Chapter 78

He’s the one who asked to kiss, but the moment my tongue slid past his lips, his whole body jolted and tensed. Just brushing his palate or tongue made his breathing spike and his body curl in on itself.

'So are we kissing or not?'

I clamped his cheeks so he couldn’t bolt, hunted down that tongue that kept flinching away, and caught it firm.

“Mm—ngh...!”

The hands that had been clawing the bedsheet crept up to my shoulders and grabbed hard. Hopefully he wouldn’t crush my shoulder along with it.

“Haa...”

When our lips parted a hair, he seized the chance to gasp hot air—anyone could see he wasn’t used to kissing. From his looks alone, you’d think he’d dated a hundred people.

'Or maybe it’s his first time kissing a man.'

Could be. I held his tongue, rubbed and sucked lightly, then lifted the tip to tease along his palate.

“Mmph...! Mmh, mmph!”

He patted my shoulder like he wanted to say something, then squeezed his eyes shut again and focused on the kiss.

In all my life, first time getting cursed out and then kissing. He kept panting like he couldn’t breathe, so when I pulled back for a second, he was the one who came after my lips first.

I kept him from tipping backward, tangled my tongue with his, sucked him in deep, then finally let our mouths part.

“Haa...”

With his face flushed, lips parted, and breath sawing, Joo Seowon was, annoyingly, gorgeous.

'He’s good-looking.'

I studied his face and asked, helpfully,

“Is it fucking awful?”

“......”

“Either way—you know it’s not on me this time even if it is, right?”

“...I know.”

Whether it was fucking awful or he loved it wasn’t my problem. I drummed a couple fingers meaninglessly against his cheek and said,

“You said you found Tae Hyunjin’s sword?”

“......”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“...I was going to tell you today.”

“Then later, give me the location and the approach route, all at once.”

His eyes followed me. I left him there, sat at the chair, and pulled out my tablet.

Tae Hyunjin’s sword. Sure, it’s important, but if it’s not something I can get today or tomorrow...

“Seo # Nоvеlight # Jehyun.”

I only lifted my gaze at his call; the flush had faded a shade from his face.

“...No, I can’t. This... no.”

“Now that you’ve tried it, was it over the line?”

“......”

“I get it. I’m generous.”

I glanced at him, then put my eyes back on the tablet, searched a few terms, and slipped into a familiar internet cafe. I opened the post with the most comments.

“Ah.”

“......”

“Seowon. Since you found Tae Hyunjin’s sword, let’s do one more thing now.”

“...What thing.”

Judging by how much rubbing lips had wrecked his mood, his expression wasn’t bouncing back anytime soon.

'In my experience, when someone hates it that much, they actually like it.'

Instead of spelling it out, I raised a new topic. Today I’d watched not one or two suspicious things but a whole heap—this one needed flagging.

“You know Cheonmyeonggyo?”

“......”

“Look into it. Even better if you can find how it ties to Na Seokgyung.”

After a long beat, he nodded. I lifted the corner of my mouth and met his eyes.

“That all you need?”

“Yeah.”

He stood up, drifted out the door like he’d left his soul behind, then opened it and stepped back in.

“Why?”

“...There’s other stuff I need to tell you.”

He sure had a lot to deliver today... not that I minded, from my side.

I rose and walked over to him.

***

—

cafe Call of Heaven

Sharing Cheonmyeonggyo Experiences >

Today, Haedo-nim showed us Heaven’s Decree.

Hello. I am Kim ○○, a believer of Cheonmyeonggyo.

This is embarrassing to admit, but even though I attended worship every day, I did not truly believe in Cheonmyeonggyo.

My father is ill. Three years ago, when the Gate of Malice opened and malice appeared, he was gravely injured.

His left leg and left arm were amputated, and the rest of his limbs no longer function.

All I could do was keep buying him drugs to ease his pain.

But today, Haedo-nim personally visited our home and cared for my father.

Just witnessing it gave me goosebumps all over.

It was a revelation of an angel.

My father no longer complains of pain.

Having awakened to the Truth, he awaits the life after the Fall.

I, too, learned the Truth from Haedo-nim. I heard the Heavenly Decree spoken by Haedo-nim.

Cheonmyeonggyo is a religion that hears Heaven’s direct call.

The difference between Cheonmyeonggyo and other religions is whether you can witness proof of God with your own eyes. That is all.

Do not listen to human will without hearing Heaven’s Will.

Believe in Haedo-nim.

Haedo-nim will surely bring the Truth to this land.

I now know how to strive to be chosen.

I hope the believers quickly attain true enlightenment.

As Haedo-nim finally proclaims, repent, know the Will, and go forth into Truth to taste Heaven, hear the Word of the Heavenly Decree, and drive out the wicked so only the good remain to make a paradise—we pray.

We receive the Heavenly Decree.

—

I lifted my head. I’d dug through so many related posts my neck was starting to ache.

I should do a digital detox or something.

A luxury I couldn’t afford right now.

The cafe where Cheonmyeonggyo believers shared experiences was thriving. Just three days ago, when Na Seokgyung turned up dead and the crime pages were plastered with “bizarre murder,” I’d wondered if Cheonmyeonggyo would be a bit closed off—but once I approached, closed off my ass; it was open as open gets.

'From cafe to homepage to worship hall locations, they lay it all out.'

In a “share your experience” space, ridiculous miracle stories ended with prayer scripts, and each had over fifty comments.

All with prayer-like content. Like they were collectively entranced.

'He’s not even Im Haekyung—how is this possible?'

For the record, I was on a bus to Busan. I had two main reasons for heading there.

One was an appraisal job from SH, and the other was access to Cheonmyeonggyo’s worship hall.

Their halls were scattered nationwide. But the leader who represented Cheonmyeonggyo—the “Haedo-nim” from the post—moved his residence back and forth between Incheon and Busan.

According to the original, he moved roughly every six months. Considering Na Seokgyung’s body had been found in Busan not long ago, odds were high the leader was in Busan.

The person called “Haedo-nim” was Jin Haedo. A hunter running a nationwide cult—what he did was no different from Im Haekyung’s mass brainwashing, yet Jin Haedo’s rank was only D.

And his ability had nothing to do with agitation.

So how was any of this possible?

The original did offer a reason. Jin Haedo’s skill was Marionette—he could control a person like a literal puppet.

He used that to plunder others’ abilities and expand his influence. And around Jin Haedo there were always “usable” hunters.

'If that’s right, it tracks that Infinite Guild rented hunters out to him.'

He’d have needed dolls he could use anytime.

Even so, for all that his skill outpaced his rank, I still felt the original’s explanation was a bit thin.

“Hunter Seo, anything you want to eat in Busan?”

At the voice beside me, I locked my phone and turned my head. Arms folded, leaning back with eyes closed—of course it was Song Hwayoung.

At first they’d paired my Busan schedule with Joo Seowon, which made sense; then out of nowhere, the business trip partner switched to Song Hwayoung.

And the timing—yeah.

Before we left, Seowon had given me two batches of info: one was his hypothesis-laced intel on Cheonmyeonggyo, and the other was...

“Busan’s famous for so much. Seafood, milmyeon, pork-gukbap. None of that grabs you?”

...precise intel about Song Hwayoung and Im Haekyung.

'So Song Hwayoung knows too, right?'

At this point there’s no way she doesn’t. Yet she didn’t toss me aside—she brought me along to Busan...

'Trying to woo me?'

Emphasize Im Haekyung’s danger and recruit me fully to SH.

If I had to choose between Im Haekyung and Song Hwayoung, it was Song Hwayoung all the way. But personal preference aside, the stable rope was Im Haekyung’s.

'Best play is to grab neither.'

I stared at Song Hwayoung and answered,

“I do want something.”

“Yeah? What?”

“Want to get pizza?”

“...Raw fish, nak-gop-sae, milmyeon, pork-gukbap. How about those?”

“Oh...”

“Sounds good, right?”

“Want to get pizza?”

She chuckled warmly, then her face went flat.

“No.”