By Zephyria After that, Ahn Seo-myeong bowed ninety degrees and apologized, saying, “I’m sorry for confessing so abruptly. I will be more careful and diligent in the future.”
He was so polite that I didn’t know what to say.
If someone who didn’t know him saw him, they would have thought he was an employee of a business partner.
‘And at the end, I was almost chased out.’
With a greeting that he would enjoy the lunch box, he slammed the door shut.
When I came to my senses, I was standing alone in the hallway.
‘Is this how it’s supposed to end…?’
I don’t have much experience in this area, but I knew it wasn’t, based on my gut feeling.
‘It’s a strange situation where I was confessed to, but I feel like I was rejected instead.’
Keueung, Ki Jae-eon tossed and turned on the bed for a long time.
Even though it was already past 2 a.m., he couldn’t sleep because of Ahn Seo-myeong.
His hand, hidden under the blanket, fidgeted for no reason.
‘Different, side…’
No matter how much he thought about it, it was strange.
Just hearing that one word, the uncomfortable place and the reality he wanted to escape from had changed so comfortably. It was as if a patient who had been afraid of an unknown pain had been cured after hearing a prescription that there was nothing wrong and that he could rest assured… The anxiety that had been weighing down on Ki Jae-eon had disappeared like the wind.
‘This room feels familiar today too.’
For some reason, he felt like he could sleep in late for the first time in a long time.
Of course, even if he thought about it again, it was an absurd confession, but Ahn Seo-myeong’s words somehow gave him a sense of stability. He couldn’t deny that fact.
‘The same person looks different from different angles. Each person has a side they prefer, and a side they don’t. So Sunbae is the same. You’ve just turned your head slightly to us.’
So, was he saying that he could also create a ‘me’ that wasn’t ‘me’?
The softened relationship with his family.
The existence of bustling friends.
All the relationships he had envied and longed for were actually possible for him too.
The feeling that the poison that had been piling up in his heart was slowly being detoxified was clear.
“Something…”
Since he had no worries, his body was also becoming languid.
“I’m a little… sleepy…”
The cotton blanket that pressed down with a moderate weight, the subtle scent of fabric softener.
“……”
His arms and legs, which had lost all their strength, were as light as if they could fly away, and the surrounding air was moderately cold.
It was the perfect state to get a good night’s sleep.
As expected, just as his eyelids were slowly becoming heavy, Ki Jae-eon’s head tilted weakly to the side.
Before long, the faint sound of his breathing echoed through the quiet room.
…….
……..
……..Do.
Destro…
An unknown voice was heard muffled as if his ears were blocked.
He shook off the drowsiness and looked around.
But what is it? Something was wrong with his surroundings.
Collapsed buildings, broken utility poles, a sky dyed gray.
He hurriedly turned his gaze, but there was nothing that looked like a human figure.
…Everyone, where are they?
Huh? A familiar yet unfamiliar smell stimulated his nose.
The musty smell was… blood?
…….
……..Kyaaaaaaaaak!
Ugh, a sharp scream pierced his eardrums!
Who is it? Is someone asking for help!
He ran through the unpleasant air.
Heok- heok! The surrounding scenery changed quickly as he ran faster.
But there was no place that was intact. From the school where classes should be in progress to the streets of the town where vitality should be returning…
It was desolate.
It was like a town of the dead, where no life could be felt.
What… what happened?
No, more than that, here is…
It was the moment he sensed something was twisted.
A black, sticky liquid splattered and rose from his toes.
Huh? Uh, uh, uh, uh-.
What is this!
Even if he tried to escape, his body stiffened and he was being submerged in an unidentified liquid. ‘It’, which had already reached below his nose, smelled very foul. It was like a rotten… rotten fish chunk that had been rotting for a long time.
Ugh- uwek!
As soon as he vomited because he couldn’t stand it, the scream that had been piercing his ears became even stronger.
Save me!
Exorcist-niiiiim!
The child, there’s still a child over there!
I don’t want to die, please… Uwaaaaaak!
Heok, heok! Heok…….
What is it?
What is it. What is it. What is it!
In a situation where he could barely open one eye, he saw people being butchered. Arms and legs were torn off and they died, their whole bodies swelled up and burst, their flesh rotted, and they were cut in half and died.
Stop it! Don’t do that, please!
He struggled to save those who were being slaughtered, but he couldn’t escape from ‘it’ that was binding his body.
Stop it, don’t do it. They’re innocent people!
Finally, his vision blurred.
Just as he was collapsing from his own powerlessness.
Exorcist-nim.
A call that was unfamiliar yet familiar was heard.
…Who, ah…?
Ahn Seo-myeong?
Why are you, there…?
Exorcist-nim, Exorcist Ki Jae-eon.
The only voice that gave peace in the midst of the chaotic chaos.
Something in his heart awakened to the indifferent yet affectionate tone.
Ah, right, you are-.
[Ahn Seo-myeong]
That’s right. It’s Seo-myeong.
No, it’s a memory he had forgotten.
…Seo-myeong-ah.
Seo-myeong-ah, Seo-myeong-ah.
You’re alive, you were alive.
I see. That’s a relief.
I’ll make sure to save you this time.
He stretched out his arm, which was losing sensation.
Seo-myeong-ah, come here.
Come to my side.
Exorcist-nim.
The guy’s white face, with a faint smile, began to turn black.
Why are you doing that, don’t do that, come here quickly.
If I die, it’s because I’m weak, not because of you, Exorcist-nim. So live.
The guy’s body, looking at this side, is being separated.
Red blood and organs gushing out.
Torn to death mercilessly…
“—!”
He was startled and got up. Heok- heok! His uneven breath flowed out of his mouth without stopping. Wh, what was that just now? Ki Jae-eon blinked, feeling dazed. But his head was already empty. He tried to remember again, but he couldn’t remember. Only a terrible sensation remained.
After a short time, familiar objects began to appear one by one in his dark-adapted vision. Ah, the room… It’s my room. Somehow his head calmed down, but his body was still the same. He was shivering as if he had been doused in cold water.
‘A chill…’
Ki Jae-eon wiped away the cold sweat and let out a cold breath.
It was the first time he had such a terrible nightmare.
“Is my energy weak?”
He was doing this just because he had a nightmare, he was dumbfounded himself.
“I’ve been getting lazy these days.”
I’ve been too lazy. He muttered to himself and lay down on the bed again. He closed his eyes with the determination to focus on mental training, which had been lax, from tomorrow.
But no matter how long he waited, he couldn’t fall asleep.
He didn’t want to admit it, but yes… he was scared.
He couldn’t believe it. That he, of all people, couldn’t sleep because of a nightmare!
‘What kind of dream was it?’
He clenched and unclenched his hands, which were soaked in cold sweat, several times, and felt an unpleasant dampness from the skin that touched and fell.
“Heo……”
Eventually, he let out a heavy sigh and straightened his body. His tired shoulders were still trembling slightly. Are you kidding me? He chuckled to himself and raised his weak hand to press down on his tired eyes. He didn’t know if his hands were cold or his eyes were hot. All he knew was that he was crushed by fear.
“Interesting.”
He was laughing, but he seemed to be quite shocked overall.
Ki Jae-eon slowly got up from the bed and headed for the door. He almost tripped and fell in the middle because he was nervous.
The aftermath of the nightmare remained in his body.
‘Should I drink some water…?’
If he drank a glass of cold water, his stuffy stomach would feel better.
“……”
He dragged his lead-heavy legs and arrived at the kitchen. He grabbed a cup that he could grab in his hand and approached the water purifier and pressed the button.
The water was flowing out.
‘What… what is it.’
The water flowing from the water purifier suddenly looked like red blood.
Blood…….
Cut in half, Ahn Seo-myeong?
“……!”
His heart sank.
Ki Jae-eon flinched and stepped back without realizing it.
Heok, heok……. His calm breath began to fluctuate roughly again.
He knew it wasn’t, he knew it was a misunderstanding.
“……Heu, eu.”
It was just a nightmare!
“Heok, euk……”
He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t breathe. It felt like someone was strangling his neck tightly. Keuk! Ki Jae-eon, with a painful expression, shook his head several times and then collapsed. His back collided violently with the lower cabinet with a thud, but he didn’t have time to feel the pain. Ki Jae-eon scratched his neck, struggling to get out. But he couldn’t put strength into his joints. Rather, as the fear pressed down on his nerves even more, he was slowly being eaten away.
“Is anyone there?”
The low voice cut through the precarious moment.
“Gyeong-hak?”
It was even slightly husky, as if he had just woken up.
“What are you doing there… huh?”
It was Kim Ju-won who had appeared.
“Hey, hey!”
Kim Ju-won, wearing a black tank top and beige shorts, rushed over with a stiff face.
“Hey, Ki Jae-eon!”
“Haa, huh… D-Don’t touch me…!”
A hand, which had been wandering aimlessly, touched his hunched shoulder. At the sudden skinship, Ki Jae-eon lowered his head and shuddered. The imposing figure he usually had was nowhere to be found, replaced by a completely terrified one.
“…Ki Jae-eon.”
Kim Ju-won quickly grasped the situation.
Because it was familiar.
Yeah, this look… it’s just like before.
“It’s okay, it’s me. Kim Ju-won.”
A hand as big as a pot lid slowly rose and lifted Ki Jae-eon’s chin. The guy who would have immediately slapped it away if he were in his right mind didn’t even have the strength to resist, lifting his head as the hand directed.
The dampness felt through the skin of his hand.
‘Did he… cry?’
It was too dark to see properly.
But the thought of this guy suffering alone made him feel bad.
Kim Ju-won frowned slightly and focused on Ki Jae-eon’s face. His eyes darted around busily, examining him closely.
After a short period of adjustment, his eyes, now accustomed to the darkness, began to see Ki Jae-eon’s exact condition.
‘Ah, it’s just sweat.’
That’s a relief. Kim Ju-won breathed a sigh of relief. Wow, I thought my heart was going to drop. Muttering a quiet complaint to himself, he straightened up to turn on the kitchen light. Or, he tried to. If it weren’t for the faint tug on his clothes.
“…No, don’t, turn on, the light.”
“Little Master?”
“D-Don’t…”
“I’ll just turn it on for a second.”
“……”
“I’ll just see if you’re hurt anywhere. Okay? I’ll turn it off right away. I can’t see well.”
He shook his head silently.
‘Ah, I don’t want to use force.’
What should I do? Kim Ju-won also wore a troubled expression.
“Don’t. Don’t turn on the light…”
“No, uh, haa-.”
Why is he resisting so much? Does he not want me to see him like this? Or is there another reason? He pondered, but it was difficult to find an answer right away.
More than anything, he didn’t want to force someone who was saying no.
“Ah… Okay. I got it. Then instead.”
Realizing that there was no point in thinking about it for too long, Kim Ju-won moved as he always did.
He easily turned half a circle, still crouching. Then, he offered his broad back to Ki Jae-eon.
“Get on. Let’s go to your room, I’ll make sure no one sees you.”