"Simeon, the leader of The Apostles… is Sang Heo?"
It can't be. Thinking that, as soon as I got home, I searched for information about The Apostles and Simeon.
Dressed entirely in black from head to toe, they were called 'Apostles of God' by people. All guild members used baptismal names as aliases, appearing out of nowhere to defeat monsters and then disappearing, hence the nickname. There are twelve apostles in total. Most of them are A-rank, a group of naturally skilled individuals.
And Simeon.
Name, origin, appearance. Everything is unknown about this S-rank hunter who leads the Apostles. There is so little known about him that some people even accuse him of being a criminal, but his skills are recognized by all, having established the guild and dominated the hunter world in just two years.
"So…."
That amazing hunter is actually the scrawny kid I knew?
"That's nonsense."
It's utterly absurd.
I pulled out the SD card from my camera, connected it to my computer, and watched the video I had taken over and over again. Still unsatisfied, I searched for all the information about Simeon circulating in the public and noted the features in my notebook. Looking at the page full of Simeon, I laughed hollowly.
It's not a mistake. Everything Sang had is also present in Simeon, from the trivial habit of tapping the air just before declaring check to the smooth hands without any protrusions to the two small dots on the third knuckle of the index finger. They are exactly the same.
"This is absurd…."
The kid who used to follow me around, calling me "hyung, hyung," has become an S-rank hunter and the leader of the Apostles guild. It's hard to accept. I thought about going to see him one more time but forced myself to hold back.
I must not forget. The person who abandoned Sang was me.
Our relationship ended when I left the cathedral, leaving the sleeping child behind. So whether Simeon is Sang or not has nothing to do with me. Even if he really is Sang, the moment I appear before him as Johan will never come again.
I crossed out the words 'Simeon Sang ' written in my notebook with a pen. The more I covered Sang's name with black lines, the more my complicated feelings seemed to disappear. So, I pressed harder until the pen tip pierced the paper in the notebook.
****
[Here are the photos you requested. I'll send the rest once you send the remaining balance.]
I sold my conscience for 3 million won. Well, if I consider it the price for awakening him, it makes me feel better. Anyway, we have no relationship anymore, so it doesn't matter. He can live his life, and I'll live mine.
Even as I thought that, I couldn't throw away the item in front of me.
"It's just… a souvenir. Yeah."
I'd printed one of the photos taken at Mapo Bridge—the one where Simeon looked the best—not to keep it but because I might need it later. So, I tucked it carefully between the pages of my notebook to prevent it from getting wrinkled.
No ulterior motive. Absolutely not.
"What should I eat for dinner…."
After eating only triangle kimbap for the past few days while lingering around the association building, I strangely craved luxurious food. While walking home, I was browsing the menu on one of the delivery apps. I deliberately took a route that involved walking down a deserted alley to avoid the rush hour crowd. But when I arrived at the alley's entrance, I found a transparent barrier blocking my path. Curiosity made me reach out, and surprisingly, my hand passed through smoothly instead of being deflected by the barrier.
"What is this?"
Is it a barrier to keep monsters out? Since it let me in, there should be no problem. So, with that thought, I continued into the alley.
But as I turned the corner, I saw a couple of people standing under the streetlight, clad in black masks and clothing.
"Oh…."
They were members of The Apostles.
I quickly hid behind the wall and peeked out. One of the individuals had long hair and wore a frilly black dress, while the other had brown hair and wore a black turtleneck and pants. They were the hunters who fought the salamander at Mapo Bridge. From their gestures, they seemed to be talking about something, but their voices were too low to hear.
Why are they here? Could they be the ones who set up the barrier in the alleyway?
Since I had entered without permission, it was best to leave before getting caught. I immediately turned to go back the way I had come, but at that moment, I sensed someone approaching from that direction, essentially trapping me.
I'm screwed. Moving now would instantly get me caught. Quickly, I hid behind an air conditioner unit between buildings. After holding my breath for a while, the sound of heavy footsteps got closer and closer.
Before long, the figure under the streetlight resembled a terrifyingly pale shadow.
"You're here, boss."
When the apostle in the frilly dress greeted him, chills ran down my spine.
Is the universe playing a game with me? When I desperately searched for Simeon, he never appeared, but as soon as I wished never to meet him again, he showed up. And now he's not even ten steps away. The fragment of a memory buried in the sea eight years ago is right in front of me.
"Then we'll keep an eye on this side…."
Unaware of my presence, they continued their conversation. As a non-hunter, I couldn't understand the work-related talk. More importantly, with Simeon right before my eyes, I couldn't see anything else.
The shock from this unexpected reunion was immense. I was so focused on hiding that I didn't even realize my body was half-exposed beyond the air conditioner unit. Suddenly, Simeon raised his hand to stop her and looked in my direction.
"Hmm."
I held my breath and quickly hid behind the unit. But it seemed he'd already discovered my presence as his long shadow slowly approached.
It was too late to make myself known with the excuse that I'd taken a wrong turn.
The only solution was to run.
I darted out of my hiding spot like a racehorse, heading for the crowded street. No matter how capable a hunter, he couldn't catch me in a crowd. I mingled naturally with the crowd and entered a department store, finally taking a breath.
My heart felt like it was going to burst. I've never felt this scared doing any dangerous job. I managed to escape this time, but next time… No. There mustn't be a next time.
"Hah, I thought I was caught."
While flapping my sweat-soaked t-shirt, my pocket suddenly felt light.
"It's gone…."
The notebook was gone.
"Did it fall out of my pocket earlier…?"
I'm screwed. That notebook contains all the notes I've gathered about Simeon. I even tucked in the photo I secretly took and printed. This is like serving a feast of evidence for him to suspect me as a spy.
The only consolation is that he doesn't know who I am or where I live. If I lay low for a while, I'll naturally fade from their minds. But…
It wasn't long after that that I went to the spirit auction on behalf of a client and ran into Simeon. This time, it was a head-on encounter. Although my face had changed greatly from how it looked eight years ago, and he probably wouldn't have recognized me as Johan, the situation still made me uneasy.
"…I'm screwed."
Simeon must know that the guy he encountered eavesdropping in the alley and the one at the spirit auction were the same person.
So, after the auction, I'd laid low for a while. Moreover, I'd set a new rule when taking requests. Never take on tasks related to people, especially hunters. I refused all requests to take photos of hunters or follow them. I didn't want to end up like the journalist who disappeared without a trace while investigating The Apostles.
A week had passed. Thankfully, there were no suspicious followers nor any accidental encounters with any of the apostles. It felt like returning to my life before discovering Simeon was Sang. I couldn't ask for more if the days continued peacefully with occasional requests.
[Do you also do deliveries?]
A request came through the usual open chat.
[Yes. As long as the contents aren't dangerous.]
[It's just a regular bouquet.]
[Then, using a regular flower delivery service would probably be cheaper.]
[I'd prefer to stay anonymous. Is that ok?]
At the time, I had no idea. But this was the beginning of a fateful encounter.
[Okay, no problem. Send me the delivery address.]
Honestly, I was suspicious. There was no reason to use my service, which was several times more expensive than an ordinary one, just for a bouquet delivery. So, I kept my guard up, heading to the station locker where the client said they'd placed the item. I was ready to flee at the slightest hint of anything suspicious.
Maybe my suspicion was unfounded. The subway was as usual, and even the bouquet in the locker seemed perfectly ordinary. Despite being far from summer, the square metal container was filled with blooming blue hydrangeas.
Carefully extracting it, I noticed a note attached to the bouquet.
[To my beloved]
The meticulous handwriting and the sweet perfume scent on the note gave me an ominous feeling.
"Could this be… an affair?"
I finally understood why they chose me over a regular service. Clients who wanted to send gifts anonymously and expensively usually enjoyed affairs. I had learned that over my long tenure in the errand business.
[Item confirmed. I'll be there within 30 minutes.]
I sent a message to the client and then input the address into the GPS in my car. The delivery location was a commercial building in Songdo. I hoped I wouldn't get caught up in a lovers' quarrel…. Musing over trivial worries, I stepped on the accelerator.
About 30 minutes later, tall buildings appeared in the distance as I approached.
"Is that it….?"
Ding—.
A cheerful notification announced that I'd reached my destination. Still suspicious, I parked across from the commercial building and slightly rolled down the window. Behind the office workers emerging for lunch, I saw the ten-story building.
The delivery was to be made to the first floor of that building.
"Huh…?"
But the entire first floor was a flower shop. Thinking I might have made a mistake, I rechecked the message. The location was correct. So, was I delivering flowers to a flower shop…? Well, there's no rule saying a pâtissier can't receive a cake as a gift, but it was strange.
I pocketed my phone and carefully lifted the hydrangea bouquet from the passenger seat, cradling it like a baby. I absentmindedly watched the flower shop while waiting for the pedestrian signal to change. Quite a few customers were coming and going. It seemed I had suspected the wrong person.
As soon as I entered the shop, I greeted the part-timer tending to the plants.
"Hello, I'm here to deliver flowers."
"Flowers…?"
The part-timer blinked with wide eyes.
She looked about twenty, with her long tied-back hair fluttering like her light pink chiffon dress. Her neat appearance was straight out of a romance drama, perfect for a flower shop worker.
"Could you tell me who sent it?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't reveal that."
It seemed the recipient was the owner, not the part-timer. So, I couldn't say.
"It's for the owner…."
The part-timer mumbled to herself, frowning in distress.
"I'm sorry, but could you wait inside for a moment? The owner must personally receive gifts sent to the shop. Otherwise, we get in trouble…."
Usually, I left immediately after a delivery. Staying longer only brought more hassle. I intended to do the same this time but couldn't further inconvenience the distressed part-timer.
"Sure."
"Thank you!"