Guest Ch 31

Misunderstandings and Truth (1)

“Confirmation of the wild dogs’ alliance forces is complete. A total of eight groups have joined hands.”

A loud noise is heard in my sleep. As I lift my eyelids, I see three people standing by the sofa and table.

Lee Yiseon, Black Foot, Toya.

Something urgent must have happened. It seemed to be early morning, yet they were gathered and talking frantically.

“The northern fortress is also supporting the wild dogs. They’re supplying them with food. The wild dogs are repaying the northern fortress’s support with loyalty.”

Black Foot began marking the map spread across the table with a highlighter pen.

“Here, here, and here. The sinkhole damage is severe, making it difficult for us to drive cars, and the wild dogs have turned these places into key strategic points. They’re planning to use the terrain. It will be hard for us to respond with any machinery.”

Lee Yiseon, who was meticulously examining the areas marked on the map, asked.

“If the sinkhole is that large, it won’t be easy for the wild dogs to hide there. Are there any houses left where they can sleep?”

This time, Toya answered.

“All the doors of the houses there have been smashed. They will probably have to sleep outside.”

“So, since the northern fortress is supplying them with food, they will come out more aggressively, huh? What’s the size of the coalition?”

“About 300 people, maybe. Half of them are archers or gunmen.

“It’ll be troublesome if the roads get blocked because the oil merchants are trading drinking water with Eastern Fort.”

Lee Yiseon, arms crossed, deep in thought, looked back at Black Foot and asked.

“They said the northern fortress is supporting the wild dogs. Is ‘Big Brother’ leading this?”

Black Foot pointed his finger at the areas marked on the map.

“Designating areas like this is also ‘Big Brother’s doing. It’s impossible to distribute such precious food to the wild dogs without his permission.”

“What does Big Brother gain by helping the wild dogs?”

“Of course, it’s the Prophet.”

“So, they’re just waiting for a chance to steal him in such a cowardly way. What time do our oil merchants start moving in the morning?”

“The brightest time. 1 PM.”

“I’ll escort them myself. Let the oil merchants know as well.

“Got it.”

Still half-asleep, I raised my dazed face amidst their tense atmosphere. Not knowing what the situation was, I just looked around cluelessly. The first to notice my gaze was Lee Yiseon. Following Lee Yiseon’s gaze, Black Foot and Toya also turned to look at me, leaving me half-awake and dumbfounded.

It was my fault for waking up at such a moment. I pulled the blanket over me again and lay down.

“Keep talking. I won’t disturb you.”

I had trouble falling asleep until dawn anyway, struggling with the image of Lee Yiseon from the herbal bath.

As I tried to get some more sleep, Lee Yiseon called me.

“Woo Hyunho.”

His tone was unusually friendly, unlike his usual cold voice. When Lee Yiseon becomes kind, my worries double. Peeking my head out from between the blankets, I cautiously observed him, and he gestured lightly.

“Come and see.”

After checking the serious expressions of Black Foot and Toya, I pulled off the blanket. As I got closer, Toya raised one hand.

“Captain, there’s sweet water in the freezer. Can I have a sip?”

I didn’t know what she meant by ‘sweet water,’ but as if unable to find what she was looking for, she lay down on the blanket I had been lying on just moments ago, holding only a bottle of water.

Toya, holding the bottle in one hand, closed her eyes and fell asleep as if she had fainted. As I was startled by the sound of her breathing, Lee Yiseon spoke casually.

“She’s like that because she’s tired from running around without getting any sleep. You understand, right?”

No, this isn’t something I should just understand. Is it okay to work a minor this hard? She’s still at an age where she needs her rest to grow, and yet she can’t even sleep properly.

Black Foot’s bloodshot eyes surrounded his mysterious brown irises. Pressing his eyelids with his hand, he spoke.

“Prophet, the scale is eight times bigger than when they attacked you. The northern fortress is supporting the wild dogs. What do you think?”

Cold sweat trickled down. It sounded as if she were saying that the people of West Fort were suffering all because of me, but surely that wasn’t what she meant.

“What should I do?”

Since I bore some responsibility for the situation, even if it was unintentional, I decided to do whatever I could. At this, Black Foot asked as if she had been waiting for the question.

“Your dreams? Did you have any dreams today?”

I shook my head. Black Foot’s brown eyes shifted from me to Lee Yiseon.

“Don’t you dream every day?”

“No. It’s unpredictable. Sometimes I dream when I take a short nap during the day.”

“Hmm, that’s troublesome. If we can’t control your precognitive dreams at all, we won’t be able to use them when we need them.”

“Just do everything as usual.”

“That may be true, but…”

“I was planning to start organizing the network to contact Eastern Fort today, but I think it’s better to postpone that. First, we’ll check on the oil merchants’ situation. Black Foot, you should go back and get some rest too. You have to leave with me at 1 PM.”

As Black Foot stood up, he pointed at Toya.

“What about her? Should I take her with me?”

“At this hour, even you won’t be able to get anyone to open the door at the apartment.”

“True, the guards there are scary.”

“Those women are probably more afraid of you. I’ll wake her up and take her with me on time.”

Black Foot didn’t even bother to take the map or the pen. Without needing a send-off, he opened the mechanical room door and left. Because of this, I also missed the chance to say goodbye.

It was pitch-black outside the door. I checked the clock. It was 4 a.m. They had been working until this hour.

“I figured you would be curious, so I’m telling you now.”

Lee Yiseon, sitting on the sofa, opened his mouth.

“The women live together in the apartment. No men are allowed to enter between 10 PM and 7 AM Even if Black Foot or I took Toya there now, we would be kicked out at the door by the guards. So, for now, she has no choice but to sleep here.”

I stood in front of the table. I looked down at the map that they had been poring over just moments ago.

The areas marked on the map were Dongjakgu and Seochogu around the shrine. To avoid the wild dog alliance that might be lying in ambush in that area, we had to move via the bridge connected to the north of the Han River. However, it would be too far to detour and go back down to Jamsil, where the Eastern Fort is located.

“Are you going to take the safe detour?”

As I showed interest in the markings on the map, Lee Yiseon responded without any sign of annoyance.

“If we take the detour, it will consume a lot of oil. We’re moving by tanker, so we need to follow the original route and move safely.”

“It’s crowded near the shrine. Can we avoid it?”

“Though a lot of land near the express terminal has been blown away, the area around the Seoul Arts Center is still fine. Sinkholes don’t form as easily near the mountains.”

“But dealing with three hundred people….”

“It’s a hassle, but it’s not dangerous.”

Is that really true? I know he wouldn’t just boast, but I’m worried he might be overdoing it. On top of that, if we’re moving the tanker, we won’t even be able to fire our guns properly. If something goes wrong, we could explode.

“Why, are you worried?”

Lee Yiseon, looking at me curiously, was even more surprising. Every time the light flickered, it seemed like sparks were dancing in his eyes.

The incident at the herbal bath kept coming back to me. I lay down on the sofa, trying not to think about it.

“No, I’m sure you will handle it well.”

Since Toya had taken the bed, I resigned myself to sleeping on the sofa. As I closed my eyes, the light that had flickered behind my eyelids suddenly turned dark.

“It’s cute that you’re worried.”

At some point, Lee Yiseon had moved to sit beside my head, looking down at me. He was sitting a little closer than when he washed my hair while perched on the edge of the bathtub.

“Just a few days ago, you didn’t know anything and just stared blankly. Now you’ve learned to tell what’s dangerous and what’s safe. I feel good about your quick learning ability. You make teaching worthwhile.”

As he said this, he slowly slipped his fingers through my hair. The fluffy, not-so-shiny hair coiled between his fingers.

What’s so amusing about that frizzy feeling that makes him chuckle? I was about to explain that it was from frequent dyeing, but I suddenly felt embarrassed. It seemed like I was trying to make an excuse, as if I was ashamed of the fact that Lee Yiseon liked the feel of my hair and was playing with it.

“Oh, no… I didn’t have any precognitive dreams, so I was wondering if there’s anything else I could help with….”

The hand that was digging into my hair and gently massaging my scalp slowly moved down to my ears and under my chin. His face got closer. I couldn’t see Lee Yiseon’s expression in the shadows that swallowed the light. Even though there was no flickering light, something dark and red seemed to flicker in his eyes, giving me goosebumps and making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

“Wait, Lee Yiseon, wait a minute.”

By the time I reached out to push him away, it was already too late. Without warning, Lee Yiseon pressed his lips against mine.

Chup.

I opened my eyes wide at the small, soft sound. I was so shocked that my lips parted slightly, and I inhaled sharply.

As I grabbed the leather of the sofa with my fingertips and tried to turn away, he cupped my face with both hands. His lips touched my parted lips once more.

Chup, chup.

I was startled. It was a kiss mixed with slow breathing. That kiss was the complete opposite of how people usually describe them as soft or sweet. It was a sharp kiss that I’d remember first because of the stinging sensation.

“You…”

I was so shocked that I couldn’t form proper words. I felt pathetic for stammering, but my mind had already gone blank.

Do you even know what made me toss and turn until dawn?

I was about to argue, looking as if I was on the verge of tears, but Lee Yiseon, seeing me like that, swallowed dryly.

“Don’t frown.”

So, should I just smile happily right now?

I didn’t know what to say first, so I bit my lip. Lee Yiseon whispered in a lower voice.

“Don’t bite your lips either. That’s… suggestive.”

As if he couldn’t hold back any longer, Lee Yiseon lowered his head again. My entire body was enveloped in his shadow. It felt like I was being buried under large wings.

Chup.

Each time we kissed, he bit my lips lightly, almost like a peck.

Chup, chup, chup.

It felt like a giant bird of prey was picking at my beak.

“S-stop it.”

Lee Yiseon gently held my wrist as I tried to push him away, and as if still unsatisfied, he tilted his head and continued kissing me.

“When you talked about your dream, I thought it was ridiculous.”

The hot breath mixed with his voice sent goosebumps up my arms. Sensing my reaction, Lee Yiseon stroked my bare skin and whispered.

“But I changed my mind. When I saw you washing in the herbal bath, I thought it might be possible. I tried it just in case, and it seems fine. I really think it’s possible.”

…What kind of test were you running on me? Now you’re going off on your own about something I hadn’t even thought about in detail…

“Wait.”

As soon as I turned my head, he grabbed my face. Lee Yiseon tilted his head and bit my lips again.

“Ugh, Lee Yiseon!”

It felt similar to when I touched him in the bathtub. A strange feeling, like all the strength was leaving my fingertips and toes. No matter how much I thought about it, it was hard to understand the electric sensation passing through me.

“Lee Yiseon, stop, you really…!”

I called his name while gasping for breath. Lee Yiseon turned his head the other way and continued rubbing his lips against mine. His low voice resonated in my ears.

“Should I go deeper than this?”

My face heated up at his words. I hurriedly reached out and pushed Lee Yiseon’s face away. I barely managed to escape into the small space I had left. But all I could do was sit tightly against the edge of the sofa.

“You, you crazy bastard.”

Wiping his lips with the back of his hand, he cursed, but Lee Yiseon just laughed, leaning against the back of the sofa.

“You’re cute.”

“You’re crazy, aren’t you?”

“I didn’t expect such a reaction from a kiss. I didn’t even use my tongue.”

“You, you, really….”

“Haha, you really act differently from how you look.”

“I told you to stop talking about how I look!”

“You look like someone who’s all loose and easy.”

“Stop it! I told you to stop! Do you think I don’t know you’re teasing me on purpose?”

“You’re giving me a reaction that makes me want to tease you more.”

“You, really! If you do this again, I won’t let it slide!”

“Haha.”

Don’t laugh either. Didn’t you say there’s nothing for people in this world to laugh about? You always treat me like I’m weird when I smile, but now you’re the one laughing constantly.

“How exactly are you not going to let it slide? You wouldn’t be able to beat me even if you tried to fight me.”

“That’s not what I meant, ugh, this crazy bastard…”

He must be in a good mood. Usually, he barely says what’s necessary and just frowns to show his emotions, but now he’s laughing and spouting useless words. His eyes were full of amusement as he looked at me, sitting at the edge of the sofa, flinching.

Why is someone who usually barks orders at me making this kind of face now? Is this just a game to him too? Maybe. I wish it were just a game… Yeah, it’s just a game. Let’s not give it any special meaning. If I give this meaning, I’m the only one who’ll suffer. It’s just curiosity or interest. He’s laughing at my reaction.

“So, why did you take your clothes off so carelessly in front of someone you’ve had s3x with?”

Instead of getting angry at his sly words, I just bit my lip.

Thump thump thump thump.

I feel like my heart is going to explode. I want to dismiss it as meaningless, but every time Lee Yiseon opens his mouth, the meaning piles up.

“That was in the dream! Dream! It wasn’t reality!”

No matter how fiercely I try to respond, it doesn’t work on Lee Yiseon.

“It is reality. It’s a future that will happen.”

“No, it’s not!”

“If it wasn’t a precognitive dream, then you had a wet dream about me.”

“It wasn’t that either!”

“Then what? Was it something you just made up in a fantasy? That’s even creepier.”

“No, no!”

“What’s the problem with getting a taste of what’s going to happen someday?”

“I said no!”

I was at a loss for what to do as the conversation kept getting tangled. I could feel pain in my lower lip, which I was pressing hard with my upper teeth. It felt like the marks left by Lee Yiseon’s bite were pricking under my lip. I had never felt such shame before in my life. Even though our lips weren’t touching anymore, his touch still lingered.

“It’ll be late evening or maybe even dawn by the time we return from escorting the tanker.”

Lee Yiseon, who had been watching my reaction with amusement while lounging diagonally on the sofa, gave his final warning.

“Have a precognitive dream before I come back. It’ll be good for you too.”

Dreams don’t come at will, so isn’t that too much to ask?

There was no time to argue. I knew the hidden meaning behind his so-called kindness when he said it would be “good for me.” It’s not good for me at all.

“If I come back and there’s nothing for me to do, I won’t be able to leave you alone.”

It sounded like he wanted me to have a precognitive dream, think about it, and make a plan for him. At that ridiculous threat, I could only glare at Lee Yiseon with a face flushed red.

Lee Yiseon smiled prettily, his eyes curling. Maybe it was because his eyelashes were long, but the shadows they cast when he smiled looked delicate.

I lowered my face.

You bastard.

I didn’t know what else to do other than mutter that.