RVHF chapter 17

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The doctor, who was slowly tapping at the keyboard with two fingers while drafting a chart, glanced at the patient who had just finished his check-up.

“What else? It means you’ve suffered side effects from straining your abilities to the extreme, using up every last drop of energy.”

The doctor adjusted his glasses and continued, as if it were no big deal.

“My kid ended up just like that. Lost strength in his limbs, couldn’t hold his body upright. After years of suffering…”

Clatter.

But the rest of his words were drowned out by the door slamming open.

Even without hearing more, Doyoung could guess what the story was about.

“Ahem. Anyway, be sure to go.”

The doctor waved his hand dismissively, indicating he was done.

Yeo Giwon, having enthusiastically wheeled in the chair, seemed oblivious to the heavy atmosphere.

The two left the hospital right away.

“Where are we headed?” Yeo Giwon asked, looking at Doyoung as they stood in the lobby.

“Where? We’re not going anywhere together. You go your way, and I go mine.”

“What?”

Why did he look so shocked? Wasn’t this obvious?

“I said, go your way.”

With that, Doyoung immediately hopped into a taxi that had just dropped off a passenger.

As he left abruptly, Yeo Giwon was left standing there, feeling lost, until the loud buzzing of his phone in his pocket brought him back to reality.

“Hello? What’s up?”

Seeing the name Beom Sinje on the screen, Yeo Giwon didn’t hesitate to answer.

• Where are you?

“Finished?”

• It ended a while ago. Where are you?

“You sound totally out of it. Did something happen…”

• Just answer me! Where are you?

Instead of a friendly response to his concern, Yeo Giwon got a sharp retort.

But rather than getting upset, he replied sluggishly.

“I’m at the hospital.”

• The hospital? Why? Didn’t I tell you to stay out of sight? Are you hurt?

“No, not me. It’s Doyoung hyung…”

• Doyoung hyung? You’re with him?

The shout was so loud it almost hurt his ear.

Yeo Giwon winced and pulled his phone away from his face.

• Where? Tell me now.

For once, Beom Sinje sounded genuinely rattled.

“Uh, well, this place is…”

Yeo Giwon glanced around, found the hospital sign, and told him the name.

The call ended abruptly, with a command to stay put.

“Well, he’s gone now.”

But that last part never reached the other end.

As a result, Yeo Giwon spent two whole hours unable to leave, sitting in the parking lot, until Beom Sinje finally appeared, looking like the god of death himself.

“Where’s hyung?”

His voice was even lower and harsher, sounding ominous.

“He’s… gone. Just left.”

Feeling the tension, Yeo Giwon mumbled as he glanced nervously at Beom Sinje, who narrowed his dark eyes.

“Where did he go?”

“Well… I don’t know. He just left.”

“Why didn’t you stop him?”

Yeo Giwon hesitated, scratching his neck as he wondered if he should explain the mood hadn’t been right.

“Hyung’s not exactly the type to explain things, you know.”

Emotion seeped into his voice.

Doyoung had always kept things from him, rarely offering any real explanations.

“But didn’t you meet him earlier? Hyung was hurt, you know. He was bleeding so much that it looked like he got stabbed deeply by a blade or something. We came to the hospital just to treat his external wounds.”

At that, Beom Sinje’s hard expression finally cracked.

It was Yeo Giwon who grew more uneasy at his reaction.

“You don’t have to worry too much. The bleeding’s mostly stopped. The doctor disinfected the wound and bandaged him up pretty well. The aftereffects are a bigger concern, though.”

“Aftereffects?”

Crap.

Did he just mess up again?

Yeo Giwon rolled his eyes and, urged by Beom Sinje’s glare, stammered out more details.

“They think it’s from overusing his abilities. But the doctor here isn’t a specialist in Espers, so it’s not for sure.”

He waved his hands as if to say it was nothing, but Beom Sinje’s face remained grim, so he added more.

“Hyung looked pretty weak, but what do I know? He just ditched me and left.”

“Why… Why would he…”

Yeo Giwon’s efforts seemed pointless.

Beom Sinje, barely listening, stared at where Doyoung had vanished, looking conflicted.

Then, suddenly, his expression hardened.

“Fine. I’ll ask him myself.”

His voice dropped even further.

‘Why does Beom Sinje keep getting scarier…?’

A shiver ran down Yeo Giwon’s spine.

“Oh!”

Then, like a lightbulb turning on, an idea struck him, and he smiled.

“Want me to track him?”

Beom Sinje looked at him as if he were spouting nonsense, but Yeo Giwon tapped his nose confidently.

“I can smell him. Hyung’s scent.”

“For real?”

“Yep. It’ll get harder as time passes, but for now…”

Yeo Giwon looked at Beom Sinje, asking silently for confirmation.

“Fine, bloodhound. Lead the way.”

“Hey! I’m not a dog! I’m a werewolf!”

Grumbling at the comparison, Yeo Giwon still sniffed diligently.

“Follow me.”

He took off, following the faint scent, with Beom Sinje right behind him.

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“Ugh…”

Was he coming down with something?

Why was it so cold?

Doyoung shivered as he slumped into the taxi seat.

“Are you cold, sir? Want me to turn the heater up?” the taxi driver asked perceptively.

“No, I’m fine.”

It had to be the aftereffects the doctor had mentioned.

Outside, darkness had fallen completely.

He was now driving south on the highway.

Ideally, he’d have fled overseas, but that would leave a trace.

‘I just need to lay low until things calm down, and then I’ll move when it’s safe.’

One or two years should do.

During that time, hiding out in a quiet rural village or an island seemed perfect.

Doyoung had Yeo Giwon to thank for the idea.

The guy had joked about him living leisurely in the countryside.

‘But not too remote.’

A place too rural might make him stand out even more.

So he chose a small town, not too far from the capital.

Doyoung bought a fully-furnished villa that was on urgent sale with cash and started living there immediately.

He spent the first few days catching up on sleep, ordering takeout instead of cooking, and lazing around in bed.

Actually, he was too weak to even think about going outside.

“Ah… What am I supposed to do from now on?”

He muttered to himself as he watched the setting sun through the window.

Eating, sleeping, and lounging around got boring after a week.

“Maybe I should get some fresh air.”

He was getting hungry, too, so he decided to hit the local convenience store for snacks.

Slowly, he got off the bed, pulled on the one jacket he owned, and left the house.

It was an emergency purchase he’d made after getting off the taxi and freezing in the cold.

His wardrobe consisted of just two tracksuits and a few pairs of underwear.

“Oh, right. There’s a market nearby.”

Despite having walked less than ten meters, Doyoung was already panting, out of breath.

Spotting the bustling market in the alley, he paused for a moment.

After being holed up for days, flipping through delivery brochures and barely seeing the outside world, the sight of people coming and going felt refreshing and comforting.

“Maybe I should have some blood sausage soup.”

Surely there’d be a place serving that in the market.

Just the thought of sizzling sundae soup in a steaming hot stone pot made his mouth water.

Finding a restaurant didn’t take long.

There were only five tables, but the place was bustling, and no empty seats were in sight.

“Come sit over here. Are you by yourself?”

As Doyoung hesitated near the entrance, the owner gestured toward an empty seat, inviting him over.

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