But as the thick dust cleared and visibility improved, Ju-eon could only be shocked. Though at a distance now, AGT’s leader was standing there unharmed. Despite clearly being enemies, AGT’s leader was looking at them with something like affection.

“So there was one more person hiding?”

“Get lost.”

“Why are you making your big brother sad?”

“Who’s your brother?”

And the two were talking as if they knew each other. Ju-eon looked at them both with confused eyes.

Seeing him in person was even more shocking than hearing his voice. Golden hair that sparkled, eyes blue like ocean waves. He was a man who could be called beautiful rather than handsome. Unlike his face, he was very tall, so he didn’t look fragile.

AGT’s leader seemed badly injured too, with blood seeping through various parts of his clothing.

“I’m your brother because you’re my little brother. You used to listen to your big brother so well when you were young.”

He said with a regretful face while touching his forehead.

“Stop talking nonsense.”

Brother? He’d heard Myung-hwon had no siblings. Yeo Han-ol, AGT’s leader, was quick to read Ju-eon’s confused face. Adopted into the Yeo family based on the judgment that his rank could be artificially raised to S-class through experiments, he spent his youth as a family troublemaker when he failed to reach S-class. Having lived carefully enduring people’s cold gazes, he had developed an excellent ability to read people’s psychology.

Though the difference was so subtle others wouldn’t notice, Han-ol detected that Myung-hwon kept being conscious of the new character.

‘Must be Woo Ju-eon.’

The person Myung-hwon had dated for a long time. Come to think of it, he remembered seeing a similar face while looking into people around Myung-hwon.

Ju-eon was confused, questioning Han-ol’s existence. At times like this, dropping a bomb would create big ripples in their wavering hearts.

“You’re not angry at me for killing Kim Eun-sun, are you?”

Understanding Myung-hwon’s personality well, Han-ol knew how to effectively play cards that would shake up the two people.

Han-ol suppressed his excitement as he revealed what seemed to be something Myung-hwon least wanted exposed.

Kim Eun-sun. Because she was always called by titles rather than her name, Ju-eon realized half a beat late who that name referred to.

“What does that mean…?”

Han-ol’s prediction wasn’t off by even a bit. Ju-eon’s face was painted with shock. After confirming Myung-hwon’s troubled face too, Han-ol showed his teeth in a bright smile.

“Did I understand that correctly just now?”

“……”

Myung-hwon stared at Yeo Han-ol with cold eyes. Myung-hwon kept his lips tight and said nothing.

“What kind of grudge do you have against him to…!”

When they happened to meet in the dungeon, it seemed too vicious and persistent a revenge to be from a grudge formed then. As far as Ju-eon knew, that was Myung-hwon’s first direct encounter with AGT.

“Hahaha.”

“……”

Han-ol burst into hearty laughter at Ju-eon’s angry words. As if he’d just heard a very funny joke. Ju-eon’s gaze fell on Yeo Han-ol. He shrugged his shoulders.

“Grudge? That’s too much. I cared for Myung-hwon so much. I even avoided him sometimes.”

Team 1 had surprisingly few encounters with AGT teams compared to other teams. They thought it was good luck. But the man before them now spoke as if he had deliberately avoided them for Myung-hwon’s sake.

“Then why did you kill auntie…?”

“I like Myung-hwon but that woman had no right to say anything even in death.”

“What…?”

Seeing Ju-eon’s expression, Yeo Han-ol finally hardened his face.

“You haven’t explained anything yet?”

“I’ll explain later.”

“You always keep the important things to yourself.”

Yeo Han-ol clicked his tongue, saying he really hated that about him.

“Boss! You boasted about recruiting him! What if you provoke him?”

One of the reconnaissance members who had been trembling and holding their breath behind them shouted at Han-ol. Han-ol laughed awkwardly as if just realizing his mistake.

“Consider my sincerity in calling you like this because you wouldn’t answer my calls.”

Crazy bastard.

Ju-eon saw the people injured because of this situation that Yeo Han-ol was treating so lightly. If he said he did it for Myung-hwon, wouldn’t all responsibility fall on Myung-hwon too?

Ju-eon snapped at Yeo Han-ol in a fierce voice.

“Don’t blame this on Myung-hwon.”

What the reporter said was half wrong and half right. There was a grudge, but it wasn’t directed at Myung-hwon. AGT wasn’t trying to kill Myung-hwon out of grudge. AGT was trying to recruit Myung-hwon.

“Ah.”

Yeo Han-ol narrowed his eyes as he looked at Ju-eon who was sharply confronting him.

“It’s not Myung-hwon’s fault.”

“……”

“It’s your fault.”

“Yeo Han-ol!”

Yeo Myung-hwon raised his voice.

“It’s because of you that our Myung-hwon is in that hellhole.”

At the same time, a gun was fired. Layers of glass appeared in the bullet’s path. The bullet easily penetrated the glass, but in that moment created by the glass, Yeo Han-ol twisted his posture to dodge the bullet.

“Huff… huff.”

Panting sounds were heard from behind, seemingly from the reconnaissance member’s ability.

“Myung-hwon, you say you’re living a stable life at the agency? What kind of warm frappuccino nonsense have you been saying for years?”

Ju-eon couldn’t understand any of the conversation Han-ol was having. Everything he knew was crumbling.

“What does that even mean? Why am I being made into an ignorant fool?”

Though he tried to hold back his reproach knowing it was a life-or-death situation, the words leaked out without his control. He had tried to understand Myung-hwon. Because everyone has things they don’t want to talk about.

“I wanted you not to know. I thought I should be the one wallowing in the mud.”

Sometimes Ju-eon also wished things could be understood without being said. So he tried to understand, thinking Myung-hwon might feel the same way.

Because they had been together so long, they were arrogant enough to think they knew each other well. Since they would be together anyway, they could hear the details someday. Not knowing such moments would pile up into misunderstandings, creating gaps that would drive them apart. He hadn’t known there was so much being hidden.

“Well. Shall we end the conversation here?”

Since more guests seem to have arrived.

Yeo Han-ol shrugged his shoulders. His face was full of regret. It had been a good chance to shake up Ju-eon, whom Myung-hwon had kept wrapped up tight.

Myung-hwon also sensed several people heading this way with his sharp intuition and stepped back slightly. But he remained tense, still wary of Han-ol.

Woong woong woong!

A massive vibration rang out. Space twisted for a moment before a huge circular hole appeared in the building. The AGT team members arrived first. Three people came through that hole.

“In the end, we have to clean up the sh*t this bastard made.”

A dark-skinned man frowned deeply as he waved his hand toward Han-ol. Immediately, Han-ol and the reconnaissance members behind him floated in the air.

“Where are the others?”

“Cho-won gathered them while you were here.”

“That’s good.”

The man asked Han-ol with a ‘don’t tell me’ expression.

“Did you succeed?”

“Does it look like I did?”

“No. What team. He looks like he wants to kill you.”

“Hehe.”

“You crazy bastard. So what’s next?”

Though he was cursing, he didn’t reproach Han-ol for failing. Rather, he was even asking for further instructions.

“Since we came all this way, we should make a flashy scene. Let the agency get criticized for not being able to catch one terrorist rampaging in the middle of the capital despite all those taxes.”

Whoosh. Bang!

Soon after, the opposite wall of the department store was torn apart. Through that gap, Kang No-hun led Team 1 and Team 2 members into the department store.

“You’re under arrest!”

Han-ol smiled playfully, his eyes curving. It was such a pure smile that strangers might mistake it for a benevolent one.

“Gotta discipline the disobedient little brother too.”

“…Yeo Han-ol.”

“Tell father. The people in the department store looked quite well-off. Tell him to prepare money because we’ll get proper ransoms.”

Though Kang No-hun couldn’t hear, Han-ol’s voice came clearly to where Ju-eon and Myung-hwon were. Han-ol rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a remote control.

“Let’s go.”

Han-ol said goodbye with a leisurely smile, waving his hand. AGT, who had come prepared with items for the explosion, casually left the department store building.

“Damn it. Get down!”

Kang No-hun, realizing what the remote was for, cursed roughly as he ducked. Myung-hwon grabbed Ju-eon’s waist and held him in his arms.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, boom!

The bombs planted here and there started going off one by one. After the explosions ended, the building was reduced to little more than rags, and AGT had vanished without a trace.

Thud. Building debris fell to the floor.

“Mr. Myung-hwon. The people?”

“They were split between the roof and basement. One group is probably disguised AGT members.”

At Myung-hwon’s shout, Kang No-hun quickly divided the team into three. One team went to the basement for possible survivors, another team went to the roof, and the remaining team pursued the fleeing AGT.