* * *

At the very least, shouldn’t he be able to use his telekinesis, which he had painstakingly been rebuilding recently?

‘Ah, right!’

It finally occurred to Doyoung what he had forgotten.

His violet eyes, shimmering with determination, scanned the ground for the fallen sword.

But no matter how hard he searched, the weapon was nowhere to be found.

Rip!

In the meantime, the tentacles gave up on unbuttoning and opted to simply tear his clothes apart instead.

“Damn it, stop! No, not there!”

As his lower half neared exposure, Doyoung writhed in panic.

The motion caused his shirt to ride up, exposing his torso.

Seizing the opportunity, the tentacles slid underneath.

“Urgh! What are you doing, you bastard?!”

He glared at the boss monster—the one wearing Beom Sinje’s face. T

hat thing was undoubtedly controlling the tentacles, yet its expression remained frustratingly indifferent.

The boss didn’t respond to his protests.

Instead, the slimy tentacles began slithering across his bare skin, leaving trails of discomfort in their wake.

“Wh-what…”

Doyoung’s face flushed with alarm as one of the tentacles changed course, inching toward a place it definitely shouldn’t.

The slick, sticky appendage brushed against his most private area—something untouched by anyone else.

“Stop, no! Don’t!”

He flailed more violently than before, but the tentacles only tightened their grip on his limbs, refusing to let go.

They slithered over his thighs, waist, and finally wrapped around him completely.

When one particularly insistent tentacle coiled around his member and began probing for entry, Doyoung’s eyes shot wide open.

“No, stop!”

Gasp. Gasp. Huff.

His ragged breathing echoed in the room.

His eyes, wide with alarm, darted around, taking in the darkened ceiling.

Slowly, his consciousness returned to reality.

“Ha… Damn it. What kind of dream was that?”

Did he scream in his sleep?

His voice was so hoarse and dry, it sounded as if he’d been shouting.

Rubbing a hand down his face, Doyoung swallowed hard before pushing himself upright.

That’s when he felt it—a distinct heaviness in his lower half.

“…What?”

Letting out a sharp breath, Doyoung squeezed his eyes shut, only to reopen them moments later.

Unfortunately, the sight hadn’t changed.

Below him, his pants were noticeably tented, and the darkened stain spreading across the fabric left no room for doubt.

“Seriously… I can’t believe this.”

A wet dream.

Over that. A deep sigh of mortification escaped his lips.

“It must be the poison still messing with me.”

Yeah, that had to be it.

The boss monster of an S-rank dungeon, no less—its lingering influence must’ve seeped into his subconscious.

‘Still, that’s not the issue right now.’

Unsure of what to do next, Doyoung hesitated, then reluctantly reached down.

“This is getting ridiculous…”

Grumbling, he moved his hand without hesitation.

Awkward as it had felt earlier, he quickly found a rhythm.

His irritation didn’t stop his body from responding.

“Haah…”

Sticky fluid coated his palm as his breathing grew heavier.

Reaching for the tissue box on the shelf, Doyoung froze at the sound of knocking.

“Doyoung hyung? Are you awake?”

A voice pierced the silence.

“…!”

His eyes shot to the closed door.

Thankfully, it stayed shut.

But he couldn’t move, too stunned to even breathe.

“Hyung?”

The voice called out again.

Doyoung clenched his fist, sticky residue smearing against his palm.

Now was not the time to deal with this mess.

‘When did he even get here?’

Of all times, it had to be now, in this state.

Doyoung’s uneasy gaze darted between his half-covered lower body hidden clumsily under the blanket, his hands reeking of a sour, sticky odor, and the firmly shut door.

Not a situation where he could feel even remotely at ease.

Still, the door remained resolutely closed.

“Haaa…”

Letting out a heavy sigh, he reached for the tissues, as he had initially intended.

However, the now-dried substance wasn’t something a simple tissue could resolve.

“God, this is driving me crazy.”

Feeling both unsettled and the need to check the situation outside, Doyoung finally decided to get out of bed.

Of course, he didn’t forget to open the window and ventilate the room in an effort to erase any trace of what had just occurred.

Afterward, he stepped into the bathroom for a quick rinse, changed his clothes, and only then made his way toward the bedroom door.

“I’ve got nothing to feel guilty about, so why am I hesitating?”

Despite saying that aloud, his hand hovered nervously over the doorknob, unable to grip it properly, hesitating again and again.

“It’s all because of that damn dream…”

No matter how he thought about it, being subjected to something like that by a boss mob wearing the face of Beom Sinje—it was ridiculous, humiliating, and utterly absurd.

Click.

After hesitating multiple times, the door finally opened.

But all that tension proved pointless as the living room lay in darkness, its lights all switched off.

“Ah…”

The faint sound of water flowing from the bathroom connected to the living room brought a sense of relief.

“But what time is it now?”

Curious about the time, Doyoung glanced at the clock hanging on the living room wall.

“Three-thirty?”

He had guessed it was already late since he had fallen asleep after midnight, but he was shocked to find that even more time had passed.

What were you doing to be coming home at this hour?

Although he had been flustered earlier, Doyoung decided he’d have to ask Beom Sinje about it when the time came.

Thirsty, he headed to the kitchen to get a drink of water but hesitated mid-sip.

“You probably drank, didn’t you?”

Coming home this late made it highly likely.

Of course, being a hunter who needed to be ready at all times, it was doubtful he drank enough to get drunk.

Still, a warm cup of honey water wouldn’t hurt.

Thinking this, he opened the upper cabinet, took out the expensive honey, scooped a generous amount into a mug, and waited for the water to boil.

“Hyung?”

“Ah! G-gosh!”

A hand touching his shoulder made Doyoung flinch in surprise.

“Sorry. Did I scare you?”

“N-no, not really.”

His denial was instinctive, but the coffee pot interrupted with a series of beeps to signal the water was ready.

He hurried over, pouring the hot water into the mug and stirring to dissolve the honey.

Then, noticing Beom Sinje staring at him, he thrust the mug forward.

“Drink this.”

“For me?”

“Yeah. You’ve been drinking, haven’t you?”

Seeing Beom Sinje’s puzzled expression, Doyoung gestured with his eyes for him to take it.

His large hand awkwardly wrapped around the mug—just as his fingers unintentionally pressed firmly against Doyoung’s.

“Ah…”

Startled by the unexpected warmth of the touch, Doyoung reflexively tried to pull his hand away.

In his haste, the honey water sloshed out of the cup.

“Hyung! Are you okay? Let me see.”

Beom Sinje quickly set the mug down and checked Doyoung’s hand, holding it firmly and turning it this way and that.

His concerned gaze held no ulterior motive.

What the hell is this?

Doyoung, on the other hand, couldn’t hide his flustered expression.

He couldn’t understand why he was acting this way tonight.

Sure, getting startled when Beom Sinje touched his shoulder earlier was one thing, but reacting so strongly to a fleeting touch of fingertips?

Even he thought it was over the top.

“I’m going to wash my hands.”

Trying to appear nonchalant, Doyoung turned away.

Though he could’ve easily rinsed off at the sink, he felt an urgent need to leave the room.

Without much thought, he walked toward the open bathroom door.

But the moment he stepped inside, he let out a low groan.

“Ah, damn it.”

He had forgotten. Who had just come out of here moments ago?

The dampness still clinging to the air, the moist, humid scent, and the faint aroma lingering in the space—it all hit him at once.

Overwhelmed by the sudden heat, Doyoung squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again.

His face, already burning, only grew hotter as he turned the faucet on full blast at the sink.

* * *