* * *
The tunnel created by tree roots was so narrow and low that they had to walk in a duck-walk. Their legs were numb, but it was dark enough to hide their bodies without difficulty.
Kiiik, kuuu. Joo Seonghan moved slowly, almost crawling, while listening to the incomprehensible sounds the semi-humans made. Along with the rough footsteps, there was a clattering sound from inside the bag, but the semi-humans didn’t look back at them. Joo Seonghan glanced sideways at the semi-humans as he moved forward.
Yeon Dogyeong, who had been walking ahead, stopped after Seonghan had taken three more steps. There was moonlight in front of him. It was where the root tunnel had broken off. After checking on the semi-humans, he crossed the moonlight in an instant. Seonghan unconsciously stood there dazed by the quick movement. Dogyeong turned around and smiled. He stepped back a few paces, then stretched out his arm and beckoned with his hand. It was Joo Seonghan’s turn.
He held his breath and looked at the clearing filled with semi-humans. His eyes didn’t meet anyone’s. Joo Seonghan lifted his hand from the ground and moved his feet. Thud. The chest of a semi-human who had been lying on its side with its back turned faced the sky. Dust rose low beneath the slender arm that had fallen to the ground. Its eyelids opened. Gasp. Kirik kirik, the red eyes rolled around. Joo Seonghan’s body, bathed in pale blue light, stopped. At that moment, he was pulled into the darkness.
Yeon Dogyeong, who had grabbed Joo Seonghan’s shoulder and yanked him, lay down on the ground. Joo Seonghan, now on top of him, gripped Dogyeong’s arm and steadied his ragged breathing. The tactical vest scraped against his face and it hurt, but his body had gone limp so he couldn’t think about moving. Yeon Dogyeong patted Joo Seonghan’s thigh.
“We weren’t spotted.”
He put strength into his knees on the ground. He struggled to raise his body and looked down at Yeon Dogyeong beneath him. He was still smiling.
“…Aren’t you scared?”
“Of what?”
“The semi-humans, the current situation, …the uncertain future.”
His hand wrapped around Joo Seonghan’s knee. Long fingers touched the thigh above the knee.
“I wonder. Not really scared.”
Answering as if to himself, he slipped his body out from under Joo Seonghan. He picked up the gun he’d dropped on the ground, turned around, and walked. Joo Seonghan let out a long breath and followed him. Then he stopped. It was a prickling sensation. He swallowed dry saliva and turned his head. The semi-human’s eyes disappeared behind its eyelids and then reappeared.
Sss. The head of the semi-human lying down watching Joo Seonghan scraped the ground. It twisted its neck bizarrely as if trying to see from a bit farther away. Thud, its head touched the foot of another semi-human nearby. As if annoyed, the other semi-human, whose foot was covered in fur, sat up. Their eyes met. Rage filled its face.
“Yeon, Team Leader-nim.”
Bang! A louder gunshot than ever rang out, and moonlight descended above Joo Seonghan’s head. The semi-humans nearby looked at them through the holes in the roots. Kiiiaak! Yeon Dogyeong, who had lifted Joo Seonghan’s waist, rushed out of the tunnel. Bang! Bang! After blowing off the head of a semi-human that had approached, he put away his gun and reached out toward a tree. Yellow fruits fell with a thud-thud-thud. After scattering about half the fruits on the semi-humans that had jumped high, he threw Joo Seonghan into the passage. Following behind, he climbed up onto the passage, poured the remaining fruits he’d been gripping all at the entrance, and drew his gun to aim. The semi-humans baring their teeth screamed roughly. However, no one approached.
“Wow, the effect is definite.”
Speaking playfully, he approached Joo Seonghan who had been thrown down. Joo Seonghan looked up at Yeon Dogyeong with a bewildered face.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
He wasn’t hurt. When he shook his head, putting strength into his trembling body, Dogyeong grabbed his arm and pulled him up.
“It’s noisy, so let’s disappear quickly.”
Held by him, Seonghan stepped toward the deep interior of the passage. He looked back at the commotion the semi-humans were making. The semi-humans who had been screaming near the entrance of the passage began to move away one by one. They no longer showed interest in Yeon Dogyeong and Joo Seonghan who had disappeared into the darkness, and only one semi-human remained standing guard. The semi-human whose eyes had first met Joo Seonghan’s.
“…Go…ah…go….”
As the semi-human’s mouth opened thinly, a voice was heard. This time it was an old man’s voice. Joo Seonghan turned his head with a stiff face and looked at the profile of Yeon Dogyeong walking with large strides. There was no change in his expression. Hesitating, Joo Seonghan pressed his parted lips firmly shut and widened his stride.
It was about two hours later when Joo Seonghan and Yeon Dogyeong left the passage. Inside the passage, Joo Seonghan had told Yeon Dogyeong thank you for saving him, and Yeon Dogyeong had answered, yes. He felt like he should say something more, but Joo Seonghan didn’t know what words to bring up or how. So he just walked silently, and when his breathing was starting to get labored, the passage showed its end. He thought a clearing would appear like the ones they’d seen so far. However, what unfolded before his eyes was a completely different landscape.
“…There’s water.”
Speaking as if enchanted, Joo Seonghan approached the dark blue water receiving pale moonlight. The small water pool, closer to a pond than a lake, was half-surrounded by low rocks and was so clear it seemed not a single impurity was mixed in. However, since the moonlight only touched the surface, he couldn’t gauge the depth. Peering inside, Joo Seonghan raised his head and looked at the ceiling with holes in it. The moon wasn’t visible. Seeing that the light was weaker than where the semi-humans had been, they seemed to have actually moved farther from the moon.
“Team Leader Yeon…”
As he turned his head, Yeon Dogyeong brushed past Joo Seonghan’s side. Splash, splash. Having taken off his clothes at some point, he entered the pond with his bare body. He dove in an instant and swam downward. Moving smoothly like a fish, he disappeared into the pitch-black darkness. It seemed deeper than expected. Joo Seonghan looked at the pond that had become still, then put down the bag he’d been carrying. He took off his clothes and shoes and dipped his hand in the water to check the temperature. Splash. A hand that suddenly burst through the water grabbed Joo Seonghan’s arm and pulled.
Ah, before he could properly scream, he was dragged into the water. He frowned as he saw Yeon Dogyeong’s face smiling leisurely underwater. He didn’t have time to hold his breath, so his breathing was insufficient. Pushing away his shoulder, he came out of the water. Puha! Wiping his face, he grabbed the edge of the pond. When he planted his feet, the water came up to just below his chin. Yeon Dogyeong, who followed with his face out, stood behind Joo Seonghan whose chest was heaving.
“Were you surprised?”
“Of course I was surprised.”
Haha, Yeon Dogyeong laughed out loud. Joo Seonghan received the breath tickling his ear directly and ran his hand over his face to shake off the water droplets.
“Why do I want to tease you so much.”
At the mischievous words, he stupidly opened his mouth and looked back. He could see the angular shoulders directly. It seemed a bit close.
“Your nose is running.”
“……”
Sniff. Joo Seonghan sniffled and wiped under his nose. There was no sticky feeling. Pfft, Yeon Dogyeong’s snort touched his cheek.
“Just kidding.”
“…Team Leader Yeon.”
“Yes.”
Joo Seonghan raised his gaze that had been resting around Yeon Dogyeong’s neck area. He stared at him smiling freshly and opened his mouth.
“Thank you for saving me.”
The water droplet hanging at the tip of his chin fell. Once more. And twice more. Yeon Dogyeong, his smile fading, stretched out one arm and pressed it against the ground.
“You already thanked me earlier.”
If he stretched out just one more arm, Joo Seonghan would be trapped by him. However, Joo Seonghan neither moved his body away nor asked what he was doing.
“…Yes. But it felt a bit insufficient.”
“At this timing?”
What timing is this timing? The reason he couldn’t ask right away was because Joo Seonghan himself knew he was clumsy. He didn’t want to seem foolish by bringing up useless words, and his thoughts dragged on, making him close his mouth. Yeon Dogyeong, looking down at such a Joo Seonghan, turned his gaze away and wiped the water droplets from his chin with the back of his hand.
“Let’s wash up and eat something first.”
He turned his body. Going to the center of the not-so-wide pond, he went underwater. How much exercise had they done in a day? Joo Seonghan stirred the water while recalling Yeon Dogyeong’s body that had looked so solid it seemed hard. He took a breath and dove. He hugged his legs with his knees raised. As he sank, he looked up at the surface. The moonlight sparkled along the ripples. For a moment, he thought he saw a powerful python. Joo Seonghan covered his slightly hot face with both hands.
-TBC-
* * *
Squeak, clang. At the loud door sound, Han Jaejun’s snoring stopped. Kang Hyeonjoo, who glanced at him, put the gun he’d taken out into his chest and lay down next to Han Jaejun.
“What… Did you go out?”
Han Jaejun rubbed his eyes and asked. Kang Hyeonjoo answered, yes. Both Kang Hyeonjoo and Han Jaejun were the type who didn’t wake easily once they fell asleep. The moments when Han Jaejun woke up were usually when his snoring stopped, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, and Kang Hyeonjoo, who slept so deeply he wouldn’t know if someone carried him away, would only open his eyes when his body was shaken crazily to wake him up. In other words, right now with Park Gyujin standing night watch, the fact that Kang Hyeonjoo had gone out and come back meant he had stayed awake.
“Why. Bathroom?”
