Time seems to slow as the bullets zip through the air, each projectile aimed directly at Kim Hajin's face.

In that split second, he realizes the gravity of the situation. The kid before him must possess the same sharpshooter talent he does. With a flick of his wrist, Kim Hajin activates his own Bullet Time, a skill honed through years of practice and survival.

As the bullets draw closer, Kim Hajin's movements become a blur of precision and agility. He flicks hardened herbal peas from under his nail, intercepting each bullet with astonishing accuracy. With subtle alterations in trajectory, he creates a path to maneuver and dodge, narrowly avoiding the deadly onslaught.

The room fills with the sound of gunfire and the clatter of peas against the floor. Hyun's expression is twisted with rage and determination, while Kim Hajin's face remains calm, and his mind is sharp and focused amidst the chaos.

But despite his skill, Kim Hajin knows he can't keep this up forever. He needs to find a way to end this confrontation before either of them gets seriously hurt. As he continues to evade Hyun's relentless assault, he searches for an opening: a weakness to exploit.

"Kid, listen to me!" Kim Hajin calls out, his voice strained but firm. "You're making a mistake. Whatever vendetta you have against me, it's based on a misunderstanding. Let's talk this out before someone gets hurt."

But Hyun is deaf to his pleas, his fury driving him forward without heed to reason. “I have a name! My name is Hyun!” He continues to fire his weapons, his determination unyielding as he seeks to avenge his father's death.

Kim Hajin's mind races as he dodges another barrage of bullets while flipping the desk to form a cover. His thoughts search for a solution to this deadly conflict: thinking hard about how he can remedy this. He knows he needs to find a way to disarm Hyun without causing him further harm. But with each passing moment, the tension in the room mounts, pushing them closer to the brink of disaster.

With a final burst of speed and agility, Kim Hajin manages to close the distance between them. In a swift motion, he disarms Hyun, knocking the weapons from his hands and pinning him to the ground with practiced ease.

Thankfully, Hajin doesn’t need to resort to using Aether… sometimes, Aether can be very defensive and Hajin doesn’t want the kid to break a bone. Hajin watches Aether who has sneaked behind the kid at some point looking seemingly guilty.

Aether, the slime-like blob of magic power crawls away and returns to the chest where Hajin keeps his stuff. Hajin chuckles softly at the sight of the bored Aether. Because Hajin is doing less and less vigilante work lately, Aether is getting bored.

The room falls silent save for the heavy breathing of Hyun, the mysterious kid.

"Enough," Kim Hajin says, his voice soft but commanding. "It's time for you to behave. Let's find a way to resolve our differences peacefully." Using his unique physiology to conjure and shape medicines from his body and edit data of herbs, Hajin summons sufficiently strong vines from his palm and ties the kid's wrists with them.

It is strange seeing herbal medicine being used to tie someone, but anything goes with Hajin.

Hyun's chest heaves with exertion, his gaze burning with defiance. But beneath the anger and resentment, there's a glimmer of uncertainty, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. “I am stupid… I should have not fallen for my impulse. Clearly, you don’t remember killing my dad. As I’ve theorized, you’ve most likely wiped your memories before escaping here on Earth! Do you think of yourself as so clever to escape us? You killed my dad. Uncle Jonghak will be here soon!”

This kid… is certainly bratty.

Kim Hajin sighs, “How are you related to Jonghak? Uncle? So maybe family? Seeing that you are so problematic, maybe you are related after all, but seriously… it is midnight, and I still have a draft that I need to finish. Do you think writing is easy? I am tempted to just rob a bank sometimes, sigh…”

Hajin fiddles with his smartwatch and calls Jonghak. The smartwatch rings for a while before Jonghak finally picks up.

"Hajin? What's going on?" Jonghak's voice is heavy with sleep, confusion evident in his tone.

"Hold on, Jonghak. I need you to come over. Your nephew had the bright idea to bring guns and attack me," Hajin explains, his voice tinged with exasperation. “The kid’s name is Hyun, has brown hair, blue eyes, and a nasty scowl..."

There's a pause on the other end of the line, and then Jonghak speaks again, incredulity coloring his words. "You're kidding, right? It's the middle of the night. Is this some sort of prank? Because if it is, you better not try your hand at being a comedian. It's not funny."

Hajin sighs, frustration evident in his voice. "I wish I was kidding, Jonghak. But your nephew just tried to shoot me. I need you to come here and talk some sense into him."

“I don’t know any Hyun. Goodbye.”

Before Hajin can respond, the connection cuts off abruptly, leaving Hajin alone in the silent aftermath of the confrontation. He glances down at Hyun, who's still bound by the vines conjured from Hajin's own body.

"Looks like we'll have to wait for your uncle to arrive," Hajin says, his tone resigned but determined. "In the meantime, let's try to keep things civil, shall we?"

Kim Hajin is clearly misunderstanding something.

Hours pass, and Jonghak is yet to arrive. Kim Hajin has managed to write a substantial portion of his story, adding another 200 pages to his already lengthy draft. Glancing at the clock, he realizes that dawn is approaching, the sky outside gradually lightening with the promise of a new day.

Turning his attention to Hyun, who remains bound by the vines, Kim Hajin yawns and stretches. "Hey, kid, any sign of your uncle yet?"

Hyun glowers at him, his expression a mix of frustration and defiance. "You're so stupid. Why would he bother coming here for me? You probably annoyed him, and I think you called the wrong person."

“I guess it is my fault for assuming when you meant ‘Jonghak’, you meant someone I know. It isn’t really a common name, so my bad for assuming.” Kim Hajin rolls his eyes, unfazed by Hyun's insults. "Well, it's getting late, and I'm hungry. Want some breakfast?"

Hyun hesitates, torn between his anger towards Kim Hajin and his grumbling stomach. Eventually, hunger wins out, and he nods reluctantly.

Kim Hajin unties the tough herbal vines binding Hyun and gestures towards the kitchen. "Come on then. Let's eat."

As they enter the kitchen, Kim Hajin grabs a bottle of milk from the fridge and a box of cereal from the pantry. Pouring himself a bowl, he offers the box to Hyun.

Hyun eyes the cereal suspiciously, still unsure whether he should trust Kim Hajin or not. But hunger eventually wins out, and he takes the box, pouring himself a bowl of cereal as well.

They sit at the table in silence, with the only sound of the occasional clink of spoons against bowls as they eat. Despite the tension lingering between them, there's a strange sense of camaraderie in sharing a meal together.

As they finish eating, Kim Hajin looks at Hyun, and his expression is serious. "Listen, kid, I know things got out of hand earlier. But whatever issues you have with me, let's try to resolve them peacefully, okay?"

Hyun meets his gaze, his expression guarded but thoughtful. "I'll consider it," he says finally, his voice quiet but determined.

Kim Hajin nods, satisfied with the response. "Good. Now, let's clean up and wait for your uncle. Hopefully, he'll show up soon."

As the morning sun filters through the windows, casting a warm glow across the room, Kim Hajin and Hyun sit in the kitchen, their breakfast finished but the tension is still palpable in the air. Suddenly, the sound of the door opening interrupts the quiet atmosphere.

Kim Hajin's irritation flares as he turns to see a seemingly old man barging into his apartment without so much as a knock. "Who the hell are you?" he demands, his voice sharp with annoyance.

The handsome old man pays him no mind, instead addressing Hyun with a stern tone. "Hyun, it's time to go home. Your sister is worried sick about you."

“Ugh… so sis tattled in the end,” Hyun's eyes widen in surprise at the arrival of the old man, and his expression is conflicted. "Uncle Jonghak," he murmurs, a mixture of relief and apprehension evident in his voice.

Kim Hajin's annoyance deepens at the mention of the old man being Hyun's uncle. "So you're Jonghak, huh? Took you long enough to show up," he mutters under his breath, shooting Jonghak a glare. “Please look after the kid well. He suddenly came at me, shooting with guns… It is a very dangerous toy.”

Jonghak ignores Hajin's glare, focusing his attention on Hyun. "Come on, we need to leave now."

After a moment of silent contemplation, he rises from his seat, his expression conflicted but resigned. "I'll come with you, Uncle Jonghak. Unfortunately, I am unable to complete my investigation and prove to you that this Kim Hajin here is the one who killed my dad."

“You are still on that, kid… I didn’t kill your dad. If I did, I would at least recognize you…” Hajin stands between Jonghak and Hyun. “I’ve changed my mind. You wouldn’t take him away. I need to get to the bottom of this even if I have to get the Association involved. The kid is equipped with deadly Gifts and clearly some form of military training. The first time I saw you, I immediately didn’t like your mug. I am usually cordial and unspoken, but not this time.”

……………

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…

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Hyun watches with keen interest… hoping this devolves into a fight. It is very sneaky of Hyun, but he has foreseen parts of this— where the Transcended Shin Jonghak might be forced to fight Kim Hajin who Hyun suspects to be his dad’s killer.