Capítulo 25: Yoo Jonghyuk's side quest #24: Ultimate Sacrifice. [part 6]
As his eyes slowly fluttered open, the first thing which had entered his field of vision was today's second mutilated victim. Kim Dokja's pupils quivered as he turned his gaze away. Although when he had tried to move, his whole body refused to budge because his muscles had began to ache in response. The pain was particularly concentrated down on his right arm.
While his muddle-headed brain was still trying to arrange all the information, Kim Dokja had blankly lowered his gaze, focusing towards that uncomfortable mixture of blood and sweat sticking on his ghastly pale skin. During his unconscious state, the hemorrhage had expanded so much it had even managed to soak the rest of his clothes. Kim Dokja wordlessly knitted his brows together. He had sincerely hoped for the wound not to get infected because that could have been another pain in the neck to deal with.
The pungent metallic scent in the air, together with this undeniable stinging pain, were both glaring proofs of his fleeting existence. Kim Dokja chuckled under his breath while raising his head to look above him. What after? Was his soul going to travel to another world or be sent back in time? Was he gonna wake up in someone's else's body and become the Demon King? In all honesty, kingdom-building doesn't sound like a bad prospect to have in life. Creating an army to overthrow the old monarchy and world domination, they do sound oddly satisfying in his mind for some reason.
Kim Dokja sighed. Maybe he had been reading far too many anti-hero novels of late. However, at least bleeding to death wasn't such a painful way to go.
But then, out of pure spite, the ground shook as if mocking his nerdish monologue. The light swayed around as the ceiling threatened to crumble down and bury him alive at any given moment. The young man's large pupils contracted in alarm as he looked around with dread and uneasiness. Kim Dokja could not believe this unexpected development!
To show so much eagerness in his death... Dear fate, isn't this too rude?
He was scared but unable to flee because of his limping body. Everything around him seemed to crack open as his vision flickered between light and darkness. A different kind of desperation prevailed over him. He had been fortunate enough to have escaped from death once, but fate is far from gracious and the same mistake wouldn't be repeated twice.
Watching the crumbling walls around him made him feel like a caged animal during an earthquake. Kim Dokja was often compared to a stray animal, but he wasn't a cute puppy nor a pitiful kitten. His existence was akin to a sewer rat destined to become a stepping stone.
Kim Dokja couldn't stop his thoughts from going awry. He cursed at himself. What was his mind doing at this perilous moment? Pumping out so much pessimism as if the situation wasn't already bad enough...
The fatigued young man had wondered if the blood loss had finally reached his nervous system. He believed that his compromised brain was beginning to make him hallucinate some strange things, such as this suspicious semi-transparent holographic screen filled with jumbled words.
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Amidst the crumbling sound of the walls, another type of noise resounded in the air. It was a loud banging coming from the other side of the sealed-off door. Kim Dokja perked up his ears, he could have sworn someone was calling him beyond that wall. It sounded so real, and yet part of him blamed his brain for causing these strange auditory hallucinations.
"Bang!"
The metal door, which had been thoroughly reshaped by the regressor, made a boisterous noise as it fell on the floor. Through the now empty door frame, an avid gust of wind rushed inside the bleak room, sweeping everything up in the air. The cold breeze whistled past Kim Dokja who had coughed a few times because of the dust rising from the ground.
Yoo Jonghyuk's heart quivered and his throat tightened when his eyes had been met with the bewildered face of the disheveled young man. Furthermore, as if mother nature herself had decided to withdrew away after being fully satisfied, the earthquake had subsided during the time both gazes had remained spellbound with each other.
The regressor lunged forward and next thing Kim Dokja realizes, he had already been drawn into a tight embrace. The flabbergasted teen could only blankly stare ahead. How bizarre... His nose began to feel tingly whereas his eyesight eventually got blurry. How long has it been since the last time someone had hugged him so tightly?
Enveloped in a familiar warmth and scent, Kim Dokja's tense body had subconsciously relaxed while his wildly beating heart had gradually controlled its erratic pace. Even the wound on his arm didn't hurt as much when he had reciprocated the gesture.
However, contrasting his gradually subduing heart were Yoo Jonghyuk's relentless heartbeats which were pounding loudly like a set of thunderous war drums. All kinds of emotions assaulted the regressor who had wanted to start an argument, but at the same time, had yearned for this lean man to become forever ensnared between his arms.
Kim Dokja had attempted to weakly push him away while embarrassed. The young man had been subconsciously biting his lower lip, he had wanted to speak up but was also hesitant about it. And just when he had finally managed to brave himself up, the regressor curtly cut him off with a disgruntled voice.
"Shut up."
But despite the initial brusque response, his subsequent actions countered his cold exterior. Yoo Jonghyuk took off his black coat to cover the shivering body of the teen. Thereafter, he leaned down, gently lifting the guilt-ridden young man in a gallant princess carry. He had been so careful with his actions because of the weary state his pitiful companion had been reduced to.
Sheepishly burrowing his head against the firm chest beside him, Kim Dokja's pale cheeks now glowed in a lovely pink flush which spread across his neck till reaching the tip of his ears. He couldn't explain the sudden burst of warmth inside his chest, all he knew was that this situation made him feel both safe and shy. But these changes went unnoticed by the black-clothed man whose sole objective was to exit the building.
As they got outside, an overwhelming amount of noises had immediately assaulted Kim Dokja's hearing which had been accustomed to silence for a long period of time. The young man's body stiffened as he sought refuge by wrapping his arms around Yoo Jonghyuk's neck.
"Yoo Jonghyuk! Did you manag-" Song Daehwa approached the two as soon as she spotted the regressor walking out. "Kim Dokja!"
Gwon Hyuntae followed suit with his group of people. However, their expression soon turned rather comical when they saw that the same frigid man whose arrogance had left a bad first impression on them, had completely changed his attitude. He was now lowering his head, gently brush his lips against the ebony hair of the person nestled in his embrace.
Although they hadn't been the only ones, other people too had been casting many covert glances towards the strange atmosphere surrounding the pair. Though, when questioned about the perpetrator's whereabouts, they awkwardly avoided the regressor's menacing gaze.
Actually, Gwon Hyuntae had caught a glimpse of a suspicious figure wandering around the area but he had been unable to apprehend it alone. Although when he was about to report his findings, those deep dark wells filled with a never-ending abyss faltered his resolution. And because experience had taught him that the hidden intents beneath those kinds of eyes were far more concerning than whatever cold exterior, in the end, cut a long story short, he was too scared to speak up.
"Kim Dokja! Is everything okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Someone call the medics!"
Fortunately for them, Song Daehwa's ramblings came to their rescue. She kept moving her head sideways, trying to get a glimpse of the burrowed face of the teen. Kim Dokja's hearth felt warm inside. It wasn't so bad to have people worrying for you after all. But it won't be nice if things get too out of hand.
Kim Dokja lifted his head and gave a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, it's just a scratch."
"What! Where are you hurt?"
"It's not too deep, look-"
Kim Dokja's eyes widened. He had raised his right arm to show her the wound, however, a completely intact sleeve of a dark navy uniform appeared instead of a torn one soaked in red. And not only that, the pain and all the blood covering his body, they... They were all gone! How can this be!
"T- There was- I killed it... The white hound is dead and its blood is on me now... How- How..."
Yoo Jonghyuk noticed the color draining from Kim Dokja's face as he began muttering to himself. He couldn't help but frown. What was this crazy bastard saying? The black-clothed man's expression remained stoic as he tightened his grasp, holding him closer to his chest.
"Kim Dokja."
The teen looked up with an expression still riddled with confusion.
"There were no dog, nor blood."
"What..."
Song Daehwa's movements stilled as she pondered over what her dongsaeng had just said. Apart from looking a little bit paler while covered in dust, Kim Dokja's body didn't appear physically injured anywhere else. He acted as if he had suffered mental trauma, no, maybe it's something else. The constable stared downwards with half-lidded eyes, but then suddenly jerked up because of a sudden realization.
"He must have used some sort of hallucinogen on you."
"..."
Kim Dokja thought about it. He had been indeed injected with some strange substance before fainting. But still, at that time, he had thought it was just a tranquilizer dart. Moreover, everything felt far too real for being an illusion.
"Yoo Jonghyuk-ssi, please bring him inside the car. I'll give you guys a lift home."
Gwon Hyuntae stood beside Song Daehwa and felt dissatisfied with her behavior. Following the right protocol, they have to question the victims before letting them go. The policeman grumbled while glaring at her speaking with a few other constables before turning around, glancing towards him meaningfully.
"Because of the sudden earthquake, the investigation will be temporarily halted. Thank you for the cooperation, Capitan Gwon."
Then she strode towards the police convoy, completely disregarding any complaints being thrown at her. After coming out of the woods, some people greeted her and she politely nodded back. The policewoman had rushed inside the car where the two people had been waiting for her. She seated herself, pulled down the seatbelt and twisted the key to start the engine before entering the main road.
From time to time, Song Daehwa glanced sideways, checking the rearview mirror out of concern. Yoo Jonghyuk reprimanded her and asked her to focus on the road. The constable clicked her tongue and complained, but still, she obliged.
Nevertheless, Yoo Jonghyuk glanced towards Kim Dokja's tense fists and mentally sighed. The regressor shifted one of his hands to grasp Kim Dokja's, using his rough fingers to caress that tightly clenched fist, he tried to gently coax that deadlocked grip. And as the teen finally loosen up both fists, the hand that was coaxing him had acted swiftly, soon intertwining their fingers together.
Kim Dokja's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't even got enough time to elaborate a response when he was dealt with another attack which had left him even more disoriented.
"Stupid idiot, you still have me."
Caught off-guard, Kim Dokja had quickly turned his head around, staring intently towards the older man. However, all he could see was the perfect side profile of this handsome man being illuminated by the passing street lights. Yoo Jonghyuk leaned against the car door while half-covering his mouth. He seemingly focused his gaze outside, giving all his attention elsewhere, almost as if what happened did not concern him at all.
Nevertheless, the warmth transmitted from that big palm had given him a feeling of wholeness as if something inside him had been finally filled. The corners of Kim Dokja's mouth quirked up, he leaned his head against the older man's shoulder and closed his eyes. It wasn't so bad.
Curiously peeking behind from the rearview mirror, Song Daehwa had managed to catch the slight twitch on the regressor's lips. Her hand had almost slipped on the steering-well because of the surprise. She knew there had been something shady going on between those two! Indeed, she was the greatest detective of all time!
However, she couldn't relish the moment because of the excessive amount of dog food that was being fed to her. She must file a PDA complaint to the higher-ups after returning.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Arrange
Arrange Y'ALL! I, TOO, HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS HUUUG!!! ♥♥
I can finally have my dream hug surrounded by fluffiness. *tears of joy* ㅠㅠ
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