* * * * *

“But why would anyone attack Jongup?!” wondered Himchan that evening at the inn. For the umpteenth time, Ravi shot his gun-arm madly, putting yet another set of holes into the walls.

“Yah, will you stop shooting?! Someone could get hurt!” scolded Himchan. Ravi only shot him a disgusted look.

“Ya say ya didn’t even enter the woods?” inquired Yongguk, eyebrows furrowed.

Hyuk took a deep breath before answering. Himchan had wrapped him into a soft pink blanket and fed him far more potions than necessary, yet Hyuk’s trembling was unstoppable.

“We were... still in the village. That- that person- he appeared right out of nowhere...”

Yongguk, Himchan and Ravi listened to Hyuk’s story in stunned silence. At another table, Zelo sat with Jongup in his lap, metal hands clutching Jongup’s waist as though afraid to let go. Every time someone passed in a three-meter radius, Zelo would send them such a glare they would practically sprint away. The few customers left in the inn carefully avoided Zelo and Jongup’s corner.

“Well, I’m glad Jongup’s fine,” began Himchan, concerned, “but it... it’s so unusual. Whoever your attacker was, why would he leave Jongup alive? And why did he suddenly disappear?”

“I’m telling you, he was looking for something.” Hyuk explained, trying hard to remember exactly what had happened. “Or someone... I’m not sure...”

“Ya, maybe he mistook Jongup for someone else.” suggested Bang. “Who knows.”

The four sank into a worried silence.

“You have to teach me how to get stronger.” said Hyuk with a sudden conviction.

“Not me, I won’t.” replied Himchan instantly. “It’s because people fight that things like this are happening!”

“But you’re skilled at fighting yourself!” protested Hyuk.

Himchan shook his head. “The dragonborn are born with strength, and magic comes naturally to us.” Hyuk had never seen Himchan looks so serious. “And I choose not to use my power unless absolutely necessary.”

That’s when Ravi’s fist hit the table with a hard thump. He stood up. “And Jongup getting hurt is not a good enough reason for you to change your mind?!” he yelled in rage.

“Calm the down,” hissed Yongguk, pushing Ravi back into his seat by the shoulder. “The bastards’s gone anyways.”

“Imma find him and spill his filthy guts out,” hissed Ravi into his chin.

“No.” whispered Hyuk. “I will.”

All three stared at him, confused.

“I’ll get stronger. And then, if I come across him again...”

Hyuk had known Jongup only for a few days or so (How could he know for how long? The sun never moved, and no one seemed to know what a clock was!). Even so, Jongup was about the nicest kid Hyuk had ever met.

Hyuk’s mind was somehow ignoring the fact Jongup was probably not a person at all, but merely a character in a stupid game.

Staring into Yongguk’s eyes, then Ravi’s, Hyuk was praying one of them will understand. “I have to know. How do I increase my level?”

Yongguk leaned back in his seat. Something about his eyes was sad. “Well, ya can’t level up just lounging here in the village, kid.”

“He won’t survive!” opposed Himchan, staring at his lover in shock. “If he goes back to those woods he’s a goner!”

“No one said he’s going alone.” rumbled Ravi in his deep voice. By accident or no, his giant red fringe fell over his eyes.

“Exactly.” said Jongup, approaching their table. Zelo still seemed to have difficulty in taking his hands off Jongup. One cold steel hand rested on the boy’s hip, and another on his shoulder.

“Hey, I drank my potions, you know. I’m totally fine now,” smiled Jongup at the robot behind. Zelo completely ignored the remark. If anything, he clutched Jongup even tighter.

“I’d tag along with ya kids, but ya know...” Yongguk smiled softly at the dark-haired man, with his ridiculous pink apron and wings under his cape. “Even a dragonblood couldn’t run this place all by himself.”

“It’s the four of us, then!” Jongup was strangely excited.

“We leave in the mornin’, all right?” suggested Ravi. “I planned to leave soon anyways, ya know. My Hakyeon has waited long enough.”

Somehow, simply reaching a decision seemed to take a huge load off everyone’s shoulders.

Only when they had all retreated to their homes and Hyuk to his third-floor bedroom did he suddenly remember.

“!” he hissed into the surface of his bed. “, , !”

Jongup knew. He knew Hyuk was from another world.

* * * * *