39 students remaining

Crimson blood poured out from the left side of Kang Jihyun’s head. Her eyes were still open, staring at the grass by her head.

Minseok was absolutely stricken. Who could’ve done this? Did the killer get Youngji too?

If Jihyun was killed around 3 minutes ago, maybe the killer was still around. Minseok immediately crouched after the realization.

It was a of Minseok’s luck, because as he crouched down, a silver object flashed where his head was a moment ago. The long silver metal made a loud thud as it hit the ground a few feet away to his right. The moonlight reflected the harpoon a little longer than Minseok’s forearm with a rope tied around its end.

Minseok quickly turned around where the harpoon came from. The rope leads into the bushes by the woods. The bushes rustled a bit before the rope became taut. Whoever shot that harpoon was trying to reload it!

True enough, the harpoon came loose and quickly slid across the grass towards the bushes.

Minseok couldn’t act. He knew that he should be running right now, but his knees felt as if they were jelly. Maybe this is what true fear is like. He couldn’t stop shaking as the silver weapon once again disappeared into the bushes.

I am going to die here, huh. And here I am: believing that I could somehow save Youngji from this game. Turns out I will die before anyone else. Minseok looked at Jihyun’s lifeless body in a daze. Oh, yeah, Jihyun died before me. Maybe Youngji, too. Or maybe more.

Then he heard someone shouting his name, waking him from his shock-induced daze.

“Minseok! Minseok!”

Someone grabbed his right arm and dragged him towards the woods to the right of the school. He turned and saw no other than Heo Youngji, both of her bags slung on her shoulders. Both of her hands were pulling on Minseok’s arm.

The sight of her was enough for Minseok to make sense of the situation. He ran full speed, and in no time, he was the one dragging Youngji away from the assailant. They ducked as they hear the shot signaling the firing of the harpoon. It fell short, the harpoon landing a meter behind them. Once they were in the woods, they immediately turned left, and then continued to run towards the west of the island.

. I missed again.

Wu Yifan (Male Student No. 12) watched as Kim Minseok and Heo Youngji disappear into the opposite woods.

He may be part of the archery team and his aim was exceptional, but a harpoon gun’s much heavier than a bow and arrow.

It must be nice if I got a bow and a couple of arrows, or even a crossbow. I could’ve killed every student who would come out from that school the moment they take a single step outside. Such a shame.

He pulled on the rope to get the harpoon loose from the ground, then proceeded to pull the rest of the rope and harpoon back.

Reloading takes too much work, too.

He looked at his watch. His encounter with Kim Minseok all just happened in less than 20 seconds. He still got a minute till the next student, Kim Hyuna, will be close enough in his range for him to shoot.

Before his name was announced, he had already received the note from their leader Kwon Jiyong: "If we're really on a boot-shaped island, then wait for me at the tip of the ‘boot’s toe’.", So when he departed forty-three minutes ago, he quickly opened his map and made his way to their meeting place in sector K=10. The road in front of the school leads to a nature park where he decided to open his bag and found the weapon along with the manual. He turned south and was already in the residential area when he realized something.

Maybe Jiyong wanted us to gather there just for him to finish us all off. Yifan thought. It’s wasn’t that far-off.

They may be a gang but Yifan never truly felt like he belong, and he was under the impression that Kwon Jiyong never cared for anyone in that gang, or anyone for that matter. Not once did Yifan saw Jiyong smile, cry or even frown. There was just that constant listless expression. So, Yifan decided to defy his leader for the first time. At first, he planned on going to the location and wait until everyone except Jiyong has arrived (Jiyong should be the last in the gang to depart), then he will convince them to turn against him. But, Yifan was pretty sure that some of them won’t listen (like Chaerin, who was Jiyong’s second-in-command). He’s the one who’ll end up dead if that ever happens.

So, he stayed in one of the houses in the residential area for a while to think things through. Yifan finally decided to play this ing game since he figured that he’s got a strong chance to win. And besides, he has the upper hand being the first one out. He can just shoot the students as they leave the door. He returned to the school and witnessed Heo Minjin’s departure. She disappeared into the woods right of the school. He hid in the bushes to the left and waited for the next student, but his weapon proved to be really bothersome. When Zitao appeared in the athletic field, he found trouble loading his gun, causing him to miss shooting Zitao who took the road to the park. Heo Youngji, however, didn’t walk into the athletic field. She directly turned right into the woods. He couldn’t risk following her, she might have a gun. He’ll be severely outmatched. He waited instead for the next student.

The moment Jiyong entered his range, he didn’t hesitate to fire his weapon directly to his head…but he dodged it.

No, more like sidestepped the harpoon with ease. Through the leaves of the bushes, Jiyong’s eyes met Yifan’s and for a moment, Yifan knew that he was going to die. Yet, Jiyong’s face was not that of malice, but of incertitude. After a few seconds of eye contact, Jiyong started walking away. And then he was gone. Yifan couldn’t explain it, but he got goose bumps all over his body. Jiyong scared the out of him. He has no idea what was going on with Jiyong but he was glad he didn’t attack him. He can continue his plan. Since he revealed his position, Yifan moved a few meters from his hiding place in case Jiyong returns.

Yifan was growing impatient with his constant failure so when Kang Jihyun was within range, he shot her immediately to the head. He heard someone shriek from the opposite woods. After hearing the shriek, he decided that he’ll get Jihyun’s daypack later.

He pulled on the rope to retrieve his harpoon and waited for his next victim: Kim Minseok, who also managed to escape with Heo Youngji (was she the one who shrieked?).

And now he lost the chance to kill those two.

Ah, how bothersome. So far, I only managed to kill one with this stupid harpoon.

He ran to Jihyun’s pack and opened it. Her supplied weapon was…a tambourine.

What? Is this even considered a weapon? What the ? Out of all the students that I would kill, I got someone who doesn’t even have a decent weapon!

His frustration and anger got the better of him. He grabbed the tambourine and threw it at Jihyun’s corpse. The small metal jingles attached around it made a loud noise as it hit her feet. Yifan realized his mistake, his body froze and he listened for anyone coming towards the sound. After a few seconds later and still, no one came.

Phew. Looks like I’m the only one here.

Yifan looked at his watch, just a few more seconds and Kim Hyuna will appear in the school entrance.

Yifan couldn’t help but smile.

Another girl, huh? I’ll definitely kill that the moment she steps out of that school. I’ll ki-

Yifan heard a very loud noise from behind. He didn’t have time to process it however.

The back of his head caved in as the bullet entered his skull, and then proceeded to demolish his pretty face as it exited. That was all.

38 students remaining

Lee Sungjong (Male Student No. 14) was the fifth student to depart the school so he was still quite confident to take the main road towards the location Jiyong requested. He didn’t like to walk through the dirty woods. And besides, the paved road was much easier to walk on than uneven forest soil. His supplied weapon was a Derringer.22 Double High Standard Pistol (which looks ugly for Sungjong’s taste). He was already around sector H=6 when he realized that taking the main road will make the travel much longer and, thus, much more tiring. Sungjong didn’t want to be sweaty and stinky. If he ever dies in this stupid game, he at least wants to die pretty. So he proceeded east, towards the residential area where he saw Wu Yifan leave from a house then head towards the school. He hesitated to follow him, but his curiosity overwhelmed him.

Isn’t he supposed to be going at sector K=10? Why is he going back?

He followed him closely and witnessed his attempted killing of Jiyong. He figured that Yifan plans on betraying them, first he’ll kill Jiyong then he’ll proceed to the arranged meeting place to slaughter the rest of us. I wouldn’t allow such a traitor to live. Jiyong might have spared you, but I’m not as forgiving.

He lost track of him after that (maybe Yifan moved from his hiding place). He stood by the trees and watched as a harpoon hit Jihyun directly to her head. He also witnessed Yifan’s encounter with Kim Minseok and Heo Youngji. Afterwards, he saw Yifan running to retrieve Jihyun’s daypack, looking enraged as he found the tambourine inside the daypack. He waited some more before creeping behind Yifan, who was busy waiting for Kim Hyuna to appear from the school entrance.

The derringer was quite weak far away, but when used in close proximity, well, it can be pretty destructive. Yifan’s head was utterly destroyed the moment he pulled the trigger..

It was a shame to kill you. I would’ve preferred to spare your handsome face, but a traitor’s a traitor. Shame, I used to like you too. Sungjong pouted and blew the smoke coming from the gun barrel. You would’ve lived if it weren’t for your bad temper.

Sungjong leaned in and whispered, “You should really know how to control your temper. Understand, Oppa~?”

38 students remaining

Had they been running for ten minutes now? He signaled Youngji to be still, and they both stopped. Under the hazy moonlight shining through the branches overhead, Youngji looked up at him. Their heavy breathing echoed like a giant wall of sound, but Minseok tried his best to listen beyond the wall for other sounds in the area enveloped in darkness.

A few minutes after they started running, they heard a loud gunshot coming from the school’s direction. No one seemed to be chasing them. The only sound that can be heard now was the gentle trickle of water from a stream still quite a distance away. They were too short of breath to sigh, but they could relax a little now. As he dropped his bags, a sharp pain ran through his right shoulder. He was in poor shape. After putting the bags down, he placed his hands on his thighs and tried to rest.

Minseok urged Youngji to sit in the dark grove. After checking for any other suspicious sounds, he sat down next to her. The thick grass underneath them made a crunching sound.

He felt as if they'd covered a good distance, but given how they'd been zigzagging, and how they'd lost all sense of direction, climbing the mountain, they might have only been a few hundred meters away from the school. At least the light leaking out of the building was no longer visible. This might have just been due to the thickness of the grove or the gentle slopes, though.

Minseok looked over at Youngji and whispered, "Are you all right?"

Youngji murmured, "Yes." She nodded slightly.

Minseok felt the urge to stay here for a while, but that wasn't an option. First, he opened up the day pack. He dug into it, groping around, and felt something like leather.

Minseok pulled it out. It was a fixed blade survival army knife with a leather sheath. Hyunsuk said that the day pack was equipped with a weapon. Was this it? He searched the bag a little more, but nothing else inside resembled a weapon, only water bottles, bread rolls and a flashlight.

He unfastened the sheath and removed the knife. The blade was approximately 7 inches long, and after checking it, he returned it to its sheath and tucked it under his school uniform belt.

Minseok grabbed Youngji's day pack and opened the zipper.

He found something strange. It was a slingshot. It even comes with glass marbles probably meant to be ammunition. It may have defeated a strong and mighty giant in the story but what use could it possibly have for them? Minseok sighed and returned it to Youngji's day pack.

They finally stopped heaving like drown victims gasping for air.

"You want some water?" Minseok asked.

Youngji nodded and said, "Just a little."

Minseok took out the plastic bottle from his day pack, broke the seal of the twist-off top, and handed it over to Youngji. Youngji took the bottle and only swallowed a small mouthful. She probably knew that water was precious. Each bottle only contained approximately one liter, and they'd only have two.

Minseok checked his watch under the moonlight. The old, domestically manufactured limited-edition diver's watch (along with most of his belongings, it had been donated to Minseok through the orphanage) read 2:12. Most students might have left by now. At most, there were only fifteen students left in the school, more or less. Kyungsoo, Baekhyun and Chanyeol were probably still inside but Minseok was pretty sure that they would team up.

Minseok sat down against the nearest tree trunk and stretched his legs out.

The ones who were terrified might try to kill each other…The idea had occurred to Minseok, but he had also thought the ones who were scared would basically hide out. But if they were terrified out of their wits, they might actually take their own initiative.

Suddenly, he felt scared of what could happen.

That moment back there was when he first realized someone was willing to play. That was why he fled. But he thought of coming back for the others; maybe convince them to team up. Everyone would be gone by now, though, even if they go back. And besides, there’s the gunshot they heard minutes ago.

He was getting confused.

"Hey, Youngji."

Youngji lifted her face.

"I'm thinking of gathering everyone together to escape from this game. What do you think?"

"Everyone?"

Youngji fell silent and tucked her knees under her skirt. Then she said, "Maybe I wouldn’t want it to be everyone."

"Huh?"

"I couldn't handle some of them. I could trust my friends...like Chorong." Youngji mentioned the name of their class representative.  Minseok knew her since elementary school.

"But I don't think I could trust the other girls. There's no way I could be with them. I'm afraid of everyone else too. I mean…I just realized I don't know a thing about everyone else. I don't know what they're really like. I don’t know what they could be thinking.”

She was right, Minseok thought. What do I know about this group that I spend the day with at school? He suddenly felt like there was an enemy out there.

Youngji continued, "So I-I'd be suspicious. Unless it was someone I really trust, I'd be suspicious of them. I'd be afraid they might want to kill me."

Minseok sighed. The game was horrible. Yes—it was only natural the others before him had immediately fled the premises. That was more realistic.

"Hold on a sec," Minseok said. Youngji glanced up at Minseok. "Then that means us being together won't necessarily prove we're harmless. The others might suspect that I plan on killing you eventually."

Youngji nodded. "Yes, I'll be suspected too, just like you. A classmate might avoid us once they see us together, but I also think anyone we invite will turn away. I mean it would depend on each person."

Minseok held his breath. "It would be scary."

"Yes, it's really scary."

"I wonder what we should do."

Youngji stiffened and nodded without a word.

"I wonder if there might be a way to gather the ones we trust together."

Minseok sighed deeply once again. He knew that there’s no way.

He looked up and saw through the twigs the gray night sky dimly glowing under the moonlight. So this was what it meant to be in a "no-win situation." If they simply wanted everyone to join, all they had to do was walk around and shout. But that would be an open invitation to get themselves killed by any of their opponents. Of course he hoped there weren't any opponents, but…in the end, he had to admit he was scared too.

Minseok said, "In any case, we're lucky. At least we're together."

Youngji nodded. "Yes."

But…what were they supposed to do now?

Minseok began packing his bag. If they were going to rest in order to come up with a strategy, they needed to find a place that offered visibility. Again, they had no idea what the others were up to. At the very least they had to be extremely cautious. That was what it meant to be realistic in the face of horrific circumstances.

He kept the map, compass, and flashlight by his side. This was the world's worst orienteering game.

"Can you still walk?"

"I'm all right."

38 students remaining

Lee Chaerin (Female Student No. 13) raised her arm and looked at the watch which she found in her daypack along with a compass, flashlight, map, bread and some water. The hands on its face read 2:15. If Jiyong took the same route Chaerin had taken (along the east coast of the island), he will arrive any time now.

Chaerin looked at the gun she held with her right hand. (It was an Uzi 9mm Submachine Gun. Compared to the other weapons that had been issued in this game, this one ranked high. Along with most of the guns used in this program, this mass-produced model was imported cheaply from Third World countries that had remained neutral towards both the nations of the Republic of the Unified Korean Peninsula and the American Empire and its allies.) Chaerin was familiar with the gun, so she didn't need the accompanying manual.

Chaerin had been sitting on the edge of a cliff near a grove of trees in sector K=10 for about 30 minutes now. She was the first person to arrive at the designated location. She looked back and saw the others inspecting the weapons they got from their daypacks. Cha Sunwoo (Male Student No. 18) arrived 20 minutes after her and Huang Zitao (Male Student No. 20) arrived 5 minutes later. Cha Sunwoo was holding his hand grenades while Zitao was testing out his Korean spear. Zitao practiced martial arts so Chaerin isn’t surprised to see him adept at using the spear.

Both Yifan and Sungjong were both absent. Why though?

Yifan was the first one out so Chaerin expected to see him here but he wasn’t. Sungjong on the other hand departed right after her so they should arrive right after each other. But minutes later and Sungjong still wasn’t around. Chaerin guessed that Sungjong might have taken the main road to reach the southeast of the island since Sungjong hated getting dirty. Oh, how Chaerin hated Sungjong’s feminine ways and thinking. It really irritated her.

Of course…everyone was an enemy in this game. That was the fundamental rule. But the bond in the "Kwon Family" was absolute. It didn't matter that they were labeled thugs. They were thick as thieves.

Furthermore, the bond between Lee Chaerin and Kwon Jiyong was special. Because…in a way it was Chaerin who made Kwon Jiyong into what he was now. Chaerin's memory of her first encounter with Kwon Jiyong was so vivid it remained unforgettable.

Chaerin had been a bully ever since she started going to school. But she was never needlessly cruel. Brought up in an average family, she wasn't particularly bright, nor did she display any other gifts. She was just a regular girl and getting into fights was the only thing she knew.

So it was only inevitable, on her first day in middle high, she'd do her best to discourage any competitors coming from other elementary schools in her district. The strength of the kids from her previous school was no match to hers. She considered herself to be the “baddest female” and she believed that she can take on men and beat them easily. But she was wrong.

During the opening ceremony, she snuck out and beaten one of the bullies in her class near the school library (She was sure no one was inside since everyone was gathered in the auditorium). Of course, she did that to prove that she was better. That she was the “Queen”. The boy’s eyes were b with tears and his face and arms were decorated with scratches made by Chaerin’s especially long fingernails when three students much taller than her surrounded the both of them although they let the other boy go. The students, one girl and two boys, were most likely to be already high school students.

After taunting her, they started beating her up. Her knees buckled immediately, which caused her body to collapse, but the trio didn’t stop. They started stomping on her. She almost lost consciousness when she heard a boy’s voice different from those high school students.

“Will you guys keep it down?”

That was the first time Chaerin saw Jiyong. He was standing by the library entrance with a book in hand.

He wasn't too big, but he was incredibly good looking. She'd seen him at the class introduction. He was one of Chaerin's classmates. His family seemed to have recently moved here. No one knew who he was, but since he was quiet and appeared obedient, Chaerin didn't pay much attention to him. Given how his looks were so refined, he probably came from a nice family.

The one of the guys went up to the boy. "Who the are you?" He stood in front of the boy. "Who the are you? A freshman? What the are you doing here? Huh? What was that you said?"

He snatched the book from Jiyong’s hand, tore some of the pages, and then threw it at the floor.

Jiyong slowly picked up the hardbound book, then slammed it on the underside of the guy’s head. The rest needed little explanation. Jiyong had beaten up three high school students with a hardbound book.

The boy approached Chaerin. After looking her over, he only said, "You should have yourself examined at the school clinic." Then he went back inside the library.

Chaerin gazed at the three bodies lying on the floor. She was completely stunned by something so completely unprecedented. She felt in awe of the boy.

Since then, Chaerin served Jiyong. She learned that he was a genius. He’ll learn something and master it in a few days, whereas a regular person needed several months. She taught him fighting techniques, but he surprised her that he knew more than Chaerin. Not only was he strong, but he was also extremely intelligent. That’s when Chaerin decided that a “Queen” like her needed a “King” like Jiyong. Chaerin was the one who suggested dyeing his hair blond because it really suited him. Jiyong kept his hair like that ever since. Then Cha Sunwoo, Huang Zitao, Lee Sungjong and Wu Yifan banded with them to form the “Kwon Family”.

And so, she and Jiyong had been through a lot together.

Even though they were now in an extreme situation, while killing other classmates was possible, it was out of the question when it came to the members of the Kwon Family. After all, Jiyong himself had passed them notes. Chaerin was certain that Jiyong had already planned out a strategy to deal with this situation. He'd outwit Hyunsuk, and then escape. If he really wanted to, Kwon Jiyong could take on the entire government, no prob.

These were Chaerin’s thoughts when she left the school and still the thoughts she have now that she’s here, waiting for Jiyong to start their escape plan.

Oh Jiyong, when will you arrive? I really want to get out of here.

She had been staring at the moonlit waves down below the cliff when she heard Sunwoo and Zitao whistle.

She turned and saw Jiyong’s figure coming out of the grove and starting to approach the cliff. He was holding a Walther PPK 7.65mm Pistol in his right hand. Chaerin tensed for a second at the sight of the gun, but she immediately relaxed. Maybe he was intending to use it for self-defense, just like how I held mine to defend myself from assailants.

Jiyong arrived and was greeted with cheers from Sunwoo, Zitao and Chaerin, herself. Jiyong remained quiet, though it wasn’t unusual for him.

“Yifan and Sungjong haven’t arrived yet. Maybe they got into trouble on the way here so they took a different route.”

Jiyong calmly nodded.

“So boss, have you come up with our escape plan yet?” Sunwoo asked enthusiastically.

“Yeah, boss. Are we going to escape the island by boat or are we going to take on Hyunsuk and the Armed Forces? We have grenades here. We can bomb the school!” Chaerin said excitedly. She really believed they can do these with Jiyong by their side. But…

Jiyong raised his hand. “Listen. I’m fine either way.”

Although Chaerin clearly heard him, she kept on blinking. She didn't understand what Jiyong meant. He tried to read Jiyong's thoughts from the expression in his eyes, but they just calmly shone under the moonlight.

"Wh-what do you mean, you're fine either way?"

Jiyong lifted and pointed his chin at the night sky, as if he were stretching out his neck. The moon shone brightly and cast a gloomy shadow on Jiyong's well-defined face. He kept this pose and said, "I sometimes lose track of what's right and wrong."

Chaerin was even more confused. She looked at the other two who looked just as confused as she was. That was when an entirely different thought occurred to her. Something was missing.

And then she realized what it was…

Wu Yifan and Lee Sungjong were still missing. They might’ve lost their way, but Chaerin thought that the truth was much more ominous than that.

Jiyong went on, "Like now. I just don't know." The sight of Jiyong going on like this seemed, strangely enough, sad.

"Anyway." Jiyong looked back at them.

Chaerin held her breath.

"I tossed a coin. If it came up heads I’ll take on Hyunsuk and—"

Chaerin finally understood, before Jiyong finished talking.

No…it can't…it can’t be…

She didn't want to believe it. It was unbelievable. Jiyong was the king and she was his queen. It was supposed to be about absolute, eternal loyalty and service. That's right— even Jiyong's hairstyle and hair color. It was a silly little detail, but for Chaerin it symbolized how close they were.

But then she realized something. There was this some sort of emptiness that she had always felt from Jiyong. Some sort of void swallowing up emotions like a black hole.

The truth hit her hard in the face: Jiyong never really cared about anyone. Not her, not the “Kwon Family”, not anybody.

Maybe Yifan and Sungjong had already sensed this about Jiyong.

Zitao was the first to act. He grabbed his daypack and spear from the ground before they heard a loud bang. Zitao managed to dodge the bullet. He took off, dashing into the trees behind the cliff. Jiyong once again aimed the gun at Zitao but Sunwoo dived at Jiyong and then wrestled for his Walther PPK.

Lee Chaerin was stunned for a moment, but she couldn’t waste another moment. She picked her daypack then dashed down the cliff towards the trees where Zitao already disappeared into. She heard another loud bang behind her. It can either be Sunwoo or Jiyong but she can’t risk turning around to check. She ran faster. The edge of the grove was about two meters away now. She can make it. She ca-

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three finger-sized holes appeared in the back of her school coat. She fell forward as if diving in a headfirst slide. Face down, she slid across the ground, and her legs flew into the air. Red hot pain shot across her torso. Her vision was getting darker.

So it was Jiyong, huh. Sunwoo must be dead. And now, I will be too.

Chaerin gathered all her strength to turn around on her back and raise the Uzi that she still held in her hand. She aimed it at Jiyong who was slowly approaching her. Now all she had to do was pull the trigger…

But she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t bring herself to kill Jiyong.

She lowered her gun and stared at the night sky. Tears started leaking out of her eyes illuminated by the full moon.

She heard Jiyong stop walking a few feet away. He said, "If the coin came up tails, I decided I'd take part in the game."

She’d been anticipating those words. Chaerin kept her eyes on the moon and waited for Death to take her.

Jiyong raised his arm and pulled the trigger of his Walther PPK one more time.

The loud bang was the last sound Lee Chaerin ever heard.

36 students remaining

Kwon Jiyong stood still for a while. Then he approached Lee Chaerin's corpse. He gently touched the bullet ridden body with his left hand, as if checking for something.

There was no emotional response. He didn't feel anything, no guilt, no grief, no pity—not a single emotion.

He simply wanted to know how a human body reacted after it was shot. No, he merely thought, "It might not be such a bad idea to know."

The lack of emotions was inevitable. Any trace of the damage had almost completely disappeared by the time he was old enough to recognize himself in the mirror. In other words, he knew nothing: of the fact that he'd almost died from a freak car accident which caused the damage when he was still a child five years of age, of course, the fact that his mother was killed by the accident, the conversation his father and a highly reputed doctor had concerning the piece of metal digging into his skull, the fact that neither his father nor the doctor who boasted the operation was a success knew that the metal had gouged out a cluster of very fine nerve cells. By the time Jiyong was old enough to understand these things, the doctor died in a car accident while his “real father” succumbed to lung cancer. There was no one left to share these facts with him.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

This was one, long chapter, huh~ i'm sorry hahaha my vacation is almost over so i'm writing as much chapters as i can.

PS. for everyone who ave read Batle Royale, you may notice something familiar. yeah~ Jiyong and Kazuo actually have the same condition.(I got it from the novel)

The condition is called alexithymia but i'm not so sure so i didn't include the term.

 anyway, hoped you guys liked this update~

PPS. The chapter title is an idiom for a treacherous person; traitor