RG 103

“What the hell.”

I narrowed my eyes at the ominous atmosphere radiating from Kwon Seoyul. I’d already heard from Kwon Taehyeok that he hadn’t left the hospital, but he came not just to keep watch—he came to see me?

‘That bastard… He totally planned this and came when the room was empty.’

No matter how I looked at it, it was suspicious. Especially because every time Kwon Seoyul smiled like that, something bad always happened—it made me even more uneasy.

Unbothered by my wariness, he casually walked over and tilted his head.

“What’s with that look?”

“…The real question is, where have you been and what took you so long to show up?”

“Why are you asking that, bro? You’re the one who abandoned me first.” Standing close to the bed, Kwon Seoyul crossed his arms and looked around. When he noticed the luxurious hospital room with an attached bathroom, he curled his lips in disdain. “So, I guess that guy, the Yesung’s guildmaster or whatever, really made an impression on you?”

“Cut the crap and just tell me why you’re here.”

I couldn’t kick him out by force, so it was better to deal with him and get him to leave as quickly as possible. Letting out a sigh, I sat up from where I had been leaning against the headboard—only for a large hand to press firmly on my shoulder.

“…Let go.”

“Just stay lying down. Why bother getting up?”

“If you were in my shoes, do you think you could lie there comfortably right now?”

I slapped Kwon Seoyul’s hand away and swung my legs off the bed. As I stood up, Kwon Seoyul, who had been watching me quietly, spoke with a hint of irritation. “This situation? What kind of situation are you talking about?”

“Just tell me what you came here for.”

“So you can’t even lie down comfortably in front of me?”

“I said—get to the point.”

Since I was already up, I started walking past Kwon Seoyul to grab some water, but he yanked my wrist hard, pulling me back roughly.

“Ugh!”

“I really don’t get why you’re acting so damn confident right now.” He pulled me closer, and as I staggered forward, he continued speaking, “Shouldn’t you be sorry to me? I thought you’d at least show a little guilt—but seeing you like this… Fuck.” He twisted his face in disbelief, cursing under his breath, “You seriously don’t even know what the hell you did wrong… Fuck, it pisses me off so much it’s ridiculous…”

“You crazy bastard—ugh!”

In an instant, he grabbed me by the collar and shoved me back. As soon as I collapsed onto the bed, Kwon Seoyul climbed on top and pressed down on my shoulder. His face loomed over mine, backlit by the fluorescent light—his scarlet eyes glowing fiercely in the shadow. A wave of buried memories surged up and crashed over me. A bad feeling crept up from the tips of my toes and began gnawing at my body.

Thump, thump—my pounding heartbeat echoed in my ears, freezing my entire body. I tried to hold on to my composure and control my breathing, but it only got rougher.

The hand that had grabbed my collar slid up my neck, then gripped my chin. Kwon Seoyul jerked my head side to side, then raised the corner of his lips in a twisted smile. “Don’t act so dramatic. I put you on the bed so you wouldn’t get hurt.”

“…How about you cut the crap and get lost.”

“While you were passed out, I saw a certain video on the news.” Ignoring everything I said, he leaned in close—close enough that I could feel his breath. His long lashes fluttered as he continued, “There was this Support, clearly wearing someone else’s clothes over his head, using skills. It was really something to watch.”

“…”

“The news was all over it—saying it was an AoE heal that even purifies the blood of an S-class demon. They were hyped. So guess how I felt watching that?” As his fingers slid from my chin to my cheek, he pressed firmly against my tightly shut lips. “When did it start?”

(T/N: For non-gamers, AoE = Area of Effect, which means the skill doesn’t affect only a single target.) 

“…”

“When did you get a skill like that?”

After that question, silence fell. Kwon Seoyul acted like he was giving me time to answer, and even though my whole body had gone rigid, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter scoff.

“Fuck off.”

“…”

“I’m not telling anyone—especially bastards like you—so cut the bullshit and just—ugh!”

“Why?”

Before I could finish, his hand clamped tightly around my neck. As I gasped and struggled, Kwon Seoyul easily held me down, muttering nonstop, “Why? Why? Why the hell? I don’t get it.”

Even though he didn’t seem to be using much strength, intense pain radiated through my throat. I tried shoving him away with trembling hands, but it was useless.

“If you had a skill like that, you should’ve told us first, used it on us—before wasting it on a bunch of disposable nobodies…”

“Ugh, ngh…!”

“Use it now. Hm? Hurry up and use it on me too.”

“Gah—just get lost!”

“Oh, it’s a healing skill—so I guess I need to get hurt first?”

Muttering to himself, Kwon Seoyul finally released my neck. Air rushed into my lungs, making my throat burn as if it had caught fire.

“Haaak, cough! Hrk…”

Clutching my stinging throat, I gasped for breath as Kwon Seoyul pulled something from his inventory. A dagger with a short, palm-length blade fell into his hand out of thin air. Without hesitation, he gripped the blade, raised it high, and stabbed downward in one swift motion.

Slash!

Bright red blood splattered all the way to where I was lying.

Expressionless, Kwon Seoyul drove the dagger into his own forearm. He checked the bleeding wound calmly, then yanked the dagger out—only to stab himself again, even harder. He repeated the insane act—over and over. Until his forearm was shredded, and the bed was soaked with his pouring blood.

“Hah… stop it, already…”

“Is this enough? Heal me. Go on.” He shoved his blood-drenched arm toward me, demanding treatment. Faced with the sea of crimson, I couldn’t take it anymore—I shut my eyes like I was running away.

The overwhelming stench of blood and metal, the way he acted like my skill belonged to him—it all made me sick. This was exactly why I never wanted him to find out anything. Not about my buffs, not about my Divine Power—nothing about me becoming S-class.

“Heal me, bro. You healed those fuckers without hesitation.”

“Let go.”

My stomach churned. The way he shook my shoulders, as if trying to force it out of me, pushed me to the edge—I nearly begged him to stop.

“Do it. You don’t want me to force you again, do you?”

“…”

“You’re pissed at me for that, right? Right? Fuck, come to think of it, some weirdo mentioned your name and dumped a kid on me. And there I was, waiting like a dumbass—had no idea you were off using your skill on other bastards. You know how excited I was? Just because you said you’d talk to me. You owe me an apology.”

That bastard had the nerve to keep spouting nonsense as he yanked my hair hard. Pain shot through the back of my scalp as my lowered head was jerked upward.

“I told you to use your skill.”

“…”

“Why are your eyes closed? This isn’t the time to act cute—you’d better just do what you’re told.”

What the hell is this psycho talking about?

Forcing my eyes open, I looked up at Kwon Seoyul—and then, deliberately, I smiled. “Believe what you want. Get your hopes up or don’t. I don’t care about your feelings.”

“Brother.”

“What? You thought I’d spend my whole life trapped in the district, being pushed around?”

“…”

“Start learning something, asshole. Using my skill on you is way more disgusting than using it on strangers whose names I don’t even know.”

“…You’ve really lost it, huh.” 

Kwon Seoyul gave a bitter laugh, his brow furrowed. His eyes, glaring at me, grew colder, and the grip on my hair tightened painfully.

Then—

Tap tap, a flurry of footsteps rang out, followed by the door to the hospital room slamming open.

Bang!

With a loud crash, Kwon Taehyeok and Ryu Seonghyeon rushed in.

“Hunter Cha Seohu!”

Ryu Seonghyeon, quickly assessing the blood-soaked bed and Kwon Seoyul clutching my hair, immediately activated a skill. Light burst from his body, coiling like a snake before wrapping tightly around Kwon Seoyul.

Clearly, Kwon Seoyul had noticed their approach—but he never looked away from me. Even as he was dragged away from the bed without resistance, he kept his eyes fixed only on me.

As he passed, Kwon Taehyeok glared at the restrained Kwon Seoyul, then turned to me and asked, “Are you alright?”

“Yes…” I nodded, trying to appear calm, but I was deeply relieved they had come.

Knowing Kwon Seoyul, he was the type to pull this kind of crazy stunt anywhere, no matter the place. If it weren’t for those two showing up, he wouldn’t have stopped. Or rather… it felt like he knew they’d come and let himself get caught.

“Bro,” a low voice called from behind Kwon Taehyeok. Still looking only at me, with a blank, unreadable expression, Kwon Seoyul spoke. “What are you even planning to do now?”

“…”

“No matter how much you try to hide it, you think we won’t recognize you? After seeing the news, I’m sure Father and the other brothers figured out you got a new skill. So how are you planning to hold out?”

“That’s my business.”

“He gave a new order.”

“…”

“He told me to return. Do you know what that means?”

Kwon Seoyul’s crimson eyes glistened, and soon, thick tears began to fall from them. Seeing him suddenly break into tears, Kwon Taehyeok and Ryu Seonghyeon looked visibly taken aback.

“You think he’s going to sit back and watch you use your skill on other bastards?”

Here we go again. Kwon Seoyul’s emotions swinging wildly and him using Father and brothers as threats—it was nothing new. Just more of the same exhausting crap. Breathing out a weary sigh, I heard him keep talking. 

“They’ll probably send Brother Jeongho or Hae-il to drag you back, but you alone… can you really—”

I couldn’t listen anymore. It was just too tedious. “Kwon Seoyul.”

This might be the first time for Kwon Seoyul, but I had heard the same kind of threats more times than I could count before the regression.

Before or after the regression, my decision hasn’t changed.

“I don’t care who they send. I’m not going back to the district. Got it? Even if those two beat me half to death—I’m still not going.”

“…”

“I told you, I’m done with those fucked-up brotherhood.”

At my firm reply, Kwon Seoyul’s lashes trembled like he was genuinely shocked. Then, lowering his gaze, he pressed his lips tightly together in silence.