After blinking several times, he turned his head toward him. The lips raised on only one side looked smooth. Flames flickered in the pale eyes that weren’t smiling.
“You hear that a lot, right?”
“…It’s the first time I’m hearing it.”
“Really?”
He, who asked back meaninglessly, turned his body back around. Joo Seonghan took his eyes off his back and, like before, looked at the irregular ceiling before closing his eyes.
“I’ll sleep in a bit.”
Though it was a bit late, anyway, an answer came back. Joo Seonghan, who stole a glance at Yeon Dogyeong’s back, answered “Yes” and closed his eyes that had briefly opened. Even though his vision was closed, he could feel the flames moving above his head.
He ran. Joo Seonghan ran hard. Receiving golden light that he couldn’t distinguish as sunrise or sunset, Joo Seonghan frantically moved forward. Suddenly, a tree shot up. Then the world spun half a turn. Joo Seonghan squeezed his eyes shut and fell somewhere. When he opened his eyes, he could see a large crescent moon floating behind the tree. Can it be this big? Kneeling and sitting while looking at the blue moon in a daze, red berries began to bloom on the tree.
The tree branches, unable to bear the weight of the rapidly ripening berries, bowed deeply. Plop, ploplop, the berries fell to the ground like rain. Ah. The moment he sighed without realizing it, a white rabbit came out from behind the tree. It walked out rustling and ate the berries. It ate berries, and ate berries, and ate more berries. Thud, a berry kicked by the rabbit’s front paw stopped in front of Joo Seonghan’s knee. Joo Seonghan picked up the berry. Splash. At the wet footstep sound, he raised his head. White fur, bright red eyes, a human face.
‘Semi-human….’
Joo Seonghan, who had opened his eyes wide, kicked off the ground and pounced on the semi-human with rabbit legs. The rabbit opened its mouth. Hu… Before his words could even finish, blood splattered on his face. This, where did this blood come from? He lowered his eyes. The knife that had pierced the semi-human’s throat was held by Joo Seonghan.
‘Hu…man….’
“Hup…!”
He opened his eyes while drawing in a breath. He couldn’t believe his rapidly beating heart. He clenched his fist and exhaled thinly through his mouth. He forgot how to breathe through his nose. He forgot how to move his body. All he could feel was the sensation in his clenched hand. The sensation of tearing through skin that shouldn’t be pierced, cutting through tendons, stopping only when reaching the neck bone, the sensation of killing a person.
Thud.
A shadow fell over his body. His sluggish brain slowly recognized Yeon Dogyeong, who had placed his hand beside Joo Seonghan’s face. His long fingers touched Joo Seonghan’s forehead. He swept back the sweat-soaked bangs and slowly lowered his head. His hair tickled Joo Seonghan’s eyes. He stroked his cheek with his fingers and whispered in his ear.
“Breathe.”
Heuu… Breath escaped through his nose. He could smell his scent mixed with rain and blood. That’s right. He spoke affectionately and covered Joo Seonghan’s eyes with his hand. He moved his hand placed on the dirt ground and fumbled beside him. Yeon Dogyeong’s thigh touched his hand. He gripped the hem of his T-shirt draped nearby. Joo Seonghan’s chest, which had been rising and falling rapidly, gradually found its original pace. And after a while, Joo Seonghan’s hand, drained of strength, fell with a thud.
Yeon Dogyeong removed the hand that had been covering Joo Seonghan’s eyes. The corners of his eyes were slightly red but there was no moisture. He looked down at him breathing comfortably, then straightened his tilted body.
“Confusing.”
Yeon Dogyeong spoke with an expressionless face and turned his back on Joo Seonghan. He threw branches and leaves into the dying campfire. Thud. Joo Seonghan’s knee, who had tossed and turned, touched Yeon Dogyeong’s body. Yeon Dogyeong, who only turned his hand back, stroked Joo Seonghan’s smooth cheek.
“Should I devour you?”
His playful voice echoed in the cave.
* * *
The cave was a one-way path. Walking through the passage with both sides blocked, a wide clearing appeared, and crossing it led to another passage. Occasionally bottomless cliffs appeared, but where Joo Seonghan and Yeon Dogyeong were walking now was complex. Though it was a passage, the left side was blocked, and beyond the stone wall with large holes here and there on the right side, a cliff could be seen. Fortunately, the path was wide so there was no danger of falling.
“The rest should be alright.”
Joo Seonghan spoke to Yeon Dogyeong while carefully stepping forward. The cave floor wasn’t slippery, but it wasn’t good for walking because there were many tree roots and sharp stones. Moreover, it was excessively dark, so no matter where he shined the light, he couldn’t see far.
“Yes. Hyeonjo did slip while rescuing Park Gyujin-ssi, but he recovers quickly so he’ll be fine.”
He stopped walking and looked at Yeon Dogyeong with doubt. He answered as if he knew they were safe. Yeon Dogyeong, who noticed that doubt, playfully shined the flashlight on Joo Seonghan’s face. He turned his head while squinting his eyes. Haha, he laughed and removed the flashlight, then grabbed Joo Seonghan’s arm and moved forward.
“I saw them escape. Since the flare went up, it means they escaped well.”
“…But why didn’t you go with them?”
Tick. A pebble kicked by Joo Seonghan’s foot made a sound as it hit the cave wall. Clang, clang… The following sound was distant, as if it had fallen somewhere sloped.
“Is this perhaps one of those things? Where the answer is already decided so you just need to answer?”
He raised his eyes that had been facing the floor again to look at Yeon Dogyeong. He, who didn’t notice the gaze, didn’t stop, and a sharp stone was stepped on by the sole of Joo Seonghan’s worn shoes as he walked unsteadily as if being dragged by him. He lost his balance and staggered. Yeon Dogyeong, who put strength in his hand, pulled Joo Seonghan.
“I didn’t go because I was trying to save Joo Seonghan-ssi.”
Whether viewed from afar or up close, his smiling face was natural. Does this person ever get angry?
“…That wasn’t my intention in asking.”
“That intention?”
“I mean, I didn’t deliberately ask to hear that answer from Yeon Team Leader-nim.”
He separated his body that had been standing close. He, who had let go of his arm, raised the flashlight. He closed his eyes. Beyond his thin eyelids, he could feel the stinging light.
“Have you been betrayed somewhere?”
“…No.”
“Then why don’t you trust me like this?”
“……”
“Plus you pretend not to be interested when you’re curious, and strangely pretend to be strong.”
His voice was low. ‘He’s an idiot, just.’ Kang Hyeonjoo’s voice was heard. Joo Seonghan looked at Kang Hyeonjoo’s face that rose in his mind and shook his head. I don’t know the details, but I don’t think that’s it.
“…Yeon Team Leader-nim.”
“Yes.”
“The light is blinding.”
“……”
The light slowly disappeared. He opened his eyes. The afterimage of light remained so he couldn’t see Yeon Dogyeong’s face well. His face that had been facing Joo Seonghan turned away. He, who turned his body completely, took a step. Joo Seonghan unconsciously grabbed his arm.
He had been left behind many times. Birth parents whose faces he didn’t know, a few classmates and seniors he made friends with in college, one girlfriend he dated for nearly two months and one girlfriend he broke up with in less than a week, and his work colleagues. He hadn’t been betrayed. They just didn’t want to be with Joo Seonghan. So they just went their own way, leaving Joo Seonghan behind. That was possible. He understood them. Joo Seonghan was fine being left alone. No, was he really fine?
“…I don’t distrust you. It’s just, there’s no reason to trust.”
“Why?”
The forearm beneath his hand was hard as stone. He lowered his head. He could see his large shoes standing face to face.
“The Semi-Human Department’s purpose is to deal with semi-humans, not to save people.”
Semi-Human Department Team 3 had no obligation to risk their lives protecting Joo Seonghan’s safety. They and Joo Seonghan were merely companions wandering this place together. Although Joo Seonghan’s abilities were inferior to theirs and he was often a burden, Joo Seonghan never once thought they should protect him.
“Ha.”
Yeon Dogyeong snorted at such Joo Seonghan. Joo Seonghan subtly raised his eyes. Yeon Dogyeong, who smiled crookedly, put his hand in his pocket. Because of that, Joo Seonghan’s body, which had been holding his arm, was pulled slightly toward him. Ah, it seems I should have let go. Now that it had become awkward to let go of his arm, Joo Seonghan looked at his chest area, unable to do this or that.
“Fine. Let’s say that’s the case, why don’t you ask? How I came over here, where the map came from, why Park Gyujin-ssi came here together and why Hyeonjo is wary of that person. You look at everything with interest, so why don’t you ask questions?”
“…I’m going to forget anyway, so what’s the point of asking?”
At the slowly flowing answer, Yeon Dogyeong looked down quietly at Joo Seonghan with a crooked smile. The silence was long. Joo Seonghan, who became anxious, inwardly repeated the words he had just said. Did I misspeak? As expected, I shouldn’t do things I don’t normally do. I could have just pretended not to know like before and passed it by, but why did I suddenly start making excuses? Joo Seonghan bit his tongue inside his mouth imperceptibly. Then he parted his lips somewhat hastily to him who was still keeping his mouth shut.
“Yeon Team…”
“What you just said.”
“……”
“It sounds like ‘what’s the point of living when you’re going to die anyway.'”
