D.I.O

Chapter 119

Eunhye felt the others freeze up. Yongno was quick-witted and sensed that the others had tensed up as well, but he disregarded them and took a bite from all the other family members cakes. He didnt spit out any of theirs.

Wh-whats wrong, Yongno? Does the cake taste off

What did you put in my cake? And why only my cake?

Yongno's voice was cold. Usually, a boy of his age would have felt confused or embarrassed in such a situation, but Yongno assessed the situation with amazing insight and judgment. It was the worst-case scenario, something he hadnt even imagined. However, he didnt panic. Suddenly

Bam.

Ah, it would have been nice to do this without any conflict. Was the tranquilizer we put in the cake defective? Or did it give off a particular smell?

I checked right before we used it, but there were no abnormalities. Its colorless, odorless, and tasteless. A dog or bear might have noticed it, but not a person.

But he did notice it.

The target must be much more extraordinary than what we initially expected.

The front door swung open and two men in suits came in. They had strong physiques, and it was clear they had done extensive exercise and training. Furthermore, they didnt seem to care that they were entering another persons home. They didnt even take off their shoes when they came into the house. The two men were soon followed by three more expressionless men in suits.

Mom.

Dad?

Though nervous, Yongno looked over at his parents faces, but they avoided eye contact. Finally, fully grasping the situation, Yongno scoffed aloud.

So youve already decided to take this route. Dad, I thought you were quite high up the food chain. I suppose one of your superiors gave the order?

Im sorry.

You know Im not asking for an apology!!

Finally, Yongno lost his composure and burst out in anger. However, the men in suits strode closer as if they had no intention of waiting.

Our initial plan failed, so lets just drag him away. It seems he knows what situation hes in, so this shouldnt be too difficult. Make sure you gag him

Boom!

One of the suited men reached and grabbed Yongno. In the same moment, Yongno flew up and turned around mid-air, bringing the man with him. The man lost his grip, and crashed onto the floor without a chance to break his fall. He fell directly onto his neck. His body went completely limp.

Hmm?

It defied common sense to see a child, who appeared to be an elementary school student, easily tossing a giant adult, who was over a hundred-and-eighty-five centimeters tall. However, the other men couldnt afford to stand and marvel at this unbelievable sight; Yongno had already taken off.

This kid!

Another man reached out to grab Yongnos collar. Though Yongno was moving quickly, the man thought that this mishap would be all over once he grabbed Yongno, as their height difference was overwhelming. However, Yongno pulled the mans collar backwards, and the mans weight was pulled forward with it. Of course, the man had learned some martial arts, and adjusted his center of gravity to shift his weight backwards. Then, with precise timing, Yongno forcefully pushed the man away with his hands and sent the man stumbling backwards.

Crash!

My god, what the hell is this? Jujitsu? How the hell does this kid know jujitsu ack!

Yongno moved swiftly and caused another man to roll on the floor. Eunhye, who knew nothing about martial arts, felt like she was seeing something fantastical. A small boy moved his arms and legs a few times, and in succession, tall adults were easily felled and rolled around. It was an amazing sight to behold, but Yongnos movement came to an abrupt end when one of the men in the back pulled something out of his coat.

Click.

Ugh?

The man was pointing a gun at him.

It doesnt seem to be a fake. Are you really willing to shoot me? A child?

Hmm. Am I willing to shoot you of course Im willing to shoot you!

Chk!

The man pulled back on the trigger. A silencer must have been attached as the bullet exited without a loud discharge noise. Yongnos family members flinched at the sight of a gun being fired at a young boy. It was a shocking sight, followed immediately by something even more shocking.

Bam!

What?! He avoided the bullet?

The man with the gun looked shocked as Yongno kicked him in the wrist. Yongno had dropped low to the ground and shot out a roundhouse kick. Surprisingly, Yongno had lowered his posture quickly enough to dodge the bullet, and launched a counterattack!

Bang!

Ugh!

Suddenly, a bullet struck Yongnos back. However, no blood spilled. The bullet was a tranquilizer, not a common bullet.

Settle down and think. Theres no way a human can avoid a bullet. He was able to avoid it because he read your movements and the direction of your muzzle.

I-I would understand if he were a martial arts expert but hes just a little kid!

Hes an enigma, which is exactly why weve been called to huh?

The man who was speaking widened his eyes. Yongno should have crumpled to the ground after being hit by the tranquilizer, but somehow he was still standing upright, albeit teetering.

This is unbelievable. Hes been hit by a tranquilizer designed to take out a grown man, but hes still standing. Is that little body of his able to restrain the effects of the tranquilizer?

They looked at Yongno in astonishment. If their opponent had been a large burly man, they might have understood, but this case was too unusual. This couldnt be explained by high intelligence or good reflexes. Yongno, the subject of everyones surprise, stumbled but managed to keep his balance.

Youre throwing everything you have at me. I can only assume youre not going to treat me nicely after taking me away youre probably planning on doing a lot of inhumane things to me, right?

We dont know either. Our objective is to just bring you in.

Fine. Since Ive been forsaken by my own family, I guess I shouldnt even bother to put up a fight. Could you just give me a moment to say my last words?

When Yongno realized that there was no escaping his fate, he became calm. In truth, he resisted only because he felt angry at this unbelievable situation. Now that he had time to think about it calmly, Yongno knew that itd be wise to do as they wanted.

We wont kill you.

I feel like that means you probably wont kill me.

Yongno turned his head to look at his family. They turned away and didnt face him properly. Their expressions were full of shame and guilt. The father who was always stoic, but loving and considerate. The caring mother who was afraid of her son yet always did her best after giving birth to him. The brother who was blunt, but thoughtful Yongno couldnt see any of these characteristics in his family members faces now. All he could see were strangers who couldnt overcome their fears.

I-I didnt do anything wrong. Youre the weirdo. I just

Stop it.

Seokwoo stopped Taewoong from continuing. No matter what, the final responsibility was Seokwoos, the head of the household. Though Taewoong and Miran had always felt afraid of Yongno, the decision to escalate things to this extent laid squarely on Seokwoos shoulders. The pressure and conciliations he had received from his military superiors were not entirely negligible, but his rank was also not low. He could have risked everything and used his rank to further protect his child. However, Seokwoo had not taken this path. Ultimately, what was transpiring was his fault.

To be honest, I want to fight this. But in this situation, well only end up hurting each others feelings, right? Rather than do that, Id like to just ask you for a favor instead. Please take care of Eunhye.

But she is a stranger to me. We arent related.

Youre capable of preventing her parents from doing anything bad. You have your ways. Oh right, the video and voice recording files are in my desks lowest drawer. The key is in my wallet.

Yongno.

Although she didnt grasp the situation entirely, Eunhye was able to read the room. With anxious eyes, she grabbed onto Yongnos shirt. Yongno felt gloomy for a moment when he felt her fragile and weak grasp, but unfortunately, there was no time to spare. Though he felt sorry and worried for her, there was nothing more he could do.

Lets get him out of here.

Y-Yongno.

The men, who had fully regained consciousness and composure, separated Eunhye from Yongno, startling her. She tried to run after him.

Yongno!

Sorry. Ill Ill try to make it back as soon as possible. So, dont cry no matter what, okay?

D-dont go. Dont go. Yongno Yongno

Dont cry. If you cry, then Ill feel

Suddenly, Yongno crumpled to the floor.

Yongno?! Eunhye screamed out.

One of the black suited men made an exasperated expression.

Even a hundred-fifty kilogram fatty was taken out instantly by this tranquilizer. To withstand the tranquilizers effects until now? If we need to tranquilize this guy again, we better use two shots.

Team leader, Im sure youve read the manual, but the amount of tranquilizer youre talking about would likely cause cardiac arrest.

Its better than letting him slip away. Anyway, the head manager is going to be happy with this test subject. Move him.

N-no! Yongno! Let him go! Yongno!

What would you like to drink?

Ah.

Eunhye had been reminiscing on what had happened ten years ago, but after hearing the stewardess voice, she was brought back to the present.

Coffee, please.

Thank you, miss. Enjoy your flight.

As the stewardess walked off, Eunhye buried herself deep into her seat once more. When she closed her eyes, she could still see the men in black suits. She didnt understand what was going on back then, but she now knew that Yongnos family had sold their son to some unknown organization. Eunhye recalled another old memory. After Yongno was taken away, Eunhye had been thrown back into hell. Of course, Seokwoo had honored Yongnos request to protect her, but her pain still continued from the moment Yongno disappeared. Because of that, she had to learn to be strong alone. She had to learn how to move forward while in a constant state of suffering.

Disgusting memories.

Yongno had returned after half a year. During his absence, Eunhye had gone through countless struggles and pain, so she had developed the personality that she had now. Through sheer repetition and effort, Eunhye had developed an unwavering persona. She was able to always maintain her calm and was hurt by nothing. Though she had developed this hardened persona, she had still shed tears when he reappeared. His response when she saw him, however, was the real surprise.

Ah, sorry but do you know me?

His memory had been wiped clean.

Yongno had become a completely different person. In the past, he was energetic and wise, but he had become closed and inactive. He did retain his high intelligence, and would occasionally do something completely unexpected, but in the end, Yongno suppressed himself. If Eunhye were to take a guess, he had probably been put through some sort of terrible human experiment.

I need to get stronger.

It was then that she made up her mind to seek revenge on the people who had done this to Yongno. Just like how Yongno had protected her when she was young, she would become a protector to him. Of course, she wasnt ready yet. She had tried her best up to now, but the only achievement so far was that shed become an excellent student. She had to become a more powerful person, too.

Much stronger.

With a firm determination, Eunhye clenched her fists.