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墨書 Inktalez
Carter's anger erupted like a dam that had finally burst.
He turned sharply, his gaze fixed on Rain, eyes ablaze with fury. His teeth were clenched tightly, as if he wanted to tear apart all the doubts that had been weighing heavily on his chest.
"Why?" His voice was low but laced with long-suppressed rage, sharp and demanding. "Why are you associating with those gangs? Why do you seem so happy among the prostitutes? Why do you not care about any of this? What is the reason?!"
His breath came in quick gasps, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Disappointment and disbelief filled his eyes, mingled with a final flicker of reluctance.
"I thought you were an upright person..."
However, before he could finish his sentence, Rain laughed openly, without any hint of restraint.
That laughter was not awkward or guilty; it was genuine, filled with disdain and mockery, as if he were looking at a pitiful creature who still did not understand the rules of this world.
It was as if Carter had just asked the most foolish question imaginable.
Rain's laughter made his whole body tremble slightly. He raised a hand to gently rub his brow, as if this conversation amused him. With those sharp and cunning eyes fixed on Carter, a teasing smile lingered at the corners of his mouth, and he said lightly, "Carter, you are truly amusing."
"You actually ask such questions?"
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze full of amusement, as if admiring a beast that still retained its "purity," finding its innocence both laughable and tragic.
"Do you really think politics is clean?"
"Do you really believe this world operates on integrity?"
Rain leaned forward, locking eyes with Carter as if trying to see through all his thoughts. A cruel smile played on his lips.
"I'll ask you, Carter—if you want to 'change the world,' what would you do?"
"With hope? With integrity? With sincere pleas to make those greedy politicians, tycoons, and gangs willingly relinquish their power?"
"Don't be foolish; this world only recognizes 'strength.'"
Carter's throat tightened, his chest heaving as if he had just been struck hard by those words.
The secretary sitting in the driver's seat glanced at the backseat through the rearview mirror. His expression remained calm, but the corners of his mouth curled slightly, as if he were waiting for Carter's reaction.
—This is reality, Carter. Can you accept it?
—If not, then you are far too naive.
Carter's chest rose and fell violently. He stared incredulously at the man before him, as if he were meeting him for the first time.
This was the man who had once made him believe in "change," the one who had inspired him to stand up and speak out. Now, he was telling him that everything was a lie, that everything was a transaction, that everything… was gray.
Rain watched Carter's astonished expression, a smile still playing on his lips. It wasn't mocking or pitying; rather, it carried a faint sense of regretful pleasure, like a teacher finally helping a student understand a harsh reality.
"Carter, listen," Rain's tone remained gentle, imbued with a patient persuasion. "I really appreciate what you did for me during the shooting incident. Honestly, I quite like you."
He paused, seemingly making an effort to sound more sincere. "But Old Buddy… you really are too naive."
"Don't keep thinking this world is black and white. Don't believe we can change everything just by relying on 'justice.'"
He raised his hand and casually pointed out the car window, urging Carter to look.
Carter followed his finger with his gaze—
Outside the car window, the entire city was shrouded in a heavy mist, the sky a dull gray with no blue in sight, no sunlight—only lifeless buildings and an endless haze of exhaust and dust.
"Look at that, Carter," Rain said softly, his voice tinged with a philosopher's compassion yet laced with a politician's cold reality. "The color of the world is like this—gray."
"Do you think we can turn it into pure white? Or are you afraid it will sink into deeper black?"
Carter did not respond; his eyes were fixed on the gray sky, a surge of anger almost tearing him apart, like lava boiling within him.
He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white, and the veins on the back of his hands bulging. He knew he shouldn’t act impulsively, but he couldn’t help but want to punch this person hard.
It wasn’t out of hatred, but rather betrayal.
—Rain had let him down, as well as everything he once believed in.
But what he found most unbearable was that Rain didn’t even think he had done anything wrong. He simply tried to make him a part of this gray area with a tone that was both “pitying and self-evident.”
Carter’s head buzzed with anger, disappointment, and absurdity all tangled together. Suddenly, he felt like a complete fool.
—Yeah… what was he even thinking?
He thought he had found some kind of meaning, a power he could rely on to change the status quo.
But what was the reality?
He was just a pawn, foolishly manipulated by others while thinking himself clever.
Rain hadn’t changed at all; he had always been this way. It was Carter who had stupidly draped him in the guise of a hero. Now that facade had been torn away, revealing only the true, naked schemer beneath.
What pained Carter the most wasn’t that Rain had deceived him, but that he had once believed in this person.
Watching Carter’s silent expression, Rain seemed pleased with his “realization.” His tone softened slightly as he patted Carter on the shoulder, as if comforting a child who had just learned a cruel truth.
“Don’t be like this, Carter. Don’t act like I’ve betrayed you.”
His voice was filled with tolerance but carried an air of superiority, as if he could see through Carter’s struggles and resentment.
“You don’t need to worry about me betraying you. The policies I promised to push forward will still be implemented; that won’t change.”
“Just… not so quickly. Do you understand? The world isn’t that simple. Things take time.”
Rain smiled faintly, a hint of pride in his tone, as if he believed he had convinced Carter of the "way reality works."
Then, he suddenly shifted to a teasing tone, jokingly saying, "At least I've helped a veteran, right?"
As he spoke, he glanced at Carter, his eyes filled with a playful expectation, as if to say, 'Aren't you the biggest beneficiary here?'
Carter slowly lifted his head and met Rain's gaze for a brief moment. There was no gratitude in his eyes, no sense of relief—only an eerie silence.
He did not respond. Instead, he slowly pulled a notebook from his pocket.
It was filled with hopes and demands he had written down over the past few days—the things he truly wanted to change, the people he genuinely wanted to help.
Inside were not only his thoughts but also Keisha's opinions and the wishes of those supporters who once believed in a future that could be realized.
Now it seemed… it was nothing more than a naive self-comfort.
Without any hesitation, he rolled down the car window and let go—
"Whoosh—"
The notebook flew out like a bird with broken wings, tumbling onto the road. The pages opened in the rush of air, torn by the morning breeze. As the vehicle drove away, it grew increasingly distant, ultimately vanishing into the chaos behind.
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