Chapter 501 (1/2)
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While I flickered my eyes in surprise, Jooin, who was just coming from that side of the alley, also found Ruda holding a person over his shoulder.
He asked severely, “Hyeong, now you killed a person, huh?”
“Hey, it wasn’t me! And he isn’t even dead yet! Anyway, this guy dashed crazily without looking at the front and banged himself on the wall,” replied Ruda as if he felt victimized.
“…”
Growing more solemn, I looked at Ban Hwee Hyul’s face hanging on Ruda’s back. As the dried-out tears on his cheek came into view, I became more difficult to compose myself. Catching the hunting dog plan came to end in vain that way.
Ruda, who finally saw the guy’s face, blurted out in bewilderment, “Eh? Isn’t he Ban Hwee Hyul?”
‘Why is he here?’ he added, but none of us could respond back.
* * *
“This place is…”
When a faint voice reached my ears, I looked in the direction. Praying that the following words wouldn’t be something like, ‘Where is this place? Who am I…?’ I offered my greetings.
“Hello, Ban Hwee Hyul.”
“Ham Donnie.”
Since he’s saying my name correctly, thankfully, he didn’t seem to have amnesia. Scratching my cheeks embarrassedly, I pointed to the side. Ban Hwee Hyul turned his head to look in the direction then frowned.
“Yi Rina…” said Ban Hwee Hyul.
“Would you please not change my nationality to Russia?”
It was none other than Ruda who responded that way, crossing his arms, as if he felt tired. However, he didn’t look that unpleasant since he was already aware of Ban Hwee Hyul’s habitual behavior, calling someone the wrong name.
Shortly after, Ban Hwee Hyul found Jooin, Ban Yeo Ryung, and Eun Hyung sitting beside me. Diverting his gaze back onto me, he asked, “Where… where am I…?”
I responded, “My house. My parents are usually getting home late, and we didn’t seem to have an appropriate place to talk, so…”
“I see…” Ban Hwee Hyul nodded calmly. As if had no idea that he was caught inside this house, he didn’t seem to have any interest at all in the scarf tying his wrist.
Before I got to open my mouth again, Jooin took a step forward. Lifting up Ban Hwee Hyul’s chin, Jooin put his face close to his and dropped a question.
“Why did you do that to San hyeong?”
Suddenly, the room seemed to have changed into a cave. Jooin’s voice sounded that much dark and low. And it was the moment I realized how mad Jooin have been since last week.
Jooin roared again, “Depending on your response, I can hand you over to the cops as someone caught red-handed. I already have the record from the security camera that captured you committing a crime.”
“Do what you want.”
I swallowed my breath at the response escaping from Ban Hwee Hyul’s mouth with no hesitation.
‘Geez, why is he so composed? Looking at how serious Jooin is right now, he may know that Jooin isn’t playing around with him…’
Ban Hwee Hyul’s confident or somewhat shameless attitude should definitely drive me nuts; however, I felt sorry, instead. If he wasn’t afraid of getting a criminal record at the age of eighteen at all, how tough his life was that he had nothing to lose?
Being enraged, Jooin seized Ban Hwee Hyul by his collar again. He urged, “Do you think I have no idea if you keep your mouth shut? It’s obvious that Jung Yohan is behind you. I’m asking you to tell us what Jung Yohan’s aiming for and what you are expecting.”
Still, Ban Hwee Hyul sealed his lips tightly.
Scowling at him fiercely, Jooin uttered, “You know that Eun Hyung can’t even become a candidate for the Number one position since the preliminary round is all over. He’s disqualified to join the actual fight. Then why did you attack Eun Hyung? That’s what I want to know. Can’t we just go smoothly as friends in school?”
Ruda, who stayed quiet until that moment, suddenly intervened, “Based on the way you talk right now, it sounds like you’re taking him to hell, not going with ease.”
Jooin switched his piercing gaze to Ruda; however, Ruda waved his hand while managing to act leisurely.
“I’m telling you to become more chilled out. Your behavior will rather make words left unspoken,” said Ruda.