KCDT Chapter 44

Then he quickly took Yujin back to the room, laid him on the bed, and snuggled tightly against his side.

“Ah, it feels so good to be like this.”

Although it was described as snuggling against his side, due to the difference in their physiques, it was essentially no different from Yujin being held tightly in Urich’s arms.

Watching Urich hug him tightly and make pleased sounds, like a cat, Yujin carefully asked.

“Do you feel a bit better now?”

“Huh?”

At the sudden question, Urich lowered his head to meet eyes, and Yujin added.

“You were in a bad mood, weren’t you?”

“…You knew.”

Well, there was no way he wouldn’t know. However, Urich, who hadn’t expected to be asked if he was okay, looked a little dazed. But it wasn’t a bad feeling at all, so he hugged Yujin in his arms even tighter and acted cute.

“Hmm, I think I’ll feel better if Yujin hugs me tighter.”

He was already hugging him so tightly that there was no room for them to be closer, but instead of answering, Yujin hugged Urich’s neck, which was more comfortable to lean on, and stroked his head. Just like in the old days.

Yujin felt indebted to Urich. A lifelong debt that would never be erased, like the scars engraved on his palm. Because of an irreversible mistake, all three of them were precious and dear to him, but he felt even more apologetic towards Urich.

Because when he met Urich, it was a time when Yujin was going through a lot of mental hardship.

The time when Urich came to him was when Yujin had finally failed to get a permanent position. Moreover, it was a time when he had suddenly sent Haniel away, so it could be said that he was depressed due to a sense of loss.

***

“Sigh… Another one.”

Yujin, who had failed to get a permanent position and was going around for interviews, sighed first at the new kid who appeared at home.

Although he belatedly realized that it wasn’t the right behavior to show in front of a child who had no idea about the situation, Yujin, who had been mentally exhausted to the point of thinking he might have depression, started the explanation that had become familiar to his mouth instead of apologizing.

“Hey, kid.”

<Who are you? Where is this place?>

Urich’s wariness was even more intense than the previous two. He would only understand if Yujin touched him, but if he reached out his hand, it seemed like Urich would bite it off.

“Ah, really…”

Yujin was also frustrated. He had some savings, but in today’s world, he had to find a job quickly, and in the midst of this, another child appeared.

Even though he shouldn’t as an adult, he wanted to ignore everything and rest since the child wasn’t cooperating.

‘I even failed another interview today…’

Damn that company. Why were they curious about his family’s financial status and what his parents did for a living?

What was even more annoying was that even after enduring an interview that was close to humiliation, it seemed like he would be rejected. Anyway, for those reasons, the exhausted Yujin didn’t even try to persuade the child anymore, using the excuse that he would wait until the child calmed down, and went into his room.

If the future Yujin had seen it, he would have even punched himself and told him to get his act together.

Still, since the child couldn’t go outside, Yujin, who had diligently locked the doors, dragged his physically and mentally exhausted body and collapsed on the bed.

‘Ah, I need to wash up…’

The distance from home to the company was two hours, but because the boss had set the interview time at 9 AM, Yujin, who had been tired since morning, fell asleep without even washing up.

Yujin, who had fallen into a deep sleep, woke up due to a sharp sound of something breaking. Startled by the noise that seemed to give him goosebumps all over his body, Yujin hurriedly got up and opened the bedroom door.

“Wha-what? What’s going on, gasp!”

Yujin inhaled sharply at the sight that made even the sleep that had already left him run away.

“Wa-wait, kid. Let’s put that down, okay?”

That was natural, because a child who looked to be around Cairo and Haniel’s age was clutching a piece of broken glass.

Shattered pieces of a plate were scattered on the floor, and the child was glaring at Yujin while tightly gripping the sharp piece, as if he didn’t feel any pain even as it dug into his palm.

Feeling his heart sink at the fierce and wary gaze, Yujin finally realized his mistake.

‘It-it’s my fault.’

Even if he got bitten, he should have explained the situation to the child. Seeing blood dripping from Urich’s small hand, Yujin trembled as if his own blood was draining out.

“Please, please put that down, okay?”

<Send me back right now. Otherwise, I’ll stab you.>

If it had been Haniel or even Cairo, they would have been puzzled by Yujin’s appearance, trembling as if he were the one who got hurt.

Then they would have had some room to assess the situation more, but Urich, who had closed his heart, was only thinking about his own survival.

<Is this the order of the emperor, no, His Majesty the Emperor? You didn’t care when I said I was going to the Magic Tower, but now that you’re sending me away, you’re having regrets? So you kidnapped me?>

“This won’t do…”

Yujin didn’t want to threaten Urich any further, but at this rate, it would only lead to a standstill where he couldn’t do anything.

“I’m sorry. I absolutely don’t mean to hurt you.”

Even though he couldn’t communicate verbally, Yujin carefully but without hesitation approached Urich to reassure him. In times like these, he had to move quickly and decisively.

<What? Get away. I said get away! Don’t come any closer!>

However, Urich, who was already on edge, reacted even more fiercely to Yujin approaching. He even held out the piece he was gripping as if to threaten Yujin, but Yujin showed no intention of stopping.

<Damn it…! I said don’t come closer!>

Urich, who had mistaken Yujin for the emperor’s lackey, thought that if he were caught like this, he wouldn’t be able to go to the Magic Tower and would be confined to the palace, becoming a useless existence.

That couldn’t happen. Not only did they take away his position, but they were also trying to stop his choice, even if it wasn’t sincere.

Urich’s gaze was venomous, unsuitable for his age. Even though one might flinch at the look in his eyes that seemed capable of anything, Yujin, filled with the thought that he had to somehow take the glass piece from his hand, didn’t stop walking.

<Get lost!>

The moment Yujin reached out his hand towards him like that, Urich gritted his teeth and swung the glass piece.

“Ugh!”

A painful groan escaped from Yujin, indicating that he had been hit properly. The sensation of tearing someone else’s flesh was also felt, so there was no mistake.

“Ooh, it hurts…”

However, even though Yujin groaned in pain and blood was dripping from his torn flesh, he didn’t back away. Rather, he grabbed Urich as if it were an opportunity and shouted.

“Wait! Calm down!”

“Wha- why are you suddenly speaking our language?”

Urich was startled when he suddenly became able to communicate with the person he couldn’t understand before. However, he soon came to his senses and struggled to break free from Yujin’s grip.

“Let go! Let go of this!”

“Please! I’ll explain everything. I’m not a bad person!”

But Urich didn’t believe Yujin’s words. In fact, who would easily believe a stranger’s claim that they weren’t a bad person?

‘Why does it seem like guiding doesn’t work on him? Is he not an Esper?’

Yujin, who had become familiar with the terms through two experiences, was holding onto Urich’s hand, trying to calm him down somehow, but he couldn’t calm down easily and thrashed around like a tense beast.

Yujin, who thought that Urich must be an Esper since both Cairo and Haniel were Espers, couldn’t help but be flustered when guiding showed no effect.

However, he couldn’t just remain flustered. Even in the midst of this, Urich’s wound was getting bigger. The more Yujin tried to stop him, the more Urich gripped the glass piece tightly as if it were his only way to survive, causing bright red blood to drip and even pool on the floor.

‘This won’t do. At this rate…’

The wound had already grown to the point where it couldn’t be treated at home. If it got worse, he might even need surgery, so Yujin let out a tense breath and tightly gripped the part Urich wasn’t holding.

The glass piece tearing into his flesh and the pain spreading from his hand were vividly felt. Yujin, who almost dropped the glass piece from his hand, came to his senses.

Startled by the sudden action, Urich loosened his grip, and now was the last chance to persuade him.

“Please. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’m not the person you think I am. This isn’t the world you used to live in either.”

“What- what are you saying? And let go…!”

Urich was confused. He had already been caught for a while, so why weren’t they knocking him out or trying to kill him? Why were they just leaving him alone…?

Urich also knew that no matter how much he resisted, he couldn’t overcome the difference between an adult male and a child. Then why was the man in front of him foolishly trying to take the glass piece away while hurting himself?

‘And why is he looking at me like that…?’

Even in the midst of his pain-distorted face, the way he kept checking on Urich’s condition seemed like he was worried about him.

“Please, I won’t do anything. Let’s just treat your wound. At this rate, your fingers will all be cut off.”

If he injured his tendons or nerves, he might have to live with that disability for the rest of his life. Yujin didn’t want to leave such a scar on a child who was still young.

Since it was a situation caused by his own thoughtlessness, Yujin was truly desperate.

Perhaps that desperation got through. Urich’s hand slowly started to lose strength.