AAGULT Ch 40

Chapter 40

 

“I haven’t slept with anyone, Boss.”

“……”

Honestly, there was nothing he could do in front of him. There was no time to think. He simply acted on instinct, clung to him to survive, lied, and begged.

“It’s true……”

He simply bowed his head as low as he could. That desperate plea was all it took for the man to let it go.

“Alright.”

That was all. The man listened to Jaeha’s excuse, accepted the lie without question, and let him go.

Jaeha hesitated, wondering if this was really the end, but slowly moved toward the door, trying to escape as quickly as possible. It was so anticlimactic that during those short seconds, he was forced to feel both the anxiety and guilt of wondering if the man had known it was a lie and was simply pretending not to.

“If Ye Aiden contacts you again, let me know.”

And that was the truth.

Despite how pitifully Jaeha had begged, he had let him go surprisingly easily—yet that voice thrown at his back as he headed toward the door sounded like a sentence. Was there a hint of amusement in that voice? He didn’t know. What was clear was that there was no anger. That, in itself, was more terrifying.

When did he figure it out?

Yes. He had known all along and let it slide.

Why? Because Jaeha said it wasn’t true. Because he had asked him to overlook it.

Because the Boss cherished him too much……

Cherished him……

“……”

Instinctively, he realized this was the man’s final mercy. If he were to lie again and get caught, what would happen to him? Never had he been more desperate to know what the Boss was thinking. Not that he could read it……

It all felt too unreal to respond to. He couldn’t bring himself to turn around and check his expression.

“Do you understand?”

“Y-Yes……”

Leaving that answer behind, Jaeha ran out, almost in flight.

I shouldn’t have accepted guiding. I shouldn’t have met Iden. I shouldn’t have given him that cocktail as a gift. Ridiculous as it was, all of that regret would vanish the moment he saw Iden again. He knew himself well enough to know that just seeing his face would be enough to fall for him all over again and get swept up in it.

To be this indecisive… could he really say he truly loved Iden? Every time he met the Boss, he regretted being involved with Iden. If he were Iden, he would hate someone like himself too……

In any case, time passed like that.

From then on, it was just ordinary life.

Jaeha slowly wound down the bar’s operations and welcomed an increasing number of patrons compared to before.

Somehow, word got out that the bar was closing, and he received a couple of scouting offers asking him to work at other places. One was even from an entertainment agency that left a business card.

Of course, he threw it away the moment that customer left. He couldn’t bear the thought of becoming a failed idol, then seeing a headline like [Idol XX Group’s Mr. Song—Actually a Criminal from an Illegal Guiding Facility?].

And so, today. It became Harin’s final day of work.

The day he suddenly announced the bar was closing and confessed it was going under, Jaeha had actually been pretty nervous. It hadn’t even been three months since he hired Harin, and he knew well why she needed to earn money.

But contrary to his expectations, it ended peacefully. She did seem a little disappointed, but perhaps used to bouncing between jobs, she quickly nodded in understanding.

“You’ve been getting a lot of customers lately. It’s really a shame.”

“I’m truly sorry, Harin.”

“Oh, come on, you even recommended a new job for me.”

That was true. After scraping together her severance pay from his own pocket, he introduced her to the manager of a different bar who had tried to scout him. It was a fairly well-known place, and he had even gone with her to check it out, so she should be fine.

“If you ever open another bar, you have to let me know! I’ll definitely drop by to say hi.”

“I will. Thank you.”

She was practically the first person he’d grown close to since leaving the orphanage and entering society. Though the end had come inevitably, he wanted to part on good terms. He was deeply grateful that she stayed cheerful and positive even on her last day, despite having every reason to resent him for the sudden dismissal.

After Harin finished cleaning every last corner of the bar and he sent her off, Jaeha looked around the space that was nearly ready for closure. Six years of working here must’ve formed an attachment. Or maybe it was just fear—he had no idea where he was headed next.

The guides hadn’t shown up for some time, so all that was left was to lock the bar’s doors and leave. He took a moment to relax and continued sorting cups on the bar counter when—

Ding.

“The bar is closed.”

A glance at the clock told him it was already 2:30 a.m. Since it was well past closing, Jaeha instinctively replied with a polite service smile. Regardless, the door opened wider, and someone stepped inside.

“……”

“……”

He was gasping as he held the door, clearly having rushed. And he was wearing a school uniform—looked absurdly young. In fact, his face was as pale as a sheet. Jaeha was momentarily stunned by the sight, blinking rapidly before finally opening his mouth.

“Are you okay? Do you need to make a phone call?”

This area had poor public safety, and from the outside, this bar was clearly for adults. Why would a kid show up in the middle of the night and rush inside? Unless they needed help.

“Huff, huff……”

The situation didn’t seem normal. Still clinging to the door and staring at him, the child’s condition prompted Jaeha to circle the counter and approach.

Judging by the school uniform, he had to be at least a middle schooler, but he looked so young and thin he could easily be mistaken for an elementary student.

“First things first… come in. Let me close the door.”

Was he being chased? If so, leaving the door open seemed dangerous. After gently saying this, he stepped aside to let the boy in. But before he could, the boy grabbed Jaeha’s arm tightly.

It was a shockingly strong grip for someone that young.

“You’re Jaeha, right?”

“…What?”

“You are, right?”

“Y-Yeah……”

How does he know my name? He answered on reflex, but was clearly confused. Instinctively, he studied the boy’s face closely—and realized something familiar about it. He didn’t know this kid, but he had seen someone who looked like him.

“You’re from the Association, right?”

“…What?”

“Please help me. My brother’s gone missing.”

Stunned by the bizarre misunderstanding, Jaeha froze—but only for a moment. Then he realized who the boy was.

Now that he looked again, the boy resembled Guide Kim Jiwon. When had he last spoken to Jiwon? It had been during that incident… He vaguely remembered Jiwon mentioning a younger brother. Later, he occasionally talked about him, too.

That meant, in other words…

“…Kim… Juwon?”

“My brother said someone from the Association worked with him, so I shouldn’t worry too much. That’s you, right? Please, help me…!”

“What?”

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Jaeha’s face turned pale.

And then it seemed the boy realized something was off. In his desperation, he’d assumed the “kind” coworker his brother once mentioned and someone from the Association were the same person, and came running to beg for help. Their eyes met. Realizing Jaeha’s reaction wasn’t good, Juwon’s grip loosened.

“……”

“……”

Jaeha’s mind raced. There was a member of the Association hiding in his assigned A-5 zone?

This wasn’t just about secretly meeting Iden. This was on a different level. It wasn’t something he could cover up alone. He couldn’t hide or help it, even if he felt guilty.

Who could it be? Kim Jiwon was obviously out. Jung Taeseong? No. That man had a gambling addiction. Moon Taeyul? No again. He had a sick, dependent mother to care for. Names and faces of the guides he managed raced through his mind like a roulette wheel—until it abruptly stopped.

“Jaeha. What’s happening to you right now is essentially abuse.”

That man, who said such level-headed things despite working in an underground crime facility—who had told Jaeha he didn’t care if the Boss found out and offered to guide him anyway.

He was the only guide in A-5 whose background was unknown. The Boss had transferred him from another zone to be under Jaeha’s management. The same one the Boss occasionally visited to receive guiding, saying “he’s tolerable enough.”

“….”

It was him. He was certain.

With his face now ashen, Jaeha followed protocol and pulled out his phone to make a report. In that moment, how kind Seong Dowon had been—how he’d risked danger to help and guide him—didn’t come to mind. Naturally, the boy, freezing from the cold and in shock, didn’t register either. Without hesitation, Jaeha called Chief Kang.

Even though he didn’t say a word, the boy instantly realized Jaeha wasn’t from the Association and that instead of helping, he was about to report this to the criminal organization. He reached out to snatch the phone.

“No, don’t…!”

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry…”

He was truly, heartbreakingly sorry—but helping Jiwon once had been enough.