IH Ch 54

Chapter 54

The inside of the delivery vehicle was far more comfortable than it appeared from the outside. The leather seats gently embraced the body, and being semi-automatic, there was no need to focus heavily on driving. As long as his hands rested on the steering wheel, the car smoothly headed toward the pre-set destination on its own. Even knowing this, Dohwa couldn’t bring himself to relax. His gaze fixed ahead with grim determination, and seeing this, Hwang Jae-i, who was lying on the reclined passenger seat, turned his eyes toward him.

Unaware of the gaze directed at him, Dohwa’s profile remained rigid as he stared straight ahead. Even with a mask covering his face, the resoluteness in his expression could be felt. Hwang Jae-i opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again.

“……”

There’s no need to be tense. The car moves on its own as long as you keep your hands on the wheel. But saying such a thing would be pointless.

Jae-i turned his gaze toward the window. It was a route he traveled often, but seeing it while lying down gave it a wholly different feeling. Perhaps because the vehicle was unlike the ones he was used to, a drowsy sensation settled over him, and he blinked slowly.

‘Should we go see the ocean?’

It was a completely impulsive suggestion. As he asked while shaking the drawing that had been resting on the table, Dohwa, who had been still, blinked his large eyes and responded.

‘Is that okay?’

Hwang Jae-i posed the same question to himself.

The Republic of Korea had once again been thrown into chaos because of him. For a while, the TV, the internet—everything would be filled with his name. It was absurd. The fraud, the injuries and deaths of countless people had all been caused by the other side. Yet the cameras were pointed at him, simply because he was an illegitimate child.

Even more than deadly, incomprehensible crimes occurring around the world, people obsessed over the tiniest pieces of information related to an S-class hunter. Though he had experienced similar situations countless times before, he had never grown used to it. Suddenly, everything just felt burdensome. Perhaps that’s why, when asked if it was okay, he replied, “Why wouldn’t it be?”

And so, they found themselves heading to the ocean in the delivery vehicle driven by Dohwa. Though his body was at ease, Jae-i’s mind was noisy. Muttering under his breath how sick he was of it all, he held his breath that was rising to his throat and shut his eyes tightly.

He said the place he had stayed for five years had been a long-abandoned laboratory. That was where they had kept him. The woman sitting across from him, meeting his eyes, introduced herself as Hwang Suhyeon and cautiously asked each question.

‘You lived there for five years. Do you remember anything about it?’

What was there to remember?

A place where night and day couldn’t be distinguished. Meals distributed twice a day. The only time he saw another person was when that man came. The man who always glared at him with displeasure in his eyes.

‘……And?’

When he finally opened his mouth, which had remained closed, Hwang Suhyeon’s expression brightened as if she was genuinely glad.

‘What about my father?’

‘……’

At those words, Hwang Suhyeon’s expression immediately stiffened. Her lips parted slightly, hesitating, as though she didn’t know what to say. After several failed starts, she finally began to speak with difficulty.

At that moment, there was a commotion outside. Screams erupted, and heavy thuds shook the ground. The gentle smile that had remained on Hwang Suhyeon’s face disappeared in an instant. Scowling, she muttered, “That lunatic…” and stood up.

‘Seems like an unexpected guest has arrived. I’ll be right back, okay? Will you stay here?’

As she suggested he eat a snack and rest, he looked at the plate placed on the round table. Several cute cupcakes were arranged there.

‘……’

He had actually been curious for a while about the sweet scent wafting from them. So they were meant to be eaten. As he gulped quietly, a fork was suddenly placed in his hand. Startled, he lifted his head, and upon making eye contact, Hwang Suhyeon spoke gently.

‘Go ahead and eat. No matter how loud it gets outside, don’t come out, okay?’

‘……’

He remained silent, showing no reaction. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand her kindness—he did. But to him, she was still a stranger. As he stayed still, lips sealed, Hwang Suhyeon, her face darkening with sadness, slowly walked out. The loud noises continued for a little while longer, but soon the area fell quiet again.

It was then that Hwang Hajin appeared. The exposure of his once-hidden illegitimate son, now being cared for by his estranged sister, was a major issue for him. Though he claimed he was only concerned for his son and had come to take him back, he failed to achieve his goal. That was because their grandfather, Hwang Yugeon, who had stepped back from public life due to health issues, intervened.

No matter how reckless the man was, it seemed he couldn’t disobey his father’s will. Or perhaps he simply backed down in the face of his father’s sharp warning. Thanks to that, Hwang Jae-i was able to distance himself from that man. It was around then that he began to be called Jae-i, and it was also then that he underwent a proper awakening test—where he was identified as a potential S-class.

Some said he might have awakened earlier under different circumstances. The researcher, noting that even this result was late, hesitated before speaking.

‘It’s possible that your grandson is currently experiencing Awakening Rejection Syndrome.’

In a world where awakening and becoming a high-ranking hunter were everything, there were, on rare occasions, those who rejected awakening altogether. Hwang Jae-i was one of them.

People assumed that because he was young, he didn’t understand. But that was a mistake. Jae-i had understood everything. So when he heard the researcher’s words, he had simply accepted them. However, his grandfather and Hwang Suhyeon saw things differently. They felt sympathy for this child who didn’t act his age and seriously considered how best to raise him.

Hwang Jae-i’s existence could no longer be hidden. An A-rank might be overlooked, but an S-rank was practically a pillar of national power. Each one counted as national strength. It was obvious that if they tried to keep it quiet, rumors would still spread. The adults who had deliberately distanced themselves from Hwang Hajin for Jae-i’s sake had no choice but to reach out to him again.

From that point on, the situation grew complicated. But the young Hwang Jae-i didn’t need to do anything. Unlike before, now there were adults who acted on his behalf.

To be honest, from then on, life became a bit easier. He grew up, fulfilled his role as an S-class, and could say that he was living decently. Still, memories would sometimes surface without warning.

Why did he have to live imprisoned in such a place from the moment he was born? Why did his mother have to end up like that? Had that man ever truly intended for them to stay there only temporarily?

When he was younger, he had tried to believe in that man—just a little. But as he grew, he opened his eyes to reality. The world was far more filthy and disgusting than he had imagined. And that man, among them all, stood out most of all. He had reached a conclusion: that he could not live and breathe on the same land as that man. That he would absolutely destroy him.

Only then would his late mother feel even slightly less wronged.

“……”

Opening his eyes, Hwang Jae-i frowned.

The low ceiling above him felt unfamiliar. Wondering where he was, he began to sit up, only to pause. In front of him, the brilliantly blue ocean shimmered under the sun.

Scowling, Jae-i followed the blanket that had slipped down his chest with his gaze and looked down. Only then did he realize he was sitting in the reclined passenger seat of a vehicle, and memories of earlier returned.

“……Ah.”

Recalling the spontaneous decision to visit the ocean and that Dohwa had driven them there, he continued to stare blankly at the sea. Though beautiful on the surface, it was, in truth, one of the most dangerous places. Gates that opened at sea were particularly troublesome to explore. For Jae-i, whose affinity was with fire, water-related incidents had caused him plenty of trouble before, making him even more wary.

But then—why am I alone?

After confirming the empty seat beside him, Jae-i got out of the car. It was parked near the coastline. Thick trees grew around the area, providing cover and reducing the risk of exposure. So where could the boy who had left him here be?

“……”

If he were unlucky, Dohwa might have run off. Even so, Jae-i, without a hint of panic, casually scanned the surroundings, strolling through the trees until he reached a stretch of soft sand. There, ahead, he spotted Dohwa standing right by the sea. Gazing blankly at the striking clarity of the boy’s back, Jae-i walked across the sand with a soft rustling sound. Standing beside him, he tilted his head.

Dohwa was staring wide-eyed at the ocean. So still, it was unclear if he was even breathing, his gaze locked on a single point. Jae-i waved a hand in front of Dohwa’s face, up and down. Only when Jae-i snapped his fingers did Dohwa finally look up at him.

“……When did you get here?”

The reaction seemed genuinely unaware of his presence. Jae-i’s expression hardened.

“……”

After quietly observing Dohwa, he raised a finger and pressed it down on the boy’s head.

“You must’ve gotten the wrong idea from hanging around with me. But you can’t just wander off on your own like this.”

Dohwa glanced up at Jae-i’s hand pressing on his head and muttered softly.

“You kept sleeping even when I tried to wake you.”

“……”

Jae-i scowled at the comment. He wasn’t the type to remain asleep if a stranger so much as brushed past him. Someone as sensitive as he was couldn’t possibly fail to notice someone trying to wake him. He was about to accuse the boy of making things up—but he couldn’t say anything. Because his body was clearly telling him that he had slept deeply and well.

Which meant he’d been asleep the entire trip. How was that even possible? Suspecting that Dohwa might have pulled something, Jae-i narrowed his eyes with a menacing expression. But Dohwa, indifferent, simply turned his gaze back to the ocean once more.