* * *
Before closing the door, Do Soohyuk, now wearing his earplugs, gave a final word of caution to Chirpy.
He didn’t trust him much, so he secured the door thoroughly and checked the surroundings.
He had been hearing strange noises for a while, and soon he saw it—the sight of numerous yetis charging toward the yacht.
As expected, those lurking near the Han River had likely picked up on the heat from the heater.
But as soon as they reached a certain area, the ice cracked beneath them, and one by one they vanished into the water.
There were dozens of such holes at a glance.
Do Soohyuk quickly climbed down beneath the yacht and began running in the opposite direction—where there were no monsters.
Maybe because the distance was shorter, he luckily managed to reach land before drawing any attention.
‘They really do have poor eyesight.’
He quickly reached the roadside and hid behind a large truck, scanning the surrounding buildings.
Upon closer inspection, the structures looked oddly familiar, as if he’d seen them before.
“I think I’ve seen this area somewhere nearby.”
Thanks to the environment being a near-perfect replica of Seoul—even down to a convenience store—finding a pharmacy wasn’t too difficult.
It was a place he passed by often, and he had vague memories of spotting one in the area.
Soon enough, just as he’d hoped, he spotted a protruding sign that read “Pharmacy” across a nearby alleyway.
A few monsters were wandering around the street, but maybe because the road was narrow, their numbers weren’t overwhelming.
Still, Do Soohyuk didn’t let his guard down.
Quietly, he pulled out his weapon and prepared for anything that might happen.
“Pathetic.”
He sighed as he tightened his grip on the handle.
The weapon he had once carried like a second limb now felt so heavy it made his wrist ache.
He even wondered if he’d be able to swing it properly at all.
‘Tch. Guess I don’t have a choice.’
While the monsters were briefly distracted, Do Soohyuk slipped swiftly into the alley.
Before long, he found the pharmacy.
It was tucked away in a spot unlikely to draw attention, but even from a distance, it didn’t look to be in great shape.
He considered searching somewhere else, but there was still a chance there might be some cold medicine left.
Just as he began walking toward the pharmacy, something white flashed at the end of the alley.
His expression instantly hardened as he raised his blade toward it.
His instincts, honed from experience, reacted before his mind did.
Sensing a potential threat, his body was already executing the next move.
Shhhk— Shhhk—
But this time, there was no need.
The monster lying on the ground was no longer able to move.
Both legs had been torn off, and the white snow beneath it was stained deep red.
‘No way another survivor is around…’
Most likely, a bloody territorial fight had broken out among the monsters.
The defeated yeti was barely clinging to life, gasping raggedly for air.
Judging by the deep gash running across its chest, there was clearly no hope of recovery.
It would die on its own if left alone, so Do Soohyuk turned away, ready to move on.
But then, a faint glint passed through his dark eyes.
He stared silently at the dying creature for a moment, then slowly approached.
Squelch!
Without the slightest hesitation, he drove his blade into the gaping wound.
A clean stab to the heart.
The monster died without a single cry.
It might have seemed merciful—but of course, that wasn’t his intention.
Swish— Swik.
As soon as he confirmed it was dead, he pulled out a short dagger and immediately began slicing through the thick fur.
He’d never been interested in the monster itself—his goal had always been this.
‘The yeti’s pelt, renowned for its excellent insulation.’
“Damn, this takes more effort than I thought.”
Even with an S-class weapon, skinning an A-class monster with an ordinary person’s strength was no easy task.
He’d have to be realistic if he wanted to return to the yacht before sundown.
After about ten minutes, he finally stood up, stuffing a neatly cut piece of fur into his item pouch.
‘That should be enough.’
Wiping the blood off on his clothes, Do Soohyuk belatedly stepped into the pharmacy.
The floor was littered with medicine, and the air reeked of a musty, unpleasant scent.
He frowned slightly and began searching through the overturned boxes.
Soon, he moved toward the innermost shelf.
If he didn’t find anything usable, he’d have to go somewhere else, so his steps were a bit hurried.
“This is…”
Fortunately, tucked in the corner of a shelf, he found a few boxes of a cold medicine with a familiar name.
The boxes were a little damaged, but the bottles inside were intact.
The contents were partially frozen, but that might have actually helped preserve them.
“Hopefully it’s not expired more than three years.”
He checked the expiration dates carefully and selected only those in good condition, tucking them into his inner pocket.
He planned to thaw them with his body heat on the way back.
It didn’t take long for him to return to the yacht.
Considering he’d even stopped by a gas station, he made good time.
By the time he reached the deck, the sky was turning a soft orange hue.
Some monsters noticed him late, but he had already crossed the dangerous zone.
Unaware of this, the monsters chasing him disappeared into another hole in the ice.
Thud.
With a puff of white breath, Do Soohyuk stepped into the cabin.
The sudden temperature change made cold steam rise from his frozen body.
Setting the kerosene can down on the floor, he immediately walked over to Seo Inho’s bed.
Chirp!
Startled by the burst of cold air, Chirpy scurried under the pillow to hide.
Do Soohyuk didn’t spare the bird a glance as he sat on the bed and slipped his arm behind Seo Inho’s back.
He carefully lifted the limp body, which drooped like a puppet with its strings cut.
Whether it was from being outside, or something else, the boy felt even hotter than before.
“Seo Inho Hunter.”
It would’ve been nice if he regained consciousness even for a moment, but his eyes remained tightly shut, unmoving.
He couldn’t wait forever, so Do Soohyuk slid a finger between his lips and began pouring the medicine in slowly.
Thanks to his body heat, the thawed liquid pooled easily in Seo Inho’s mouth.
But that didn’t last long—Seo Inho didn’t swallow any of it.
Unconscious, the medicine simply dribbled from the corners of his mouth, soaking the bedsheet.
“…Swallow it.”
Unwilling to give up, Do Soohyuk tried again.
Twice.
But the result was the same.
Two bottles had already been wasted. He needed a more reliable method.
‘A more reliable method.’
Without a word, Do Soohyuk stared at the remaining two bottles before taking one and emptying it into his own mouth.
Then he held Seo Inho’s jaw, pressed their lips together—
If Seo Inho had been conscious, he would’ve been shocked beyond belief.
As he adjusted the angle to keep the medicine from spilling, their lips met perfectly.
When Seo Inho’s mouth slowly parted and the liquid seemed to have gone down, Do Soohyuk pushed his tongue deep inside to urge him to swallow.
He gently pressed the tip of his tongue against Seo Inho’s, then repeatedly stroked the area near his uvula.
“Nngh—”
At that, a change finally flickered across Seo Inho’s previously calm face.
As if he couldn’t breathe, his brows furrowed and he turned his head away, instinctively trying to spit out what was in his mouth.
‘But Do Soohyuk didn’t even entertain the idea of stopping.’
Instead, he pressed even more firmly, pushing his tongue in all the way.
With their lips tightly sealed, there wasn’t even a drop of the medicine that could escape.
Those dark, unblinking eyes fixed on him, persistently reading every reaction from Seo Inho.
His once-steady breaths grew increasingly uneven, a slight tremor spreading throughout his body.
Soohyuk’s movements, though a bit forceful, didn’t pause even for a second as he kept a close eye on the situation.
“Ugh… cough!”
Unable to endure the relentless pressure any longer, Inho let out a stifled moan as his throat bobbed with a gulp.
Only then did Soohyuk pull away.
Inho instantly gasped for air, his chest heaving.
His eyes were tinged red, tears welling at the corners—proof of how agonizing it had been.
Yet, after coughing for a bit, Inho slowly opened his eyes… then, all of a sudden, wrapped his arms around Soohyuk’s forearm.
Just one look at those dazed, unfocused eyes made it clear—he wasn’t in a normal state.
“…It feels cool…”
His slightly parted lips and the absentminded look on his face made him seem utterly defenseless.
Though caught off guard by the sudden touch, Soohyuk couldn’t hide the confusion in his expression and instinctively averted his gaze.
For some reason, facing that expression head-on felt too difficult.
“…I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore.”
That was a remark directed at himself.
He had thought it was just curiosity at first—but now, he wasn’t sure about anything.
Was it really just curiosity?
He kept asking himself, over and over, but no answer came.
His head knew the line, yet his body always moved on instinct—simply following his feelings, doing what he wanted.
That much had been obvious from just a few moments ago.
By this point, even Soohyuk was starting to wonder—
‘What exactly did he want from Seo Inho?’
He looked down at the man resting his cheek against his forearm with a complicated expression, then stood up from the bed.
First things first—he needed to bring the fever down before letting his thoughts go any further.
Inho reached out again, clinging to him, but Soohyuk gently freed his arm and laid him back down on the bed.
“I’ll be right back.”
* * *
