* * *
Doyoung slowly blinked his eyelids as he struggled to lift his foggy consciousness, sinking into a soft, plush sensation.
‘Where am I?’
Something lightly tickled his cheek, and he tried to lift his arm, but it felt as heavy as a 60kg dumbbell, dragging him down.
“Ugh…”
A groan escaped his lips, and his face twisted in discomfort.
His arm barely moved, only his wrist twitching before giving up.
“Doyoung hyung. Are you awake?”
Just then, his body, lying limply, shook a bit, and he heard a rumbling voice from below.
‘Below?’
It was only then that Doyoung realized the situation he was in.
The soft sensation was from being carried on the back of Yeo Giwon, who had transformed into a werewolf, and the jolting was from being moved.
With his mind a bit clearer, he rolled his eyes to look around.
Unfortunately, all he could see were trees, making it impossible to tell where he was.
“Hyung?”
Not getting a reply, the voice called out again, sounding worried.
The cautious tone made it evident that the speaker was concerned.
“Yeah.”
Why was his voice so hoarse?
He had barely managed to say one word, yet it felt like he had no strength at all.
Clearing his throat, Doyoung asked, “Where are we?”
“I don’t know.”
“…What?”
How could he say something so ridiculous so nonchalantly?
Yeo Giwon spoke again, his tone calm and carefree, as if he didn’t realize Doyoung’s frown.
“Well… you told me to move, so I ran as hard as I could. Then I asked you where to go, but you didn’t answer, so I just kept going straight.”
“Sigh…”
Doyoung couldn’t blame him for faithfully following his instructions, but he couldn’t help feeling frustrated.
Letting out a sigh, he reached out to pat Yeo Giwon’s head, signaling that he did a good job.
‘Wow, even this is hard.’
What the hell happened to his body?
His hand trembled, and another deep sigh escaped his lips as he looked at his shaky hand.
“Put me down.”
At his words, Yeo Giwon eagerly bent forward, and Doyoung practically rolled off onto the ground.
“Ow! Hyung, are you okay? I’m sorry.”
Yeo Giwon looked startled as Doyoung slumped awkwardly to the ground.
He had returned to his human form at some point.
“Are you still hurt from the fall?”
He looked like a giant dog that had just done something wrong, huddled there with his big frame.
Why was he acting so anxious?
Doyoung was, after all, an Esper.
“What the… Hyung, you were stabbed? And why did you fall from there in the first place?”
Yeo Giwon’s panicked exclamations made Doyoung aware of his condition.
Looking down, he saw his shirt soaked in blood.
Luckily, as an Esper with fast recovery, the wounds weren’t deep, but the remaining bloodstains were enough to show how badly he had been hurt.
“Don’t tell me you actually joined the fight? Weren’t you supposed to be at some remote institution doing nothing?”
Meanwhile, Yeo Giwon bombarded him with questions, one after another, like some relentless interrogator, leaving Doyoung at a loss on where to even begin.
“Why did you catch me back there?”
Doyoung asked the one thing he was most curious about.
The timing was too perfect, as if Yeo Giwon had been waiting for him.
The mattress that was supposed to be there certainly wasn’t.
“Oh, that…”
Yeo Giwon scratched his neck and looked away, his eyes shifting nervously.
“I told them I really don’t like fighting people, so they told me to hide somewhere out of sight.”
“Who?”
“Beom Sinje.”
It wasn’t like the main character to tell someone to “hide,” but it seemed they’d suggested a discreet spot for Yeo Giwon to wait.
Since the window Doyoung had fallen from faced the mountain behind the building, Yeo Giwon’s sudden appearance made sense.
“You came all the way here and didn’t fight?”
It sounded odd coming from someone who used to knock out opponents in the arena.
Narrowing his eyes, Doyoung asked, and Yeo Giwon fidgeted, tangling his fingers as he mumbled.
“Well… the more I fight, the more I lose control. It feels like I’m turning into a real beast, so I told Beom Sinje. He said I shouldn’t engage in close combat.”
That’s the kind of leniency only the protagonist could have.
If it were up to Doyoung, he’d have sent someone like Yeo Giwon far away to some dungeon mission.
Yet, it seemed they brought him here to avoid suspicion, as claiming he left for another task wouldn’t raise eyebrows.
“What about you, though? I thought you were living peacefully in some countryside. Why were you there and end up like this?”
Yeo Giwon clicked his tongue as he eyed Doyoung’s blood-soaked chest.
“What nonsense is that? Countryside? Peacefully? And earlier, you said something about being a slacker? Do I look like someone who’d just laze around?”
In reality, he was busier than ever, not even having enough bodies to do everything.
“Well… just, from what I’ve seen you do at school. You seem laid-back, not really putting much effort into training…”
“Ugh…”
Doyoung let out a breath, exasperated, as Yeo Giwon grinned sheepishly and showed his not-so-broad back.
It was moments like this that highlighted how different Yeo Giwon could be, depending on whether he was using his powers or not.
“Anyway, it’s good I caught you, right? Who knows what would’ve happened otherwise. Why did you even jump in there?”
Yeo Giwon began to babble like a rapper, spewing one absurd comment after another.
“By the way, did you meet Beom Sinje there? I can’t imagine they’d just watch you get hurt.”
He tilted his head, puzzled, before shrugging.
“Anyway, you should get treated. Let me carry you.”
“No, I’ll… walk…”
Doyoung tried to stand, intending to walk on his own, but his knees buckled, and he crumpled to the ground.
He blinked, not understanding what had just happened.
“What the…”
He wasn’t starving, so why was he so weak?
His arms still trembled, and his legs wouldn’t hold him up.
Struggling to get up, he groaned in frustration, and Yeo Giwon, who had been turned away, clicked his tongue and came over to help.
“Why’d you jump into a fight when you can’t even handle it? You should’ve just shot from afar. That’s what you’re good at, right?”
“Shut up.”
Was he always this chatty?
Doyoung snapped, leaning against Yeo Giwon as he struggled to stand.
His legs trembled, and his body shook.
A newborn deer would probably be healthier.
Watching this, Yeo Giwon couldn’t take it anymore and scooped him up.
“Hey!”
“At this rate, the night will pass. Let’s go.”
Yeo Giwon began descending the mountain swiftly, carrying him effortlessly.
After a long while, they finally reached a village dotted with buildings.
Thankfully, even though it was evening, they found a clinic still open and got checked in to see a doctor.
“Hunters shouldn’t come to places like this. We can’t treat you properly here. I’ll give some basic care, but you must go to a specialized hospital. Even if we treat the outside, who knows what’s happening internally.”
The doctor, with graying hair, adjusted his glasses as he scolded them, then looked past Doyoung, lying on the examination table, to Yeo Giwon.
“It seems you’ve suffered from excessive use of your abilities. You’ll need a detailed check-up. Go to a big hospital.”
“Yes, thank you, doctor.”
Seeing Yeo Giwon nodding energetically, Doyoung frowned, clearly displeased.
He sat up from where he lay, and Yeo Giwon quickly knelt, presenting his back.
“…Bring the wheelchair.”
Doyoung nudged his back with his foot.
Sure, earlier he had no choice but to be carried, but he wasn’t about to let that happen again.
Without a word, Yeo Giwon disappeared out of the examination room.
“What do you mean by aftereffects?”
Now alone, Doyoung asked indifferently.
* * *
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