FTE 026

My head was throbbing painfully. It seemed like guidance had been ongoing throughout the night. In other words, Chae Won-u’s abilities must have been slightly draining continuously all night. I felt groggy and disoriented, as if waking up from an unplanned daytime nap. Pushing away Chae Won-u’s arm, I sat upright with difficulty. Despite being awake, my eyes were heavy-lidded and unfocused.

“Hnnng.” Chae Won-u grumbled, then raised his arm again to wrap it around my waist. He acted quite amusingly for someone who didn’t seem fully conscious yet.

I gently tapped Chae Won-u on the shoulder twice.

“You should wake up now.”

“Mmm.”

“I said, please get up.”

The hand that had been tapping his shoulder slowly moved up to gently tap on his exposed neck. Since I couldn’t slap him there, I poked it with my fingertips instead. With my nails neatly trimmed, he wouldn’t feel any pain or get scratched. Besides, getting injured by mere fingernails as a hunter would be laughable and grounds for losing one’s license.

My hand eventually reached his cheek, where I prodded him awake.

“Hunter Chae Won-u. Wake up now.”

Finally, Chae Won-u opened his eyes. He stared at me groggily, barely able to keep them open, then awkwardly sat up like a merman prince, cracking his back loudly.

“Did we fall asleep?”

“You think we’d have a pillow fight if we were in bed together? Get up. I’m planning to go jogging since I’m feeling restless.”

Then I noticed what time it was. As I rolled out of bed, I saw Chae Won-u lifting the blanket.

“Did hyung dress me?”

“Is Hunter Chae a preschool child?”

“Nope. An adult.”

“Then you dressed yourself. Did you think I did it for you?”

There was a clock on Chae Won-u’s desk but it was broken. The digital clock was turned off because it wasn’t charged. It could be charged in five minutes, but finding the charger would take longer than checking the clock. My nerves were frayed due to lack of sleep. I pulled at my messy hair and clicked my tongue irritably.

“Then why did hyung sleep here…?”

“The room was crying.” I replied while tapping Chae Won-u’s clock. Chae Won-u didn’t seem to understand.

“Your room was crying because Hunter Chae had a nightmare. Got it? Tears were just dripping from the doorknob and window.” I placed my thumb and index finger below my eyes, pretending to cry while making sobbing sounds. Then, as if nothing happened, I tapped on his watch again. The second hand started moving once more, but it went backward this time.

“This is broken. You need a new one.”

“…Hyung, please don’t enter my room without permission anymore.”

Hooo. Look at that reaction?

“I didn’t want to come either. But that’s what happens when Hunter Chae Won-u decides to go and leak his ability everywhere.”

“So, about the medication…”

“Say another word about those damn pills and you’ll regret it.”

My head snapped toward Chae Won-u so quickly that it startled him. He flinched but then nodded.

“The nightmare and this ability leakage issue are side effects of overusing those drugs. It’s clear from what happened before that these symptoms arose after you stopped taking them. So should we start again? Continue using them? And have me drag along your guidance even though you won’t listen to me when I need you most? No way! Since I’m assigned as your guide, Hunter Chae, things will go my way.”

People often assume guides hold less authority than hunters because they’re not as strong or visible. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. To the average person, we might seem like mere first aid kits, but in reality, we are defibrillators, oxygen masks, brakes, airbags, and seat belts. Try surviving without us.

“In other words, Hunter Chae’s room won’t be private for some time. I’ll invade it as I please and move his body at will. If you don’t like it, then cut ties with me now.”

“Hyung… You know that kind of talk affects me.”

“What do you mean?”

Ah. Yes, I knew but pretended not to understand.

“You’re saying… that thing… it’s blackmail. Partners should maintain their relationship based on trust, so you shouldn’t resort to threats.”

“Oh dear. Did you finally watch something decent this time? But what can we do? It was Hunter Chae who broke our trust first.”

“…..”

“You have nothing to say? Isn’t it true? Did I win?”

I was gradually getting excited. After a while, I realized how childish I was being and felt embarrassed. I coughed awkwardly and put the clock on the desk.

“By the way, why is there a set of pots in my room?”

“…It was discovered when I came to invite you for ramen. Okay?”

What ‘okay’? How should I explain this? It wasn’t as if I brought the ‘suitable for induction, highlight, gas stove, sturdy and resistant to rust’ pot set because I feared pretty pimples might form from the water droplets he shot at me…

***

Chae Won-u was following me around like a puppy. It was annoying.

“Are you really okay?”

If he asked one more time, it would feel like ten questions. My mouth hurt from talking with my toothbrush still inside, so I simply waved off his concern with my casted arm. It meant ‘I’m fine.’ Besides, today, I’d receive rapid treatment. Although it would be excruciatingly painful, enduring it would finally free me of this cast. Thanks to advancements in combat injury repair techniques, there were endless possibilities for healing.

“But if it hurts even just a little…”

He continued nagging at me outside the bathroom. With less foam on my lips, I enunciated clearly:

“I’ll go downstairs for treatment and then head out for a jog.”

“Treatment hurts, hyung…”

“I know.”

Of course, I knew. How many times have I been injured?

Once, all my limbs were broken. The Hunter Association’s mad scientists somehow managed to keep me alive as long as my heart didn’t stop beating. It took half an hour for each limb, totaling two hours. I fainted fourteen times, and due to gritting my teeth so hard that they cracked, an additional ten minutes were added for emergency treatment.

After that incident, I tried really hard not to get hurt again. In reality, I still got injured frequently, but since it was mostly external wounds rather than internal ones, and given the nature of being on standby for dungeon raids, I had no choice but to undergo treatments occasionally. Over time, I became somewhat accustomed to it, aided by advancements in medication.

After rinsing my mouth, I turned around and saw Chae Won-u’s tearful expression. His already thick lips were pouting, indicating he was on the verge of tears. I wiped his mouth with a towel and extended my hand, tapping Chae Won-u’s cheek.

“Are you going to cry? Cry now.”

“I want to cry.”

“Aww. Still, don’t cry.”

“Are you trying to cheer me up or tease me?”

“Maybe teasing?”

“…Hyung, despite being injured and facing danger, why do you seem so unaffected?”

“It would be exhausting if I reacted sensitively to every situation. It’s better to just let things go. After all, life must continue.”

“It feels like you’re not just walking but running through it.”

“Why? Do you want to chase after me?”

“Yes.”

I wasn’t sure what this conversation flow was about. Scratching my head, I pushed Chae Won-u aside. First of all, I needed to change clothes and get rid of this annoying cast.

“I’ll help you with changing your clothes.”

Once again, I teased Chae Won-u. Crossing my hands over my chest, I asked, “Are you having impure thoughts?”

“…..”

“…Can you quickly answer me because it makes me uneasy?”

“Nope. Isn’t it better to wear a shirt?”

“No, I don’t have any shirts.”

Hoodies, sweatshirts, boxy tees—that’s all I owned. Despite being uncomfortable, my arm didn’t hurt due to the thick cast wrapped around it. In reality, Chae Won-u didn’t need to assist me. Even with the injury hindering my movements, I skillfully removed my clothing.

“Give me anything.”

As I said this, Chae Won-u picked out a lighter gray hoodie from among my predominantly dark-colored clothes.

Despite taking some time to put it on, I felt an itch right above my elbow before fully pulling it over my face. I’m quite sensitive to itching sensations. As I abruptly turned sideways, I stifled a laugh with an awkward sound. It was rather comical.

“Oh man! What’s wrong?”

“The clothing got tangled…” Chae Won-u responded, startled, his big eyes blinking rapidly. With long eyelashes and thick double eyelids, even when surprised, he looked slightly dazed. His soft and delicate features were so appealing that any anger I might’ve had instantly dissipated.

Was my face that sensitive? It was unusual for me to feel this vulnerable, perhaps because I had never met someone with such a charming appearance before.

“I’m very ticklish. You could’ve just told me.”

Chae Won-u pursed his lips and nodded firmly. Somehow, it felt like he was more focused on absorbing the information “Baekgyeom hyung is highly ticklish” rather than promising to inform me next time. Still, I’d appreciate it if he remembered either way.

As we were granted a short break after our mission, I wondered what Chae Won-u planned to do today. He stood at the entrance, seemingly ready to see me off as I put on my shoes. Dressed in jogger pants and a sleeveless T-shirt, his attire suggested he might be heading out for exercise soon.

“What are your plans for today?”

On impulse, I asked him. However, there was no regret or hesitation, despite knowing him for only a short time. Somehow, it felt like this question had been on my mind since waking up this morning.

“I don’t know.”

“Then would you like to jog with me?”

“Jogging?”

“I’m planning to go jogging after finishing here. Have you experienced rapid healing before? It makes your body incredibly itchy and heavy, right? Running helps alleviate those sensations quickly.”

I found myself unnecessarily babbling, not being entirely straightforward. What I really meant was, “It seems like you’ll just be lounging at home today; why don’t we head out together?” But saying that might make me sound intrusive, as if I presume too much about Chae Won-u’s habits. I didn’t want him to think I knew him better than I should. Anyway, overthinking led to my indirect approach.