Original Chapters: ???
32: the gamer and the manager (3)
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Eun-Byeol paused, as if thinking about something, and continued, "What we're going to do here on out is to lure Choi Sooho into having a sense of security. Right now, he's probably terrified that I'd go for his throat but—" Playing with a prey is better than murdering them outright.
The rest of his words got stuck in his throat when he realized Junghyuk's condition.
This kid's show of concern earlier was probably because Eun-Byeol's actions had yet to sink in.
So, now, the kid he'd been managing for the past decade had grown fearful of him.
How... boring, the current Eun-Byeol couldn't help but think, ignoring the way his heart constricted in both anger and disappointment. I thought that after all of that, that he and I...
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✧Note✧ we won't be seeing 3rd Junghyuk nor 3rd(?) Byeol's thoughts! this chapter is seen through past them's eyes!
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"Byeol-nim," the 'right-hand man' called out to the silent manager, who'd been staring at his laptop's screen for the past few minutes. "We've received President Choi's answer."
"And?"
"He won't be protecting his son."
A smile bloomed on the man's lips, which had been pursed and straight this whole time. "He's quite smart for someone who donated a rotten sperm and said sperm turning out to be an idiot."
"..." The right-hand man, Fu Hanyu, almost choked from laughter. Byeol-nim's tongue is as sharp as ever. Who would even dare to badmouth President Choi, that old fox? Fu Hanyu quietly sang praises to his boss, yet his expression remained stern and serious.
"Then, what should we do about that... kid you brought? He's been cooped up in his room this whole time." Fu Hanyu couldn't help but reveal a bit of dislike in his tone when he spoke of that person the boss brought. Rather, the boss had been trying to protect.
Who was he supposed to be to receive their Byeol-nim's protection?
Well... Fine, Fu Hanyu just felt bitter because their Byeol-nim rarely drops by the base. In fact, this was the first time in over five years. And sure, Fu Hanyu knew that kid, Yoo Junghyuk, a pro gamer, but he would never acknowledge that kid.
For the sole reason that Byeol-nim supported him without his knowledge.
"... just let him be," the boss spoke with a disinterested face, as if whatever Yoo Junghyuk did had nothing to do with him. "Just tell him that he can take a walk around if he feels like it. Anyway, I'll be leaving in the morning to clean up Choi Sooho. Make sure that the cleaners are on standby."
"Yes, Byeol-nim!"
Cleaners.
Byeol-nim made that group because he often had fun torturing his targets and ended up making a terrible mess every single time. Fu Hanyu was the one who gathered those people. He ascertained that none of them would throw up once they saw the aftermath of Byeol-nim's session.
...
"..." Yoo Junghyuk looked around, then his attention went back to the freshly cooked breakfast set before him on the table. "Where's Byeol-hyung?"
The man who had been glaring at him from across the room rolled his eyes. Yoo Junghyuk, in fact, didn't feel intimidated. Who would be scared of a dangerous-looking man wearing a barbie apron? The contrast of danger and cute offsets the intimidation.
"Byeol-nim's business is none of your business."
The gamer frowned, not liking how this 'bodyguard' assigned to him drew an obvious line between himself and his manager. "Where's my phone then?"
"..."
Yoo Junghyuk's frown deepened when he received no answer. When he woke up that morning, he discovered his phone nowhere to be seen. There was no telephone or computer, even a laptop anywhere in this place.
Even if he wanted to contact Byeol, he didn't have the means to. This bodyguard wouldn't even lend him a phone.
Not knowing what was happening caused uneasiness to itch his heart. Not knowing where Byeol was after realizing that people were after their lives made Junghyuk worry like crazy.
But what made Junghyuk feel guilty was how he reacted when they arrived here at the base.
He treated Byeol as if he were someone who would harm him.
Guilt slapped him like a bitch once he locked himself up in the room provided to him. How could he grow afraid of Byeol-hyung when all that person did this whole time was protect him, a pro gamer who had no power in his hands?
If he hadn't provoked Choi Sooho, then Byeol-hyung wouldn't have done those things for him.
In the first place, it was him who dragged his manager into this mess.
If only I had more power to begin with...
The more he thought, the more Junghyuk lost the appetite to eat.
Which made Fu Hanyu angry. In the end, with a wooden spatula in hand, he smacked the pro gamer upside the head. "Will you quit that moping? Even though I don't understand why Byeol-nim protects you, at least appreciate his efforts! Tsk. After helping you in your parents' investigation, you're quite an ungrateful bastard, aren't you?"
"... what did you say?"
Fu Hanyu: "..." Fuck, I accidentally let that slip.
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"You know," Ahn Eun-Byeol slammed a foot on an assassin's chest. "I feel like we're in a novel, the kind with mafia and hitmen and such. It's rather... entertaining, don't you think so?" The manager placed more pressure and ended up breaking a few ribs. The assassin cried out in pain, trying his best to push Eun-Byeol's foot away.
"Struggling is useless," he glanced at his wrist watch to check the time. "What time did you say your employer will arrive? What organization do you belong to? Where are you based? How many are you in the organization?"
For some reason, the more the assassin heard his target's questions, the more he found it odd, despite the excruciating pain in his chest.
Why... does it sound like his target was planning to take over his organization???
Ahn Eun-Byeol grew bored when the assassin suddenly quieted down moments later. He nudged the broken body on the ground but it didn't give any reaction that Eun-Byeol wanted. This caused him to click his tongue. "Dead already? You're more fragile than I thought."
The manager frowned, wiping the sole of his shoes on the ground in an attempt to get rid of blood. "Choi Sooho's men are quite slippery." However, that frown slowly curved into a smile, one so blinding and angelic as if Eun-Byeol hadn't just committed murder.
"This is getting quite fun."
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"I said that this was getting quite fun," Ahn Eun-Byeol muttered under his breath before kicking the door of an abandoned warehouse open. "But why do you guys have such a cliche hideout?"
Disbelief was written all over his face that Choi Sooho's bodyguards felt offended. "Why not some place more... comfortable? Do second-rate villains wish to die in dilapidated and rundown places like this?"
"..." To be fair, it wasn't like they wanted to stay in this kind of abandoned place either, alright?
The thrill of hunting dissipated just like that and Eun-Byeol's once sparkling eyes dimmed as he lost interest. He stared at the enemies one by one and each glance subconsciously made them step back out of fear.
Boring.
It was so boring when Eun-Byeol could get whatever he wanted with just a single glance. "Are you Choi Sooho's men or are you hired mercenaries?"
"U, Um, we, we're hired... hoodlums."
"So, basically, good-for-nothing hooligans who can't even join a gang?"
"..." You didn't have to point that out!
"So, what, Choi Sooho's running out of money? To hire pathetic pests like you? You can't even ruffle up any gangs in the area."
Ahn Eun-Byeol.
Ever since he was a child, he'd been a part of gangs to make a living after the money his... 'good' parents 'left behind' ran out. He refused to be taken to an orphanage and became a runaway. It was during that time he was picked up by some gangster boss after Eun-Byeol beat the crap out of his members.
Ever since, Eun-Byeol became a menace in their circle and practically dominated every gang that crossed paths with him. His name became a taboo and as long as a gangster met him, they should pretend to not know who he was and flee the next second.
No one wanted to acquire his ire, after all. Lest they became a corpse in the next day's news.
However, they were curious about this person called Ahn Eun-Byeol.
Anything he wanted, he could get.
He was smart as fuck that he made everyone else feel dumb.
He was pretty enough to seduce both men and women.
He was strong and terrifying and no one dared to disobey his words.
Ahn Eun-Byeol was 'perfect' in a sense that one should abandon their morals first. If the country was still in its monarchical system, then Eun-Byeol would have already become a ruler. Well, a tyrannical ruler.
After all, he could do anything to chase away boredom. Take his side job for example; who would ever think that a computer scientist would become a manager for a professional gamer? A computer scientist who was beyond excellent at his job at that.
Ahn Eun-Byeol sighed in disappointment. "I should finish the hunt and get this over with." The man muttered under his breath, trying to pull out something from his pocket. "I should give Junghyuk an earful that he shouldn't provoke people he can't handle, dammit."
He just wasted his time doing this supposed interesting hunt that turned out to be lacking in originality.
... let's just hope that ungrateful brat doesn't run away.
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Yoo Junghyuk remained in his room, contemplating over the words that Fu Hanyu said by accident.
So, when he started searching for his and Mia's parents, his manager did the same? But at that time, they barely knew each other and had only been working together for a few weeks. His first manager, whom Junghyuk couldn't remember the name of, suddenly resigned without warning back then.
His new manager was Ahn Eun-Byeol, whose name was unknown in the e-sports and entertainment circle. He was just like a mushroom that sprouted out of nowhere.
At first, that person was the 'perfect' manager. He was still perfect until now but Byeol-hyung showed his true colors much faster than one would expect. On the third day of being a manager, he insulted Junghyuk for many mundane things that the gamer didn't know how to react to.
Should he get angry?
Ashamed?
Indifferent?
Or ask the president if he could change managers?
However, Junghyuk quickly found out that Byeol-hyung simply had a sharp tongue. His words were sharper than swords and if Junghyuk didn't have a strong heart, he would have been greatly traumatized by the manager.
Despite that, most times, Byeol-hyung did his job to the point of perfection that Junghyuk had no qualms about his work ethic. Even though being a manager was a side job, Byeol-hyung acted as if he managed Junghyuk's career full time.
And when Mia came into his life, it was actually Byeol-hyung who helped him take care of her. Well, he didn't personally take care of Mia but he did give Junghyuk much advice on how to take care of children.
When Junghyuk expressed what he wanted to do, Byeol-hyung simply said, "So? Do whatever you want. Anyway, parents aren't all that great so it doesn't matter if you find them or not."
As if Byeol-hyung also had parents like theirs.
So, Junghyuk fiddled with his fingers. Why should I be afraid of hyung? He's never hurt me and Mia and hasn't done anything to put us in danger. It was my fault to begin with why we're in this mess. The gamer released a sigh of frustration.
If I just let go of my pride for a second, I wouldn't have dragged Byeol-hyung down with me. If I just told him about my conversation with Choi Sooho, then the company could have done something.
It all boiled down to his pride as a professional gamer. Well, and pettiness.
Byeol-hyung had always taken care of him and he just, Junghyuk wanted to show him that he could take care of himself.
Someone knocked on the door.
"Junghyuk," Byeol-hyung's familiar voice came from the other side. "Let's talk. Open the door."
Oh. Right.
He locked the door earlier.
"Byeol-hyung," Junghyuk began even before the door fully opened. "About earlier—" however, his words abruptly stopped when he saw an unfamiliar face grinning at him.
"Who—?!"
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Ahn Eun-Byeol shut the car's door rather sluggishly. He still felt upset about how his fun was cut to a short just like that by idiotic planning on the opponent's side. The manager fiddled with his key ring, trying to find the key.
Once he found it, he shoved it in the keyhole to open the door. That's strange. Usually, there's someone who'd hear my arrival and open it for me.
When the door opened, however, the sight before him piqued his interest.
The guards he was expecting to open the door and greet him just as usual all lay on the ground, dead for quite a while.
"Oh," the manager was silent for a moment before he broke into uncontrollable laughter. "Alright, it seems like Choi Sooho's still quite fun to play with."
Nonetheless, despite how happy he might seem, one only had to be the subject of his gaze to realize how murderous he was at that moment.
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Next chapter concludes this scenario!
Ngl I also shipped them when I did the quest 😭😭😭
I feel like Byeol would do this given the chance—
This would prolly be Byeol if Dokja stops him from doing something... illegal.
Dokja if he were still a hamster: