As the front door closed, Kang Yujun slumped to the floor and rubbed his face dry.
“…Haah.”
Even pressing his palms firmly against both eyes, the afterimage swirling in his mind wouldn’t easily fade. Every time he closed his eyes, he kept recalling that pale, pretty, strangely light pinkish naked sight.
It was when he was distracted trying to cool his face that felt like it would burst from the heat.
Buzz, buzz-.
The phone he’d tossed on the living room table vibrated briefly.
Kang Yujun checked the screen with vacant eyes. The caller ID showed the name ‘Choi Jaeyoung (1st Mobile Strike Force)’.
The moment he confirmed that name, Kang Yujun’s eyes instantly darkened.
“…Yeah, it’s me.”
―Guild Master. Reporting the results of yesterday’s Gate raid. And I also have something to tell you regarding Hyung-nim Kanghyun… no, Hunter Lee Kanghyun.
Choi Jaeyoung’s voice coming through the phone was sunken in gloom.
“Submit the report in writing. Just tell me why Lee Kanghyun appeared covered in blood on your back. Every single detail.”
―Yesterday in the second boss room we entered, there was thick poison fog. Normally, we would have had to form our battle formation and it would take three hours to take it down, but….
Choi Jaeyoung, unable to control his surging emotions, began explaining the situation while choking up.
―Hyung-nim Kanghyun suddenly told us to stop, then threatened that he’d kill us if we came in, slammed the door shut, and went in alone! Because he was worried we’d get hurt… To protect us, he played the villain and took all that deadly poison on himself.
“……”
―While enduring that horrific pain of his skin melting and regenerating with his bare body! Even while vomiting a whole bucketful of dark red blood, he tore the monster apart! And then, unable to bear the pain, he collapsed… sob, I know it was rude but I felt so sorry that I carried him on my back.
Kang Yujun’s brow furrowed fiercely as he listened to the report. Thick veins bulged on his large hand gripping the phone.
“…His skin melted?”
―Yes! What are we that he would sacrifice himself that much, really! Hyung-nim is such a foolish and great person! All our team members have resolved to serve Hyung-nim Kanghyun for life!
At Choi Jaeyoung’s naive words, Kang Yujun pressed firmly on his throbbing temple.
Those stupid bastards were shedding tears of emotion saying Lee Kanghyun had made a noble sacrifice for them, but Kang Yujun thought differently.
It was obvious why Lee Kanghyun had done such a crazy thing. Rather than hunting properly while coordinating with team members for three hours, he’d chosen to just rough up his own body and quickly catch the boss to go home.
Lee Kanghyun had even told him that he couldn’t feel pain. So he hadn’t collapsed unable to bear the pain—he’d clearly just sprawled on Choi Jaeyoung’s back because after vomiting blood, he found it too bothersome to walk.
“…I got it, so stop crying. Good work. Just make sure to check if any team members are hurt.”
Kang Yujun didn’t bother adding an explanation to shatter their fantasy. After all, it was a good thing that Lee Kanghyun had gained allies.
Beep, beep, beep-.
Even after the call ended, Kang Yujun remained frozen in place for a long while.
Just to get off work a bit early, Lee Kanghyun had recklessly abused his body again. Kang Yujun was insanely displeased by that fact. No matter that he couldn’t feel pain, that wasn’t right. If it had been an urgent situation where sacrifice was the only option, he’d reluctantly understand, but that wasn’t the case either.
He was someone who believed all humans had dignity. That’s why he hated so much that Lee Kanghyun was doing things that diminished his own dignity. He felt frustrated that if he kept treating his body like a tool, someday he’d come to see himself not as a human but as a convenient instrument.
“I’ll tear apart and fix all those rotten habits of yours, no matter what.”
Muttering quietly, Kang Yujun shot up from his spot.
He had something he needed to do right away.
***
The next morning, in front of the communal entrance on the first floor of the apartment.
“Ah, I’m so sleepy….”
Lee Kanghyun furrowed his brow irritably as he faced the cool morning air.
Waking up early in the morning was always a terrible, exhausting, shitty thing. Moreover, it was getting colder and sunrise was getting later. The fact that he had to crawl out to work when the sun hadn’t even risen made him deeply depressed.
With both hands stuffed deep in his loose hoodie pockets, he stared at the road with unfocused, half-dead eyes. It was about time for the car to pick him up.
Honestly, the 1st Mobile Strike Force guys were too loud and over-the-top, but the one thing he really liked was being comfortably driven right to the Gate entrance. Of course, every time he got in the car, the sight of them bowing deeply at 90 degrees saying “Hunter-nim, please get in!” was so burdensome he could die.
As Lee Kanghyun waited, he suddenly became anxious. They were already annoying bastards to begin with, but now that they’d mistaken him for some hero with great sacrificial spirit, how crazy would they act?
He wondered if he should text them not to come after all and just take a taxi alone.
But once he entered the Gate anyway, he had to face those guys. When his thoughts reached that point, his head throbbed. He already felt his energy being drained. Lee Kanghyun, who was already deeply depressed from waking up early, now began to wilt completely.
Grab-!
“……!”
Just then. Someone’s thick, firm arms wrapped around Lee Kanghyun’s neck and shoulders from behind in an embrace.
“Lee Kanghyun! Good morning!”
It was Kang Yujun, as expected. His voice was bright and cheerful, as if something made him so happy.
Does this guy enjoy going to work… How is that possible? He’s definitely a pervert.
Lee Kanghyun didn’t react at all. He just hung there limply. Because reacting was too bothersome and exhausting.
Normally, Lee Kanghyun would have panicked at this point and struggled, shouting “You crazy bastard, let go!” while jabbing an elbow into his solar plexus. Kang Yujun was also grinning mischievously, expecting that fierce and irritable resistance.
But when Lee Kanghyun did nothing and just stayed still with his neck being strangled, it was Kang Yujun who became flustered instead.
“Huh?”
Kang Yujun quietly released his arms, stepped back one step, and went in front of Lee Kanghyun.
He was shocked when he faced Lee Kanghyun’s face. His under-eyes were sunken, his complexion was pale, and he had a terribly depressed, half-dead expression as if he’d heard news that the world was about to end.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Why does your complexion look like shit? Are you sick somewhere?”
Kang Yujun grabbed Lee Kanghyun’s shoulders with an instantly serious face and examined him. He looked ready to hoist him up and run to some emergency room right away.
Lee Kanghyun stared at Kang Yujun with unfocused, empty eyes. Then, barely moving his lips, he mumbled in a voice as if his soul was leaving.
“…I don’t want to go to work.”
“Huh? What?”
“I said I don’t want to work…. Everything’s just bothersome. I want to lie in bed….”
“……”
As soon as he heard those words, Kang Yujun let out an incredulous laugh.
How could I forget this? Lee Kanghyun was originally this kind of guy. The guy who whined every three seconds about not wanting to work.
He felt pathetic for forgetting what kind of person he was just because they hadn’t been together for a bit.
Kang Yujun looked down at Lee Kanghyun with coldly sunken eyes.
“Yeah. No. You have to go to work. Stay still. Hyung will take you.”
“What hyung? You and I are the same age, you know?”
“I was born in January. You were born in October. There’s a whole nine months difference, where do you get off trying to be equals?”
Lee Kanghyun’s mouth fell open in absurdity. Was he really bragging about months like an elementary school student?
Kang Yujun dragged the limp Lee Kanghyun as is and stuffed him into the passenger seat of his car parked nearby.
Click.
Then he skillfully fastened the seatbelt for Lee Kanghyun and started the car.
It was only after the car had been running for quite a while that Lee Kanghyun belatedly noticed something.
Come to think of it, it was strange.
Why is Kang Yujun taking me instead of the 1st Mobile Strike Force guys?
He whirled his head around to look at Kang Yujun, who was casually holding the steering wheel with one hand.
“But Kang Yujun. Why did you come? What about the guys?”
“You sure ask slowly. How long has it been since you were kidnapped and you’re only asking now? If you keep spacing out so defenseless like that, bad guys could carry you off whole and you wouldn’t even know. Sheesh.”
Kang Yujun clicked his tongue lightly in reproach.
Lee Kanghyun’s face scrunched up sharply. What bad guys? There was no way anyone in the world would have the guts to try kidnapping him, an S-rank. He asked again irritably.
“Cut the crap. Isn’t it normal for those guys to come pick me up? Where’d they go?”
At Lee Kanghyun’s pressing, Kang Yujun answered in a very nonchalant and shameless voice while staring straight ahead.
“Ah, those guys? I sent them somewhere else. They’ll do fine on their own. From today, your partner is me.”
“…What?”
“How can I leave you to those naive fanatic guys? I have to supervise you directly with my own two eyes.”
“Hey, there are so many Gates we need to clear right now—does it make sense for two S-ranks to enter one Gate? This is a waste of manpower.”
“Doesn’t matter. There aren’t many Gates opening for the next few days anyway. When it gets busy, we can split up again. Today we’re working together for now.”
At Kang Yujun’s firm attitude, Lee Kanghyun couldn’t help but sigh.
So that’s how you’re going to play it?
Fine, let’s see who wins.
Lee Kanghyun resolved. He’d show him what a proper deadweight was.
Brace yourself, Kang Yujun. I’ll cling to you until you get sick of me.
