IH Ch 99

Chapter 99

Dohwa lifted a hand and touched each spot where traces of Jae-i remained, one by one. His lips, neck, collarbone, the protruding nipples, the skin around them, his sides, his navel, his pubic area where soft hair spread thinly, his genitals, and thighs. The entrance, still stretched wide from struggling to swallow the girth of Jae-i’s thick member, twitched as it instinctively tensed, drawing a deep breath from Dohwa.

He could hardly stand up straight in this condition, but he welcomed it. Because the one who had left all these marks on his body was none other than Hwang Jae-i. Wrapping his arms around himself, Dohwa recalled the conversation he’d had with Jae-i the previous day.

Jae-i was smart. He must have realized from their exchange that his body had been damaged—forced to awaken as an Ability User through artificial means. But he never once brought it up. Though he said nothing in the moment, it was unlikely Hwang Jae-i would just let the matter slide. He would surely begin investigating in his own way. When he did… would Dohwa still be allowed to stay by his side?

“……”

Gazing into the mirror with darkened eyes, Dohwa raised his right hand. No part of him remained untouched by Jae-i’s teeth. Dohwa smiled without realizing it, then slowly erased it from his lips.

Staring somberly at his own arm, he clenched his hand. As he did, his skin began to shimmer faintly, altering to a different texture. It shifted to a cool-toned hue that looked sharp enough to slice through anything at the slightest touch. When it slowly reverted to its original state, nearly all the bruises and discoloration had disappeared.

“…He’s gone.”

The voice in his ear made Dohwa open his eyes, and by instinct, he reached to the side. No one was there, but the warmth remained. As if afraid it might vanish, Dohwa shuffled under the blankets and covered his head. Enveloped by Jae-i’s residual body heat, his scent lingered strongly. Dohwa breathed in deeply a few times—inhale, exhale—and even then, he could still hear Jae-i’s voice.

It wasn’t like he was actively trying to eavesdrop. It was just that Jae-i must have been on the phone nearby, and he could hear everything clearly.

“You’ve worked a lot already. Unless a gate’s about to burst open, there’s nothing urgent. What’s the point of going in early? Once I’m there, I’ll just be sitting around with nothing to do. Forget it. I’ll come in after lunch. Or maybe, I’ll just take the whole day off.”

Right away, Ahn Yuna’s raised voice could be heard again. She was clearly upset, her tone sounding more like a threat as she said he couldn’t seriously be considering that. But Jae-i remained unbothered.

“I said I’ll come after lunch. That’s final.”

As if ready to hang up, Hwang Jae-i then added one more thing.

“If you show up here uninvited, tonight’s plans are canceled.”

Apparently, there was an important evening engagement Jae-i was expected to attend. After that warning, Ahn Yuna went suddenly quiet. Finishing the call, Jae-i nudged open the half-closed door with the tip of his foot and stepped inside—only to freeze.

Dohwa, who had been asleep when he left, was now sitting up. He wasn’t in bed anymore, with his long hair draped over his face, slumped shoulders giving away how recently he’d woken. With a small wave, Dohwa said, “Hi.”

“…Did the phone call wake you?”

“No.”

It had, actually, but Dohwa didn’t see any need to say it.

Hugging the blankets to himself, he let out a big yawn. Jae-i sat beside the bed, staring intently at him. …Maybe I yawned too big. Just as Dohwa hurriedly shut his mouth, Jae-i reached out and swept his hair back. He tucked Dohwa’s long strands one by one behind his ears, then lightly brushed his cheek as he gazed at the now-visible face. Dohwa knew precisely why he was touching him like this—and smiled.

“See? I woke up and I’m good as new.”

Most of the visible marks had already faded, and his movements were no longer sore or difficult.

Resting his hand over his chest, Dohwa spoke.

“You rubbed that S-Class potion on me, remember?”

It must’ve been packed with great ingredients—he felt like that was why he had healed so quickly. Looking at Jae-i again, he saw that the other was still just staring at his face. After a quiet beat, Jae-i finally responded, “Yeah.”

“……”

Though he agreed, the constant stare unnerved Dohwa. He looked down, and immediately his long hair fell forward. He usually didn’t give it much thought, but his hair really was long. Last night, it had gotten tangled under him multiple times and was annoying. Remembering how long it took to wash and dry, Dohwa grabbed the ends and muttered,

“Maybe I should cut it.”

“Cut it?”

“……”

The pitch in Jae-i’s voice noticeably rose. Dohwa looked up at him. Deep furrows had reappeared between Jae-i’s brows. Seeing that, Dohwa broke into a bright smile and said,

“I won’t cut it.”

At that response, the creases on Jae-i’s forehead quickly vanished. Instead, he reached out and gently ran a hand through Dohwa’s hair.

“…It’d be a shame.”

After all, it must’ve taken ages to grow it out this long.

But for Dohwa, it had just grown long on its own while he neglected it. He couldn’t say that, of course, so instead, he just stroked the hair in his hands and replied,

“Yeah, it would be a shame.”

Then, a larger hand covered his. Jae-i grasped Dohwa’s hand gently, the one still holding his hair, and after a moment’s pause, leaned down. The kiss he gave was light but lingering. With Jae-i’s lips against his own, and his gaze fixed on him, Dohwa closed his eyes slowly. As he did, he felt Jae-i’s slightly awkward embrace tighten around him—and he leaned into it fully.

Ah. So you like this kind of thing, don’t you?

When people approached too closely or even tried to speak with him, Jae-i always looked offended—and yet, he liked this. He wanted to hug and kiss Dohwa—maybe because it was Dohwa—but it was clear that he didn’t dislike the acts themselves. That alone made Dohwa happy. It was the side of Jae-i he’d always imagined when watching those old videos of him.

“What are you staring at?”

The Guild Master’s tone was sharp the moment their eyes met. That blunt way he snapped was… well, familiar. But there was something off about the scene—an awkwardness veiled under familiarity.

Ahn Yuna studied Hwang Jae-i, who today seemed to exert even more overwhelming presence than usual, then tilted her head. Immediately, as if to block her line of sight, Jae-i took a large step in that direction. As though to physically shield what she was trying to look at.

The action struck Ahn Yuna as absurd. Letting out a cynical chuckle, she said,

“I already know it’s Dohwa you’ve got hidden behind you.”

“So what.”

“……”

Ahn Yuna struggled to contain her expression. Jae-i, acting even more prickly than earlier, reminded her of a mother bird trying to hide its egg—or an awkward virgin boyfriend protectively guarding his lover during his first relationship. Her face crumpling at the thought, she shook her head hard.

No. No weird thoughts allowed. Even if this was about Jae-i, it was totally unfair to think that way about Dohwa.

Still flailing her head violently like she needed the image erased from her brain, Ahn Yuna looked absurd. Jae-i, noticing this moment as the perfect time to make his move, grabbed Dohwa’s hand and pulled him away.

Or tried to, at least.

He held Dohwa’s hand over and over but didn’t tug hard or yank him along. Even in the few steps it took to get to the car behind Ahn Yuna, he kept glancing back. Every time he did, Dohwa, hidden beneath a large pair of glasses and a deeply pulled hoodie, lifted the corners of his lips. Jae-i clenched his jaw tightly whenever he saw him smile… only to release it again.

“Get in carefully.”

Opening the backseat door, he helped Dohwa in first.

As Dohwa climbed in, Jae-i supported his arm and back. Once Dohwa settled into the plush seat, he padded the space next to him.

“You get in too.”

No sooner had he said the words than Jae-i quickly followed and took the seat beside him.

As the door shut behind them, they caught a glimpse of Ahn Yuna’s horrified expression—as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing—but he ignored it. Turning to the hunter in the driver’s seat, he asked,

“Where are we heading?”

The hunter looked just as bewildered as Ahn Yuna.

Never once in these past few years had he seen the Guild Master move so awkwardly, tend to someone else, or fuss like this. Was he dreaming? Was he hallucinating? Averting his eyes from Jae-i’s icy glare, the hunter hurriedly answered,

“The restaurant. The meeting location changed, and we had to find a quieter place, so it’s a bit farther.”

“Then drive.”

“Uh, but the Chief Secretary isn’t here yet—”

“I said drive.”

“Y—Yes, sir.”

Realizing instantly that saying more would be dangerous, the driver started the vehicle.

As soon as they were seated, Dohwa instinctively searched for the seatbelt behind the seat. Suddenly realizing something, he turned his head.

“Mmm… the secretary…”

“It’s fine. She’ll come in a different car.”

“……”

It didn’t really sound like things were ‘fine,’ but Dohwa didn’t bring it up again. As he reached for the belt and pulled it down, Jae-i stretched out his hand and fastened it over him.

Dohwa whispered,

“You do it too.”

“……”

Telling an S-Class hunter to buckle up was the kind of thing that usually earned laughter or disdain. Naturally, Jae-i should have said something like, “Why would I?” But instead, he quietly obeyed, buckled the seatbelt, and glanced ahead.