The Boss Wants to Die

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The Boss Wants to Die

I checked the information on Heart, who had emerged from the shadow.

Perhaps because I had created a new dependent, an unfamiliar description floated above Heart’s head.

[2-Star (★★) Dependent.

― The manifested power of the Evil God is influenced by the dependent’s level. Even if the borrowed power of the Evil God is vast, it cannot be wielded properly if the level is low.

― 'Heart's Level: 30]

‘So that means I can summon Michael whenever I want, just like Heart?’

Thinking things had taken an interesting turn, I voiced the question on my mind.

“Did anything happen with Akt?”

“Nope! He was sleeping soundly until just a moment ago!”

Yet when I returned to the inn, Akt was wide awake, sitting right in front of the desk.

The clear sight of him suffering through insomnia was fully visible through the window.

“Sleeping soundly, you said, Hearrrrt?”

“Oww, ow, ow, ouch!”

I caught Heart’s round body between both fists, squeezing and grinding him around like dough.

His solitary eyeball welled with aggrieved tears.

“B-But it’s true! He was lying down and didn’t move an inch, I swear!”

“Does not moving an inch automatically mean someone’s asleep? If I stand still like this, does that make me asleep too? Huh?”

“I’ll fix it next time! Spare meeee!”

Heart shrieked over and over, crying that his body was going to pop.

Letting out a sigh, I released him and peered through the window.

Akt remained motionless, looking like a painting framed by the window casing.

Seeing him sitting there doing nothing at all, it didn't seem like he had noticed my absence.

He appeared to have other worries on his mind.

“What is he doing like that?”

I tried to ignore it and head back to my room, but an odd prickle of concern made me turn around.

‘If I go to him now, he might get suspicious.’

Part of me thought I really should just leave him alone, but leaving him like that meant it would keep nagging at me.

After agonizing over it, I eventually knocked on Akt’s door.

‘It’s not like he’s going to lock me up at this point. I can just make up a decent excuse.’

I waited for a response from inside, and only after a long pause did the door finally open.

“……”

Akt appeared with an expressionless face, stripped of the smile he usually wore.

The straight, sharp line of his pressed lips immediately caught my eye.

Perhaps his hair had been bothering him, because it was tied back in a single ponytail.

Even that had been done haphazardly, leaving loose strands hanging messily across his pale face.

Disheveled hair and loose clothing.

Seeing Akt looking so completely unraveled was rare, and my gaze lingered on him for a long time.

With his eyelids half-lidded in languor, he shoved a hand into his pocket.

He leaned sideways, resting a shoulder against the doorframe in an undeniably roguish posture.

Feeling a sudden tension at this stark departure from his usual demeanor, I swallowed dryly.

Akt studied me closely.

His pitch-black gaze dragged over me from head to toe, the sensation as sharp and vivid as fingernails scraping over bare skin.

“Lee Rowoon?”

He blinked his snowy white eyelashes as though snapping out of a daze.

The hand tucked insolently into his pocket slipped out, and his slouching posture straightened up.

Frowning slightly, he looked me over once more.

It was as if he was verifying whether I was real.

“It really is Rowoon.”

“Of course it’s me. Did you think there’d be two Evil Gods?”

I pushed past him boldly and stepped inside.

Akt’s heavy, distinct scent washed over me.

“No wonder you’re out of it, staying awake until this ungodly hour.”

“It’s five in the morning.”

Akt checked the clock.

“The dead of the night, when you should be fast asleep. What brings you to my room?”

“That’s what I should be asking you. What on earth are you doing, not sleeping at all?”

I spun around and looked at him.

Having fully shaken off his stupor after seeing me, he was neatly re-tying his hair.

Holding his white hair with his left hand, he looped the hair tie around with his right. Because both arms were raised, the broad expanse of his lats and chest muscles stood out sharply beneath the thin shirt.

Every time he inhaled, his ribcage expanded like the lungs of a massive beast.

If I placed a hand on his chest, it felt as though I would be able to feel his breath growling inside.

‘With a frame that big, he really is like a wild beast.’

Even with his head bowed to tie his hair, I could feel his persistent gaze fixed on me.

Half-concealed beneath his eyelids, his eyes carried a distinct edge of ferocity, completely unlike how he usually looked.

After taking in his chapped, exhausted lips and the muscles straining against his shirt, I quietly lowered my gaze.

Gulp.

The moment I swallowed dryly, my thumping heart began echoing straight through my skull.

‘Why am I so nervous?’

Troubled, I bit my lower lip and let out a dry cough.

The atmosphere felt suffocating.

“Just look at yourself.”

Grabbing a random desk mirror for no real reason, I shoved it toward his face.

“Look at those dark circles and your lips.”

“Hmm.”

Akt looked into the mirror, lightly brushed his fingers over his lips, and winced in pain.

“They’re really chapped.”

“Because you aren’t sleeping properly.”

“I ran out of emergency ointment, so I went without applying it for a bit.”

Akt rubbed his eyes with evident exhaustion.

“I need to earn some gold.”

He looked like he was about to collapse just from drinking water, let alone doing quests, and yet all he could talk about was gold.

“You’re not an Evil God.”

I kindly reminded him of his station.

“I can stay up all night and be perfectly fine, but a human will start bleeding from the nose. Why don't you get a good night's sleep first? In the first place, what were you even doing until now?”

“I’m curious too. What were you doing?”

With a pale face, Akt retrieved a bottle of hard liquor and a glass from his inventory.

Slipping one hand into his pocket, he poured the amber liquid into the glass with a practiced, natural ease.

“Staying up until this hour. Without sleeping.”

“I felt suffocated, so I was getting some fresh air.”

I snatched the glass from his hand.

It was such a strong spirit that the moment I lifted the glass, a sharp, woody fragrance stung my nose.

‘No wonder you're depressed, drinking stuff like this. Your body's going to be wrecked too.’

Akt merely watched the crystal glass get taken away.

It was just like him to silently accept whatever I did to him.

He stood there holding his head for a moment, an expression of enduring pain crossing his face.

It looked like he was battling a migraine, and the symptoms seemed severe.

‘He doesn't have any debuffs or status ailments attached to him, though.’

Puzzled, I snatched the entire bottle of liquor and stored it into my inventory.

Letting out a deep sigh from the bottom of his lungs, Akt sat down on the bed.

I smoothly kept talking.

“I was just trying to relax and watch the moon, but then I saw this pitiful-looking human sitting by the window, wallowing in gloom. And you know how generous I am, right? I took the time to personally drop by and offer my comfort.”

“Thank you, Rowoon-ah.”

Akt reached out and quietly took hold of the hem of my skirt.

“Thank you.”

“……”

“Stay for just a little while before you go.”

I looked down at him in silence for a brief moment.

Clinging meekly to just the hem of my clothes, Akt sat there listlessly, his head hung toward the floor.

‘I only intended to check on him for a second and leave, but...’

Remembering how he had cried and thrown up earlier that day, my heart softened.

‘Ah, seriously.’

I shook off his hand holding my skirt.

Thinking I was about to leave, Akt lifted his head.

Moving gracefully, I sat down on the edge of the bed beside him.

Creak.

The bed let out a small groan.

Realizing that I wasn’t leaving, Akt looked at me and smiled.

It was a fainter, thinner smile than usual.

“Did something happen?”

I asked, pretending not to care.

“You’ve been weird lately. Completely drained of energy.”

“Have I?”

Mulling over my words, Akt let his gaze drift down toward the bed.

My black hair lay scattered in messy disarray across the pure white bedsheet.

After tracing each and every curve with his eyes, he suddenly ran the tip of his red tongue over his dry lips.

Perhaps feeling the stinging pain in his chapped lips, the corners of his eyes crinkled slightly in a faint grimace.

It was nothing, yet it looked strangely, remarkably sensual.

“There was something I originally planned, but things went a little off track.”

“Really?”

I answered slowly while watching his chillingly narrowed eyes.

“Nothing has happened yet, but something might happen soon.”

“What do you mean, something?”

“It won't be interesting even if I tell you.”

Akt shook his head.

“It’s boring stuff. Like repetitive administrative work.”

“……”

“Repeating that for eternity is pretty exhausting.”

“Then just don’t do it.”

“This time, I plan to avoid it as much as possible.”

Akt exhaled a long, heavy breath into the air, as if releasing cigarette smoke.

“Because I’m going to be selfish.”

“Just do whatever you want comfortably. No one will think it’s weird.”

“……”

“Looking at you sometimes, you really don’t take care of yourself. You need to look after yourself. That’s the only way you’ll have any energy.”

I spoke nonchalantly.

“Every once in a while, just try acting completely on your own whims. How else are you supposed to endure? You’re only human.”

“It feels like a dream. You only say the things I want to hear.”

I glanced sideways at Akt.

His eyes were curved into crescents as he chuckled softly.

“Should I try being wicked?”

I drew out my thoughts for a moment before giving a light shrug.

“Well, if you need to.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Akt replied like a diligent student.

At the very least, he looked far better than he had a moment ago.

‘That’s a relief.’

I knew misfortune and suffering all too well.

Perhaps that was why I couldn’t simply pretend not to notice.

When I needed help, there was no one there for me, but at least I...

At least when I found someone else in pain, I didn't want to turn away for no reason.

Only then did it feel like the six years I had spent suffering alone hadn’t been completely wasted.

Telling myself that solitude and loneliness were like this...

That they were this difficult...

If I could believe that all those long years had simply been spent learning that lesson, then I could bear it.

Watching me sink into my thoughts, Akt smoothly changed the subject.

“I need to level up quickly. That way, I can do the class quest.”