****
The Blue Hawk Security Company was waiting with a trailer truck parked by the roadside. As one of Korea's leading security teams, Blue Hawk was thorough not only in simple security missions but also in various service-related tasks. Once again, they did not betray Row’s expectations.
“Have you arrived, Row Gibson-ssi?”
A female bodyguard wearing non-prescription goggles greeted him. Of course, they were the ones hired to assist Yoon Mi-hye. A female bodyguard for a female client, along with a bulletproof trailer truck—Row thought this security company would be competitive even in the United States.
Inside the trailer, which was completely bulletproofed with composite armor plates, dual layers of Kevlar and Spectra, and a special polymer layer surrounding those fabrics, sat a large amount of women's clothing that seemed quite out of place.
And inside, there was a lawyer who had brought those clothes. This lawyer, named Kim Chang-su, sent from a law firm called L&J, served as a legal clerk, management consultant, and even a butler to handle all legal matters that occurred during Row Gibson’s stay in Korea.
“I have prepared everything just as you ordered.”
“Well done. Ah, Ms. Bodyguard, please help her change. We can’t keep her in a hospital gown forever.”
Row Gibson said that and placed the items he had been holding into Kim Chang-su’s hand. The projectiles of the 7.62mm rifle rounds were glistening with their distorted copper-alloy heads.
“This is?”
As Kim Chang-su looked on in bewilderment, Row spoke with his voice hushed.
“He fired six shots in the blink of an eye. All directed toward a human.”
Row Gibson said that and shook his head from side to side. Fortunately, he had been able to block the bullets. If it had not been for him, Yoon Mi-hye would have died right in the middle of the street with her cervical vertebrae broken and her brain matter shattered into pieces.
Silvester’s sniping was just that accurate… and the bullets possessed immense power. Phantom had used his dark arts to protect his body, but the concentrated fire of six rounds eventually pierced through the sorcerous barrier of the Phantom—which was weakened under the sun—and penetrated his arm, drawing blood.
Even so, it was a relief that they were regular bullets. If he were to be wounded by silver bullets, he would be unable to recover his blood, and the minute particles of blood flowing from the wound alone could cause the vampirization of humans.
‘Did the bastard show his own brand of consideration? Ridiculous.’
Row Gibson—no, the Jinma Phantom—thought that and adjusted his sunglasses. A Jinma Hunter who worries about a vampire. No, was he worried about this woman?
<><><>
The streetlights began to flicker as they stretched their limbs. Pale mercury lamps, jaundiced sodium lamps, and multi-colored neon signs along with bright orange headlights—countless lights were dyeing the city of the night.
It was just like the feeling of inhaling Psychedelic Moon. An endless feast of colors, though if there was something different, it was that the outlines appeared blurry. Well, to Han Se-gun, it didn't really matter. Han Se-gun threw the empty can he had finished drinking behind him.
A dry, metallic sound was heard. Likely a goal; the park trash can made of stainless steel did not budge in the slightest from accepting this small tin can.
“Sigh… only thirty thousand won?”
Han Se-gun let out a sigh while resting his body on his motorcycle. Once the work ended, the strength completely drained from his entire body. In Han Se-gun’s case, it was especially severe because he had worked without any knack for it in order to build up his physical strength. No matter how much one tempered their body with martial arts, labor had its own set of rules.
People were gathering in the park at night. High school students from a nearby academy sat on benches and surreptitiously drank canned beer. Han Se-gun looked around at the people for a moment before mounting his motorcycle and descending the park stairs.
Judging by how it creaked with every step he descended, it seemed this RX-125 was no longer something he could ride for long. It was so futile to think that what his hyung had gone to such lengths to tune up had vanished in a single accident.
Of course, since a vampire had picked up the motorcycle like a toy and thrown it, there was no way it could be intact. Still, to think that pouring all that money into repairs had been an act of idiocy…
“Should I buy a motorcycle at this opportunity?”
Han Se-gun muttered that. Of course, he had money. But the problem was that if he spent it all, there would be nothing left for living expenses or other necessities. He felt like he could manage if he spent it sparingly, but his anxiety was greater, so he couldn't bring himself to use it.
“Damn it. I need to sell the vampire blood quickly.”
One bag had already been used for Yong-jin. Only one bag remained, but if it was a vampire he could defeat without even using Psychedelic Moon, its purity likely wouldn't be very high.
With things like this, the thought of raiding the Sang-dong faction again crossed his mind, but the current Sang-dong faction was bound to be in a state of emergency. It was as clear as day that touching an enemy on high alert would bring more loss than gain.
“Ah, over there!”
It was just as Han Se-gun was turning a corner while lost in various thoughts. A girl he had seen once before called out to stop him.
“Huh?”
Jin Yu-mi was calling Han Se-gun. They had only met once before and he hadn't told her his address or where he lived, yet to meet like this again on the street… if it was a coincidence, it was a truly strange one…
“Ah, my legs are numb!”
Jin Yu-mi spoke like that and diligently massaged her legs. It was only natural, as she had been crouching in front of the convenience store where she had parted with Han Se-gun for several hours. Han Se-gun smirked upon seeing her.
“You could have gone inside and sat somewhere, or over there in the park.”
“What… more importantly. Where are you going?”
“Home. I have to go in and sleep.”
Han Se-gun said that casually. However, she approached Han Se-gun with her face full of goodwill.
“Where do you live?”
“Don’t ask things like that. More importantly, what about your friends?”
“Yeah. They all went to meet their boyfriends. There are some who went home, too.”
The thought of her being part of a group of runaway girls crossed his mind, but Han Se-gun did not say anything more. Although he had never lived a life worthy of a model student, that didn't mean he didn't look toward tomorrow like these children. Above all, it was a shock to hear the words "do you want to sleep together" directly from a girl’s mouth.
But come to think of it, I heard those kinds of things a lot from the bikers too, didn't I?
It was just that the target hadn't been him. Perhaps that was why Han Se-gun found this woman unpleasant.
“My part-time job is over and I’m tired, so I don't have the leisure to play with you.”
“Really? Where do you live?”
“It’s a gosiwon. Even if I work myself to death at a part-time job, after paying the gosiwon rent, it’s tight just to make a living. So leave me alone.”
“Gosiwon?”
She fell into thought for a moment. She likely hadn't been an idiot originally, but because her brain had melted from organic solvents like thinner, resulting in a thinking disorder, she did not know what a civil service exam (gosi) was, or what a gosiwon was.
“Let’s just say I’m boarding there for money. Boarding… you probably don’t know that either?”
Han Se-gun muttered that and looked at her. He couldn't understand what kind of home she lived in to be left in such a state. Could it be that she had no parents?
“Where is your house?”
“Do you take me for an idiot?”
“Just answer what I asked.”
When Han Se-gun spoke like that, she pointed toward the studio apartment of hers where she had brought Han Se-gun previously. Han Se-gun looked that way and asked again.
“What about your parents?”
“Don’t have any.”
“Does that mean you're an orphan?”
“Yeah.”
She spoke like that and fell silent. It seemed she did not want to speak any more about that matter. Seeing the girl who had been looking with blurry eyes show such determination in that regard, he could tell how intense that emotion was.
“In that respect, we are the same.”
Han Se-gun muttered that. However, she perhaps didn't hear Han Se-gun’s words as she tilted her head with a "Hmm~?" and asked him to speak again.
“Get on the back. I’ll take you home.”
Han Se-gun said that instead of an answer and looked at her. Of course, she did not refuse Han Se-gun’s offer.
<><><>
Jin Yu-mi’s house was located in a fairly high place. At first, Han Se-gun thought it was a studio apartment, but he could tell that it was truly her home.
Jin Yu-mi was originally a common delinquent girl who attended H Girls' High School and was a member of the self-proclaimed ‘Seven Princesses’ circle.
He didn't know why girls were so fond of calling themselves the Seven Princesses at the drop of a hat, but the delinquent circle at H Girls' High seemed to have operated under such a generic name.
Then, her parents died in an accident. An authoritative and oppressive father, and a mother and daughter who were like that father’s possessions. It was a family that could never be called harmonious, but the shackles of that family had been completely broken.
The girl surrendered her body to madness. To obtain cheap hallucinations, she inhaled industrial glue, and while intoxicated by hallucinations, she entered into relationships with delinquent students who were no better than thugs. After becoming a body that could never bear a child again due to one pregnancy and a stillbirth, she became even more extreme.
Her house became a communal lodging to be used by delinquent girls when they ran away from home,
Stories of celebrities she liked, the life she had lived, stories of her friends... even though he was inwardly bored listening to the tales that seemed like they would never end, Se-gun had to endure it.
“Yeah. Right. I see.”
He answered half-heartedly while looking at her house. Inside, those delinquent bastards would be gathered, holding their own version of a Sabbath (a gathering of witches). Because she did not want to go back in there, she was repeating the same stories over and over again.
“Well... then I’m off.”
Se-gun said those words and started the motorcycle. Regardless, she was she, and Se-gun was Se-gun.
It was not as if Se-gun could live her life for her, nor could he continue listening to her stories here forever, could he? He mounted the motorcycle and left her behind.
“Hey... when can I see you again?”
Jin Yu-mi suddenly asked that. Her voice sounded as if she were feeling impatient. It was only natural for her to be afraid as her Kurt Cobain was about to vanish into the city.
Han Se-gun looked up for a moment. Whether the moon was hidden by clouds, hidden by smog, or if it was simply a night where it was not meant to rise at all, it was nowhere to be seen. Without even looking back, he spoke.
“Who knows. My part-time job ends at six o'clock.”
He spoke those words and pulled the accelerator.
<><><>
Se-gun did not return to the gosiwon immediately. Having experienced a part-time job with a daily wage of 30,000 won, he had felt the preciousness of money to the point where it was engraved in his bones. For that reason, he wanted to dispose of this blood quickly.
However, Old Man Ju, whom he had seen when working with Deok-yeon previously, had refused to trade with Se-gun because he was a minor. If that was the case, the only thing left was to find another dealer.
In order to hear properly this time exactly who the other dealers were besides Old Man Ju, Han Se-gun headed toward Arjuna.
“Ah, damn it. This cursed motorcycle...”
At one time, he had refused to even change the frame because he considered it a keepsake from his hyung... but now his thoughts had changed. No matter how much of a keepsake it was, a motorcycle that had been in a major accident was something that could not be used. It had to at least be able to roll to be hyung's keepsake; at this rate, if he kept riding it under the guise of it being a keepsake, he would end up in a position where he would be leaving behind a keepsake of his own.
The noisy sound of brakes wearing down was heard with a screech. Se-gun suddenly stopped the motorcycle and looked closely at the object before his eyes. Like a nearsighted person who had lost their glasses, he stared intently at the object in front of him and let out an exclamation of admiration unconsciously.
It was a Corvette Coupe. A black Corvette Coupe was standing in front of Arjuna. Se-gun got off the motorcycle and immediately ran inside Arjuna.
<><><>
The automatic door of Arjuna opened slowly. What entered the eyes of Se-gun as he walked through the door was Silvester, who was sitting in a chair drinking coffee. Dressed in pitch-black priest’s clothes, he was drinking coffee and looking at some kind of file without even sparing a glance at Se-gun.
“Silvester!”
“Yeah?”
Only then did Silvester raise his head and look at Se-gun. Wearing an expression that looked infinitely bothered, he pointed toward the opposite sofa with his chin.
“The coffee tastes quite good. If business at the occult shop doesn't go well, it might be good to change it into an occult cafe.”
“The place that grants permits for that is different, so it's a hassle. A cafe is a public eatery,” Kim Seong-hui replied, and then she looked at Se-gun and asked what he would like to drink. Of course, Se-gun was in no mood to drink tea.
“When did you come to Korea?”
“It hasn't been long.”
Silvester spoke like that as he continued to examine the file. Inside were several photographs, newspaper article clippings, and a student permanent record, among other things. It was the record of the human who had been sitting beside the Jinma Phantom—Yoon Mi-hye.
“Yoon Mi-hye. Interesting. So, what is it?”
Silvester said that and looked at Han Se-gun sitting opposite him. For Se-gun, he was somehow overwhelmed by emotions that could not be fully described in words. Silvester, who had saved him and led him to become a vampire hunter... yet he could not resent him. Because Se-gun was standing here by his own choice.
“Fuck.”
Se-gun slammed his fist down on the table. The teacup and saucer made the distinct clattering sound of porcelain. As a result, a few photographs slipped out from Silvester’s file.
“Ho... it seems you've decided you want to die. Hmm?”
Silvester closed his mouth after looking at Se-gun with surprised eyes. The photographs he was looking at were of the perpetrators of the Yoon Mi-hye gang-rape instigation case... they were those very photos.
“Why are these photos here?”
“Is there someone you know?”
“...”
Instead of an answer, Se-gun nodded his head.
Whether it was from a time when her mind was still sound, a girl with a rebellious gaze toward the camera was there. Silvester looked at him and covered the area around his eyes with his hand.
“My, my... it seems this business partner is going to be an uncontrollable greenhorn.”
“?”
Han Se-gun did not understand what Silvester was saying. Indeed, if one were to figure out the entire flow of the incident from such a fragmented story, that would be even stranger. However, even so, he could at least sense the atmosphere. But a business partner?
If it were a partnership with a Jinma Hunter, did that mean these people had some kind of connection with vampires? Se-gun looked at the photograph once more.
Unlike now, Jin Yu-mi, who looked much fresher and emitted a cold air, was certainly pretty. Pretty enough to make one turn their head back at least once while walking down the street...
“It’s the worst.”
Silvester’s sigh burst forth.