* * *
“Baek Saewoo…?”
Jibeom shook Saewoo, whose eyes had suddenly shut, but his body remained limp.
Just in case, he brought his ear close to Saewoo’s face.
Fortunately, his breathing was steady. It seemed he had completely fallen asleep.
“…What a shame.”
Clicking his tongue, Jibeom withdrew from him and got off the bed.
“…Looks like a battlefield.”
Only then did Jibeom take in the mess of the bed.
Fetching several towels, he began wiping down both the soiled sheets and Saewoo’s body—only to freeze in place.
‘Yoon Jibeom, you crazy bastard….’
Even at a glance, the marks left on Saewoo’s body were intense.
The spots where Jibeom had indulged the most—his nape and chest—were covered in red marks, densely scattered like constellations.
His thighs and hips bore clear handprints, not to mention the bite marks that stood out vividly.
Jibeom cursed himself.
He knew full well that Saewoo was sensitive and would flinch at the slightest pressure.
But his instincts had completely overridden his reason.
“…This won’t do.”
Tossing aside the damp towel, Jibeom scooped Saewoo into his arms and carried him to the bathroom.
He filled the tub with warm water and gently washed him.
Saewoo whimpered in his arms now and then, but after Jibeom carefully cleaned him out, his breathing became noticeably steadier.
After replacing the bed’s sheets and blankets with fresh ones, Jibeom wrapped Saewoo in a soft towel and laid him down.
He made sure to dry every inch of him before tucking him under the covers.
Saewoo’s expression finally relaxed into peaceful sleep.
“…This isn’t going to cause any problems, right? No way…”
Jibeom, belatedly realizing just how fragile Saewoo was, figured he should look for some medicine in the house.
Flash.
Just then, a bolt of lightning struck outside.
He had thought the rain was coming down harder than usual.
Moments later, thunder rumbled, loud and deep.
Saewoo, fast asleep, flinched and curled up into himself.
“…Shh, it’s okay.”
Jibeom whispered softly into Saewoo’s ear, then lay beside him and pulled him into his arms.
Feeling the warmth around him, Saewoo’s trembling finally subsided, and his breathing evened out.
‘How many pills does he take regularly…?’
Jibeom absentmindedly played with Saewoo’s damp bangs, recalling the bundle of medicine packets he had seen before.
Judging by their quantity, it was obvious that Saewoo wasn’t in great health.
But because Saewoo always looked fine—his skin was unusually fair, even for an avian shapeshifter, and his complexion was good—it had been easy to overlook.
Aside from the occasional bouts of breathlessness and coughing, he seemed perfectly normal.
“…Mmm.”
Saewoo stirred, snuggling deeper into Jibeom’s chest.
Jibeom held his breath, watching him, but Saewoo simply stretched his arms like a child before sinking back into sleep.
Peek.
Glancing downward, Jibeom spotted a small, white foot poking out from beneath the blanket.
It was tiny, with a soft pinkish hue, just like his own.
Seeing it, the desire he had barely been suppressing began to creep back.
“…Am I in heat or something?”
Jibeom let out a quiet, self-deprecating chuckle.
Just looking at him was enough to drive him crazy—so no, he had no intention of restraining himself just because Saewoo was feeling a little unwell.
Besides, Saewoo had been the one to ask for it yesterday, hadn’t he?
[Let’s do it. You said it could replace four meals in one go.]
Jibeom had never intended to let things end with just one night.
That was just bait.
For him, this was the beginning of something more.
That much was only natural.
“……”
But that was only his perspective.
Unless he woke Saewoo up and asked him outright, he couldn’t be sure of how he truly felt.
Jibeom, who had been so certain that Saewoo felt the same, was suddenly uneasy.
What if this had been too much?
What if Saewoo, fragile as he was, ended up resenting him and pushing him away completely?
‘Should’ve been gentler… Got too caught up in my damn urges.’
Clench.
Jibeom’s jaw tightened.
The more he thought about it, the worse his anxiety grew.
What if Saewoo, feeling overwhelmed, turned into his bird form the moment he woke up and flew away?
“…I can’t let that happen.”
Letting Saewoo go was not an option.
Even if he cried and screamed, even if he refused him.
Refused?
Just imagining it made Jibeom seethe.
His golden eyes gleamed as he yanked back the covers.
Saewoo, oblivious to his turmoil, was still lost in a sweet dream, lips curved into a faint smile.
“…Tch. Can’t exactly break your wings or your ankles.”
Jibeom muttered as he eyed Saewoo’s delicate wing bones and slim ankles.
Maybe there was a better way.
Perhaps he should just keep Saewoo in his mouth, tucked safely inside somewhere.
Or maybe he should bite down on his ass and teach him a lesson that way.
Either way, he was certain Saewoo would cry out in that sweet voice of his.
“…Damn, that’s hot.”
Just the thought of it sent a pleasant shiver down his spine.
Grinning, Jibeom slipped under the covers and pulled Saewoo into his arms once more.
Piit, Piit Piit, Piit, Piit.
“Ugh… So noisy….”
The relentless Piiting of sparrows right by his ear was driving Saewoo insane.
He pulled the blanket over his head, trying to shut out the sound.
“Mmph, ugh… Huh…?”
But no matter how hard he tugged, the blanket wouldn’t budge.
Something felt off.
That’s when Saewoo’s eyes flew open.
“…What?”
Being surprised by the sight before him was one thing, but more than that, he was utterly confused. His field of vision was oddly narrow.
“What…? Why do my eyes feel like this…?”
Fumbling with his hands, he touched his eyelids—swollen.
So swollen that the difference was painfully obvious.
“Why are they so puffy…? Hah…!”
And then, like a flash of lightning, the events of last night came rushing back in vivid detail.
Saewoo’s face turned red, then blue, and finally drained completely of color.
“Ugh, ugh—Ahhh… Ahhhh….”
Like a gaping goldfish, Saewoo opened and closed his mouth soundlessly before grabbing a pillow and slamming it over his face.
The embarrassment was unbearable.
He had lost control. Sure, it was because of his rut, but still…
“Ugh… Eggs…? No way. I’ve lost it. I’ve really lost it. I’m out of my damn mind….”
If it was going to turn out like this, he should’ve at least had a drink beforehand.
Then again, if he had, maybe he would’ve just passed out instead.
But how the hell did he remember everything—down to the smallest detail?
His memory never worked this well when he was taking tests!
Tap, tap, tap.
Just as Saewoo was drowning in self-loathing, mentally kicking his blanket in frustration—
“Hm…?”
Tap. Tap, tap tap.
A faint knocking sound came from the curtained window.
Saewoo lifted his head from the pillow and turned toward the noise, only to hear a familiar chirping.
Piit! Piit! Piit-Piit! Piit! Piit-Piit?
(Hey, shrike friend! I’ve got news for you! Can you open up?)
“Oh…!”
It turned out to be the youngest of the elder sparrows who had helped him and Jibeom before.
“Oh no, I didn’t recognize you… I’m so sorry! Give me a sec—ugh…!”
Saewoo tried to get up in a hurry, only to freeze as pain shot through his body.
It wasn’t the kind of pain that would make him cry, but it was a pain he had never experienced before.
His arms and legs were sore, sure, but more than that, his back and hips ached as if he had been beaten black and blue.
Would he even be able to get out of bed in this condition?
‘Maybe I should just shift into a shrike….’
That would at least make it easier to move.
Plus, there was no way he could show himself like this in his Beastmen form.
Thank god for the curtains.
Saewoo pushed the blanket aside.
“…Hah…!”
He thought nothing could surprise him anymore.
But then he looked down—and nearly had a heart attack.
A dark figure curled up at the foot of his bed.
He hadn’t noticed at all. Jibeom—in his black panther form—was right there, sound asleep.
“Ji… Jibeom? Why are you… in that form…?”
Saewoo stammered, but the panther didn’t move an inch.
Jibeom was completely out cold, as still as a rock, with the edge of Saewoo’s blanket trapped beneath his massive body.
‘Oh… So that’s why the blanket wouldn’t move….’
It finally made sense.
“…Excuse me for a moment.”
Not wanting to wake Jibeom, Saewoo carefully shifted his body toward the window.
Even that small movement made his body creak in protest.
“Ugh… I have no strength at all….”
He tried to shift into his shrike form right away, but it wasn’t easy.
Beastmen needed a lot of energy to transform, and right now, he was completely drained.
Still, he wasn’t about to give up.
Taking a deep breath, he braced himself—
And then.
Sliiide…
“Huh…?”
Somehow, without a single sound, the black panther had risen—right behind him.
* * *
