It's time to leave America now. There were some final things I needed to check before departing.
I called Edward first.
"When I leave this time, I don't know when I'll return to America. I might never come back."
Edward's eyebrows twitched at my words.
"So you're saying I should reconsider?"
"This was the country you lived in, but if you follow us to Korea, everything will be unfamiliar. You won't understand the language, the food will be different. The culture and everything will be different."
Edward, who doesn't communicate well, was bound to be an outsider among our Weltschmerz. It would be even more so in Korea. At least here he could watch TV when bored, but that won't even be possible in Korea.
Of course, knowing English as a global language might make things a bit better, but he still won't be able to be as comfortable as now.
There was a limit to how much I could take care of him. When we go to Korea, I'll have countless things to resolve...
"I'll be very busy in Korea. Even more than now, so I'm asking in advance. If you're really okay with it. It might get even tougher than the past few days."
Edward must have spent quite a lonely time while I couldn't take care of him because I was preoccupied with other incidents.
Edward scratched his cheek at my question and said:
"I really enjoyed the past few days. It's been a while since I rested this comfortably without any thoughts. Until now, I was always frantically searching for the next mercenary group to stay with, as if being chased by someone."
Edward then looked at me and said:
"Besides, I wasn't bored at all. Making the textbook was fun too. Though it has a lot of pictures for a textbook..."
Edward chuckled, seeming pleased with his own wordplay.
"I found out I have quite a talent. Teasing Han was fun too. I didn't mean to tease, he just got worked up one-sidedly. Though we can't communicate, you know how all his emotions show on his face? He acts like an adult but he's just a kid."
...So Han Seo-hyeon became so sensitive about the textbook all because of this guy. Well, even I thought the textbook Edward made was amazing. He certainly has an impressive talent- wait, who are you calling a kid!
"Before, I didn't even know I liked drawing. But when I tried it this time, it was fun. And watching animation was good too. Well, it was a bit childish but..."
For someone calling it childish, he was the one hugging Kim Jae-ho tightly and bawling his eyes out.
"And I could communicate pretty well with Mr. Cha. Though he tends to speak a bit like a zombie..."
"What? A zombie?"
"Well, to use an analogy. Rice. Eat. Here. Is. All. Your. Thing. He talks like that."
Hey, don't insult our ki- I mean, our hyung!
"You can't even speak Korean as well as a zombie."
"Oh! Did that sound like an insult? Sorry, I didn't mean it that way."
Don't apologize so easily! Now I feel like trash for nitpicking!
Anyway, to sum it up:
'What's with this guy. He had quite a good time, didn't he?'
When he was crying about how his life was ruined, he looked so miserable, but these past few days he spent so comfortably that his face was glowing.
Well, from my perspective, it's good that this guy is doing well. But still, isn't he doing too well?
'If you think about it, aren't we the enemies who ruined his dream?'
—Hmm. Well, isn't it good if it's good?
Ugh. Still, I didn't think it was a good thing for Edward to blend into our organization.
"I couldn't think of a clear solution before, but if you want, I'll find a way to restore your status somehow. If you want, I'll support your activities in America too..."
Of course, I won't be able to match Oh Seung-woo who's called the best agency, but I'll give you the best support I can.
Even if I have to pull out a pillar of our Weltschmerz.
No, come to think of it, maybe not a pillar. Just, uh, maybe one brick...
—It suddenly became very modest.
'Isn't saving the world more important?'
Hmm, that's right. Pulling out a pillar is a bit, uh, too much. What if our house collapses?
Still, I intend to do my best to support Edward.
Right after the incident, the situation and time didn't help me, but it's different when we return to Korea. There, I have resources I can mobilize, and many people I can get help from.
'Worst case, we could find a way for him to return in glory by accumulating greater merits than attacking Taika, there are ways if we just look for them.'
At my words, Edward didn't look very pleased. Rather, his face was glum.
"Well, I wonder if I really need to do that."
"What?"
Edward said:
"Honestly, living that life chasing after that goal wasn't very close to happiness. I don't want to say it's impossible, but it's really tough, you know. Rising to the top of the world."
Certainly, to achieve that goal, there was no time to rest at all.
There are countless monsters in this world, and Taika Cooper is the one who climbed to the highest place among those monsters. To catch up to a monster, Edward had to live like a monster too.
The reason Edward set the goal of catching up to Taika Cooper was purely out of revenge towards Oh Seung-woo who abandoned him.
Or, the desire to be acknowledged by him.
For that one thing alone, Edward used and discarded the people around him like consumables. That's why Edward got the nickname 'Albatross'. People called him that with contempt, meaning he never settled with anyone and only chased after benefits.
"Seeing you guys, you just look happy. Laughing at trivial things, getting sad over trivial things. I couldn't do that. For the past seven years, I don't think I ever laughed without a reason. I was just always angry..."
Edward's face as he said this was the most serious I'd ever seen.
He said he quietly reflected on his life so far over the past few days. That he had too much time so he thought a lot. But that time was quite good.
"For the past few years, I didn't think about anything. Just, the obsession that I had to follow the goal I set. When that obsession broke, I started thinking about why I wanted to do that in the first place."
This incident made Edward rethink his goal. He thought achieving that goal would make him happy, but seeing us made him reconsider happiness.
"I'm definitely not going to thank you guys for this, but well, I think this is a turning point in my life. Do I want to go back to how things were before? Well, should I?"
He still hates Taika Cooper and wants to bring Oh Seung-woo down a peg, but... Edward continued:
"I wasn't happy then."
"Happiness, huh."
"If you ask if I'm happy now, well, I'm not. But at least it's closer to happiness than back then."
Edward said:
"And I know that friend didn't mean to do it. At first I was really angry that he didn't even apologize properly, but that friend is a bit slow, isn't he?"
"..."
I couldn't refute this at all. Our Jae-ho is just like that because he hasn't learned yet. He has a lot to learn.
Still, what he did was a huge mistake.
"And I did get an apology of sorts later."
"Kim Jae-ho apologized?"
"Yeah."
It seems Kim Jae-ho even apologized without my knowledge. When on earth?
"He didn't say it in words. He doesn't know a word of English in the first place. But he showed it through actions. He secretly offered me some of his food. Han's jaw dropped in shock next to him."
What? Our Jae-ho shared his food? That's surprising.
He's never shared food with me before.
"For now, I want to follow you guys and think a bit more. About what I really want to do."
I didn't think it was a good choice for Edward to follow us. Not for our sake, but for Edward's own sake too, it wasn't a very good choice.
But hearing this made me change my mind a bit.
His words right after the incident that 'If I can't be the best hunter, I'll be the best villain!' were something I absolutely couldn't accept, but well, if it's like this.
"I'll be in your care from now on."
I nodded at Edward's words.
After finishing my conversation with Edward, I looked for Han Seo-hyeon. There was one more person I had to see before leaving for America.
When I asked him to find John, Han Seo-hyeon pouted and grumbled:
"You really like that ahjussi."
"I told you I was a fan."
"Your taste is strange. He's not even that handsome."
John is! It's his personality that's the real deal, not his face! His face is just! But! Still, he's not that bad looking, he has proper features! And he's quite tall! Though I wonder how he managed to be a mafia's mistress with that face! But still, you know? He's not ugly!
—Is this defending, or just beating with a shield?
"Ahem, ahem."
Anyway, with Han Seo-hyeon's help, I was able to find John's location. John was doing something with a laptop at a cafe near the hotel.
I sat down across from the table where he was seated.
"Oh, hello."
John wasn't very surprised by my sudden appearance. Though he doesn't look it, he's quite gutsy.
"What are you doing?"
"Well, I was buying plane tickets to leave here. Ah, as you said, I exchanged all the money at the casino yesterday. It's the first time I've had this much money, so I feel a bit dazed... But I promise. I won't waste it."
John smiled broadly, saying he bought this laptop with that money too.
"Where's the kid?"
"Ah, Isavelle?"
What, he wouldn't tell me his name for days, but they've already introduced themselves? I thought it was good, but somehow felt disappointed. I'm definitely not sulking, no, definitely not, but...
—You're sulking.
'No, it's a good thing. It means John gained his favor that much. No, strange. Am I that unlikeable? Huh? Strange, I wasn't even bare-faced...'
I'd admit it'd be hard to be likeable with my original face, but the face I was wearing was quite average. So does that mean I was just unlikeable? Strange, I'm pretty confident in my speaking skills.
—You're sulking...
'I'm not sulking! Just for the future, you know? Don't I need to find out what the problem is? Why it didn't work for me, but did for John!'
—You're sulking.
Damn it, fine, I'm a bit sulky! Is that not allowed? I thought I treated that kid quite well too.
Anyway, Isavelle, huh.
"It's a pretty name."
It really suited that kid.
"For now, I got him a room at this hotel. I thought rest should be the priority."
Certainly. That kid needed rest now. John explained his plans to me.
"I'm thinking of leaving here and going to another area."
This Las Vegas with its casinos wasn't a very good environment for raising a child.
"I want to discuss what to do from now on together. For now, I want to do everything he wants to do, but he says he's not sure yet. One thing was clear. He said he wants to go to school. He wants to see and learn a lot."
John's face was full of pride for the child as he said this.
"That's great."
The two of them will do well. I can leave here without worrying.
I said to John:
"I'll be leaving America now."
"What?"
"This is the last time we'll see each other face to face."
John looked at me with a surprised expression at my words.
"Oh, um, is that so? I thought you'd stay at least a few more days."
John, who had been speaking while looking at me flustered, hastily added:
"By the way, if you're leaving, shouldn't you say goodbye to that kid too..."
"No, it's fine."
What's the point of meeting face to face. I patted John's shoulder and said:
"Please be happy. You must be happy, John."