By Zephyria 
The atmosphere was chaotic when they came out of the water. The civilians were busy discussing what they had just seen inside the cave, Kim Ha-yoon and Kim Seon-oh were talking on one side, and the soldiers were organizing their equipment with troubled expressions.
Ire went to his car and took out a cigarette. He was rummaging through his pockets to light it when a flame appeared before his eyes.
“Did you even learn to smoke?”
He looked up and saw Seo Young-jun and Oh Nam-gi.
“Thanks earlier. I almost got my neck pierced if it weren’t for you.”
The thing that flew right in front of him wasn’t round at the end, but sharp and pointed like a blade. What the hell was it? If he was unlucky, Seo Young-jun could have been impaled or dragged away to die. Then, Oh Nam-gi, who was next to him, touched Ire’s body here and there.
“This bastard, I thought he’d be feeble, but he’s gotten stronger.”
Ire recoiled, swatting his hand away, and Oh Nam-gi laughed, saying he hadn’t changed. Seeing his face, Ire’s heart welled up. He had sometimes imagined reuniting with them. He thought that even if they met, they wouldn’t be able to laugh and get along like before…
“You heartless bastard. Didn’t you even miss us?”
Just as he was about to ask how they had been, he met Park Mu-jin’s eyes over his shoulder. Seo Young-jun and Oh Nam-gi seemed to notice, said goodbye, and quickly turned away. As soon as they turned around, Park Mu-jin mercilessly kicked them in the shins. Still not satisfied, he glared at Ire and made a throat-slitting gesture.
Son of a bitch… Ignoring him because he wasn’t worth responding to, Ire got into the car, and Kim Ha-yoon suddenly got in from the opposite door.
“What is this…?”
“I’m Kim Ha-yoon.”
“Get out.”
“Why are you like this? We have something to talk about.”
Soon after, the bus and the trailer carrying the boat began to leave, leaving only Ire and Kim Ha-yoon alone by the lake.
Kim Ha-yoon stared at Ire, then lowered his gaze. The material of the shirt he was wearing was thin, and it kept sticking to his body because it was wet. Imagining the smooth, luscious body inside, his mouth went dry and he felt hungry. He licked his lower lip once for no reason and looked straight ahead.
“The thing we saw in the cave. Has it been there before?”
Without denying it, Ire nodded. Back then, the drought had dried up the lake more than it was now, and the upper part of the cave was slightly exposed. He had gone in without thinking and discovered the crack, and then he had heard strange noises and seen something flashing in the darkness, and he had run away. At first, he thought it might be a large animal, but what he saw earlier was a creature of a completely unexpected form.
“Have you ever seen anything like that?”
Kim Ha-yoon didn’t answer Ire’s question. He knew that his maternal family had been running a pharmaceutical company for generations and had made a fortune when the virus first spread. Afterwards, they focused on research and experimentation, and people said they had locked up the infected and done all sorts of experiments.
“We’ll find out eventually.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“The problem is securing an escape route. It would be different if we could make an exit on the other side. No matter what’s inside, we can lure it out and deal with it. A flat area is much more advantageous for us than the lake.”
“Do you think the committee will agree?”
“I don’t care about those people. The important thing is the crack. Don’t worry and take care of your own business. I saw quite a few guys aiming for your life earlier.”
Kim Ha-yoon smiled with a look of regret, and Ire glared at him. He was about to say, ‘Who do you think will fall for those guys? You’re worse than them,’ but he stopped.
“If you’re done talking, get out. I have to go.”
“I don’t have a car. Give me a ride.”
Ire stared at Kim Ha-yoon with an incredulous expression.
“Walk.”
“As you know, I was raised delicately.”
Ire sighed and looked outside. It was getting dark, and staying here any longer wasn’t a good choice. Knowing that he wouldn’t budge unless he dragged him out, he started the engine.
Brrr- Brrr- The engine trembled, but it wouldn’t start. Frustrated, he hit it with his fist, but it was the same, and eventually, smoke rose from the engine room. Ah, damn it. He unconsciously covered his head.
“Oh dear- it’s broken.”
Kim Ha-yoon seemed to be enjoying himself, not worried at all. Blaming everything on that man, Ire got out, opened the hood, and examined the engine. He had been putting off maintenance because he was busy lately, and this was the result. He opened the trunk to see if there was any useful equipment, gave up, and called Kim Ha-yoon, who was sitting in the passenger seat.
“Do you know how to fix cars?”
“Do I look like I do?”
Ire squeezed his eyes shut. He was already annoyed to death by his wet clothes. Meanwhile, Kim Ha-yoon got out and took out a cigarette. In that gap, Ire took out a change of clothes from the trunk and went to the other side.
He heard footsteps as he was changing. Kim Ha-yoon, who had appeared unnoticed, was leaning against the car, smoking a cigarette, and scanning him up and down.
“If you keep staring, I’ll gouge out your eyes and throw them to the fish.”
The moment he took off his shirt and changed, Kim Ha-yoon strode over and grabbed his shoulder, turning him around. When Ire swung his arm to break free, Kim Ha-yoon held his head with one hand and pressed down on his shoulder with the other, completely subduing him.
“What the fuck! What are you,”
He pressed his thumb firmly on his right shoulder.
“What’s this?”
Ire felt a chill down his spine at the ominous voice.
The area Kim Ha-yoon touched was where he had tattooed the design.
“The mark?”
Ire swung his elbow without hesitation, but Kim Ha-yoon dodged it miraculously and stepped back. Ire glared at his wrist, panting. The skin was red with handprints from how hard he had been grabbed. Seeing that, Kim Ha-yoon smiled crookedly, without any remorse.
“That’s right? The tattoo that was on your stepfather’s body.”
Kim Ha-yoon remembered exactly that Lee Seon-jae had a tattoo on his finger in an old photo. It was now distorted by burns, and he couldn’t even find the shape.
“…….”
“What great affection. Huh?”
“Shut up. What do you know?”
“I know for sure. How you feel about your stepfather.”
“I told you to shut your mouth.”
“Are you two closer than I thought?”
“Ha, crazy. Write a novel.”
“Fucking hell, you were pretending to be innocent and making me feel like shit.”
This delusional bastard. Ire drew the knife he was wearing on his waist without hesitation and rushed at Kim Ha-yoon. The tip of the knife hit the car because Kim Ha-yoon dodged, and Kim Ha-yoon stepped back and smiled savagely.
“Is it real?”
This time, he threw himself at him, and the two of them rolled around on the gravel. Ire couldn’t understand this man’s mind at all. He was kind one moment, but then he would say things in such a nasty way that it scratched at people’s insides.
As the tip of the knife narrowly missed his face, Kim Ha-yoon bared his teeth.
“Not only the ears, but you’re going to tear up my face too?”
“You started it first.”
“You’re talking down to me every time. And you’re so young.”
“You old fart.”
Kim Ha-yoon, who had been relaxed all along, frowned. Ire understood exactly what words he hated. He didn’t know why he was so obsessed with age, but when he called him a shameless bastard who only went after kids and a guy who couldn’t act his age, he flipped Ire over and pinned him to the ground.
“A guy like you,”
Before he could finish speaking, his lips were rubbed against Ire’s, and his tongue suddenly entered. It was relentless even when he bit him without mercy. He shuddered at the sight of him greedily swallowing blood and saliva, smacking his lips. A violent kiss continued, and blood dripped from Kim Ha-yoon’s lips.
Seeing his face smiling with tattered lips, Ire felt the emotions he had buried deep down rising up.
“Get off… I’m really going to stab you.”
Even though the tip of the knife touched his side, Kim Ha-yoon didn’t even blink and caressed Ire’s cheek.
“I heard you were promiscuously rolling around with women. You’re a liar.”
“…….”
Then he dropped his head on Ire’s chest and took a deep breath. Ire stared down at his black head, the knife aimed at Kim Ha-yoon’s side. Fuck… It’s always like this. Then he turned his head and couldn’t help but doubt his eyes.
“…Kim Ha-yoon….”
“Yeah, just call me by my name. How great is that? What’s the big deal about a nine-year difference?”
“Over there….”
“Actually, I was jealous. I admit it was childish.”
“It’s not that….”
“Every time you talked and laughed with other guys, it made me sick. You never did that to me. You even showed your front teeth to your friend earlier? I don’t even know what your front teeth look like?”
“Stop talking crazy and look over there!”
Ire’s voice cracked slightly. Only then did Kim Ha-yoon raise his head and shift his gaze to the lake.
“…….”
A black mass was crawling out of the water. Or should he say walking out… The two of them could only watch in silence at the bizarre sight they were seeing for the first time in their lives.