the artist | haobin

Chapter Eighteen

Yujin's drowsiness quickly faded away, replaced by a newfound sense of deep admiration. His eyes widened with awe as he gazed at the colossal building that loomed before them, its towering structure stretching towards the sky. The magnitude of the edifice was overwhelming, leaving him to wonder just how many floors it held within its walls.

His curiosity brimmed as he turned to the boy standing beside him. His eyes sparkled with intrigue as he posed his question, unable to contain his wonderment.

"So, do you live here?" he inquired.

"Well, kind of. I work here," the other replied with a touch of humility. "It's not exactly my home, but I do sleep over most of the time."

Ricky couldn't help but cast furtive glances at the boy, a pang of jealousy welling up within him. It wasn't directed solely at the boy himself, but rather the connection and familiarity he seemed to share with Jiwoong.

"Excuse me," he asked with a hint of sass in his tone, "could you remind me of your name?"

The redhead extended his hand to him, introducing himself with a friendly smile. "I'm Matthew," he said. However, his gaze shifted to his ex-partner with a hint of reproach. "You could have at least told them that."

Feeling slightly taken aback by the reaction, he defended himself with a hint of confusion in his voice. "But I did tell them your name," he protested, his brows furrowing in puzzlement. He couldn't quite comprehend why Ricky was behaving this way.

Zhanghao, sensing the slight tension in the air, decided to intervene and redirect their attention. He approached the group, breaking the momentary silence. "Shall we go inside?" he suggested, gesturing towards the entrance of the building. "It's getting quite chilly out here."

Matthew nodded in agreement, his friendly smile returning. "Absolutely, let's go," he replied, taking the lead and guiding the group towards the entrance of the building. With confident strides, he stepped through the doors, holding them open for his new companions to follow.

As they entered, the grandeur of the interior enveloped them, its vastness and elegant design leaving them in awe. "Welcome to our headquarters," he said proudly.

He then turned to face them. "I'll be your guide and show you around," he said. "But for now, let's focus on getting settled and resting. Tomorrow, we'll begin our training."

Gyuvin furrowed his brow, curiosity evident in his eyes. "Training? What kind of training are we talking about?"

Jiwoong chimed in, offering a simplified explanation. "In essence, part of it will involve familiarizing you with the use of firearms," he clarified. "We'll provide instruction on gun safety and proper handling. You will most likely need to use that sort of things."

His friend added, "In addition to that, we'll also focus on other areas, such as hand-to-hand combat."

Ricky, feeling the need to assert his existing skills, spoke up. "I already know how to use a gun though," he said confidently.

His claim was met by a knowing look from his loyal butler. With a slight smile, he gently corrected him. "No, you don't. Stop lying."

"Remember the last time you tried to shoot? I almost died. Please, never touch a gun again," Gyuvin pleaded.

The blonde's cheeks and ears flushed with a deep shade of red, his embarrassment evident in his response. "Okay, I get it," he murmured, his voice carrying a deep shame. He found himself instinctively playing with his fingers.

Matthew, noticing his embarrassment, felt compelled to offer some reassurance. "It's okay. We're here to teach you," he said with a warm smile.

However, instead of feeling comforted by his words, Ricky's internal discomfort grew.