That strangely joyful look in his eyes made me feel a little relieved.
At least he wasn’t scared of me, even after seeing that power.
If even Kim Wooju had feared me, that would’ve been a bit disappointing.
He tightened his grip on me and spoke.
“…You’re amazing!”
“Graah, graaahhh!”
You’re only realizing that now? And stop calling me Bambam!
“So you do like the name Bambam.”
“Graaaahhh!”
'Not even close!'
Whether he was ignoring my protests or just letting them slide past his ears, Wooju began cautiously stroking my head.
…And just how long did he plan to keep holding me like this?
Before I knew it, I’d settled comfortably into his arms, swept along by his pace. But suddenly it felt wrong. Snapping out of it, I flapped free into the air.
Wooju watched me go with a look of regret, but he didn’t force me back into his arms.
He just looked at me with the desperate gaze of a child yearning for a snack.
As if staring like that would make me come back into his embrace.
'…Don’t go soft now.'
Though my resolve wavered a little, I shook my head.
The brown-haired thugs had been driven out, which meant it was time to drive out Kim Wooju too.
If he stayed here any longer, the original storyline would become a total mess.
Not only that—it wouldn’t be good for Wooju himself.
In a dungeon with no other humans, there was nothing he could do.
The longer he lingered here, the harder it would be to readjust once he was outside.
He was already struggling—I couldn’t make it worse.
So I beat my wings and started flying toward the portal.
“Huh? Bambam, where are you going?”
“Graahh graaaahhh!”
'Follow me. I’ll send you back to your own world.'
I shouted at him to follow.
He still couldn’t understand my words, which worried me, but luckily he seemed to grasp my gestures this time. He started following.
I made sure not to lose sight of him as I led the way toward the portal.
Of course, the fastest and most effective method would’ve been to blow him away with the wind like I had with those guys earlier, but I didn’t want to do that to him.
“…Bambam. What is this place?”
“Graah graahhh!”
'This way.'
I reached the portal and pointed at it with my forepaw.
As if to say: go in here.
Step inside, and he’d return to the real world.
I expected him to be happy. Instead, his face clouded.
As his expression darkened, I tilted my head.
'What’s that about?'
“Graah?”
“…Bambam. This is a portal… If I go in, I’ll be outside. I… leave?”
“Graah, graaah.”
'Of course. How long did you plan on staying here?'
I nodded firmly, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Wooju’s face went pale.
Uneasy, I glanced up at him.
And then, suddenly, tears welled in his eyes.
“…Graah?”
'…Are you crying?'
“That’s cruel… Bambam… you’re abandoning me?”
Wait, how the hell did the story twist like this?
We’d only met yesterday! How could there even be talk of abandonment?
I was so dumbfounded it left me speechless.
But Wooju truly seemed to believe it. The tears shimmering at the edge of his lashes finally rolled down his cheeks, sliding along his jawline.
I stared, mouth hanging open.
'That’s like a photoshoot…'
A handsome face, eyes brimming with melancholy, tears gliding down—it had a heart-stirring charm no one could ignore.
Even if the tears didn’t match the situation at all, they were enough to shake even me, a cold-blooded killer.
In the end, flustered, I fluttered back over and wiped at his tears with my paw. But the more I tried to comfort him, the more his tears poured down like a waterfall.
“Sniff… C-can’t I stay here with you? Y-you picked me up… You helped me… Nobody’s ever helped me before… And now… now you’re throwing me away? What did I do wrong? I’ll fix it all, okay? So please… don’t tell me to go back. Please?”
'Damn it, this is a problem…'
I needed to send him back before I got attached. Why the hell did this villain have to cry so much?
Every word carried such painful weight, it twisted my chest.
I looked at Wooju, my eyes wavering.
In those vacant eyes was a depth of sorrow that made me let out a heavy sigh.
'…Guess sending away a crying kid isn’t right.'
Out there, his path would be a field of thorns…
Better to let him find a little stability here first.
Yes. That felt right.
I decided I’d calm him down before sending him away.
“Bambam?”
“Grrrhh…”
In the end, I tugged at Wooju’s clothes, leading him away from the portal.
I brought him to my sanctuary—my cave, the safe zone of this forest.
Just one week. I’d keep him here for only one week.
Thinking of Wooju, who probably hadn’t eaten a single proper meal today, I resolved to go find food for him first.
***
'…Weak to tears.'
Kim Wooju watched the little creature scurrying about.
Its size was about that of a puppy, its body sheathed in beautiful black scales, wings folded neatly at its back.
And those ruby-red eyes, gleaming like gemstones—chillingly alluring.
Wooju licked his lips unconsciously, thirst gnawing at him.
It looked like some kind of lizard, but with wings? Clearly not.
Only one word came to mind.
'…Dragon.'
He remembered hearing that lately, a few Espers had barely escaped dungeons where dragons appeared.
If this dungeon was one of them… if this adorable Bambam really was that dragon?
Judging by the way it manipulated magic with ease, he was 99% sure.
But dragon or not, did it matter?
This creature had saved him. Lizard or dragon, the desire to possess it was the same.
From the very first moment, Wooju had felt it. The intense guiding stimulation flooding his body—if this wasn’t an Esper, it was impossible.
Bambam didn’t seem to realize it himself, but the aura radiating from his body was unmistakably Guiding.
For Wooju, parched for it, nothing could be more precious.
The instant that Guiding enveloped him, he nearly went into heat.
It took everything he had to pretend not to notice.
A human aroused by a dragon—it was laughable even to himself. Yet it was real.
He was aroused by this dragon.
He wanted to lick every scale, to take those red eyes into his mouth and roll them across his tongue.
They said when an Esper found their perfect Guide, these were the feelings they’d have.
Never in his life had he dreamed he’d feel them.
'…My Guide.'
The instinct was undeniable.
So he played dumb. Pretended not to notice. Called it a lizard, feigned idiocy—anything to keep it from running away.
At first, it was just the Guiding he craved. But soon, he found himself growing attached to its fragile, endearing nature.
The only one who stayed by his side, who healed his wounds, who worried about him—Bambam.
He didn’t want to be apart.
If possible, he wanted to be with him until the day he died.
Possessiveness and affection, feelings he’d never known before, left Wooju bewildered, yet he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the dragon.
'…I’ll be with Bambam forever.'
There was no way he’d walk out of this dungeon alone, leaving Bambam behind.
He’d seize that tender heart completely—so that either they’d escape together, or they’d live here for the rest of their lives.
In Wooju’s blank eyes, obsession shimmered and faded, only to shimmer again.