By Zephyria 
Deok-woo’s head shot up so high it looked like it would touch the ceiling any second. Unable to find purchase, his feet flailed about as if swimming.
“Oh my god…”
People stared at Deok-woo with their mouths agape. The sight of a man as big as a door soaring into the air was more bizarre than amazing.
Even more bizarre was Tae-muk holding Deok-woo up with one hand. Even if he had lifted him with both hands, they would have been shocked, but he held him with one hand as if he were holding a small wild animal. He slowly straightened his back, not even looking at Deok-woo, whom he was holding. Then, tilting his head, he muttered, looking at Ho-eun,
“‘Doryeonnim’?”
He was repeating Deok-woo’s words. His voice was so low that the surrounding air seemed to cool down. But there was a strange rhythm to his voice. What should he say? It was as if he was sneering…
Only then did Tae-muk turn his gaze to Deok-woo. Then, he tightened his grip on his neck. Veins bulged on the back of his hand, which was as big as a pot lid.
“Keuhuk, keok…”
Deok-woo thrashed about as if having a seizure from the tremendous pressure. Tae-muk stared at Deok-woo with emotionless eyes. He looked like he was about to break Deok-woo’s neck.
“W-What are you doing! Let him go!”
Ho-eun screamed in horror. At that, Tae-muk’s black eyes turned to Ho-eun.
“……”
For a moment, a smile flickered across Tae-muk’s lips. Then, with an expression that said, you want me to let him go, so I will, he threw Deok-woo away. Deok-woo flew across the hall like a kite in the wind. People screamed and fell over as the huge figure cut through the air.
Deok-woo, who had been flying endlessly, stopped only after hitting the wall. Then, he crashed to the floor with a thud.
“Deok-woo!”
Ho-eun immediately tried to run to Deok-woo. But Tae-muk was still holding Ho-eun by the scruff of his neck. Ho-eun glared at Tae-muk with wide eyes.
“Let me go!”
“I don’t want to.”
It was a reply like a sulky child. It was not something a grown man, especially a man with the rank of general, would say. Ho-eun’s face turned red.
“W-What kind of gangster act is this!” I told you to let me go!”
“I said no.”
Eek… Ho-eun twisted his body. But Tae-muk didn’t budge. Feeling a surge of defeat, Ho-eun clenched his teeth and grabbed his wrist. He knew he couldn’t beat him with his weak strength, but there was nothing else he could do.
But at that moment. The moment Ho-eun grabbed Tae-muk’s thick, hard wrist tightly. Tae-muk recoiled as if he had been burned. It was strange, but Ho-eun didn’t have time to feel puzzled and ran to Deok-woo.
Deok-woo was sprawled on the floor, groaning. Ho-eun, who had sunk down as if sliding, propped him up.
“Deok-woo. Deok-woo. Are you okay? Huh?”
“Are you alright, Doryeonnim?”
Deok-woo was worried about Ho-eun even in the midst of all this. Ho-eun shook his head.
“I’m fine. What about you? Are you hurt?”
“Well…”
Deok-woo, who barely managed to lift his head, looked at his ankle. Ho-eun followed his gaze. Deok-woo’s ankle was twisted to one side. It seemed to have been twisted when he fell. Ho-eun turned pale.
“W-We need to go to the hospital.”
“Hospital? What for? It’s okay. This will get better soon if you just put a cold compress on it.”
“No, this is not something that can be solved with that. Let’s go to the hospital right away.”
Ho-eun tried to support Deok-woo. But with his insignificant strength, he couldn’t even lift one of Deok-woo’s arms properly. Ho-eun, who had been groaning and propping up Deok-woo a few times, asked the people around him for help.
“Please help me. We need to go to the hospital, we need to go to the hospital. Please, help me.”
People, who had been looking at each other, slowly gathered and began to move Deok-woo. Ho-eun kept thanking them and held Deok-woo’s hand tightly.
And Tae-muk…
“……”
He stood there blankly, looking down at his wrist that Ho-eun had grabbed, until Ho-eun disappeared from the hall.
“I’m okay, Doryeonnim. Why are you crying?”
Deok-woo’s ankle was broken. A thick, heavy bandage was wrapped endlessly around his ankle. Tae-muk’s handprints remained black on his neck.
Ho-eun, who had been clenching his mouth shut throughout the treatment, finally couldn’t hold back his tears the moment Deok-woo lay down on the hospital bed.
His startled heart was still pounding. It was the first time in his life he had experienced such threat and fear. Because his life had been so calm and boring, the aftermath of the fear hit him many times over.
“I-I’m not crying. I’m just, just…”
Ho-eun, who was stammering excuses, sobbed and swallowed his cry. Deok-woo comforted him worriedly.
“Stop crying. You’ll get a fever again.”
“Are you really okay?”
“I told you I’m okay. Aigoo, a grown man has so many tears, how are you going to get married?”
Ho-eun nodded as if he understood and took a deep breath. But the tears continued to flow, and his thin shoulders continued to tremble intermittently. Eventually, he just burst into tears.
“I, I’ve only been sick myself, it’s the first time you’ve been sick…”
He was so sad, worried, and angry…
He had been to the hospital countless times because he was sick, but it was the first time in his life that he had come as a guardian because his family or someone like family was sick. He finally understood why his parents and Deok-woo made such a fuss every time he was sick. It felt like his heart was crumpling.
Deok-woo, watching Ho-eun’s eyes, which were gradually turning red, sighed deeply. Then, he dropped his feet off the bed.
“Were you tired today? Come up here and lie down.”
Ho-eun, surprised, shook his hands wildly.
“No, no. It’s okay. Just stay there. Didn’t the doctor tell you not to move for a while?”
“Still, how can I lie down presumptuously in front of you, Doryeonnim.”
“Tsk. Just stay still without arguing.”
Ho-eun scolded Deok-woo in a rather gentlemanly manner. As he did so, he put his hand behind his neck and scratched his skin. Deok-woo frowned at the sight.
“Stop touching it. Your skin is getting red.”
Ho-eun had been constantly touching his neck since he came to the hospital. He had never had such a habit in his life, but today he was touching, scratching, rubbing, and scrubbing it.
“Ah… Okay.”
Ho-eun quickly lowered his hand. But his nerves kept focusing on his neck. The place where Tae-muk’s hand had touched was burning. He even felt as if his hand was still there.
Ho-eun, who was about to touch his neck again without realizing it, had to put his hand down at Deok-woo’s glare.
He carefully covered Deok-woo with a blanket. Deok-woo, watching Ho-eun, said in a voice that was unlike him,
“Why was that person like that earlier?”
“Huh?”
“Why did that bastard touch Doryeonnim? Don’t tell me that guy is Doryeonnim’s Bondmate? It can’t be. I can’t believe such a guy is your Bondmate.”
Deok-woo clenched his fist tightly. Ho-eun, who took a few breaths, sat down on the folding chair with a thud. Then, he wiped away the tears that were wetting his cheeks and muttered,
“I… I don’t know either.”
Everything had happened so quickly. While taking Deok-woo out, he hadn’t been able to check on Tae-muk at all. The God of War and Bondmate had to write down their names. He came without doing anything.
No, in the first place, were he and I even a match? Was the feeling he felt the moment he touched him real? It was all hazy and blurry, as if he had been dreaming all day.
At that time, someone came into the hospital room. It was a doctor he knew.
“Excuse me, Doryeonnim Ho-eun.”
“Yes?”
“Someone has come to see you.”
“Come to see me? Who?”
“It’s a soldier.”
“…A soldier?”
Ho-eun, whose nose was red because he hadn’t completely wiped away his tears, widened his eyes.
When he went out into the hallway, there was a person wearing a military uniform, just as the doctor had said. It was a back view, but judging from the red clouds embroidered on the cloak the man was wearing, he could quickly tell which unit he belonged to.
Ho-eun was nervous for a moment, but soon relaxed his stiff shoulders. This was because the man was not as tall as Tae-muk. That meant that the person who came to find him was not Tae-muk.
It was a relief.
…Was it a relief?
Ho-eun, who swallowed hard, went and stood behind the soldier.
“Were you looking for me?”
The soldier turned around quickly. He was stunned for a moment when he saw Ho-eun’s face, which was right in front of him, and then greeted him a beat later.
“Hello.”
The soldier was a young man with a sturdy build and a neat appearance. His hair was very short and his skin was dark. Ho-eun received his greeting with a short bow.
“Yes. But… who are you?”
“I’m Oh Gil-sang, a staff sergeant in the Crimson Rain Brigade. I think I saw you briefly at the Bondmate Ceremony earlier, do you remember?”
Ho-eun blinked quickly. He thought he had seen him behind Tae-muk, but he couldn’t be sure. This was because Tae-muk was an existence that devoured all presence. Anyway, he was wearing the Crimson Rain Brigade uniform, so he must be right.
“Ah, yes. But… what brings you here, Staff Sergeant?”
Ho-eun thought he had come to apologize to Deok-woo. After all, Tae-muk had a position, so he had ordered his subordinate to do it. It wasn’t the right thing to do, but he was still going to accept it. But Gil-sang said something unexpected.
“Ah, I have to go now.”
“Go… where are you going?”
“Where else? I have to go catch the Eater Bugs.”
Eater Bug was another nickname for Devouring Ghoul. Ho-eun asked back with a flustered look.
“M-Me?”