* * *

It took Doyoung a moment to process Joo Taekwon’s words.

“What are you talking about?”

As Doyoung turned to ask again, he noticed something long and firm moving swiftly closer to him.

He tried to dodge, but the other person was faster.

In the blink of an eye, his smartphone was snatched away effortlessly.

“…Hey!”

Startled, he lunged to grab it back, but failed.

This time, Beom Sinje, who had stepped back a couple of paces, raised the phone to his ear.

Unaware that the call recipient had changed, Joo Taekwon continued to speak on the other end.

• Semen, yes. Research suggests it’s the solution to neutralizing the boss mob’s toxicity. But of course, this applies in extreme cases. Ideally, it’s best to avoid such…

The mortifying words were transmitted to Beom Sinje.

Doyoung, catching the shift in Beom Sinje’s gaze as it locked onto him, shut his eyes tightly in despair.

“Could you explain that in detail, one more time?”

Beom Sinje’s voice was calm, but Doyoung could clearly see the subtle changes in his expression as seconds ticked by.

What on earth had this world done to harbor such a grudge against him?

‘I wasn’t asking for anything outrageous.’

As a villain, he had simply paved the way for his favorite hero’s smooth, uneventful life.

Now retired, all he wanted was a peaceful, blissful existence as a contented fan.

So why was he being thrown into such ridiculous scenarios?

Perhaps the moment he transmigrated, when the system window first popped up, his fate of turmoil had already been sealed.

‘This is driving me insane.’

Even worse, amidst this chaos, his body refused to calm down.

No, it was becoming even heavier.

It must be because of those eyes in front of him—steadily warming, unyielding in their stare, like a predator watching its prey.

“So, you’re saying that to alleviate the symptoms of poisoning, someone has to… release inside Hyung?”

The explicit words spilling from Beom Sinje’s lips, words Doyoung could never have imagined hearing from him, broke through the tense atmosphere.

“Hey, you… What the hell are you saying?!”

Doyoung yelled, springing forward like a bullet.

He was desperate to shut that audacious mouth.

“Let go of this!”

But his attempt was in vain.

Instead, his arm was firmly caught in Beom Sinje’s grasp.

He squirmed, twisted, and struggled to free himself, but the hold remained unyielding.

“I understand. Fine. I fully grasp the situation. I’ll discuss this matter with you, Hyung, as well.”

Beom Sinje’s gaze traveled from Doyoung’s hand, to his wrist, up his forearm, past his shoulder, along the line of his jaw, and lingered briefly on his lips.

The usually soft skin, now bitten and chewed in frustration, looked redder and slightly swollen.

Unbidden, memories of last night surfaced.

The body writhing endlessly before him, the scrunched-up face, flushed cheeks, and trembling nose bridge that seemed utterly lost.

‘Haa…’

The sound of a moan escaping those lips replayed in his mind, and his eyes fixated on them before drifting upward.

Their eyes locked in midair.

“Let go.”

Doyoung’s voice cracked, lower than usual.

Whether it was out of tension, excitement, or some other reason, he couldn’t tell.

Was it wrong for Beom Sinje to want to keep seeing Doyoung like this—frantic, fighting against him?

“The doctor said it, you know.”

This might be his chance.

A chance to turn his relationship with Doyoung in a new direction.

A chance to drag this person, who always seemed to stay ahead of him, to his level—and hold him close.

Beom Sinje was not the kind to miss such an opportunity.

After one last lingering glance at the bound wrist, Beom Sinje loosened his grip.

Warmth slipped from his hand almost instantly.

Feeling strangely empty, he clenched his fist before releasing it again, only for Doyoung to snatch back his smartphone in one swift motion.

“Who said you could just take my phone and answer it like that?!”

Doyoung’s voice was sharp, but it lacked the usual biting edge, and Beom Sinje knew it wasn’t just his imagination.

“You looked upset, so I was worried. I thought something had happened.”

“And that makes it okay?!”

“You disappeared without a trace when I thought you’d be back soon. I looked everywhere for you, only to find you here, looking so serious. How could I not be concerned?”

Why is he so good with words?

Doyoung, unused to Beom Sinje speaking at such length, found himself momentarily thrown off, losing his chance to argue back.

“That’s not the point. I didn’t expect you to discuss something like this with the doctor.”

“Well, it’s…”

As Doyoung trailed off, he noticed Beom Sinje staring at something.

“!”

And then he saw it. His… obvious predicament.

“Don’t look! Turn your head away!”

Shouting, Doyoung spun around as quickly as possible.

But it wasn’t as though the sight Beom Sinje had just taken in would vanish from his memory.

Trying to calm himself, Doyoung inhaled deeply and exhaled repeatedly.

With each breath, his shoulders and back rose and fell, tempting a fresh surge of… something in Beom Sinje.

“You heard what the doctor said, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know. You took my phone before I could hear anything.”

He must have heard it.

There was no way a seasoned Hunter with sharp hearing hadn’t caught it at this distance.

Yet his feigned ignorance could only mean one thing.

“Hyung.”

Taking a step closer, Beom Sinje closed the gap between them.

Distracted or perhaps too quick for him to react, Doyoung didn’t notice until it was too late.

“I’m curious about something.”

“Huh?”

“Was it like this from the start?”

Thus, when his shoulder was grabbed and his body was spun around, fully exposing his humiliating state, he froze.

“What are you…?”

He couldn’t even finish his sentence.

“Let’s go.”

Because the next moment, his recently freed wrist was captured again, and he was being dragged away.

Though his strides were hard to match, Doyoung’s lower half weighed heavily on his mind.

He couldn’t understand why Beom Sinje was acting like this.

And yet, as he was pulled along, that broad back seemed oddly reassuring—mature and dependable.

Feeling utterly lost, Doyoung stumbled along until they reached the underground parking lot.

“You’ve arrived, sir.”

“Hunter Park Chanoh, step back from the car and stand by.”

Park Chanoh, who was about to step out of the driver’s seat, hesitated.

Then, noticing the tension between Doyoung and Beom Sinje, he seemed to grasp the situation belatedly.

“Yes, Guild Leader.”

One of them looked livid, while the other appeared oddly flustered.

It didn’t seem like a fight—something more nuanced, perhaps.

But the thought was fleeting.

“Hunter Park Chanoh.”

The curt prompt made Park Chanoh bow his head and retreat without question.

He showed no sign of curiosity over the unusual command, but it was clear that Doyoung was deeply aware of its implications.

“Get in the car, Hyung.”

“What the hell are you—?!”

Doyoung’s protest was cut off as he was unceremoniously shoved into the back seat.

“What are you doing?!”

In a rush, Doyoung found himself practically falling onto the seat, then snapped, shouting angrily.

He tried to get out, but the large figure of Beom Sinje—taller than him by at least a head—blocked his way, looming over him.

“You can’t stay like this. You have to deal with it.”

“You…!”

When had the zipper been undone?

Before he could even process it, a hand slipped through the open gap, pushing aside his briefs and grabbing hold of him.

“Let go of me. Now.”

The sensation of soft, smooth skin in his hand was surprisingly pleasant.

As he felt it, Beom Sinje noticed something missing.

* * *