Anti-Ally in the ShadowsPeople in the slums aren’t given chances to prepare for a distant future.In that respect, Jin Muhae’s plan to gather two hundred and four thousand dils was a patient, arduous journey—but even that, after seven years of work, had nearly reached its end.He’d run without much thought. He’d rarely agonized over whether it was too hard to save that sum or why he should spend a fortune to recover his father’s relics.Still, every so often Muhae had wondered.Once he reclaimed his father’s relics from the pawnshop, what then?If what he recovered turned out to be worthless, what would he be running toward afterward?“Why would I do that? Pocket the big sum and run.”“Really? You won’t do it?”Maybe he’d been raised without a future that wanted him for anything but this. Such thoughts flickered through his mind, yet Muhae felt neither special resentment nor displeasure.With such a firm, intoxicating goal, he would have hunted it down even if no one had tempted him along the way.End the era of Crystal Blue and, outside the comfort zone, build a new foundation for humanity…“Wake up and get out.”“Umm…”Jin Muhae pushed Juo—who’d been dawdling—out with his foot.Bang. He heard him hit the floor, but didn’t bother.Lately Juo had begun to burrow into other people’s beds as if it were natural. Since that incident in Seogyeong City, he often clung to Muhae in the morning.Muhae hadn’t noticed when or how he’d crawled in. Even if he slept deeply at home, it was shocking that he hadn’t realized a grown man had been rubbing and lying against him.In the end, even in a safe place, Muhae startled awake at dawn.He frowned as he felt Juo, who’d slid in beside him again and was reaching out, and looked down—Thud. Thud. His racing heart transmitted something off. Juo’s condition was odd.Even in the darkness, Muhae could tell Juo’s face had gone pale.Suddenly Muhae remembered the nightmare Juo had had in the small craft in Burkta. What memory could someone who claimed to have forgotten the past be flinching at like that?Was that why he came to him each time? Muhae missed the chance to push him away as that thought crossed his mind.The Juo who nestled into his arms soon fell asleep. Only then did his heartbeat slow, and the slight tremor subside.He realized Juo had always come to him whenever he’d had nightmares. Ridiculous as it was, Muhae found it increasingly difficult to kick him out.‘Damn.’It felt wrong to coldly abandon this version of Juo—so anxious and chased by something, unlike his usual self.Yet he couldn’t drag himself to let him into the blanket fully while staring at him wide awake.Faced with that dilemma, Muhae—damn it—pretended not to notice. He acted as if he’d never woken up. Juo mustn’t know that Muhae had given in to a flicker of pity for his tantrums.Surprisingly, he slept well even while holding him. The shivering Juo was warm and comforting.When he woke, it was morning. Once it was daylight, Muhae shoved him off with irritation as if he’d been unaware.If he didn’t, he’d have touched him.Morning was a time of torment. Half-asleep, Muhae would slowly rub the waist he’d clutched and find himself aroused by the warm, soft skin.He’d lift the rumpled shirt, languidly stroke the smooth flesh in a half-dream—he felt like going mad. Crushing shame and impulse wrestled in his head and heated his lower belly.This couldn’t continue. He didn’t want this. Yet somehow a half-awake body betrayed his will and kept feeling the sleeping one.He became a lecher despite his curses. The thought of how Juo would react if he noticed only stoked his arousal further.Of course he wouldn’t be surprised. He would cling, not even understanding what was happening and simply happy.That made it worse. One of them was half a minor.Thinking this much only soured the rising desire, but until then…“Haaam… Jin Muhae hit me.”“Go wash your face.”“Now touch me.”“I told you to get lost.”It was his fault. Gnashing his teeth, Muhae ignored Juo every morning.Because he’d stopped asking why Juo kept crawling into his bed, Juo—ignorant of Muhae’s feelings—began to be found in his arms more often.“I’ll eat, and then I’m going out later.”“To see Teacher Jeong?”“Yeah. If it’s boring you can go out and come back.”“Hmm. Maybe.”After meeting Cloud, they began visiting Teacher Jeong’s clinic periodically.There he learned the basics of Crystal Blue and Blue Energy and how Central’s systems interpreted them.Though Gil would know the electronics part faster, Muhae chose to learn from Teacher Jeong because the teacher had been the one to teach him things in a structured way since childhood.Feeling oddly like he’d returned to being a kid, Muhae crammed his stiffening mind with all sorts of knowledge.While he did, Juo fiddled with Teacher Jeong’s weird wire-puzzle collection or peeked at Muhae’s notes.Sitting on a bed in the clinic, Juo swung his legs and muttered to himself. Teacher Jeong seemed to think he was listening along even then.When Teacher Jeong mentioned Juo’s name in conversation, Juo peeked his head out from behind the curtain.He made a face like “Me?” so Muhae hurriedly waved him back in.“Or get your check-up today.”“I’m not sick.”Muhae swallowed the thought that it might be because of his head.Either way, he was steadily improving, and Muhae wasn’t the sort to call someone mentally ill to their face.Teacher Jeong probably didn’t handle psychiatric issues, but a sound body hosted /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ a sound mind. Lately Juo’s nightmares were occurring frequently enough that Muhae wondered if they had a physical cause.There were too many possible leads. He’d eaten a lot of strange things, and Muhae had taken him outside the comfort zone where they’d touched contaminated rain and soil.Or maybe some experiment from the past was finally causing trouble. Either way, Muhae lacked the medical knowledge to judge.Since they were coming to the clinic anyway, he thought to leave Juo with Teacher Jeong instead of dawdling around.“I really don’t hurt.”“Then do the puzzle.”“I like that.”Juo hummed, oblivious to Muhae’s thoughts.“You said ‘do a puzzle.’”“Shut up and sit over there.”“This isn’t a puzzle.”“Why? Did you swallow a bone?”“No. Not that. Lately his condition has looked off.”As soon as they arrived and got him into bed, Juo protested weakly, sensing something was up.“It’s not scary.”“Right…”He didn’t dislike it. He’d been excited to go out, then deflated to find a check-up instead.He’d noticed that Teacher Jeong had collected several wire puzzles that should be scattered here and there; some he’d never seen before.Whenever the teacher handed one to him to try, Juo delighted in playing with it.He had hoped for that today too, but instead he was being examined.“You’re dramatic.”Teacher Jeong, donning his coat, approached.Juo giggled in agreement as Muhae frowned from a distance.“Anyway, the client asked, so I’ll check. Anything hurt?”“No.”“Your appetite’s fine too.”“Yeah.”“Open.”“Ah.”Teacher Jeong inspected Juo’s teeth and tongue, then studied his healthy, moist-looking eyes for a moment.Juo sometimes felt as if the teacher’s gaze scanned even his hidden interior.“It’s what we checked last time. Look at something far away.”A light device went over his eyes and his vision took on a green sheen. A rabbit hopped across a distant meadow.Sounds flitted around each ear. Juo opened his mouth slightly and focused on the image the instrument showed.“Feels real, doesn’t it?”When Teacher Jeong spoke, Juo smiled faintly and nodded.This technology existed, yet Starlight Avenue’s glass was nothing but prison bars—what a shame.“But it’s fake.”“Yeah, of course.”“If the sun were to rise there the tree wouldn’t look like that.”“True. Close your eyes for a moment.”A warm hand cradled his skull and removed the device. Juo enjoyed the gentle touch.Not as much as Muhae’s hands, but any warm fabric against his skin felt pleasant.Seeing Juo resting his head, Teacher Jeong raised an eyebrow at him.When he stroked his head experimentally, Juo grinned as if to ask for more.“All done. Open your eyes.”Reluctantly, Juo opened his eyes and the rectangular device Teacher Jeong had used swept across him.He remembered the taste of the meat he’d had that day and licked his lips.“From a glance, there doesn’t seem to be a problem. Actually, it’s better on you than I thought. But Muhae, you’re the issue. Have you been cutting back on work?”“I’m fine.”“Right. Jin Muhae’s full of energy.”Muhae’s hair, the color of his eyes and lips, his scent—there was no change. Aside from being a bit more irritable than his game personality, his temperature and condition were fine.Teacher Jeong turned to them.“Juo, right? If that guy gets hurt, you help move him here.”“Okay. I’ll carry him here.”Even in the game, whenever he fainted from control error and lost all HP, Jin Muhae always spawned at Teacher Jeong’s clinic.So if anything happened, moving him here would ensure proper treatment.

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