“……If Dad doesn’t help, Mom’s going to be in a lot of pain.”
So Dad has to come running.
“Even if you hate me, please make sure Mom lives.”
Before he could demand what that meant, the surroundings slowly turned black. Instinctively realizing he was waking from sleep, Yi-beom grabbed the tiger tightly.
“……I like Dad.”
A quiet voice echoed. With those words, Yi-beom opened his eyes.
The moment he woke, he checked his phone. The screen showing Eunho’s room filled the display—but under the bed, where he had checked before falling asleep, there was nothing.
Panic crept in. He flipped through the feeds, searching for Eunho’s movements, but couldn’t find even a shadow.
“Where the hell did he go?”
Anxious, Yi-beom ran out the door. Eunho wasn’t in the living room, nor at the pool. Damn it. The cub’s words kept repeating in his head.
“Jung Eunho!”
“……”
“Eunho! Answer me!”
He ran through the walking paths and the garden, searching. He checked beneath the trees and even the flowerbeds, but couldn’t find so much as a round tail. As Yi-beom panted, his eyes caught sight of the sea.
The sea!
The tiger in the dream had also spoken while looking at the ocean. Asking him to save Mom.
Without hesitation, Yi-beom shifted into his tiger form. Cutting through the wind, he ran faster than ever toward the shore.
The night sea was pitch-black, like it would swallow everything. It felt as if any cries for help, any movement—even Jung Eunho himself—could be swept away. The eerie crash of waves swallowed Yi-beom’s voice as he ran relentlessly along the surf.
“Jung Eunho!”
At that moment, a pale pink rabbit entered his sight. Standing before the waves, the rabbit stared blankly at the horizon.
“Jung Eunho! Don’t move!”
At the call, Eunho slowly turned around. He seemed briefly startled by Yi-beom’s tiger form, then turned his back to the waves.
Just as Yi-beom rushed forward, Eunho’s voice stopped him in his tracks.
“If you come any closer, I’m going in.”
“Jung Eunho!”
Splash! With the sound, Eunho’s foot stepped into the sea. Seeing that, Yi-beom dropped to the ground where he stood.
His heart pounded wildly. Just looking at Eunho standing before the waves made his mind feel like it was breaking.
“We’re strangers now anyway.”
Eunho muttered without changing his expression.
“We broke up—so why are you looking for me?”
“……Stop talking nonsense and come here.”
“You can just be happy with your new lover. Throw someone like me away.”
Eunho’s words pierced like knives into Yi-beom’s chest. They were all things he himself had said to hurt Eunho.
“Erase the baby from your head. Erase me too. That’ll be better for you…… anyway.”
“……”
“I was thinking we’d live happily together—you, me, and the baby.”
Keeping his gaze fixed on Yi-beom, Eunho forced the corners of his eyes upward. It was such an artificial smile it hurt to look at.
“I’m sorry. I guess you and I wanted different things, Ahjussi.”
Even now, he didn’t blame him. That alone made Yi-beom’s heart feel like it was being torn apart. The unease that had been spreading slowly now crashed over him like a tidal wave.
This isn’t it.
Yi-beom was certain something had gone terribly wrong.
Where had it started? He retraced his memories. Had it begun when he became a Beastman—or from the moment he met Eunho? He didn’t know. What mattered was that he himself had driven Eunho to this point.
He wanted to grab him immediately, but if he moved even one step, Eunho might walk into the sea. Barely able to breathe, Yi-beom stood frozen. The helplessness of being unable to do anything wrapped around his body.
Leaving him behind, Eunho looked back toward the ocean.
“I’m glad the water isn’t cold. I thought it’d be colder…….”
“……”
“I guess summer’s almost here.”
I thought I’d spend next summer with you too, Ahjussi. Eunho murmured with a faint laugh. He looked so fragile, like he might be swept away at any moment, that Yi-beom let out a low groan.
“Just take one step backwards. Just a little back…..”
A wave washed around Eunho’s legs. His wet fur swayed with the tide. Every time it did, Yi-beom’s heart seemed to ride the waves too.
“Please, Eunho.”
Even at the pleading voice, Eunho didn’t move. He simply stared at the horizon, as if searching for where he belonged.
Unable to endure it any longer, Yi-beom took a step forward. Hearing the sound, Eunho turned his head toward him.
“I told you already. This has nothing to do with you, Ahjussi.”
His voice sounded utterly exhausted.
“…….I can’t do this anymore.”
“……”
“Hearing you say awful things to me, trying to protect the baby…… it’s too hard.”
As Yi-beom stepped closer, Eunho walked deeper into the sea. With a rushing sound, the water rose to his waist.
“Jung Eunho!”
The moment Yi-beom reached out his hand, raindrops began to fall from the sky. Soon a heavy rain poured down, loud enough to drown out the waves. Even through the curtain of rain, Yi-beom didn’t take his eyes off Eunho.
Instinctively, he knew he couldn’t win against Eunho. Maybe it had been a game he couldn’t win from the start. Jung Eunho might be absentminded about everything else, but when it mattered, he never bent his will. And Yi-beom—who pushed his own will through in everything else—was pathetically weak when it came to Eunho.
A perfect defeat. Even watching the rabbit who might throw himself into the water, Yi-beom couldn’t push him any further. His voice came out strained, as if on the verge of breaking.
“What should I do?”
“……”
“……What would make you come out of there?”
Slowly returning to human form, Yi-beom stared at him. As light shimmered, Eunho—half submerged in water—turned his head toward him.
Without hesitation, Yi-beom lowered himself. Kneeling down, grains of sand dug into his skin.
“Ahjussi!”
Eunho’s ears smacked together in panic.
“Get up. Right now……!”
“Should I just die instead?”
“……”
“If I go in there, will you come out then?”
It wasn’t something he couldn’t do. If Eunho would come out, he could die for him any number of times. Even if he had never died before, he felt like he wouldn’t feel pain now. Ever since he saw Eunho standing before the sea, something in his mind had broken.
“The baby or anything else—do whatever you want. So…….”
“……”
“So please.”
The rain grew heavier. Now the sound of it almost drowned out the waves entirely. You’ll get cold. Unaware of his own soaked body, Yi-beom spoke as if grinding the words out.
“Baby, please.”
The water kept rising. What had reached Eunho’s waist now surged around his chest. If one wave rose higher, it might swallow even the rabbit’s nose.
“Let’s go together. Okay?”
Eunho stared at Yi-beom silently. His face was expressionless, but he was just as shaken.
To hide his fluster, Eunho clenched and unclenched his feet. Begging or pleading never suited Yi-beom. He had always carried an innate composure, someone who had never been beneath anyone.
Seeing him kneeling like this made Eunho’s heart ache too. He wanted to run over, tell him to get up, tell him it was okay—but swallowing hard, Eunho forced himself to stay still.
At times like this, I have to be strong.
Why had he come out here tonight? Why had he stepped across these coarse grains of sand all the way to the sea? Remembering how he’d shouted, “It hurts, it hurts!” as he came here, his heart slowly steadied.
He had never truly intended to die. Yi-beom didn’t know, but rabbits were actually quite good swimmers. Maybe even faster than dogs. It was something Eunho had figured out while floating around in the pool.
Even now, his short legs were moving rapidly beneath the water. Plop, plop! The faint sounds occasionally broke through the rain—sounds Yi-beom would’ve heard if he’d been thinking clearly.
Th-this is hard.
Feeling his legs straining, Eunho broke into a nervous sweat. No matter what, he needed to reach a conclusion quickly.
“……Are you scared of me dying?”
“Yeah.”
Yi-beom whispered, rubbing his face with both hands.
“It’s horrifying.”
“……”
“That’s why I acted cruel. Because I thought you might die.”
“……”
“I thought you’d leave me behind.”
His bloodless face grew wet. Letting out a low, pained groan, he spoke slowly.
“I dream…… every day…… that you die.”
As if recalling the dreams, Yi-beom bit down on his lip. Just looking at his expression, Eunho could tell how much of a nightmare those dreams were for him. Word by word, Yi-beom continued painfully.
“I’m scared you’ll really die like that.”
Seeing the deep dark circles and his pale face, Eunho held his breath. He had thought Yi-beom was just busy. Remembering the late-night sounds he used to hear, his chest throbbed.
He slowly closed and opened his eyes. To stop his heart from leaning toward him again, he recalled all the harsh words he’d heard. Yi-beom’s cold expressions and cruel words weren’t easy to forget. After calming himself for a long moment, Eunho spoke.
“You said you’d do anything.”
“Yeah.”
It was time to finish this. Eunho finally said the words he had been waiting to say.
“……Then leave this place, Ahjussi.”
Color returned to Yi-beom’s pale face. Seeing how visibly relieved he looked, Eunho hesitated before continuing.
“Yeah, let’s go now. If we take the private jet—”
“Just you, Ahjussi.”
Yi-beom, who had begun to stand, froze in place.
“What?”
“…..I’m not going. You leave by yourself.”
When no answer came, Eunho moved his legs. Splash! As the water rose higher, Yi-beom nodded hurriedly without thinking.
“Okay.”
“……”
“I’ll leave Professor Hwang and the others here too. Stay as long as you want.”
“No.”
If they stayed, it would interfere with his plan. Quickly denying it, Eunho added,
“I want them to leave with you too.”
His voice was firm.
