(Breakdown pt.6)

“It has nothing to do with me. Whether they’re my kind or whatever, I don’t care if they perish.”

Though he chose his words as carefully as possible, the content was harsh. In-woo recalled the information that Radel had been Arkea’s Sovereign for hundreds of years. These weren’t words that should come from a man who had devoted all his strength to Arkea for hundreds of years.

But Radel’s face expressed Lee Sun-ho’s determination too perfectly to dismiss it as a lie. So firmly that it was impossible not to believe.

“You’re really going to kill Ezel?”

“I won’t kill them immediately. Rather than suddenly being found as a mysterious corpse or going missing, I should make them tie up loose ends and commit suicide by their own hand.”

Whether it’s an unnatural death or suicide, people would find it equally suspicious. But Radel’s attitude showed no hesitation. As if he were very familiar with such things.

In-woo recalled the news he had heard as soon as he returned to Earth, that the director had turned himself in. A person who seemed like they would never do such a thing had turned themselves in voluntarily. Though he hadn’t looked into what happened after… Having the person themselves wrap things up. It was an eerily similar method to how Radel had just described dealing with Ezel.

“The director who harmed me before turning himself in must have been your doing. And Raseti helping me must have been at your request too.”

“…Yes.”

“Was that like compensation for making me your pet there?”

At In-woo’s sarcastic words, Radel shook his head. In-woo sneered at his desperate face, like someone completely backed into a corner.

“That’s not what it was…”

“No?”

“No. It wasn’t like that.”

“Yeah right.”

It was an obvious excuse. In-woo’s gaze turned cold.

“If you were going to get revenge for me, you should have done it another way.”

“Do you need more?”

Radel’s question was the worst possible answer. He was so incredibly angry that his reason returned instead. In-woo asked calmly.

“If I say I need it, will you do it?”

“If that’s what you want…”

“Then put me in the exact same situation.”

Radel blinked, not understanding In-woo’s words. Maybe he didn’t want to understand. In-woo explained as kindly as possible to Radel, to the alien before him.

“Poach me and sell me to alien bastards like you.”

“…”

“Because that would be far more miserable and horrible than death. Then I could pretend to be something I’m not like you did, make someone fall for me, and then betray them like this. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

In-woo sneered with all his might.

If Lee Sun-ho had gotten revenge for him, In-woo would have gladly accepted it. But he absolutely couldn’t accept Radel getting revenge for him. Even though he had found the director so horrible, the fact that they were both human hit him hard. The life of one mere worthless human probably had no value to them whether it was ruined or ended.

In the end, it all came back to his initial anger. Being kidnapped to space and experiencing things he never wanted to experience again was because of bastards like Radel who trampled on humans without a second thought.

He could never accept Radel’s existence. Even if the happy five years were inside Radel, from the beginning it had been nothing but a mirage.

“…”

Radel, who had been standing there blankly, shed tears. The sight of tears flowing down those pale cheeks that looked as if God had sculpted them with utmost care appeared almost divine, but his true nature was that of a demon. Too clearly to be deceived anymore.

“Get out.”

“…”

“Get out right now.”

At the harsh command to leave, Radel looked at In-woo. His face showed no expression, to the point where the tears felt out of place. After standing still for a moment looking at In-woo, Radel walked out weakly. In-woo, who also had nowhere to go, stood in that spot for a long while before leaving.

* * *

After driving Radel away, Kim In-woo spent several days shut in his room, either crying or lying around blankly or sleeping. Though he would sometimes think how pathetically he was acting over a mere breakup with a lover, there were moments when he would become completely immersed in his emotions.

Lee Sun-ho wasn’t just a lover to Kim In-woo. He was a comrade who had survived that place together, a savior who had breathed life into him at his most terrifying moment, and after returning to Earth, he had been not just a lover but also a friend and family.

If Lee Sun-ho had suddenly gone mad and turned violent, Kim In-woo would have accepted it. Though he wasn’t usually a soft person, he had become endlessly generous when it came to Sun-ho. But it was hard to accept that Sun-ho’s very existence had been a lie, and that his true identity was Radel, whom he had feared and hated to death.

There were moments when he considered asking Radel to erase his memories. Or as Radel had suggested, erasing Radel’s own memories. But either option was just ridiculous escapism.

He should just move on. He should be able to move on. He needs to cut it off completely. Time passed with him just thinking these things while unable to do anything.

As In-woo was rolling around on the bed as usual, he suddenly noticed it was very noisy outside.

After hesitating briefly, In-woo went outside. The androids who usually stayed quietly in their own spaces as if they weren’t there were bustling about. In-woo caught one passing android and asked.

“What’s going on?”

The android’s eyes sparkled at In-woo’s question. After briefly checking their data, the android shook their head.

“You don’t have the clearance level to access this information. Please check with Lord Radel or Raseti.”

In-woo frowned and walked right past the android. Even if they wouldn’t tell him exactly what was happening, following where the androids were heading would lead to something.

When he felt the number of surrounding androids gradually increasing.

In-woo heard a sharp scream. The grief-stricken scream, as if something precious was being torn and broken, was pitiful and heartbreaking.

I need to help.

In-woo focused on the scream as if entranced. He had to help by any means necessary. Because they were pitiful. Because he could help them. Because it was the right thing to do.

As In-woo staggered forward with these thoughts, someone grabbed him. An arm as thick as In-woo’s thigh subdued him very easily.

Like being splashed with cold water, his mind cleared and when he quickly looked up, it was Raseti. Still over 1m taller than In-woo, Raseti looked much healthier than last time but also perplexed.

“No, why are you here…”

Mumbling, Raseti helped In-woo stand straight. However, Raseti blocked the direction In-woo had been heading and showed no intention of moving. In-woo glared at the door Raseti was blocking.

“Is this somewhere I’m not supposed to come?”

“Yes. Do you have other business?”

“Yes.”

“What business? Tell me first.”

“Why should I?”

Raseti openly sighed as if troubled. But when In-woo still wouldn’t back down, they finally spoke.

“Lord Radel has captured Ezel.”