Chapter 40: Harang’s Predicament

The moment she pressed her thumb down on the button, that green dot would dart across the floor, sparking a pulse in my heart.

I felt the thrill of the chase bubbling up.

I watched her hand, waiting for even the slightest twitch—my cue to leap.

And then.

Now!

Click.

At the sound of the button, I sprang forward, diving to capture the small green beam.

Unfortunately, no one could actually catch a laser.

Thunk!

“Ow!”

I smacked my head into the door that Jinhyang had aimed the laser at.

It wasn’t a hard hit, but the dizziness left my vision speckled.

Embarrassment flooded me as I stood up, realizing I’d chased after an illusion.

“Boss, I’m done with this—”

Before I could finish, Jinhyang pointed the laser back on the floor, the green light dancing across in circles, impossible to resist.

“Ugh.”

With every dart and dash, I found myself entranced again, instinctively leaping across the floor and walls, agile and sharp.

Even knowing the laser couldn’t be caught, it still felt like the thrill of a real hunt.

That little green dot scampered away, like a terrified prey, filling me with a weird sense of satisfaction.

“Got it!”

I lunged one last time, hand extended, only to find the laser had vanished, leaving me gripping my own shoe.

“Huh?”

Somehow, I’d ended up by the entrance, staring back at Jinhyang’s amused expression.

“Now that you’re there, put those on and go run that errand.”

“Knew this would happen…”

Realizing I’d been expertly baited, I could only sigh as I slipped on the shoes, resigned.

“Just get the blue ink. Oh, and grab anything else you might want.”

“Should I start the stream before I go?”

“No need for that.”

“What’s gotten into you today?”

I couldn’t help but wonder as Jinhyang’s unusually thorough instructions caught me off guard.

Maybe it was because it was the weekend, and there was no need for anyone to monitor me closely.

“Yes, I’ll be back soon.”

“Go and be careful. Watch out for cars, and don’t cross when the light’s red.”

“Yes, yes.”

Anyone would think I was a child the way she was fussing over me.

As if I’d be reckless enough to cross at a red light! Her concern bordered on extreme.

Then again, it wasn’t like I hadn’t had my fair share of mishaps.

Just as I was about to close the door, her final words made me pause.

“Something might happen, so if it does, don’t worry and don’t cry, alright?”

“Something might… happen?”

Her tone sounded so certain that it made me uneasy, but I decided not to dwell on it. She did say not to worry, after all.

Back in the living room, Yoon Bora was pacing, nibbling on her nails in anxiety. The thought of Harang going out alone weighed heavily on her.

“Unni, was it really okay to let Harang go alone?”

“No, it wasn’t,” Jinhyang replied flatly.

“What?”

Yoon Boora froze in place, staring at Jinhyang, confused by her indifferent response. Worry clouded her mind.

“You know Lee Tae-sung’s underlings are after him. If they catch wind that he’s out alone, they’ll try to capture him.”

“So… that’s why you told him not to start the stream?”

“Exactly. They’re more likely to strike if he seems completely unprotected.”

“W-Wait, Unni, you mean…!”

Yoon Boora’s face turned pale as she realized what Jinhyang was implying.

The urge to run out and find Harang surged through her, but she restrained herself, trusting that Jinhyang wouldn’t act recklessly.

“It’s time to take care of Tae-sung and his gang once and for all.”

Yoon Bora’s mouth dropped open. While the idea of dealing with Lee Tae-sung’s group was understandable, using Harang as bait put him in undeniable danger.

“Unni, are you really using Harang as bait?”

“Yes, but don’t worry too much. I arranged for Eunhyuk-oppa to keep an eye on him. As long as a dungeon doesn’t randomly open, everything should be fine.”

“Oh, thank goodness…”

Kim Eunhyuk. With him on guard, it was practically assured that Harang would be safe.

Even Jinhyang couldn’t guarantee a win against him.

Just as Yoon Bora let out a sigh of relief, Jinhyang handed her smartphone to her.

A red dot blinked on the map displayed on the screen.

“What’s this…?”

“A tracking device.”

Yoon Boora blinked in surprise, glancing at Jinhyang with wide eyes.

“Did you think I put a bell on his collar just for fun?”

“Huh?”

“I had Raxy Bora attach a tracker to the bell. If anything happens, we can find him immediately.”

Yoon Bora’s eyes gleamed with newfound determination.

A tracking device? Yoon Bora hadn’t even considered such a thing, but with Jinhyang’s capabilities, knowing Harang’s location was as good as guaranteeing his safety.

“Is that good enough?” Jinhyang asked.

“Yes!” Yoon Bora replied, her worry quickly dissipating as she grinned. With all these precautions in place, there was no need to fret.

Ting-a-ling—

She shook the bell once before settling back.

Stepping outside, Harang realized something crucial: he didn’t really know the neighborhood layout well.

Outside of the tall buildings, he’d mostly traveled by car.

‘The stationery shop…’

He pulled out his smartphone, searching for the nearest one, which turned out to be just a short walk away down an alley.

‘This won’t take long.’

He decided he’d quickly finish the errand, grab an ice cream on the way back, and head home to relax.

As he strolled along the neatly paved sidewalk, he turned it into a little game,

hopping from one specific color tile to the next, avoiding other colors as if they were “danger zones.”

This little game entertained him until he reached the end of the sidewalk, where the final red tile lay a few meters away,

just out of reach for an average person’s jump.

‘Wow,’ he thought, almost impressed by the designer’s cruel joke.

It felt like the creator intended to leave him feeling defeated at the end, but that wouldn’t stop him.

With his light frame and an agility surpassing ordinary humans, Harang crouched and prepared to leap.

Just as he launched himself, aiming for that last red tile—

Thump!

Something suddenly grabbed the back of his neck, draining all his strength.

“W-What…?”

Dangling in midair, he couldn’t even turn his head to see what was happening.

Thankfully, his light weight meant it didn’t hurt, but he was left helpless, his body swaying slightly.

“Who… Who are you?”

“Stay still if you don’t want to die,” growled an unfamiliar man’s voice from behind him.

At that same moment, a black van pulled up beside them, and its door swung open.

“Huh…?”

Before he could even think to struggle, he was thrown inside, landing among a group of intimidating men, each with a heavy build and intimidating expressions.

Judging solely by appearances wasn’t fair, but these men looked anything but friendly, making Harang shrink back instinctively.

“See, I told you the opportunity would come,” one of the men said with a grin.

“Yeah, way too easy, right?”

An opportunity? What opportunity?

The men exchanged cryptic remarks, leaving Harang feeling increasingly uneasy.

‘What… What’s going on?’

Was he being kidnapped? But why? It didn’t make any sense.

His peculiar ears and tail certainly didn’t make him a perfect disguise, and he wasn’t strong enough to be useful for labor.

Even if they were after his organs, as a syndrome patient, his organs wouldn’t be useful to regular people.

The kidnappers must have had a purpose far beyond ordinary motives; he wasn’t like other people from his genes onward.

It certainly wasn’t a typical abduction.

‘Maybe it’s about money…?’

After all, many people mistakenly thought he was rich because of his appearances on broadcasts, even though, in reality, he was practically penniless.

‘Jinhyang did say something might happen…’

But she’d also told him not to worry or cry. Harang trusted Jinhyang’s words, especially in critical moments.

“Uh, excuse me…”

He tried speaking to the man who had grabbed him, only for the man to flash a blade.

“Keep your mouth shut, or should I take care of those hands here?”

“My… hands?” Harang looked down at his hands, momentarily confused. Maybe, like Yoon Bora said, they were alarmed by his sharp nails.

“I already took care of them, though…?” he mumbled. “Bora trimmed them yesterday. They’re not sharp at all now.”

“What… What nonsense are you spouting?! Are you not aware of your situation?!”

So, it wasn’t his nails. Oddly, that fact alone put him somewhat at ease.

“Phew…”

“Why is this kid… Hah, never mind. They did say this one was an idiot.”

The man scowled, finally lowering his weapon.

‘Did he just call me an idiot?’ Harang thought, feeling a twinge of offense. He couldn’t let that slide, even in this situation.

“I’m actually pretty smart…” he trailed off, feeling a bit frightened to press his point.

“This brat has a filthy mouth!”

“Hey, drop it. What’s the point of fighting a kid? Our target is Jinhyang.”

Jinhyang? Could they really be targeting her?

As that thought crossed his mind—

Bang!

A thunderous sound erupted, and the van door was suddenly ripped clean off.

“Huh?” Harang gasped, turning to see Kim Eunhyuk standing there, holding the van’s door in one hand.