IH Ch 17

Chapter 17

“……”

When Hwang Jae-i opened his eyes, his vision felt hazy, prompting him to blink a few times. That’s when he felt something trickling down from his eyes. Normally, he would’ve immediately hardened his expression, but not now. He remained dazed, as if all energy had drained from him, until he realized once again that he wasn’t alone.

Jae-i tightly shut his eyes and opened them again as he sat up. And then he saw Dohwa, who lay beneath him. Even through the soft-looking fabric of his clothes, it was clear how thin his body was. Despite Jae-i being so large and heavy, having clung to him tightly while lying on top of that frail body, the boy hadn’t stirred at all, as if he didn’t feel the slightest discomfort—sleeping soundly and peacefully.

“……”

He really slept so well.

How can anyone sleep this deeply?

The better Dohwa slept, the more peculiar it felt. Was he really asleep? Jae-i cautiously placed his hand near the boy’s nose and felt the faintest breath. He let out a small sigh of relief before suddenly pausing. His expression stiffened, and just as he was about to quietly leave before Dohwa could wake up, a small whimper escaped from beneath him.

He froze and looked down to see the boy shifting slightly on the floor, arms stretched out to his sides. He slowly rubbed the floor, then moved his hands up to pat his belly. As though searching for something, he ran both hands over his stomach, then gradually rolled over. Still unsatisfied, he slipped his arms inside his sleeves and hugged himself tightly.

“……”

Jae-i glanced at himself, wearing only a pair of pajama pants, then looked at the boy, now curled up so tightly he resembled a round ball. He glanced around the room, struck again by a certain feeling.

The room, which had grown cleaner each time he saw it, was now perfectly organized. If one removed the gifts, sorted out the recyclables, and added a few pieces of furniture like a bed or a desk, it might finally look like a livable space…

At that thought, Jae-i abruptly stood up and strode outside. Still, his footsteps were softer than usual, and even when opening and closing the door, he was as careful as he could be.

It was stifling and hot. Dohwa mumbled, Hot, as he opened his eyes, but he couldn’t immediately get up. His entire body felt like it had melted and fused to the floor. He wondered if it wasn’t just in his head—maybe it really had happened. He lay still, and soon, the floor beneath his cheek began to feel increasingly hot, prompting a groan as he lifted his head. At the same time, he tried to move, but not even a finger would respond.

What the—? Panicked, he looked up—and froze. Several thick layers of blankets were piled on top of him.

“……”

Was someone trying to smother him to death?

He lay blankly for a moment before managing to pull out his arms and push the heavy covers off his body. Crawling out from under the pile, he slumped against the wall, drained. But the floor was genuinely warm—almost hot. Dohwa wiped the sweat beading across his nose with the back of his hand.

“…Hot.”

And he was thirsty. Swallowing dryly, he glanced at the door—it was slightly ajar. He wanted nothing more than to walk out, open the fridge, and drink a cold bottle of water. He also wanted to take a shower.

He must’ve sweated a lot while sleeping; his clothes clung to his skin. His hair stuck to his face, making him swat at it irritably. He sat for a while, then abruptly stood up, realizing he couldn’t take it anymore. Moving to the window, he gently opened it and poked his face through the gap. The fresh air outside offered a bit of relief, but the thirst remained.

Jae-i had visited him again. He hadn’t said a word, just stared silently until Dohwa hesitantly opened his arms. As if waiting for it, Jae-i had pulled him into an embrace, and like that, Dohwa had fallen asleep. When he woke, Jae-i was gone, replaced by boiling floors and heavy blankets.

It had to be Hwang Jae-i’s doing. He seemed to want to keep his nightly visits a secret. Was this his way of threatening him? Don’t go blabbing, or you’ll suffocate to death, or something like that.

Whatever the case, the tactic wasn’t ineffective. It was really hot. He hated the cold, but this level of heat wasn’t pleasant either. Fanning himself desperately, he peeked out through the open door.

Should I go out?

“……”

Maybe I should pretend I really need to use the bathroom. Then I could relieve myself and wash up—and drink some water, too.

Rolling his eyes and gathering courage, he crept forward. Peeking through the cracked door, he found it quiet. Thinking Jae-i might not be home, he leaned further out—only for Jae-i to suddenly appear from deeper inside the house.

Wearing gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt, Hwang Jae-i frowned when he saw Dohwa peeking through the door. Dohwa panicked and tried to slam the door shut, but a blunt voice stopped him.

“Come out.”

“……”

Then, with bare feet slapping the floor, Jae-i walked away.

Seeing that he was heading toward the kitchen, Dohwa’s body moved on its own. Is he giving me food? This early? It felt a bit soon. Maybe he just wanted to feed him and not bother with anything else afterward. Either way, if food was offered, he had to eat it.

What Jae-i made always tasted good. Until now, most of his meals had consisted of pill-type supplements, which had no flavor at all. They were literal nutrient substitutes—just enough to keep a person going. They kept hunger at bay but didn’t satisfy the emotional craving for real food, and some days that emptiness was unbearable.

Maybe that’s why everything he ate here tasted delicious. Especially the cake with the large strawberry on top—thinking about it made his throat bob. Gulp. Swallowing saliva, he followed where Jae-i had gone. Upon entering the kitchen, he noticed the clean, empty table and his gaze fell.

Just in case, he checked around the sink and nearby counters—but found nothing. Maybe I’m not getting anything now? He wondered if he could ask. Lifting his head, his eyes met Jae-i’s, who had been staring at him all along.

“……”

Dohwa fidgeted with his clasped hands, then timidly pulled out a chair and sat down. Who knows how long he waited like that—until he sensed Jae-i sit in the seat across from him. Peeking up, he saw Jae-i with his legs crossed, chin resting on one hand, an expression and gaze full of discontent, like he was about to interrogate him.

Uncomfortable, Dohwa tried to lower his head again when Jae-i called out shortly:

“Hey. What are you?”

“……”

He’s only now asking that?

The next question was even more unexpected.

“You’re really unawakened? Then why were you wearing something so weird in a place like that?”

It was understandable that he’d be curious, but Dohwa couldn’t help thinking it was a bit late to be asking.

He recalled how he’d gotten here. The only reason he’d been able to escape the place where he’d stayed so long was thanks to Hwang Jae-i. He’d ripped open the iron door like paper, grabbed Dohwa by the scruff without hesitation, and carried him out like some dangling baggage.

Outside, a few Hunters were standing around. They looked at Dohwa with confused expressions, but quickly lost interest and resumed their conversation.

“Didn’t expect there to be a secret passage there.”

“If it was hidden like that, he must’ve been a big shot—like one of Lee Myeonghwan’s top aides.”

“Looks like some of those aides managed to slip away. We thought we’d be able to eliminate all of them this time.”

“He’s been networking and pulling strings for years. Not the kind of guy who goes down easily.”

Even after all that, some still managed to escape. They debated whether to pursue, then summed it up shortly.

“Forget it. We’ve done enough. Leave the rest to the Association. Everything in there has been destroyed, so let’s head out.”

“That one’s still alive though.”

At those words, all eyes turned to Dohwa again. Their fierce gazes, unmistakably from high-ranking Hunters, made him shrink in fear. One of them stepped closer, reaching out a large hand. Startled, Dohwa tensed—but then his body was abruptly pulled backward.

“Don’t touch.”

The firm voice came from Hwang Jae-i.

“I found him, so he’s mine.”

Everyone around reacted with disbelief. One Hunter near them raised a hand in protest, starting to mention the Association, but Jae-i cut him off.

“I don’t care.”

That shut everyone up.

It wouldn’t have worked if it were anyone else—but it was Hwang Jae-i. They knew causing friction with him would only bring trouble, so they chose to back off.

Thanks to that, Dohwa made it to the Association. Even as people stole glances at his ridiculous iron mask, the looks didn’t last long—because Hwang Jae-i was beside him. Honestly, it was a relief. People were more wary and uncomfortable around Jae-i than around him in the mask.

There were a few others besides Dohwa at the Association. It had been called a sweep operation, so he’d assumed they would’ve killed everyone, but apparently not. While waiting for the assessment, it became clear why the others had been spared. They were lined up for Awakened testing, and every single one of them was unawakened. If identified as a regular person, they’d be sent to a standard prison for a few years before being released.

Among them, Dohwa stood out. Everyone—both the others waiting and the Association staff—looked at him as if he were something strange. They conducted the test while throwing sidelong glances, and when it turned out he was unawakened, they were even more baffled.

“Is the test even working properly with that weird thing he’s wearing?”

At those words, everyone in the room looked at Dohwa’s iron mask. That’s when they tried to inspect the mask—but Hwang Jae-i showed up again.