Seongji Yuk sat cross-legged on the mat, carefully pouring steaming tea into two plain cups. He glanced at Ha-Joon across the table and raised an eyebrow.
"It's not much, but it's warm," Seongji said, pushing a cup toward him.
Ha-Joon took it with a small nod. "I appreciate it. Can't remember the last time I sat down for tea like this."
Seongji sat down across from him, stretching out his back slightly with a quiet sigh. His battle with James Lee had taken considerable damage to his body. And who would have guessed that a kid who came out of nowhere could take down a generation king.
Though Seongji couldn't help but glare at Ha-Joon for delaying their meeting. He had been waiting for Ha-Joon to ask about 'That' thing but he had simply disappeared from that last call.
From that moment on, he had lost all hope on Ha-Joon and believed he wouldn't visit Cheonliang.
Now after all that recent incident where his finger and toe had been cut off, Ha-Joon arrived like an angel in perfect timing.
Ha-Joon sitting across him gave a awkward smile. "I had lost my way in big island... Anyway, thanks for still waiting."
Seongji gave him strange look. The kind that said you're full of shit without needing to say a word.
Ha-Joon scratched the back of his head and gave a weak laugh. "Let's not dwell on that."
He leaned forward slightly and asked. "So have you decided to accept my help."
Seongji put the cup down. His fingers were still stiff, the wounds around his knuckles sore. "You really think you can help with this PTSD thing?"
Ha-Joon nodded. "I think I can help."
Had it been in his previous life, treating PTSD would have been a hassle. But in this world teaming with supernatural phenomenon, Ha-Joon believed there had to be a way to treat a trauma completely.
Seongji raised his brow skeptically. "How."
Ha-Joon smirked slightly, leaning forward. "How I help isn't important. What matter's is, are you willing to accept my help?"
Seongji frowned slightly. The way Ha-Joon spoke, it felt like a deal with devil. He glanced at Ha-Joon and said. "By helping me. What's in it for you...? Surely you're not here purely out of kindness, are you?"
Ha-Joon didn't look the least bit offended. Instead, he gave a small shrug and let out a soft chuckle.
"Heh… In this world, no one helps out of pure kindness, right?" he said casually. "People only move when there's something of value in return. That's just how things work."
"I see potential in you, Seongji Yuk. Way more than you give yourself credit for. And if you ever choose to stand by my side, I'll make sure you reach your full potential, without holding back."
"I'm not planning to get involved in any of your shady schemes," Seongji said with a light chuckle. "And just so you know, I recently turned down an offer from some kid out of Seoul. So tell me, what makes you think I'd join you?"
"Besides I don't need your help with reaching my full potential."
Ha-Joon shook his head, before speaking. "Relax. I don't have any shady business for you to run nor am I planning to use you like a slave. It's just... cooperate with me."
"And I will help you with your every request. So how about it? Interested?"
The longer their conversation dragged on, the more Ha-Joon felt his patience wearing thin. He was never the patient type to begin with.
For the first time in his life, he had swallowed his pride and taken a gentler approach, all just to recruit Seongji.
And yet here he was, being questioned like some damn suspect under police interrogation.
Seongji quickly caught on to Ha-Joon's simmering irritation. With a quiet sigh, he pushed himself up to his feet and extended a hand.
"I'll join," he said. "Just hope I don't end up regretting this decision."
Ha-Joon's expression, which had been darkened by a deepening frown, instantly shifted, his face lighting up with a smile. He extended his hand.
"Happy cooperation."
Instantly Ha-Joon's smile vanished and darkened further. He slightly tilted Seongji's hand and noticed the missing finger. Earlier due to conversation, he hadn't noticed Seongji's missing finger.
"What's the meaning of this?"
Seongji Yuk looked down at his hand, the faint scars where his finger had been. He smiled warmly, before speaking. "It just happened yestarday."
"I thought you came knocking to my place only to discover some random kid had come to test me."
Ha-Joon's mind clicked.
He had almost forgotten. Shinmyung that bastard had been the one to chop off Seongji's fingers and toes.
It had been years since he last read 'Lookism', and with everything that had happened since his return, the details of the early arcs, had begun to blur especially first generation.
He cursed inwardly.
Key events he should have remembered were starting to slip through the cracks like water.
In the end, Ha-Joon let out a sigh and stood up.
"I've got things to take care of," he said. "We'll catch up later... I'll contact you when the time's right."
Without waiting for a response, he gave Seongji a final glance before turning to leave.
..
As Ha-Joon stepped out of Seongji Yuk's house, the peaceful silence of the mountain was abruptly broken.
Six figures stood ahead, but only five now. The first to speak was Jaewoo Park, stepping forward with hands in his pockets.
"Who are you?" he asked. "What do you want from our teacher?"
Before Ha-Joon could reply, Hyungjae Lee, the most hotheaded among them snapped, "You've got some nerve walking into our home like this place belongs to you."
Once again Ha-Joon was interrupted by Taebong Lim, always the skeptic. "You're not one of us. You don't know what he's been through. Why are you out of his place."
Wooseok Choi, the quietest of the group, didn't speak butt stood close to Mary Kim, who folded her arms, guarded.
Mary spoke. "If you're here to take advantage of him, I swear-"
"Enough... Let me speak" Ha-Joon said, cutting her sharply. "I'm just checking on your teacher."
"And believe me, I don't need to take advantage of anyone."
Ha-Joon looked over the group, then turned slightly toward the house behind him. "Ask your teacher if you don't believe me."
Right on cue, the door openned. Seongji Yuk stepped outside, his gaze immediately scanning the scene.
"That's enough," he said.
The five backed off instinctively. Seongji's word carried more weight than any explanation.
"He's not a threat. He's… someone I've decided to work with."
"You sure about that, teacher?" Jaewoo asked.
Seongji nodded slightly at his word.
The others didn't look convinced, but they didn't press further.
"Vin Jin would've lost it by now," Hyungjae muttered under his breath, stepping back.
"Vin's not here," Mary reminded him quietly, her voice strained. "Because of Shinmyung."
The group gave Ha-Joon a fierce look, as if ready to devour him alive.
Ha-Joon glanced at Seongji and gestured at the group.
Seongji looked tired but still clarified. "That's not his decision to make... It's mine. And I'll talk to you all about it, but not now."
As Ha-Joon passed through the small space they left open, he turned his head slightly and spoke just loud enough to hear. "If you're that worried about him… start training harder. The world's only gonna get uglier."
And with that, He slowly walked towards the SUV before departing.
Seongji glanced at the disappearing car before sighing softly. "Even if you had not invited me. I had planned to join you just for helping me."
"I just hope… you'll help me make it out of this place one day, Park Ha-Joon."
....
Man... I once again re-read all the chap in Lookism for any tiny detail's for the 1st gen which delayed the chap.
But rest assured. The delayed chapter will be uploaded in a few hours.