Vows and Bullets
Chapter 138: Vengeance (Part 1)

Chapter 138: Vengeance (Part 1)

[Music Recommendation: "Forever Rain" by BTS - RM - instrumental version by Smyang Piano]

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[Agent Helios POV]

[Several years ago, when Eun-Woo was still a child...]

Clink. Clank. Thud.

"Hm... I wonder what brother is doing?"

The little me tilted my head as I peeked through the gap of the slightly closed door to my brother’s room. Scratching my tiny head, my eyes followed his every movement.

My brother, Young-Soo, was a handsome young man back then. Always smiling, gentle, and very kind. For some reason, he was busy packing things in his bag.

"Eun-Woo’ya," he called my name without looking at me, "if you’re trying to peek, you should do a better job at hiding. I can see you from here."

He then turned around to look at me and smiled while extending his hands toward me. My face lit up, and I quickly ran towards him in an embrace. He picked me up in his arms and shot me up high in the air like a superhero since I somehow liked to do that when I was a child. And lastly, he carried me in his arms and hugged me.

"Don’t tell me you missed me already?" Young-Soo chuckled. "We were just playing a moment ago when you woke up, sleepy-head."

"Uhm... not exactly," I tried to deny it, but my eyes gave me away. It instantly landed on the bag he was preparing. "Where are you going?"

"Ha-ha-ha! I knew it! Can’t stand a day without me, huh?"

"Hmp! Not really!" I lied and pouted. Still, my eyes were fixed on the bag. "Will you be gone long?"

Young-Soo tried his best to hide his laughter.

"Don’t worry, my dear little brother. I won’t be gone long. Me and my friends are just going to camp later. You know—embrace nature and appreciate its beauty and stuff. Blame our astrology professor. We somehow have a project about watching the stars."

"Tsk!" the little me clicked my tongue. "You can watch the stars from here," I murmured.

"Apparently, the forest where we’re going has a good spot for stargazing. So I’m packing the stuff we’ll need for the night, and of course, telescopes. I already asked dad’s handyman to prepare it for me. Should be ready in the car now."

Hearing that, of course, I brooded and pouted. Ever since my mother passed away, I have become especially attached to my brother. Father was too depressed and buried himself with work, so it was just the two of us that tried to cheer each other up. And just like with anyone whom I had grown especially fond of, I hated parting with them—even for only a little bit.

My eyes looked around once more, thinking of other things to ask—my little attempt to delay him and also think of how I could probably persuade him not to go. Seeing his exquisite suit, my simple mind back then thought of something.

"If you’re going stargazing, why are you dressed handsomely?" I asked with my gaze piercing through him. "You’re not going stargazing, are you? You’re going on a date! I read it in a book! Men dress up when they’re trying to impress a woman! Aha! I got you!"

Young-Soo burst out laughing from what I said.

"Me? Pft! On a date? Ha-ha-ha-ha! I can’t believe your tiny brain already knows those stuff. Ha-ha-ha! But seriously, no. The last thing I care about right now is romance since I am so busy with this mischievous brother of mine who wouldn’t let me out of his sight!"

Young-Soo then tickled my sides until I couldn’t help but laugh and try to get off his arms.

"S-stop, brother! Ha-ha-ha-ha! I won’t do—ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"That’s the punishment of nosy little kids."

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Young master, the car is ready," the butler suddenly came and informed him. "Is there anything else you wish to pack? Let me assist you."

"Oh, I’m good, Mr. John. Thanks."

Hearing that, tears started to swell in the corner of my eyes.

"You’re going already?"

"Yeah, I’m afraid so," he replied, patting my head.

"B-but... but..."

"Don’t worry. I’ll return soon and bring you a present, okay?"

"Sniff... p-promise?"

I didn’t really want a present, but there wasn’t much I could do.

"Yes. I promise."

Giving me the warmest smile and gently patting my head, he bid me goodbye. I followed him up to the entrance door of our house until he rode in the car and waved at me, still smiling. I waved back at him and did my best to smile back.

"Go home soon, okay?!" I shouted at him. "You promised me!"

"Yes, little sir!" he replied in a shout and waved his hand for the last time.

That image of my brother happily looking at me and waving his hand goodbye had been like a routine to us—just like that very ordinary day. It was the usual way he would bid goodbye to me whenever he went to school or somewhere I wasn’t allowed to be yet since I was still a child.

And that was why none of us could have known...

None of us could have predicted... that it would have been his last.

His last smile... last wave of his hands... and final farewell.

...

Pit. Pat. Pit. Pat.

...

Soon enough, the heavy rain came, and its deafening sound filled my surroundings. Its harsh droplets submerged me once again into despair.

The scene of the police, detectives and all important personnel that later came to our home that day flashed into my eyes like a movie. Their horrible words reverberated in my ears just like how they say them in my nightmares.

"Mr. Jeon, I’m afraid your eldest son is..."

"N-No... this can’t be."

"He’s dead."

"Mr. Jeon Young-Soo... is no longer alive."

Despite the number of times I saw this scene, the wound in my heart was still very much fresh. Along with it was the great hatred, anger, and injustice I felt.

For my dear, kind, and gentle brother to die a gruesome death... just like that?

NO! My conscience would never be at peace until I avenge him! NEVER!

They said he was a thief and a psycho who enjoyed killing his prey. Because of that, dad used his connections to hide our identity from the killer lest he comes toward us and kills us next. Therefore, a trusted family attorney represented us in court in order to catch the culprit and make sure he received what he more than deserved! DEATH!

It didn’t take long for us to receive the great news of his death sentence.

It would have been a sweet vengeance knowing that... but then...

"Mr. Jeon," the Chief Investigator visited my dad and me, one afternoon several years later. "I’d like to have a word with you about something important—if you don’t mind."

I was already in my early teens at that time, so I had a little more mind and wasn’t too naive about everything. Dad brought him to his office, but I sneaked in, wanting to listen to their conversation, for I knew there was only one reason "that" Chief Investigator would come to our home again.

"This..." he said, handing over something golden to my dad.

It was the golden pocket watch—the exact same one with an image of an octopus monster engraved on it. With its lustrous shine, it hid its darkest secrets.

"Would you happen to know if this belongs to your late son, Mr. Jeon?"

"That wretched thing! The investigators asked me that years ago, and I said no!" dad answered in a heightened tone.

Bringing up what happened to my brother or anything related would always reopen our biggest wounds.

"I don’t understand why you come here to simply ask me something I answered years ago," dad added, with his voice shaking and his face red in anger.

"I understand this is hard for you to take, Mr. Jeon, but—"

"The culprit has been sentenced to death! What more do you want by bringing this up again? Do you want to torture us?! Remind me how my son died?!"

"No! Certainly not, Mr. Jeon. It’s just that... a request for reinvestigation came from the family of the culprit, and it’s not something we can simply ignore."

"Why reinvestigate something that has been judged already? All evidence has been presented! What more do they want?! To find out our identity and what? Go after my youngest son and me? I already lost a son, so NO! I am NOT going through this again!"

"We can hide your identities, so there is no need to worry about that. But we may need your cooperation to answer a few more questions once again, the same with everyone else involved, and the witnesses, and—"

"Enough! No! I will not participate in this!"

"Mr. Jeon, I’m afraid we don’t have much choice in this. You see... the request not only came from the culprit’s family, but it also came from Mythos. As you may already know, any case they touch... will follow their process."

At those words, dad’s eyes widened.

"Mythos... Hah! I see..."