying at first, now only blinked slowly at him in greeting, wide-eyed and gentle.I pushed you too hard earlier… sorry.Uichan blinked slowly back at Nel. The black panther’s tail swished lazily behind it.“I’ll be going, then.”He bowed deeply to Yeo Taehwon before turning away. For now… as long as Uichan didn’t expose himself as Under Doom, it seemed the man had no intention of handing him over to the Association. That was good enough.Blacktan watched until Uichan entered the building and stepped into the elevator before he finally moved. As he walked away, his jaw tightened audibly. Nel, sensing the tension, fell a few steps behind.“…Are you afraid?”When Yeo Taehwon had seen Uichan trembling in his hands, he’d finally understood what it meant for one’s vision to go dark. For the first time, he’d felt helplessness and loss sink into his skin.Before he could even walk, he’d been given a knife instead of a toy. Like most children raised in Litan, he’d undergone special training and grown up without human rights. When the red alarm rang, he was deployed. And the life of being carried back half-dead had repeated for twenty years.He’d seen countless people trembling in fear during missions—people he could never save. That wasn’t something he could change. But the moment he saw Uichan, an emotion he couldn’t suppress surged up like bile.It was as if someone had pointed a finger at him and said his entire life had been wrong. He couldn’t leave it that way. Yeo Taehwon recognized his mistake and decided to correct it.“I’ve learned something I’d never known before… I can’t let it slip away.”—Emotions are scrap metal to a mercenary. The ones without selves are the sharpest. Why do you think the Great Ones are great? A man should value his cause above all else. Don’t ruin your work over a bit of pity.Like his commander in Litan, Yeo Taehwon himself had been such a man until just a few months ago. But emotions didn’t have to destroy a cause. His ambition had simply shifted direction.His eyes were now filled with longing. The feeling that had welled up inside him was swiftly reined in. In his mind, he pictured reaching out, pressing the back of his hand against Uichan’s cheek, then gently catching the back of his neck to soothe him—without startling him.

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