(Breakdown pt.7)

“Ah…”

Though In-woo responded casually, he was quite surprised internally. He hadn’t expected them to move this quickly.

“Move. I’m going in.”

“…”

“Should I call Radel?”

“Didn’t you say you broke up?”

Raseti retorted sarcastically. In-woo shrugged lightly.

“Right. After breaking up, can’t I use that bastard a bit?”

“…That’s not right.”

Responding somewhat sourly, Raseti reluctantly stepped aside. In-woo opened the door to the room.

Inside were Radel, Ezel, and an android – three in total. The screaming from the room had already stopped. Only Ezel, sprawled on the floor, startled and raised their head at the sound of the door opening.

Ezel was firmly restrained. Metal handcuffs tightly bound their entire arms from fingers to shoulders, and the handcuffs were connected to a metal collar around their neck. At a glance, it looked like some kind of maniacal play.

Perhaps from screaming their lungs out until now, Ezel’s eyes were red and swollen. Due to Ezel’s appearance and atmosphere, with them prostrated before Radel, they almost looked like a victim of unjust violence.

They’re just someone who deserves death. Reminding himself once again, In-woo glared at Ezel, and Ezel also glared back at In-woo with a fierce energy as if they had much to say. Whatever method was used, Ezel’s lips twitched slightly but wouldn’t open properly.

“When are you doing the brainwashing?”

At In-woo’s question, Radel’s body briefly jumped up before barely calming down. When In-woo looked back wondering why he was making such a fuss, Radel was slightly red-eared while avoiding In-woo’s gaze. In-woo cursed himself for being able to recognize what Radel’s changes meant. That was the expression Sun-ho made when he was troubled and embarrassed.

Though In-woo now knew Radel’s true nature, did he still want to pretend to be well-behaved? When In-woo’s gaze sharpened, Radel quickly answered.

“I already did it.”

“You did?”

They didn’t look any different on the outside. Above all, their gaze that treated In-woo as insignificant was exactly the same.

“They look exactly the same as before.”

“I didn’t brainwash them to show obvious changes… If I was going to do that, I would have just killed them. They act exactly the same but their thinking has been adjusted to what I want in necessary areas.”

“…”

“If you want revenge… you can have it. I’ll support whatever you do.”

It was chilling how he said that so casually, or rather somewhat cautiously.

In-woo quietly stared at Ezel sprawled miserably on the floor before bending down. When he crouched down and looked down at Ezel, they glared fiercely at In-woo, seemingly indignant. In-woo calmly petted Ezel as if petting a dog.

“What are you doing?”

Radel asked in a somewhat rough voice. In-woo recalled a dog he had seen at a filming location and lightly scratched under Ezel’s chin.

“You said to take revenge. They seem to hate this.”

“No, but…”

“But what?”

“…You’re touching them.”

In-woo snorted at Radel who spoke with a pale face.

“Don’t concern yourself with who I touch. It has nothing to do with you.”

“…”

Radel clenched his fists. He looked like he was angry at a situation he absolutely couldn’t accept. In-woo found Radel’s attitude so detestable and pathetic that he couldn’t bear it without inflicting hurt.

“Don’t like it? Then lock me up. Putting me in a cage, keeping me as a pet, occasionally pretending to be Lee Sun-ho – isn’t that what you want?”

“…No, that’s not true. Why would I do that… I’ll do anything, whatever you want…”

In-woo ignored Radel’s pitiful plea as his voice grew wet.

“Will you really support whatever I want?”

“…Yes.”

Radel belatedly answered in a severely choked voice. In-woo smiled as he grabbed Ezel’s hair.

“Then give me this.”

“…What?”

“Give them to me.”

“No, do you think Ezel is some toy you can buy at a mart?”

Raseti, who had been listening from beyond the open door, burst out unable to bear the situation. And of course, Ezel, who had suddenly become the ‘this’ to be given away, was also extremely dumbfounded. Only In-woo remained composed.

Soon Radel started crying. With a pale face, only his eyes were intensely blue as tears silently rolled down his cheeks and dripped to the floor.

In-woo, who had always rushed to comfort Sun-ho whenever he cried, didn’t move an inch. When In-woo showed him no consideration at all, Radel’s face grew even more sorrowful.

“Why… do you want Ezel?”

“Do I need to explain the reason for you to understand?”

“Do you like Ezel?”

Is he crazy…

Though In-woo’s face twisted hideously for a moment, he soon spread his expression wide. Acting expressions wasn’t difficult for In-woo as an actor. In-woo put on his brightest fake smile. With such an incredibly bright face, In-woo rubbed Ezel’s cheek with his hand.

“Yes. I like them. They’re pretty anyway.”

“…”

“They’re more my type than you?”

“You said I was your type.”

“Lee Sun-ho was my type.”

In-woo retorted fiercely with a serious face. If one had to compare, Lee Sun-ho and Radel looked much more alike than Lee Sun-ho and Ezel, but. Since the person himself said so, there was no way to argue. Radel looked at In-woo with despairing eyes.

“In-woo…”

“Give them to me. We broke up anyway. What does it matter to you whether I set up house with this bastard or roll around with them?”

Radel, whose tears had already stopped by now, hung his head low. Beyond him were visible the shocked face of the android and Raseti’s terrified expression.

And.

–

T/N: This chapter was not cut off. This really was the last part of the chapter.