“Late today, huh.”
“Did you go hang out with a friend?”
The soldiers standing by the roadside near our house greeted me. They all spoke casually, with easygoing expressions.
“Yes. I’m back now.”
These were people who had watched over me ever since I was a little kid speaking in a lisp. Naturally, they treated me with a familiar warmth. And I was the same.
As I exchanged glances with the familiar faces, I suddenly froze the moment my eyes met Ji Chanwoo’s.
Ever since his son, who had been sick, fell into a coma a few months ago, Ji Chanwoo had looked more and more haggard by the day. But even taking that into account, his face now looked drained.
Like he might collapse at any moment.
“…Mister, are you feeling okay?”
I asked gently, and Ji Chanwoo’s shoulders gave a slight jolt.
“Huh? What is it, Suho?”
“You don’t look well.”
“Ah…”
He fell silent, looking flustered.
“Well… maybe I’m just tired.”
“……”
“I’m fine, Suho. Don’t worry about me, just head on in.”
His voice wavered a bit as he added that, forcing a clumsy smile. He fidgeted with the sling that held his gun against his chest and avoided my gaze.
I glanced at the other soldiers. From the looks on their faces, they hadn’t heard anything either.
In the end, I gave a polite nod and turned away. I couldn’t pester someone who said they were fine.
“Our Suho’s home!”
“Welcome back.”
As soon as I stepped into the front hall, my mother and father, sitting together in the living room, greeted me in unison. They each had a teacup in front of them—seemed like they were having tea time.
“You’re upstairs?”
While taking off my shoes, I looked from one parent to the other. Ever since I’d grown older, they usually spent the whole day down in the lab, so it was rare for them to greet me on the first floor like this.
“Yeah. Rai’s asleep, and it’s about time to start dinner, so we came up.”
“That guy couldn’t care less about hanging out with us. Only lights up when he sees you.”
My father grumbled like he was a little hurt. I exchanged a look with my mother and smiled faintly.
After all the time we’d spent together, Rai no longer showed any signs of wariness toward our family. Of course, he’d always been that way with me from the start, but it had taken a long, long time with my parents.
Rai used to be vicious around them, like he’d never soften up. But that kind of behavior made sense—it was only natural for a beast like him, whose hostility toward humans was basically instinctual.
It had been the complete opposite of how he acted with me, so I could finally understand, even if belatedly, why my parents had been left speechless when they first saw Rai calm down just by having me nearby.
…I still don’t really know for sure. Was it because I seemed so small and harmless back then that he didn’t see the need to be aggressive—and that just stuck? Or was there some other reason entirely?
After dropping my bag off in my room, I washed my hands and returned to the living room. As I sat down in an empty seat, my mother reached out and stroked my hair.
“You were at Yugeon’s place, right? That’s why you’re late?”
“Yes.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen his face. Is he doing okay?”
The question came naturally, but it made me pause.
Min Yugeon’s face, trying to act like everything was fine as he saw me off, floated up in my mind.
“He said… he’s planning to go into engineering after graduation.”
“Engineering?”
My parents’ eyes widened. They looked genuinely surprised.
Maybe Min Sanghan had said something to people around him—maybe something like, “My son’s going to follow in my footsteps.”
I didn’t tell them what had happened today. I just left them to their puzzled looks.
“Oh, right! Suho.”
Something seemed to come to mind all of a sudden, and my mother clapped her hands together with a bright smile.
“Your dad and I decided to participate in the midterm demo.”
“The midterm demo?”
“Yeah. It’s a presentation to show people how far our research has come.”
She explained that since Rai was now fairly calm even when not accompanied by me, they wanted to take the opportunity to give him some light training in time for the demo. She mentioned they’d already been to the lab this morning to discuss the plan.
Apparently, they ran into Min Sanghan again, and he cheerfully encouraged them, telling them to leave all the prep work to him.
“……”
In stark contrast to how my parents had described him, the image that surfaced in my mind was of Min Sanghan erupting in a fit of rage. He must’ve only found out in the afternoon that Min Yugeon hadn’t submitted the application… so he’d probably been fine when my parents visited the lab.
“The date hasn’t been set yet, but… I’m sure our Suho will come and watch, right?”
My father’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. In his imagination, I was already seated in the audience as a proper researcher, dignified and composed, observing the demonstration.
“We’ll have to brag to everyone that you’re our son.”
My mother nodded along, echoing the sentiment. I had no idea what they’d even brag about, but the thought of being the center of attention among their colleagues—people whose faces I didn’t even know—was enough to make cold sweat prickle down my back. I quietly averted my eyes from my parents, who were practically glowing with excitement.
As we chatted leisurely, dinner time slipped by, and our family ended up eating later than usual. After filling my stomach, I went to my room and pulled out the test paper I’d left unfinished at school.
Just as I was about to check the last problem, my parents knocked softly and came into the room. Their hands, though different in size, each gently landed on my shoulders, warm as always.
“It’s already midnight, Suho.”
“I just want to finish this part.”
“Alright. Then we’ll head to bed first.”
“Okay. Goodnight.”
“Sleep well, Suho.”
“We love you.”
As always, whether I was a child or now, they left me with warm, heartfelt affection. Once they stepped out and I was alone again, I finished reviewing the test paper and slid it into the bookshelf.
Midnight already. It was pretty late, but… there was a chance Rai might be waiting for me. We saw each other almost every day, and on the rare days I skipped visiting him, he’d try to act indifferent but would clearly sulk.
I picked up the cube he liked and quietly stepped out of my room. The house was completely still. Walking toward the entrance to the basement, I entered the passcode—one I now knew myself—and the door opened smoothly.
I descended the stairs quickly and turned past the pillar. As always, Rai was there at the end of the straight corridor.
“You took a nap earlier and still aren’t sleeping?”
He was sitting with his four legs tucked under him, staring at me as I approached. He looked no different from how he had always been.
Beasts don’t age, after all.
—Grrowwl…
“Sorry. I had a lot of homework today, so I’m late.”
……
Rai remained silent, throwing me a sideways glance that almost looked annoyed—but I knew better. He was trying to read my mood.
If I ever came in feeling even slightly down or drained, he wouldn’t growl or make a sound. He’d just sit there, still and quiet, his tail resting on the floor, observing me like a statue.
Maybe he sensed the mess of emotions I’d brought with me from Yugeon’s house. That sense of being quietly cared for wasn’t bad at all, and before I realized it, a soft chuckle slipped out.
I sat comfortably on the floor and leaned back against the wall. As I talked about what had happened at school, I idly worked on solving the cube. Rai’s ears, buried in his mane, subtly perked up, his gaze drifting down to my hands.
It was a child’s cube, only four squares per side—easy enough now. I solved it cleanly, scrambled it again, then repeated. Before long, Rai had moved closer, settling near the wall. With his chin resting on his forepaws, he listened to my voice like background music while focusing on the cube.
—Kkrrk.
Suddenly, his whiskers twitched. His expression tightened into a sharp scowl, like a person frowning, and he looked up at the ceiling.
I paused instinctively and tilted my head to look up at him.
“Rai?”
……Grrrrrr…
Rai bared his teeth and started to growl. His head lifted high, his pupils flashing white as a chilling aura radiated off him.
It was bloodlust—something I had never once felt from him while we were together. Now it hung heavy in the air, so palpable I could practically reach out and touch it.
What the hell…?
Panicking, I stood up and followed his line of sight upward. There was nothing visible, of course. It was a meaningless gesture.
Maybe he heard something from upstairs?
—Grrng!
He glanced down at me, exhaling sharply through flared nostrils, his back rising in agitation. Then, without warning, he stepped back.
His massive body lowered into a crouch, then suddenly twisted and launched itself—straight toward me.
“…!”
Thud-BOOM!
The shockwave rattled the walls in fine tremors. A deafening roar filled the corridor, shaking not just my eardrums but my entire body. My vision wavered for a moment.
…This was a clear act of aggression.
I stared at Rai, frozen in shock. He hadn’t shown a single sign of this recently. My thoughts stuttered to a halt as I tried to process the sudden outburst of violence.
