Destruction — Chapter 41

“Hah.”

A heavy exhale escaped Woobeom, full of mixed emotions. He stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind him, so Saejin outside wouldn’t hear.

“Why the hell did you bring this shit all the way here.”

“No, no, hyungnim! I wasn’t planning to take it…”

“Then what, did you bring it as decoration?”

The thing Kyungshik had dropped was a drug Sanwon Group had been developing. Even to increase accessibility, the price had been set low, and the ingredients were cheap and poorly mixed. Despite the awful quality, the addiction was viciously strong. Overseas it was disguised as a painkiller, but that was a lie, if inhaled, it acted on the brain instantly and plunged the user into hallucinations.

Drug distribution wasn’t Woobeom’s department, but he’d once heard that some of the men were made to test it. It seemed Kyungshik had been one of them. Otherwise, there was no reason such a disgusting drug would be in his possession.

“If you’re gonna get high in here, get the hell out.”

“I won’t… I absolutely will not do it. I swear. I only brought it to use as a painkiller in case of emergencies.”

He had just said he didn’t bring it to take, yet now he claimed he brought it to use as a painkiller. Regardless of his reason, taking that drug would cause hallucinations for several hours. The symptoms always appeared on the surface, so if Kyungshik ever showed signs of using it, Woobeom would throw him out immediately.

“Just so we’re clear.”

Still holding the pill, Woobeom walked over to the window. Without a second of hesitation, he flung it outside.

“Don’t bring up anything about drugs to Yoon Saejin. And don’t you dare offer him any.”

“Of course!”

Only after hearing a firm promise did Woobeom turn around.

“Behave yourself. Camaraderie isn’t as deep as you think.”

“…Yes.”

It was a warning that if Kyungshik stepped out of line, their old connection meant nothing. Then Woobeom said he would be heading out with Saejin and left the room.

“Let’s go.”

Filled with anticipation, Saejin brightened immediately as Woobeom gently pushed his back, a signal to start walking.

Hurrying to put on his sneakers, Saejin opened the front door and took in a deep breath. They had only been in the city briefly, yet he’d already missed the fresh air. Part of it was the relief of escaping rotting corpse stench, but mostly it was the clean scent of the mountains. Each step released the earthy smell of soil, clearing his head, and the early buds of grass made the scenery come alive. Just strolling down the mountain path made his body feel light, so mornings at the villa usually began with a walk.

“Ahem… So, hyung… we’re not doing training today, right?”

“What?”

“Just from walking yesterday, I’m pretty sure we did like tens of thousands of steps… and then we climbed the mountain at dawn…”

“Not a chance.”

Before he could finish whining, Saejin was flicked on the forehead. Grabbing his forehead and whining in pain, he began turning his brain quickly. Next time he’d need a better excuse. He always worked hard once training started, but sometimes he couldn’t help wanting to slack off.

“Oh! Isn’t that a squirrel?”

On their way to the valley, the two stopped when they spotted a small animal. A squirrel was climbing up the bare trunk of a tree, and at the sound of Saejin’s voice, its ears twitched. Maybe it hadn’t seen many humans, it looked more curious than scared. Unsure whether they were friend or foe, it flicked its tail for a long moment.

“Come here, come here.”

Like calling a stray cat on the street, Saejin crouched down and clicked his tongue softly. Repeating the same sound, he tried drawing the squirrel’s attention. Woobeom said wild animals wouldn’t respond to that and told him to just keep walking. Being a member of the chipmunk family, the squirrel was small and cautious. There was no way it would approach a human.

But then its reaction broke Woobeom’s expectation.

“I think it’s thinking about it.”

It lifted its front paw and hesitated, looking torn, almost as if deciding whether to answer Saejin’s call. It shouldn’t do that. It would probably run away any second now. Unlike Woobeom, who had no expectations, Saejin gathered his courage and slowly approached.

“Come here, this way.”

Taking small steps, he crept toward the tree where the squirrel sat. The squirrel blinked its big eyes at Saejin’s outstretched hand, then, as if making up its mind, scurried toward him and leapt into his palm.

“Hyung, did you see? Wow… this is the first time a wild animal came to me like that.”

Lowering his voice so he wouldn’t scare the small creature, Saejin grinned silently, unable to hide his joy. The squirrel tilted its head repeatedly before burrowing into the sleeve of Saejin’s jacket. Whether it was searching for warmth or treating Saejin like a hiding place was impossible to say. Either way, it was a first-time experience for him.

“What are you going to do if it has ticks.”

Woobeom brought him back to reality right away, pointing to Saejin’s wrist. His thick sleeve bulged where the squirrel’s weight pressed against it.

“…It’s cute, so it’s fine.”

“It might be crawling with bugs.”

“…Ugh.”

“Let it go.”

“Can’t I keep it?”

“No.”

“Ugh…”

Ticks, bugs, everything was just an excuse to make Saejin give up the idea. With Woobeom firmly telling him to release it, Saejin stared sadly at his sleeve. Well, the little guy would be happier running freely in nature than being raised by humans. Deciding to give up his greed, Saejin gently pulled the tiny creature out of his sleeve. It was small and fluffy, still very young. Carefully, so as not to scare it, he placed it on the ground and gestured as if telling it to go.

“You shouldn’t come when people call you.”

“Don’t talk back.”

“Chiik!”

“Hurry up and go.”

“Chik, chik!”

The squirrel, squeaking in a high pitch, stared at Saejin for a long moment as if it understood him, then scampered away into the distance. It had only been a short encounter, but it left Saejin with a fond memory. Watching the spot where the squirrel disappeared with a lingering gaze, Saejin moved close to Woobeom and laughed foolishly.

“I’m really kind, right?”

“Yeah.”

“…You don’t sound very sincere.”

As Woobeom started walking toward the valley again, he held out his hand as if telling Saejin to hurry and follow. Saejin hesitated, debating whether to take his hand, then bit the back of it in revenge.

“…Ugh.”

“You panicked, didn’t you? Didn’t you? Huh? You panicked, right?”

The sound he made wasn’t from pain, it was shock. Looking at the neat bite marks on the back of his hand, Woobeom spoke in a calm voice.

“Yoon Saejin.”

“…Yes?”

Since he had done something wrong, his reply trembled.

“If you walk straight for a bit, the valley is right ahead.”

“Um… okay.”

A sense of doom began creeping up Saejin’s spine.

“Run to the valley. If I don’t catch you, I’ll let it slide.”

“…What?”

“I’ll give you ten seconds.”

“W-wait! Wait!”

Before Woobeom even started counting, Saejin took off. He kept glancing back to check whether Woobeom was chasing him or not. In an instant, a life-or-death race began.

“If I… huff… if I get caught, what happens?!”

Shouting while running made it hard to breathe, but there was no answer. That silence felt like a threat, use your imagination, which only made it scarier.

Gasping, Saejin decided that no matter what, he just had to reach the valley first. His thigh muscles started to stiffen, and a dull ache formed in his lower stomach. Because he had started running without warming up, his muscles were protesting. As he sprinted desperately, he soon heard the sound of Woobeom closing in.

“Hyung! Isn’t this too much just because I bit your hand a little?!”

He wanted to beg for forgiveness, but stopping now meant death. So he kept running, tears pricking at his eyes from the wind stinging his face. Branches snagged and whipped against him, leaving tiny scratches so small they were hard to notice.

‘Isn’t he being ridiculously petty?! I only bit his hand a little! How can he chase me like this!’

The way he pursued him, like a beast closing in on its prey, was terrifying. If he’d known it would be like this, he would’ve bitten harder.

‘The valley!’

The refreshing sound of flowing water echoed through the air, and soon the wide valley appeared. Cool water streamed between the rocks, and the scent of the river even cooled his sweat. Just a few more steps and he would win. Grinning triumphantly, he bolted forward…

And thick, strong arms wrapped around his waist.

“Got you.”

“…Huh?”

His height changed instantly. As soon as he heard Woobeom’s voice, his vision lifted, and he ended up in his arms. He squirmed wildly to get down, but it was pointless. He let out a sound that was neither a scream nor a laugh, something in-between, and repeated only one phrase.

“I’m sorry, hyung! I’m sorry! Wait.. you’re not… right?”

His anxious eyes darted over Woobeom’s face. Watching the direction Woobeom was walking made his stomach drop. Holding him tightly, Woobeom’s mouth curved faintly before he stepped straight into the valley water. The sound of rushing water in the quiet moment sent a chill down Saejin’s spine.

“W-wait… argh! Cold!”

When the water reached Woobeom’s knees, he loosened his hold around Saejin. Without support, gravity dragged Saejin downward, dunking him into the cold water with a loud splash. His clothes soaked instantly as he swallowed a mouthful of water.

“Ugh…! My nose burns!”

The water wasn’t deep, so he stood up quickly, but he was drenched head to toe. Dripping wet, he looked up at Woobeom with a betrayed expression. Woobeom raised an eyebrow.

“That’s what you get for messing around.”

“…I have nothing left to lose now.”

“What?”

“I’m a water ghost now!”

Throwing both hands up, Saejin lunged at him, shaking his entire body like a maniac. Water sprayed in every direction, and Woobeom stepped back to avoid the sudden attack.

“Hey… hey?! Where are you going!”

He never expected to end up playing “catch me if you can” in a river. Saejin chased after the retreating Woobeom. The good thing about the valley was that he didn’t need to actually catch him to get revenge. Scooping up water with both hands, Saejin flung it nonstop toward the direction Woobeom fled. Repeating the motion drenched Woobeom until he looked just as wet as Saejin.

“Ha… ha… ha!”

Laughing while panting heavily, Saejin wiped the droplets clinging to his chin. Revenge complete. Running around in water was far more exhausting than running on land. Completely drained, Saejin plopped down on a large rock.

“Ugh… cold.”

Saejin brushed the cold water off his soaked arms and shivered hard. Then Woobeom, who had somehow approached quietly, placed a heavy coat over Saejin’s head.

“What, when did you even take this off?”

Woobeom had taken it off right before grabbing him. He figured Saejin would get cold after being drenched, so he’d kept a dry layer aside on purpose. Sniffling once, Saejin draped the coat over his shoulders and staggered to his feet.