“You just need to hold my hand. Then I’ll stay quiet and leave when dawn breaks.”
“……You crazy bastard.”
“Hurry. I’m on the verge of collapsing from dizziness.”
Sung Yohan’s face was still pale. It wasn’t a lie. Even though he was close to Igyeol, since he couldn’t make contact, the Holy Power with nowhere to go was tearing up his insides.
A silence like a cold wind sweeping through the health clinic descended. The Sanctum Guild members, as well as Hyungil and Yeongwon, all swallowed their dry saliva and watched the two men.
“……Ha.”
Igyeol hesitated. The moment he held that hand, it would be no different from crossing an irreversible river. More than anything, if he held that hand, he would also suffer pain. Absorbing Holy Power ‘still’ hurt. It healed his body, but still.
But there was no justification to refuse. More than anything, if the number one ranker collapsed right before his eyes, the aftermath would be entirely his responsibility.
“……Really just holding hands. If you try anything else, I’ll break your wrist.”
Igyeol grumbled and placed his hand on Sung Yohan’s palm. Sung Yohan’s hand gripped Igyeol’s hand tightly as if he’d been waiting.
“Haah….”
As soon as they held hands, a deep sigh flowed from Sung Yohan’s mouth.
Whoooosh-
Hot energy rushed in like a tide through their touching skin. The excessive Holy Power that had been gnawing at Sung Yohan’s body poured in, finding an outlet called Igyeol.
At the same time, Igyeol’s heartbeat quickened. The ‘fragment’ embedded in his body vibrated with a humming sound. Pain and pleasure. Two contradictory sensations climbed up his spine.
“…Urk.”
Igyeol flinched and trembled, anticipating the pain from the past and tried to let go, but Sung Yohan noticed and held on even tighter, pulling him forcefully toward himself. Igyeol’s body swayed and was dragged forward right in front of Sung Yohan.
“Haah… Now I’m… a bit better.”
Sung Yohan, gripping tightly as if to crush his hand, raised his head to look up at Igyeol. His brow that had been furrowed in pain smoothed out, and color rose to his pale face. His jet-black eyes sparkled very brightly as they looked at Igyeol. Igyeol bit his lips tightly.
“…I’m… not yet, okay.”
Igyeol muttered quietly. The sensation he was feeling now somehow felt a bit different from before. Holy Power burning away the Demonic Energy spread throughout his body through his blood vessels. Languidness and haziness. Unlike the reckless pouring from before, this was slow, tingling as it spread….
The way it tickled his spine so strangely felt too weird, so Igyeol closed his eyes, tilted his head in confusion, and opened them. The moment his eyes met Sung Yohan’s. He flinched.
Jet-black eyes. A face staring intently.
That face contained such blatant possessiveness that Igyeol stopped breathing. It felt like… he’d gotten caught in something wrong.
***
8 PM. Darkness had settled outside the health clinic, but the standoff inside the shop showed no signs of ending.
“Hyung… should we really stay upstairs on the second floor?”
Hyungwon peeked his head out from in front of the stairs leading to the second floor. Behind him, Yeongwon was looking at the two men with worried eyes.
“Yeah. Don’t come out. You’ll die if you come down.”
“But… the atmosphere is kind of… strange-“
“Kim Hyungil.”
“Yes sir.”
When Igyeol glared, Hyungil quickly threw his arm over Yeongwon’s shoulder and hurried up to the second floor. Igyeol let out a deep sigh. Don’t get excited. Getting excited means losing. He’d already shown everything worth showing and not worth showing, spreading rumors throughout the neighborhood. He’d even shown himself holding hands with this perfectly fine-looking man, so that was that. He was all married off (?right though?).
“Now that it’s done, why don’t you leave?”
Igyeol said while shaking off his hand. Igyeol flinched at the words that came out more sharply than expected, but Sung Yohan sat on the sofa nonchalantly, leaning back comfortably against the backrest, tilting his head crookedly and asking back.
“What’s done?”
“……Hey.”
“The treatment isn’t finished yet.”
“You said I just needed to hold your hand, you bastard!”
“Isn’t that lacking too much sincerity, sincerity.”
Igyeol let out an incredulous laugh.
“Hey man, if I held it for over 5 minutes, that’s plenty of showing sincerity, are you a gangster?”
“Showing sincerity? This is just testing the waters.”
“Wow, look at this guy talking. Testing the waters? What am I, some kind of fortune teller?”
While Igyeol huffed and waved his arms around, outside the health clinic, the Maybach and escort vehicles were leaving one by one. Sung Yohan had sent them all away with a single gesture.
“The guild members are all leaving! Aren’t you going!”
“I’m not going.”
“Get out so I can close the shop!”
Igyeol screamed. Sung Yohan looked at Igyeol with slightly hurt eyes. For a moment, Igyeol felt a pang in his chest and frowned even more. No, this bastard, if he attacks with that kind of face, who does he think will fall for it right now!
“Didn’t I say there’s debt remaining.”
“Debt? Hey, honestly speaking frankly, what do I owe you? I did throw you, but thanks to that you caught the boss and got the item too!”
Igyeol pointed accusingly.
“I saw on Huntranet and it was a total uproar. You got some black pearl or whatever! That’s S-rank! It’s worth tens of billions!”
“It’s the Abyss Black Pearl.”
“Right! That! If you got that, that’s enough, what more do you want! What do you have to squeeze out of me!”
Sung Yohan took out a fist-sized black orb from his pocket. It was the brilliantly shining ‘Abyss Black Pearl.’
“Want me to give it to you?”
“……Huh?”
Igyeol’s eyes wavered. 1 billion… no, an S-rank item that might go even higher at auction was sparkling right before his eyes. With just that one thing, he could not only remodel the health clinic but also buy the building next door and live lavishly.
‘No, no. I can’t fall for it. That’s bait. A poisoned apple.’
Igyeol desperately shook his head.
“No, no! Never mind! I won’t take it! Am I a beggar? Are you trying to buy me off with money?”
“Not quite a beggar… but you don’t look well-off.”
Sung Yohan said while scanning the worn wallpaper and creaky chairs inside the health clinic. It was an obvious fact. There was nothing to say. Igyeol tried to close his mouth but felt like he’d lose and shouted.
“Ah, whatever! You leave quickly. This is my territory. What’s the Sanctum Guild Leader doing, in someone else’s business?”
“I can’t go.”
Sung Yohan leaned deeply into the backrest. His face was still pale, and cold sweat was beading on his forehead.
“I think I’ll collapse if I stand up now.”
“Don’t exaggerate. You look fine.”
“I’m not fine. Just… if you’d just give me your hand.”
“Stop trying to work me. You keep doing this since earlier-“
“I’m not asking for anything else. Did I ask for your whole body?”
Sung Yohan’s languid voice echoed in the narrow health clinic. Igyeol gaped with his mouth open.
“What? Body… what?”
“It’s not like I’m asking to sleep together, I’m just asking to hold hands. Is that so difficult?”
“……You, you’re talking really fucking weird?”
Igyeol looked at Sung Yohan as if astounded. Sung Yohan let out a small sigh with a languid face.
“What’s weird about it.”
“No, it’s fucking weird. The nuance! Anyone who hears it will misunderstand!”
“What’s there to misunderstand. It’s a fact.”
Sung Yohan shamelessly held out his hand.
“Stop talking nonsense and just give me your hand. I’m dizzy.”
Igyeol grabbed the back of his neck. Should he call the police to get this person out, or knock him out with a club and throw him out. But it was true that Sung Yohan’s condition was not ordinary. His fingertips were trembling.
“Ha… Really.”
Igyeol let out a deep sigh, pressed his forehead, and eventually headed to the kitchen as if he had no choice. Since it had come to this, he had no choice but to pull out his secret weapon.
“Wait. I’ll go mix some honey water.”
“Honey water?”
“Yeah. Our house’s special honey water. If you drink that, you’ll feel better, so drink it and get lost. Please.”
Sung Yohan narrowed his eyes and watched Igyeol disappear into the kitchen. He thought he might leave him there and go, but rustling sounds could be heard. Igyeol took out a large golden jar, scooped out generous amounts of fragrant sweet-smelling honey with a spoon, and dissolved it in warm water. This was special honey left by Grandma Oksoon, one of the things even Igyeol saved to use sparingly.
“Ah damn, what a waste….”
Even while grumbling, Igyeol carefully mixed the honey water. A sweet fragrance rose up.
