Sa-young subtly furrowed his brows.
"...Matthew? Why?"
"The Doctor has been monitoring him, but his condition isn't improving. Weâre not sure if it's because of that damn drug or what, but even potions and healing abilities arenât working..."
"......"
The gloved fingers traced the rim of the glass. Had Matthew been injured? Wasn't he already dead? Sa-young didnât recall any reports about him being in trouble. His thoughts were a jumbled mess, his own and others' thoughts tangled together. He let out a long sigh, and the sound of air escaping his gas mask followed.
âThis isnât good...â
He wouldn't be able to work properly for a while. Sa-young clenched and unclenched his fists out of frustration.
He felt like he was always moving a beat too late, as if his body no longer belonged to him. The unpleasant sensation lingered, never going away. If he let his guard down even for a moment, an intruder would shove him aside and take control of his body. Even when he clung to Cha Uijae at home, barely maintaining a sense of control, the feeling persisted.
Honeybee, who had been muttering to herself with a frown, suddenly lifted her head and narrowed her eyes, scanning Sa-youngâs gas mask.
"...Did you not hear? The bit about the drug and Matthew? I told someone to pass it on."
"Who did you tell?"
Drug? What drug? Sa-youngâs mind fumbled through a hazy fog, as though he was a lost child wandering aimlessly. It was frustrating.
Honeybee propped her chin on her hand and asked, "Arenât you working with J? You guys in the guild? J said heâd pass the message."
"...J?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
J. Cha Uijae. The image of him in a sharp suit came to mind. Heâd looked good in it. As Sa-young remembered Uijae standing beside him earlier, his thoughts began to clear. Did Uijae mention something like that?
"...Ah."
Sa-young let out a small sigh of realization. Now that he thought about it, Uijae had said something along those lines. When Sa-young had grabbed him by the door, trying to stop him from leaving, Uijae had muttered something about Matthew, something important that needed to be relayed.