/
As Seo Dawon answered, he reached his hand out. The crimson jewel slowly landed on his palm.
However, as soon as Seo Dawon received the jewel, Koo Hui-seo, who seemed fine earlier, suddenly began to stumble. Flinching, I approached him and tried to support his weight. But because Jung Garam didn’t let go, I couldn’t take another step.
“Don’t come here, Lee-kyung-ah.” Surprisingly, it was Seo Dawon who grabbed Koo Hui-seo’s arm. After stopping me, he lifted the gradually drooping Koo Hui-seo and allowed the guildmaster to lightly lean against him. As soon as it seemed like Koo Hui-seo was calmly held against his side, I suddenly heard the clothes swelling behind his back and something bursting out.
Following that, black string-like things began indiscriminately popping out from Koo Hui-seo’s back. It was as if a black firecracker had exploded from his body.
“I-Is he okay?” I asked.
“Choi Lee-kyung, back off.”
The servants obviously had little interest in Koo Hui-seo’s grave appearance. I was plenty worried that the other would die if the situation continued, but Jung Garam pulled me away, widening the distance between us and Koo Hui-seo.
Slither–
‘What is that…’
At that moment, the limp black strings suddenly made strange noises, wriggling on the floor before slowly rising up.
Because Koo Hui-seo still seemed unconscious, the strings felt like separate creatures with their own sentience. Furthermore, the strings slowly bent their heads and became hook-shaped; Seo Dawon, who had been supporting Koo Hui-seo all this while, began to bind the other’s arms together.
""
“W-What is that?”
“So, that’s why I’m saying to not get close. Sloppy people like you will get hunted.”
When I shouted in surprise, Jung Garam rebuked me–his tone seemed to ask if I now understood the reason for his strict hold.
‘…Then, isn’t Seo Dawon in a lot of danger?’
I looked towards Seo Dawon urgently, observing the strings that began to constrict his torso. However, whether or not Seo Dawon noticed my anxiety, the Mage calmly grabbed the guild master’s arm and dragged him onto the sofa.
Slitherrrr— Slither–
Even then, the black strings climbed up Seo Dawon’s torso, wriggling through his shirt collar and going through his sleeves. The strings suddenly became pliable, like fingers, and began to unbutton the Mage’s shirt, one by one.
‘….Mm?’
What? Why is it unbuttoning his shirt?
“Gah, why the buttons…!” Anger suddenly swelled within me, and I inadvertently shouted out. Seo Dawon glanced at me, chuckled a little, and soon, in one movement, tore off the strands that were annoyingly attached to his body.
Its durability must be worse than I had thought. Shortly after being ripped off, the black strings strands quickly fell to the ground, transformed into black smoke, and disappeared.
However, there were still a lot of black tentacles remaining from Koo Hui-seo’s back; the wriggling mass insidiously hovered near Seo Dawon.
Seeing that, Jung Garam poked me in the ribs, “Choi Lee-kyung, are you a fool? If you just left it alone, you would have had a chance to see hyung’s naked body.”
“No need, alright? I don’t want to see it in that manner…”
“You didn’t deny wanting to see him naked, though, huh?”
I pushed Jung Garam and his accurate read away. During that time, though, I met Woo Ragi’s contemptuous gaze. He looked as if he were seeing a pervert–there were no words to describe how unfair it felt when I saw his expression. Honestly, it’s not like I brought this topic up first…
While I was feeling unfairly wronged, Seo Dawon continued to be grabbed by the black strings. Seo Dawon wrinkled his forehead, as if he were annoyed, but ignored them and raised one hand above Koo Hui-seo’s chest.
As soon as he did that, the black strands covered Seo Dawon’s arm, as if the Mage had been snared in a trap; they began to tighten tightly. The force was such that I was worried the Mage’s arm would break, Seo Dawon simply uttered a skill. “[Purify].”
As golden light flowed from Seo Dawon’s palm, Koo Hui-seo’s blue lips gradually returned to its original pink. Even the guild master’s breathing, which was hard to hear before, could be heard.
I felt relieved–at a surface glance, it seemed as if Koo Hui-seo had recovered somewhat. The black strands continued to grasp Seo Dawon’s arms like an anaconda, strangling the breath from its prey.
“Do we have to cut those off?” Kim Olim asked.
“…Leave them alone for a moment. It’d be counterproductive to disturb him now.”
After watching quietly, Kim Olim asked her question while fiddling with the handle of the sword on her waist with one thumb, but Seo Dawon shook his head, turning his frustrated gaze upon her.
Soon, coughing, Koo Hui-seo woke up. “Hnngh…. Hm…?”
“Your tentacles. Sheathe them.”
“……”
However, even as Koo Hui-seo returned to his senses, he looked around with an expression that belied his confusion towards his situation–why he was slumped.
I had experienced the same in the hospital room recently, so I was sympathetic to his befuddlement, but… Seo Dawon suddenly slapped Koo Hui-seo’s cheeks. I gasped in shock, startled by the sudden violence.
Even though that slap may be to return him to consciousness…Was it okay to wake someone who had collapsed from anemia like that? His ruthless side–something I haven’t seen in a long time–made me uncomfortable.
However, Koo Hui-seo, the one that hit, blinked blankly without a word of protest, as if he was familiar with this sort of treatment. He slowly stood up; simultaneously, the tentacles holding onto Seo Dawon’s arm loosened, one by one.
When the tentacles completely released him, the Mage opened and clenched his fist; he walked a couple of steps away from Koo Hui-seo.
Slither–
The black strings, which looked a bit like electric wires when relaxed and stretched out, began crawling towards Koo Hui-seo’s back. Gradually, the strands became shorter until they disappeared behind him.
Looking at that sight, Jung Garam giggled, “It’s like he vacuumed up some electrical wires.”
“I-If you say that, it’s a bit…” Of course, I had similar thoughts…
In any case, I glanced at Koo Hui-seo’s slightly swollen cheek before going into my room, bringing out the cardigan I had been wearing. I carefully handed it to the guildmaster, who had been staring blankly at the ground. I was still concerned about the recently released black tentacles, but Seo Dawon didn’t stop me after seeing me move. Therefore, it didn’t seem dangerous.
""
Koo Hui-seo stared at the cardigan in my arms before looking up at my face.
“You should wear it.” I said.
“It’s cold…”
He’s cold? I checked over the guild master once more at his unexpected remark. I belatedly realized that one’s body temperature would be affected after being drained of a great amount of blood.
With an apologetic heart, I wrapped the cardigan around Koo Hui-seo and started walking towards the kitchen to bring him some warm water. Suddenly, something cold–like ice–touched my wrist.
Koo Hui-seo trembled and held my wrist. Simultaneously, Seo Dawon approached us, but I didn’t remove the guild master’s hand. Instead, I laid my hand atop his.
Koo Hui-seo’s attitude was quite strange though; though he was the one to first grab onto me, he flinched as if my hands were fire before looking at me in amazement. He opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, but eventually said nothing and placed more power behind his skinny fingers.
“Why don’t you drink some warm water? I’ll bring some for you.” I said.
“I’m…fine.”
“Aren’t you dizzy?” Even if Hui-seo-ssi had a peculiar constitution…this must have been difficult.”
“……” Koo Hui-seo blinked while staring at me. Was that his way of telling me that he was fine?
“Ha…” In front of us, Seo Dawon sighed deeply. Somehow I felt like he was sighing at me, but… the Mage said nothing in the end. I must have violated some unsaid conventions.
Koo Hui-seo held onto me for a long while, and, all at once, jumped up from his seat. Then, he released his hand that had become lukewarm.
“Are you okay now?”
“Yees…” Koo Hui-seo responded, his expression blank as usual.
‘He recovered so quickly?’ I was alarmed at his amazing recovery speed.
After answering, Koo Hui-seo looked at me for a long while; the cardigan I had dressed him in began ripping at the seams. Because I had no intention of getting it back from him anyway, I paid it no mind.
When I said nothing, Koo Hui-seo calmed his wringing hands. Then, he called out to me in a pleading voice, “Lee-kyung-ssi…”
“Yes.”
“You don’t…smell something strange from me…?” He asked, randomly. I immediately sniffed at the surroundings. The servants had previously told me that they smelled something bad from Koo Hui-seo, so I was a little curious…
However, this time as well, I couldn’t grasp a single bad stench–except for the slight scent of wood and grass, I smelled nothing. Rather, it was as if he had been scented with perfume…
Well, the servants wouldn’t point the smell out for no reason… I just assumed it was a scent I wouldn’t be able to perceive, and I wasn’t so concerned…
First, I replied honestly, “I don’t smell anything.”
“…Then, Lee-kyung-ssi can’t smell himself, right?”
""
“What?  Do I smell?”
“Yees…” Koo Hui-seo told me that he smelled something strange from me!
I didn’t expect to hear such a thing; flustered, I raised my arm to sniff at it. However, there was no odor except for the slight scent of sweat. ”I-Is it severe?”
“Well…? At times, it’s worse than now.”
What?
Koo Hui-seo spoke casually, but I was shocked. It was the first time I’ve heard I smelled.
Almost involuntarily, I looked towards the servants… When I locked gazes with Jung Garam, he opened his eyes innocently; Kim Olim closed hers and crossed her arms.
And Woo Ragi…
“You didn’t know?”
“……”
He completely blocked his nose while smirking at me.
Then, I looked up at Seo Dawon desperately. He stared back without avoiding my gaze.
“D-Does it really smell that bad?” I asked.
Even Seo Dawon, my last hope, crooked the corners of his lips and smiled. “Enough that it’s hard to endure.”
TL: I’ve got a theory that the ‘smell’ that comes from both Koo Hui-seo and Lee-kyung is actually the stench of death. Dunno if I’m right though.
Also, >.< The hamster can’t stop being nice. My heart~
I know I wouldn’t be so kind to Koo Hui-seo.