IH Ch 98

Chapter 98

Once again, it was Jae-i who cleaned him up afterward. Though he felt groggy, Dohwa remained conscious and intentionally relaxed his body even more, enjoying the way Jae-i gently wiped him down. If he did that, Jae-i would be even more careful, meticulously cleaning every finger and even the spaces between his toes.

It was a time so sweet it tickled his heart, but Jae-i seemed to feel differently. Well, considering Dohwa couldn’t even sit up on his own and his voice was half gone, it made sense he’d be concerned. Something bigger than his forearm had been inside him, stirring up his insides—how could he be completely fine? Still, it wasn’t something he could bring himself to say out loud. Because knowing Hwang Jae-i’s personality, if he heard that, he probably wouldn’t dare touch him again.

Pulling his hand away from Jae-i’s brow, Dohwa burrowed into his embrace. As he tucked himself close, Dohwa smiled faintly at the arms that pulled him in tightly.

“I really liked it.”

“……”

“I want to do it again next time.”

Instantly, more creases appeared on Hwang Jae-i’s forehead. His expression twisted like someone upset, but the tips of his ears quickly flushed red. Dohwa kissed his chin. Jae-i inhaled deeply and hugged him tighter, burying his face into Dohwa’s hair.

Because their bodies were touching, Dohwa could feel the wild, rapid thumping of Jae-i’s heart. As if unsure of what to do, he’d pull Dohwa in tightly, then suddenly ease his grip again—over and over. Watching that in a dazed, melted expression, Dohwa let out a soft smile.

“Being this close… it’s really so warm.”

Truly, it was so warm that he didn’t feel cold at all. His body, his heart, all the way from head to toe—it felt filled with warmth. Whispering softly, Dohwa said,

“I never thought you and I would end up like this.”

Jae-i, slowly rubbing his face against Dohwa’s hair, eventually raised his head. Every single one of his actions—meeting his gaze once more—felt so feline. Before, he’d hated even looking at him, puffing up like an angry cat in warning. But now, the way he sought closeness in every possible way—it was so lovable.

Wriggling his toes a little, Dohwa stared at Jae-i, then chuckled. His skin, reddened from all the kissing and nibbling, flushed a deeper color as if colored by joy. Seeing that, Jae-i clenched his jaw—then released it. Taking a deep breath, he muttered in a barely audible voice,

“…Me too.”

Laughing even quieter this time, Dohwa buried himself in that broad chest once again.

Snuggled into cozy warmth, Dohwa gradually became aware of something damp beneath his feet. It was an unpleasant sensation he’d rather ignore, pretending not to notice. But the more he tried, the more it became real—wet and sticky. At the same time, a pungent, fishy odor stung his nose, dragging him unwillingly back to awareness.

When he opened his eyes, Dohwa found himself standing alone in a dark space. No—he wasn’t alone. Lowering his head, Dohwa saw himself standing amid countless corpses. Piled chaotically in various states and positions, the bodies surrounded him. Staring indifferently at the heaped corpses, he finally lifted his head.

There stood a shadowy figure.

Its body was long and slender, but its arms were strange. They hung low, as if holding long swords, slick and sharp extensions glinting all the way down to the floor. Glaring silently at that silhouette, Dohwa squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away as if to reject it.

Don’t. I don’t want this.

The muttered words felt like something spoken to himself. When he opened his eyes again—

“……”

Like someone barely escaping a nightmare, Dohwa couldn’t gather his thoughts even after waking. It felt like his entire body had become a rag soaked with icy water. Reflexively, he reached to the side with one arm.

He was trying to find that wide, solid, warm chest—but his fingers touched nothing. Panicked, Dohwa looked up, then down.

There he saw Hwang Jae-i, sitting cross-legged at his feet.

“……”

It was the sort of sight that should’ve startled him, yet Dohwa remained calm. As if sensing his gaze, Jae-i looked up. His expression dazed, as if still sleepy, his eyelids lowered halfway.

“You’re awake?”

“……”

“I wanted to touch your feet, but I thought it might wake you if I just did it…”

Raising one finger, Jae-i pointed to Dohwa’s toes poking out from under the blanket, tilting his head slightly.

“They’re really small.”

Then he gently tapped one of Dohwa’s toes.

“Small, soft, and squishy.”

Next, he cautiously took hold of the foot. Glancing at Dohwa every few seconds, he kept checking his expression—as if worried he’d be scolded for touching carelessly.

Wondering why he was acting that way, Dohwa suddenly remembered the time Jae-i had brought out loads of desserts and Dohwa had turned them down. Maybe he was thinking of that day?

“……”

Under Dohwa’s silent gaze, Jae-i eventually pulled his hands away from his foot. He even made to back away, but Dohwa, still laying comfortably, raised his arms.

“Come here.”

To the still-hesitant Jae-i, Dohwa beckoned with a flick of his hand.

“Come on.”

Finally prompted, Jae-i cautiously crawled up onto the bed, carefully lowering his body on top of Dohwa. Even then, he rested on his elbows, unwilling to let all his weight fall on him. Because of that, Dohwa pulled him in completely, hugging his neck tightly. Only then did Jae-i relax his body, settling into him.

Though the weight pressing down on him was heavy—it felt good. Stroking the back of Jae-i’s head, then tapping lightly on his wide back, Dohwa spoke.

“If you’d been able to grow up like other people, in a normal environment… you’d probably be really gentle too.”

Hwang Jae-i, after all.

Being S-Class, he would have attracted attention no matter where he went. But still, he probably wouldn’t have shut people out the way he did. If he’d grown with even a little more social interaction, he might’ve gotten along well with others. Maybe then, good people would’ve naturally gathered around him… though, now that Dohwa thought about it, maybe they already had.

At first, he hadn’t noticed—but Ms. Ahn Yuna genuinely seemed to care for Jae-i. So did Mr. Yohan, and most of the guild members treated him with respect. It hadn’t been obvious on the surface, but even with his gruff demeanor, Jae-i had somehow managed to build decent relationships. He even had a surprisingly large amount of fans. Many people truly liked Jae-i—maybe he was the only one who didn’t realize it. In this world, there were plenty of people who sincerely loved him.

Patting his back gently, Jae-i gradually relaxed more and more into Dohwa. Though it made his chest feel stifling, he didn’t mind. Finally, Dohwa let out the words he’d always wanted to say as he watched Jae-i until now.

“Don’t always be so guarded and angry.”

“……”

“Just… respond normally, get along. That’s how you’ll be more at ease.”

Human beings were simpler than they seemed. Even if someone acted like they’d never speak to you again, just scratching a single itch could completely change their attitude. Dohwa wasn’t asking him to go to such lengths—but at the very least, he wanted Jae-i to stop scowling all the time and making the atmosphere uncomfortable. He was such a cool, admirable person. He deserved to be loved even more than he already was.

Jae-i, who had kept his face buried in Dohwa’s shoulder, slowly lifted his head. Propping himself up once more on his elbows and gazing down at him, Dohwa smiled faintly and raised a hand. As if waiting for that touch, Jae-i leaned into the palm, rubbing his cheek against it. His clingy, affectionate behavior was utterly endearing. Mindlessly watching him, Dohwa whispered.

“Jae-i.”

The moment his name passed Dohwa’s lips, Jae-i opened his eyes and looked down at him. In a soft voice, Dohwa said,

“Don’t act like this just with me. Do it with other people too. That way, all you’ll receive is love.”

“……”

“So that you can live just a little easier, like that…”

Caressing him as if touching a delicate piece of artwork, Dohwa whispered,

“I don’t want you to be hated anymore.”

Jae-i didn’t react. It made Dohwa wonder if he hadn’t understood. But then, noticing Dohwa’s gaze lingering on him, Jae-i slowly cast his eyes down and gave the slightest nod. It didn’t feel like he truly understood—it felt more like he simply sensed he should say something in return.

Soon after, he shifted over beside Dohwa and lay down. When Dohwa told him, “Get under the blanket,” he finally slipped beneath the covers.

As if it were expected, he laid down next to Dohwa, right up against him, and closed his eyes. Seeing that peaceful face—completely unguarded, as if he trusted his bedmate without a shred of doubt—Dohwa fell into stillness. He simply lay there, blinking not once, watching Jae-i until his breathing grew deep. Only then did Dohwa finally get out of bed.

He tried to move carefully, but every joint in his body creaked. No matter how he looked at it—it felt like his pelvis had shifted. There was no other reason walking would feel this uncomfortable. Grimacing, Dohwa stepped quietly outside the room, then tapped his lower back gently with his fist.

“……”

Hunched over, Dohwa stumbled his way back to the room he had been using. After closing the door tightly, he made his way to the bathroom. Standing before the mirror, his jaw fell open.

“…Wow.”

He had expected it to be bad—but it was far worse than imagined.

There wasn’t a single unblemished spot. His skin was marbled with purple, red, and blue bruises; some spots were particularly painful-looking. His swollen chest—nipples dark and puffed. Across his stomach, his sides, even his belly button—his entire torso was a mess. Below the waist, the skin around his genitals was torn up and red—bitten, sucked, everywhere.