Chapter 74: CH 72

There was a chill in the air in the parlor.

Mikael waited for Andrei’s next words with a firm expression. But Andrei only licked his lips, unable to get the words out.

“Tell me, hurry.”

Mikael, impatient with Andrei’s behavior, insisted in a low voice. Andrei sighed deeply.

“Fine. I’ll tell you, don’t rush.”

He said with a hint of helplessness in his voice. Mikael couldn’t help but feel even more uneasy about Andrei’s behavior.

“Was there anything strange about Yuri when he became a human?”

“Anything strange?”

“Something he heard or saw.”

Mikael fell silent at Andrei’s words. Seeing that reaction, Andrei’s eyes narrowed, and muttered, “It looks like there is.”

He hadn’t been told what he’d seen, but he knew that he’d heard voices. Not knowing what that meant, Mikael swallowed dryly in anxiety.

“What did Yuri say he heard?”

“Tell me why it is important. What does it matter?”

Instead of answering Andrei’s question, Mikael asked him his own question.

In fact, it didn’t matter too much once he answered. He just wanted to put off answering his question for a little bit out of a visceral sense of uneasiness.

“You look anxious.”

He seemed to understand Mikael’s heart like this. Mikael couldn’t confirm or deny it, and he clenched his fists to hide his sweaty palms from nervousness.

“Mikael, Yuri is in a precarious situation right now. His soul remains in another dimension, and only part of it is here.”

“What do you mean?”

“The soul that should be whole is fragmented.”

At Andrei’s words, he was unable to open his mouth. No, in fact he couldn’t say anything. It felt like his mind had gone blank.

He didn’t know exactly what he meant, but he knew that saying that a soul that should have been whole was broken into pieces was not a good thing. Questions raced through his mind: how to fix this situation, what would happen to Yuri now, and what to do with himself if something happened to him.

None of it was unimportant. Because of this, Mikael knew that he had to get out the question that was lingering in his head, but he couldn’t open his mouth. He was frozen in place.

“Mikael.”

""

“…”

“Mikael.”

“I am listening. Speak.”

He finally managed to clear his trembling voice and looked at Andrei. The red eyes trembled helplessly.

“The longer the soul is separated, the more unstable the Yuri becomes. It like he doesn’t belong anywhere.”

“That means…”

“Yeah, that’s right. He will die.”

“Shit. Damn it, damn it!”

Mikael hit the table with his fist. A loud cracking sound filled the room, but it soon vanished without a trace.

“It can’t be, something is wrong. Andrei, you’re wrong about this. Right? Say yes, come on!”

“Think about it! His soul is split, can he be fine? How can he be okay!”

Mikael shouted in a high-pitched voice, and Andrei shouted after him, despite his countless attempts to remain calm.

“… I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything.”

“Mikael!”

“I heard nothing, nothing. So just go back.”

The red eyes trembled. A meaningless lie came out of his mouth. It was an empty lie that Andrei knew, as well as Mikael himself.

Andrei could not allow his friend to hide behind useless lies. He opened his mouth, knowing that his words would hurt Mikael.

“Is it okay if you lose Yuri?”

“What?”

“I asked if you wouldn’t mind losing Yuri.”

As Andrei expected, deep scars were left in Mikael’s eyes. Seeing his hurt eyes, Andrei momentarily regretted his actions, but then decided to accept that he had no choice.

Mikael was speechless at Andrei’s cruel question. It would be more accurate to say that he didn’t even know what to say to himself.

He could not imagine life without Yuri. He was relieved that yesterday’s incident had not been a dream. He was relieved to think that he would not disappear and become non-existent. But all of that was just his own illusion.

Even when he was around, he was afraid and scared that he would disappear. But what if he really disappeared? What if they couldn’t be together anymore? Then he…

“It’s not that there isn’t a way at all.”

At Andrei’s words, Mikael lifted his head, which had been lowered by the weight of his heart. It was as if at least one stone that had been holding his heart was removed.

* * *

“Huh, ugh…”

Yul got down from the bed and faltered, holding his waist. It was definitely attached to his waist, yet it felt like it wasn’t his. There was no way his back would be fine since he had been bending over all night.

Feeling something dripping down between his legs, Yul slapped his forehead in embarrassment. He couldn’t confirm it by looking at it, but he knew what it was.

“Mikael, I won’t forgive you…”

Yul barely grabbed onto the bed and got up with a grunt, muttering something to himself.

In fact, it wasn’t just his lower back that hurt. Not to mention the pain at unspeakable places, as well as the nipples that had been pinched and bitten all night were so sore that he couldn’t bear it.

The shame of the traces of the night left on his body was an afterthought. Because even if it hurt, it hurt too much.

Yul stumbled erratically like a newborn giraffe and barely made it to the bathroom. The room was spacious, but the road to the bathroom today felt exceptionally long and rough. He stopped about three times on the way, each time, Lucky cried ‘Bii, Bii’ and tilted his head.

He thought about whether he might die before he could wash or die, but he refused to be found as a corpse with various traces left on his body.

In the end, Yul demonstrated his superhuman strength and succeeded in entering the bathroom.

He carefully dipped his body into the bath, as every bone in his body seemed to whine. As he soaked his body in the hot water, he felt his muscles, which had been tense all night, loosen up.

“Ughhh, so good.”

Yul, who sounded like an old man, leaned comfortably in the bathtub. As he poured scented oil into the bath and soaked himself with the pleasant scent, his harsh feelings for Mikael melted away.

Then, one by one, the events of the night began to come to mind.

Mikael’s lips went all over Yul’s body. ‘This much? Really? Are you insane?’, It made him go.

He grabbed his hand that was covering his face in embarrassment with one hand and put it down, and even enjoyed the face stained with shame leisurely.

“Uhh, pervert… Definitely a gwanggong?”

Yul fanned his cheeks, which were burning as he remembered.

Just when he thought it was fortunate that he felt better in the water,

“Yuri! Yuri! Damn it, Yuri!”

Mikael’s urgent voice was heard outside the door. There were many times Mikael had looked for him, but it was the first time he had raised his voice with the kind of distress he had now. Surprised, Yul widened his eyes.

“Mikael, I’m in the bathroom! I’m washing… Uaahhh, why are you coming in!”

Before Yul could finish his words, the bathroom door burst open, and Mikael entered without hesitation. He even entered the bathtub and pulled Yul into a strong hug.

“Mikael, Mikael! Your clothes are wet, Mikael! Why are you doing that?”

“… Yuri.”

“… What’s wrong? Mikael, are you crying? What’s wrong! What’s going on?”

Surprised by the trembling voice, Yul wondered if Mikael was crying and started to look at his face. However, Mikael hugged Yul with a stronger force and did not let go.

Anxiety flooded in an instant filled Yul’s heart.

“… Nothing happened.”

“Liar.”

“It’s true.”

“No, it sounds like a complete lie.”

He responded jokingly, but Yul’s heart was burning. He had no idea what the hell was going on with Mikael doing this.

What did Andrei say? What did he say that made the peerless Mikael so agitated?

“… Yuri.”

“I’m listening. Tell me.”

Hearing the quiet voice, Yul hugged him tightly. Because at this moment, there was nothing he could do except hold on to him wholeheartedly.

“I can’t live without you.”

“… Mikael.”

“So stay by my side.”