The man stretched out and lifted Kang Sihyun's arm high. Sihyun could now clearly see the inside of man's arm for the first time. Although it was night and dark, a square chip implanted in the arm that the man raised was unmistakable—it protruded conspicuously against the skin.
There was no sensation from it, but to think it had been embedded there all along. From what he had overheard earlier, it probably served as a tracking device. Considering it was only detected after entering the village, the range didn’t seem too extensive.
To miss such a simple chip and botch things up because of it.
Sihyun chided himself for his naivety before quickly directing his anger elsewhere. It wasn’t him who should be scolded. The real madman was the one embedding chips into people’s bodies.
With wary eyes, Sihyun looked up at the man who, enjoying his gaze, burst into laughter. Truly, it was a mad world.
After all, in such a mad world, it was only fitting that he would commit such acts against Haewoon as well.
The face he had seen in the lab overlapped with the smiling one now watching him. Both looked selfish and venomous. Thinking this, the man holding the bamboo struck Sihyun's elbow with his foot. The blow, showing no hesitation, sent a tingling pain through his fingertips. Despite trying to hold on, his body wouldn’t cooperate. As his hand involuntarily opened, the bamboo spear clattered to the ground.
"Ah."
Sihyun watched the fallen bamboo spear with a sense of emptiness. He hadn't realized his well-laid plans would come to such a futile end. Whether it was despair or disillusionment he felt, he couldn’t tell, but it was there as the man on the ground kicked the spear, laughing scornfully.
"With such a flimsy spear, you thought to capture me?"
"……"
Slap!
Without a response, the man's thick hand struck Sihyun's cheek forcefully. Sihyun spat out blood-filled saliva and looked up at the man with rebellious eyes. If one complied meekly, it was hard to predict what he would do. Resisting meant certain punishment, but it was the only way to keep him detained longer.
That would prevent the discovery of No. 12.
That would maybe allow No. 12 a chance to eliminate him.
With this thought, Sihyun tried to endure, but contrary to his resolve, the man, visibly excited, laughed and firmly grasped Sihyun's hair, dragging him somewhere. They passed through a creepy, skin-crawling alley and onto a familiar path. Sihyun had walked this road before.
Ah.
Sihyun realized their destination was the basement he had first seen, sighing resignedly. While he was being dragged as violently as the boy before him, it seemed there was no intention to kill him, just like that boy.
Was he intended for experimentation?
If the decision had been made to hand him over to that man from Ratbutton, then he couldn’t be killed just yet. Or perhaps since the delivered 'item' had returned, the man from Ratbutton might pretend not to know and use him as before. Considering the man's possessive desire towards No. 1, it was a plausible assumption.
Throughout the journey to the basement, Sihyun kept his mouth shut, spinning various theories.
Given the man's reaction, it seemed the chip was a costly item implanted only in No. 1's body, so he wouldn’t know about No. 12 lurking nearby. No. 12 was haunting the paths the man often roamed.
Now, with neither aware of the other's presence, it was an opportunity.
The man usually walked these paths to the basement, moving away from No. 12. Keeping quiet might just ensure that at least No. 12 could escape unscathed.
Already once endangered by him, No. 12 couldn’t be exposed to danger again. So, Sihyun moved as quietly as possible while being dragged by the man. It wasn’t long before the man's steps halted in a dark and dingy basement.
Click.
The man touched something on the wall, and the musty, damp basement lit up. Sihyun hadn't realized there were lights, as they had never been used before. They were probably kept off to instill a fear of the dark in No. 1.
What a dreadful character.
Even jokingly, you couldn’t say he had a good personality. The man threw Sihyun against the brightly lit basement wall.
"Ugh!"
Groaning as he hit the wall, Sihyun watched as the man walked over and crouched down to his eye level. The man stroked Sihyun’s hair with a face full of regret. The touch might seem tender, as if he was No. 1’s father. But the reality was
different, and both Sihyun and the man knew it.
“I’ve heard the stories, No. 1. That madman at Ratbutton intended to use you as a test subject too. I’ve repeatedly told him not to touch you.”
Stroking Sihyun, the man spouted unexpected nonsense. Sihyun guessed easily that the 'madman' the man referred to was the test subject fanatic he had met at Ratbutton, wearing a puzzled expression. Listening to him, it didn’t seem like he disliked the idea of being a test subject at all.
But to send him to Ratbutton.
Was it true that he had warned them not to meddle? Or was it just a lie to make himself look good?
As soon as the man from Ratbutton saw him, his eyes went crazy. Sihyun couldn’t believe it and raised his eyebrows, but the man looked sadly at him.
“It’s true, No. 1.”
“Then you shouldn’t have sent me to Ratbutton in the first place.”
“I intended not to. But No. 1, you wouldn’t listen, would you?”
It couldn’t be helped. Seeing other kids getting caught, he thought you might become a bit more compliant.
The man added in a scolding tone. Essentially, he was saying he showed the others becoming test subjects to scare him into submission. Madman. To Sihyun, the level of madness seemed the same between the man and the one from Ratbutton. Both were madmen, and it was absurd to criticize each other for madness. There could be nothing more ludicrous and deranged than comparing the size of acorns in this situation.
Eventually, because he hadn’t listened, they resorted to illogical reasoning that disgusted Sihyun, prompting him to throw a defiant look at the man. This time, the touch was not tender like when he had stroked his head.
“No. 1. Every time I see you look at me like that, really…”
“Ugh!”
The strength squeezing his jaw turned his moan into a crushed groan. The pained expression was exactly what the man wanted, so Sihyun bit his tongue to suppress his groans as he glared at him with sharp eyes. He would have appreciated a sense of eeriness or chills.
“Every time I see that, I feel the urge to bottle up your eyes and display them, No. 1.”
“Crazy bastard.”
“Hahaha!”
He laughed as if the curse meant nothing.
Snap!
No, correction. The man quickly picked up a whip lying on the basement table. Truly, there had never been a smooth moment in his life. Sighing in preparation for the imminent pain, the man once again put on a seemingly tender expression.
“I don’t want you to hurt, No. 1. You know how much I care about you and how much I value you.”
“Ha.”
“But you don’t seem grateful for my care, do you? So today, I’m going to correct your behavior until you thank me. Ah, I’ve sent the organization's men to that madman at Ratbutton, so he’ll be dead soon. If he dared to touch you, he must pay the price.”
Actually, the person causing him the most trouble wasn’t facing any consequences. Sihyun responded to the man’s illogical reasoning with a mocking expression, which quickly turned sour as the whip swung.
“No. 1. I hope you make a wiser choice soon.”
The man smiled and whipped again. He had said he would keep punishing him until he acknowledged his gratitude, and indeed, he didn’t stop even after a hundred lashes. Thanks to that, Sihyun’s body was covered in wounds, and he managed a sneer at the man, who kept calling him No. 1.
“Better just kill me.”
“You!”
Furious, the man whipped even harder. He threatened Sihyun, saying if he didn’t repent immediately, he would punish all the boys, but Sihyun showed no reaction.
Considering his own treatment, had he really saved the other boys who had managed to escape the mine?
Given his cruel nature, it was plausible he would have brought the children to threaten him, but he hadn’t brought anyone. Relieved, Sihyun endured the now numbing pain, thinking of No. 12.
How well might you have escaped.
He truly hoped so.
Otherwise, the misery of being beaten here was too pitiful.
But at least, this time he would return quickly.
At this rate, being whipped like this, death would come swiftly. That’s what Sihyun thought as he lost consciousness amidst the beating.
He thought he had died.
Creak, the sound of the door opening.
“1, No. 1…”
If he hadn’t heard the sobbing, he might have thought otherwise.
Could it be.
Sihyun lifted his head as he opened his eyes.
“Ah…”
This idiot…!
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