By Zephyria 252
The people holding Bibles bustled out, murmuring. Gyu-Gyu, who responded to those sending him eye greetings with a small wave and a smiling face, melted limply only after everyone had left. Just then, a middle-aged man in a suit approached with a displeased expression.
“Can’t you sit up straight?”
“I was sitting straight just a moment ago~”
“And what’s with that hair color? How can you be a role model to others like that?”
“Why, isn’t it cute~?”
“Cute, my foot. You look like a delinquent. Get a proper haircut!”
“What’s wrong with it~? You need something memorable about you to make a living these days. Pretty, right?Gyu-Gyu made a flower stand with both hands under his chin. His father made a ‘hmph’ sound as if displeased, turned his head, and walked far away. His mother, who was beside him, laughed heartily even while coughing.
“Yes, it’s pretty. But don’t dye it too much. It’ll damage your hair.”
“Yessir.”
Gyu-Gyu drawled his reply. His mother sighed, chasing after the back of his father, who had already disappeared.
“That man, really…. Still, please understand him. The world is so frightening these days. He’s worried about you.”
“Aww, worried? What’s there to worry about with me around, Mom.”
“Still. The atmosphere these days isn’t good at all. I even tried to stop you from coming today.”
“Why?”
Gyu-Gyu blinked with an innocent face, pretending not to know anything. His mother looked around, grabbed his arm, and lowered her voice.
“The way people look at Hunters these days isn’t good. You’re the pastor’s son, so it’s a bit less, but….”
So that’s why. He had felt subtle, thorny gazes throughout the service. Gyu-Gyu puffed out his cheeks as if to show off.
“Why would people look at Hunters unfavorably?”
“Don’t you know? Hunters are, like…. turning into monsters. It scares me to death.”
Gyu-Gyu rolled his eyes. He, too, had seen that scene several times while with Honeybee. But they only change when addicted to drugs; they don’t change for no reason. The smile disappeared from Gyu-Gyu’s lips. Instead, a fabricated, playful smile emerged. He stretched languidly.
“What are you talking about~? I’m hearing this for the first time.”
“You! How can a Hunter not know that? So many monsters with spiky thorns are wandering around. They say it’s all Awakened who have changed.”
“Ah, I’ve heard of that. But who says that? That Awakened have changed.”
“The church people say so! Some people have seen Hunters they know…. Everyone’s scared.”
“…….”
“Be careful. If only Awakened are changing, maybe you too….”
Worry settled on his mother’s face. It was true that Awakened mutated due to drugs. However, excluding the prerequisite of drugs, rumors seemed to have spread that any Awakened could mutate. Probably Prometheus’s handiwork. If it had spread even to the devout churchgoers….
‘Does the Director even know about this?’
Gyu-Gyu scratched his messy hair. Leaving aside the domestic situation, could these rumors have spread overseas as well? In fact, among the Hunters he had met on mercenary work overseas, there were quite a few addicted to Prometheus’s drugs. Hedonists who couldn’t be satisfied with ordinary stimulation.
Come to think of it.
‘Everyone’s been less in touch lately….’
“…….”
Going deeper would inevitably lead to getting caught up in troublesome matters. However, the content of the rumors was too unsettling to stand idly by. The guys he used to work with… it’s annoying, but he was worried. Gyu-Gyu clicked his tongue softly. In the meantime, his mother stroked Gyu-Gyu’s arm.
“Still, I’m glad you’re staying in Korea for a long time this time, son. I’m always so anxious when you’re traveling overseas.”
Did she sense that he was going abroad again? He smiled brightly and held his mother’s hand.
“It’s actually more livable overseas. I eat bread in the morning, you know. Don’t worry.”
“I miss you, that’s why.”
Cough, cough, she lowered her head and coughed. Gyu-Gyu asked worriedly.
“Do you have a cold?”
“No, it’s not a cold, but I keep coughing.”
“Have you been to the hospital?”
“Oh, I even got cough medicine. Don’t worry.”
“…….”
Gyu-Gyu stared intently at his mother’s face. Come to think of it, he had heard quite a few coughs during the service. Not just his mother, but several people had coughed. It would be fine if it was just a common cold going around, but…. Gyu-Gyu smiled skillfully and took his mother’s hand.
“Next time I come, I should buy some ginger tea~ to stop the cough.”
“Oh, you. You’re the only one I have.”
His mother smiled and opened her arms. On Gyu-Gyu’s face, as he crouched down to be embraced, the smile had cleanly disappeared.
Cough, the gush of wet liquid soaked his shoulder. Lee Sa-young’s body, leaning against him with his chin resting on Eui-jae’s shoulder, trembled. His body was strangely cold. Like a dead person. Eui-jae gritted his teeth. From the moment he saw Lee Sa-young crawling on the floor and vomiting blood until now, there was a scene that strangely wouldn’t leave his mind. Cha Eui-jae’s figure lying prostrate on a black coffin.
Lee Sa-young lying in a coffin.
‘No.’
Eui-jae tightened his grip on Lee Sa-young. Bae Won-woo, who was pacing anxiously beside him, asked.
“Hey, hey, is Romantic Opener still far away?”
Min-gi Seo, who was standing next to him, fiddled with the in-ear he was wearing and replied.
“They’ve arrived at Seowon Guild now. The door will open soon.”
At that moment, a large wooden door appeared in the air. Creak, a heavy sound echoed as if a door that had been closed for a long time was opening. Beyond the opened door were Romantic Opener, clutching the doorknob and retching, and Nam Woo-jin, holding crumpled paper and a broken pen. Nam Woo-jin stared at the scenery beyond the door with wide, white eyes. Bae Won-woo shouted urgently.
“Hey, Guild Leader Nam Woo-jin! Please help Sa-young!”
“Why does he look like that? And why is J here again?”
“It’s a long story, hurry! He keeps vomiting blood.”
“Hah…. These guys are making a fuss all together….”
Nam Woo-jin rubbed his face dryly with a frustrated expression, then rummaged through the messy desk and asked.
“How long can the door be maintained?”
“As long as Romantic Opener can stay conscious!”
“What kind of vague answer is that! Just come over here!”
“Is that okay?”
“Isn’t the time it takes for you to come over shorter than the time it takes to pack up all the tools here and go there? Come over right now! Are you trying to kill someone!”
Nam Woo-jin shouted angrily. And Eui-jae’s movement was the fastest. He stood up as if bouncing, holding Sa-young, and easily jumped over Romantic Opener, who was hanging on the doorknob. It was like Nam Woo-jin’s operating room. Nam Woo-jin rustled as he put on a Gas mask and thick gloves, pointing to the right path.
“There’s a Lee Sa-young-only Shield inside. It’s Gas mask-treated, so move him quickly so no blood drips!”
Marionette gestured as if to follow. Eui-jae followed Marionette, holding Lee Sa-young. The place it led him to was a room entirely black. Everything from the ceiling to the floor was black, and only the furniture and the operating table retained their original colors. Eui-jae tried to lay Lee Sa-young on the operating table. However.
“…….”
A large hand tightly grabbed Eui-jae’s shoulder. Lee Sa-young was clinging to him. His hazy purple eyes shook anxiously. Eui-jae looked straight into Sa-young’s eyes and said.
“Sa-young.”
“…….”
“It’s okay.”
“…….”
“I’m not going anywhere; I’ll be here. Next to you.”
Lips stained with black blood moved silently. The hand that had been grabbing his shoulder lost its strength, and his blurry purple eyes seemed to spin, then lowered his eyelids. Eui-jae laid down the limp body and checked his pulse. Fortunately, he was still breathing. Soon, Nam Woo-jin, heavily armed with a Gas mask and thick protective clothing, strode in. He narrowed his eyes and scanned J up and down.
“You’re fine, I see.”
“…….”
“We only have to save one person…. That’s a relief.”
Nam Woo-jin finally seemed to have come to his senses and used polite language. He examined Lee Sa-young’s face and body. Then, he made a sound of contemplation and gestured to Eui-jae.
“Do you have resistance to Poison?”
“Yes.”
“Then come and take off his clothes.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m trying to check if there are any other wounds. Just take off his top.”
Damn it. Eui-jae took off the already soaked black coat. And he rolled up the black clothes he was wearing underneath from the belly part, but Nam Woo-jin clicked his tongue and handed him a scalpel.
“When are you going to take it all off? Just tear it.”
Damn it! Eui-jae lifted the blood-soaked clothes and tore the middle with the scalpel. Soon, firm muscles and a chest were revealed. However, there was something that caught his eye before the muscles.
“…Did he fight some kind of monster or something?”
“…….”
A huge wound, large enough to cross the stomach and chest, was appearing very slowly.