Under Creature Chapter 11.2

He became a vigilante to protect people from blood hunters. The association and regular hunters were the ‘many,’ and he was always the ‘few.’

The ‘few’ could gain nothing. They always had to lose. Even themselves.

“A-nim! Hurry! The correctional facility building has collapsed. Not only Choi Baekgil and the hidden enemies, but the imprisoned blood hunters might also attempt to escape! We must act as quickly as possible!”

“I…”

A’s lips parted inside the mask. It was then.

“…hyun hyung! Yigeom hyung!”

“Sanha oppa. Still no contact?”

“Yeah. It looks like Dohyun’s phone is off. Geonwoo, is Yigeom picking up?”

“No, he’s not answering.”

‘…Why are they. Here.’

Jewoo, who was running over, drenched in sweat, spotted Kim Hyungkyu and quickly approached him.

“Excuse me! You remember me, right!? Are my hyungs here by any chance? No, they must be, right? Where are they?”

“You came at a good time. It’s an urgent situation, so for now, you should all join the Vigilante…”

“Forget that! Seo Dohyun and Yoon Yigeom! I asked where my hyungs are!?”

“…That is.”

A let out a small laugh. They all had a fierce glint in their eyes, just like their master. Latter had already signed an agreement, stating they would help if the Vigilante Corps was in danger. In this situation, joining the Vigilante Corps, as Kim Hyungkyu said, was the right thing to do according to the contract. But…

‘This much should be fine.’

A pointed towards the collapsed building.

“They were crushed under the debris from the explosion. Both of them.”

“……!!”

Without a moment to answer, Latter rushed past A and jumped into the shattered debris. Just then, Jin Geonwoo and A’s eyes met in mid-air. A gave a slight nod, and Jin Geonwoo, with a determined expression, bowed his head deeply in return before following the rest of Latter.

This was enough. Latter would rescue him, the one buried under the rubble. As long as he was alive, they would, without a doubt.

‘This is enough….’

A, in a much more relieved tone, gave an order to Kim Hyungkyu.

“Rear support will come after everything is over. For now, have all able-bodied members form ranks and be on alert for the enemy.”

“Yes.”

“If you find Choi Baekgil and his group, send me a signal immediately.”

A scanned the area beyond the building, where Choi Baekgil had looked before he burst out laughing, and muttered in a low voice.

“I will deal with Choi Baekgil.”

🦅࿐

Crumble, the sound of small pieces of concrete breaking into even smaller dust and falling filled his ears.

Yigeom struggled to lift his eyelids.

What happened. He couldn’t remember at all. His mind was blank. Even when he tried to sit up, he was pinned down by something and couldn’t use any strength.

‘What is this?’

“……! Seo Do…, cough.”

Dust was scattered everywhere, making it difficult to breathe. Yigeom coughed lightly and finally recalled what had just happened.

A sound of something exploding from inside the correctional facility, the building debris flying towards Seo Dohyun’s back, his vision turning red, the explosive sound that echoed as if to burst his eardrums.

Snapping to his senses, Yigeom hurriedly checked Seo Dohyun’s condition.

“Hey, hey…. Wake up.”

“……”

Silence was the only response to his continuous calls.

Trapped under the pile of debris, not a single ray of light came through, and moreover, the darkness made it impossible to see anything, which heightened his anxiety.

As he twisted his body to check on Seo Dohyun’s condition, he felt a hand on the back of his head.

‘Crazy bastard…’

In that brief moment, it seemed Seo Dohyun had cupped his hand to protect the back of Yigeom’s head.

His breath caught in his throat for no reason. Convinced that it was the concrete dust making it hard to breathe, he fumbled around Seo Dohyun’s body.

‘His stomach seems okay.’

The problem was his back. That huge piece of debris had flown towards Seo Dohyun; there was no way he could be unharmed. Yigeom carefully reached his arm toward his back.

‘…Shit. What is this.’

His fingertips touched something wet and sticky. It felt slightly warm, so it was clearly blood.

“Seo Dohyun…. Hey, wake up. …Wake up.”

Even a rough check told him the amount of blood lost was significant. The wetness soaking his hand was enough to make him wonder if he would die from excessive bleeding. He could also feel a considerable amount of blood in his hair.

He probably could have avoided it if he were alone. But like a fool, instead of protecting himself, he chose to shield Yigeom.

Just like during the Iryeon incident, when he took the hit for Seo Doa by embracing her, a hit that could have been easily avoided by resetting.

Stupidly stubborn bastard.

‘What am I, to him.’

Yigeom bit his lower lip hard. If it was going to be like this, it would have been a hundred times better if he had been the one to pass out.

He had to get out of here quickly and get Seo Dohyun treated.

Yigeom checked the pile of debris on top of them. No matter how much strength he put in, it wouldn’t budge.

‘Are we buried deep?’

Time was of the essence.

What if he misses the window for treatment? The blood continued to flow, and soon it was soaking Yigeom’s sleeve.

‘At this rate…’

His fingertips started to tremble. It might have been his imagination, but it felt like Seo Dohyun’s body temperature, held in his arms, was getting colder.

What was the situation outside? Only the rear had failed to exit the building, so the front and center sections probably weren’t swept up in the explosion.

But…. would help really come? An explosion meant there was an enemy, and an explosion of this scale probably meant there were many of them.

‘Choi Baekgil…’

An important figure in Adam. Could Adam be involved? More than that, if the explosion started from the inside, some of the inmates would have either been caught in the blast or escaped. And they were all blood hunters.

It was probably utter chaos outside. Still….

Yigeom shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping his voice would carry outside.

“Is anyone out there!! There are people here! Someone’s trapped!!”

It was no use. Not a sound came back. At this rate, Seo Dohyun would…. He was becoming short of breath. His vision turned white.

Seo Dohyun’s body was as cold as ice. A sudden fear gripped him.

‘Is he breathing?’

The colder his body got, the tighter Yigeom held him, quietly listening for his heartbeat and his faint breaths.

The fact that his breath, however small, continued, brought a sliver of reassurance.

He couldn’t hope for rescue, nor was he in a state to escape on his own. At this rate, Seo Dohyun would surely die.

‘What should I do…’

All he could do was try to warm his cold body. He didn’t even know if that was working properly.

All Yigeom knew was that his own body temperature was warmer than Seo Dohyun’s.

“There are people here! Someone is dying!!”

Yigeom screamed again until his throat was raw. There are people here, someone’s trapped, the bleeding won’t stop, please help, save us. He shouted dozens of times. Even if no answer came, it was the only thing he could do.

After some time, only a raspy sound came from his hoarse throat. Despite shouting so loudly, there was no response from outside, and Seo Dohyun showed no signs of waking up.

Occasionally, he would listen for his heartbeat, feel relieved, shout, listen again, hold the cold body, shout. He repeated this endlessly in the pitch-black darkness.

“…Seo Dohyun.”

Yigeom whispered his name in a cracked voice.

How did it come to this. He had only joined the Vigilante Corps to repay Bae Sangwoo’s kindness, to take revenge on Kwon Sanghyuk who had killed him.

He never wanted Seo Dohyun to die. He didn’t want to lose someone again.

‘If Seo Dohyun dies, I…’

There would be no more repeating time. But so what? What did that matter? He finally realized.

He had always made a point of saying he wasn’t close to Seo Dohyun, that they only met for work, but he had been a precious person to him as well.

He couldn’t lose him again like this.

“Seo Dohyun…. Hey…. Snap out of it. …Hey. Dohyun-ah, open your eyes.”

In the darkness, he caressed Seo Dohyun’s face, coaxing and pleading, then begging for him to open his eyes.

“Please…. Please. This is a joke, right? Get up, quickly….”

Tears streamed down his face. He refused to go through something like this again. Never again….

“Cough…! Yoon…, Yigeom?”

“……!”

Yigeom abruptly turned his head toward the sound.

‘Who is that?’

There was someone else buried under the debris besides them. And very close by.

“…Who are you?”

“Lee… Juyoung.”

“Lee Juyoung? Juyoung hyung!?”

Yigeom’s voice trembled. Lee Juyoung’s ability was healing. Yigeom hurriedly reached his hand toward the direction of the sound. It was blocked by a pile of rocks.

“Hyung, how long have you been there? Are you okay? Hyung…. Seo Dohyun is… he’s in a lot, a lot of pain. He’s badly hurt. He keeps bleeding. Can you heal him?”

“…You were so loud, you woke me up. Cough…! How hurt is he?”

“I don’t know. It’s too dark to see, but he’s bleeding continuously from his back. He’s breathing, but it’s shallow, and his body is so cold. Right before the explosion, a piece of debris hit his back, I think that’s what caused it.”

Yigeom, clinging to this newfound hope, quickly rattled off the situation.

“……”

“…Hyung? Juyoung hyung? Lee Juyoung? Why aren’t you answering? Right now, Seo Dohyun is…”

“Quiet…”

Yigeom called out to Lee Juyoung obsessively. As if he himself would die if the conversation stopped.

“Haa…. Yoon Yigeom. This rock, can you move it….”

“The rock?”

Lee Juyoung tapped, knocked on the rock separating him and Yoon Yigeom.

“This one…”

Yigeom quickly felt for the rock. What would happen if he moved it? What if it was supporting something else and the debris collapsed the moment he pulled it out?

He tapped on the rock and carefully checked if it was connected to anything else. His fingertips got scratched and bled on the rough surface, but he didn’t stop checking.

Thankfully, it seemed safe to move.

“I’ll move it now. Just a moment.”

“……”

“Hyung, Juyoung hyung. You’re awake, right? You can’t fall asleep.”

“……”

“Hyung…. Hyung?”

“…Quiet. My head is pounding.”

The conversation with Lee Juyoung kept cutting out. He probably wasn’t in a normal state either. But…. Yigeom clenched his fists.

‘I’m sorry.’

Since he had decided to be selfish, he would be selfish until the end. He would check on Lee Juyoung’s condition later; for now, saving Seo Dohyun was the priority.

As he grabbed and shook the rock with all his might, a thick cloud of rock dust scattered. Yigeom lifted the hem of his clothes to cover Seo Dohyun’s nose and mouth like a mask, so he wouldn’t inhale it.

Soon, an opening connecting him and Lee Juyoung was created, and Yigeom shouted brightly.

“Hyung! Hyung, are you okay? I’m right here!”

He abruptly stuck his hand through the gap.

“…Yeah. I’m here too. Cough…! What about him?”

“Here.”

Yigeom fumbled, grabbed Seo Dohyun’s arm, and extended it toward Lee Juyoung.

Lee Juyoung struggled to raise his arm, took his hand, and poured his healing power into it.

Using any ability consumes stamina or mental energy.

Lee Juyoung was probably not in good shape himself, so he was incredibly grateful that he was healing Seo Dohyun instead of tending to his own body.

And Yigeom, selfishly, couldn’t bring himself to tell Lee Juyoung to worry about his own body first.

He could only hold Seo Dohyun, trust the faint healing power flowing into his body, and breathe a sigh of relief.

Lee Juyoung’s ability was B-rank. He could feel Seo Dohyun’s breathing slowly becoming even.

“Are you okay, hyung? Are you badly hurt?”

Yigeom finally asked about Lee Juyoung’s condition.

“Just. My thigh… hurts like a motherfucker. What about you?”

“…Seo Dohyun protected me, so I’m not seriously injured.”

He could faintly hear Lee Juyoung’s dry laugh.

“You two are always together.”

‘You know, right. That you’re all I have.’

‘Maybe that’s why. I feel comfortable when I’m with you.’

“He only has me.”

“Look at this lovebird.”

Lee Juyoung said it sarcastically, but he had nothing to say in rebuttal. Because he was the only one who could remember Seo Dohyun’s world. Conversely, I, too….

‘Why? Are you scared? Don’t worry. You’ll be safe.’

“Ha, really…”

What am I to you that you’d protect me like that. With a sense of despair, Yigeom bit back a low curse.

“…Shit.”

“Seo Dohyuuuun!! Yoon Yigeooom!!”

Seo Doa shouted their names at the top of her lungs. Namgoong Sanha and Jin Geonwoo rummaged through the debris, and Cha Jewoo also looked around, searching for the two.

They rescued a few people who were unconscious under the debris here and there, but Seo Dohyun and Yoon Yigeom were still somewhere in that pile.

As time passed, their hearts only grew more anxious.

Seo Doa bit her lip and quickly called out to Namgoong Sanha.

“Oppa, a knife! Do you have a knife? Anything sharp!”

“Uh…. here, a utility knife! But why…. wait, Doa-yah!”

Seo Doa, without hesitation, drew the knife across her forearm, drawing blood.

To be honest, she was envious of the ability to use water as a field of vision. It meant you could see anywhere there was water.

She could never obtain such an ability, not in a million years, and even if she did, it was uncertain whether she could use it properly.

It required the ability to perceive divided spaces like CCTV feeds at a glance, quickly, and to react appropriately to situations as they arose.

It was an ability befitting of Yoon Yigeom, and only he could probably utilize it properly.

‘I’ll do it my way.’

She had to find something else she could do.

While Seo Dohyun and Yoon Yigeom were active with the Vigilantes for six months, she hadn’t just been idling away.

It’s my blood anyway. My blood, and a part of my body.

If that’s the case, then she should utilize it better.

Nothing has been revealed about abilities. No one tells you, ‘you have this ability, so you can use this,’ nor do they limit you.

So, hunters develop the direction of their abilities on their own.

‘Why can’t I do it?’

The ability to control blood at will. Blood is a part of the body. Broadly speaking, it means being able to control a part of one’s body.

Seo Doa closed her left eye. It was a grotesque sensation. It felt as if her eyeball would pop out and get lost.

Soon, when the blood flowing from Seo Doa’s forearm formed a thin thread, an eyeball was rolling around at its end.

It was an eye identical to a human’s, complete with eyelashes and an eyelid.

“Do… Doa-yah?”

Namgoong Sanha was startled by Seo Doa’s technique, which he had never seen before, wondering if she had been practicing it alone all this time.

Seo Doa paid him no mind and extended the thin thread of blood into the air. If it was this thin, it could probably enter anywhere freely.

Soon, the thread of blood, drawn out long like a string, squeezed its way between the piles of debris.

There was one problem: there was no light, so it was completely dark everywhere.

“I can’t see!”

As Doa shouted in frustration, Jewoo rushed over, hastily blooming a crescent flower.

“Seo Doa! Take this!”

Then he crushed the sparkling petals into fine pieces and sprinkled them all over the thread of blood. They slowly seeped in and fixed themselves firmly.

In that state, Doa once again delved into the pile of debris. She scanned here and there, her vision much clearer than before.

Not here, not there either….

‘Where the hell are they?’

Biting her lip, she went deeper.

Praying that they were alive.

🦅࿐

Yigeom patted Seo Dohyun, who was now breathing evenly, slowly recovering thanks to Lee Juyoung’s treatment, and muttered.

“…Am I seeing things?”

Lee Juyoung also asked with a groan.

“Ugh, Yoon Yigeom…. Doesn’t it seem brighter than before?”

“……”

“Ha…. I must be about to die. I’m starting to see a light…”

Yigeom ignored Lee Juyoung, who was spouting nonsense like “Is this heaven?”, and stared at an eyeball that was looking directly at him.

As he blinked, the eyeball also closed and opened its eyelid in sync.

‘What is that?’

As he struggled to raise his hand to poke the eyeball, it jumped in surprise and fled backward.

Tiny, light-emitting blue leaves were embedded in the thin red stem.

‘What is this horrifying…’

Light-emitting flower petals immediately brought Cha Jewoo to mind. Plus the red stem. It must be Seo Doa’s ability to manipulate blood freely.

‘Wait, does that mean everyone is here?’

What a dangerous place to be….

While Yigeom was worried about them, he was also relieved that help had finally arrived. No matter how much Seo Dohyun was recovering, he was still anxious.

“…He…re!”

“Here…!”

After waiting quietly for a while, a clamorous noise could be heard from beyond the debris. Soon, the pile of debris pressing down on Yigeom and Dohyun shifted with a groan, and light entered the pitch-black darkness.

“…Ugh!”

The glare, combined with a sharp pain shooting up from his ankle, made Yigeom take a deep breath.

“Gyeom hyung!”

“Yigeom-ah!”

When he cautiously opened his eyes, he saw Namgoong Sanha’s smiling face along with the light.

“Sanha… hyung.”

“Yeah! Just hang in there a little longer! The debris is heavy…. Geonwoo, did you get that side?”

“Yeah, one, two, three…!”

Namgoong Sanha and Jin Geonwoo joined forces to lift the pile of concrete that was covering Yigeom and Dohyun. Light. The sunlight was dazzling. He felt like he had just come out of shooting a disaster movie.

“Oppa! Are you okay?”

Seo Doa fought back tears and checked on their condition.

“I’m fine, but Seo Dohyun is…”

Only after getting out could Yigeom assess the condition of Seo Dohyun, who was lying on top of him. As expected, his back was soaked with blood, and there were other minor injuries as well.

“Oh my god…. Geonwoo oppa! Over here…!”

“Yeah! Coming now!”

Jin Geonwoo, together with Namgoong Sanha, carefully placed the debris far away to avoid any aftershocks and hurried over.

“Gyeom hyung, are you hurt anywhere? Are you okay? Let me see! How did this happen? What’s the situation right now?”

Cha Jewoo, who had been focused solely on finding traces of Yigeom and Dohyun, unleashed a torrent of questions as if he had been waiting for the moment he achieved his goal.

Yigeom laid Seo Dohyun down properly, confirmed that Jin Geonwoo was immediately pouring heals on him, and then answered Cha Jewoo’s questions one by one.

“I’m fine. I was caught in the explosion, so I don’t really know what’s going on either. But how did you guys get here? Oh, and Juyoung hyung is over there…”

As soon as he finished speaking, Namgoong Sanha was already rescuing Lee Juyoung. He had been groaning about his thigh hurting earlier, and it turned out a sharp tree branch was lodged deep inside it.

He was the benefactor who had healed Seo Dohyun first without caring for his own body. Yigeom tried to get up in a hurry to check on his condition but ended up falling with a thud.

“Hyung! Are you okay? …Your ankle!”

Looking down, his ankle was swollen and bruised. It seemed that when Namgoong Sanha had lifted the rock to check on him just now, pressure had been applied to his trapped ankle.

‘No wonder it hurt so much…’

Jewoo urgently called for Jin Geonwoo.

“Geonwoo hyung! Gyeom hyung is badly hurt too! Heal him quickly!”

“Oh, okay…! I’m coming!”

Of the two healers present, Lee Juyoung was in no condition, and the only person they could rely on was Jin Geonwoo. But Jin Geonwoo was a newcomer who had just entered the world of hunters. Moreover, being a healer, he had probably never even fought, so it was plain to see that he was flustered by the situation.

“I’m fine, so please treat Seo Dohyun first. He’s more urgent.”

Yigeom stared blankly at his palm, stained with Seo Dohyun’s blood. He hadn’t realized he had bled this much.

He couldn’t even imagine what state Seo Dohyun would be in right now if he hadn’t met Lee Juyoung while trapped under the debris.

“Gyeom hyung! You shouldn’t move yet!”

“I’m fine.”

Supported by Jewoo, Yigeom limped over to Lee Juyoung on his injured ankle and sat down.

“Hyung, I’m going to pull out the piece of wood now, so please bear with it for a moment.”

“Yeah. I’m counting on you.”

He glanced over and saw that Seo Dohyun’s wounds were healing smoothly. After pulling out the piece of wood, he could immediately have Jin Geonwoo treat Lee Juyoung….

“I will do it.”

At the sudden voice, Yigeom shot his head up. A Vigilante was standing there.

“A-nim sent me.”

He relayed the message that although they were short on rescue personnel due to the ongoing battle, they were to quickly treat anyone who managed to get out.

Yigeom looked at him, then shifted his gaze to the commotion in the distance.

“What about over there? How is the situation progressing?”

“There’s a battle going on at the front.”

“That’s not what I asked…!”

Drip, drop.

Just then, water fell on the bridge of Yigeom’s nose. Looking up, the once-clear sky was now filled with dark clouds.

‘Is it because it’s the rainy season.’

The raindrops, which had started falling one by one, soon turned into a downpour, soaking the ground everywhere.

“Of all the times.”

The Vigilante treating Lee Juyoung clicked his tongue. Getting wet in the rain would obviously cause body temperatures to drop. Hunters were stronger than ordinary people, so they could withstand this much, but would the same be true for those who had been swept up in the debris?

There must be a lot of people in critical condition…. Of all the times for this to happen.

He pushed aside his anxiety and focused on the treatment.

“Yigeom-ah! Dohyun’s treatment is mostly done! Where did you say you were hurt? Your ankle? Let me see!”

Jin Geonwoo, who had rushed over, placed his hand on Yigeom’s ankle.

As the pain gradually subsided, Yigeom was able to break free from the agony and grasp the overall situation. Choi Baekgil and several others were engaged in a fierce battle with the Vigilantes at the front. A was among them.

Now that it was raining, Choi Baekgil’s ability wouldn’t be as effective, right? Then what about the situation in the back? What was the situation at the point where the explosion first started?

As expected, the prisoners who had been freed by the explosion were all trying to escape. The prison guards and a few Vigilantes were struggling to catch them, but they seemed overwhelmed.

Finally, where he was. Here, it was a disaster.

Even in chaotic situations, Seo Dohyun always did what he could, and he succeeded. Even if it meant being disliked by others.

‘What I can do.’

An unexpected explosion. A sudden downpour. People trapped beneath it.

‘I…’

Yigeom rubbed his ankle a few times, the pain gone from the treatment, and stood right up.

“Yigeom, the treatment is done, but you still need to rest!”

Ignoring Geonwoo, he strode over to Doa, who was holding Seo Dohyun’s hand tightly.

“Seo Dohyun is.”

“His wounds are all treated, but he hasn’t opened his eyes yet.”

Yigeom gave the top of Doa’s head a simple pat.

“Don’t let a sick person get soaked in the rain. Take him and find shelter somewhere.”

“…What about you? Aren’t you coming with us?”

“Me?”

“Yes. You’re hurt too. You were just rescued.”

Yigeom hesitated to answer, tapping the ground with the toe of his shoe. A tingling sensation still shot up from his ankle, but it was bearable.

He’d just been rescued, and his ankle was more or less healed.

Yigeom faced the raindrops that splattered against his face without hesitation.

And just in time, at the most perfect timing, it was raining.

Geonwoo, Lee Juyoung, and on top of that, the vigilantes.

And just in time, there were three healers.

‘Could there be a more perfect time for a rescue?’

Yigeom swallowed a laugh and murmured softly.

“Got to do what I have to do.”

There were a total of fifteen people assigned to the rear. Of them, he, Seo Dohyun, and Lee Juyoung had gotten out. On top of that, the remaining Latters had searched all over for them and found and rescued a total of three people.

If they could just rescue nine more…

“Sanha! Please give me a hand!”

“Okay!”

Yigeom stood still on the spot, assessing all the places the rainwater was seeping into.

“There’s one person 10m below.”

The deep, dark places were invisible without light, but Doa had used her ability to leave Cha Jewoo’s crescent flowers here and there.

Thanks to her, his vision was wide open.

Here, and there. There are people.

Afterward, he gave instructions to the remaining people and hurried to start the rescue.

“Gyeom-ah, you grab that side! One, two, three!”

Together with Namgoong Sanha, he lifted and moved heavy concrete debris over and over. Without the help of any machinery.

His hands were naturally scraped raw, and his supposedly healed ankle throbbed. It was almost better, but strenuous activity still seemed to be too much for it.

But he couldn’t just stand around and do nothing in a situation like this, so Yigeom moved with increased speed.

So what if one ankle gives out? The people trapped under here are hovering between life and death.

Heavy debris that wouldn’t budge no matter how hard he pushed, the pitch-dark space, the distant fear that he might really die if this continued.

These were all chilling memories Yigeom had just experienced. Knowing that, he couldn’t just pretend not to know for the sake of saving his own skin.

“Found one!!”

When Namgoong Sanha shouted, a healer would run over and check on the injured person. After doing this several times, only one buried person remained. Some had already received treatment, regained their strength, and joined the rescue team.

Now, pain shot up his ankle with every step. He wanted to ask for another heal, but he couldn’t, as there were many others with more severe injuries.

Moreover, at the front, the fight against Choi Baekgil and his gang was still ongoing, though they had subdued about two of them. It wasn’t easy to ask for treatment when he thought about how many more injured people would appear.

Yigeom wiped away what could have been either rain or sweat with his collar and caught his breath.

“Yoon Yigeom.”

Suddenly, he heard Seo Dohyun’s voice. His mind went blank, and his head automatically turned toward the sound.

“You…”

Seo Dohyun was standing there casually. His injuries were still vivid in Yigeom’s mind.

Forgetting the pain in his ankle, Yigeom immediately ran to him.

“Are you okay? Shouldn’t you be resting more? Why are you up? Lie back down and rest.”

“As if I could rest.”

Seo Dohyun bent his knees and rubbed Yigeom’s ankle.

“It’s swollen.”

“It’s bearable.”

“I’m sure it is.”

He must have been watching Yigeom the whole time he was up, because he was holding a bandage he had gotten from somewhere.

As Yigeom sat down facing him, Seo Dohyun took off his shoe and carefully wrapped and secured the bandage.

“Just give me the bandage, I can do it myself.”

“Stay still.”

“…Touching someone’s filthy foot.”

When Yigeom grumbled under his breath in embarrassment, Dohyun let out a light laugh.

“Why. I can do much more.”

“…Never mind. Let go if you’re done.”

Yigeom hurriedly put his shoe back on and stole a glance at Seo Dohyun, who was watching the rain fall and pool in his palm. Though seeing him up had eased his anxious heart a bit, he was still worried.

“Are you really okay? Why do you seem so dazed?”

Is he dizzy from losing too much blood? Or does he have a fever?

Without hesitation, Yigeom pushed back his wet hair and placed a hand on his forehead. His temperature did seem a little higher than usual.

“You really should rest more…”

Seo Dohyun looked unusually tired. He pressed his own hand over Yigeom’s and rubbed his face against it.

“What if I’m okay, and what if I’m not.”

“……”

“Gyeom-ah, where is Choi Baekgil?”

“There are five enemies. Two have been subdued. Choi Baekgil and the other two are still fighting the vigilantes up front.”

Seo Dohyun stared toward the front, then walked off abruptly. Yigeom hastily grabbed him.

“Where are you going?”

A commotion arose from another side. It was someone shouting, “The last one has been found!!”

Seo Dohyun gently refused Yigeom’s hand holding him and disappeared.

“I’ll be back.”

“Oppa! Have you seen my brother?”

Doa, having belatedly noticed Seo Dohyun’s absence, shouted at Yigeom. Everyone had been in such a panic with the rescue that they hadn’t even noticed Seo Dohyun had gotten up.

“He left.”

“Where to?”

Yigeom silently directed his gaze to the front. Realizing what it meant, Doa tried to quickly chase after Seo Dohyun, but Cha Jewoo stopped her.

“Wait! It won’t help if we go!”

“Then what are we supposed to do!”

As the two bickered, Yigeom caught his breath and made a suggestion.

“Let’s go to the back.”

“…What?”

“I said we have to go to the back.”

Everyone who had been buried under the debris had been rescued, and at the front were A, Kim Hyungkyu, and Seo Dohyun.

But what about the back? It was empty. Even if a few vigilantes went for backup, there were dozens of inmates here; they couldn’t stop all of them.

If there was a place that needed a hand, it was the back.

“Sanha! Geonwoo! We’re going to the back!”

“The back? …Got it!”

“Okay!”

Sanha and Geonwoo couldn’t understand why they were suddenly going to the back, but they decided to follow Yigeom’s lead for the time being.

And so, he led the Latters, excluding Seo Dohyun, and turned back. Still, he was worried all the same, so he expanded his vision with the rainwater.

Fortunately, Seo Dohyun was flying around just fine at the front. And as for A…

“Hyung? What’s wrong?”

Looking closely, that fighting style seems familiar…

“…It’s nothing. Let’s hurry.”

Feeling like he had overreacted, he quickened his pace.

“Hyung, how far are we going?”

“Oppa, what’s in the back, anyway?”

Jewoo and Doa, as well as Namgoong Sanha and Geonwoo, had eyes full of questions. Since they couldn’t grasp the overall situation like Yigeom, it was only natural for them to wonder where they were headed.

Yigeom realized his mistake in not explaining sooner, and feeling grateful to them for following him without a word of complaint, he quickly explained.

“The detention center collapsed because of the explosion, right? The inmates have escaped because of it. The vigilantes are holding them off, but they’re short on numbers, so we’re going as backup.”

They seemed to understand, nodding with serious expressions.

Using the heavy, pouring rain, Yigeom looked into the detention center as if it were a map and moved along the shortest path.

“Right from here.”

The building’s form remained here, as if it hadn’t been hit by the full force of the explosion. The fact that the roof was blown off was a separate issue.

Then, suddenly, he noticed something strange.

It was clearly just a white wall. An empty wall with nothing on it.

But why. Why did his vision, guided by the water, show something like a wooden door?

“Gyeom-ah? What is it?”

Feeling a sense of incongruity, Yigeom stopped and slowly raised his hand to brush against it. It was definitely the texture of wood, not a concrete wall.

‘What is this?’

Something is strange.

“Hyung? Aren’t we going to provide backup? Why all of a sudden…”

“You guys go on ahead.”