Hello, Bug
When they arrived home, the sun had already set. Seha opened the front door and took off his shoes.
"……."
Ruby was sleeping soundly in Seha's arms. She'd conked out in the car on the way back. Probably from breathing all that fire today. Seha carefully laid her down on the living room cushion.
"You did great today, Ruby," he murmured softly.
Ruby's ears twitched. But she didn't open her eyes.
Seha showered and changed into comfortable clothes, toweling off his hair as he stepped out. That's when he spotted Dahong standing on the balcony. She leaned on the railing, gazing at the city nightlife. Dahong often liked to take in the view from the balcony like that. Her white hair swayed lazily in the breeze.
"……."
Seha paused, staring at her back for a moment. The day's events flashed through his mind. The way she'd shredded the boss's corpse with a single swipe. How she'd faced down that archdemon. A fight on a whole other level. And then.
'My love.'
The voice calling Dahong by that name.
Seha hesitated. He remembered asking her about it in the car earlier. She'd called it one-sided obsession. That should have been enough. It was enough.
"Dahong-ssi."
"What."
Dahong didn't turn around.
"……I'll head to bed first."
"Yeah."
A short reply. Seha went into his room and shut the door. He spread out the blanket and lay down. He stared at the darkness clinging to the ceiling. His body was exhausted, but sleep wouldn't come. Closing his eyes only brought visions flooding back. Sand. Scorpions. The boss's carapace. The way its hind legs stiffened when the claws moved—a pattern. The thrill of spotting it. The cheers when everyone combined their strength to take down the boss. Harin's hand ruffling his hair. Isol's high-five.
……It had been good. Really good. He'd pulled his weight, or so he'd thought.
But then.
Shwick.
The image resurfaced: Dahong swinging her hand once, and the boss's corpse was diced to pieces. The scorpion they'd risked their lives to fell—she'd sliced it apart like it was nothing. Even if it had still been alive, the outcome would've been the same.
'……So far away.'
Seha rolled onto his side.
'My love.'
That voice echoed again. The archdemon. A monster cloaked in a child's form. Smiling as it called Dahong 'my love.' An existence obsessive enough to follow her from hell.
'…….'
Dahong had said it was one-sided. Annoying. She hated it. A clear answer.
So why did it feel so rotten?
'…….'
What bothered him most was that Belzar knew something about Dahong. Her time in hell. A past Seha knew nothing about. He'd only known her for less than a month. What was he to Dahong-ssi? Just a summoner? An amusing kid to tease? Or…….
Hah.
He pulled the blanket over himself. He didn't know. He couldn't name this feeling. Fear? No. Helplessness? Not quite. Just……he hated it. Hated someone calling Dahong 'my love.'
"……Ugh, just sleep."
Seha forced his eyes shut.
The tossing and turning from the bedroom quieted. His breathing grew steady and even.
Dahong gazed down at the city lights. Buildings. Streetlamps. Car headlights. Humanity's night was bright.
Dahong lifted her eyes from the view to the sky. The moon hung between clouds. Round, white, and serene. Hell had nothing like it. No sun, moon, stars, or clouds. Just a blood-red sky with fragments of tens of thousands of souls drifting about, occasional crimson auroras blooming amid them. That was all.
Beautiful? …Who knows. The city lights were far prettier.
Snooort.
Snooort.
Ruby's snoring echoed from the living room. She'd pushed herself hard today, burning mana to her limit with that fire. She wouldn't wake for a while.
'…….'
Belzar. Just thinking of the name soured her mood. One of hell's rare archdemons. Since when? Back when she was weaker, he'd started taking interest. She didn't know why. Maybe when she'd decapitated the upper demons he kept sending and returned their heads? From then on, he'd persistently dispatched more under the guise of "gifts."
Obsession. His had no logic. No reason. A monster that could burn centuries on a single 'I like you.'
Disgusting.
Belzar being strong didn't matter. She was stronger. Did she want to kill him? Sure. But she couldn't. No matter how many times she killed him, he rose again. Slashed, torn, burned—he'd crawl back with that grin.
That was the most infuriating part. Not that she couldn't kill him, but that killing him meant nothing.
So she'd given up. On dealing with him at all.
She hadn't expected him to follow her to the human world.
'What a pain.'
The Management Bureau would move. Seoyeun would grill her again, and that kid mage would bare her teeth. All annoying.
'Maybe just kill them all and leave.'
The thought crossed her mind for a split second. Then Ruby's snoring stopped. Coincidence, but the house felt utterly still.
"……."
Dahong let out a small sigh. She couldn't bring herself to do it.
Truth be told, crashing at Seha's place had been a stroke of luck. Solving her identity and money issues so neatly. Leaving meant erasing evidence—more hassle. Sloppy work, and the Bureau would hunt her down. Even a new hideout wouldn't help; Belzar would track her anyway. Pointless all over again.
"……."
Above all, she didn't want to shatter the peace she'd found after thousands of years.
"What a drag."
Dahong muttered to herself.
Snooort, snooort. Ruby's snoring resumed.
The next day.
Beeeep-beeeep-beep—.
The alarm rang at the usual time.
"Ugh……."
Click.
Seha dragged his screaming muscles to silence it.
…His eyes felt heavy. From tossing all night, probably. He scratched his bird's-nest hair and shuffled into the living room. Dahong was there as always, sipping coffee and watching TV. The morning news droned on.
"……Good morning, Dahong-ssi."
"Yeah."
Dahong didn't look away from the screen. Same reply as ever. Same demeanor.
But.
'……Why does it feel so awkward?'
Seha averted his gaze without thinking. He didn't know. It had felt natural until yesterday.
Seha prepared Ruby's baby food. She'd graduated from the bottle and was on solids now. Real food soon. Ruby still seemed worn out, eating sluggishly.
"You okay, Ruby?"
"Nya……."
Her eyes half-lidded. She nearly face-planted into her bowl mid-bite.
Once Ruby had eaten enough, Seha started his own breakfast. Fried eggs sat ready on the stove.
"……."
Dahong must've made them.
"…Thanks."
Seha mumbled.
"Hm?"
"Oh, uh, the eggs."
"Yeah."
Dahong lost interest and turned back to the TV. Seha saw her lift the coffee to her lips.
Seha grabbed a slice of bread, spread jam, and ate it with the eggs. After eating and washing up, he quickly washed his face and changed into his uniform.
Ruby sprawled belly-up on the living room cushion. Full and sleepy again.
"Ruby, let's go."
"……Nya."
Ruby barely cracked her eyes open. She stretched front and back, then toddled to Seha's feet and raised her paws. Pick me up.
Seha scooped her up. Ruby nestled in and shut her eyes immediately.
…Was she that tired?
"Dahong-ssi, let's head out."
"Yeah."
Dahong turned off the TV and rose from the sofa. The door opened. Cool morning air brushed their faces—opposite of the desert's scorching wind.
The three walked their usual route. Out of the apartment complex, across the main road, along the tree-lined path to school.
"……."
Normally, Seha didn't mind this time. Dahong walking beside him, Ruby peering at the sights from his arms. Dahong glancing around, Ruby chasing pigeons now and then. Those little things were nice.
But today.
"……."
Seha glanced sideways. Dahong stared straight ahead. Same as always. Nothing had changed.
Except him.
Seha faced forward. Sunlight filtered through the trees. Leaf shadows danced on the sidewalk.
He felt like he should say something. Normally, he would have.
'Nice weather today, Dahong-ssi.'
'How was the boss fight yesterday?'
'Anything you want to eat today?'
Anything. But his mouth wouldn't open.
'What am I to Dahong-ssi?'
That thought choked him.
Dahong walked in silence. She wasn't the talkative type anyway—no big deal. But that made it feel strangely lonely. Only their footsteps echoed between them.
The academy's main gate came into view.
Academy.
First period: Monster Studies Intro. Conveniently, on the scorpion-type beasts they'd felled yesterday.
"Scorpion-type monsters have three main structures: the cephalothorax, abdomen, claws, and tail—."
The professor's voice felt distant. Textbook open, but the words wouldn't stick.
'My love.'
Again. Seha shook his head.
"Seha. Here."
Isol showed him the page from beside him.
"Oh, thanks."
"You look tired today."
"……A bit."
"Makes sense, after yesterday."
Isol nodded and didn't pry further.
Second period: Practical. Basic physical training.
Paired with Harin.
"Hey."
Harin smacked her fist.
"You were decent yesterday."
"……Huh?"
"Boss fight. Spotting the weak point."
"Oh……."
"Stamina's up too, right?"
"Yeah, feels like it."
"Then time to build fundamentals."
"……Huh?"
"Summoners need close combat prep too. What if your beast isn't around?"
"True, but……."
"Here I come."
"……Pardon?"
"You learn by taking hits at first."
Get used to it, and minor attacks won't faze you. Harin's logic.
"Spacing out gets you hurt."
"Ah."
Seha rolled around for ages. Blocking Harin's kicks, falling, rising, falling again, getting thrown. Body ached, but his mind cleared a little.
Lunchtime. The cafeteria buzzed as always. Seha and Dahong sat in a corner, eating. Ruby curled in a ball on the next chair, sleeping. All she'd done today.
Dahong propped her chin, staring out the window. Her plate barely touched.
Seha shoveled his food. The area noisy, but their table silent.
"Not eating?"
"Oh, yeah. I will."
Dahong started eating only after he pointed it out, like she'd snapped out of it.
Seha watched, then stood first.
"I, uh, need the bathroom quick. Take your time."
"Yeah."
Seha left the cafeteria. Passed the bathroom. Instead, he headed outside to the back of the building.
Lunchtime: most students in the cafeteria or classrooms. The back was quiet. A bench under a tree.
Seha sat. Hoo. A sigh escaped.
He looked up. Blue sky. Clouds drifting lazily.
His head had been a mess since last night. Feeling awkward without knowing why. Lying about the bathroom to escape.
Overthinking alone, uncomfortable alone, running alone. Dahong hadn't changed at all.
'What the hell is bugging me so much?'
"Ha……."
Another sigh leaked out.
'……Pathetic.'
He felt so lame. Spineless, timid. Not a shred of manly reliability.
Then.
"Sighing a lot."
A childish voice. His heart dropped.
Seha slowly raised his head. Under the tree shade stood a boy. Jet-black hair. Red eyes. White shorts, brown loafers. Exact same as in the desert yesterday.
The boy tilted his head, hands clasped behind his back.
"Hello, bug?"