Red Dot - 138

Chapter 138

Hanseo trembled with lips quivering, feeling a thrill unknowingly.

Something like a slender snake wriggling in Junseong’s restrained emotions felt strangely lovable.

“Weren’t you trying to avoid it all along?”

Looking back at Junseong’s behavior so far, it seemed so.

Nam Ki-hyuk didn’t just watch Kang Junseong build a safe route idly. As if waiting for this day from the start, Ki-hyuk systematically destroyed the ‘prerequisites’ Junseong established, targeting them one by one. Like the ‘military’s successful doll blockade’ fundamentally set in dreams or the comrades who acted as Junseong’s hands and feet.

Yet, Junseong never once said he would confront Nam Ki-hyuk.

“To be honest, I planned to escape until the end.”

Like words flowing with a sigh, Junseong’s hand, habitually touching the bandaged neck, trembled.

Hanseo thought Junseong’s latent fear of Nam Ki-hyuk was so great that he couldn’t even dare to think about it.

Even the mighty Kang Junseong couldn’t help but fear someone who caused trauma to such an extent.

To avoid collapsing, all Junseong could do was slip through Nam Ki-hyuk’s net cunningly and escape to somewhere even Ki-hyuk didn’t know.

Until just moments ago, Hanseo thought that way.

The trembling in Junseong’s hand, which touched his neck, gradually subsided.

“I mean, if it’s just a hassle for me alone, I can endure it endlessly. Whether I’m framed with ridiculous accusations, pointed at by strangers I don’t even know, or chased by some crazy bastard obsessed with weird things, I don’t care.”

Unlike the resigned tone with a sneer, a rare venom deeply etched in Junseong’s eyes.

“But that guy is blatantly targeting my people one by one. Even those not yet threatened might soon be in danger because of the net he’s set.”

“Then isn’t splitting the team more dangerous? What if that guy kills everyone on the bus team while you’re gone?”

“I split them to prevent that.”

Junseong had various reasons for dividing the team. It wasn’t just about countering variables with variables or seeking solutions.

“You’re perfect for getting under that guy’s skin.”

Junseong’s meaningful eyes met Hanseo’s.

If someone stuck closely to Kang Junseong, acting together in every move, they would be the biggest thorn in Nam Ki-hyuk’s side.

Junseong predicted that the eavesdropping group tracking Dujae’s party watched Inhan Hospital, detonated a bomb, and likely hid near this motel following their movements.

They would naturally notice the group leaving the motel splitting into two.

Rather than chasing a bulldozer-like bus recklessly hitting zombies, they would obviously follow the top-priority target, Kang Junseong, on foot. In that process, what would Nam Ki-hyuk do upon learning a strange man was with Junseong?

Junseong clearly knew why Nam Ki-hyuk threatened and targeted his comrades.

Ki-hyuk might claim grand reasons like disrupting Junseong’s plans, but simply put, it was ‘jealousy.’

Because Ki-hyuk couldn’t stand someone being by Junseong’s side under the pretext of an ‘ally,’ something he could never have.

So, Junseong would use it against him.

“If he knows I trust you more than any other ally, how do you think he’ll react?”

“He’ll want to kill me.”

“Exactly.”

Junseong looked at Hanseo with a cold expression, as if testing him.

“I’ll make Nam Ki-hyuk want to kill you right away.”

In other words, Junseong planned to use Hanseo as bait.

Hanseo’s lips curled up satisfyingly.

“Very nice.”

Hanseo’s arm wrapped around Junseong’s waist, pulling him close. Clear heat flickered in Hanseo’s eyes, facing Junseong’s now-close face.

“I’ll act like bait as you want. But you don’t plan to let me die, do you?”

“Of course not. I decided to kill that bastard because of you in the first place.”

Hanseo’s mind momentarily froze at Junseong’s unexpected words.

Whether aware or not, Junseong continued speaking without pausing.

“I told you, didn’t I? If someone tries to kill you, I’ll kill them.”

Junseong wrapped both arms around Hanseo’s neck, pulling him closer, their foreheads touching. Junseong’s warmth quickly spread to Hanseo’s cold forehead.

“Nam Ki-hyuk will try to kill you eventually, and I’ll kill that bastard based on my ‘justification.’”

Justification.

It was the clearest leash Do Hanseo received from Kang Junseong.

At the same time, it was the leash Do Hanseo put on Kang Junseong.

“Since I fabricated your past and promised to change your present, I plan to take responsibility for your future too. For that, I must kill Nam Ki-hyuk with my own hands.”

Junseong’s pitch-black eyes, surrounded by countless unfathomable emotions, sank deeply without a hint of wavering.

Did Kang Junseong know?

To Hanseo, his darkened eyes shone more brilliantly than anything else.

It felt like those eyes could blind him.

Hanseo’s lips drew a long arc.

He reached out both hands, firmly holding Junseong’s face so he couldn’t escape even for a moment.

“What does it feel like?”

Feeling his heart start to race, Hanseo asked again.

“Right now, what do you feel?”

Kang Junseong, who wanted to kill someone for him.

What sensation was Junseong’s murderous intent, justified, like? Hanseo wanted to tear him apart and lick every piece right now.

Perhaps Junseong now felt the same emotions as him.

The exhilaration before an inevitable killing, the heightened sensitivity of every nerve.

Anything was fine.

Thinking Junseong might feel the same distorted emotions as him excited Hanseo as much as anticipating s3x.

To Hanseo, waiting for an answer, Junseong showed a smile resembling his.

“It feels shitty.”

* * *

One hour later.

The bus team, carefully packing supplies and food stored in the motel, started the vehicle, leaving Junseong and Hanseo behind.

Junseong thought there might be some commotion during the departure, but fortunately, no loud noises arose.

Of course, the expected source of that commotion was Kang Chaeyi.

“I may not be as smart as you, but I’m not a complete idiot.”

A few minutes before the bus left, Chaeyi, glaring at Junseong, said those words. Thanks to Daewook, standing beside her, explaining the situation for nearly an hour, Chaeyi respected her brother’s thoughts rather than clinging like a child saying no. Despite understanding it was for the best, her eyes, still red from crying yesterday and today, showed otherwise.

Chaeyi didn’t say much.

She told Junseong to be careful and left a scary threat that if he didn’t return on time, she’d come find him and kill him.

Then she fiercely glared at Hanseo standing behind Junseong.

“If you do anything weird to my brother, I won’t let you off.”

Hanseo smiled oddly and replied.

“If it’s not weird, I can do anything, right, junior?”

At the provocative words, Chaeyi’s eyes narrowed as if to snap back. Junseong, quick to notice, forcibly put Chaeyi on the bus.

Entrusting Chaeyi and the others to Daewook, now in charge, Junseong sent off their bus.

Now, only Kang Junseong and Do Hanseo remained at the motel.

Junseong picked up his pre-packed backpack.

“Let’s go.”

Junseong, drawing the machete from his waist, handed a weapon to Hanseo, who took the backpack. It was a kitchen knife swiped from the motel manager’s room. Similar in length to Junseong’s machete, its thin blade was typically called a ‘sashimi knife.’

Somehow, it felt like a weapon suited for Hanseo.

“Don’t stick too close until we reach the director’s house. If zombies don’t approach at all, the watchers will notice something’s off.”

“Just don’t stick close?”

“Yeah.”

Zombies would rush greedily if Junseong didn’t stay close to the ‘vaccine.’ It would be a tough path dealing with them together, but not dangerous.

Do Hanseo’s bl00d, saved for this moment.

Junseong opened a thin bl00d collection tube, pouring the red bl00d into his mouth. The metallic, rich taste swept over his tongue, sliding down his throat in one go.

Watching, Hanseo laughed and said.

“When you use it all, just bite my neck and drink.”

“Am I a vampire? My teeth aren’t sharp enough to suck bl00d.”

“Then I’ll cut my neck for you.”

“Stop joking.”

“I’m not joking.”

Junseong, sending a disgusted look at Hanseo’s tilted head, checked the watch on his left wrist.

It was about time for the bus team to reach the first point of the safe route.

“Let’s go.”

Junseong stepped forward first. Following closely, Hanseo swung the sashimi knife in the air, a strange vitality emanating from him.