The streets in the early morning were cold and quiet. Only streetlights came on sporadically on the side of the road where no one was around. Although the days have been getting longer these days, it is only the beginning of spring. It seemed like it would take a while longer for the day to dawn.
"ha… … . cold."
The passerby adjusted the hem of his coat and walked quickly. I got out on time for the first train of the subway, and I felt so dizzy that I couldn't tell if it was a dream or real life. My eyes were sore and my head felt like it was going to explode due to lack of sleep. He thought back to last night. How many hours did I sleep? Three hours? Four hours?
There was a good reason why he woke up in the dark of dawn and walked the deserted streets. His home was over an hour from work one way, and he had to be at work by 7 a.m. Dirty company. Dirty capitalism. If I just save up some money, I will definitely shut down this damn company. Reaffirming his useless determination that was repeated every month, he staggered towards the subway entrance visible in the distance.
The streets that were so crowded during the day were deceptively empty at night and early morning. All the stores lined up along the wide street were locked with their signs turned off. The only places with lights on were bank ATM booths and 24-hour convenience stores. I skipped breakfast and came out on an empty stomach, and every bone felt chilly. A hot can of coffee on display at a convenience store flashed before my eyes.
"Shall we drink coffee?"
After muttering to himself, the passerby quickly shook his head. Instead of wasting money on trivial things, you should go to work later and drink coffee in the bathroom. Every penny was a waste now. This was the reason why he went to work at dawn every day through the darkness and cold, even though he cursed his job like he was breathing. This was also the reason why people preferred to use the first subway car instead of their own car.
The subway entrance was also very bitchy. A pale fluorescent light illuminated the stairs leading down to the basement. There was no sound other than the occasional crackling of the old fluorescent lights.
The passerby closed his eyes, drowsy and tired, and staggered down the stairs. It was difficult to not fall while walking without looking ahead.
I went down the long stairs and turned the corner a few times. And then went down the stairs again. Because it was early, the escalator didn't work, so I had to go down the many stairs one by one. He headed toward the turnstile with familiar steps.
"Hwaaaam."
With his mouth wide open and yawning, he rummaged through his padded bag with his swollen, half-open eyes. He was looking for a card. He blinked and rummaged through his pockets, where all kinds of miscellaneous items, including cell phones and earphones, were rolling around, and later he realized something strange.
"… … uh?"
The subway station that I had been going in and out of every day for several months did not look like its usual appearance. Something was strange. The walls lined with billboards were cracked and moldy. It was an old station, so it was a bit shabby, but not like this. There was also a damp, fishy smell. Black moss half covered the fluorescent lights installed at regular intervals on the ceiling.
The lights, which had been blinking ominously, soon went out. It got dark everywhere.
"W-what… … ."
I suddenly woke up. He inadvertently took a step back. The card I was looking for had long since disappeared from my mind. He quickly turned around. He didn't know how it happened, but he felt like he had to get out of here quickly. But he couldn't tell the direction because the lights suddenly went out. Where did I come in? Which stairs led to the ground level?
"uh? It's a surprise. what?"
At that time, I heard someone's voice from behind.
"Why is the station like this all of a sudden? "What happened?"
The moment the passerby heard that voice, he felt greatly relieved. There was someone else here besides him. Someone who is in the same trouble as you. He was very scared, as if he were the main character of a horror movie, but without realizing it, he relaxed.
"hey! "There's someone here."
I shouted loudly in the direction from which the sound came. After a moment of silence, the other person muttered from beyond the darkness.
"uh?"
"There are people here too! Oh, wait a minute. "I will go there."
Belatedly, I thought about the flash light function on my cell phone. He took out his cell phone and turned on the light. Once I joined that person, I was planning to report it to the subway call center or the police. The round, artificial light dispelled the darkness a little. I could see the bottom covered with moss and aquatic plants, as if this were the middle of the deep sea. The stench became even worse than before.
"hey. Where are you in now?"
"what?"
A sound was heard right nearby. I picked up my phone and pointed it in that direction. But what appeared under the lights was not the person he expected. The limbs are strangely long and the body is pale… … . It was a strange-looking variant, as if three or four more legs had been attached to the side of a starving corpse and the skin of a raw chicken with all the hair removed was covered.
His mouth was wide open, as if his jaw joint had fallen out, and there was blood all over it. The monster turned its head and looked straight at the passerby. There was a hollow hole instead of an eyeball, but I intuitively knew that I was being observed by the other person.
Eventually, it slowly moved its jaw. Wagjak, wagjak. There was what looked like human hair and flesh stuck in its bloody snout. The passerby was mesmerized and lowered his gaze to the floor. The body of a person who had lost his head was spread out on the dirty floor. The monster swallowed what it was chewing. gulp. The neck wrapped in pale leather wriggled once.
"Why is this happening all of a sudden? "What happened?"
From an oral structure that seemed incapable of human speech, clear and natural speech sounds came out as if a tape recorder had been turned on.
"… … It's a surprise."
It opened its blood-covered muzzle wide and laughed bitterly. The passerby's body trembled uncontrollably. He needed to run away, but his feet wouldn't move.
"Huh, uh, ah… … ."
Screams echoed throughout the gloomy subway station.
"Aaaahhh!"
* * *
Erewhon 1st team. It is the representative team of Erewhon, and it is a team made up of the strongest people. The members are Woo Shin-je, Joo Tae-in, Kwon Hee-su, and Yoon Chan. There are less than ten S-class awakened people in the entire country, but there are two in Erewhon alone, Shinje, and the other one is Chan.
If he had become independent and left Erewhon, he would have gained enormous wealth and fame wherever he went. S-class awakened people will bow down and welcome them not only in Korea but also overseas. However, he remains as an ordinary member under Shinje, and not as a vice-captain. Because he and Shinje have been friends since they were young, and because using gamtu only increases the work and becomes a hassle.
The first time Yoo Geon met Chan was at a meal. The priest summoned the hunters under the pretentious excuse of introducing a new guide. They even emptied an entire floor of the restaurant attached to the Erewhon headquarters building for this event today.
An open view unfolded beyond the large glass window. A dull light blue sky, a river and a bridge flowing beneath it, and a gray city with obsessive buildings and wires tangled together. It will be even more worth seeing when the sun goes down and the lights come on one by one.
Four men sat down at a spacious table. Soon Yoo Geon appeared under the guidance of an employee. Today he was wearing a china collar shirt and slacks. The hoodie he was wearing when he first arrived was not visible. Taein's style was so simple and neat that he wouldn't feel uncomfortable even if he went into any office nearby and sat at the desk right away. This was Taein's taste.
After receiving instructions from Shinje to buy Yugeon pretty clothes and dress him up, Taein was as worried as ever, beneath his cool and calm face. Buy and carry clothes for the guide? He knows that he finds him terribly annoying? It was the worst. He would have been better than himself if he had entrusted it to Hee-su or Chan or anyone else.
Yugun itself was also a problem. I had no idea what to wear to look pretty on that bleak and rugged young man. You put the words 'Baek Yoo Geon' and 'pretty' together. There is probably no combination in the world that doesn't suit this well.
I didn't even consider the option of asking Yoo Geon directly about his taste in clothes. He doubted whether he had any fine sense of aesthetics, and he did not want to get into trouble over such trivial matters. He hated taking her to the store himself to pick out various things and try them on. So this was the method I chose. It would take some time for custom-made uniforms to be released, so for now, I had someone buy a few ready-made clothes that fit my size at a nearby department store.
Yoo Geon silently wore the clothes Tae In sent and came out. There were no words of complaint. Perhaps it was natural. He seemed like the kind of person who would do that even if he only wore sportswear and combat uniform every day.
"Did you sleep well? Baek Yu-geon Guide. Was there anything uncomfortable?"
The priest asked with a bright smile. This was not something the person who had stabbed the opponent with his finger and forced him to inhale narcotic smoke, ultimately causing him to faint, would have said this. He obviously couldn't have slept well after something like that happened. Yoo Geon's complexion was noticeably pale.
"… … ."
He didn't answer. Eyes that could not read emotions looked down at the table. Glasses, plates, and cutlery neatly placed in front of me. It was all something I had encountered for the first time. The dishes coming soon will also be eye-poppingly luxurious. His brother must be surviving at this very moment, relying on a respirator and numerous tubes. My stomach throbbed, which wasn't any better.
"This is our guide, as you know very well. "We get along well."
Shinje introduced Yoo Geon. It was a relaxed tone that did not fit the atmosphere. Tae-in and Chan completely ignored Yu-geon as if he didn't exist. Only Hee-su spoke warmly.
"Hello, Yoo Geon."
This side has a record of grabbing Yoo Geon and pouring water into his nose and mouth. They all greet the subjects who committed such acts with a blank expression, as if nothing had happened. I got goosebumps.
The amuse bouche was soon served. A dish the size of a finger or two was placed on a round plate. The chef who approached the table added some explanation, but Yoo Geon could not understand most of what he said. This situation itself, sitting there pretending like nothing happened among insane people, was unrealistic. He didn't even think about picking up the dishes and just stayed where he was.
"Woo Shinje."
What broke the strange silence was an unfamiliar person. A man with short black hair and tanned skin snarled in a low voice like the growl of a wild beast. Shinje responded casually, teasing the fork and knife.
"why? "Chan."
"Are you really crazy?"
"What's new again?"
The god did not blink an eye. He was still focused on eating and even smiled softly, like someone who was embarrassed after hearing a compliment. Chan's face crumpled.
"Suddenly they called me so seriously that I wondered what was going on, and they called the guide over and made him sit in a sickle. And what, get along well? "What on earth are we going to do now?"
Chan couldn't control his excitement and raised his voice.
"I was definitely opposed to having exclusive guides. How many times have I told you that I would look into renting? "But you can't even fucking hear what I'm saying!"
"this. You have to use the right and kind words, right? "The guide will be scared."
There was a sound of teeth grinding. The fierce eyes became even more dangerous. Realizing that no matter how much he clenched his neck against Shinje, it was useless, the arrow of anger was aimed at Yoo Geon this time.
"Hey, guide."
A large, sinewy fist hit the table. A dull sound echoed throughout the restaurant.
"I don't know what you were thinking when you came here, but behave yourself. "It would be better if you just leave it like this."
"… … ."
"I can't stand a guide who speaks arrogantly, claiming that he is Erewhon. "Honestly, I don't even know why I have to sit across from you right now."
Yoo Geon slowly raised his head. The eyes of the four men were all focused on themselves. Persistently, without blinking even once. He was wearing a human mask, but he did not look like a human. The expressions were varied, but they were all scary. Even just looking at this side, I felt a sense of intimidation, as if I was crushing the other person.
The suppressed anger rose up. But it was scary at the same time. I didn't know that if I went against their wishes, I would be subjected to something horrendous, almost like torture, again. The pain etched into my body, which had not yet completely healed, sent a warning.
What should I do? Will you reject with silence or submit with compliance? Yoo Geon tightly clenched his hand, which was resting helplessly on his knee. Before he knew it, cold sweat had formed in his hands. His heart was beating anxiously.
"… … ."
Yoo-gun's expression, who was looking down with a dark complexion, changed. He looked directly at Chan, lifted the corners of her mouth and smiled.
"You should conduct yourself well."
"what?"
"Is yelling at everyone at the dinner table the way here?"
"What did you just say? "Do you think something happened because I sat at the same table with S-class and A-class people?"
The atmosphere became irreversibly cold. Chan looked like he wanted to jump off the table and punch Yoo Geon at any moment.
"What can you do? Well said, I'm your exclusive guide. "What can you do other than being stuck at home, squandering your budget, and then hugging us and fawning over us when we come?"
Those who were staring at Yoo Geon without even moving a single word resumed what they were doing one by one. The priest elegantly sipped the aperitif in his glass. Heesu's eyes lit up with excitement and she chewed the pre-dinner bread eagerly as if she were eating popcorn. Taein remained silent and engrossed in his meal with the attitude that it was none of his business what you guys did. However, their attention was still focused on Yoo Geon's every move.
"How is that different from a pet? really. Pets don't look back on their owners, right?"
"The analogy is wrong. Pets get their fill of cuteness. Even livestock would be better than this."
Chan laughed out loud. Her amber-colored eyes glowed dangerously under the bright lights.
"under… … Fuck, this is fun. "This thing is crawling out of nowhere."
He picked up the plate in front of Yoo Geon and dropped it on the table without hesitation. bang! A plate was placed roughly on the floor. It was acceptable that it didn't break or fall over. Fragments of uneaten food were flying everywhere. A drop of the sauce that the chef must have put a lot of effort into making ended up on Yoo Geon's shoes.
"If you want to be treated like livestock like that, you should do it. From now on, all you eat is food. "It's not a meal."
"… … ."
"What are you doing? "Don't go down to your seat."
"… … ."
"Oh, do you want some water too?"
It didn't stop there. Chan lifted the clear glass filled with water upside down and gurgled it onto the plate on the floor. The food and water mixed together in the plate, creating a mess. Decorative gold dust floated on the hazy water surface. It only took a moment for expensive dishes to become trash.
The others watched this scene without fail. But no one came forward. He did not stop the two, nor did he defend or criticize either side. Rather, it seemed like he was anticipating how Yoo Geon would react.
It was indescribably bizarre. Events that were unacceptable according to common sense and morality were happening right in front of us, but everyone except Yoo Geon remained calm. In a world where everyone is abnormal, normal people actually become abnormal.
The men sitting at this table seemed flawless and well-off at first glance, but they were all crazy in different ways. He was just putting on a sleazy exterior and acting like a socialized person, but his eyes were filled with madness.
The order established around the divine system was solid. I felt like prey caught in a spider's web. No matter how much you struggle and struggle, it will be of no use. It just becomes entertainment for predators. Yoo Geon slowly stood up, hallucinating that spider webs were entangling his hands and feet. Four pairs of inorganic eyes stared at me. A silence where you could even hear the sound of a pin dropping.
He bent down, receiving everyone's attention. He picked up the plate that had fallen on the floor and poured the whole thing onto the dish in front of Chan. The oily liquid was not enough to fill the plate and overflowed onto the table.
"I'm grateful that you even take care of the livestock feed. "Please eat as much as I can."
He shook the plate thoroughly and poured out everything that had accumulated at the bottom.
"You have bad manners, right? "Different from others."
And then he put his empty plate down. Chan's face, which had been dazed by this unexpected development, opened up belatedly.
I didn't want to stay here even for a second longer. A gourmet dish adorned with gold dust and herb leaves? There was no way I would have regrets about food that someone who had tried it knew the taste of, how to eat, or even what it was called. Yoo Geon gritted his teeth and turned around, heading back the way he came. A bitter pain arose inside me even though I had not eaten anything. He trotted across the wide hall toward the exit.
The moment the heavy door closed behind me, someone burst into laughter as if they had been waiting inside. I burst out laughing so hard that I was holding my breath all at once. I could vaguely hear Chan getting angry mixed with it.
However, Yoo Geon walked straight without stopping even once. As I passed through a wide, empty hallway, a bathroom caught my eye. There was no measuring back and forth. He ran into any cubicle, leaned down as if he was going to collapse, and retched. All that came out was plain water mixed with gastric juice.
* * *
The cell phone placed on the table vibrated. I was in the middle of reviewing a report uploaded on my tablet. Without taking his eyes off the tablet screen, Shinje tapped the screen with his fingertip to answer the call.
"yes."
- Director Woo Shin-je. This is Lieutenant General Bae Cheol-seong.
"It's been a while, Lieutenant General. "Have you been safe so far?"
The priest gave a greeting as smoothly as water. However, the other person seemed to have no time to leisurely ask how they were doing. A man who was past middle age and reaching old age spoke in a deep voice.
- Is there a law in heaven and earth that does this all the time? Director Woo.
"What do you mean?"
- I know you're young and full of energy, but shouldn't we respect each other's morals? Even though their affiliations are different, they are in a situation where they make a living by beating up each other's mutants.
"Like you said, I can't tell if it's because I'm getting younger. "What did you contact me about?"
When he pretended not to know even though he knew, the lieutenant general eventually exploded.
- That last press conference, press conference!
"aha. Press conference."
Shinje grinned and adjusted his posture from being stretched out on the sofa to sit down. Then he picked up the cell phone that was lying on the table and put it to his ear.
- You suddenly burst out in such an absurd story in a place crowded with reporters who smelled the scent and flocked to you? Do you know how much trouble we are having these days because of a single word from Director Woo? All sorts of things are coming out, from bizarre conspiracy theories to public petitions.
"That is absurd, Lieutenant General. Where was the mistake in what I said? Mutants that had never been reported often appeared at the gate, and the Awakened Management Headquarters kept this fact a secret. "Isn't it all true?"
- Is there really a need to blame this side in that way, I mean? Would we have been hush-hushing because we liked it?
The lieutenant general let out a roar as if he was shocked. His 60th birthday would be just around the corner, and his voice was full of power even through the speakers. Thanks to his fiery temperament, he must have reigned as a superior like a tiger. Well, that was the espers' situation and it was none of the priest's business. No matter how high your rank is, you're scary to fellow soldiers. To civilians, whether you're a lieutenant general or a captain, you're just an unknown guy.
While the lieutenant general was pouring out complaints disguised as shouting, Shinje blinked his long eyelashes boredly. A bored gaze stared into space.
- An unheard of mutant species appears out of the blue, and if you encounter it, you will 100% die or go crazy. Since I don't know how to deal with it or its appearance pattern, I have no choice but to be left helpless every time it appears. Say it that way. How can a country run properly? It's all over now, and humanity will be destroyed anyway, so wouldn't it be a good thing if we didn't just lie down on our stomachs and say you die and I die?
When I got there, I heard a knocking sound. The priest glanced at the door. Soon the door opened and the person outside came in. It was Yoo Geon. I told them to put it on and send it to me as soon as the uniform I had ordered arrived, and it looks like it has arrived. Yoo Geon stood in the doorway with a stiff expression on his face, feeling awkward wearing clothes for the first time, fiddling with the hem of his sleeves. When the god gave a light gesture, he started to approach this way.
A black shirt, well-fitting gray pants, black leather gloves, and a leather harness that tightens the chest and shoulders and extends to the dominant arm for firm support. It was the uniform worn by Erewhon hunters. In addition, they wore walkers or shoes and added personal equipment or put on a coat depending on their taste.
Hunters' uniforms varied greatly for each order, but mainly reflected the tastes of the leader. For example, Bari, another nearby hunting order, had a very unique taste in its leader, so they wore blouson uniforms with eye-popping embroidery all over the back. As long as you wear it, it doesn't matter what you wear underneath. Erewhon's high-level hunters, including Shinje and Taein, tend to like neat and sophisticated things, so the uniforms were tailored accordingly.
There were two metal badges on Yoo Geon's chest. One with Erewhon's logo engraved on it, and one depicting a net woven with light. The latter was worn by all guides regardless of affiliation.
It was an unspoken rule not to touch the guide wearing this badge even if a situation occurred between hunters. Just as in a war between countries, if a person wears a red cross, they will not be killed without permission, even if they belong to the enemy country. Of course, if you wanted to harm the guide, you could harm them, but even if you won the battle, you were likely to be criticized as being bastards without even the slightest concept and branded as a public enemy among the hunters.
From the first time I saw it, I thought neutral colors would look better than colored clothes. But, dressed like this from head to toe, it suited me better than expected. Now that you've put it on neatly, all that's left is to rip it off. Even as Shinje was thinking such things, the sound of the lieutenant general's words rang continuously from the cell phone in his ear.
- Director Woo, this guy. If you sit high up, you need to be able to see widely. In these important times, huh? Even if espers and hunters work closely together, it's not enough. What are you thinking when you think like that?
It was only after Yoo Geon stood in front of Shin Je that he realized that he was on the phone. He didn't say anything and stayed quiet so I didn't know. While standing motionless and observing the Emperor's expression, he asked bluntly:
"Shall I come back next time?"
-What do you want? Isn't he saying that because he has something he wants here? Are you doing this because of the J.S. merger and acquisition case? If that's the case, I'll take care of it so you won't be upset next time, so you can hold a correction interview right now... … .
"… … ."
Inside and outside the speaker, two different people asked him questions. The new emperor did not answer anyone. No matter how he interpreted his silence, Yoo Geon turned around with a calm expression.
"I've kept my mouth shut for a long time, but it's embarrassing, Lieutenant General. How long have you been planning to deceive the entire country?"
Shinje responded calmly and stretched out one arm. I wrapped my arms around Yoo-gun's waist and pulled him in, who was turning his back on me. Her strong waist, wrapped in his shirt, was in his hands.
"omg."
Yoo Geon took a deep breath. Contrary to the appearance that he only carefully touched pretty and noble things, the man's touch was merciless. He was dragged helplessly, staggeringly, and was held tightly in the arms of the god. Without even giving Yoo Geon a glance, Shinje lightly lifted him up and sat him on his thighs. While playing with his waistline with his long, white fingers, he held the cell phone with his other hand and continued talking on the phone with a bored expression on his face.
"If you're going to scale up fraud, shouldn't you do it thoroughly? In the last Hwangan Bridge disaster, they said that all the witnesses were dead and no statements could be obtained, and this time, they said that it was an accident caused by an F-class hunter who deliberately caused a runaway accident. "Don't you think the excuse is a little too weak?"
No matter how dull Yoo Geon was, he knew that the current atmosphere was unusual. It was clear to him that this was a sensitive conversation that should not be divulged to others. However, Shinje wrapped his arms tightly around Yugeon's waist and did not let go, as if he didn't care if Yugeon heard, as if he was deliberately asking him to listen.
"The level of the staff planning the plan is not very good. Our Vice Admiral, it seems like your eyes for people have become dull as you get older. "How about doing a water change at this point?"
- Would it have turned out like this even if Brigadier General Woo had been alive? If that person saw you doing this right now, he would really cry.
The hand that was slowly touching Yoo-geon stopped, as if idly stroking a pet that was begging to be played. Yoo Geon inadvertently looked back at Shin Je.
"What if your father is alive?"
Shinje asked softly, his eyes widening slightly. Although usually completely arrogant, this man sometimes deliberately gave off an air of idiotic behavior. Like a mistress in the king's arms, chattering innocently and begging to dig out the hearts of all people and decorate his palace. He suddenly leaned his cheek against Yoo Geon's shoulder. His light hair was disheveled and his eyes were slightly bent. He smiled like a flower in full bloom and whispered sweetly.
"… … Then I have to kill you again."
There was silence beyond the speakers for a while. The lieutenant general could not continue his words and just clicked his tongue.
- Ha, huh... … . Huh, indeed.
Then he just hung up the call without saying anything like a warning.
- You're making a mistake.
Shinje threw the disconnected cell phone somewhere. And he wrapped his arms behind Yu-geon's waist and pulled him towards him. His chest and stomach were tightly pressed against each other.
"Why did you go like that? "I didn't even eat."
He asked Yoo Geon, who was sitting on his thigh. Just by looking at his tone of voice and facial expression, it seems as if he is scolding a cold-hearted lover. The man's face, blinking flutteringly from a distance that was almost close to touching the tip of his nose, was extremely flashy. There was nowhere to look. Yoo Geon silently avoided eye contact. Even so, I couldn't escape from Shinje's arms.
"I overheard the call unintentionally. "What do you mean by fraud?"
"The food wasn't that good? "I didn't know what people would like, so I tried to make it according to my taste."
"Is the Hwangan Bridge incident related to this incident?"
"Next time, should I ask you to serve Korean food? Or something else?"
"Is the center intentionally covering it up? why?"
"Baek Yu-geon Guide."
Shinje cut off Yoo Geon's words. It was a soft voice, no different from before, but it gave me goosebumps for some reason. I felt like I shouldn't disobey him.
"If you keep doing that, I'll get hurt…" … ?"
With his waist tied so that he couldn't escape, the priest was about half a span below with a very sad expression on his face. Eyelashes were shadowed as the eyes looked up in this direction.
Yoo Geon couldn't believe his ears for a moment. I was so shocked that I even forgot to breathe. Are you feeling hurt? Just for this little thing? In many ways, this was not something a person who had hurt Yoo Geon without even blinking an eye would say. The sensation of his fingers prodding my tongue, the roof of my mouth, and the inside of his body is still vivid and makes me nauseous.
"… … ."
All kinds of swear words rose up to my chin. Yoo Geon frowned and pushed his new friend away. In contrast to his sky-high appearance, his body was very strong and remained unmoved even when he was pushed with all his might.
I didn't realize it because I was so focused on the phone call, but his posture was extremely explicit. It felt like wherever I touched the other person was on fire. As our chests touched, we could hear each other's heartbeat, and we could feel the thick front ribs under our buttocks. Once I became conscious of it, I became irreversibly uncomfortable. It felt like if I lost my balance and tilted, my lips would immediately touch each other. Yoo Geon's spine and waist were very tense.
Hundreds of people Yoo Geon met in his life tried to criticize him and put him down. It was normal for them to start swearing and swearing at each other at first sight, and it wasn't uncommon for people to start by beating them all up to discourage them. For low-level hunters who lived rough lives without structure or culture, violence was the simplest way to establish their authority.
In that sense, Chan was easier to deal with. It was a pattern so familiar to him that he felt a strange sense of nostalgia. I experienced many instances of senior hunters being territorial when I first entered the place. If I thought that Chan's behavior was also a form of territoriality, I could endure it.
But Shinje was different. He did not fit any type of human being that Yoo Geon had known. She whispered softly, then suddenly turned violent and trampled on him in a very humiliating manner. Then, the very next day, she called him to a fancy restaurant, treated him to a meal, and dressed him up in expensive clothes.
I had no idea how to deal with him. Yu-gun's pride did not allow him to submit obediently. But that doesn't mean we should set a sharp edge for every single thing… … Every time that happened, it bothered me that Shinje would laugh so hard that he would die. I hated it even more when my desperate resistance was reduced to nothing more than entertainment for the other person.
"Did you call me for guiding?"
I cut everything out and just blurted out the main point. Seeing that she called me and hugged me and had no intention of letting me go, I thought she needed guidance. I just wanted to do what I had to do and get away from him quickly.
Shinje looked at Yoo Geon with smiling eyes. Beneath her indifferent expression, Yoo Geon was showing signs of discomfort with her entire body. She was as stiff as a log, and every now and then, pretending to be a mistake, she rubbed his thighs or kneaded his waist, honestly startled.
"No, I don't really need any guidance yet. "Compared to before, it's a complete paradise now."
As he said, Shinje's condition improved incomparably compared to when they first met. I wondered if it was the same man who was whispering crazy words while breathing heavily with unfocused eyes.
Since his first impression was like that, the current appearance of Shin Je was even more alien to Yoo Geon. It seemed as if he had caught a wild beast, put a leash on it, cleaned it, and trimmed its fur. That won't change the nature of being a wild beast. Without hesitation, Yoo Geon placed his hand on Shin Je's shoulder and tried to raise himself up.
"Then I'll just go…" … ."
"But it seems like it suddenly became necessary."
The priest put his strength around the hand around his waist and forced him down. His body, which had been floating awkwardly, was returned to his arms.
"Guiding, you said earlier that you don't need it… … ah."
While looking at the other person without even blinking, Shinje slightly turned his head to narrow the distance. They became so close that each other's breath could be touched.
"That was back then. "Not now."
Our lips barely touched each other just before kissing. Yoo Geon reflexively lowered his head. Her upper body was tilted back because she was being held by the other person from the waist down. The rebellion was short-lived. The back of her head was wrapped in the priest's hand and returned to its original position. I pinned his head so he couldn't escape and locked my lips with him again. But Yoo Geon kept his mouth shut.
"Open your mouth."
He whispered just above his lips. Yoo Geon inadvertently frowned at her. It was a passive expression of refusal. The priest sighed softly.
"Your brother can't even open his mouth on his own right now, so he's just lying down. That's sad… … ."
It was said elegantly, but it was a threat. Yoo Geon's face was distorted in horror. The strength in my closed mouth was released. He lightly touched her upper lips together as if he were testing the liver, then gently pursed them. The feel of the even teeth inside her lips and the narrow, moist membrane beyond them lingered on the tip of her tongue. But it wasn't time yet. Since we were both sober for a long time, we planned to taste it step by step.