DPGR 107

At Jiho’s murmur, Heendungi’s ears twitched.

Watching that, Dojin continued speaking.

“He can’t speak, but he’s shown some very unusual behavior. He understands everything we say, and he has a clear sense of self.”

Heendungi, who had been lying with his eyes closed as if asleep, flinched. Dojin called softly, watching him closely.

“Heendungi.”

Another flinch.

His back twitched. Dojin remained silent, as if pressuring him.

After a pause, Heendungi opened one eye slightly.

A sigh escaped his mouth, something no ordinary animal would do.

“Hee, Heendungi?” Jiho called out in confusion.

Heendungi gave Dojin a sulky glare, then slowly got to his feet.

“Heendun…!”

With a shake of his body, Heendungi stretched. At the same time, his form rippled—and began to change.

“……!”

No longer on four legs, he now stood upright. His appearance could no longer be called that of a fox.

Rather than a beast, he now resembled a person. A breathtakingly beautiful little boy, around four or five years old.

“Hee-Hee-Heendungi…!”

Hair like flowing white silk draped all the way to his toes. Pale skin. Eyes as dark as if he wore makeup, with delicately upturned corners. A crimson mark on his forehead. And behind him, three fluffy tails.

“H-how…”

Jiho looked helplessly toward Dojin, lost for words. Unlike Jiho, Dojin showed no reaction at all.

As if he had known this would happen.

“You’re done hiding now?”

Dojin’s cold voice made the fox—no, the boy—flinch. The child glared sharply at him, then pouted and said in a quivering voice, as though trying not to cry,

“You already found out everything.”

“……”

That he might cry seemed to catch Dojin off guard, just a little.

Jiho looked anxiously between them and cautiously asked,

“Heendungi… it’s really you, right?”

“Yeah…”

“So, um… you could talk this whole time?”

“Yeah…”

Heendungi looked up at Jiho with big eyes full of tears, his expression pitiful.

“You don’t hate me now…?”

The question came out of nowhere. Jiho’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“Humans like cute things. Heendungi the fox is cute. That’s why Jiho liked Heendungi.”

Sniff.

Heendungi sucked back his runny nose. Dojin barely stopped himself from objecting to that “Jiho liked Heendungi” line.

Meanwhile, Jiho swung his legs off the bed and slipped on his slippers.

“Guide Jiho.”

“Just a moment.”

Jiho gently pushed Dojin aside and walked toward Heendungi. Behind him, Dojin stood still, staring at the arm Jiho had moved, lost in thought.

“Heendungi.”

“Hnnnh…”

“I don’t hate you. I like you.”

Dojin’s brow furrowed in displeasure. Unaware of this, Jiho simply extended his sleeve and wiped the boy’s teary eyes.

“Really? You don’t hate Heendungi?”

“No.”

“Is Heendungi not gross?”

“Why would you be gross?”

“But… the bad men called Heendungi a ‘disgusting mutant.’”

“…Bad men?”

“Yeah…”

Sniffling, Heendungi started to chatter.

From what he said, it seemed the “bad men” were likely the brokers and researchers from the illegal breeding facility.

Dojin stepped closer and asked,

“Did they also know what you are?”

“Yeah… but they didn’t know I was a monster chosen by the gods. I was too scared to tell them.”

“…Ha…”

Dojin let out a long sigh, uncertain whether it was from relief or something else. No wonder. Heendungi had always seemed in worse condition than the others.

Maybe that was why they did all those horrible experiments…

As Dojin sank into thought, Heendungi buried his face in Jiho’s stomach and nuzzled against him.

It was the same affectionate gesture he often made in fox form.

Dojin reached out and pulled Heendungi away by the scruff.

“Eek! What are you doing! Let go!”

“Guide Jiho is a patient. Don’t lean on him. You’re heavy.”

“Heendungi isn’t heavy! Heendungi is light!”

Over Heendungi’s whining voice, it sounded like he was on the verge of crying again.

Dojin told Jiho to go back to bed and then scooped Heendungi into his arms.

“Let go! I like Jiho more!”

“I like Guide Jiho more too.”

“Ugh, you…!”

“Quiet. Guide Jiho’s ears hurt.”

“I’m telling on you to Jiho.”

“Oh? Guide Jiho is my guide, so he’ll take my side.”

Even while saying such childish things, Dojin wore a smug smile.

Jiho gaped. He had never seen Dojin like this before.

Noticing Jiho’s reaction, Dojin cleared his throat awkwardly. Unlike his now suddenly serious demeanor, Heendungi just huffed, his cheeks flushed.

“Let’s sit and talk first.”

He adjusted Heendungi in his arms and returned to the stool, seating the child on his lap.

“Let go! You mean human! I hate humans after all!”

“Guide Jiho is human too.”

“T-that’s…”

Heendungi glanced furtively at Jiho. Dojin lightly pinched the boy’s cheek to distract him.

“More importantly, if you like Jiho so much and follow him so well, why didn’t you step forward when we were searching for him?”

“Huh? W-when?”

“Before I figured out your identity.”

“That’s because… I…”

Heendungi’s small lips fumbled over the words.

Jiho, not understanding what they were talking about, simply rolled his eyes back and forth between them. Dojin fell silent, waiting for the boy’s answer.

A heavy awkwardness settled into the room. Eventually, Heendungi sighed and grumbled, as if he couldn’t bear the silence.

“It’s not like I wanted to just sit by and do nothing…”

“Then why?”

“There’s a rule…”

“A rule?”

“Yeah… It’s a rule among ‘Servants of the Gods.’ We’re different from other monsters. We have our own ecosystem. And ignoring that and interfering with what another Servant of the Gods is doing—that’s considered rude.”

“Even when Guide Jiho you like was in danger?”

“N-no! I was going to find a way to bring you along before things got really dangerous for Jiho! I was going to pretend it was just a coincidence…”

As he mumbled, Heendungi suddenly thumped Dojin’s chest with his tiny fists.

“You’re the bad one, Baek Dojin! Heendungi could’ve handled it himself!”

“So you broke the rules?”

“Yes! I wasn’t supposed to get involved!”

“Is there a penalty?”

“That… I don’t know. The dream demon died, didn’t she?”

If she hadn’t, Heendungi probably would’ve had to face some punishment. Hearing his explanation, Dojin shrugged.

“Then it worked out. No penalty, right?”

“It was still dangerous. If I’d messed up, I could’ve lost the divine power inside me. Then I’d just be a regular monster. I… I don’t want that. Losing your sense of self is terrifying.”

Heendungi’s shoulders slumped. His voice grew quiet with gloom.

Jiho didn’t understand half of what was being said, but seeing the little boy (especially Heendungi) look so downcast made his heart ache.

“Um, Heendungi…”

He fidgeted a bit, then reached for the chocolate bread sitting on the bedside table.

“Want to eat this?”

“Bread…?”

Heendungi’s eyes grew wide. His cheeks flushed a little pink.

Jiho smiled brightly, happy to see Heendungi interested, and unwrapped the package for him.

“Here.”

Heendungi’s golden eyes fixed on Jiho. Seeing him offering bread like this brought back memories.

Back when he had gone through all kinds of hardship, when he had lost faith in humans, when he wanted either himself or all humans to just die already…

Even then, Jiho had approached him and offered him bread.

‘…Jiho is kind. A good human. I like Jiho.’

Heendungi’s heart melted. As he reached out his short arms, Dojin leaned him forward slightly so he could take it more easily.

“Chocolate bread!”

Heendungi shouted, sniffing the bread with excitement. Dojin watched the boy’s delighted face with a strange expression.

So he wasn’t plotting like the dream demon, leaving Jiho in danger on purpose.

He was just a timid and naïve little child.

Dojin gently patted the boy’s head as he finished the bread in no time and licked his lips.

“Mm? What is it?”

“Nothing. Was it good?”

Dojin’s tone had softened a little. Heendungi tilted his head at the change but answered properly.

“Yeah. Everything Jiho gives me is yummy.”

Even so, he whined and pushed away Dojin’s hand, not liking being patted.

Dojin chuckled faintly, removed his hand, and asked another question.

“Since you’ve been found out, why don’t you tell us your story?”

“…My story?”

“Yeah. You said you’re a Servant of the Gods too, right? So what exactly is that? Were you born that way? What did the dream demon mean when she said all that stuff? Just tell us everything you know.”

“Hmm…”

Heendungi looked reluctant, sneaking a glance at Jiho. But when he saw Jiho watching him expectantly, he changed his mind quickly.

“Okay! I’ll tell you, then!”

And so, Heendungi’s “Servant of the Gods” explanation began.

“First of all, I’m a Servant of the Gods born in dimension S-327.”