* * *

Doyoung had always been someone who stood a step ahead of him—strong and composed.

Lately, though, his weakening physical state had occasionally stirred a protective instinct in Beom Sinje, but this was the first time he had seen him like this, and he struggled to adjust.

“Hurry… Please…”

With desperation, Doyoung bit Beom Sinje’s lower lip before pressing their lips together again.

As if that weren’t enough, he kept grinding against him, intensifying the tension.

“Haah… What is this… Hyung, just hold on for a bit longer.”

To make sense of this situation, they needed to get out of the dungeon and meet with the medical team.

Thud.

With a sharp strike to Doyoung’s pale, slender nape, his dazed eyes flew wide open before gradually closing.

The tension drained from his body as he slumped.

Beom Sinje swiftly caught him, lifting him into his arms.

One arm supported his thighs, while the other wrapped securely around his shoulders, pulling him close.

“Haah…”

The problem was that holding him like this pressed against the now-unyielding tightness in his lower body.

Beom Sinje squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled heavily.

“I swear, Na Doyoung, you’re going to drive me insane.”

He muttered the words like a sigh, burying his frustration as he carefully composed himself and began to make his way out of the dungeon.

With his flushed face, uneven breaths, and the weight of the unconscious man clinging to him, Beom Sinje ensured no one could see the intimate closeness between them, holding him as tightly as possible.

◇◆◇◆◇

[Choose your action from the options below ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ
1. (Panting, moaning softly) Kiss the other person on the lips.
2. (Enticingly asking them to do something about you) Hook your arms around their neck and kiss them passionately.
3. (Moaning and begging them to do something) Hug them tightly so they can’t pull away, press against them, and kiss fervently.

If you don’t decide within 5 seconds, an option will be automatically selected.]

“What the hell is this!”

Doyoung stared at the semi-transparent window before him, horrified.

It was none other than the nightmare-like system window he thought he’d left behind.

But even more bewildering were the choices displayed in front of him.

As the absurdity of the options left him frozen, the five seconds elapsed.

Following the auto-selected choice, his body began to move on its own.

And of all things, it was the one where he clung to the larger figure in front of him, kissed them, and pleaded, “Please, do something about me.”

The person Doyoung had latched onto was none other than—

“Ahhhhh!”

He screamed as his eyes shot open.

“Hah… Hah… Hah…”

He exhaled raggedly, staring at the ceiling.

“Damn it. Of all things to dream about…”

Even in the dark, it wasn’t hard to recognize the familiar surroundings of his officetel room.

‘So, it was just a dream after all.’

But what a nightmare—a particularly vivid and mortifying one at that.

Shivering slightly, Doyoung suddenly caught the sound of voices beyond his door.

“Everything was handled promptly, so there’s no need to worry.”

“You’re sure there won’t be any other issues?”

“Yes, in situations like this, the key is resolving the poisoning quickly. Fortunately, the dosage wasn’t high, and with the antidote taking effect, they should recover steadily.”

The voices were familiar—one belonging to Beom Sinje, the other to Joo Taekwon.

Their conversation wasn’t difficult to follow either.

Gradually, Doyoung recalled why he was lying in his own bed.

He’d been abducted by terrorists, dragged into an S-rank dungeon, encountered Beom Sinje and the guild members, and then—

‘The boss monster I thought Beom Sinje had killed suddenly attacked again…’

In his attempt to intervene, he’d been grazed by the creature’s venomous fang, injuring his shoulder.

‘Damn it.’

The memories he’d been trying to suppress surged forward, causing his face to flush as he cautiously pulled up the blanket.

“Sigh…”

Even through his pants, he could see the unmistakable bulge below.

Heat spread from his nape to his ears as he quickly loosened his grip and pressed his palms against his face.

He understood now why he’d had such an embarrassing dream. Even so…

‘How could I… Something that humiliating…’

There was no way he’d ever act like that in reality.

Doyoung tried to suppress his growing anxiety.

“How long until his symptoms subside?”

“It depends on the grade and properties of the venom. We’re analyzing the residual byproducts, but we haven’t pinpointed exact data yet.”

“When will he regain full consciousness?”

“That should happen soon. However, if he wakes in a heightened state of arousal, it might be…awkward.”

Doyoung couldn’t stand hearing any more.

He covered his ears, but it was futile—his heightened senses as an ability user made him privy to every word.

‘Stop! Don’t say things like that in front of Beom Sinje!’

Despite his inner protests, the conversation continued.

Meanwhile, Doyoung struggled to calm himself and dispel the tension below.

He inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly.

“Hah.”

But a memory surfaced, stealing his breath.

‘No, it couldn’t be. Absolutely not.’

Swallowing hard, he tried to steady his nerves, but the images only grew more vivid: himself moaning softly, leaning in to kiss, sliding his tongue into another’s mouth, nibbling and sucking desperately, grinding against them as if possessed—

“Argh!”

He yanked the blanket over his head.

‘It was just a dream. Just a dream!’

As Doyoung writhed in a mix of shame and despair, an unwelcome voice broke through.

“Hyung.”

He froze at the sound, pretending to sleep even as his ears perked up at the approaching footsteps.

“…”

Though he could feel someone standing nearby, they remained silent.

Should he open his eyes?

Or continue feigning sleep?

“I’ll take my leave now.”

Joo Taekwon’s voice rang out like salvation from beyond the door.

‘Go. Just go!’

Doyoung silently pleaded for Beom Sinje to follow him out.

But fate was cruel.

“Okay.”

“If anything changes, please contact me immediately.”

“Will do.”

Beom Sinje’s voice resonated above him, unmoving even after Taekwon left.

A long silence followed.

‘What’s his deal?’

He must know Doyoung was awake.

Yet he neither spoke nor left.

The prickling sensation on Doyoung’s flushed face wasn’t just from embarrassment.

And in the midst of it all, Doyoung couldn’t ignore the state of his lower body.

Not that Beom Sinje would notice—at least, he hoped not.

‘Damn it.’

Why had he acted that way earlier? Sure, the venom explained some of it, but still—

“Hyung, wake up. You need to take your medicine.”

It seemed Beom Sinje had figured out he was conscious.

With no other choice, Doyoung cracked his eyes open, staring rigidly at the ceiling to avoid eye contact.

“Should I help you sit up?”

Doyoung’s head snapped toward Beom Sinje involuntarily.

“What?”

“The doctor mentioned your body might feel weak.”

Doyoung quickly assessed Beom Sinje’s expression—it was the same as always, which only made him more uneasy.

“I’m fine.”

With effort, he began to move, the blanket slipping from his shoulders.

“…!”

He froze, catching sight of the barely concealed bulge beneath the covers.

Realizing his state, his mind screamed:

‘No way!’

Even under the circumstances, this was too much.

Had Beom Sinje noticed, it would’ve been utterly mortifying.

‘Never. That can’t happen.’

He had already crossed a line he couldn’t put into words.

He couldn’t be the one to rekindle the fire when it was clear the other party was willing to let things slide.

Quickly—but pretending nothing had happened—he pulled the blanket up to cover his lower half and pushed himself upright.

Though a bit weak, he wasn’t so drained that he couldn’t move.

“Hand it over.”

Doyoung realized that Beom Sinje’s gaze still hadn’t left him.

He noticed it, yet chose to feign ignorance.

He deliberately averted his eyes, looking downward as he extended his hand.

Thankfully, Beom Sinje handed over the medicine and water without any strange remarks.

“They said the medical supplies ATE sent this time included a drug to counteract intoxication.”

“Is that so? Guess I lucked out.”

Parched, Doyoung gulped down the water in one go before responding.

He spoke in a composed tone, but he knew the truth.

When the incident at Haengbok-ri occurred, he had already predicted that a similar type of mutated dungeon would appear.

Because of this foresight, he had anticipated the types of monsters they might encounter within.

That’s why he had made sure the antidote was included in the list of pharmaceuticals sent by ATE.

‘Still, I didn’t think I’d end up needing it like this.’

How long would it take for the drug to kick in?

Doyoung tried to estimate when the unsettling sensation in his lower body would subside.

“You seem to have a bit of a fever, hyung.”

A hand suddenly pressed against his forehead, catching him off guard.

Why did it feel like heat was rising from that very spot, spreading uncontrollably?

Flustered, Doyoung tried to pull the hand away.

Thud.

But somehow, he applied more force than he intended.

A heavy silence settled between them.

Doyoung could feel Beom Sinje’s gaze on him—sharp and heavy, like it was brushing against the back of his neck.

“Get some more rest.”

It was Beom Sinje who broke the stalemate, moving away first.

Doyoung closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again as he watched the other man retreat.

Then, his gaze wandered somewhere else.

“…Damn it.”

At some point, the blanket had slipped, leaving his aroused lower half completely exposed.

“Ah!”

Doyoung was certain of one thing: Beom Sinje had seen everything.

* * *