Snake Venom Ch 30

Chapter 30

“Judging by the looks of it, he seems like a newbie.”

Cheon Wooshin lightly tapped the send button and fixed his gaze on the security team leader, as if prompting him to continue.

“Watching someone die right in front of you—that’s not something easy to experience.”

Cheon Wooshin recalled the scene from back then, which now remained with him as nothing more than a fleeting afterimage. He had killed two unnecessary ones instantly under the guise of self-defense, and inflicted measured violence on the one he deliberately left alive in order to extract information about the victim. In the process, there had been some blood splatter, bones had pierced through and shattered, but—

Suddenly, the vivid memory of the blood-stench that had clung thickly to the hallway walls surged up in his mind. At the same time, the mild pain gnawing at his temple intensified to an irritating degree. Forcing himself to ignore it, Cheon Wooshin responded coolly.

“Is that how it appears to you, senior?”

Were there really this many people who judged others solely by appearance? As that pathetic thought passed through his mind, Lee Yeonwoo, who had gone to the restroom, came into view. As soon as he spotted Cheon Wooshin while glancing around, he walked straight toward him.

“……”

His face, not quite matching that of a twenty-three-year-old, was dewy, and the wet bangs clumped together in strands—he must have splashed water on his face in a hurry. Even so, Cheon Wooshin, who glanced at his visibly flushed cheeks, quickly restrained the urge to make a snide comment.

If Lee Yeonwoo were truly an ordinary civilian, the security team leader’s words might have sounded convincing. If he hadn’t seen Yeonwoo in Sodom, he wouldn’t have been much different himself.

“Don’t worry. I’m just as desensitized.”

Perhaps even more so than Nam Gunho, the man who had once roamed battlefields with him. In fact, Lee Yeonwoo was walking over with sparkling eyes as if nothing had just happened. It was absurd how cheerfully he acted—how could someone not call him a damn dog?

He must have something to say.

Cheon Wooshin gave the team leader a nod and moved toward Lee Yeonwoo. When their eyes met, Yeonwoo opened his mouth as though he had been waiting to speak, but Cheon Wooshin cut in first.

“Let’s talk as we walk.”

At that, Lee Yeonwoo looked truly startled, as if someone had read his mind. His widened eyes shimmered, asking how on earth he had known. Cheon Wooshin didn’t even find it funny. Yeonwoo was the one being completely obvious.

The two men stepped into the employee elevator. As he pressed the button for the first floor, Cheon Wooshin glanced sideways at Yeonwoo.

The heat radiating from Yeonwoo’s flushed face was almost tangible. He drew in deep breaths, as if struggling with his breathing, then cleared his throat abruptly. He had heard that the scent of a pureblood’s rut affected hybrids. Even after taking a suppressant and dousing his face with water, was it still hard to endure? Or was he aware of the changes in his body but simply unable to do anything about it? Either way, he looked like he was having a hard time—Cheon Wooshin couldn’t just ignore it. After all, he was the designated primary guardian of this bastard named Lee Yeonwoo.

“Do you need some time alone?”

“Pardon?”

Yeonwoo, who had been wiping his cheek with the back of his hand, still looked utterly confused.

“I heard masturbation helps alleviate the symptoms quickly.”

“Ma—…”

Cheon Wooshin glanced between Yeonwoo’s stiffened body and the area between his legs. Seeing there wasn’t an erection yet, it didn’t seem to be at a critical stage. He calmly shifted his gaze to his wristwatch and said matter-of-factly,

“I can wait for that much.”

“…….”

“If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to try other measures, so why not give that a shot first?”

Yeonwoo, who had just stood there blankly listening until the end of Cheon Wooshin’s statement, suddenly flushed bright red. His face, which already looked like it couldn’t get any redder, turned crimson—Cheon Wooshin had never seen such a transformation before. Or perhaps the symptoms were only just beginning to manifest now?

“Speaking… like that… uh.”

Yeonwoo stammered as he quickly pulled up his sleeve to hide his face.

“Ju-just a bottle of water will be enough.”

“There’s water in the car. Are you really okay to just go?”

“Argh! Yes, I am!”

Just then, with a cheerful chime, the elevator doors opened.

As Yeonwoo bolted out like he was fleeing, Cheon Wooshin’s leisurely gaze followed after him. Even while stumbling and fumbling, the way he retraced his steps precisely was a habit honed in Sodom. Even the back of his neck was tinged red. That much heat probably wasn’t good. As he noted this dryly, Yeonwoo, who had been walking ahead briskly, suddenly turned around.

“You went too far with your joke.”

Though he couldn’t even meet Cheon Wooshin’s eyes properly, his voice was rather curt.

A joke, was it? This puppy had thoroughly misunderstood. He had simply given objective advice because it seemed the mosaic-type hadn’t realized his own symptoms. It wasn’t a joke in the least—it was a legitimate suggestion for symptom management. Just as Cheon Wooshin was about to explain again, he paused. A mischievous glint passed through his half-lidded eyes.

“Did I?”

The look on Yeonwoo’s face, as if he was suppressing a strong urge to protest due to their difference in rank, was entirely transparent. That ridiculous expression, trying and failing to keep his temper in check, was strangely satisfying. Cheon Wooshin came to a sudden halt.

“I didn’t mean to.”

His eyes softened gently.

“Shall I pull a real prank, then?”

Yeonwoo flinched without a sound and shook his head.

“Ah… n-no!”

Cheon Wooshin followed behind Yeonwoo’s fleeing figure with a leisurely stride as the latter hurried off toward the dark forest path.

Yeonwoo, who had arrived first, waited for Cheon Wooshin in front of the van.

Even as he looked up at the empty sky to cool down, Cheon Wooshin’s brazen words echoed in his ears. Strange. He’d been teased with harsher words in Sodom, yet he hadn’t felt like this then. Rather than feeling bad, it was a dizzying kind of emotion he couldn’t figure out how to react to—it churned around his chest.

In his memory, he had looked completely flustered and immature, running off like a coward. Even a middle schooler wouldn’t have responded like that. A heavy sigh escaped him.

Wind from the valley swept past, brushing his cheeks and the tips of his ears. It pierced sharply through the gap in his unfastened suit jacket, making Yeonwoo hunch his shoulders and curl up.

“Ugh, cold.”

Then, something touched his chest. It was the holster and tranquilizer gun he’d momentarily forgotten in his effort to cool down. Yeonwoo glanced behind him. When he saw Cheon Wooshin walking from afar, his face flushed again—but the tranquilizer gun came first.

“Um… Team Leader, I think I should return this.”

Unlike the flustered Yeonwoo, Cheon Wooshin answered in his usual composed tone.

“No need. That one’s a special issue for VIPs—it’s much higher quality than our standard gear. Easier to handle, compatible with live rounds.”

He meant for Yeonwoo to keep it on him for self-defense.

“If you must use it, try to shoot from close range and avoid the vital spots.”

Because they could die. Cheon Wooshin added this calmly as he opened the passenger door.

“Get in this side.”

With surprising composure, he extended his arm to escort Yeonwoo. Unable to explain why, Yeonwoo suppressed the rising sense of defeat and got into the open door.

This time, Cheon Wooshin was driving.

“Aren’t the others coming with us?”

Yeonwoo kept his eyes fixed on the brightly lit mansion. Lim Sehan and Jung Suho, who had come with them, had yet to arrive. Cheon Wooshin opened the console box and answered.

“They’ll be here until the security team officially withdraws. There are a few things they still need to check.”

As Yeonwoo buckled his seatbelt, a bottle of water was handed to him. The clear liquid that sloshed inside mirrored his still unsteady emotions. Let’s stop thinking about it. Just as he reached for the water bottle, Cheon Wooshin stretched out his hand. Before he could react, the large palm was placed on Yeonwoo’s forehead.

“I’m not ready to shoot through your head just yet.”

Yeonwoo was inwardly horrified. Did he really have to phrase the possibility of a mercy killing so gently, just because the sedatives might not work?

“The team match just started.”

Cheon Wooshin’s long fingers gripped his entire forehead, checking his temperature. The touch was indifferent yet meticulous.

A look of dismay suddenly crossed Yeonwoo’s face as he looked up at Cheon Wooshin’s hand. It was because he had finally understood the true intent behind what he had written off as a joke.

Cheon Wooshin was someone who had analyzed Yeonwoo’s abilities and situation more thoroughly than anyone. He understood the risks and burdens of working with a mosaic-type.

So in truth, Cheon Wooshin had been genuinely concerned. It was the bare minimum for a team leader to look after a half-human team member, but Cheon Wooshin’s actions revealed his own efforts to understand and bridge the gap between species.

‘While I can’t guarantee your safety, I won’t leave you in danger.’

He recalled what had happened in the mansion with Cheon Wooshin. Even when bullets were flying, even when a pureblood in rut had suddenly fixated on him, Cheon Wooshin had protected him first. A mix of embarrassment and guilt flooded Yeonwoo’s chest.

“Th… thank you.”

As he expressed his gratitude, Yeonwoo felt his heart swell unexpectedly. That cold, sharp promise to be both shield and overseer had, in truth, been a vow to protect him, and it had become a reliable shield.

When he returned home, there would be so much to tell his grandmother. Just today alone, so many things had happened—surely, even more would happen in the future. But instead of fear, he felt anticipation. And he owed it all to Cheon Wooshin.

“I’m really okay now.”

There were still many things about him that were difficult and hard to understand, but Cheon Wooshin was surely a kind person.

“That’s good to hear.”

Cheon Wooshin lightly ruffled Yeonwoo’s hair before pulling his hand back.

“On that note, my rut comes once every two months.”

Yeonwoo declared this with a tone of finality. The van jolted over a speed bump right at that moment. The veins stood out suddenly on the back of Cheon Wooshin’s hands as he gripped the steering wheel.