163 Kindred (2/2)

”What kind of bullsh*t are you spouting?”

”Don't try to pretend, Lee Hyuk. I can see it; that bloodthirstiness of yours. You hate them, don't you? Those people... this world... everything.” Yeong Gi said. His eyes glazed, as if he was reminiscing a memory.

Ji Yeong Gi could feel it. Hyuk and him—they were the same type of person. It was a feeling that was hard to explain, but it was the reason why he was so drawn to Hyuk. That same darkness, that same haunted look in their eyes, that same antagonism. He was sure their history was rather similar as well—he could tell; Hyuk carried a loneliness and a sense of solitariness that was common to those who came from a broken home. But most importantly—Hyuk was not weak. He was a fighter just like him. Yeong Gi felt that Hyuk was deserving of being equal to him.

”Get your head out of the gutters. I'm nothing like you,” Hyuk coldly said. Without warning, Hyuk punched Yeong Gi.

Ji Yeong Gi giggled as he held his pained jaw. ”F*ck,” he cursed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He'd cut his cheek from Hyuk's punch. ”I told you to calm down, didn't I?”

”...”

Seeing Hyuk's unmoving state, he continued to speak, ”I'm sorry, okay? I swear this is the first and last time I touch your sister. Just promise me—stop hanging out with those two losers and come back to me, okay, friend?”

”F*ck off, sh*thead,” Hyuk replied with another punch. ”You think an apology is enough? Yeo Ri almost got hurt because of you!”

Yeong Gi didn't dodge Hyuk's blow and landed on the ground. He groaned as he pushed himself upright.

Seeing the boy trying to get up, Hyuk kicked his stomach several times, making sure he stayed down.

”...You'll regret this, Lee Hyuk.” Yeong Gi wheezed, his tone dripped with warning. He looked up only to see Hyuk walking away from him. A crazed look flashed in his eyes. 'This is the second time...! The second time he turned his back to me!'

”Hey, are you really leaving me here?!” He shouted, part of him hoping that Hyuk would turn back. Any other person would have; his lackeys would have, but Hyuk was not one of his lackeys.

”Hey!”

”Lee Hyuk!”

”If you leave, I swear I'll kill you the next time I see you!”

”Lee Hyuk—!”

And just like that, Hyuk completely broke off their relations.

Ji Yeong Gi ended up in juvenile prison after getting caught for underaged drinking that very night. He had been venting his anger at the pub late at night when the police suddenly raided the place.

Several years passed, yet they never had the opportunity to cross paths... until now.

Back to the present.

”Back to your cells! Back to your cells!” The guards ushered the inmates out of the workshop, ending the work period early due to the unexpected fight between the two young men.

Aside from Hyuk, two other people from his cell was assigned to the workshop. Since Hyuk had initiated the fight, he was taken away by a guard for disciplinary action, and the two returned together.

However—

”Hey, take this guy with you—he's your new cellmate,” a guard had said.

The guard roughly pushed Ji Yeong Gi towards the two inmates. The guard seemed eager to wash his hands off from the troublemaker as he dismissed the inmates.

Lee Moon Deok and Soo Tae Gyu exchanged glances, both murmuring the same thing.

”Oh, sh*t.”