The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 265

The hand touching Uijae’s cheek carried a strange, bitter scent, as if it physically manifested the stench of death. That’s odd. Didn't Sa-young’s hands usually smell sweet? But the thought quickly faded as Uijae’s body began trembling violently. His breathing became labored, and a heavy pressure weighed down on him.

Uijae’s eyes darted around anxiously. As his breathing grew more rapid, Sa-young immediately withdrew his hand and took two steps back.

“…Hyung.”

Even hearing his voice didn’t calm Uijae; instead, his body flinched and jerked in response. Once startled, it was difficult to settle down.

‘Damn it, why is this happening?’

Uijae gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes shut, burying his head halfway into the stiff pillow. His breathing quickened even further, and no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't slow down. His head tipped back as cold sweat trickled down his neck. He felt anxious. Scared. Tears welled up for reasons he couldn’t grasp.

Was it Sa-young?

His fingernails dug painfully into his palms. His limbs trembled and curled up. It was his own body, yet it didn’t feel like his. Everything felt strange—the gazes that touched his skin, even the air. Tears that had gathered in his eyes slid down his cheeks and temple.

He was afraid.

It felt as if he were facing a predator, and his body instinctively froze. For the first time in his life, Uijae felt weak. As his lips trembled, he struggled to speak.

“Sa—…”

But then,

“Don’t… do this.”

A shaking voice cut him off. Uijae forced his eyes open. Through his blurry vision, he saw that Sa-young had already moved far away. Sa-young was clutching his gas mask with both hands, and Uijae could see that his hands were trembling slightly.

“Please don’t….”

Sa-young pressed something like a button. Moments later, hurried footsteps echoed through the room, and the door slid open. Nam Woo-jin’s voice filled the room.

“J, are you awake…?”

“Something’s wrong with him!”

“Give him a sedative right away….”

The last thing Uijae heard before darkness claimed him again was the clamor of voices and footsteps. Damn it, I’m wasting more precious time like this….

Is Sa-young okay?

That was his last thought before everything went black.

---

**[162 hours left until J’s death]**

---

As soon as Uijae blinked his gritty eyes open, the countdown was the first thing he saw. Great, so I’ve wasted another two hours. He wiggled his fingers. His wrists were still bound, though the straps felt looser than before. Letting out a short sigh, he looked around. This time, in the far corner of the room, he saw Sa-young sitting in a small chair, wearing his gas mask and reading a book. What kind of book? Uijae couldn’t tell from where he lay.

“Sa-young.”

He was sure Sa-young had heard him, but there was no response. Uijae cleared his dry throat and raised his voice.

“Sa-young.”

“…You don’t need to call that loudly. I can hear you.”

“If you heard me, why didn’t you answer?”

“……”

Sa-young clammed up again. Uijae stared at him. The fear and suffocating pressure he’d felt just before passing out were completely gone. Maybe it was because there was more distance between them.

Fine, if this is how he wants to play it. Uijae yanked at his bound wrists, deliberately making noise.

“These straps are uncomfortable.”

“Bear with it. I tied them as loosely as I could.”

The soft sound of pages turning filled the room.

“It's not easy tying them to civilian standards….”

“Civilian?”

“I heard….”

Sa-young’s voice sounded melancholic.

“They say you become as weak as a civilian when this happens.”

“……”

“You’ll probably try to overexert yourself, not used to being this weak. It’s better to stay tied up.”

“Hey, wouldn’t it be better if I adapted to being weaker?”

“Ah, I see….”

Another page turned, accompanied by a bitter chuckle. Sa-young’s voice was laced with sarcasm.

“Do you want to roll around the floor covered in blood again? Developing a weird hobby now….”

“You could just catch me if that happens.”

“……”

There was a brief pause. Sa-young closed the book with a soft thud and let out a short sigh. He ran his fingers through his disheveled hair.

“What is it…? Are you planning to tremble and pass out again?”

“……”

“Why don’t you try foaming at the mouth this time?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Uijae apologized. Sa-young didn’t reply. Instead, he stood up. The gas mask obscured his expression, but Sa-young looked at Uijae for a moment before turning his head.

“It’s better if someone else takes care of you. Someone more suited for the job.”

“What?”

“Just stay put. Someone will be here soon.”

“Wait, hold on! I have something to say!”

But Sa-young didn’t listen. He turned and left the room abruptly, slamming the sliding door shut. The door rattled from the force and bounced back halfway open. Uijae stared at the half-open door, stunned. I have 162 hours left before I die, and he just walks away without listening?

‘…Was it that much of a shock?’

Uijae clenched and unclenched his bound hand. When he had faced Sa-young’s anger head-on, his body had been engulfed in sheer terror. Was that the S-rank pressure he had heard about? He had never experienced it himself until now.

“……”

It must have been a shock. After all, I was the one who feared Sa-young. If it had been the other way around and Sa-young had been afraid of me….

‘Wow….’

Uijae imagined he would’ve gone over every mistake he’d ever made, from A to Z. He sighed. Just then, he heard footsteps approaching. Uijae turned his head toward the door.

A woman wearing a white coat with the Seowon Guild emblem on her sleeve, her brown hair tied back, appeared in the doorway. She looked familiar. Without thinking, Uijae called out in a surprised tone.

“Gaeul?”

It was Yoon Gaeul from this world, the one he had glimpsed through fragmented memories.

“Huh? Oh.”

She widened her eyes and then covered her mouth, giggling.

“Oh, I’m sorry! It’s been so long since you called me that. Brings back old memories.”

Oh. In this world, Yoon Gaeul was no longer a student. Uijae blinked. With her hair down and her glasses off, Gaeul still looked young but had a more mature air about her. She looked much brighter than the worn-out version of her he had seen in the fragments of memories.

She busied herself tidying up the room. Uijae noticed that she didn’t seem surprised at all by his unmasked face. Did this version of me not bother hiding my face so much?

After finishing tidying, Gaeul approached the bed with a sympathetic expression.

“I heard you fell out of bed…. Are your wrists okay? Your eyes look a bit swollen, too.”

“…I’m not okay.”

Maybe she’ll untie me! Uijae thought quickly, and with his well-honed acting skills, he put on a pitiful expression.

“Could you please untie me? It’s really uncomfortable…”

Gaeul looked downcast as well. She placed a warm, wet cloth over Uijae’s eyes.

“I’m sorry. Hunter Sa-young made it very clear not to untie you.”

“That bastard… What did he say?”

“He, um… said if I didn’t want to see the whole Seowon Guild melt down and die, I absolutely couldn’t untie you….”

Did he really threaten her? Uijae blinked under the cloth in shock. But that wasn’t all. Gaeul let out a heavy sigh.

“Oh, and he also said you’ve lost your memory, so your ability control is unstable. He told me not to provoke you. Is it true? Have you really lost your memory? Or maybe that’s why you’ve seemed more… aggressive than before.”

“……”

“That’s why Director Jeong followed Hunter Sa-young. He said he needs to keep an eye on him in case something happens….”

That crazy bastard. He’s really taking advantage of this memory loss, even dragging important people away from their work! Uijae’s head throbbed.

“Still…”

Gaeul moved closer to the bed and reached out. Then, deliberately looking away, she quickly untied the straps around his wrists. She freed him in an instant, despite everything she had just said. Why? Uijae lifted the damp cloth from his eyes. Gaeul smiled sweetly and pressed a finger to her lips.

“Hehe, let’s both be comfortable while I’m here. I’ll have to tie you back up before I leave, though. Please understand.”

“Gaeul…”

Was his body weakening, or was it his heart? His chest ached, and tears threatened to spill. Gaeul was being so kind, yet Sa-young wouldn’t even come near him. I understand, but still…. Uijae sniffled, rubbing his wrists, which were now marked with red wel

ts from the straps. How fragile was this body, to be marked so easily after such a short time?

Gaeul checked his IV and asked, “How are you feeling? Dr. Nam and Director Jeong are both worried about you.”

“Um… I’m okay.”

“You always say you’re okay, so I can never tell if you mean it or not…. If anything hurts, you have to tell me right away. I heard that you collapsed right after telling Dr. Nam you were fine.”

“I was fine at the time.”

Technically, it was Sa-young’s fault for knocking me out with that hug. My waist and abdomen still ached. Uijae gingerly lifted the loose hem of his patient gown. The bruises were still dark and prominent. Normally, such marks would’ve disappeared without a trace by now. No, under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have bruised in the first place.

Gaeul gasped and covered her mouth.

“Oh my… Why do you have bruises on your stomach and waist? Were you… hit?”

“Huh? No.”

Well, technically, I was hit… by affection? Or something like that. Gaeul, still staring in shock at the bruises, muttered under her breath.

“Did Hunter Sa-young do this?”

That’s true, but… Without a good excuse ready, Uijae stayed silent. Gaeul’s expression turned fierce as she clenched her fist.

“My god… He knows how bad your condition is, and yet….”

“No, it wasn’t on purpose…”

“I can’t just let this slide!”

“No, really, it was an accident!”

“Even if it was, how could he…?”

“He’s just bad at controlling his strength!”

“I know about your relationship, but still, how could he do this to someone who’s sick?”

Gaeul’s voice rose in anger. Uijae blinked, stunned.

“Huh?”