Rian opened the door.
Yunho stood there in his school uniform, his bag slung over one shoulder
.
"Yunho…" Rian whispered.
Yunho didn't speak at first. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms tightly around him.
"I'm glad you're alive," he said softly. "And… I'm really sorry."
They stood like that for a moment before Yunho pulled back and glanced around the house.
"Where's Yurim?"
Rian lowered his eyes.
Yunho frowned and looked around again.
"Rian. Where is Yurim?"
Instead of answering, Yunho spoke again, his voice quieter this time.
"Do you know what they found in the investigation this morning?" he said.
"That monster… it was human. They tortured him. Experimented on him. That's how he became like that."
Rian's eyes widened. Guilt crashed into him all at once.
" I'm worried about Yu– Yunho continued
But–
Without saying a word, Rian turned and ran outside.
"Rian, wait—!" Yunho started, but Rian was already gone.
Yunho quickly ran after Rian.
---
The sky had begun to darken, clouds stained red as if rain was coming soon. The air felt heavy.
"Growl…"
Yurim pressed a hand to her stomach as she walked quietly through the empty side streets.
"My stomach again…" she muttered.
She glanced up at the sky. "It's going to rain… I need somewhere to hide."
She slipped into a narrow alley and sat down, pulling her knees to her chest. For a moment, she just stayed there, trying to breathe.
Then the tears came.
"Why… why did this happen to me?" she whispered.
"What did I do wrong?"
Her shoulders shook.
"Did I overreact?" she murmured. "I shouldn't have left the house…"
She buried her face in her hands.
"Why can't I remember anything?" her voice trembled. "Why am I even here…?"
A sudden shout broke the silence.
"Shoo! Shoo! Get away, you dirty creature!"
Yurim flinched.
"A cat…?" Yurim muttered, confused.
But when it growled again, her breath caught.
The sound was deep.
The creature opened its mouth, revealing rows of jagged teeth glinting in the dim light.
It wasn't a cat.
Her heart began to race.
The creature's nose twitched, as if recognizing her scent. Its eyes narrowed.
It crouched.
"Stay back…" Yurim whispered, taking a shaky step backward.
The creature hissed.
Then it lunged.
Yurim's eyes darted around wildly. She spotted a metal trash bin nearby, grabbed it, and threw its contents toward the creature. Rotten food splattered across the ground.
The creature snarled louder, angrier than before.
It charged again.
Yurim screamed and hurled the trash bin itself. The impact knocked the creature back just enough.
She ran.
Blindly. Desperately.
Her shoes splashed through puddles as she burst out of the alley and into the open street. The creature's growls echoed behind her.
Her legs burned, but she didn't stop.
Then her foot slipped.
She crashed into someone and fell hard onto the road, her palms scraping painfully against the ground.
Gasps filled the air.
People stared.
Then whispers spread.
"The scent…" "That's the smell of a human…" "She's human."
Yurim's breath hitched.
From the alley's shadows, the creature crawled out again, its eyes locked onto her.
Ready to strike.