Chapter 88: Sleep Now, Kai

He stared blankly at the droplets still clinging to the man’s cheek, trying to use his fingers to wipe away Kai’s tears, but the more he wiped, the more tears fell.

Kai immediately lowered his head, trying to hide his face, flushed red with embarrassment, into the crook of Kei’s shoulder. But the next tears still refused to stop falling.

Drop. Drop.

"Kai... Don’t cry..."

Kei’s voice had already gone soft, but Kai still refused to lift his head to look at him.

"I’m not crying."

Kai replied in a hoarse voice.

"But your tears are falling."

Kei said in a gentle, coaxing tone, yet Kai still only continued to shake his head, answering him in that raspy voice.

"It’s because my eyes were stung by the dust in the Dungeon."

"The SS-rank Dungeon is very far away from here."

"Then it’s because that bastard blew dust into my eyes!"

Kei sighed, then raised a hand to gently stroke Kai’s black hair. The soft sensation beneath his fingers made Kei’s heart soften.

"Alright. I know you’re very tired."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Then Kei isn’t angry at me for holding you like this?"

So this was the black dragon’s goal after all!!?

Kei looked down at the two arms locked tightly around his waist, wondering whether those tears from earlier were real or just the dragon putting on an act.

"A little."

Kai’s expression immediately crumbled.

"But..." Kei continued, "if you really have been fighting nonstop for days, then just rest for a while."

Kai lifted his head, his golden eyes still glistening with moisture.

"Can I sleep here?"

"You can. But you need to loosen your grip a little."

"No."

Kai shook his head vigorously.

"Kai."

"I’m afraid that when I wake up, Kei will be gone."

Kei silently looked at his weary face. In the end, he no longer pushed Kai away, only gently placed his hand on the arm wrapped around his waist.

"Then just sleep. I won’t disappear."

Kai blinked.

"Really? Kei will stay here until I wake up?"

"Yeah."

Only then did Kai close his eyes in relief. His arms around Kei’s waist still didn’t loosen, but the strength behind them had lightened considerably compared to before.

From the kitchen, Kim Sora secretly peeked out at the two of them. The moment she caught sight of Kai’s tear-streaked face, she immediately turned back inside, her shoulders trembling from holding back laughter. Even though she’d been busy in the kitchen all this time, Kim Sora had of course heard every word of this strange and childish conversation.

"The black dragon lord really is adorable..."

"I can hear you." Kai, who had his eyes closed, suddenly muttered.

Sora went silent at once.

Kei looked down at the person leaning against him. One of the world’s strongest hunters, the one who had just demolished the entire Crying Ghost Guild headquarters, was now obediently lying in his arms, like a child afraid of being left behind.

Kei let out a soft sigh.

He wasn’t used to parting, and he was even less used to someone running a long distance for his sake, carrying along both exhaustion and unease.

But the hands holding him were truly warm.

And the tears that had just fallen were heavy enough that Kei couldn’t pretend he hadn’t felt them.

"Sleep now, Kai."

He said in a low voice.

"This time, I’ll stay here."

Kei sat still for a while longer, until Kai’s breathing gradually became steady. The fingers gripping his waist also slowly loosened, the full weight of the man’s body sinking down as though finally admitting that he was too tired to keep resisting.

Kei looked down at the sleeping face before him and called softly:

"Kai?"

There was no answer.

He tried gently shaking his shoulder. Kai only furrowed his brow, instinctively tightening his hold around Kei’s waist a little more before sinking back into sleep.

"He’s really deeply asleep..."

Kei sighed.

He had to use all his strength to pry Kai’s arms off his body. Then, Kei carefully arranged the man’s large frame neatly on the sofa, pulled the long legs up onto the cushion, and draped a thin blanket over him.

Kai still didn’t wake. His face, usually so arrogant, was now strangely calm, his lashes trembling slightly with each steady breath.

From the kitchen, Kim Sora, wearing an apron, poked her head out.

"Kei, aren’t you going to wake Kai up to eat?"

Kei looked at the man sleeping on the sofa, then shook his head.

"It’s best to just let him sleep for now.""But if he skips the meal, he’ll be hungry later."

Sora said with a laugh.

"He can eat after he wakes up. He’s been fighting nonstop for days, so he must be too sleepy to bear it anymore."

Sora looked at Kai for a moment longer. She had originally wanted to say that someone who just destroyed an entire Guild headquarters certainly didn’t need to be cared for like a child, but seeing his exhausted expression along with Kei’s patient and loving gaze toward him, she ultimately just smiled.

"Alright. Then just let him sleep."

As Kei turned around to head back to the counter, the shop door suddenly burst open.

"Kei!"

The call came so urgently that both of them were startled.

A figure rushed into the store. It was Do Ae Young.

Her hair was disheveled, her clothes covered in dust and dirt, and her face was pale with panic. She didn’t even have time to close the door, just stood panting heavily in the entrance as if she had been running the entire way.

Kei immediately stepped forward.

"Do Ae Young-ssi? What’s wrong?"

Do Ae Young didn’t answer. Her gaze darted around the store frantically, until it stopped on the sofa.

Kai was lying there, pulling the thin blanket up to his chest, sleeping soundly as if he had no idea that a horrific battle he himself had caused had just taken place outside.

Do Ae Young stared at him.

One second.

Two seconds.

Then, her knees went weak.

"Ah..."

Do Ae Young collapsed directly to the floor.

"Do Ae Young!"

Kei and Sora immediately ran over to support her. One grabbed her arm, the other supported her back, and together they helped her sit on a nearby chair.

Do Ae Young still stared at Kai without blinking, as if afraid that if she took her eyes off him for even a moment, he would disappear again.

Kei poured her a glass of water, but Do Ae Young didn’t take it. She suddenly gripped Kei’s hand tightly, her ice-cold fingers squeezing so hard that he winced slightly.

"Kei..."

Her voice was hoarse.

"No one has died, right?"

Kei and Sora looked at her in confusion. Do Ae Young swallowed dryly, her eyes still fixed on Kai.

"Has Kai killed anyone?"