"Jeokgwang!"
Moon Ji-Hyeok's shout echoed through the room as he aimed his revolver at me.
I stared back at him. He must know that a direct gunshot from a handgun like that couldn't harm me. This was nothing more than a desperate act.
"Moon Ji-Hyeok," I said, taking a step forward. "If you pull that trigger... I promise you, I'll make you experience the true meaning of living hell."
Moon Ji-Hyeok and Yang Jeongmin flinched backward.
"...Why? Why are you doing this...?" Moon Ji-Hyeok's eyes wavered.
What is he asking?
About my activities as Jeokgwang? Or about deceiving him as a Taker? Perhaps he was asking about both.
I approached Moon Ji-Hyeok. Yang Jeongmin tried to flee, but Moon Ji-Hyeok stood his ground, glaring at me. He knew he couldn't escape me.
"Mr. Ji-Hyeok!"
In the end, Yang Jeongmin clamped her mouth shut and glared at me.
"You were the most troublesome thing I had to deal with during my operations."
Moon Ji-Hyeok possessed exceptional skills as a detective. Moreover, whether it was due to some protagonist buff or sheer intuition, his instincts were sharp. If he had uncovered my true identity, I would have faced more than double the trouble.
"I couldn't kill you either, for the sake of my goals."
Moon Ji-Hyeok was the protagonist of the vampire detective drama. The information I knew about the drama ultimately revolved around the incidents that centered on him.
When Moon Ji-Hyeok first appeared before me, I was genuinely shocked. Though he didn't know I was Jeokgwang, he had somehow realized I was connected to Jeokgwang. Whether it was intuition or the result of his relentless investigation, it was undeniably remarkable.
I sensed Moon Ji-Hyeok posed a threat. Yet I couldn't kill him. Killing him might completely alter the future's information. The butterfly effect wasn't just a saying.
I couldn't kill him. But I needed to make Moon Ji-Hyeok stop investigating Jeokgwang.
I was almost 90% certain that if I had let Moon Ji-Hyeok continue focusing on Jeokgwang, he would have uncovered my true identity.
I actively exploited my identity as a Taker. By providing Moon Ji-Hyeok with information, I diverted his attention away from Jeokgwang.
When your feet are on fire, you have no choice but to put out the flames immediately. I took advantage of that.
"Moon Ji-Hyeok, you moved even more according to my intentions than I anticipated."
I had expected Moon Ji-Hyeok to suspect me after the terrorist incident. But he trusted me far more than I had imagined.
"...What's your goal? Playing with me can't be your only purpose!"
"To obtain the Life Orb. And I've just achieved that goal."
"...I don't understand. Why would you need me to get the Life Orb?"
"You wouldn't understand even if I explained it. And besides, I have no reason to explain everything to you."
"..."
Moon Ji-Hyeok's gun-wielding hand trembled violently. His index finger tightened on the trigger.
He won't shoot. Moon Ji-Hyeok is too smart for that.
As Jeokgwang's dedicated agent, Moon Ji-Hyeok worked alongside Choi Sun-mi. Through her intelligence, he knew exactly how powerful Jeokgwang was.
Moon Ji-Hyeok relaxed his grip. The revolver's muzzle lowered.
"Now that you've seen my face, you'll probably kill us. I don't care about myself. But please... spare Ms. Jeongmin."
I chuckled softly.
Truthfully, killing them wasn't necessary. My objective had already been achieved. Even if my face became known, I had the Illusionist. Evading the police would be child's play.
"This doesn't sound like someone begging for their life."
"..."
Thud.
Moon Ji-Hyeok collapsed to the floor, dropping his revolver and knife. He bowed his head to me.
"...Please," he pleaded. "Save Yang Jeongmin."
Yang Jeongmin bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bear the sight of her lover's humiliation.
I picked up the revolver from the floor, aimed it at Moon Ji-Hyeok's head, and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet grazed past Moon Ji-Hyeok's temple, yet he remained motionless.
"Mr. Ji-Hyeok!"
Startled by the gunshot, Yang Jeongmin rushed in front of Moon Ji-Hyeok, spreading her arms to shield him from me.
"I can't live without Mr. Ji-Hyeok! If we die, we'll die together! ...Please, Jeokgwang. Spare us. I'll forget everything about you."
"My taste for cheesy melodrama..."
I trailed off, suddenly noticing Yang Jeongmin's appearance.
Yang Jeongmin was the female lead of this drama, and her looks were exceptional. Her neat, shoulder-length hairstyle framed her kind-looking face, perfectly complementing her police uniform.
Not my type, I thought.
I lowered the revolver and looked down at them.
Yang Jeongmin was still standing in front of Moon Ji-Hyeok, arms spread, breathing hard.
Moon Ji-Hyeok stayed on his knees with his head lowered, like he had already decided this was the end.
I clicked my tongue.
"My taste for cheesy melodrama is getting worse."
Yang Jeongmin swallowed. "Jeokgwang… please."
I stepped closer.
The moment I moved, Moon Ji-Hyeok's shoulders tensed.
His hand twitched toward the knife he had dropped earlier, but he stopped halfway. He knew it was pointless.
I crouched and picked up the knife with two fingers. I turned it once, then tossed it behind me.
It clattered across the floor and slid out of reach.
Then I grabbed the revolver by the barrel and offered it back.
Moon Ji-Hyeok looked up, confused.
"I'm not here to kill you. If I wanted you dead, you would have been dead before you even raised that gun."
Yang Jeongmin's eyes shook. "Then… why are you…"
Moon Ji-Hyeok's jaw tightened.
I leaned in a little, close enough that he had to meet my eyes.
"Listen carefully, Moon Ji-Hyeok. You're good. Too good. That's why you became a problem."
His lips parted, but no sound came out.
"I let you live because killing you would create variables I don't want. But if you chase me again, I'll make sure you both disappear."
Yang Jeongmin's breath hitched. "We won't. We won't do anything. Just let us go."
I turned my gaze to her.
"Not enough."
Her face stiffened.
I pointed the revolver at the ceiling and fired once.
Bang!
"Thisis the last warning you get."
Moon Ji-Hyeok stared at the revolver, then at me. "You want us to forget you."
"I want you to act like you never met me," I said. "You never saw me. You never stood in the same room. You never heard my voice."
Yang Jeongmin's fingers trembled, but she kept her arms spread like she could still protect him.
I took one step.
She reacted, trying to block me.
I moved in close and struck her cleanly under the jaw with the side of my hand.
Her eyes rolled back. Her body went slack before she could even make a sound.
BAM!!
Moon Ji-Hyeok lurched forward. "Ms. Jeongmin!"
I grabbed him by the collar and yanked him up just enough to face me.
I drove my knee into his stomach.
The air shot out of him. His face twisted, and his hands clutched at my leg without strength.
I didn't give him time to recover. I hooked an arm around the back of his neck and slammed the edge of my forearm into the side of his head.
His body went limp.
I held him for a second, then let him drop next to Yang Jeongmin.
I crouched beside Moon Ji-Hyeok and spoke quietly, close to his ear.
"if you ever try to find me again. You and your lover is dead."