He heard a cell phone ringing from the other side of his consciousness. Yugeon groped for his bedside. Except for Shinje, there was no one who would contact him, so he had even forgotten he had one for the past few days, but fortunately, the battery didn't seem to have died out yet.
"Hello."
He was taken aback at his own terribly hoarse voice. Thanks to a good night's sleep without even a single dream, the fatigue that had accumulated over several days had been relieved to some extent. What did he do before he fell asleep? Looking back, his memory was blotchy at best.
- Were you sleeping? Your voice is cute. It's been raining since dawn, wasn't the thunder scary?
A muffled voice came through the speaker. A shiver ran down his spine as if a feather was tickling the back of his neck. Yugeon sat up, his cell phone stuck in his ear, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. He could still hear the rain pouring outside the window. However, the momentum had noticeably subsided compared to dawn.
"There's nothing to be afraid of."
- Really?
"There was barely even thunder....."
- My guide is so mature that I feel a bit sad sometimes. I was going to come running and hug you if you said you were scared.
"It's not necessary."
- Too cold.
His tone was too tender and carefree for someone who had been basically ignoring Yugeon for the last few days. Yugeon felt a slight regret later on. He answered that phone without much thought because he was half-asleep, but he wouldn't have answered it if he had known it was Shinje's call.
Since that day, Yugeon had had a harder time than anyone else. It wasn't just difficult. It was terribly awkward, uncomfortable and hateful. He was fine being assaulted and raped as many times as he wanted, he just didn't want him to look into his eyes or whisper in his ears like lovers would do. He'd rather just be treated like an object.
"What can I do for you?"
- If I don't have business, can't I even call you?
"If you don't have any business, I'll hang up."
- .....
A small rustling sound was heard over the speaker. He hated that he could already imagine Shinje's gray eyes slightly drooping and smiling as if he was embarrassed.
- I'll be back today.
"Ah....."
His heart skipped a beat. Was he anxious, nervous, or was it entirely a different emotion?
- Heesu and Chan will arrive earlier than me. I still have some work left to finish, so I'll be a little late. Will you be waiting for me?
Yugeon swallowed his dry saliva as he swept through his hair that had become something like a magpie house. His mouth and throat were dry as if they were going to rip.
- I left Taein-ssi in charge to take care of you, ‘cause I thought you'd be lonely if you were left alone. How was it? Did you two have fun?
"...."
Yugeon skipped a breath. Taein. The memories from last dawn came flooding in like a tide. His stomach felt nauseous, and his head felt like it was about to explode.
He even remembered falling asleep in the bed soaked with Taein's scent. But before he knew it, Yugeon was back in his own room. The body that was supposed to be sticky with body fluid was clean. His shirt stained with dirt and sweat after tumbling down from the running treadmill and after spilling that glass of whiskey had also been changed.
If he told Shinje that he slept with Taein at a rainy dawn when he didn't come back..... how would Shinje react then? A strange impulse sprang up from his heart without any reason.
- Why is there no answer? What did you two do?
The question that followed sounded a little colder than before.
"Why are you even asking? You haven't been paying attention to me lately. Why bother wondering about whether I'm dead or alive, or whatever I do with other people?"
Only after spitting out the bitter words, Yugeon immediately regretted it. He sounded like a little child whining for attention. Didn't he promise himself not to get caught up in that man's pace and not let him play with his emotions anymore..... but it ended up like this again.
- I'm jealous. I thought I'd kill him if he touched Guide Baek Yugeon.
"....."
- Ah... It's just a joke. Still, please smile at least once.
Yugeon bit his lower lip gently. As the silence stretched between them, Shinje continued with a smile in his voice.
- Our Yugeon-ie must have been really upset with me. I've left you alone too long, haven't I? I'll be there as soon as possible. I have something to tell you about your brother.
"My brother? What are you talking about?"
- I have good news and bad news.
Yugeon tightened his hand holding the cell phone. He held his breath and listened, in case he missed even a single syllable of Shinje's words. Shinje burst out a small laugh as if he had seen Yugeon in person.
- ......I'll tell you later.
The call was soon cut off, leaving only a brief goodbye. Yugeon grabbed his phone and jumped out of his bed. He nervously walked back and forth in the dark room without even remembering to turn the lights on, and threw his phone back onto the bed. He was told that there was something to say about his brother. There was no way he'd be able to go back to sleep again. In addition, the hangover from the alcohol he drank this morning had started to overlap with the headache. His head was throbbing as if about to explode.
He said good news and bad news. Did he finally find a way to get Almuten's attention away from his brother? Or was he saying that he'd let him visit the hospital again soon? Then what was the bad news..... Yugeon stood still blankly like a statue in the darkness surrounded by the sound of rain. It somehow became harder to breathe. Blood pounded in his ears. He clenched his teeth and ruffled his hair.
"Heug, haa....."
It was as if the terrible nightmares he had had over the past few days had taken form in reality. They were once again gnawing at his mind. He felt like he was going crazy.
He pulled off the clothes that Taein had changed for him and headed to the shower. Anywhere was fine, he had to kill time outside. Until Shinje returned.
After roughly washing his body and drying his hair, Yugeon sighed when he caught sight of his body in front of the bathroom mirror. His whole body looked like it had been attacked by a beast. His arms and thighs had purple bruises from that fall, and his lips were slightly red and swollen. His nape spotted bitemarks and red marks. What was even worse was that there was even a handprint on his buttocks.
If he wore short sleeves outside, everyone would know what he did last night. That would do nothing but generate more gossip. Even if it wasn't, Erewhon Hunters had never looked at him well, and he didn't want to gather more hatred from them. After a short deliberation, he pulled out a thin long-sleeved T-shirt and put it on.
He went down to the lobby. The first thing he noticed was the rainwater sliding down the large glass windows. Beyond that, a gloomy urban landscape amidst the pouring rain spread out. There were fewer people in the lobby than usual. Was it because of the rain, or was it because of the recent turbulence in the Hunter industry as a whole? The cool air from the air conditioning circulating through the entire building might not be the only reason for the chilly atmosphere.
At dawn, he ate only a few pieces of crackers with jam as a snack and mainly gulped down the liquor. Then he fell asleep like he fainted and slept all morning, skipping breakfast altogether. His stomach kept rambling like there was an earthquake inside. Do they even sell hangover soup or porridge in the cafeteria? He didn't know. It would be nice if there was a convenience store or a small supermarket in the building. Erewhon headquarters building was already a luxurious building that Yugeon wouldn't have even dared to look at carefully back when he was someone that had nothing to do with this place, there was no way a commoner store would be here.
Yugeon opened the cafeteria door, kneading his forehead that was banging from the inside. As soon as he entered, pin drop silence immediately buried the entire room. He sensed that something strange had happened even though he was busy shaking off his hangover. He looked around. The people sitting at the tables here and there had shut their mouths all at once. They all had strange expressions on their faces, as if they didn't know what to say or what to do, glancing at Yugeon and then inconspicuously to the other place.
He had somehow gotten used to seeing the others' gazes filled with hostility after a few months staying here. For a moment, he wondered if they wanted the parachute guide to leave this place. But that wasn't it. What in their eyes was not hostility, but rather embarrassment..... embarrassment?
Yugeon turned his head, following along where the people were looking. And found it. A black cat had occupied a window seat, and even a half-eaten homemade burger and drinks were placed in front of the cat. As if the cat was sitting in the chair and eating those foods like a human being.
"Nyaang."
The cat cried out and looked around the spacious room with its bright yellow eyes. Everywhere the cat's gaze passed, people froze stiff and immediately looked down at the floor. It was as if he had just threatened everyone to shut up and lower their eyes.
"....."
What the hell is going on here? Yugeon gave up trying to make sense of it. He decided to walk over to the cat's seat for now. As the distance between them narrowed, the cat stiffened its back and raised its fur, already on alert.
"No matter how hungry you are, you can't just eat everything you see."
Yugeon pulled the tray on the table towards him. The vertical pupils of the cat's yellow eyes instantly widened. Why are you trying to take away the food? Are you going to eat the leftovers? Stingy bastard. Why are you trying to steal other people's meals when you have your own guide's paycheck? The cat growled, revealing its fangs.
The others around them also looked shocked. That cat, no, doesn't he know who he is? It was something they couldn't even hope to get an answer to. Yugeon's behavior that immediately followed after that was even more unexpected. He blocked the front of the hamburger with one hand to keep the cat from touching it, and with the other, he rummaged through his pockets and pulled out his cellphone.
"Can, cats, eat... ham, bur... ger. What... cats... eat......."
Yugeon frowned and muttered, and began typing in search terms. It was hard to type with only one hand, so he struggled for a long time. It was frustrating to watch. It would have been ten times faster than that even if he typed with his cat paws. That little shit Kwon Heesu lived with his phone all day, you wouldn't even see his thumbs when typing. Why is this guy in front of him like this when they don't even have much age gap?
Yugeon looked at the search results carefully. He was as slow in reading as he was typing. He even read the miscellaneous texts that could be easily passed over with a serious expression.
"No."
At last, Yugeon came to a conclusion.
"This is confiscated."
"....."
"You are tiny but you want to eat human food? You can't even eat this." [1]
The cat froze in place at the ridiculousness of the situation. He stared blankly at his hamburger set he had been eating tossed away mercilessly into the trash can. It was too late when he came to his senses. Who the hell is tiny? I can carry you around all day with one arm. Eating a whole chicken wouldn't even be enough for him.
"Kyaang!"
The angry cat kicked off the chair and rushed at him with all his might. He raised his claws and clung to his T-shirt. It was unusually large for a cat, so he weighed quite a lot. Yugeon's upper body wobbled.
"Ugh."
The thin fabric was caught in the claws and tugged, revealing the skin beneath the collarbone. Traces carved in red were caught by the cat's keen eye. Woo Shinje had been away for quite some time, and Kwon Heesu and himself had just returned. Who made those marks? The moment realized it, he lost strength in his paws.
But now that the claw marks were added to the spot, he could complain no longer. Yugeon frowned and lightly pressed the spot with his palm where he was scratched.
"....."
"....."
The cat landed quietly. The tail which had been standing upright, with puffy fur, slid down. A tacit ceasefire agreement was reached between the two.
After a while, Yugeon flopped into the chair with his own tray. The cat's sharp gaze followed his movements. When he got the food and came back, he noticed a few people in the cafeteria had disappeared. Did someone scare them off while he was getting his food?
From the menu, he ordered a stew that looked like it might relieve his stomach. And one piece of chicken breast meat for the cat. He asked the boss not to add any seasoning for its portion. The boss, who was indebted to Yugeon, smiled and happily accepted his request, saying ‘It's a request from our baby, of course, I have to do it!’. He wondered which part of him looked like a baby in the eyes of the old boss. He was often told that he looked too unfriendly and dull to be around. But never that he looked like a baby. He couldn't understand it no matter how much he thought it over.
"Here. This is yours. Eat something like this instead of a hamburger."
He pushed a plate full of chicken breast in front of the cat. The black feline looked down dissatisfyingly at the colorless piece of meat that didn't look like it had either pepper or salt sprinkled on. Then begrudgingly raised his front paws with sharp claws out and tapped at it.
Chan also had his own reasons. It was the first time he faced Yugeon properly since he went out to watch the football match with him and suffered a disgrace.
Yes, he graciously decided to admit it. He was at fault at the time. Apart from picking a fight with that son of a bitch Woo Shinje, the whole thing was all his fault. He was blinded by the thought of having the guide to himself all alone, and the screws went missing. That guy who was stiff and awkward in everything got soft and squishy cute just with a little bit of alcohol, how could he not mess around with him a little?
After rescuing the kidnapped Yugeon, he promised himself to apologize to him or have a conversation about anything. However, in Mazzaroth, Yugeon's condition was so bad that he could only ask if he was okay. After that, they continued to miss each other. By the time he was about to forget after getting assigned missions after missions, Yugeon suddenly appeared in front of him. Without any notice, not given any mental preparation at all. Chan was very flustered. There was no time for reason to intervene. When he came to his senses, he had already turned into a cat.
Yugeon gazed out of the windows, scooping up the stew. Rainwater ran down the glass surface without stopping. His heart weighed down as much as the damp achromatic landscape.
There was an outside world beyond a single piece of glass, but he couldn't go out. His only flesh and blood left in this world was hounded by the enemy, but since he didn't have the ability to fight, even revenge had to be borrowed from others. He felt as if surrounded by cliffs and blades from all sides. At the very least, there was a little beast in front of him who he could relax with even if it couldn't say a word.
"You know, you... you look like someone I know."
Yugeon, staring blankly at the rain outside, murmured to himself. The cat, who had finally left the chicken breast alone, licking his front paw, stopped his movements. Then, suddenly, he rammed his head hard on the chicken breast and started chewing enthusiastically. Like someone who was caught off guard, pricked by a nail on the head.
"No, come to think of it, you two don't really look alike. That person is a tiger, not a cat. And he always looks at me like he can't wait to bite my throat out, but you don't."
Yugeon's expression was light. He said so, but it didn't mean he had any particular resentment or ill-will towards Chan. After all, most of the people here didn't like Yugeon. Chan was just one of them.
"Sometimes I wonder. Will I be able to save my brother? I won't probably come back out alive when I enter Mazzaroth the second time. Funny. To think that I'm scared to die now."
Yugeon continued to ramble about what came to his mind. Exposing his weak and selfish inner heart that he could hardly tell anyone.
"That's what I think. Even if I live and fulfill the contract..... I can never go back to my old life."
A slight sense of shame sank in as he continued to talk. What was the point of whining to a cat? Yugeon lifted the spoon with a bitter smile. The cat, who had somehow quickly finished a chunk of chicken breast, licking its mouth with its spiky tongue, raised its head. It had an unreadable expression on its face, characteristic of a beast. The cat then shrank back a little as if to gauge the distance, and quickly jumped onto Yugeon's shoulder.
"Go away."
Yugeon tried to pull the cat off. But the cat was persistent. Later, he even properly took a seat at the back of Yugeon's neck and curled his entire body around him like a fur scarf.
"Hey."
There was a warm, heavy weight on his shoulder. On top of that, a black tail covered with soft fur kept fluttering and tickling the tender flesh around his neck. Yugeon frowned.
"Get away from me. Um, wait, stop."
It was then that an unexpected reaction burst out.
"Ah, haha..... haha, ahahaha!"
No longer able to bear the tickling, Yugeon crouched his shoulders and burst into laughter. A shallow dimple was cut on the corner of his mouth, and his almond shaped eyes curved.
"I told you to stop."
He pushed the cat away and rubbed his nape with the back of his hand. His voice was soft and relaxed from laughing. Even his pale cheeks had turned red.
"....."
The cat froze in place as if it saw a strange sight. All the fur on its whole body stood up stiff, and its black pupils dilated to the fullest that the yellow iris were almost invisible. The cat, who had been silent for a while, suddenly jumped off the table. Swiftly, as if there was a fire to tend to. Then darted across the cafeteria floor like an arrow.
"Ah..."
There was no time to react. When he came to his senses, the cat had already disappeared. Yugeon sighed softly. Still, it ate all the meat, so it was fine.
His cell phone, which had looked like it was about to run out of battery since he came down, was finally dead after the Internet search earlier. It lasted well considering he hadn't charged it for the last few days. He should charge it up a bit so that he could get a call from Shinje immediately at any time. The words that there was good news and bad news kept ringing in his head.
He went back up to the room to find the charger that was plugged into the outlet next to his bed. He walked straight down the hallway and opened the door without much thought. Of course, there was someone in the space he thought no one would be there.
"Yugeon hyung. You back?"
Heesu, who he found leaning against the wall and fiddling with his phone, looked up. He must have come straight from the outside as he was still in his uniform. The achromatic uniform under the tight harness complemented his youthful face.
"I thought it's been a while since I last saw hyung, so I came here to hang out with you as soon as the mission was over, but your phone was off, and you weren't in the room, so I was even wondering if I was being stood up."
His friendly, chattering face was like a mask. It was oddly repulsive. Even though it was Yugeon's room, he didn't even bother stopping at the door and instead, came straight in.
"Anyway, hyung..... I was going to leave a note because I had no way to contact you, and I found this."
Heesu turned towards Yugeon with a smile on his face. He was holding something between his index and middle fingers. A small rectangular piece of paper. It was a business card. The one that Yugeon hid between a memo pad in the drawer.
"What is this?"
He flicked the business card in his hand. Seulbi's name and contact information engraved on the stiff paper was clear. A cold shiver ran down his spine. It had been a while since he hid it, so he had forgotten that he even received the business card.
"If there's something interesting like this, you should have told me too. Why did you hide it so discreetly? Like if you get caught, you'll be in trouble?"
"That's..."
It's nothing, I just received it. He tried to make up a plausible excuse. If it wasn't for Heesu's words that came after.
"Hyung doesn't have a business card, so you must have received it from this person unilaterally, and seeing that you even hid it like this, you haven't contacted her yet, have you? Anyway, so..... I was curious as to why hyung had a business card from another Order's guide, so I played around a little bit."
Heesu stepped forward swiftly. Yugeon recoiled reflexively. Heesu flipped his phone screen that he had been fiddling with before and showed it to Yugeon. The Messages app was on.
[Hello, I'm contacting you after looking at your business card. This is Guide Baek Yugeon from Erewhon.]
It was a message written under the guise of Yugeon. Below it, a reply was floating inside a square shaped speech bubble. The reply seemed to have come immediately after the message was sent.
[Hello, Yugeon-ssi! This is Lee Seulbi. I've been waiting for you to call. I'm glad you took the courage to reach me out.]
There were even two more replies in a row. Seulbi's surprise and joy were fully conveyed. The content of the second message was.....
[Have you finally decided to run away from those crazy people?]
Tug. By the time he got to read that sentence, the phone screen was turned off. Yugeon clenched his teeth. He would have thrown away the business card sooner if he knew this would happen, but it was already spilled water.
"You're doing all sorts of things."
Heesu whispered with a smile on his face.
"I guess I've been letting hyung off the hook a lot these days."
There was a little surprise in Yugeon's eyes. However, there was no sign of bewilderment like a person falsely accused. So, he did recognize the meaning of that message. Heesu didn't know how close the guide from the other Order and Yugeon was, but at least it was certain that they did meet somewhere he didn't know and talked about escape. Heesu, who had a broad smile on his face all this while, twisted his lips.
"Why..... why does everything I started to take care of genuinely get ruined quickly?"
He came a step closer. Yugeon stepped back that much.
"I really didn't want to lose this guide, so I didn't chop off his limbs, cut out the skin, didn't mess around with the brain, and took good care of it. I even used it sparingly because I was afraid it would dry out quickly if I played with it too often. I also gave it a lot of delicious food. Why? Why?"
His voice, which had been muttering under his breath pitifully like a wounded child, gradually devolved into madness induced mumbles.
"Really, I shouldn't have allowed you to be this lax. If I knew you would be tangled with this kind of worm, I would have pulled out at least an eye earlier....."
"Kwon Heesu."
"Yugeon hyung."
"....."
"If you like that guide, Seulbi, or whatever, do you want me to bring her to Erewhon? If that person comes here, Yugeon hyung won't need to work this hard trying to run away."
"Stop talking nonsense and listen."
"You're lonely because you're the only guide here, right? So, I'll let the guide stay with you. Then that's fine, right?"
"Shut up!"
"I'll allow that person to stay beside you when you are guiding. You can even fuck her. Until now, hyung has never used your dick, right? I heard you and your brother just hugged over clothes. What a waste. I think you should take this opportunity to lose that V card in that front....."
He could no longer just stand there and listen to this. His body moved before he could think things through. Yugeon grabbed Heesu by the collar and punched him straight in the face. Puck! Heesu's head turned sideways sharp. The anger didn't immediately dissipate. Even though he put all his strength into that punch, there was not even a tiny scratch on Heesu's face, showing their drastic difference in physical abilities.
"Ah."
However, Heesu was frozen in place with his lips open as if he had been hit by a huge rock.
"Ah, ah..."
Heesu groaned like a broken machine. He gently felt the flesh in his mouth with his tongue, turned his head crookedly, and looked Yugeon in his eyes again.
"Hyung, I think I'm hard."
A smile filled with bliss slowly appeared on his lips, and a soft blush spread across his cheeks. His milk chocolate-colored eyes glistened with ecstasy.
"Wow... that punch felt good."
It was a reaction a far cry from normal. He was appalled. Yugeon struggled to keep his face blank and only looked straight ahead. He didn't want to know what kind of change was happening to Heesu's lower body.
"Hyung. Which one will be faster? Running to someone else or getting caught by me? Try to guess. Fifty-fifty? I won't use my skill. So let's have fun. If you don't get it right, the penalty is..... um. Pulling out all your nails? So you can no longer exchange messages with that worm?"
Heesu burst out laughing as if he was about to die of fun. A refreshing laughter filled the empty room unfitting of the atmosphere.
"Ah, hyung. Seriously. Did I say I'm going to kill hyung? I just said we are going to play a game. Why are you so scared? Do you even know how cute hyung's face is looking right now? Ah, I'm going to burst a load standing here right now at this rate."
Timing Heesu's words with one ear, Yugeon suddenly turned around and ran. Heesu's laughter rose even higher behind his back. Not knowing where to go, he ran blindly down the hallway. There was no time to check if Heesu was following him from behind.
He knew the truth. There was no hope for him even if he ran all day. Heesu could easily catch up to him if he wanted to, even without using any of his abilities. Besides, there was a bigger problem at hand other than that. Yugeon was not allowed to leave this building. He would only end up running around in the building no matter what, and even if Heesu changed his mind and let him go, this was the only place he would end up in the end. He was already out of breath, cold sweat dripping down his chin. Sticky despair clung to the soles of his shoes with every step he took.
"Are you giving up already? You said you wanted to run away from crazy people. Didn't you want to get out of here at all costs? Isn't that why you brought in an outsider?"
Heesu shouted cheerfully from behind. There was only a few meters between them. Fine soft hair at the back of his neck stood up at the terror sinking to this bones.
"Ah, heug....."
Yugeon squeezed out his remaining strength and turned around the corner. He saw someone approaching from the corner of his eyes. A well-tanned neck and shoulders, and a wide chest wrapped in a comfortable looking T-shirt was right in front of him. It was already too late to slow down. Yugeon's entire body slammed into their arms. The other person didn't move aside or pushed him away, instead pulled Yugeon and hugged him tightly. It was a rough but stable touch. A soft voice fell on top of Yugeon's head as if to comfort him.
".....I got you."
Yugeon looked up, breathing heavily. Bright brown eyes, close to golden yellow, were staring down at him. The eyes of the beast, whose pupils were ready to become sharpened like needles at any time. Yugeon felt a strong sense of deja vu from those eyes. Didn't he see these eyes a while ago? Where? Ah..... that black cat. He looked so much like that cat earlier.
Chan properly took a look at Yugeon in his arms, and then Heesu behind him. He didn't mean to catch Yugeon. A body with a familiar body scent was suddenly rushing at him, so he just hugged him before he could make out the situation.
"You tried to...... run away from us?"
Chan, who, only now, grasped the meaning behind Heesu's shout from before, muttered blankly. His golden eyes fluttered in confusion, surprise, and..... hurt. It was a feeling Yugeon wouldn't get at all, it was an emotion even he himself didn't understand.
The city center's eight lanes were crowded as always, whether or not there was terrible news coming out every day, or whether the apocalyptic theory prevailed or not. It was the inevitable sorrow of modern people. Even if a gate was found in the neighborhood next door, even if there were numerous casualties, it was only for a moment that they freaked out. After that, they still had to step outside to go to work and school. No one really could coop up forever in their house just because they were afraid of mutants.
Only if a particularly tricky gate spawned, the surrounding area would be closed off until the attack was complete. However, even that was kept to a minimum, except for really dangerous areas, due to protests such as falling real estate prices, infringement of the right to pass, and threatening the livelihoods of nearby self-employed people.
As the weather lately got hotter day by day, the discomfort index had also risen sharply. For ordinary people, the news about the discord between the National Hunter Union and the Awakening Management Headquarters seemed like something from another world. What was more important to them was something they had to face and wouldn't be able to avoid—the rather dampening news that this year's heat might break the all-time record. Most of the pedestrians were walking with their heads down, focused on their phones, with irritated looks on their faces.
"Hey, look over there."
Someone pointed to a gap between two buildings. Their companion, who was busy surfing the web on their phone fanning with their hand, responded half-heartedly.
"What?"
"That guy."
"Where?"
"There, in the alley."
Only then the company raised their head to take a proper look. Indeed, there was someone in the alley. A man in a patient's clothes. He was leaning against the wall with his head down, as if he was having a hard time holding himself up properly.
"Why is there a patient here?"
"Did he escape from the hospital?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"It's weird. I don't think he's even wearing shoes. Shouldn't we call 119?"
"Let's go and see."
They could have just ignored the man in the patient's clothes. In fact, everyone but them were walking past the man without even taking a notice of him since they were all immersed in their phones. However, their conscience would be pricked if they pretended not to see a person who looked sick at first glance. Even if they couldn't take him to the hospital, wouldn't it be okay if they called an ambulance?
They broke away from the crowd and entered the gap between the buildings. The alley was narrow and even dirty. Illegally dumped garbage bags and cigarette butts were piled up everywhere. It was just a few meters away from the street full of high-rise buildings and cars, but the landscape had changed dramatically.
"Excuse me?"
Even from a distance, they could see he was in bad shape. The patient's clothes, with blue stripes on a white background, were dirty with dust and rubbish filth. Despite his fairly tall height, he was so pitifully skinny that he looked like he might crumble on spot if someone nudged him a little roughly.
"Excuse me! Can we help you?"
They raised their voices a little. The man was still silent. He appeared to be conscious as he stood leaning against the wall.
"Are you unwell? If you're feeling uncomfortable..."
Eventually, they only had a few steps distance between them. But the person who was ahead abruptly came to a halt. The company also followed suit.
"What's the matter?"
"He, he, he..."
His molars kept bumping into each other, repeating only one syllable. His body trembling strangely.
"What's wrong with you?"
The alley was narrow enough for one person to barely pass. The person standing at the back had to stick their head over the other person's shoulders.
At first glance from the outside, they thought there was a crude wall behind the man's back. Uneven brick walls, often found in alleys mixed with commercial buildings and houses. However, what in front of them was not a wall, but a living organism. It was part of some gigantic creature. The lumps on the walls, which turned out to be piled-up thick tentacles, wiggled intermittently. What they first thought were the joints of the brick crevices were blood vessels or tendons. A gut wrenching stench came to their senses.
The man suddenly lifted his head. There was no focus on his wide open eyes. It was as if they were meeting the gaze of a corpse that died a long time ago. He raised his arms stiffly like a marionette steered by invisible strings. The tentacles tightly attached to the body were lifted following his movements. An unknown mass had taken roots inside the man, sucking up his nutrients, controlling him.
"....."
The moment they realized that, their heads went blank. Reason already blown away as the excessive terror finally sank in.
"Euaaag!"
"Heuaag!"
The two passer-bys screamed and ran out. The garbage bags burst open as they hurriedly ran over them. The rotten food waste broth splattered and wet their shoes, but they could care less of it. It seemed as if the monster was about to stretch out its tentacles at any moment and grab them back into the alley.
"Some—somebody help us!"
No one was interested even though two panicked people rushed out into the street. Even when they happened to bump into others, they just glared at them nervously and went their only way. The two looked around for help frantically. It was then they spotted a man dressed in conspicuous attire among the countless people casually walking past them. A man in a dark red uniform was approaching this way through the crowd.
It was the uniform worn by the Espers of the Awakening Management Headquarters whom they saw on the news almost every day. The outfit was totally not suitable for hot weather like these days. It looked all the more strange considering the person wearing that outfit was not sweating a drop. But those in panic wouldn't be able to notice things like that. An Esper, who miraculously appeared in this situation. They were overjoyed. For a split second, they even thought there might even be a halo behind the man.
"Over here, Esper-nim!"
They rushed to his side and grabbed the man by the arm. The body temperature, which should have been warmed under the scorching sun, was strangely cool, but they didn't notice it.
"Look over here, please. Please."
"There's a monster in the alley!"
Fortunately, the Esper stopped walking. They haphazardly dragged the Esper and headed for the alley earlier.
"There!"
They pointed inside, swallowing their fear. The man in the patient's clothes was back in the position when they saw him the first time.
"....."
However, the Esper did not move even after seeing where the passer-bys were pointing at. He just stood at the entrance of the alley and only tilted his head with no expression on his face. He might not notice it from a distance. They even thought he was just a patient in bad shape at first.
At this rate, Esper might walk away, snapping at them for calling him when it was no big deal. They felt like time was running out. The two passer-bys dragged him again desperately and led him deeper into the dark alley.
"Look closely."
"That guy, behind him, there are weird lumps..."
Along the way, they started to feel strange. The stench stinging their nose had grown stronger. Not only from the front, but also from the back.....
"....."
The two passer-bys forced themselves to look behind their backs. The Esper, wearing a major's badge, was staring at them with an unpleasant glint in his eyes. Not even a blink was distracting that uncomfortable gaze. There was no rise and fall of the shoulders and chest that should be visible when breathing in or out. The softest and easily perishable eyeballs in a human's body were covered with mold from the edges, and the skin under the uniform also had a bluish rot spreading all over.
There was only one conclusion. This man was not a living person.
"Eurgh, eua, ahh..."
The two passer-bys slumped down with their legs loose. There were monsters in their front and back in this narrow alley. There was nowhere to run. The major's mouth slowly began to tear apart from either side. Instead of a tongue, an elongated tissue that looked like a half-and-half mixture of insect legs and mollusk legs protruded out of it. The sharp end pierced through its trembling prey, who had lost even the will to resist. They couldn't even scream at the end. The dark red lump, or fragment of the ancient star, devoured its newest prey. It grew in size significantly as much as it took in new nutrients.
A few hours later, the densely packed buildings in the city center began to shake one after another. Huge cracks crawled up the walls of the high-rise buildings that boasted their majesty.
"Aaaag!"
People screamed and ran in all directions. Between the cracked buildings, a hideous mass squirmed and grew. It continued to eat countless people and gradually grew in size, becoming thousands of times larger than its host, Heeseong. As the starting point, the asphalt road and clean sidewalk blocks quickly rotted black. The same was true for streetlights, fences, buildings, and other structures on the ground.
The city was then suddenly shrouded in dark, that one would think night had fallen. An enormous hole appeared in the sky as if it had been drilled. From there, the deep dark sea fluctuated instead of the sun and clouds. Those who accidently looked up were mesmerized by the bizarre sight. Some wailed, seized by the madness.
Terraforming. At last, that side had begun to encroach on the other.
They dragged him out of the hallway and pushed him into the first empty room they found. A black leather was wrapped around Yugeon's eyes so that he couldn't see an inch ahead. It was the harness that Heesu was wearing. The wide shoulder part was used like an eyepatch to cover the eyes. Stumbling around with his eyes covered, Yugeon unconsciously reached out for the harness. Heesu immediately grabbed his arm, and twisted it backward.
"Stay still. I don't want to hurt hyung."
"Ugh..."
"It would be easy if I used my ability. I just have to say something to keep your eyes closed. But hyung doesn't like it, right?"
There was the sound of a door locking behind them. Heesu pushed his back. Was he going to fall flat onto the floor like this? Yugeon tightly closed his eyes under the leather harness. The expected shock, however, did not come. Instead of a cold, hard marble, he was thrown onto a spacious sofa. His body sank into a soft cushion.
"Here, where is this?"
"I don't know. Is that important?"
"Let go."
"I don't want to."
"I said let go of me!"
"Other than that, hyung, can't you pay more attention to me? Hyung never liked to talk to me, and you get angry whenever I say something."
Heesu puffed up his cheeks exaggeratedly. Then he twisted Yugeon's arm behind his back, and pressed him onto the sofa. The gap between the look on his face and his actions was enormous.
"Hey, guide. No..... Baek Yugeon."
Chan locked the door firmly and came closer. It was an uncharacteristically stiff, cold voice.
"Explain. What he said earlier. Is it true you tried to escape?"
Seulbi did suggest that he should leave Erewhon. But he had refused. Yugeon wasn't irresponsible enough to throw away the contract that was the only guarantee for his brother's safety just because he was having a hard time.
"I never did."
"What's with the outsider then?"
"It's a misunderstanding."
"How can I believe that!"
"You people are not going to believe what I'm saying anyway, are you?"
"Fuck, this is really..."
"If you're really that suspicious, you can look into my call logs or whatever. Or why don't you torture me for confession? It might work. Since you are good at it!"
Chan gritted his teeth. Why was he so angry and even feeling betrayed? Because he had to hear cold words from the other person he was sharing his body heat with just now? Or uneasy at the stark difference between the person who was laughing beautifully only a short while ago and the person right in front of him?
"Even if I really tried to run away, why are you so angry?"
"What?"
"You hated me from the beginning."
Yugeon spat out bitterly. At that, Chan's expressions were wiped clean from his face, which had been twisted like a furious beast.
"Did you forget? When I first came here, the first thing I heard from you was to leave. Wouldn't it be better if I disappeared? Why are you complaining now....."
"Yugeon hyung."
Heesu whispered in his ear.
"You know what? For me, frankly, I don't care if it's true or not."
Yugeon turned his head reflexively toward him, unable to see anything in front of him. His lips quivered with disbelief.
"Hyung is supposed to die in Mazzaroth with us. What can I do if you try to escape?"
"....."
"But the fact that you made a secret with someone I don't know..... it's kind of annoying. If you hated this place so much that you wanted to run away, you should have come to me instead of looking for someone far away. I'm very much confident that I'm a good listener."
Yugeon stayed silent as despair sank in. They were originally such kind of people. He felt like he might really go crazy influenced by them. No, in fact, he might have already gone mad a long time ago.
"Do as you please."
The feeling of helplessness weighed down on him. Yugeon gave up trying to take off the eye patch and slumped down on the sofa. Heesu shut his mouth and looked down at him.
"Do whatever you want, you bastards. When have you guys ever respected my wishes?"
"....."
"You are going to use this to threaten me again, right? Go ahead. If you want to hit me, hit me. If you want to rape me, rape me. Isn't that all you guys wanted?"
Chan let out a dry laugh. Only then did he realize the anger he felt.
"Baek Yugeon. I told you. If you're going to hate us, be fair and hate us equally."
He grabbed Yugeon by the collar and pulled him up. The upper body came up weakly.
"If it was Woo Shinje, I don't think you would have acted like this. Am I wrong?"
"What......"
A completely unexpected name popped up. Sensing Yugeon's hesitation, Chan smiled with his sunken eyes and smiled crookedly.
"Did you think no one noticed how your eyes changed whenever you heard that bastard's name? Lying to my face? What? Do whatever I want? Fuck."
He glowered at Yugeon's blindfolded eyes, as if he wanted to swallow him up. He'd like to take off this damn harness right now and make eye contact...... no. He didn't want to face him. If he did, he thought he would feel even more down.
When he questioned him earlier whether it was true that he was trying to run away, he was actually hoping that Yugeon would stand his ground and get angry. How could you misunderstand? He wanted him to be resentful and hurt. Either way would be better than now. Rather than rattling off in a voice that sounded like all his emotions were gone and only a shell left behind.
He couldn't even receive hatred from the other person. Could it be worse than this? If he hadn't set his eyes on Yugeon, who watched the football game with a soft blush on his cheeks, Yugeon collapsing in Shinje's arms after enduring fine even in the most extreme conditions, and Yugeon laughing while talking to a cat, it would have been a little less miserable. Bullshit. Really...... what kind of bullshit unrequited love was that.
Chan covered the top of the eye patch with his palm. If the purpose was to cover his eyes, the eye patch was already sufficient. Half of Yugeon's face was covered by his big, rough hand. Yugeon pursed his lips as if to say something. Chan shut him down in a low voice close to a growl.
"Shut up. I really want to kill you."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he bit down on his lips. The stinging pain was accompanied by the rusty smell of blood.
"Gasp! Heueug."
His jaw, forced open by Chan's grasp, ached. His thick tongue burrowed into his mouth recklessly, Yugeon thought it might even ram into his uvula.
Heesu quickly took his seat behind Yugeon and hugged him as if he had been waiting. There was plenty of space. The sofa in the lounge was enough for several people to roll around. In fact, there was even a function to turn the backrest into a simple bed, so that Hunters on stand-by could close their eyes for a few minutes. He pressed close and whispered into Yugeon's ear, who was on the receiving end of a violent kiss.
"Yugeon hyung. I really like hyung, you know. You are the best out of all the guides I've ever met. Whatever hyung does with someone else, it's fine. But..... you have to do it where my eyes can reach."
He had no qualms about Yugeon mixing with someone other than himself. Rather, he would even welcome it, and join and enjoy a multi-person play. Even if Yugeon fell in love with someone, well, he didn't understand, but wouldn't it be fun? How thrilling it would be to separate a loving couple.
He would press him down and fuck him from behind, he would whisper a lot of things in his ear, if I were you, I would leave the person I love to the other people, who can fuck them better than you hyung. Then Yugeon would cry even much cuter than now. He would glare at him, call another man's name, throw fists and kicks, and desperately resist...... ah. Just a mere thought it was making him even more aroused.
So far, Heesu's life had been boring. The whole business of staying alive, living, was terribly dull. Birth, death of parents, pain and madness that followed him like a shadow, and even life-and-death battles that came and went.
He came to Erewhon because he thought it would be fun to catch a really powerful guy whose name was Almuten or something. However, something more interesting than Almuten appeared. He had yet to find anything as fascinating as this guide. Yugeon was Heesu's greatest treasure. So, no matter what, he didn't want to let him go.
"I like you hyung. I mean it."
The answer never came back. But it was okay. Heesu smiled and buried his lips on the back of his neck.
He was seated on the sofa in a kneeling position still with his eyes covered. He could hear rustling around him, but his nerves were all on edge as he couldn't see what was happening. It was when a hand that seemingly popped out of the dark slipped into his pants.
"Ugh."
Whose hand was it? Heesu was behind him earlier. Judging by the rough movements, it might be Chan. No, there was also the touch of a palm grabbing and fondling his genitals over his underwear...... it was confusing. Even when he didn't want to be conscious of it, all his nerves kept focusing on the touches below. The hand that was groping around in his pants finally pulled down his underwear. Yugeon groaned and tilted his head back.
"Why? Wondering who it is?"
"....."
"Why do you look surprised? Anyone can tell what you're thinking."
"I don't know. Who could it be? Do you want to guess?"
The voices went back and forth. Someone's thumb rolled the head of his cock languidly. Yugeon gritted his teeth and endured. He didn't want to adjust to their rhythm. Then, the hand fondling his cock became tense all of a sudden.
"Heueug!"
"Take a guess."
"Kwon, Heesu....."
"Correct. It was easy, right?"
The answer was somehow squeezed out, but once he got it right, he wrapped the entire length in his hand and pumped it up and down as if rewarding for it. Yugeon bit his lips and bowed his head. He seemed to be struggling to keep his moans inside. Yugeon might be trapped in the dark, but Chan and Heesu could see him all too well. His ever-changing expressions were quite provocative.
"Yugeon hyung."
Heesu turned his chin and kissed him. Yugeon twisted his body and shook his head, trying to avoid it. Heesu gripped the arm he was holding bent behind his back even harder.
"Eub....."
Before he could slip his tongue in, Chan tugged Yugeon's cheeks and turned it toward him. Heesu, who was robbed of Yugeon in front of him, lost his temper.
"Ah, fuck. What?"
"Baek Yugeon doesn't like it."
"Huh?"
"He doesn't like bastards who fuck around with this guide and that guide."
"Are you talking about yourself? Trying to dump all shit on me, it's not like hyung is better than me."
"I haven't been with anyone lately. I've kept to myself."
"So what? I'm still cute and young to make up for it. Right, Yugeon hyung?"
It was a vulgar conversation that he didn't know whether they were slandering the other person or undermining themselves. He didn't want to hear it any more.
"Both of you, please... Ugh, get lost."
Yugeon, caught in the middle, struggled. His genitals were still held in someone's hand, someone's cock would sometimes graze his wide open crotch as he was kept on his knees. A firm erection was also pressed against his ass from behind. He could feel they were getting even bigger.
"Do whatever you want, hit me or rape me. That’s what you said. So I thought I'm going to give it a try. Do you have any complaints?"
"....."
A small grinding sound was heard from Yugeon.
"Why? You can't even guide anyone but Woo Shinje anymore? Is your hole exclusive for that bastard?"
"Don't say it like that."
It was fortunate that Yugeon's eyes were covered. So that he didn't have to see those eyes that always lit up wherever he heard Woo Shinje's name.
"For me, I don't care if hyung wants to imagine me as the Leader. Um, now that I think about it, it might even be sexier."
"Don't listen to that psycho."
"Still better than someone who also sleeps around, violent and thick headed."
"Done talking?"
"Yugeon hyung, please choose one. Who do you think which one of us might fuck you better?"
Heesu insisted, holding his cock tightly in his hands.
"I won't let you go until you tell me."
His hand started to move at an even faster pace. Another pair of hands slightly raised his body up. His legs were pulled forward, so that he was now sitting with his knees up. His pants and underwear were taken off promptly. Hands stretching out of the darkness felt like thorns on his skin.
"Heug! Heueu..... eug."
Chan yanked the necklace from Yugeon's neck, roughly as if handling the leash of a livestock. He caught the body that stumbled into his arms and pressed him again.
"Do something. Struggle or curse. Whatever you do, it will be less fucked up than now."
"....."
At Yugeon's silence, a fire flared up from within. Chan bent down and sank his fangs on the trembling neck in front of him. Yugeon's body shook slightly at the unexpected pain.
"Eug!"
A savory scent filled his mouth. There was a faint smell of blood mixed in. Instinctive appetite rushed in. It wasn't enough tasting the delicate nape on his lips. He wanted to chew him all up without leaving a single bone.
Chan buried his head in Yugeon's neck and pulled up the T-shirt he was wearing. When it didn't come off easily, he tore it up. He just grabbed the hem and pulled a little, but the T-shirt ripped easily like a piece of paper. They were already noticeable even when he was wearing clothes, but when he took them off, it was a sight. Even Heesu paused in his tracks.
"Did Joo Taein do this?"
"....."
"I don't need a guide? Ha. What a load of bullshit."
The sarcasm in his words dripped with hostility. There was no smile to be found on his harsh face. It was now too easy calling out the other person's name, regardless of the title.
"Give your heart to Woo Shinje, and body to Joo Taein. Then, there's nothing I can't do here, is there? Cry a little cute for me. Let me taste that guiding you are good at. We are all going to die soon enough, so all of this is going to be useless anyway, hm?"
It was new information for him to just let it slip by. Yugeon's body, which had only been silently tolerating all this time, was drained out of strength for a moment.
"Do you know what we've been doing outside these days?"
"...what?"
"I guess the Leader hasn't told you yet."
Heesu placed his chin on Yugeon's shoulder and whispered. He moved his hands again, gently stroking Yugeon's cock to hardness.
"It'll all be over soon. One way or the other."
His heart dropped to the bottom. The anxiety that he had been feeling vaguely for the past few weeks had materialized with Heesu's answer. From the first time he stepped foot in Erewhon, from the moment he accept Shinje's crazy offer, he was prepared to some extent. But actually hearing it was different after all.
"You know, hyung. I'm actually very tired of it now. I've changed the guides to three digits, played around on the internet, tried a lot of hobbies...... but it all turned out to be no fun. Of course, our Yugeon hyung is really cute and funny, so you're an exception."
Heesu smiled and rubbed his cheeks against Yugeon like a puppy acting cute.
"Since I was little, I've heard people say that I'm more like a monster than a human, but now the gates feel more like my place to be. Shouldn't the monster be locked up in the monster's lair?"
"....."
"I thought it'd be fun to fight and die in the Pit. To be honest, to live for a long time and die surrounded by family, it doesn't suit me very well, right? I don't even have a family to do that in the first place."
Chan grabbed Yugeon's ankles, spreading them apart, and added.
"It's just a worthless life. Hang in there. There are only a few days left for us to do this kind of thing."
Why? Why are they casually predicting their own deaths like nothing's wrong with it? These people who had never bat an eyelid no matter how much Yugeon resisted and struggled to survive, so naturally......
As he listened to them in a daze, Yugeon's lips slowly began to tremble. A stone heated by fire seemed to have blocked the middle of the pit of his stomach. The seething rage filled his heart and overflowed outside. The target of his anger and killing intent was not clear. It was an outburst of hatred. Towards something huge that he didn't know how to fight.
Yugeon hated Erewhon. He hated everything around him. But who was it that put him in this horrendous situation? What made them turn out like this? Heeseong, who caused a rampage? Woo Shinje, who proposed the contract? Erewhon Team 1 members, who assaulted and exploited him? Major Jung Changhyuk, who kidnapped and put him in Mazzaroth? Brigadier General Woo Sungyeon, who did biological experiments, or...... something else beyond that?
He shook off Heesu's hand, who was holding him still by bending his wrist behind his back. Heesu was surprisingly easy to get away from. He stretched his trembling hand out into the empty air. As if looking for something invisible, as if calling for someone who was not here. His blind fingertips instead caught the hem of Chan's T-shirt in front of him. He gripped it hard towards him until the bones on the back of him stood out. Chan was dragged along as he pulled. A faint bitter smile spread across his expressionless face.
There was no further conversation after that. Yugeon, Chan, and even Heesu were unusually quiet. Only three harsh breaths intertwined in the air. Beasts rushed at him from the front and his back. They grabbed, bit, and clawed each other without hesitation as if wanting to be ruined together.
Chan grabbed Yugeon's hair and devoured his lips. The front teeth bumped into each other, making a clattering sound. Yugeon's upper body gradually tilted as he could no longer bear the heavy weight on him. Heesu then pushed his lower body forward, snatched Yugeon's head back, and the kisses with it.
Yugeon clawed Heesu's arms leaving red lines behind. The other person's flesh was gathered under his short, trimmed nails. Chan's tongue and lips had already been bitten so hard several times that they were ragged with tooth marks. A mixture of saliva and blood, unknown to whom, trailed down Yugeon's chin. Heesu felt his hands down and traced the underside of Yugeon's thighs with his fingertips. Yugeon's legs were spread open, cramping in an M-shape to receive Chan's weight between them. Heesu's fingers, glistening with precum wet the entrance, and dug inside. Yugeon stiffened up.
"Heueub!"
Chan also joined in there. Not letting go of Yugeon's lips, he caressed Yugeon's balls with a rough touch, then further down, and felt for the hole. He pressed his index and middle fingers next to Heesu's fingers that were already inside. His thick and bumpy fingers contrasted sharply with Heesu's straight, slender ones.
"Huh, eueueng..... euh! Ah, aah....."
The fingers of two people of different thicknesses and lengths worked him open. He didn't even know how many came in. Fingers that creeped in wriggled at different beats, scratching and stirring his soft inner walls. They were only fingers at best, but he felt short of breath as if he could feel them in his stomach.
He didn't know if it was a coincidence or not, but the fingers inside were pulled to opposite directions. The taut inner walls stuck to the joints of the fingers, and his tightly closed rim widened on both sides. Yugeon thrashed around at unimaginable pressure, overwhelmed, pushing the sofa sheet with his heels.
"Eug, ha eug!"
Heesu pulled out his dick with one hand, and pressed it against the slowly reddening rim. He spread his fingers inside in the shape of scissors and opened the entrance as wide as possible, and pushed his engorged tip into the gap that was barely formed. The small open hole pouted and clamped down on the head of the cock.
Chan was still fingering Yugeon until then. Only when a certain someone's glans pressed into the hole, he pulled out his fingers irritably. He then held Yugeon's thighs so that he couldn't shrink his legs. Heesu took a deep breath and straightened his back.
"Heueu......"
"Ah eueug!"
Yugeon threw his head back. After squeezing a little inside with difficulty, when he felt he was stuck and couldn't go in anymore, Heesu slightly moved his waist back, adjusted his breath, and pushed it back in again. He still had his fingers stuck inside. The more his dick was buried further inside, the higher Yugeon's moans were.
"Take, take it out, take it out... haag!!"
The narrow inner wall clamped down at the foreign object burrowing itself inside. Under tightening pressure that might cut off his dick as it was, Heesu persistently pressed it inside all to the hilt until he couldn't any more.
Finally, the hard, long length was all stuffed inside. Yugeon's buttocks were pressed against Heesu's thighs as if he was sitting on his lap.
"Ah...... ah, ah."
Yugeon had all forgotten about thrashing around, and could only flinch intermittently, gasping out short, heavy breaths from his throat. Heesu's fingers, which were still stuck next to the dick, groped around as if to gauge the diameter of the hole. His stuffed hole that he thought couldn't open anymore unfurled with difficulty. Yugeon's chin trembled finely. Heesu pulled his fingers out and began to thrust from below.
"Ha eung, heu, eueug, heog!"
Treacherous moans were cut off along the way, when Chan suddenly put his head on Yugeon's chest.
"Why do you look like you are about to cum? Fuck, this is making it worse."
His voice, deepened with heat and excitement, and his wheezing breath was tickling his bare chest.
"It tickles..."
Yugeon squirmed around, and Chan's hair was grabbed by the hand that he swung in panic. Without thinking about the pain the other person might feel, he pulled his hair, then lowered his hand and scratched his neck. His feet kicked his thighs and sides. But Chan didn't budge.
Chan held Yugeon's chest covered with thin muscles and licked the protruding nipples greedily. He pursed his lips to a pout and sucked in until they made the most obscene and scandalous sounds as much as possible. A tingling ache stung his nipples, bringing tears to his eyes.
After sucking and licking like a hungry beast, Chan lifted his head to appreciate the traces he made. There were teeth marks all over the place, especially around the red swollen nipples that had stood up stiffly. It was quite satisfactory.
Yugeon's whole body was tighly held in Heesu's arms as he fucked him deep from below. Fwop, fwop. The tight rim, spitting out and clenching down on the dick thrusting in and out was all open in Chan's view. As Heesu fastened his pace erratically, the twitching hole gradually turned into an appetizing color.
Heesu pulled his whole length out until only the rounded tip was left inside, then slammed back in, splitting the fluttering inner walls along the way, the engorged head of his cock dragging past against his already bruised prostate, and pressed in deep. Yugeon couldn't utter a single moan. Spit trailed down his weakly opened lips under the eye patch covering the half of his face. Yugeon arched his back as his orgasm ripped through him, his walls tightening around Heesu hard.
"Heueug....."
The release splattered across the air, and then dripped down and wet Chan's chest and chin. The white sticky liquid trickling down his dark skin was too raunchy. He didn't know if it was unfortunate or fortunate that Yugeon's eyes were covered.
Heesu, too, buried his cheek in Yugeon's neck, wrinkling his pale forehead, and came. His balls and the lower of his dick that he couldn't fucked in jerked and twitched slightly on naked view as he emptied inside.
Heesu never stopped moving throughout his climax. Even as he was spilling inside, he kept fucking the now-pliant hole at the same brutal pace as the first time. Puck, puck. And everytime he pounded the prostate, Yugeon's cum-drenched inner walls would spasm and contract around him continuously.
Chan licked clean of Yugeon's semen, which had even splattered onto the back of his hand. He leered at Yugeon's hole that was being fucked open with his eyes wide. Yellow eyes fluttered with unresolved desires. That greedy brat, it looked like his turn would never come at this rate.
"Step aside."
"Get lost....."
Heesu gritted his teeth, straightened his back, and snapped back. He wasn't expecting the brat to step aside obediently with a word. Chan forcibly tugged Heesu's arm, which was wrapped around Yugeon's waist, and flung it to the side as if he was throwing out trash. Even though both of them looked like they were handling Yugeon unkindly, they were actually being as gentle as possible compared to what they were doing to each other. A crackling sound came from Heesu's arm, as if a joint was dislocated. Heesu spat out a curse word from his mouth.
Another familiar touch pressed against the hole that was clenching down on a dick. Feeling strange, Yugeon groaned and tried to back away. But it was too late.
"Heueub. Heug!"
The shock swept his whole body. A painful groan broke out. He felt like his pelvis was being cleaved apart.
There was no way he could just ease into a hole that was stuffed to the limit. Chan sighed angrily and pulled his cock out. He then squeezed his fingers in, and tried to loosen up a bit. His fingers were touching the other bastard's cock, but there was nothing he could do about it.
"Euh... heueug, ah, it hurts, eug."
It was a long and tedious process. Sweat dripped down Chan's handsome forehead. His little patience gradually ran out. And finally.
"Ha eug!"
Something hot and heavy pressed against his hole again. The pressure alone was overwhelming. Under the eye patch, Yugeon's eyes widened. Red, blue, and yellow stains scattered all over the bleak darkness that covered his vision.
That was the beginning.
"Eug, ah, aah! N-no, I can't, ack..... stop!"
His mind was torn to pieces. Yugeon moaned, pleaded, huffed and puffed, no longer making sense of the sounds he was making. His thrashing heels smacked Chan's back, and after wildly struggling using all his limbs, he grabbed Chan by the scruff of his neck, strangling and clawing with all his strength.
Chan closed his eyes tightly and let Yugeon's hands to do whatever he wished to do, focusing only on the sensations below. It was better to let him focus on hurting him, rather than injuring himself accidentally. No matter how desperate the situation and how urgent the needs, spilling blood and screams during sex was no good after all.
After a long persistent push, it happened. The stuffed, red rim unfurled and the engorged tip was able to squeeze inside. Yugeon's perineum bulged up like a fist.
"Ah ah....... Heueug eung......."
Stuck between Chan and Heesu with his weakened limbs hanging down, Yugeon couldn't do anything for a long time. His prostate, which only used to be stimulated by thrusting and grinding vigorously, was constantly pressed hard even though they were only sitting still doing nothing. His whole body was numb by the constant abnormal stimuli.
The narrow inner walls were still tightening down, even more so than before. He knew it would only be more painful if he didn't loosen up, but it was like his body had forgotten how to relax his muscles. His thighs, trembling and twitching fitfully as if he was being electrocuted, was also completely out of his control.
Something was terribly wrong. It was too strange. It felt like his body would be irreparably ruined if this continued. Please stop. Please...... please! He tried to beg somehow. However, no matter how much he tried to squeeze out a word out of his cracked throat, no sound came out. Just as though even his vocal cords were wrung out in violent pleasures.
"....."
Thin semen kept spurting out intermittently from Yugeon's cock. The lower part of the eye patch slowly got wet.
"Eueung, heu, ah......."
They were whimpers that were too small to be called moans. His trembling fingertips flailed pitifully around in the air. Chan pulled his hand and pressed his lips deep into his palm.
"You have two inside you. Hyung, how about it? Who do you think is better?"
Heesu asked, playing with Yugeon's sweat drenched hair, gently wrapping and loosening around his fingers.
"Don't think too hard. Isn't this like a blind test? Ah, haha. I'm just saying, are you angry?"
He had never asked the previous guides this question. It was natural, of course. No one would ask a disposable toy what it preferred. But Yugeon was different. He wanted to be chosen by him, beating other competitors. Wouldn't it feel good if his faithful and indifferent eyes, which cared for no one but very few people in his narrow world, noticed and decided to let him in?
Heesu's feelings toward Yugeon were sincere. He could risk his life for Yugeon. But that didn't necessarily mean that he loved Yugeon. A sincere feeling, willing to give his life for someone, didn't have to be affection. Isn't there at least one person in the world who can do anything for fun?
"Hyung, do you know your belly is sticking out a little now? Right. You wouldn't see it with your eyes covered. My bad. It's really cute."
He gently rubbed Yugeon's lower abdomen with his entire palm. There was a tight lump just above the pubic bone.
"Don't..... Heu, heog!"
The slight movement worsened Yugeon's convulsions even more. He twisted his body, shaking off Heesu's touch with a fit.
"You don't like that we are holding still? Want me to move? Our Yugeon hyung shouldn't be too impatient. It might rip if we aren't careful."
He lightly bucked his waist, rutting his cock deeper inside the tight hole. Yugeon's stomach swelled slightly as he pressed him down on his thighs. His hole tightened down on two large cocks lodged inside with no crease to be seen on the peach red rim.
"Aah, ah!"
"Don't move that rough. You'll hurt the kid."
"Then let's just stick ours inside like this and sit still? Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun."
"Then fuck off, take yours out!"
"Who's the one who pushed their cock in when the others haven't even finished yet? If someone has to take it out, hyung has to be the one to do it."
Chan clicked his tongue, irritated, and grabbed Yugeon.
"Ugh..... Wait, relax a little... It will hurt more if you do this."
Whether he could hear it or not, Yugeon showed no signs of loosening up. He couldn't even breathe properly with the things filling his insides. Even after a while, only less than half of his dick was pressed inside. He couldn't just take out his after all this. Under Yugeon's eye patch was already a mess with sweat and tears. It bothered him for no reason. Did he cry because it hurt? It couldn't be, he came as soon as he pressed his dick inside.
"Hey, hey. Yugeon-ah. Come on. Don't make it hard for hyung, hm?"
Rather than grappling with a restless kid, he'd rather make him come a few more times to lose that energy. Chan relaxed as much as he could, and pushed his cock in. Slow arousal that was more like a shock spread to all his nerves.
"Ah!"
Yugeons toes curled up. Chan pulled his back a little bit and then fucked back in, hitting the same exact spot. Yugeon gasped and tightened Chan's waist with both thighs.
"Huu..... Ha."
Chan frowned and took a deep breath. Veins stood up to the full on the nape of his sweat drenched neck. He gave up thrusting in and out and just focused on pounding and dragging across the hot wet walls inside. Heesu joined in. Two blunt glans jutted against the fluttering walls and against each other. When the beat was slightly out of sync, Yugeon felt bloated.
It was so narrow inside that Chan thought he could cum just putting his dick in. In addition, Yugeon kept clenching his thighs around Chan's waist, and rubbing his cheeks against Heesu's neck. It might have been unconscious and thoughtless actions, but it was too erotic. He couldn't hold back any longer.
"Keuk!"
Chan swallowed a groan and gripped Yugeon's waist tight. A large cock, half stuck in the narrow entrance, squirmed. The cord of pleasure came loose. With hips stuttering, he spilled everything inside, soft walls tightening down, milking every drop of his last seed. Since most of it couldn't reach deep, it dripped out of the pliant hole, wetting Yugeon's buttocks.
"Ha eug, again..... why, ah, it's, I, I'm going to cum, it's, I’m scared..... heuag!"
Yugeon let out a panicked cry and also came. The tip of his cock reddened and flinched. He thought there was nothing more to come out because he couldn't even remember how many times it already was, but a few drops of thin semen, close to plain water, spurted out. Even after the climax, the dicks plunged inside didn't come out. It was distressing. Excessive pleasure was now closer to pain. Yugeon twisted his hips with a whimper.
Chan pulled out his cock only after emptying everything inside. There was a stinging pain as if his insides were being curved out. The swollen hole pouted and spit out the thick semen, and then furled back to fit Heesu's size, which was left alone.
"Yugeon hyung, you really like having sex, don't you? What's the point of saying no all the time? Down there, it's like you've turned on some kind of a faucet."
"Heuk, kkeukeuk. Stop! Stop....."
"Now you really have to give me an answer. Who did you like better? Hm?"
"....."
Yugeon shook his head like crazy. He clenched his teeth hard, pursing his lips tight. At this point, it would be just better for him to point at anyone that came to his mind. As expected, this guide was too unpredictable. No time to get bored.
"Do you mean both of us were bad? It hurts my pride, but I'm very turned on....."
Heesu straightened up with interest, aroused, and a little irritation. He made Yugeon sit on top of him, and rammed his dick up from below.
Heesu rutted his dick in and out of the pliant hole without a break. Yugeon was neither squatting or sitting, but held up in an awkward position. He couldn't even feel the spit trailing down his mouth, let alone the wet eye patch loosening little by little.
Chan, who was watching the scene while holding his breath, swept Yugeon's stomach with his fingers. His flat stomach was a mess with the semen spilled on his own. He only brushed it slightly once with his index finger, but his whole finger was wet. A strange impulse arose. He brought his finger to Yugeon's mouth as if possessed. Warm, moist lips let his fingers inside without resistance. The dripping, lumpy white liquid was rubbed haphazardly on the wet lips, his tongue, and front teeth, and fed. Yugeon's whole body was shaking violently up and down, and some of it was smeared on his cheeks and the bridge of his nose.
"Ah, wait, hyung."
After fucking him a few more times, Heesu suddenly jumped up. A rosy flush spread over his fair cheeks. Even the ears and neck were all red. Fluttering his brown eyelashes, Heesu tightly hugged Yugeon from behind. Yugeon's back and his chest were tightly pressed against each other. Puck, the heavy rounded tip was lodged deep until it was so tight and narrow that he couldn't be pressed inside any further, deep inside the winding inner walls. From there, warm liquid gushed out like cascading water.
"Heueug."
Yugeon's entire body went tense all over, his back arched sharp. He didn't immediately understand what had happened inside his body. Even at that moment, the water filled the gut. LIke pushing a thick hose into his hole and turning on the water. In the end, he could only retch in vain.
"Ugh!"
"Wait, just like this... ah, uh."
Heesu frowned and uttered a sweet moan. His dick lodged inside Yugeon reacted sensitively to even the smallest stimuli and twitched. After spilling up to the last drop, he swiftly pulled his cock out at once.
"Ah-eugh!"
Transparent water overflowed from the hole where it had lost what was plugging them inside. Not only Yugeon's hips and thighs, but also the sofa were soaked as if there had been a flood. A clear puddle appeared on the leather seat.
"Heog, heu, eueung."
The sensation of the liquid that seemed to have filled up to the navel slowly leaking out him was very strange, and distressing. Yugeon tightened his hole unconsciously. But the water continued to squeeze out from between and leaked out constantly. No matter how much he tried, his rim wasn't shrinking back completely. His hole was stuffed to the extreme, perhaps it might never be healed again. Yugeon collapsed under a vague sense of fear and helplessness overwhelming him. He curled up his limbs and gasped out soft tiny whimpers.
Chan reached out to him. He tried to untie the harness that was covering half of his face. At that moment.
Kwaang! A loud vibration rang throughout the room. Chan's hand, which had reached just above his face, withdrew.
Yugeon dozed off on the sofa. He couldn't even move his limbs, let alone take the eye patch off by himself. He thought they locked the door when Chan came in earlier, but his surroundings became noisy. But he couldn't make out what they were saying. The touch of the dirty sofa, the numbing pain of his body, and the remnants of the throbbing pleasure all felt far away.
There was a constant buzzing noise around him. From time to time he could hear the sound of someone shouting furiously. But he didn't even have the strength to lift a fingertip. And then again darkness continued. How long had it been? Someone was coming this way. Whenever Yugeon took a breath, he could feel the leather seat of the sofa cling to his cheek, and then falling off when he breathed out.
A hand reached out from the darkness and touched the harness. Chan, or Heesu? Wasn't it enough guiding or venting their anger about him having Seulbi's business card? Still have more to do? Bitter anger rose from the pit from his stomach.
"Ugh, don't touch me, don't..."
He squeezed out the remaining strength and pushed the hand away. The other person let him and withdrew his hand, but then gently brushed the back of his hand with his fingertips.
"Baby, I'm here."
From the other person, he could smell the familiar cool perfume, the outside wind, the damp rain, and...... a little bit of blood. It was a scent that Chan and Heesu didn't have.
"I told you to be nice and wait for me patiently."
He heard a crack of laughter above. For a moment, Yugeon forgot to breathe. He remained stiff and motionless until the harness that was still covering his eyes was taken off. After getting used to the darkness, the lights nearly blinded him when he tried to open his eyes. Yugeon frowned. His vision, which was pure white for a few seconds, slowly adapted to the lights.
Shinje was standing in front of him. It had been almost three weeks since he last saw him. Perhaps he was caught in the rain outside, his body was wet all over. His hair, which had always been stylishly groomed and trimmed with a slight parting, was drenched and hanging over his forehead. His delicate face, looking down at him with no expression, somehow looked pale. Even though there was no way that an S-class Awakened could get sick just from getting rained on.
He was wearing a thin coat over his uniform. Rainwater dripped down the hem of his long coat. If the dress shirt was white and not black, his skin would have already been seen-through the fabric. Shinje wordlessly took off his coat and draped it over Yugeon's body. Yugeon flinched at the sensation of the damp cloth touching his bare skin.
"Behave. I don't want to be mad at Guide Baek Yugeon."
His voice was soft but sounded flat. It was hard to tell if he was angry or not. Shinje swept his wet bangs away from his face, and lifted up what he was carrying in his hand. It was a transparent bag with colorful meringue cookies inside. It even had a pretty ribbon decoration on top of it. However, the ribbon had drooped down sadly, wet from the rain, and small water droplets could be seen sliding down the bag.
"I was looking forward seeing you waiting for me, so I bought these to see you eat cutely..... but I don't think you are in a condition to eat right now?"
Shinje gently bit and scoured his lips with his tongue. With his pale face and gray hair, only his red lips stood out on his statue-like face. Yugeon, who was staring up at him blankly, unconsciously copied him. A bitter astringent liquid was smeared on it. It was only then he realized his condition. The corners of his mouth must have been dirtied with what Chan did with him earlier. Even though he knew it was his own, it was an uncomfortable feeling.
"It must have been pretty good. Did you swallow everything?"
"...."
"Whose dick did you suck so enthusiastically?"
Shinje's questions could not have been more despicable. Was he asking because he didn't really know or was he doing this intentionally? If you hadn't left me alone and gone in the first place, this wouldn't have happened...... He felt as if he was splashed by ice cold water. Was he trying to rely on Shinje? Bitter sense of shame sank in.
This was often the case after he became aware of his feelings for Shinje. Whenever he let his guard down even a little bit, his heart kept leaning towards him. Even though he knew that at the end of this heart, there would be nothing or ruin awaiting for both of them. He hated Shinje terribly, and also resented himself. Yugeon's empty eyes gradually regained the spark, colored by various emotions. They were all a jumble of emotions that he couldn't identify what exactly it was. All he knew was that it was never bright, beautiful and light.
He glared at Shinje with eyes full of killing intent. After blindfolded for a long time, his face was miserable, covered with tears and sweat. He had cried so much, the corners of his eyes had reddened to the point it was painful just looking at. In the midst of them, only his eyes were alive, gleaming with strange madness.
"....."
Yugeon's eyes crumpled. Shinje noticed tears slowly welled up in his red eyes. But they never fell.
"Want to know whose it is?"
Before Shinje could respond, Yugeon reached out and grabbed his collar. The cold, damp collar of his shirt was pulled down in his grasp. He bit down hard on the lips of the man who let himself dragged down without resistance. The weeks' gap, that neither of them could see or touch each other, was narrowed at once.
Shinje's lips were as cold as his clothes. But it was warm inside. He clumsily intertwined his tongue and passed the bitter liquid. Shinje's throat moved up and down once.
"Are you satisfied now?"
Yugeon pulled his lips away and asked, rubbing the corners of his mouth the back of his hand. Shinje was left blank-faced for a while after Yugeon fell off. Like a beauty robbed of her preciously guarded kiss by a rascal and was taken aback. Soon, he lowered his head and softly giggled.
"It's Yugeon-ie's."
"....."
"How can I not know? I've tasted it a few times."
Shinje swept his lower lip with his tongue and licked up the rest. Completely ignoring how Yugeon's face had hardened up.
"Why are you looking at me like that..... Are you afraid of me? Or, was it disgusting?"
He buttoned up the loose hem of his coat draped on Yugeon.
"I can't help it. It's all because you're so cute. Yeah, you should try not to be as cute as this much."
Kwang. Kwaang! There was that loud noise again. Shinje didn't look like he was using his powers. It wasn't his doing. Yugeon's gaze, which was stuck to Shinje as if possessed, turned to his surroundings.
The lounge was a mess. The door that Chan had locked previously had been completely blown off. The hallway was visible through a large open hole. The walls were also full of cracks. Chan and Heesu were nowhere to be seen.
"Was there an earthquake?"
"I don't know. Something like that?"
"What about the others?"
"I just gave them some errands to do. Everyone's so busy, they couldn't even say goodbye to Guide Baek Yugeon and went straight to work."
"The thing you said about my brother....."
"What do you want to hear first, good news or bad news?"
"Does it have anything to do with hyung?"
Shinje just smiled instead of answering. He couldn't guess what was going on. After racking his brain for a moment, Yugeon came up with an answer.
"I'll start with the bad news."
"Then first."
Shinje leaned his face toward Yugeon and gently closed his eyes. Then he tapped his index finger on his lips.
"A kiss."
"....."
Yugeon was at a loss for words. Was this the time for this? Kwang! Just then, another roar rang out. The cracks on the wall grew bigger and concrete dust fell from the ceiling. At this rate, the entire building would collapse. He had no idea what was happening outside, making him nervous.
"If you don't, I won't tell you either."
"Leader!"
"Hurry up. Hm? You did a good job earlier."
Shinje urged with his eyes still closed. The building was crumbling little by little, and the man in front of him was asking for kisses. There was so much discrepancy. It was unreal. Shinje slightly tilted his head, as if asking why are you still not doing it? He didn't look like he would budge. Yugeon struggled to raise his upper body, and kissed him like a flower petal brushing past his lips carried by the wind, and dropped back onto the sofa.
"Ah. Is it over already? Are you doing this on purpose to tease me?"
"I did what you asked me to do. Now please tell me."
"To start with the bad news, Guide Baek Yugeon's hyung disappeared from the hospital. It would be accurate to say that he was kidnapped by Almuten."
"....."
All the blood was drained out from Yugeon's face at that word. He felt like the blood running through his veins had frozen all over. Something like that had happened to his brother, and here he was struggling with pleasure oblivious to everything.
His body began to tremble like an aspen tree under Shinje's coat. There was a clattering sound from his molars bumping each other. Yugeon clenched his fist tightly.
"Then..... the good news?"
"I know where he is."
Shinje lifted Yugeon up together with his coat. Yugeon reflexively reached out, wrapped his arms around his neck and hung on. The cold quickly went away. Was it perhaps because of the body temperature he could feel through the cold fabric?
"We are going to go save him right now."
In Shinje's arms, he was carried to the top floor where his room was located. You said you are going to save my brother, but why are we going upstairs instead of downstairs where the entrance is? But as soon as he entered the penthouse with all-glass walls, the question was solved.
The view from the windows was simply hellscape. Buildings that filled the city center were rotting from below. All the low buildings have already been devoured, even the high-rise buildings have turned black at the bottom. Street lamps and vehicles on the road were also unrecognizable in their original form.
Some of the massive life forms or meteorite debris from space were dotted around the city. A lump of mucous membranes as large as most buildings wriggled with a constant beat as if breathing. The blood vessels and nerve bundles sprouting from the surface were repulsive.
The people on the ground looked tiny. Everyone was panicking and running around like crazy. The closer to the source of the pollution, the more eroded the land was, so rescue helicopters were launched instead of ambulances. The black pollution and the flashing red lights made a bizarre contrast.
And, the sky. What he saw above was the sky, but not the sky he was familiar with. A huge abyss was swaying above everyone's heads. In terms of time, even though it was midday, there was not a single ray of sunlight. The torrent felt like water splattered from the roaring waves, instead of rainwater.
"Almuten has finally declared an all-out war. If we don't stop him, not only Mazzaroth, but the whole world will become his territory."
"....."
Yugeon chewed his lips in a daze. The brain, witnessing something far beyond the scope of its comprehension, refused to work. Erewhon Team 1, and the Awakening Management Headquarters, were they trying to hunt something like this? Even the word ‘monster’ didn't suit him. Ancient disaster. There was no more accurate description than that.
Humans have always adapted to disasters beyond their control. They would give it a name and make sacrifices. They feed on people's faith and are called gods.
Since the Outbreak, mankind had gradually degenerated over the years. The fiery fighting spirit from when the mutants first appeared had long gone, and only corruption, monotony and learned helplessness were left behind. Then Almuten appeared. A monster that seemed to embody the fear of the end that everyone had vaguely felt deep inside. To Yugeon, it seemed like it was a manifestation of fanaticism and a mass of disease that humanity was suffering from.
"The curtain rises for the final chapter..... at last."
Shinje murmured to himself. Unlike Yugeon, who was lost in his own mind, he looked strangely happy.
"Now, ah."
Distracted by the scenery outside, he opened his mouth reflexively. Shinje took a meringue cookie out of the bag and fed him. At that moment, the door swung open and Taein walked in. Perhaps he went to Yugeon's room, as he had some of his clothes in his hand.
"....."
Taein's fierce gaze scanned Yugeon up and down. If it was before, he would ignore Yugeon and only talk to Shinje. Embarrassment kicked in, even though it was too late for that. He was only wearing a long coat over his naked body. Yugeon struggled to be put down.
"It will be difficult to let him walk alone right now?"
"I'll carry him."
Taein came over and stretched out his arms. Just before Yugeon was passed over to Taein, Shinje held back with a smile on his face. A brief power struggle broke out between the two. Taein furrowed his brows. But without betraying his facade, he turned around with Yugeon in his arms.
"Deputy Chief, wait!"
"If you don't want to go out in this outfit, stay still. I'll simply wash and dress you up."
"We are leaving?"
"This place is no longer safe. All the other members have been evacuating since earlier."
He was taken all the way to the bathroom entrance in Taein's arms. However, he didn't want to leave the washing in other people's hands. After desperately refusing, Yugeon left Taein outside the bathroom and went in alone. Ignoring the pain in his body, he staggered over and turned on the shower. Warm hot water poured down. Even though it was like that outside, it was peaceful here. But why did he keep feeling ominous?
Even in this situation, Shinje and Taein maintained their usual attitude. They even had time to pack Yugeon's clothes and feed him meringue cookies. Chan and Heesu would probably be the same. They must have already been through all sorts of things crossing countless gates. So, Yugeon had to stay calm too. He closed his eyes tightly and let his anxiety washed away by the clear water.
As soon as he left the bathroom wearing the clothes Taein brought for him after taking a shower, his eyes immediately landed on an unbelievable sight. Beyond the windows, he could see gigantic tentacles stretching out above and beyond. The length alone seemed to be several kilometers long. Unrealistically huge tentacles quickly drew closer. Hwangan Bridge 13 years ago, scenes of the past that couldn't be forgotten even after many years superimposed on the present.
Kwaang! The tentacles struck the top of the building. The walls and ceiling were half-blasted away with that blow. The drawing room, which was filled with luxurious furniture, quickly became a wasteland. The top floor of the Erewhon headquarters was where the members of Team 1 fought whenever they felt like it, so they had generously built in special materials in addition to repeated remuneration. It was the only reason why the damage stopped at this much. If it were a regular building, the whole building would have already collapsed without being able to withstand the shock.
A large shard of concrete dropped with full weight and speed on Yugeon. He backed away reflexively. But the debris shattered into pieces the size of gravel before falling on Yugeon's head.
"Guide Baek Yugeon!"
Taein rushed in and pulled him hard. Shinje, who was reaching out towards Yugeon from after, lowered his arm after confirming his safety.
"Are you okay?"
"....."
Yugeon nodded. Calm down. Come to your senses, Baek Yugeon. You have to go save your brother. He repeated the same sentences countless times in his head.
"It's progressing faster than we thought. Let's evacuate Guide Baek Yugeon first."
"Yes."
With the open ceiling, rain fell gently on the piles of concrete, marble, and broken furniture. Up there, a black beast appeared from a place that was once a rooftop. The black tiger whose coat had thick black stripes roared loudly as if to announce his presence, and jumped a few stories high. With a loud thud, he landed right in front of Yugeon.
"Guide Baek Yugeon. This way. Go to the evacuation site with Hunter Yoon Chan for now. Heesu will join you on the way."
"Where is it?"
"Hunter Yoon Chan knows."
"Yes? But....."
The black tiger lowered his body as if telling him to hurry up and get on. The bright yellow eyes of the beast stared intently at Yugeon. He was now in the form of a beast, but his essence was still human. He wasn't livestock like horses or cows, was it even okay to ride on it recklessly? He imagined himself hanging onto Chan's back in his human form. It wasn't a very pleasant picture.
".....Can I?"
Keureureung! Instead of an answer, a threatening cry came back. He felt like he heard Chan's angry voice, berating him, asking what he was doing, and not coming up quickly. He knew a cat that acted in the exact way whenever it got annoyed. Yugeon climbed on the back of the black tiger, having a deja vu for the second time today. No matter how bad his physical condition was, he still had basic athleticism, so it wasn't difficult. He hugged the back of the tiger's neck covered with black and glossy fur and hard muscles like rocks. The black beast stretched out and prepared to take a leap forward.
Kung! Kung! Tentacles ran wild in all directions, knocking everything down in its way. Each and every time, it hit something, the vibrations came all the way to the ground where they were standing. They couldn't delay any longer.
"Deputy Chief is not leaving?"
"Only after I finish my work. The evacuation here is not over yet, so we need someone to be in charge of."
What about Shinje? Yugeon looked back. Shinje was standing by the windows with all the glass shattered and missing, and when their eyes met, he waved his hands at him, as if saying goodbye. Strangely enough, he looked like a king facing his end alone in the middle of the ruined castle of the fallen nation.
‘See you later.’
Shinje whispered with a smile, moving his lips slowly so that Yugeon could understand him. At the same time, the black tiger carrying Yugeon jumped up. He missed the right time to answer, frantically clinging to the moving beast so as not to fall.
Carrying Yugeon, Chan dashed and jumped between buildings without hesitation. Rain and wind carrying ugly stench stung Yugeon's cheeks. Erewhon headquarters building, which once boasted a majestic figure in the heart of Seoul that every passing person admired, now had the lower part contaminated black and the upper floors blown away. As they left the ruins behind their backs, Shinje's figure, standing tall on the desolate top floor, slowly became small like a dot, and soon disappeared from view.
Yugeon buried his head in black fur and closed his eyes tightly. His heart was beating like crazy. He finally felt the situation with his whole body.
Shinje's words were true. This was the final chapter.
[1] "You are tiny but you want to eat human food?" — i believe he meant the cat is tiny compared to a human. but chan's cat form is still described to be pretty big compared to normal cats.