Tap! Taptap! Thud!
'Kim Wooju, I’m sorry.'
I couldn’t just quietly let this happen.
The hesitation lasted three seconds.
I blocked Wooju’s face as he lunged at me, slammed my fist into his stomach, and, as he doubled over in pain clutching his belly, I struck the back of his neck and knocked him out cold.
Every motion flowed naturally.
My killer’s survival instinct had outweighed any sympathy for Kim Wooju.
“Damn…!”
…Maybe I overdid it.
I hurried over and checked his condition.
As expected, it was awful.
Thanks to his Esper abilities, I could see his wounds knitting back together quickly, but that wasn’t nearly enough.
I used Heal to make sure his injuries would fully recover.
The moment the spell activated, his body healed without a single scar left behind.
His complexion improved as well.
Staring at my own hand, I couldn’t hide my surprise at Heal’s power.
'…This is insane.'
I hadn’t expected it to be this strong.
Dragon power really is on another level.
I looked down at Kim Wooju.
Even with his wounds gone, he still hadn’t regained consciousness.
Physical injuries were nothing, but the mental shock had been enormous.
It would probably take a good while before he woke up.
I picked him up in my arms.
He was a head taller than me, but since he hadn’t eaten properly here and was so emaciated, carrying him wasn’t difficult.
Holding him, I left that damned prison and carried him up to the surface.
'…Where’s his room, anyway?'
I’d come up to the surface but had no idea where his room was.
For now, I chose the cleanest-looking room, laid Wooju down, and went rummaging around for something to cover him with.
After searching thoroughly, all I found were white coats, probably meant for doctors.
Well, better than nothing.
I spread one on the floor, set Wooju down on it, and covered him with a pile of the coats.
It was the best I could do for now.
All that remained was for Kim Wooju to wake up. Only then could I find his room or do anything else.
'But why won’t he wake up? Should I Heal him again?'
Quite a bit of time had passed, yet Wooju showed no sign of stirring.
A creeping worry took hold of me—what if he never woke up? I raised my hand over his head.
No fever… I was about to Heal him again when Wooju suddenly grabbed my wrist.
“Oh? Wooju, you’re awake—”
…Nope.
I stopped mid-sentence.
Wooju hadn’t regained consciousness. His eyes stayed shut as he instinctively sought warmth, clutching my hand.
He rubbed his cheek against my palm.
Like someone begging for affection.
I forgot to pull my hand away and just looked at him with pity.
How much had he endured?
Maybe more than healing magic, just holding his hand like this gave him more comfort. I let him have it.
Regret gnawed at me—I should have come sooner.
Then—slurp.
I froze at the sound.
Wooju had taken my hand from his cheek to his lips and was licking my palm.
'What is he, a dog…?'
Baffled, I let it go, curious how far this would go. His lips parted slightly, and he began sucking on my fingers.
Starting with my thumb, his tongue traced and sucked at the tender skin between each finger. What had first felt absurd soon had my face heating up.
It wasn’t just sucking—he licked with a persistence that was disturbingly sensual.
Like someone starved, but not for food.
I tried to pull away, belatedly, but Wooju was faster.
“Ng.”
He caught my hand and bit down on the back of it, as if telling me not to run.
It didn’t hurt, but goosebumps raced across my body.
And he didn’t stop there.
His lips left wet kisses down from my hand to my wrist.
“Hhht.”
When his mouth latched onto the soft veins of my wrist, sucking hard, nibbling with his teeth, a strange heat surged through me. A moan slipped out before I clamped my hand over my mouth.
'What the hell am I doing, reacting to a sleeping person…?'
No way this could go on.
I yanked my hand free and stumbled back, glaring at Wooju.
'…Wait, he’s not actually awake?'
Could anyone really do something this blatant in their sleep?
But he remained motionless, breathing evenly, his face relaxed as if all he’d done was mumble in his sleep.
If he were awake, I’d yell at him, but asleep? I couldn’t say a thing.
I stared at my hand, wet with his saliva.
'…Oh great. A hickey, too?'
A clear red mark, like a brand, was stamped on my wrist.
Heat flooded my face as I fanned myself with my free hand.
What kind of thoughts was he having, doing this to someone while asleep…?
I shook my head violently. Just a ridiculous incident, nothing more.
Waking him to demand an explanation would be far more embarrassing. Still, my eyes kept drifting to his lips.
So I sat, keeping my distance, and watched him sleep for a long time.
***
In his dream, Kim Wooju craved someone.
For the first time in his life. Such desire.
A man appeared—long black hair down to his waist, eyes gleaming like red rubies.
It was easy to imagine that if Aru ever took human form, he would look like this—mysterious, beautiful.
By his side, Wooju’s chaotic Esper power seemed to calm even as a strange excitement built.
Instinctively, Wooju sought to devour the man’s red, tempting lips.
He wanted to dive in, roll his tongue freely, ravage him.
But just as he moved, the man’s hand covered his mouth, smiling faintly.
'Then…'
Wooju stared at the hand covering his lips.
The long white fingers and wrist were so pale they seemed almost translucent. The veins showed clearly beneath the skin, provoking a surge of hunger.
Wooju didn’t resist it.
It was just a dream, after all.
When he woke, Kang Cheon would torture him again—better to stay in this dream forever.
He opened his mouth and savored the man’s hand.
Each time his tongue traced over it, the hand flinched, trembling in a way that felt so real he couldn’t stop.
'Just a little more… a little more…'
“Ng.”
When he bit down on the tender flesh between the fingers, a sweet groan slipped from the man’s lips.
The deep, resonant voice echoed in his ears, sending strength flooding to his lower body.
'Ah, I love it. I want it. I want to swallow it all and make it mine.'
Fingers weren’t enough. He grew greedy, kissing up the wrist, leaving a vivid mark.
The crimson flower blooming on that pale wrist pleased him.
He wanted to cover the man’s entire body with them.
Wooju, half-lost in haze, looked up at the man—
“Ah…”
—and woke.
'My head hurts… Where am I?'
He tried to recall.
He’d been tortured… Kang Cheon appeared, saying he had to recover before going into the Dungeon… Relief that he could finally rest…
Yes, until then he’d been conscious.
The last thing he remembered was someone shouting his name as he collapsed. Then he’d blacked out—and dreamed that dream for the first time in his life.
Wooju quickly checked his pants.
Fortunately, nothing catastrophic had happened. Relief washed over him.
'But where am I? Did Kang Cheon move me?'
Impossible.
And now that he noticed, strangely, he didn’t feel any pain at all.
Even with his regeneration, this kind of instant recovery was unheard of.
Since being separated from Aru, without any Guiding, his condition had been deteriorating from torture—so how was this possible?
Then, a presence stirred in the room.
Wooju, usually expressionless, couldn’t hide his shock this time.
“Kuoo, you’re awake? Kuoo!”
'…Aru? Why is Aru here?'
There stood Aru, carrying a tray piled with snacks from God-knows-where, calling out to him with a cheerful “Kuoo, Kuoo.”