Shin Biho was staring at me, grinning with his mouth wide open.
'When I saw Kim Wooju, I had my suspicions….'
This was decades before the original story began.
Seeing the protagonist as a child really drove home the flow of time.
“Hey, doll! Why are you out of bed?”
Shin Biho rushed over, scooped me up in his arms, and asked brightly.
His cheerful little face was so close that I pushed it back with my forepaws.
'Too much, kid'.
But Shin Biho didn’t mind in the slightest.
“The doll moves. That’s fun! You’re such a strange doll, huh?”
He even giggled, as if my pushing was just a doll’s game.
So as a child, Shin Biho had been such a bright kid. Well, even grown he became a shining adult.
In the end, I gave up trying to get away from him and opened my mouth.
“Kuoooh! Kuoohhh!”
'Who are you calling a doll! Let me go!'
“…Huh? You’re not a doll? Then who are you?”
“Krrr, krrr… Krrroooohh!”
'I’m Aru. What about you! Do you understand me?'
“Oh, so your name’s Aru. Aru, Aru! Pretty name! Right, no doll could move and talk like this. Heeheehee, Aru’s mine now! You’re mine!”
“Kuoohhh!”
'I can’t breathe!'
Amazingly, Shin Biho could understand me.
Could this be the protagonist’s buff?
Whatever it was, it was good for me right now.
I’d been wondering where I had to go to rescue Kim Wooju—now I could just ask Shin Biho.
At that age, he should already have awakened.
I recalled the webtoon.
Shin Biho’s backstory.
As a child, Shin Biho awakened as an S-rank Esper, praised as a genius and given early education.
Of course, he was already frequenting the Esper Center.
If it was Kim Wooju, he’d definitely be there.
“Krrr, krrrhh.”
'Help me. I need to find someone.'
“Hm? Who?”
“Krrr? Krrroohh?”
'You’ve awakened, right? Have you been to the Esper Center?'
“Yeah. I’m a genius! I awakened when I was really little! The adults praise me so much! I go every week for lessons! I’m going again tomorrow.”
He answered with the proud look of a child.
His little face was brimming with the pride of being an S-rank Esper.
A kid raised on nothing but love. The complete opposite of Kim Wooju.
'…Yeah. That’s why I watched every update without fail.'
The first time I read the webtoon, I envied Shin Biho, who lived a life completely opposite mine.
I hadn’t grown up loved either—more like Kim Wooju, always alone.
When I stumbled on this webtoon, I saw Shin Biho, loved everywhere he went, and binge-read it, finding vicarious satisfaction through him.
Lost in thought for a moment, I shook my head to snap back.
Right now, rescuing Kim Wooju came first.
Reveling in old feelings at the sight of the protagonist could wait.
“Krrr krrrhh kroooh.”
'Take me there tomorrow.'
“Hmm, nope!”
“…Krrr?”
I had assumed he’d agree right away, but Shin Biho just smiled mischievously and shook his head.
My mouth dropped open at his unexpected refusal.
Grinning like a little rascal, Shin Biho said,
“Then you’ll leave me. You’re mine now, so I won’t let you go anywhere.”
The words, dripping with childish possessiveness, froze me stiff.
Shin Biho was sharper than I thought.
Through our conversation, he’d already realized I meant to leave.
Now that I thought about it, in the webtoon Shin Biho kept anything he claimed as his—whether comrade, friend, or lover—bound to his side with obsessive possessiveness.
The side effect of having every desire placed in his hands as a child.
And I had the bad luck of being branded as his from the start.
'I’m screwed…'
***
'Aru…'
'Aru…'
'Aru, I want to see you…'
His wrists and ankles chained, his body covered in wounds, Kim Wooju stared blankly into space with vacant eyes, as if he’d lost his senses.
“You don’t think that’s the end of your punishment, do you? Tomorrow we’ll test the new drug, then continue the punishment for two more days. Once it’s over, three days from now, you’ll enter the Dungeon. Be recovered by then.”
With that curt announcement, Kang Cheon gave Kim Wooju’s stomach one last kick and left.
'Aru, Aru, Aru…'
The pain of separation from Aru was worse than any physical agony.
Aru’s red eyes, the cool scales beneath him when he leaned against Aru’s body, the ferocious roar of “Kuoohh” that would always end with the dragon sidling up to tap him with his tail in affection.
And even at a distance, the distinct guiding presence only Aru exuded.
Gulp.
Kim Wooju felt thirst rising.
'…Why did I leave Aru behind?'
A frenzy of regret crashed down on him.
If he’d known, he would have taken him along.
Pinned him to his side, shown him every torment he suffered to win sympathy, then begged him to never leave.
Then his own cute little lizard, too soft-hearted, would have given in.
Why, why had he so foolishly left Aru behind?
As the vision of Aru faded from sight, obsession and possessiveness crept steadily deeper into Kim Wooju’s dazed gaze.
'If… I meet Aru again…'
Then, no matter what, he would make Aru his.
Never again would he let him go.
He bit his bloodied lips hard as he vowed it.
***
“I said no. Absolutely no.”
“Krrrroooohhh!”
Just take me with you!
“No! You can never leave this room! I told the cleaning uncles and aunties to guard the door. Stay put until I get back! Got it?”
'This damn brat…!'
I ground my teeth.
Since yesterday, and again the moment I opened my eyes this morning, I had begged Shin Biho—but the stubborn kid wouldn’t budge.
He even threatened me.
Swore that if I slipped out, he wouldn’t forgive me, while he got ready for the Center.
I gnashed my teeth as he ignored my glare, cheerfully waved, and left.
He didn’t forget to lock the door from the outside with a click, either.
Even as a child, the protagonist was thorough.
Worried I might sneak out, within a day he had called someone in to install a lock outside the door.
His possessiveness was so intense that even though he thought I was a talking doll, he never once brought anyone in to question my identity—he just wanted me all to himself.
And his devotion… from meals to endless snacks, he had the room overflowing.
'In every sense, amazing. Truly amazing…'
But too bad. I wasn’t just some doll.
I glanced at the one thing Shin Biho hadn’t considered: the window.
Approaching it, I looked out at the scenery.
I could teleport anywhere within my line of sight. Escaping would be as simple as leaving through that window.
But I couldn’t just leave blindly. I still lacked information about the Center.
'I’ll shadow Shin Biho first… he’s definitely heading there. But can I go like this?'
I looked down at my black-scaled body.
This form stood out too much anywhere.
If only I could change into a human right now…
“Kuuokkuuoh.”
Polymorph.
I imagined myself in human form.
Of course, it never worked before….
'…Huh? Huh? Huhh!?'
I froze.
The moment I muttered the mana incantation absent-mindedly, the mana in my body stirred. My frame began to lengthen, human-like.
Impossible!
In an instant, my vision rose higher.
I looked at my hand—white, but with joints and fingers. A human body, without a doubt.