IH Ch 110

Chapter 110

“It doesn’t matter much to me where you’ve been or what you’ve done until now. I just…”

Clenching and then releasing his teeth, Jae-i looked into Dohwa’s eyes and whispered:

“Don’t go anywhere.”

“…….”

“Don’t suddenly disappear one day. That would really…”

He couldn’t bear it. The few beings he had ever given his heart to had always vanished in that same sudden way. His mother. His cat. He had lost them without preparation, not knowing what to do, helpless. Yet he was no longer young or fragile like he once had been.

“I’m thinking about how to deal with this situation. So…”

He wanted to say: just wait for me a little. Stay by my side for now. But he had never said anything like that before. He didn’t know how. He had never tried to hold on to anyone, so he didn’t know how to do it. What if saying this made Dohwa hate him? What if Dohwa felt uncomfortable, avoided him, or ran away? What if—right in front of him—Dohwa really did disappear—?

The moment the thought reached that point, Jae-i felt the tips of his fingers turn cold. His breath wouldn’t come properly, and with his face stiffening in fear, a gentle hand cupped his cheeks. Fingers traced beneath his eyes; a thumb pressed lightly against his lower lip before releasing.

“Jae-i. Breathe.”

At those words, his blocked breath burst open as though by magic. He parted his lips and exhaled the air he had been holding in, and in front of him was that small, pale face.

“I won’t go anywhere without telling you. I won’t suddenly disappear.”

“…….”

“And if I ever have to go somewhere, I’ll tell you… and I’ll come back.”

The first half was fine. The second was not.

Jae-i frowned, his voice curt.

“Just don’t go anywhere at all.”

It was the tone of a child clinging petulantly. Whether he realized it or not, it was unbearably endearing. How could such a tall, handsome man be this lovable? Gently stroking the face resting in his palm, Dohwa whispered:

“It’s strange. I never imagined you would like me this much.”

He had never once thought of such a thing.

Even now, a small part of him wondered if this was all a dream. Maybe he was simply dreaming of what he wished for. With that uncertainty creeping in, Dohwa asked:

“You like me too, right?”

“…….”

A deep crease immediately formed between Jae-i’s brows. So the answer was no after all? As Dohwa’s lips began to droop in disappointment, Jae-i lowered his head. Leaning forward, he rested his forehead on Dohwa’s shoulder and whispered softly:

“…I like you.”

“…….”

“I like you.”

Not once, but repeatedly—several times—he said he liked him. Dohwa’s expression slowly relaxed. Filled with happiness and warmth, he wrapped his arms tightly around Jae-i.

Once he confirmed Dohwa was asleep in the dark room, Jae-i rose carefully. He had never been so cautious in his life. He checked Dohwa’s condition with every small movement. Even stepping off the bed and backing away, he could hardly breathe loudly. It felt ridiculous, but he was too earnest to laugh at himself.

He left the bedroom door half-open on purpose. Then he went into the next room and contacted Ahn Yuna. She must have been waiting—she answered immediately and jumped straight to the point.

[Nothing strange was detected in Dohwa’s hair, so I think you can relax. As for the beast—we investigated it. Its attack power is low, but it has a copycat trait. It gains abilities by swallowing stronger beasts. But the one it swallowed before must have been too strong—so it became indigestion. The beast you killed would’ve been burned or melted, but it probably managed to get a scrap of flesh before that.]

“…It ate his hair.”

[Yes, it did eat some of his hair, but honestly, that wouldn’t be enough to cause anything.]

“…….”

[Alright, I’ll investigate further.]

Sensing discomfort in Jae-i’s silence, she quickly added:

[And given the situation, transporting the beast right now would be dangerous. Why not leave it where it is? There are unused rooms in the building, right?]

“…….”

[If you carry it around and someone sees it, that’d be a problem. Especially now.]

Especially now.

He didn’t like the phrasing, but she wasn’t wrong. Jae-i stayed silent.

There were many things irritating him, making him overly sensitive, but the tiny beast—barely the size of a fist—wasn’t truly threatening. If it bothered him, he could destroy it. He told her he’d stash it deep inside the building. Then Ahn Yuna brought up another matter.

[The Association sent an official notice. They want to confirm your attendance for the second-quarter academic conference. It’s scheduled for fifteen days from now. And… I have a feeling that conference is connected to that person.]

“I think so too.”

[……]

“Judging by the situation, the government and the Association intend to protect Hwang Hajin.”

[……Are you alright?]

He laughed quietly at her worried question—she knew everything. But the faint smile vanished quickly, and his voice sank.

“Strangely, the more time passes… the less angry I feel.”

Before, he would’ve gone berserk—destroyed everything, probably blown up half the building. But he no longer wanted to do that. Instead, his mind cooled, and he began calculating how those bastards would move.

“To them, I must’ve looked like some emotional thing that’s easy to manage. Don’t you think?”

[Who would dare think that? You’re one of the hardest people to handle. I know that better than anyone.]

Half of it was sincere, the other half a joke to comfort him. Before, he wouldn’t have noticed. Now he understood. Who cared for him genuinely. Who among them were opportunists and rats.

The Association, too, were the sort who would turn their backs the moment it benefited them. It wasn’t shocking, but he hadn’t expected them to use this approach with Hwang Hajin. Maybe some small part of him had still trusted them. Thinking that, Jae-i walked toward the window.

He swept the curtain aside. Beyond it, buildings, streetlights, and neon signs filled the city with brightness. It was nothing like the dark coastline he’d seen earlier. Back then, the night sky had been scattered thick with stars. Here, the city lights drowned the sky in a bluish haze. Past the stained-looking clouds, he spotted a massive billboard atop a distant high-rise.

The Association chairman was smiling with his arms outstretched.

That bastard.

I’m not letting this go.

Jae-i opened his tightly sealed lips.

“I think I finally understand that I can’t keep doing things like this.”

[……Do you have something in mind?]

“I’m thinking.”

He was considering how to hit those bastards back as efficiently—and as thoroughly—as possible.

And perhaps, surprisingly, he had already found the answer. Ending the call, he left the room. Standing before the door to Dohwa’s room, he paused.

He no longer questioned why he went to Dohwa every night. Instead, a different curiosity had formed. He wanted to know the other presence—the one that sought Dohwa at night, yet was not entirely him.

Through the chip recovered from the shattered CCTV, he had seen himself—whining against Dohwa, smiling sweetly, clinging as though begging for affection. At the time, he couldn’t believe that strange behavior was his and had thrown his phone away in denial.

Looking back, perhaps it had been him. Maybe he had liked Dohwa from the beginning. His hypersensitivity whenever Dohwa was involved, his thoughtless mischief… and also…

Jae-i lifted his gaze to the empty air and murmured:

“Are you there?”

He didn’t know why that… other him only appeared at night. But it was not hostile to Dohwa. If anything, no matter what happened, it seemed most concerned for him. So this was… a kind of prior agreement.

“No matter what happens, Dohwa stays here.”

Whatever nonsense the Association or Kim Wi pulled, he would protect Dohwa to the very end.

He was the one who brought Dohwa out, so the responsibility fell on him. And whether or not that strange persona emerged, both were still Hwang Jae-i—still him.

“Let’s handle this properly.”

After all the gravely serious muttering, Jae-i grimaced.

He’d tried so hard to sound solemn, but honestly, it was ridiculous. Anyone watching would think he’d lost his mind. Muttering like that, he slipped back into the bedroom just as secretly as he had slipped out. He slid into bed beside Dohwa and pulled him close again.

The body that naturally nestled into his arms was warm and soft. It smelled good. Even though he knew he shouldn’t disturb someone sleeping so peacefully, he kept touching him. Tightening his arms, he held Dohwa fully in his embrace and rested his cheek against the soft hair.

“…….”

He had never shared a bed with anyone before. Even as a child, he had always slept alone. So lying like this made his heart flutter. Not out of discomfort, but out of fondness. Maybe it was because it was Dohwa. Jae-i slowly closed his eyes.

Ten minutes later, his eyes opened again. Still sleepy but clear enough to check on Dohwa, he murmured softly:

“Promise.”

Then he pulled Dohwa closer and drifted back to sleep.