By Zephyria 
99
It seemed like they had hurriedly left the house when the Devouring Ghoul attacked. Fortunately, there were no traces of blood, but he was worried if they had managed to escape safely.
Ho-eun, who was chewing on a potato slowly, unlike before, covered his mouth again and asked.
“Where are the other Crimson Rain Brigade members?”
“At the school. We’re meeting at the hospital later.”
“Ah… Dong-ja Noonim, and Man-soo Hyungnim, are they all safe?”
“Yeah.”
Ho-eun nodded, seemingly relieved by Tae-muk’s short but firm answer. Then, he bit into the potato again.
“…Jeong-woo and Jeong-i are safe too.”
Tae-muk answered a question that wasn’t asked. Ho-eun’s eyes slowly widened at that. Right, he had asked Tae-muk to take care of them before he lost consciousness at the church. He seemed to have babbled whatever came to mind in his confusion, but it seemed Tae-muk had remembered it.
“Is that so? That’s a relief.”
Ho-eun smiled, his eyes crinkling. Then, he popped the remaining potato into his mouth. His white cheeks twitched excitedly. His feet, dangling below the wooden floor, swayed as if dancing. He looked like an excited child.
“……”
Tae-muk quietly watched Ho-eun like that. Then, when Ho-eun inadvertently looked at him, he turned his head and stuffed a potato into his mouth.
Around the two of them, the autumn breeze was stirring refreshingly.
Before leaving, Ho-eun tidied up the house. He thought the homeowner would feel bad if they returned to find someone had used their house without permission. So, he folded the blankets neatly, washed the basket they had eaten the potatoes from, and left some of the money he had in his pocket. He felt sorry for the wet money, so he carefully smoothed it out with his palm before leaving it.
After that, he came out to the yard again.
“……”
The yard was empty. Tae-muk had definitely been standing in the yard smoking just a moment ago, but now he was gone. His military jacket, which had been on one side of the wooden floor, was also gone.
“……”
In an instant, Ho-eun’s pupils narrowed sharply. He looked around the not-so-large yard again and again. But as expected, Tae-muk was nowhere to be seen. He even went to the kitchen, but he wasn’t there either.
“Uh…, ah……”
His heart began to pound wildly. His fingertips turned cold, and goosebumps rose on his arms.
Tae-muk being gone meant he was left alone here.
Even yesterday, Seong-im had been with him, Jeong-woo had been with him, but now he was completely alone. If a Devouring Ghoul were to appear, he wouldn’t even be able to scream before dying, let alone run away.
“……”
The house, which had felt so peaceful and serene just a moment ago, suddenly felt incredibly scary. It felt like Devouring Ghouls were hiding outside the fence, in the cowshed, and inside the doors he hadn’t opened.
His mouth felt parched. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he struggled to take deep breaths. His vision blurred. He couldn’t tell if it was dizziness or tears welling up.
Ho-eun, who was shuffling back and forth, suddenly raised his head sharply.
He had to call Tae-muk.
If he called, he would hear his voice and come.
He had come yesterday, so he would come today too.
Thinking that, he suddenly snapped back to his senses.
“Ge… General.”
Ho-eun called out to Tae-muk.
“General!”
This time, he put more strength into his voice and called out louder. Ho-eun’s voice filled the yard. And at that moment, the gate burst open.
“What. What is it.”
Tae-muk appeared with an annoyed expression.
“……”
Ho-eun stared at Tae-muk with wide eyes. Tae-muk was wearing his military jacket without buttoning it, and he had an unlit cigarette in his mouth. Beyond his shoulder, a horse could be seen. It seemed he had been preparing to leave.
Without any time to feel relieved or anything else, Ho-eun ran to Tae-muk. Then, he threw himself into his arms. He hugged his waist tightly with his insignificant strength.
“…What is it.”
Tae-muk looked down at Ho-eun with a seemingly flustered voice. He was so picky about even holding hands, so he couldn’t help but be flustered by this sudden hug. His hands, unable to find a destination, hovered awkwardly in the air.
Whether he knew Tae-muk’s reaction or not, Ho-eun buried his cheek firmly against his broad chest. Then, he tugged at Tae-muk’s waist repeatedly and muttered.
“Don’t, don’t leave me alone…”
“……”
“Please… don’t leave me alone…”
He would rather die than be left alone. It was a weak thing to say, but it was true. He had barely endured yesterday because Seong-im and Jeong-woo were there, but if he had been alone, he might have just died in the hospital. He had finished preparing to accept death at the same time as leaving the house.
Tae-muk might see him as pathetic and weak, but he couldn’t help it. He needed to resolve this anxiety right away. Otherwise, he felt like his body would shatter into pieces.
Ho-eun was desperately clutching, hugging, and pulling at Tae-muk when a low voice landed on the top of his head.
“Why would I.”
Ho-eun slowly raised his head and looked at Tae-muk.
“…Excuse me?”
“Why would I leave you alone. What do I gain by leaving my Bondmate alone.”
Tae-muk’s face was expressionless. It didn’t seem like he was looking down on Ho-eun for trembling. It was just that he really couldn’t understand Ho-eun’s words.
Ho-eun was… happy with Tae-muk’s reaction. After all, it meant he wouldn’t leave him alone. After being dazed for a moment, he buried his face in Tae-muk’s arms again.
“Yes. I’m General’s Bondmate, so please, never leave me alone.”
And he hugged Tae-muk’s waist tightly with both arms.
“……”
At Ho-eun’s actions, Tae-muk’s neck unknowingly lengthened. His breathing became subtly irregular. He moved his eyes to the left and then to the right before slowly raising his hand. And just as he was about to hug Ho-eun back.
“Oh…”
Ho-eun spotted a horse between Tae-muk’s armpits. It was a black horse, and its appearance and eyes were very familiar. It was Ho-eun’s horse.
He hadn’t been able to take it with him when he escaped from the hospital. He had thought it had been caught in the explosion and died. He had often thought of the horse while running away to find a safe haven. He couldn’t believe he was meeting it again like this.
“You were alive!”
Ho-eun immediately left Tae-muk’s arms and ran to the horse. His Braided Hair fluttered, hitting Tae-muk’s hand.
“Ha…”
Tae-muk looked at his hand, which had fallen into the air, and let out a hollow laugh. Ho-eun, oblivious to everything, hugged the horse and rubbed his cheek against its neck. He stroked the horse’s body here and there.
“Are you hurt anywhere? Did you eat? I’m sorry for leaving you behind…”
Tae-muk frowned deeply at the heartfelt scene.
“That…”
Hugging anything without loyalty, hugging just anyone, smiling at just anyone… If he were a nobleman, wouldn’t he value loyalty and integrity like his life? But why was Ho-eun like this? Tae-muk clicked his tongue, looking at him with displeasure.
Suddenly, the horse neighed loudly. Its black eyes were directed at Tae-muk. Tae-muk mouthed the word “What” at the horse’s gaze, which seemed to be criticizing him. The horse neighed again without backing down.
Clop, clop.
The sound of hooves continued leisurely. Ho-eun, who was loosely holding the reins, glanced sideways. Tae-muk was right next to him.
It was the first time this had happened. Gil-sang had always been by his side, and Tae-muk had been at the front, so he could only catch glimpses of his back. To be riding horses side by side like this. Moreover, there were no Crimson Rain Brigade soldiers, just him and him, only the two of them.
Perhaps that’s why, it felt like they were taking a stroll. What stroll in a battlefield, but it really felt like that.
Ho-eun savored the feeling and briefly wondered if someday, in the distant future, after all the Devouring Ghouls had disappeared, there would be a day when the two of them could ride horses and walk peacefully on a road like this. As he did, he unknowingly stared at Tae-muk.
“What.”
Tae-muk said, staring straight ahead.
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Ho-eun quickly averted his gaze. He shook his head to try to come to his senses. Then, he readjusted the reins and straightened his back.
But soon his body slumped again. That was because the road with Tae-muk was too peaceful. After entering the town, they had been running on horseback, running on foot, anyway, they had been running all the time, but now they were strolling leisurely like this.
…Leisurely?
No matter what, how could he be leisurely?
Ho-eun looked around quickly. He stared intently at the alleys and side streets, and looked back at the road he had come from.
But it really was leisurely. There was no sign of Devouring Ghouls, and there were no human screams. The bloodstains had all been washed away by the heavy rain, so it just looked like an uninhabited village.
“I don’t see any Devouring Ghouls. Are you only avoiding roads where they are?”
Ho-eun asked, sounding amazed. But Tae-muk replied nonchalantly.
“No.”
“……”
Ho-eun’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the unexpected answer. He had thought that Tae-muk, with his keen hearing, was only choosing roads where there were no Devouring Ghouls. If that wasn’t the case, then why couldn’t he see even one?
Ho-eun stared at the clean road and pondered, “Hmm…” Then, he came up with various conjectures.
“Could it be that the Devouring Ghouls are hiding from the rain? Are they afraid of water?”
But Tae-muk chuckled.
“Devouring Ghouls? Water?”
At that, Ho-eun nodded.
“Yes, I don’t think that’s it either. They followed us even when it was raining. They even hid in the valley before… But why can’t we see them now? The only difference between yesterday and today is the presence or absence of rain…”
Ho-eun continued to speculate diligently, even touching his chin. He wanted to know the reason why the Devouring Ghouls had disappeared. It could become their weakness. But Tae-muk said something unexpected again.
“I killed them all.”