136 – HGL 136

‘…Whale?’

Eui-jae pressed Sa-young’s head against him with the hand that had been patting his back. A sweet scent wafted up.

The whale with its pure white body was enormous. Judging by its appearance alone, it didn’t seem to be a Monster, but he couldn’t be sure. There was too little information. Was it a hostile entity, or a lifeform residing in the sea of the Destroyed world? Or perhaps….

“…Hyung.”

Sa-young whispered. Eui-jae snapped to his senses. The whale, which had leaped so high, had already disappeared into the sea. The surroundings were quiet, as if the whale had never appeared. He sighed softly and replied.

“Yeah. Sa-young-ah.”

“…Are you okay?”

“I’m okay.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah.”

“……”

“I’m fine.”

Sa-young released his grip on his clothes. Eui-jae patted Sa-young’s back a couple of times and gently pushed him away. Lee Sa-young’s face was paler than usual. A few strands of hair were stuck to his forehead, as if he had broken out in a cold sweat. He muttered.

“I couldn’t wake you up….”

“……”

“I tried to wake you for ages, but you wouldn’t wake up. Hyung….”

It was a dazed murmur, as if he were possessed by something. His vacant purple eyes were fixed on somewhere in the air, not Cha Eui-jae. A dark energy flickered in his pupils. Soon, Lee Sa-young roughly scrubbed his face. Small curses leaked through his fingers.

“Fucking….”

“I said I’m okay. Calm down.”

“Ah, ugh….”

But Sa-young clutched at the front of his shirt as if in pain. A small groan escaped him. Huff, huff…. Lee Sa-young’s breathing grew rapid. His clothes were crumpled messily. This was different from being upset or irritably annoyed. Rather, this was….

‘What kind of hero can’t even save us!’

Someone’s scream, a tearing voice, echoed in his ears. He couldn’t remember who it was. Eui-jae bit his tongue. A bitter taste of blood spread. Yes, it was similar to the attitude shown by Hunters whose mental strength had bottomed out. And J had seen many such Hunters.

…Very many.

Lee Sa-young was now hunched over, panting. His breathing only became more rapid, showing no signs of calming down. The cycle of his breathing grew shorter and shorter, and the veins on the back of his hand, which gripped his chest, stood out. It was a symptom of hyperventilation.

Eui-jae scanned the surroundings with the Eye of the Tracker. Yoon Ga-eul was still in the same spot he had seen her earlier, not far away. Judging from the intensity and movement of the flames, she didn’t seem to have suffered any particular injuries.

If so.

Cha Eui-jae gritted his teeth and cupped Lee Sa-young’s cheeks.

“Lee Sa-young, look at me.”

“……”

“I’m here.”

“……”

“Lee Sa-young!”

His purple eyes did not see Cha Eui-jae right in front of him, but groped aimlessly in the air. His pale face was turning blue. A chill ran down his spine.

“……”

Was it because he had just seen ‘that’ memory?

Eui-jae straddled Sa-young’s legs, supporting the back of Sa-young’s neck with one hand and covering the hand gripping his collar with the other. He stroked the back of his veined hand soothingly. Sa-young’s head was lifted. A gasping breath intermittently escaped his slightly parted lips.

Was it because the memory of ‘Cha Eui-jae’ in the Memorial Dungeon was too sweet?

And he slowly lowered his head.

No, it’s all just an excuse.

A sweet scent wafted up,

Perhaps, Cha Eui-jae was….

Soft lips met.

“……”

Eui-jae tilted his head. Lips rubbed against lips, sharing warmth. He blew air into the slightly parted lips. After blowing in all his breath, he inhaled once more and kissed him. He could feel the strength slowly leaving the hand gripping his collar.

How long had it been? Eui-jae opened his closed eyes.

Purple eyes, now in focus, were filled with Cha Eui-jae.

“……”

“……”

Eui-jae slowly pulled away the touching lips. And the hand that had been holding his body. And almost as soon as he pulled away, a large hand grabbed Eui-jae’s wrist tightly. Their eyes met.

Eui-jae opened his mouth.

“…I told you, I have a skill.”

“……”

“I don’t lie like some people.”

The lukewarm temperature of bare hands and fingers seeped between his fingers. A firm arm and a large hand wrapped around his waist. Purple eyes shone fiercely as if to devour the person in front of him, and red, swollen lips parted. A cracked voice whispered sweetly. As if seducing him.

“Not yet.”

“……”

“Just a little, more.”

“……”

Lee Sa-young.

Cha Eui-jae’s only.

And….

Eui-jae slowly lowered his head. Something soft forced its way in through his parted lips, as if allowing it. The sound of tongues intertwining echoed wetly. His body flinched every time a dark tongue brushed against the roof of his mouth.

As he wrapped his arms around Sa-young’s neck, chest met chest without any space in between. His heart was beating wildly. This time, Lee Sa-young would definitely be hearing everything. After all….

[The trait Basilisk’s Poison(S+) has been activated.]

[Due to the Basilisk’s Poison(S+) effect, resistance to previously detoxified Poison has been acquired.]

[Detoxification speed increases.]

[The body does not suffer damage.]

[Detoxifying…]

There’s no way an S-class Awakened wouldn’t hear it, right?

Eui-jae ignored the System windows that kept popping up and closed his eyes. Touch, his lips parted slightly. A low laugh melted through the tiny gap.

“I guess so.”

“……”

“It wasn’t a lie….”

Haa…. Sa-young, who let out a sigh as sweet as if he were melting, lowered his head and pressed his lips to Eui-jae’s neck. Eui-jae looked down at Lee Sa-young’s disheveled black hair and gently rested his cheek against it.

A hot heat swirled around his entire body. In the silent ruins, Eui-jae closed his eyes and listened to the sound of his heart.

Lee Sa-young tasted sweet.

Rustle, rustle…. The white ash piled high on the floor was trod on more softly than snow. Behind the shadows of two people, long footprints remained on the white ash like a tail.

Blue eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. The place where the flames flickered the most intensely. It was an abandoned house where the framework and some form still remained. Eui-jae looked behind the wall.

“Yoon Ga-eul!”

There was a black mass in the corner of the room that was not covered in ash. It seemed that this was Yoon Ga-eul.

Eui-jae hurriedly ran towards the mass. The closer he got to the mass, the louder the sound of ragged breathing became. On closer inspection, the black thing was an old, worn black leather coat that had lost its original luster.

When he carefully lifted the coat, Yoon Ga-eul’s face was revealed, her eyes closed in a peaceful expression as if she were asleep. He put his hand under her nose and felt her breath.

“Ah….”

That’s a relief. He knew of her survival, but feeling it directly and being certain was another matter. Eui-jae carefully shook Ga-eul’s shoulder.

“Student Ga-eul. Wake up. Student Ga-eul?”

“Ugh….”

Ga-eul frowned and groaned. Sa-young, who was standing next to him with his arms crossed, tilted his head crookedly.

“I think it would be faster to just hit her once to wake her up.”

“Hey, why hit a student.”

“I woke Bae Won-woo up by hitting him.”

“That’s something to be proud of, you moron.”

While he was arguing with Lee Sa-young, Ga-eul, who had been wriggling, slowly opened her eyes.

“What….”

“Ah, you’re awake?”

“Uh, uh, uhh, J! It’s J, oh, you’ve come!”

Ga-eul screamed and jumped up. But perhaps because she moved too quickly, she grabbed her head and began to groan.

“Ah, ouch….”

“Calm down. There’s nothing dangerous around. I looked around on the way here, and it really seems like it’s just us.”

“Yes, yes….”

Ga-eul, who looked at Eui-jae and Sa-young while holding her head, soon began to sob.

“Ah, really, sniff, I’m really sorry. Sob… you came all the way to a place like this because of me….”

“No, don’t think like that.”

“But still…. Sniff.”

Ga-eul pouted like a duck as if trying to hold back her tears. And she roughly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Eui-jae squatted down in front of Ga-eul and watched her, then smiled.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Student Ga-eul.”

At that moment.

“……Sniff.”

“…Huh?”

“Hwaaa! Really, sob, hwaaaaa….”

Ga-eul began to wail loudly. Why, why is she suddenly crying? Eui-jae looked back at Lee Sa-young, who was standing behind him, with a bewildered expression. Sa-young raised the corners of his lips.

“Hyung made her cry.”

“…Me?”

“Waaaaaa!”

“Why don’t you comfort her? I think we can only hear the story if she stops crying first.”

Sa-young nodded with a smile. Eui-jae tried to rummage through his pockets, but his gaze fell on the coat in his hand. It was very old, but strangely familiar.

“……”

Where did I see it?

Eui-jae frowned and fiddled with the coat. And, suddenly, a memory flashed through his mind.

“Ah!”

Eui-jae abruptly held out the coat to Ga-eul, who was wailing.

“Student Ga-eul, Student Ga-eul!”

“You’re not giving that to her to wipe her tears with, are you? …Disgusting.”

“Sa-young-ah, just stay still. Student Ga-eul!”

“Hwaaa… Sniff, yes?”

Ga-eul looked back and forth between Eui-jae and the coat, hiccuping. Eui-jae pointed to the coat in his hand and sparkled his eyes.

“Isn’t this the one that came out in the Fragment? That one!”