Payback: Reversal

Prologue / The Glare of Red Moonlight

If sky could swallowed someone, Yoohan would have asked for it immediately. But even when the sky turned dark and cloudy like it was made of void, he still stood there alone. Was it god that abandoned him or the world? Even the heavy rain could not move his tear gland.

Or was it that he had abandoned himself?

He left the columbarium bearing his little brother's and mother's urns, smirking cynically at the summer rain that had been pouring since morning, as if taunting his inability to shed any tear.

"Do you want me to cry pathetically on the rain like some tragic protagonist?" he chuckled towards the sky.

Too bad that he couldn't. It would probably felt so much better too. Perhaps this feeling of guilt that had been gnawing on his heart ever since the accident three months ago could be shed too.

But he could not cry, and the rotten guilt festered, even as his body healed. He laughed instead; at his body that recovered perfectly without any notable scars, at his little brother's funeral that he couldn't attend because he was unconscious, and at the useless attempt of prolonging his mother's misery for three months. If she had to go in the end, Yoohan should have just pulled the plug himself three months ago.

But he couldn't. He just killed his brother. Was he to kill his mother too?

"Young master,"

Yoohan stopped his laughter and turned his head at the young man in his late twenties that was supposed to be his assistant. The man had been disposed of his assignment to Yoohan after the accident and being moved elsewhere. Somehow, he was here today, bringing an umbrella like a faithful servant still.

"You're not supposed to be here." Yoohan pulled off the black tie that had been suffocating him for hours.

"I want to see the Madam one last time."

Yoohan chuckled bitterly. "What for?"

"To send her to a better place." the man held his palm up, and Yoohan casually put his tie there, like a habit, and took the umbrella.

"Well, wherever it is, should've been better than here."

Yoohan shook the umbrella open and wasted no time to brace the rain. But he turned once to see the man bowed slightly to him.

"Thank you for moving me to Hwayoung."

For the past three months, right after he woke up and realized that his rights were about to be revoked one by one, Yoohan had scattered his people to other companies. It was better for other people to have his team than his wretched family. He couldn't care less about the allowance or other benefits. But not his people.

"I don't know if it's something to be thankful for. Anyway, Song Hwa hyung is way better than my father or brothers." Yoohan looked at the man intently. "Don't falter, Yoo Ilhwan."

The man didn't answer. He didn't need to, since he was no longer worked for Yoohan. But he looked at the young man in front of him, the one he used to call Young Master. He had to treat other people as his master now, and his heart felt heavy. He had served Lee Yoohan ever since his adolescence day. He had witnessed all the bitterness this young man had to endure, all the tricks and cruelty he had to survive from.

This young man, just turning into adult, had to face death and be alone right after his birthday. On a car accident where he was the one who drove. He knew that Yoohan was being plagued with guilt ever since.

Ilhwan had wanted to stay by his side, but Yoohan had hurriedly fired them, only to have people from other company knocked on their doors for recruitment the next day. Yoo Ilhwan knew then what his young master's intent was. It was just painful that they could not do anything for the one they'd serve all this time when he needed them the most.