Declaration Of Extra Strike

 

As the dog slowly approached me, its red eyes locked onto mine, I took cautious steps backward, trying to maintain distance. But just as I was focusing on the first dog, another one appeared from the alley.

 

“Rune… Root…”

 

I almost called out their names instinctively but bit my lip to stop myself. Damn it, if these two are here, it means Tae Jae-heon is nearby. This is seriously bad.

 

I quickly glanced around, trying to assess the situation. Luckily, it didn’t seem like Tae Jae-heon had spotted me yet. But I knew it was only a matter of time before he did. I couldn’t afford to make any sudden moves or show weakness in front of these creatures. 

 

They weren’t just ordinary dogs. They were monsters Tae Jae-heon had personally tamed since childhood—dangerous beasts that had caused numerous lawsuits, leading to the revision of taming laws just so he could legally keep them. Most hunters wouldn’t stand a chance against them.

 

“Grrr…”

 

Rune bared its teeth, growling menacingly. Meanwhile, Root, who had appeared later, sniffed the air curiously, tilting its head. Its tail began to wag faster and faster, and before I knew it, it was bounding toward me, clearly recognizing who I was. Root started rubbing its body against my leg, excited and happy.

 

‘Damn it. This stupid mutt…’

 

I couldn’t acknowledge it. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head away, trying to ignore Root, who was now whining and nudging my waist with its snout as if wondering why I was pretending not to know it. Meanwhile, Rune continued to growl, issuing a warning.

 

“Woof!”

 

“Woof! Woof… Woof…”

 

“Bark! Bark bark!”

 

Root lowered its body, facing off against Rune. Meanwhile, I stood back and watched as the two dogs continued to growl and bark at each other. 

 

I had to put my head in my hands; if they started howling, Tae Jae-heon would definitely come right away. Given that they were already focused on me, they wouldn’t leave until Tae Jae-heon called them off. My anxiety made me repeatedly clench and unclench my hands.

 

‘If I’m going to get caught anyway, I might as well…’

 

As I tried to subtly move my foot to make an escape, Rune and Root snarled at me as soon as I lifted my foot. They seemed to understand that this wasn’t the time to fight among themselves, so they approached me again, step by step. Eventually, I found my back against the wall.

 

“Grrr…”

 

“Hey guys. Let’s talk this out, okay? Huh? Don’t you know you shouldn’t act like this with someone you’ve just met? If you leave now, you’re a good dog; if you don’t, you’re a bad dog.”

 

Rune approached with bared teeth, ready to bite, while Root sat down with a sorrowful expression, gazing up at the sky. As soon as I recognized what Root was about to do, I quickly reached out. Root was going to call Tae Jae-heon!

 

“No, don’t!”

 

“Meeh—!”

 

“Wroo-wroo?”

 

Suddenly, a sheep’s bleat rang out, startling Rune, who leaped back, and causing Root, which had been about to howl, to tilt its head in confusion.

 

The sight of the fluffy, glowing Cloud standing defiantly in front of me was a huge relief. Cloud’s loud, angry barks had made Rune and Root flee in fear, tails between their legs.

 

“Cloud, you did great!!”

 

“Meh!”

 

“Awoo-!”

 

From the direction the dogs had run off, Rune’s howl echoed faintly. Realizing that time was running short, I quickly hugged Cloud and dashed into the nearby building. I stumbled up the stairs to the second floor and slumped onto a stair landing, trying to catch my breath. 

 

Outside, I could hear Tae Jae-heon’s voice through an open window.

 

“Why, Root? Did you find something interesting?”

 

A shiver ran down my spine. My body tensed up, and I couldn’t move, frozen with fear. Although I had imagined what it would be like to encounter Tae Jae-heon several times, the reality was even more terrifying than I had imagined. Having been through self-destructive situations before, I had thought I’d fear nothing, but the taste of freedom made me dread losing it even more.

 

Cloud, with wide eyes, looked up at me with concern. Understanding that I needed quiet, Cloud rested its head gently against me when I placed a finger to my lips.

 

Outside, Rune and Root were still making noises. I was terrified that my pounding heart might give away my presence. I instinctively shrank back, worried they might catch our scent. Fortunately, Tae Jae-heon seemed to sense nothing and eventually turned away.

 

Only when the sound of his footsteps faded away completely did I release a sigh of relief. As I stroked the trembling Cloud, I realized that my phone has been bussing non-stop against my wasit. Realizing that Cloud had been blocking the phone’s vibrations with its fur, I looked at it with grateful eyes.

 

“Cloud, you… Cloud!!”

 

“Meh-!”

 

Cloud stood proudly, tapping its feet. Overwhelmed with admiration, I patted it all over before finally answering the persistent phone call.

 

[Where are you?]

 

“I just….”

 

I almost mentioned having met Tae Jae-heon but stopped myself. I worried that saying something like that might seem overreactive and strange, revealing that I wasn’t who I appeared to be. Instead, I licked my dry lips and responded in a nonchalant tone.

 

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize the time while playing with Cloud. I’ll come right away.”

 

[No, tell me where you are. I’ll come.]

 

“There’s no need for that.”

 

[Tae Jae-heon is nearby. It wouldn’t be good to run into him, so send me your location.]

 

He figured it out quickly. Damn it. I grumbled inwardly as I sent my GPS location.

 

I looked at the large cardboard box next to the driver’s seat with a frown. The box, filled with a bouquet intended for the fake Kang Eui-jin, filled the car with the scent of flowers. The fragrance was irritating. I really don’t like flowers.

 

“I’ve booked a room. The event is at the hotel’s central garden, so it will be visible from the room.”

 

“Are you going to be there too?”

 

“Do you want me to be?”

 

“Get lost.”

 

Seong San-ha shrugged nonchalantly. Seeing his gaze fixated on the bouquet, it was clear he was probably thinking of giving it to the fake Kang Eui-jin. I turned my head in annoyance.

 

Should I secretly go and beat him up, or should I let it be since Tae Jae-heon would recognize the fake anyway? But what if Tae Jae-heon doesn’t recognize him? Then that psycho would really end up living as Kang Eui-jin? Not even being a potion master! Crazy bastard. He needs to be caught by Tae Jae-heon about pretending to be me. My mind was spinning with thoughts.

 

The car’s speed slowed as we approached the event venue. The road was congested with cars heading to the promotional event. As I sullenly looked out the window, I noticed a crowd of people nearby. Their coordinated vests, headbands, and signs caught my attention. They were clashing with the security guards at the hotel entrance.

 

Seong San-ha was also looking out the opposite window.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“I heard that protesters occupied the entrance today. I thought they had been dispersed, but it seems not.”

 

“Protesters?”

 

I looked out the window, puzzled by the answer, when a familiar word flashed on a sign. Was that ‘Kang Eui-jin’ on that sign? I pressed my face against the window to make sure.

 

“P… Potion… Responsibility… Potion crazy Kang Eui-jin, be responsible? Huh?”

 

It was true. The sign read,

「Potion murderer Kang Yi-jin, take responsibility.」 

Not only were there signs demanding

「

Kang Eui-jin, take responsibility and compensate!

」

and

「

Admit the potion side effects!

」

but the sheer volume of the protest made my eyes widen in shock. As I tried to comprehend the situation, a loudspeaker outside blared:

 [Admit the side effects and apologize, Nox and Kang Eui-jin!!] 

“Admit it!! Admit it!!”

 

“Apologize!! Apologize!!”

 

I couldn’t make sense of what was happening. I tried to read a lengthy, crudely written message on a large panel clutched by a middle-aged woman. Just as I was trying to decipher it, the road cleared, and our car drove through the hotel’s main entrance.

 

“I was reading that!”

 

“What’s the point of reading it? It’s not your concern.”

 

“That’s true…”

 

Seong San-ha’s dismissive comment left me fuming, and I felt my lips twitching in frustration. I was supposed to ignore it since I’m Joo Ho-hyun, but…

 

I couldn’t help but glance back longingly. The half-read panel was calling for an acknowledgment and apology for the side effects of a potion I had made years ago. With so many potions involved, I was dying to know what exactly was going on.

 

The driver parked the car at the back entrance of the hotel. Seong San-ha handed me a key card and said, “Here’s the room key. Room 707. I’ll be handling some tasks, so don’t leave before I return. It’ll be hard to move around unnoticed with so many people.”

 

“Handling tasks? I thought you were going to see the fake Kang Eui-jin.”

 

“Do you have a problem with that?”

 

I glared at Seong San-ha’s smirking face. Of course, it wasn’t just that I didn’t like it; it was infuriating, but that was because of the imposter taking my place. I turned my back without acknowledging his question. It was clear that answering honestly would only lead to more nonsense, so I ignored him.

 

“I’m going.”

 

Once in the room, feeling frustrated, I ordered a mountain of room service and a bottle of wine, then settled by the window. As Seong San-ha had said, the view was excellent, offering a clear look at the promotional event space below without being too far away. I even cracked open the window a bit, and the sounds from the event were clearly audible through the mic.

 

“I wonder where our little squirrel is…”

 

I sipped my wine, staring down at the scene below.

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