Chapter 37: The Second Desire Quest (4)
Seo Juhwan blinked, wondering if he'd heard wrong.
What was she suddenly thanking him for?
Seo Juhui glared at him with a "what are you looking at" expression, then muttered as if talking to herself.
"Is it strange to say thank you? I just didn't get rained on, and honestly, with all those dangerous criminals and stuff, I was scared, but thanks to you I got home safely. And maybe because you came back from the military, but I feel more at ease?"
As she counted off her points on her fingers, Seo Juhwan let out a soft laugh.
How long had it been since he had a conversation like this with his sister?
He was always talkative when the three of them were together with Han Soo-ah, but this was the first time they'd had such a conversation alone since his regression.
Seo Juhwan felt awkward and gently pushed Seo Juhui's back, saying.
"What are you saying? Stop spouting nonsense and hurry inside. We're here."
"Tsk. So what if I'm thanking you. Pig."
"Yeah. I'm not a pig anymore. I've lost a lot of weight."
"You're still a pig?"
"Stop your chattering and get inside, you pig."
"Who's calling who a pig? And if I just go inside, why do you keep pushing me?"
"I'll go in a bit later."
"What? Why?"
Instead of answering, Seo Juhwan pulled out a lighter from his pocket and showed it to her.
Seo Juhui frowned deeply and walked into the apartment lobby.
"Smoke less!"
"Don't you know cigarettes are essential for artists?"
"Art my ass."
Seo Juhui grumbled and went inside the lobby.
Seo Juhwan chuckled watching her back, then took out a pack of cigarettes.
"...A mast?"
He hadn't realized he was out because he hadn't been smoking while with the kids.
"Ugh, it's annoying with all this rain."
Even as he said that, he headed to a convenience store to buy cigarettes.
It was only a 5-minute walk away, so it was quick.
Ding.
Seo Juhwan entered through the door and habitually looked around the convenience store to see if there was anything to eat, then let out a deep sigh.
He'd been trying to maintain a decent diet recently. He should avoid convenience store food.
Eventually, he approached the part-time worker, pointed to the cigarette section, and said.
"Give me a pack of Marlboro..."
Thud.
"Pay up."
While he was speaking, some man shoved Seo Juhwan aside and cut in line. When he reflexively turned around, he saw a tall man with a fairly large build.
The man, who had carelessly thrown on a neck warmer, glanced at him and then rushed the part-time worker.
"Aren't you calculating?"
"Sir, the customer in front came first."
The part-time worker said with a slight frown.
"What?"
The man's tone was harsh as he questioned back.
Seo Juhwan took a step back before things escalated and mediated the situation.
"It's fine, just calculate for him first."
"Sir? But..."
It's best not to get involved with difficult customers.
"Calculate quickly, won't you?"
The man said again in an annoyed tone.
The part-time worker seemed to bristle and opened his mouth to say something.
But when Seo Juhwan shook his head as a signal to stop, the worker clicked his tongue once, then scanned the barcode and processed the payment.
"..."
After finishing the calculation, the man muttered something and passed by.
Thud.
This time, the bag the man was carrying bumped against Seo Juhwan's knee as he passed.
It felt sharp and stinging.
Ding.
Seo Juhwan watched the man leave through the door and frowned, crouching down.
The part-time worker looked at him curiously and asked.
"Customer, why are you like that?"
"Oh, I got hit by that man's bag just now."
When he rolled up his pants to check, he saw blood seeping out like tears.
A puncture wound from something.
At that moment, the words the man had muttered earlier came back to Seo Juhwan with perfect clarity.
'Should I kill you?'
His spine went cold, and he felt a chill run down his back.
Seo Juhwan instinctively became certain.
'Lucy, that man's status window right now!'
Immediately, the man's status window appeared.
Gender: Male
Age: 37
Height: 183cm
Weight: 80kg
Favorability: F+
Current Lust: S
Fetishes: Apotemnophilia (High), Erotophonophilia (High), Pecattiphilia (Medium)
Possessed Talents: Reasoning (E+/A), Medicine (E/B+), Organization (C+/B)
The fetishes displayed in the status window.
He didn't know the exact meaning, but at first glance, they didn't seem normal.
Lucy explained the exact meaning of the fetishes to him.
[Apotemnophilia is a syndrome where sexual arousal is felt from the act of severing body parts. Erotophonophilia is a syndrome where sexual pleasure is obtained from killing people. Finally, Pecattiphilia is a syndrome where sexual pleasure is obtained from committing crimes such as rape and theft. Two are at high level, one is at medium level, and current lust is at its highest level S. It's not strange if he commits murder right now.]
Seo Juhwan's face contorted grotesquely.
"Damn it!"
Rape, dismemberment of the body, and murder.
Not a single normal preference among them.
'This bastard is walking around the streets right now?'
A bone-chilling cold ran up his spine.
'So saving Soo-ah alone doesn't end it!'
Seo Juhwan berated himself.
Caught up in trauma and only caring about Han Soo-ah, his perspective had become too narrow. At this rate, someone else would die instead of Han Soo-ah.
He immediately called 112. But for some reason, no one picked up, and it just rang with a waiting signal.
He waited anxiously for the signal, then called out to the frozen part-time worker on the side.
"Hey."
"Yes, yes? Me?"
"Contact the police right now and tell them a murderer has appeared."
"What? What are you talking about...?"
"You know that dismemberment murder case that's been all over the news recently! That bastard is the culprit, so call quickly!"
"How could you possibly know that? Of course that guy was annoying, but..."
"That's not important, so call the police!"
Seo Juhwan shouted in frustration.
Growing impatient, he placed his wallet on the counter and said.
"Here! I'm leaving this behind, so tell the police my name if they ask later! Oh, and tell the police to come to the abandoned building near here! He definitely must have headed there!"
"Huh? No, wait! Wait! Hey!"
Bang!
Leaving the part-time worker calling after him urgently, Seo Juhwan began running into the rain without even putting on an umbrella.
It had been quite some time since the culprit left the convenience store. He should have followed him from the beginning instead of wasting time like this.
'I know the location.'
Before his regression, the incident occurred in an abandoned building near here. The abandoned building, with construction scheduled and blocked from public entry, was the perfect place to commit the crime.
"Huff, huff. Gasp."
Seo Juhwan arrived in front of the building and caught his breath. Even though it was a short time, he'd run at full speed and his breathing was stuck at the top of his throat.
"Phew."
After calming his breathing, he approached the interior of the building.
He planned to stake it out even if the culprit wasn't here. After all, the culprit would eventually come here.
Seo Juhwan swallowed saliva stuck in his throat from tension and slowly entered the building.
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