Chapter 96: The Cold Embrace

#96

That one thing.

Han Dokyeom had defined it as the ‘hurdle’ of a limit. It was a tangle he could not unravel, a knot of vital energy too thick and precarious, requiring a ‘catalyst’ to loosen.

Only when Beom Yeonhu confronted his own limitations, and resolved to overcome them, would he find his answer.

“I heard you got your rank re-evaluated the other day, didn’t you? Is there really something to it? I’m genuinely curious, as a friend.”

Byeon Yeongchan prodded a piece of firewood with his foot, deliberately trying to get under the other man’s skin. The muscles in Beom Yeonhu’s clenched jaw stood out sharply.

Yet, his gaze remained calm, and his actions were no different from usual.

As the conversation stalled, an unfamiliar silence descended. A palpable tension crackled over the fire.

Amidst it, Dokyeom watched the fish cooking. Seeing the sparks leap from the crackling flames, he found his fists clenching.

‘Why is our puppy so incredibly patient, letting himself get walked all over?’

‘Should I endure it, or not?’

As he agonized, almost tearing at his hair, Byeon Yeongchan, spotting the perfectly cooked fish, was the first among the group to reach for a skewer. ‘Right, that bastard must be hungry.’

‘Hold on, hold on. For puppy’s sake, I’ll endure…’

“Damn it, my hand slipped!”

The hand reaching for the perfectly grilled fish suddenly froze in mid-air. Then, something flashed past them, causing everyone’s faces to turn ashen.

What had swept across the ground was Dokyeom. He seemed to have intended to kick something, but the snowy ground was slick, and his body slid along with it.

Byeon Yeongchan stared blankly at the spot where the fish had vanished, utterly bewildered. The missing food lay crushed beneath Dokyeom’s foot, where he had slid.

“…What…”

Not content with merely slipping and landing on his rear, Dokyeom even picked up the fish from under his foot and bit into it. Seeing this, Beom Yeonhu and Agon shot to their feet.

“Dokyeom, it fell on the ground. Why are you eating that?”

“My hand slipped.”

‘Your *foot* slipped, you mean!’

Baek Jiun, who had been watching from the side, coughed as if he’d choked. Then, in disbelief, he stammered, opening his mouth.

“N-no, Hyung. You made it too obvious. What are you doing, acting so childish? Just tell him not to eat it, or something. I wouldn’t even do something like…!”

“What, do you want to starve too?”

“You were so cool, Hyung!”

His change of stance was remarkably swift. Meanwhile, Beom Yeonhu and Agon, who were helping Dokyeom up, looked as though they’d bitten into bitter herbs. Shivering from the cold, Dokyeom clung to the fish in his mouth, tearing at it with relish.

It was then, as Byeon Yeongchan finally processed the absurd scene and his eyes flared with anger, that a clear laugh suddenly rang out beside them.

It was Kang Taesan. He stood beside the frozen Byeon Yeongchan, clutching his stomach and bent double, laughing heartily. The sounds of ‘Puh-hat!’ and the way he wiped tears from his eyes suggested his amusement was utterly genuine.

“Haha… Yes, Hunter-nim. I’ll take it that your hand, or foot, slipped. We didn’t realize you were holding back so much that you’d resort to this, and we just happily ate, didn’t we? Today is already over, so it’s a bit late, but… we’ll help from tomorrow. So please, don’t be so harsh.”

‘Please don’t hate us too much,’ Kang Taesan added, wiping the spittle from his hand with the back of his hand. ‘Don’t hate us.’

Dokyeom gazed coldly at him through the falling snow. His narrowed eyes remained fixed on Kang Taesan until the finely torn fish flesh in his molars was swallowed, refusing to budge.

Only after he had swallowed everything in his mouth did Dokyeom reply.

“Then try to do better, so I don’t have to hate you.”

He smiled softly, mirroring the gentle smile in Kang Taesan’s eyes that met his own.

It was Dokyeom’s final warning. As if understanding, Kang Taesan simply laughed again.

Alone in the silence.

****

It was a dark night. The falling snow piled up, covering his head, the bridge of his nose, and his cheeks. Usually, he would instinctively raise a hand to brush it away, but tonight was different.

Realizing his cheeks felt warm, Dokyeom blinked his eyes open. The crackling of the campfire reached his ears, and the dim world swayed hazily as if in a dream.

He was in someone’s arms. He vividly remembered huddling with Dali in Agon’s embrace to sleep through the intense cold, but the warmth of this embrace felt subtly different.

And crucially, the scent.

A strange yet familiar aroma brushed his nostrils. As soon as he realized it, Dokyeom abruptly lifted his head. He saw a well-tailored suit, and then his eyes met those of the person pressed close to him.

Transparent, refined silver eyes.

“You’ve been sleeping well until now.”

At the softly spoken words, his body stiffened for a moment. ‘What the… why is this bastard here?’

Even as Dokyeom froze with wide, surprised eyes, the man spoke again. His voice was exceedingly low, barely audible.

“Why did you wake up today… hmm?”

It was Taeseongyeon.

He had draped his coat over Dokyeom’s body, their gazes locked at a dangerously close distance. It felt as though their breaths might mingle. Only now did Dokyeom become aware of the firm arms tightly encircling his back.

Dokyeom subtly flinched his back, then parted his dry lips.

“…How did you know to come here, no. Ha… why did you come?”

“Can’t I worry about my family member who vanished in the middle of the night? Especially when they’re shivering like this.”

“Then you could have just looked and left. Why are you embracing me like this? And is it my fault I’m trembling in this cold?”

Even as Dokyeom’s words came out like a growl, Taeseongyeon merely rumbled with a low chuckle. However, the arms around his waist suddenly tightened, pulling him until their bodies were pressed together so tightly he felt he might break. His breath hitched.

“It hurts… Ah… Let go a little, will you?”

“We’ll be less cold if we stay this close.”

“I get it, so move away a bit.”

Dokyeom pushed against Taeseongyeon’s chest, which was pressing down on his lungs, and exhaled. Then, he suddenly noticed the excessive silence around them. Aside from the crackling campfire, not even a breath could be heard, and a strange sense of unease crept over his skin.

Dokyeom quickly turned his head to look around.

Through the flames, he saw the people gathered around the campfire, sleeping soundly as if dead. Beom Yeonhu now occupied Dokyeom’s usual spot. Dali was nestled in his arms, and Agon held Beom Yeonhu close, a tender sight.

The fact that Dali and Agon, both light sleepers, hadn’t noticed this situation was bizarre. Something… something had definitely happened. For instance, Taeseongyeon might have pulled some strings.

The thought spurred Dokyeom to abruptly grab Taeseongyeon by the collar.

“Quickly, tell me what you did. It’s clear you put them to sleep, isn’t it, Mr. Taeseongyeon? You bastard.”

“Your eyes are so red.”

Behind the soothing, low words, a hand reached out. A warm hand slowly rubbed away the snowflake that had fallen near Dokyeom’s eye. He must have been doing this all along. That’s why his head and cheeks felt so warm.

“I just put them to sleep moderately. For your sake, Han Dokyeom-ssi.”

It had been days since everyone had shivered through the nights in the cold snap. Even Dokyeom, sleeping nestled with Dali in Agon’s arms, had woken up several times in the early morning due to the unbearable cold.

But now, everyone was deeply asleep, their faces oblivious to the cold. The campfire, which should have died down by now, blazed fiercely. For a moment, it felt as though he should dismiss the sight of a demon general gathering firewood beyond the flames as a hallucination.

Dokyeom turned his head to shake off the snowflake falling on the bridge of his nose, then sighed and burrowed into Taeseongyeon’s embrace. A coat immediately covered his shoulders.

“It’s cold, so open your body a bit, Mr. Taeseongyeon.”

“Hmm… that sounds a bit strange.”

“Just cooperate so I can warm my hands. Why are you having weird thoughts again?”

He squirmed and pushed his hands into Taeseongyeon’s outer garment. Even in this cold snap, the body heat he touched was surprisingly scorching.

Feeling his body shiver, Dokyeom’s closed eyelids fluttered. A hand covering his cheek pressed against his lips, then slid down to his ear. Eventually, it toyed with the mark nestled behind his ear.

“Don’t… Ugh…”

“Dokyeom.”

“Why… why?”

“It’s going to get colder. What will you do if you’re already shivering like this?”

Perhaps due to exhaustion, his vision blurred intensely. Dokyeom swallowed whatever he was about to say. Heat surged like a fireball, and saliva gathered in his mouth. His chest grew so hot it pushed away the cold, and his waist involuntarily arched.

Taeseongyeon pulled his waist tight, forcing it straight. Then, he buried his head over Dokyeom’s hunched shoulder. The hand that had been stroking the mark was quickly replaced by hot flesh.

Taeseongyeon patted Dokyeom’s startled shoulder, then rumbled a sound in his mouth before whispering softly.

“Bear with it.”

The arm that pulled his waist close, preventing movement, tightened, and a firm hand held his weak head steady, lest he move. As Dokyeom, panting, dug his nails into Taeseongyeon’s shoulder, something sinister pierced his mark.

“Hmph!”

A curse was bitten back. Dokyeom gritted his teeth and briefly twisted his shoulder. ‘What is this…’

Something invaded his body, scorching hot, as if poking and prodding. His vision swam as he exhaled. Blinking through his blurring sight, he tried to deduce what it was for a moment, before the piercing heat violently surged in again, as if carving a narrow path.

“!”

His vision flickered briefly. Magic… it was magic. But why was it so…