Once again, Hyunsoo was concerned. And it was obviously because of the same man.
Jinwoo.
First, he was all happy and sunshine
Second, he became furious and now?
He was in depression.
Staring at the table in front of him with hair covering his face, he wasn't talking like usual.
"Hey, jinwoo.."
"Hyunsoo. We killed someone."
The word that came out of jinwoo's tongue were sharp and cold.
He repeated.
"We killed someone.."
"Jinw-"
Jinwoo in a flash looked ahead of him, visible dark circles indicating his loss of sleep from last night. He was in true sorrow.
"Hyunsoo. I won't force you. You haven't killed anyone yet. You can leave... I will pay your bills or whatever...."
Hyunsoo didn't reply immediately.
He stared at Jinwoo.
Then stared a little longer.
Then blinked.
"Bro, that's not how this works," he said, voice low but firm. "You think I'd just dip 'cause things got bloody?"
Jinwoo didn't answer. His fingers trembled slightly, still curled near his untouched coffee cup. The steam had faded long ago.
Hyunsoo sighed, sitting down across from him, folding his arms.
"Yeah, maybe we killed someone. But they weren't exactly handing out cookies and good karma, were they?"
"That's not the point." Jinwoo's voice cracked. "Taking a life—it's not something you just brush off."
"No. It's not," Hyunsoo said softly. "But you're not the only one carrying it, okay? You pulled the trigger, sure. But I was right there beside you. Don't act like you're alone in this war."
Jinwoo flinched, eyes flickering with something unreadable—guilt, maybe. Regret.
Maybe even fear.
"I didn't sleep at all," he mumbled. "Every time I close my eyes, I see his face."
Hyunsoo leaned back in his chair and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Yeah… Welcome to being human."
He paused, then smirked bitterly. "Sucks, right?"
That actually made Jinwoo let out a half-laugh. Short. Dry. Broken.
"God, you're such an idiot," Jinwoo muttered.
"Takes one to know one."
And for a moment, silence returned. Not awkward. Not heavy. Just... quiet. Like the storm had passed, but the sky still needed time to clear.
Then Hyunsoo grinned.
"Oh, and screw the bills. I'm not your charity case."
Jinwoo raised an eyebrow. "So you're staying?"
"Duh. Every great novel has a duo. Stop acting soft and sh*t. The guy we killed was nothing but a piece of sh*t. Bet he's in hell."
"You did a good deed and earned money. Isn't money the only thing we need to care about."
Jinwoo inhaled, held it for long.
Extremely long.
He gradually exhaled and replied.
"Ha... But i should make a promise. I will never kill a good person, a normal person, or someone with a good soul. Even if they are a goblin. No matter.
'Why goblin tho?' Hyunsoo thought before replying with a slight laugh.
"Well, what about my share?"
Jinwoo looked up at him, face still pale, but there was a twitch at the corner of his lips. A flicker of his usual sarcasm trying to rise from the ashes.
"Your share? You mean the five thousand won I scraped out of his bloody jacket?"
Hyunsoo dramatically gasped. "Five thousand? You mean I risked my life and got trauma for a convenience store salary?"
"Technically, you didn't kill him. So maybe you get the trauma, not the money."
"Wow. Capitalism hits different in this world too."
Jinwoo chuckled, a real one this time, faint but there.
He wiped his face with both hands and leaned back, letting the light above flicker across his tired eyes.
"Thanks, Hyunsoo."
Hyunsoo blinked. "For what?"
"For not leaving."
"…Tch. You're lucky I'm broke and emotionally attached."
The TV—wait, why does every café here have a television? Ugh. Whatever.
The screen lit up in red and white. BREAKING NEWS.
A reporter stood in front of a building outlined with yellow tape, the kind you see in every crime drama ever.
"This morning, the body of Minsik Han, suspected leader of an illegal dungeon trafficking ring, was discovered behind the old shipping yard in Gangseo District. Police say the cause of death appears to be mana-burn, consistent with an awakened confrontation…"
Hyunsoo slowly turned his head toward Jinwoo.
Jinwoo stared straight at the screen.
Expression unreadable.
Still.
Still like a statue.
The reporter kept talking.
"No suspects have been identified, but due to Minsik's long criminal record, many believe this was an act of revenge from a rival gang or a rogue awakener…"
"Rogue awakener?" Hyunsoo whispered.
Jinwoo muttered under his breath, "…Guess that's us now."
Hyunsoo blinked. "Damn. Sounds kinda cool."
Jinwoo gave him a deadpan look.
"…What? I didn't say murderer. I said rogue awakener. Big difference."
"You're unbelievable."
"And you love me."
"Eww! What the f*ck! Never say that again you gay a** b*tch."
"...True. I feel like vomiting. It was just a reflex of what I used to say to my Lil sis."
"Woah! We are quite similar."
Hyunsoo blinked. "Huh?"
"I mean," Jinwoo muttered, brushing his hair back, "I used to say that to my little sister too. Just to annoy her."
"Did she punch you in the face after?"
"Once. Gave me a nosebleed."
"Damn, she's my idol now."
They both laughed—nothing loud, nothing dramatic, just tired little chuckles two broken souls make when they find something oddly warm in the cold.
Then came the silence again. That kind of silence that sneaks in when the weight of the world sits on your back but your legs still move.
Hyunsoo sipped from Jinwoo's abandoned coffee.
"It's cold."
"Like my soul," Jinwoo said.
"Edgelord. Anyway, you gonna tell me more about that sister of yours or are we keeping it cryptic and sad?"
Jinwoo looked away, his jaw tensing. "She's… gone."
Hyunsoo immediately regretted asking.
"Oh. Damn, bro. Sorry."
"Dont get he wrong idea, b*tch. She's still alive. She just left the house–no wait. "I" left the house."
"Just say you were kicked out, emo"
"Can you read minds?"
Hyunsoo leaned in, eyes squinting like he was trying to read a fine-print plot twist.
"I knew it! You got kicked out, didn't you?"
Jinwoo grunted, grabbing the cold coffee and sipping it like it was punishment. "Nah. I left before they could."
"Classic runaway behavior," Hyunsoo said, nodding like some wise old monk. "Did you leave a dramatic note? 'Goodbye, cruel world'? Or like, 'Don't look for me unless you're a K-pop idol'?"
"…No. I just took my stuff and dipped."
Hyunsoo whistled. "Damn. Cold-blooded. Even your exit was low-budget."
"How about you explain "why" you are out here going around with some dude? What about your parents?"
"I am a grown man now, child. They trust me."
"Tch!"
Hyunsoo leaned back, arms folded with the smugness of someone who definitely just won a roast battle.
Jinwoo squinted at him. "Bro, you're literally, what—twenty?"
"twenty-four, thank you very much."
"Oh sorry, uncle."
"i have a sudden urge to slap you but i will hold back"
Jinwoo opened his mouth to clap back but then paused, eyes narrowing. "Wait, do your parents actually know you're doing this awakeners stuff? Running around with rogue hunter?"
"…Not exactly."
"Meaning?"
"They think I'm studying at a prep academy in Busan."
Jinwoo's eyebrow twitched. "Busan?!"
"Yup."
"Dude, we're in freakin' Seoul."
"I know. It's called lying. Learn it sometime."
"Ahh. Well. You know why I started this hunter thing?"
"Money?"
"Are you my long lost son?"
"I am too good-looking to be your son"
"True," Jinwoo muttered. "If you were, I'd throw myself into a gate out of shame."
"Wow. That's parental abuse and I'm telling CPS."
"Good luck. I'm a rogue awakener, remember? No government ties. I'm off the grid, baby."
Hyunsoo leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm. "So really though… money's your reason?"
Jinwoo was quiet for a beat.
Then another.
Finally, he spoke.
"Yeah. At first."
"At first?"
"I thought, y'know, 'get rich, buy a house, prove everyone wrong, flex on the haters, blah blah.'" He waved a hand like he was brushing away the old dream. "But now… I dunno."
Hyunsoo chuckled. "So what's the new reason, protagonist-sama?"
Jinwoo looked away again, out the window where the late afternoon light slanted through a dusty sky.
"…I guess I just want to meet my family....."
Hyunsoo laid back, sinking more into the chair and staring at the ceiling.
"....Well, it can't be helped, can it?"
----
They both were now standing at the front of the café, shaking their hands and waving back as Hyunsoo left first.
As he was walking Hyunsoo took out his phone and looked at the notification.
>[Bank account balance: 10,175,000 won]
A faint and warm smile overcame his face, with gratitude and a little annoyance.
"Heh. Cute bastard."