When Suhyeon opened his eyes, the room was dark.
He reached out and compulsively turned on his phone.
It was 8:00 PM.
Excluding the time he woke up briefly when Yihan visited at dawn, he had slept for an entire day.
- Suhyeon.
-
Krr-aaaaaah!
The events of yesterday filled his mind. His body shook reflexively.
The skin marked with red lines throbbed again.
Even though it was over, the terror remained.
- See you next time.
The way Shin Seojun’s lips moved as he left those words made Suhyeon’s spine tingle with dread.
Suhyeon struggled to move his stiff body and faced Hajin, who was sleeping while hugging his waist.
The dim light of the lamp on the table faintly illuminated Hajin’s face.
There were traces of irritation around his eyes, framed by downcast black lashes.
Suhyeon had never seen him cry, but it seemed he must have woken up and wept while Suhyeon slept.
Suhyeon buried his head in Hajin’s chest, burrowing into him.
“It was a ridiculous experiment… the idea that long-term exposure to an Ability User’s power would cause someone to awaken as one. He’s a man obsessed with Ability Users, Gates, and all of it.”
Suhyeon recalled the stories Hajin had whispered one by one, touching Suhyeon’s wounds sadly and carefully.
“That day, I went out to kill Shin Seojun… but I didn’t know his goal was you… I was so stupid…”
At the end of that confession, Hajin had collapsed against Suhyeon’s shoulder once again.
- See you next time.
Reflexively trembling at the fear carved into his body, Suhyeon thought of Shin Seojun, who had offered that benevolent smile.
He had known the man was terrible when he spoke about Suhyeon being “interesting” as if playing with a toy, but after hearing Hajin’s story, he realized Shin Seojun was even more monstrous than he’d imagined.
“For seventeen years, I couldn’t kill him. Next time I see him, I’m going to kill him. For real.”
Suhyeon was someone who had never once thought that a human deserved to die, or anything so extreme.
But if it were Shin Seojun, Suhyeon would nod his head, even after a moment of hesitation.
Suhyeon gently stroked Hajin’s cheek, where dried tear tracks remained.
His lover’s skin felt rough.
He had no strength left. Suhyeon’s throat felt parched.
Clutching his phone, Suhyeon carefully tried to sit up.
However, before he could even pull away from the bed, Hajin’s arm wrapped around his waist.
“…Where are you going?”
The hoarse voice that followed was thick with anxiety.
Suhyeon stroked the arm holding his waist firmly.
“Just to the kitchen for a moment.”
“Are you hungry?”
“I’m thirsty.”
Now that he mentioned it, he felt hungry too.
Still holding Suhyeon’s waist, Hajin dragged his long frame upward as if crawling.
“…!”
Suddenly, he lifted Suhyeon up.
After a brief startle at the sensation of being airborne, Suhyeon wrapped his arms around Hajin’s neck and buried his face in his shoulder.
The thing he had thought of most when he was kidnapped was Hajin’s embrace.
He never wanted to experience that again.
He didn’t want to be away from Hajin’s side.
Rubbing his face against Hajin’s shoulder, Suhyeon realized just how terrified and exhausted he truly was.
“Water?”
“Yes.”
As if Hajin also refused to let Suhyeon go, he walked into the kitchen in that awkward position, grabbed some water, and came back to the living room.
Only after sitting on the sofa did Hajin set him down.
Even then, Suhyeon remained seated within his embrace.
Sipping the warm water from the mug Hajin had handed him, Suhyeon stared blankly out the large window on the first floor.
The night sky was clear, as if indifferent to human suffering.
Moonlight poured in.
Far off, it seemed a single star was twinkling.
Hajin held Suhyeon tightly, his lips grazing the skin around Suhyeon’s neck.
“…How are your wounds?”
A voice finally drifted out, sounding as if something were being heavily suppressed.
Suhyeon blinked and looked down at the wrist holding the mug.
The wounds on his wrists had already scabbed over, so they weren’t wrapped, but the deep gashes on his ankles and other areas had been disinfected and covered with long bandages.
Suhyeon flexed his ankle, the one with the worst injury.
A stinging pain seeped in.
“They’re just throbbing a little.”
Hajin let out a low sigh.
He soon leaned his forehead against Suhyeon’s back.
“…I’ll kill him somehow. I’m already looking for him. And the place you were taken to…”
After a long silence, Hajin whispered. Suhyeon turned his body to look at him. Hajin’s face looked weary as he looked up.
Suhyeon placed a hand on his cheek.
With his thumb, he wiped away the remaining tear tracks.
Hajin stared at him blankly.
Suhyeon watched him in silence before leaning in close.
Familiar, warm lips met his.
Suhyeon only closed his eyes after seeing Hajin’s eyes slowly flutter shut.
Their tongues intertwined gently, seeking each other’s warmth.
The kiss continued—not violent, yet not too weak.
“Ha…”
Eventually, Suhyeon pulled his lips away with a sigh.
He rested his forehead against Hajin, who was staring down dazed, and lowered his gaze.
“Don’t overdo it.”
He could feel Hajin’s eyelids trembling.
“…Okay.”
The reply was short, but layered with tangled emotions.
“Never again… nothing will ever separate us again…”
The words followed, trembling.
This time, instead of just comforting him, Suhyeon gave a small nod.
He never wanted to go through this again, either.
Of course, what happened was something no one could have prepared for, but he still wanted to ask the Association if they could increase his security detail.
“Kyu-u-u.”
As they sat there embracing for a long time, just like yesterday, Suhyeon opened his eyes at a familiar small cry.
Perhaps it hadn’t managed to follow them when they got out of bed; the fluffball came rolling across the living room floor and hopped onto the sofa.
The fluffball climbed onto Suhyeon’s lap, buried its head, and wagged its fur.
Hajin, who would usually have brushed it away as a nuisance, left the fluffball alone today.
Suhyeon pulled away slightly from Hajin and looked at the white fur of the docile, wagging fluffball.
- Krr-aaaaaah!
The pure white monster that had roared after absorbing his guiding energy—something he hadn’t even had the presence of mind to remember.
Its fur looked remarkably similar to this fluffball’s.
“I’m pretty sure… this thing is a monster.”
He remembered what Yihan had said when they first found it.
Suhyeon carefully picked up the fluffball.
“Kyu-u?”
The creature, fitting in one hand, wagged its fur happily at Suhyeon’s touch.
“This… was that monster, right?”
Suhyeon asked in a trembling voice.
“…Yes.”
Hajin nodded.
Despite his long-standing dislike for the fluffball, Hajin’s voice was exceptionally soft today.
If it hadn’t been for this thing, Suhyeon might not have escaped that place.
He whispered without realizing it.
“Thank you…”
“Kyu? Kyu-u.”
As if understanding him, the fluffball gave a few squeaks and wagged its fur.
The tiny thing tumbled from Suhyeon’s hand and poked its body right against his stomach.
Suhyeon looked down at the fluffball, which acted more like a tamed pet than ever before.
- Krr-aaaaaah!
The image of the giant monster overlapped with the fluffball.
He clearly remembered how the monster had gulped down his energy as if it were the source of its power.
Was he the strange one?
Or was this mysterious monster strange?
Suhyeon briefly entertained these long-overdue questions before shaking them off.
It didn’t matter.
He was alive because of it.
Then, ping.
The phone he had set aside chimed.
It was a ringtone.
Regardless of the call, Hajin pulled Suhyeon back into his arms.
Suhyeon considered ignoring it since he still felt drained despite the long sleep, but he eventually picked up the phone.
It was an unknown number.
Suhyeon pressed the answer button.
The voice that came through was stiff and businesslike.
- This is the Association. Is this Guide Chae Suhyeon?
Suhyeon blinked at the mention of the Association.
Hearing the voice, Hajin slowly raised his head.
- To the person who answered?
For some reason, the stiff voice sounded like it was trembling, but Suhyeon answered with a “Yes” at the urge.
- We are calling to inform you that a secondary summons has been issued. The date is tomorrow at 9:00 AM. We emphasize that you must appear in person this time.
A summons? Suhyeon blinked. Hajin’s face hardened.
- We expect you to answer inquiries regarding the summoning and control of monsters. Well then, see you tomorrow.
The call cut off just as Hajin snatched the phone away.
“These… crazy bastards…”
“…, …Crazy!”
Hajin’s face turned fierce, but shortly after, a loud clattering commotion echoed from somewhere.
Suhyeon blinked, not understanding what was happening.
A dull thud, like something colliding, rang out.
Soon, the door to the guest room on the first floor—which was supposed to be empty—burst open.
“Suhyeon.”
Emerging from the room was Chae Yihan, looking like a total mess.
