JD 139

As expected, Muheon passed the night peacefully without even a hint of fever. Maybe it was because he slept with Hakyung clutched in his arms like a beloved plushie, but his handsome features seemed to shine even more brightly. The better Muheon looked, the more Hakyung’s worries faded.

They decided to handle the remaining treatment in Seoul and completed the discharge procedures. Maybe it was because so much had happened in less than 24 hours, but it all felt strangely unreal.

“So, Hakyung, I’ve cleared your schedule.”

“Yes, thank you. Right now, more than my schedule, I just want to take care of my husband.”

“Of course! Family comes first!”

Kim Hyunsoo readily agreed with Hakyung’s words. Thanks to him, Hakyung was able to focus entirely on caring for Muheon without concern.

But the person most pleased with this situation was none other than Muheon. He was finally getting uninterrupted time alone with Kang Hakyung. Was this what they called a blessing in disguise? Watching Hakyung cling to him like gum, Muheon smiled quietly to himself.

These days, the two of them spent most of their days in the same routine.

Hakyung would wake up before Muheon and gently try to rouse him. Even if Muheon had already been awake, he would pretend to be asleep, eyes shut, waiting. Soon, warm breath would brush against his forehead.

A tender kiss, like a prince waking the sleeping beauty.

“Time to get up.”

“Mmm…”

“Sleepyhead.”

He’d toss and turn a few times like a grumpy child, and Hakyung would softly scold him while caressing his cheek, then help him sit up. Watching him fuss and groan just to avoid touching the injured shoulder was adorable and endearing.

Did Kang Hakyung even realize how much effort Muheon put in to keep his weight off that injured shoulder?

Next came washing up. Since Muheon still had bandages on, Hakyung helped him freshen up.

The bandages didn’t hinder movement or cause any pain, but Hakyung was so determined to keep even a single drop of water from touching Muheon’s shoulder that he practically built a fortress around it.

Because of that, Muheon had to squish his large frame awkwardly into the bathtub. He tried to say it was even more uncomfortable this way, but Hakyung’s ears didn’t hear a word of it.

“Too hot?”

“Nope. It’s perfect.”

“Okay. I’m going to shampoo your hair now, so close your eyes.”

“Mhm.”

Like an obedient puppy, Muheon shut his eyes. Hakyung lathered a little shampoo between his palms and gently massaged the silky strands of hair.

Scalp massages were supposed to promote circulation and help prevent hair loss, so he couldn’t just rush through it. As he watched the bubbles rise, Hakyung hummed a cheerful tune.

“Thicker, fuller, let it grow~ A man’s charm is his hair~!”

“Pfft.”

Laughter burst from Muheon’s mouth. The way his husband cherished even a single strand of his hair was… sweet, though maybe a bit too serious?

Muheon had never once worried about his hairstyle in his life, but hearing Hakyung sing like that made him weirdly self-conscious. Then again, he always wanted to look perfect for Kang Hakyung.

After drying Muheon’s hair with a blow-dryer, Hakyung went to wash up himself.

He moved quickly, worried Muheon might try to move alone and slip in the short time he was gone. Every time, Muheon would tease him for being a dolphin acting like a cat, but Hakyung didn’t care.

If you nitpicked every little thing, you might overlook what a real guardian was supposed to do.

“Say ‘ahhh.’”

“Ahhh.”

Once they were both ready for the day, they sat down for breakfast. These days, instead of sitting across from each other, they ate side by side.

Hakyung scooped up rice and side dishes with a spoon and fed them to Muheon. Muheon opened his mouth wide and took each bite obediently.

What was strange about this was that Muheon’s injured shoulder was on the left, and he was right-handed. Meaning he had no problem feeding himself. And yet, the two of them insisted on creating this unnecessary inconvenience.

Once, Park Geowong had walked in on this odd scene and was so startled he dropped his phone.

Any other imugi would probably curse them out and call it disgusting, but generally speaking, imugid didn’t care much about the small affairs of others unless something significant was involved.

You could tell just by how not a single one had messaged Muheon since his marriage.

“Hakyung, sit down for a second.”

They were already dressed and ready to head downstairs, but instead of going to the entrance, Muheon walked toward the living room. Hakyung followed him to the sofa, a question mark forming on his face.

“We caught Kim Taeyoung.”

“Wha…?”

“I figured you’d still be worrying about it, so I wanted to tell you as soon as I heard.”

Of course, Kim Taeyoung had been caught that very day, but Muheon chose to wait a few days before telling Hakyung. It sounded more believable that it took some time.

As expected, Hakyung believed it without question. He looked like he had a million things he wanted to ask, whether anyone was hurt during the arrest, where he was found…

Muheon patiently answered each question, then gently pulled Hakyung onto his lap.

“He won’t show his face again. So don’t worry, okay?”

“R-really?”

“Of course. Just trust in the West Sea beastmen. He’s in a place no human could escape on their own, paying for what he did.”

Technically, the credit belonged to Beom Urim and the orca clan he was supposedly estranged from, but Muheon didn’t mention that part.

“Do you… want revenge or anything like that?”

“What?! No, not at all! I just want him to pay for what he did, and never see him again. And also—I hope someone knocks some real sense into him so he never tries to hurt anyone else, not just me!”

The words kept coming, piling up longer than she’d meant them to. Even so, Muheon simply smiled gently, as if to say he would make all of that happen for her.

That smile alone was enough to bring Hakyung peace.

The truth was, he’d been having nightmares for days—endless loops of Muheon being stabbed, unable to fall into deep sleep. But maybe now, finally, he could hope for a restful night.

Muheon had noticed too, how Hakyung tossed and turned more than usual, sometimes groaning softly in his sleep. That was exactly why he’d brought up Kim Taeyoung without delay.

Muheon pressed a kiss to Hakyung’s forehead, cheeks, lips, the tip of his nose, and chin. In return, Hakyung kissed Muheon’s lips gently.

Their kiss lingered, long and aching.

***

It was nothing but darkness.

Whether Kim Taeyoung opened or closed his eyes, everything looked the same, black. He tried to scream, but with tape over his mouth, the sound just echoed uselessly back into his throat.

“Mmph! Mmm! Mmph-mmph!”

Still, he kept screaming. Somewhere nearby, a similar muffled voice rang out, familiar enough that he was sure it belonged to Moon Chiwoon.

He tried reaching out toward him but couldn’t. Every joint in his body—wrists, ankles, knees, chest—was bound tight. Cold sweat poured from his skin.

He didn’t know how he ended up like this, where he was, or what was going to happen next.

The last thing he remembered was that moment of confusion, when he stabbed the wrong person while trying to go after Kang Hakyung. After that, it was just darkness. Total blackout.

He couldn’t just sit here dumbly, claiming ignorance. Kim Taeyoung writhed, trying to break free with any part of his body he could still move. Each time he thrashed, his limbs hit something, clattering against the surface.

How long had he struggled like that?

Then, footsteps. Steady, deliberate. Just the sound of them sent chills down his spine.

“So you’re awake. You’d have been better off staying unconscious.”

The voice sounded gentle at first, almost kind. But there was a disturbing click beneath the surface that made Kim Taeyoung frown. It was familiar, but he couldn’t place it.

Who the hell was this? It didn’t sound like Kang Hakyung… or that bastard of a husband.

Forgetting his own predicament, Kim Taeyoung focused on identifying the voice. Meanwhile, Moon Chiwoon, who had woken up around the same time, had resorted to slamming his large body against the wall in a panic. He’d never lost a battle of strength before, so the unyielding wall startled him.

“Don’t waste your energy. You’ll die before you even arrive.”

“Mm—mmph?!”

Arrive? Die? What the hell was this guy talking about?!

The man’s ominous remark hung in the air as his footsteps slowly receded. Kim Taeyoung could only think one thing: I’m so fucked.

Moon Chiwoon seemed to think the same, judging by the even more frantic struggling, but it was useless.

Nothing changed.

They were transported like cargo, powerless. No miracle, no last-minute escape, no help arrived.

Only the distant murmur of Russian, the sound of waves, and the whirring of an engine gave Kim Taeyoung any clue what was happening, and finally, he understood the man’s earlier words.

You’d have been better off staying unconscious.

He wanted to black out, to escape the growing dread clawing at him, but the fear wrapping around his body wouldn’t even let him close his eyes.

He wished this was a nightmare. But reality mocked him in pitch black silence. And there was no hope in the future waiting for Kim Taeyoung.

His living hell had just begun.