Looking through the front window, at Nam Guk Shik’s tattoo parlor, which seemed empty early in the morning, SolHi frowned. „I feel nobody is here and there is something more weird in this story. Yet, as only staying here and doing anything won’t help me at all, I say to start working,” she told herself right before touching the interior door handle to open the door.

She couldn’t open the door eventually but winced when Bear asked her, „Are you sure you want to do that, Detective Ian?”

„Honestly? No,” she said after a few moments of silence and looking into his eyes. „Even so, I have to do that!”

„Why? Because, if we don’t do this, Min SinJu might do something against us?”

SolHi strangely smiled. „Does this seem small to you?” She asked the young man.

„Small? What do you mean?”

„Our friends from the shadows?” She asked him airly. Seeing that the young man was more confused than before, SolHi sighed. Then, she closed her eyes briefly, trying to regain her inner calmness. She did that when her heart strangely pounded in her chest. Only after that did she say, „Particularly, I mean Min SinJu. He’s the most important person for everyone now because we can’t simply allow him to hide in the shadows and lurk on us at each step.”

„This goes without saying. Yet… I can’t say what we should do to force him to give himself away.”

„He won’t do that easily, Bear. Even so, we can’t waste our time. What we must do is to make him nervous. At least we should do that with all those we see around him lately. Who knows?! It might be that, by doing this, we will make him do something wrong and give us the chance to catch him once and for all. And, for this to happen, we have to find out the location of each of his hideouts, starting with this one.”

„I say that’s a good start anyway,” the young man suddenly said, making SolHi stare at him, thunderstruck.

„A good start? What do you mean?” The young man said nothing. He only motioned with his head toward her to look in front where she finally saw Min SinJu’s car stopped in front of the tattoo parlor. „To be damned! Whom do we have here? No one other than the devil Min SinJu. And… he’s not alone but with our Hamster.”

„And that one over there is Nam Guk Shik, one of the puppies who waves his tail in front of Min SinJu and one of Dja Iun’s friends too,” Bear hissed through his teeth with hatred, making SolHi attentive.

Not the hatred felt in his voice made SolHi attentive, but to hear him gnashing his teeth and involuntarily making the sign of a twisted neck. Yet, she said nothing about this. She only frowned when the thought that „There is something more than hatred here” suddenly crossed her mind.

„You are actually right,” Bear said, making SolHi wince and stare at him again. He looked only in front though when he said, „There is definitely more than hatred between us. There is betrayal because I feel that this dog, Nam Guk Shik, has also something to do with Dja Iun’s death.”

„What makes you think that?”

„Just a hunch I have. And… I think it’s true what I feel. Why? Because, while Dja Iun was still alive, this dog had always waved his tail in front of him, asking for certain favors. After Dja Iun’s death, he hadn’t ever visited his grave or sent some flowers. I haven’t also seen him at Dja Iun’s funeral, though he had always said that they were good friends.”

„Friendship isn’t equal to vow,” said SolHi, making the young man frown. She smiled instead. „I mean… being someone’s friend doesn’t turn you into his soul mate. The same might have happened to Dja Iun and Nam Guk Shik. One of them needed the second one for information while Guk Shik might have needed Dja Iun for protection and certain favors. I’d rather call this symbiosis, even if some of us say that’s friendship.”

„A friendship with a scythe,” growled Bear with hatred again, clenching his fists and jaw. „Even so, I still think that we’ll solve this complicated puzzle one day. If this happens and I find out that the dog over there has been involved in my good friend’s death, I swear that not even the devil, who’s behind us, won’t stop me from sending him to hell.”

„The devil behind us? Who the hell are you talking about?” SolHi asked, stunned, looking behind.

Suddenly, she crouched in her chair, trying to hide. The reason? She saw that DooSan’s car was parked only two vehicles behind theirs while he was stepping out of his car. What was he doing there? SolHi had no clue or time to find out because, if she had left her car to approach him, she would have definitely given herself away in front of Min SinJu, who was next to his car, talking to his two assistants. Looking at him eventually, SolHi saw him smiling, and this might have been because of a single reason.

„He has spotted DooSan and is acting,” she whispered.

„Undoubtedly,” Bear answered to what seemed to be a question on her part.

Hearing the man saying those words, SolHi looked at him in amazement. „I thought I said that only in my head,” she said.

„Well, let’s say then that I have recently started to hear thoughts,” he teased her, smiling. Then, seeing DooSan passing by their car, on the side where SolHi was, both he and SolHi hid their faces with their arms, even if they knew that the car had tinted windows and nobody could see inside it. Even so, aware that being cautious helped them, they preferred to do that.

What amazed them more than seeing DooSan there was to spot Kan following the prosecutor, only two steps from him. „As though is Han DooSan’s puppy,” Bear whispered, making SolHi squint at him.

„In case you didn’t know this man might be your father,” SolHi scolded him.

„You are who said that: he might have been. Yet, once he’s not my father, I can say whatever I want about him. Anyway, not this is important but the fact that you seemed to try to hide from them, what’s strange.”

„I don’t see why you think that.”

„Because… Mopsic and you seemed to have a good relationship?! Well, at least it seemed to be so. Yet, once you are a ghost now, it might be that I’m wrong.”

SolHi showed him her fangs. „This one with the „ghost” didn’t sound nice at all. Yet, you might also be right. At the same time, you are right about them because… they are always poking their noses in our businesses.”

„Even so, by doing this, they might do us a favor.”

„The reason?”

„Because… they are stepping on that snake’s tail? I’m talking about Min SinJu because, judging by his sour face, the fact that Detective Kan and Prosecutor Han are here, isn’t something that he likes.”

„This goes without saying. Even so, being here so suddenly might play against us and alert Min SinJu, something that isn’t convenient for us. Why? Because he’ll be more careful from now on - the opposite of what we want.”

„I wouldn’t be that sure about this if I were you.”

„What makes you think that?”

„The simple fact that everybody knows about the hatred between them.”

„I won’t deny that. Even so, I don’t understand your point.”

„I’m not talking about something out of the ordinary. All I wanted to say is that… enemies piss each other off openly only to make the other one do something wrong. Particularly, they do that when they see that the other one’s businesses are in blossom. The same might happen to Min SinJu, I think. And, once we can’t leave this car to see what’s going on outside, I say at least eavesdrop on their conversation.”

„For this to happen, we have to turn into flies. Otherwise, I can’t see how this will be possible.”

„Why exactly to turn into flies? We can simply open the top hatch. Thus, we can hear everything without endangering ourselves, I think.”

SolHi smiled. Yes, she didn’t think about this because many other weird thoughts crossed her mind. The young man instead, with enough experience in such things, as she thought, seemed to think logically in certain difficult moments. She wanted to ask him about this, but she hesitated eventually. She only opened the top hatch, half only, and, comfortably sitting in her chair, she eagerly waited to see what would happen next.

At first, she only heard Min SinJu’s group whispering to each other and DooSan and Kan’s heavy steps, who kept approaching the group. Yet, even if he spotted them coming, SinJu didn’t pay too much attention to them. At least, he didn’t do that at first. Then, when only about twenty meters were left between them and his enemies, he pointed with his head toward Hamster and Guk Shik to leave him alone, and they right away headed toward the tattoo parlor, glaring at DooSan and making him smile.

„I didn’t expect less from you, my friend!”

SinJu frowned. „Friend? Less? Honestly, I have no idea what you are talking about, friend,” he told DooSan ironically. When he said that, SinJu tried to seem calm, but he couldn’t deceive DooSan with that eventually, who understood that Min SinJu was simply acting. This made him say:

„I’m talking about the fact that I’m always finding you around the wasps’nest, for example. Or… no, sorry, around the nest of the cobras, better said.”

The prosecutor’s commentary made SinJu nervously move. He even, trying to hide his nervousness, although it was clearly seen that he clenched his jaw, took a lighter out of his pocket, which he started to play with by rotating it slowly in his hand. Yet, while doing this, he was heavily breathing in and out, as it always happened to nervous people who were simply boiling inside, but who still tried not to let others know about how they felt at that moment.

„Still, you do that,” said Kan eventually, when he felt tired of simply staring at SinJu. „You give yourself away when you shake because of fear, I mean.”

SinJu burst into laughter. „Because of fear? I? In front of you? I don’t see why I should do that. As far as I know, I didn’t do anything wrong or illegal to be afraid of looking into the eyes of the police officers.”

„If you haven’t been caught yet, this doesn’t mean that you didn’t do anything illegal,” said DooSan, smiling. „It’s only a matter of time until this happens. To catch you, I mean.”

„If you say so,” replied SinJu drily. Then, spotting Hamster getting out of the tattoo parlor and heading toward his motorcycle, SinJu took a step away from his car, which he had leaned against by then, and intended to open the door and enter the vehicle.

„Not that fast,” DooSan told him, forcing him to freeze with his hand on the door handle. „Not until we exchange a few words, I mean.” Then, staring at the back of Min SinJu’s head, who seemed to ignore him, DooSan made a sign to Kan with his hand, and this one headed toward Hamster’s motorcycle. „Now that we are alone, I say to stop ignoring each other, love!”

„Love? Call love your…,” SinJu furiously hissed through his teeth, staring with hatred at DooSan. „I didn’t spend a night in your arms to be called like that by you.”

„Even so, many people consider us to be the ideal couple. And, as I’m someone who loves to listen to what society says about me and wants from me, I said to stop ignoring my soulmate and find out what he thinks about this. Who knows?! Only by carefully listening to what he says, I can hear things.”

„Things like?” SinJu asked, frowning.

„Like… what the hell are you doing here, for instance?” DooSan said through his teeth. Then, looking around, he saw Kan showing his ID to Hamster and forcing that one to take the helmet off and also show him his ID.

„What do I know?!” SinJu said, smiling. „What can someone do in front of a tattoo parlor? Maybe, I wanted to get a tattoo, don’t you think so?”

„Yeah, right,” DooSan hissed through his teeth, taking a step toward SinJu and threateningly staring into his rival’s eyes. „I’m not stupid to believe that. Why? Those like you don’t get tattoos, Min SinJu.”

Not losing his temper and still staring into the prosecutor’s eyes, who threw fires through them while staring at him, SinJu smiled. „Are you sure of this, Prosecutor Han?” He ironically asked. „That those like me do not get tattoos?”

„Yes, I’m absolutely sure of that. Why? Because… those like you would rather make a deal with Death by hurting others than suffering themselves, and you are definitely friends with Death, Min SinJu!”

Hearing DooSan talking like that, SolHi nervously moved in her seat. „He’s definitely looking for the devil today,” she hissed through her teeth, touching the inner door handle to open the door. She right away closed it back when Bear grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him, anticipating her intention.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

The young man did that, trying not to let others know that they were there. Yet, he didn’t manage that because DooSan noticed the door, which suddenly closed. Even so, DooSan looked over there only from the corner of his eyes, trying not to inform SinJu about what he saw.

The prosecutor’s fear wasn’t real though because SinJu didn’t have time for others at that moment but to make him leave. The reason? He simply couldn’t swallow him because, each time DooSan was around him, he got into trouble in one way or another. „Something I won’t allow, not this time,” he furiously growled, taking the last step toward DooSan.

DooSan neither pulled back nor stepped away from SinJu. All he did was confidently stare into his enemy’s eyes. He even smiled when he asked SinJu, „You won’t do what? Allow me to be here, for instance?”

„No. I won’t allow you to breathe down my neck again, Han DooSan. Why? I’m tired of you and your team. I’m tired of hearing you insulting me without paying you back for that as you deserve.”

„Are you threatening me right now?”

„Think what you want about this! You can call it a threat or a simple warning, it’s the same for me. Why? Because… if this means to watch my back and protect my reputation, I’m ready to take that risk.”

„Even if this means to see what life behind bars means?”

„For a few words only? I won’t be that sure.”

„Well, I am. Why? Threatening someone with his life is considered a crime.”

„Really? Since when telling someone to stay away from you is considered a crime? I think you are missing something now, Prosecutor Han. Why? Because… if someone breaks the law here, that one is you. Why? Simply because… breathing down my neck and accusing me without evidence can be considered a crime.”

„Make a complaint then, Min SinJu. You can even go straight to the General Attorney’s office if you want. Even so, I assure you that this won’t help you in anything.”

„Why? Is it because the new Chief of DOC is watching your back now?”

„You can say it so. I won’t deny that. Why? Because… this is something I’ve learned from you - to find someone to watch my back and never be afraid of anything. This happened to you since you have something against An Te Sun, right?”

„An Te Sun? Who is this one?”

„Come on, Min SinJu, don’t play the fool right now! Why? We both know that you are a bad actor. Why? Because, if you had no idea who An Te Sun is, your photo wouldn’t have been all over his office.”

„Aaaa, if you say so!” Min SinJu ironically said. „Maybe it’s as you say! I won’t deny that if you don’t do this too. Even so, if you want to accuse someone of being corrupt, go with your boss then!”

„You said you didn’t know who he is,” said DooSan, smiling. „I’m talking about An Te Sun. Or… did my beautiful eyes and my sweet voice help you refresh your memory?”

„Han DooSan!” SuJin growled through his teeth, squeezing his fists. „You are crossing the line already!”

„Do I? Well, maybe it’s so. Yet, whether I cross the line or not, I still have to tell you this: stay away from problems, Min SinJu! Stay as far as possible from them! Why? My hand won’t shake at all to cuff you if you do that.”

„Not even if this means getting in the same place as Ian SolHi?”

„Not even if this happens. Why? Not even dead, I will stop breathing down your neck, Min SinJu. Even if I am turned into a ghost one day, I’ll still be around you. And… I won’t be the only ghost hunting you. Enough souls follow you everywhere. Innocent souls that suffered because of you. Souls that won’t ever let you freely breathe, souls that will always dance around you, dreaming about a single thing: to see your head falling, as if you are a snake whose head was cut with a scythe. It’s what you deserve and something that sooner or later happens for sure. Now, Kan, let’s go! Who knows? With a little bit of luck, I’ll see a fresh tattoo on your arm today!”

Saying this, DooSan turned his back to SinJu and headed toward Kan and Hamster. Not understanding what the hell the prosecutor was talking about, the detective widened his eyes and fixed them on DooSan. Only when he saw SinJu’s sparkling eyes because of hatred and his squeezed fists, a hint that he was more than capable of twisting Han DooSan’s neck for that offense, did Kan smile. Then, slipping the notebook into his pocket, which he used to take some notes while talking to Hamster, Kan said, „Of course, Prosecutor: it’ll be my pleasure! The tattoo, I mean!” After that, motioning to Hamster that he was free to go, the detective followed DooSan, who was already heading toward the entrance to the tattoo parlor.

Looking behind DooSan and Kan, Hamster frowned. He did that, considering their behavior weird. Then, he looked at SinJu, asking him by a glance who those two men were and what their problem was. Yet, he didn’t receive an answer to his question. What SinJu did was to motion him discreetly to hit the pike. After that, barely controlling his nerves, SinJu entered the car, slamming the door.

Seeing SinJu slamming the door and so pissed off, SolHi smiled. „Should we take this as a victory?” Bear asked her.

„Of course, young man! Why? Han DooSan has always been on top! Thus, why am I even surprised? He’s definitely the only one who can leave Min SinJu powerless and make him wish to have the devil’s powers.”

***

After entering the tattoo parlor, DooSan stopped right in front of the door and looked behind him. Thus, he saw Min SinJu’s driver rushing to turn the engine on and leave that place. Soon after this, he also heard the engine of the car driven by SolHi, which followed Min SinJu’s car.

Looking behind the black Jeep SolHi was driving, DooSan smiled. „Smart girl,” he whispered. „If she follows that rat from close, she’ll find something against him for sure.” Then, feeling a movement behind him, DooSan looked over there, scared, seeing Kan squinting at him. „What’s your problem, old ogre?” He snapped at the detective.

„What do I know?!” Replied Kan drily. „Maybe I don’t have a problem with you but with the fact you seem damn suspicious. Especially after everything that happened outside.”

„Outside? What the hell are you talking about?” DooSan played the fool.

Kan grinned. Then, carefully looking around to make sure Nam Guk Shik wasn’t close to hearing what they were talking about, Kan took a step toward DooSan, saying, „I’m talking about the black Jeep that was parked not that far from the tattoo parlor. You also saw it, right?” DooSan frowned. „Yes, you saw it. That’s why you tell me less than you know. Yet, I know you hide something. So, tell me: who was in that car?”

DooSan shrugged, bored. „What do I know? I don’t have the power to know who keeps an eye on Min SinJu.”

„Yet, I’m sure you know.”

„And this miracle? Did I see through the hood of the car or something? In case you didn’t notice, the car had tinted windows. It was impossible to see something through them.”

„Even so, you know who keeps an eye on us too. How do I know that? I smell this. Whose smell do I feel? Yours, Prosecutor Han because, each time you lie to someone, it stinks like hell.”

„Are you trying to say that I stink?” DooSan snapped at him again.

„You are who said that, not me,” Kan calmly replied. Then, seeing Guk Shik appearing from one of the side rooms, bringing a magazine with new tattoo sketches, and insistently looking at them, the detective sketched a fake smile at first. After that, approaching DooSan’s ear, he hissed, „It’s not over yet. The conversation, I mean, something we’ll continue later.”

„I’m not your lover to argue with you later,” DooSan growled, moving away from Kan. „Just as I’m not stupid to hang myself.”

„Well, I think you still are one,” Kan told himself, looking behind DooSan, who approached Guk Shik. „Why am I sure that you are stupid? Because… there are too many secrets around you lately, Prosecutor Han, secrets that lead your footsteps toward a single destination: your death. Something I won’t allow eventually: to lose your head, I mean. If this happens, Ian SolHi will revive for sure just to kill me.”

„Are you coming?” DooSan suddenly shouted, making Kan wince.

Looking at the prosecutor, Kan saw that one frowning while staring at him, a hint that the detective’s slowness pissed him off. At the same time, Kan felt pissed off because DooSan kept playing the fool. Yet, once he didn’t have evidence that DooSan hid something from him except his hunch, all the detective could do was crawl his legs toward Nam Guk Shik’s table work, where this one was cleaning his tools and preparing for work.

Arriving next to Guk Shik, Kan insistently looked at him for a while. DooSan did the same thing. Yet, both he and Kan didn’t say a word all this time while Guk Shik continued to clean his tools, also silently. Only when Kan, pissed off to see that Guk Shik was stalling, knocked on the table, this one sighed and, opening one of the magazines with the tattoos he got to others all those years, showed them the tattoos the two dead spouses had. When he showed them to DooSan and Kan, Guk Shik growled, „Here they are!”

Seeing the tattoos, identical to the ones GhiYon showed him, DooSan frowned. Then, exchanging glances with Kan, DooSan took the phone out of his pocket and took a few photos of the magazine. After that, staring at Kan’s phone, on whose screen were the photos GhiYon had sent them with the tattoos of the two spouses, DooSan said, „They are identical.”

„Absolutely. There is no doubt about this already. And… when did you say they got them?” The detective asked Guk Shik.

Before answering Kan’s question, Guk Shik thought for a while. Only after that did he say, „About a year ago. I’m not sure about this because I didn’t make them.”

Kan and DooSan exchanged glances again. „Not you?” DooSan asked. „If not you, who did them then?”

„The one who left the tattoo parlor a while ago. He used to work here a year ago. Later, he started working as a barman in the club.”

DooSan grinned. „A risky movement in my opinion.”

„Risky? I think exactly the opposite,” replied Guk Shik calmly. „Why do I think so? He receives much more there than here. Besides, he has more freedom working there than here.” Realizing that he talked too much, he suddenly looked elsewhere. Particularly, Guk Shik did that because of Kan’s insistent glance.

„Still, I consider his move risky,” the detective suddenly growled, making Guk Shik swallow hard. „Particularly, I start thinking that because you avoid looking into my eyes. This is a clear hint that you are lying to us, according to me.”

„Hell no, I don’t hide anything,” Guk Shik rushed to reply. „I don’t see why I have to lie.”

„Because all this stinks?” The detective said through his teeth. „I’m talking about all the businesses you are involved in.”

Kan’s commentary pissed the young man off, making him suddenly jump to his feet. Then, he snapped at the detective, „I suggest you keep such commentaries for you only, detective! The reason? I feel insulted. Besides, I don’t like your indirect hints to try to „make me talk.” Why? I’m not stupid to say unreal things just to save my ass. If I said something, it was because I wanted to be nice and respect the job you have. Yet, once you have started insulting me, I say to get out of here until I don’t call the cops. And, if you have more questions, summon me to the police department then!”

„You think I won’t do that?” Kan calmly asked. „Don’t worry: I’ll do it if I have to do it. I’ll summon you to the police station, I mean. Related to you calling the cops: I suggest not wasting your time. Why? In case you didn’t realize that, we are already here. And, once we have power over the rest of the police officers and the right to be here, I tell you to behave, young man, and answer our questions properly. Which questions in particular? Why exactly did they get the tattoos here if they also had a tattoo parlor?”

„Should I know that too?” Guk Shik snapped at the detective again. Seeing Kan’s sour face and DooSan’s eyes sparkling because of hatred, a hint that he had all the chances to get behind bars that day, Guk Shik suddenly calmed down and said, „I didn’t ask them, okay?! Why? I had no deal with that. All I was interested in was that I had clients and that they paid me and not others for those tattoos.”

„Now that you mention that, I think you are right. Yet, we have a problem now. Which one? Those who paid you for those tattoos are dead now. Burnt alive in an old sawmill. When? Last night!”

Seeing Guk Shik widening his eyes and swallowing hard, DooSan smiled. „Didn’t you know that they were dead?”

„No. First time I heard this. Anyway, I didn’t have a reason to know that because… we weren’t that close.”

„Still, someone saw you with them a few days ago. Where exactly? In Busan, at the auction where Hon Su Ho sold his properties.”

„Something I won’t deny. I was there. Yet, what I’ll deny is the fact that I haven’t been invited by them there. Who told me about the auction was one of my friends. And, once Hon Su Ho also sold his tattoo parlor that day, something I was interested in, I went there to buy it.”

DooSan and Kan exchanged glances again. „Their tattoo parlor? Did you buy it?”

„Neah! I didn’t have as much as others offered. Even so, I won’t say that I wouldn’t have liked to buy it because the area where that parlor is located is perfect for earnings.”

„I agree with you on this. Yet, tell me, do you know who bought it?”

„Honestly, no.”

The two men looked at him in amazement. „Have you been there and you don’t know who took it from you?” DooSan asked in mockery. „You suck, dude, for sure!”

„I don’t see why. The auction was in an enclosed circle and also secret. I mean… Yes, all of us have been in the same room. Yet, how much each of us paid, none of us saw because everything was done using an app.”

„An app? Which one? Can we see it?”

„No, Detective! When we left the room, they took the tablets they gave us before the auction. Yet, I remember that the app was very simple, having an ID client or something like that and only one field to put the amount you could pay.”

„Too simple for my taste,” Kan growled.

„What I think is that it was damn smart, Detective,” said DooSan, smiling. „They left no tracks. Now, let’s go because… we only waste our time here.”

Saying this, DooSan intended to leave. Yet, he suddenly stopped when Kan grabbed his arm. Looking at the detective, DooSan had seen him discreetly motioning him with his head to look at the table on which Guk Shik had a photo with So Ari. Next to that photo, they saw another one of Ari hugging Guk Shik, both looking so in love.

„This is already something more interesting than the Eighth Wonder of the world,” the Prosecutor said, making Guk Shik stare at him, confused. Then, smiling, DooSan said, „I’m talking about the girl from the photo. Do you know her?” Guk Shik nodded. „Where from?”

„She’s my girlfriend. Why are you asking?”

„Because she’s someone who… let’s say, she’s someone I know very well. Why? I’ll answer this question if you tell me where she’s now.”

„Abroad.” Seeing Kan and DooSan exchanging glances again, Guk Shik found it suspicious. This even alerted him. And, suddenly standing up while staring at the two men, he asked in a shaking voice, „Why do you ask where Ari is? Something happened to her or is she involved in something?”

„Yes,” Kan drily answered. „What happened is that you have no idea what world you live in, dude. You also have no idea about who the girl you got involved with was.”

Guk Shik frowned. „The girl I’ve got involved with? What the hell are you talking about this time?”

„I’m talking about the fact that you live in a soap bubble about to explode, young man. And, if you want to find out more about your… girl and see her, you’ll follow us yes or yes.”

„To follow you? Where?”

„At the morgue! We found her body a few days ago.” Guk Shik staggered to his feet. If Kan wasn’t next to him to grab his arm, he would have hurt himself for sure.

Still staring at Ari’s photo, Guk Shik asked through tears, „Is she dead? What happened to her?”

„We also don’t know too much about this. All we know is that a homeless man found her in an abandoned house. The preliminary investigation has shown us that she hanged herself, and this means only one thing, my friend: she lied to you and played with you all this time, and this is already a bad thing!”

Saying this, Kan sighed. Then, realizing how much Guk Shi suffered and realizing that the young man had beautiful feelings for Ari, about whom he didn’t know too much, Kan felt sorrow for him. That’s why he rested his hand on his shoulder eventually, trying to comfort him at least as much as he could.