Of course, the media doesn’t always tell the truth. Even if the reported events themselves are factual, they often only report one aspect of the truth. That’s why news articles should be critically received.

Knowing this, the reason he felt he should be careful was because of a scene he had witnessed firsthand. The look in his eyes as he glared at the middle-aged woman was clearly filled with killing intent.

“Oh, why are such articles on the main page… Um, there are many good articles too!”

Noticing that ‘his’ expression wasn’t good, Ryu Jeong-ah, who had looked down at the screen, hurriedly showed articles about good deeds and charitable acts. It was news about various forms of donations being made.

Choi Gang-hu Makes Generous 500 Billion Won Donation to Vulnerable Social Groups

‘His’ eyes widened as he belatedly saw the handsome man’s name. Choi Gang-hu? It was the same name as the protagonist of the web novel he used to read as a side dish during lunch breaks. With a sense of disbelief, he skimmed through more articles.

From Hell Guild Master: “Relevant Agencies and Government Must Seriously Discuss Support Measures for Women and Children Victims of Domestic Violence”

Gangseong Group Eliminates Discrimination Against Chinatown Survivors Embedded in Personnel Recruitment System

Gangseong Welfare Foundation Pushes Beyond Supporting Child Care Centers to Establish Its Own

From Hell Guild, Gangseong Group… These were all names of organizations that appeared in the same novel. Come to think of it, even the plant growing along the walls of the house where he first met the handsome man, Choi Gang-hu, was a familiar form.

The monster, Limestone Vine, was drawn in the high-resolution illustrations uploaded separately from the novel. Memories of the novel he used to read during meal times, almost the only rest periods in his daily routine of grueling labor, came flooding back.

Did he really transmigrate into a novel? Or was he wandering in a dream while lying in an ICU? The latter seemed more likely, but he couldn’t completely ignore the sense of reality touching his skin. In the end, living through the present was the priority.

Ryu Seo-ha, Ryu Jeong-ah… No matter how much he racked his brain, these were characters he had never seen in the original work “Chaebol Hunter Returned from Hell,” which was presumed to be the background of this world. To think he had transmigrated into an extra, even this being a cliché made him feel peculiar.

“So, let’s take the medicine, Seo-ha.”

Ryu Jeong-ah, who had put away her phone, recommended the medicine with an expression that looked like she might make that playful “aww” sound again. ‘He’ stared blankly at the vials called potions and shook his head.

Whether in a state of transmigration or coma, if the being before him had the same nature as the Choi Gang-hu in his memories, he couldn’t carelessly consume anything given by him. He was a character who might do anything for his own gain.

The attitude that felt completely different from the personality he remembered fueled his wariness even more. It must be an attitude taken because the owner of this body had some value to be exploited, but who knows if he might use some kind of mental item.

“…Come this way for a moment.”

Choi Gang-hu, who had sighed lowly watching ‘him’ stubbornly maintain a defensive posture, suddenly led ‘him’ into a room. He seemed to want to avoid Ryu Jeong-ah’s eyes.

He followed in a daze, but as soon as the door closed, he realized his mistake. Immediately, tension flowed down his spine, stiffening his body.

“Do you know what a status window is?”

“…Yes.”

“Then try calling it out either by saying it aloud or thinking about it.”

After pondering for a moment at this sudden request, ‘he’ chose the latter. No matter how much he enjoyed hunter stories in the past, he couldn’t bring himself to shout “Status window!” out loud. As soon as he thought it, a translucent window appeared before his eyes.

Name: Ryu Seo-ha

Level: 5

Status: Remaining lifespan 99 days 18 hours 35 minutes

Trait: Sanctification

Stats: Strength 1 / Agility 1 / Stamina 1 / Perception 1 / Mana 489

Skills: Healing Light Lv27

Points: 4

‘His’ eyes sparkled upon seeing the healing skill. Then, his pupils filled with puzzlement at the absurdly high mana stat. While there were many other strange points, what concerned him most was…

“Now, try strongly reciting or saying the trait or skill name in your mind.”

“…Why do I have to do that?”

‘He’ threw a somewhat rebellious question at the quiet instruction that followed.

“To heal you.”

Choi Gang-hu, who had been quietly observing that suspicious gaze, answered unexpectedly calmly. He still seemed to think detoxification was necessary. But no status ailments like ‘poisoning’ were visible.

“More importantly, what’s this remaining lifespan?”

Instead of obediently following the instruction, he asked about the word that had been bothering him since earlier. He was cautious because Choi Gang-hu might not know about it either, but it was something he just couldn’t let slide.

“…It’s exactly what it says, the lifespan remaining for Ryu Seo-ha. Don’t be too shocked, there’s a solution.”

The moment his worst fears were confirmed, ‘his’ pupils shook greatly. How could he not be shocked? He had just opened his eyes to a new reality only to receive a terminal diagnosis.

“What’s the solution?”

He quickly asked back, grasping at straws.

“We need to exchange bodily fluids with each other.”

“…What?”

“We agreed to date, so there’s nothing to be reluctant about.”

“…That’s absurd.”

Then, words that delivered an even greater shock than the terminal diagnosis shook his brain.

❖ ❖ ❖

Status: Remaining lifespan 96 days 6 hours 21 minutes

‘He’ was quietly glaring at the numbers decreasing by the minute when he flinched at the sound of the self-proclaimed lover opening the door, pressing his back tightly against the wall. Choi Gang-hu stopped abruptly in front of the door.

Cough, red blood flowed between ‘his’ lips. It was already the fourteenth time he had coughed up blood today. He was vomiting blood every two hours or so.

It was because he had been curled up in a corner of the room for nearly three days, refusing both approach from others and meals. It was a phenomenon that hadn’t been noticed before because there had never been such a long period without physical contact since their first meeting.

“Ryu Seo-ha.”

Choi Gang-hu, who had carefully stepped into the room, called ‘his’ name with troubled eyes. ‘He’, who had curled his body almost into a ball, looked up warily at the self-proclaimed lover approaching him.

He had been in this state ever since hearing the explanation that intense skinship with Choi Gang-hu was necessary to increase his remaining lifespan. He seemed unable to shake off his doubts and confusion due to the successive shocks.

“Please, at least eat something.”

Choi Gang-hu pleaded, holding out a three-tiered lunchbox to ‘him’. It was a request bordering on begging. ‘His’ stubbornness in not putting anything in his mouth for the past three days was enough to make even onlookers’ blood run dry.

“It’s just normal food.”

Seeing the bead ice cream with faint traces of mana had been the cause. He was already feeling averse to food given by others, and that had completely ignited his suspicion.

“I’ll leave this here and go out.”

Choi Gang-hu’s large hand slowly pushed the lunchbox towards ‘his’ feet. It was a very cautious approach, like dealing with a stray cat that had just been picked up. ‘His’ pupils moved busily.

The colors of the food revealed as the lunchbox lid opened and the wafting smell stimulated his salivary glands. His sore stomach growled, protesting for hunger to be satisfied. A look of conflict appeared on ‘his’ face.

“Peeyuu!”

Just then, a small red bird fluttered in through the open door gap. ‘His’ eyes widened at the sight of the bird placing a water bottle several times its size on the floor, holding it in its beak.

Unlike usual, Choi Gang-hu didn’t stop it from nestling into his lover’s arms. He judged that spending time with animals rather than people might be more effective in lowering sharp wariness.

“Call anytime if you need anything.”

As if giving him time alone, Choi Gang-hu closed the door and left the room. The protagonist’s personality, completely different from what he remembered, added to ‘his’ confusion. But this time, his thoughts didn’t linger long.

“Pyu?”

It was because the red bird fluttered its wings and suddenly grabbed the thin chain around ‘his’ neck with its beak. But the necklace wasn’t pulled forward to choke his neck.

“Ppyuu!”

Because the metal of the thin but titanium-like sturdy string started to melt fluidly. It was a sight as if the very nature of the material had been changed. Before long, the broken necklace fell to the floor with a thud.

“You…”

Before ‘he’ could grasp what the small bird had done, he stood up abruptly and took a step towards the door. It was an action born from instinctive sense of crisis and unconscious dependence on the man standing outside the door.

However, the red bird’s form distorted much faster. In an instant, the shadow that had swelled in size pounced on ‘him’ with a whoosh. Almost simultaneously, a bang─! The sound of the door being smashed was heard.

Then, the sound of something like paper being torn and the wavering of vision he had felt once before followed, coloring his senses. The scenery before his eyes kept changing – to the rooftop of some building, to a desolate field, to a mountainside.

“Urgh…”

By the time ‘he’ felt nauseous from the repeated and overlapping dizziness and covered his mouth with his hand, the movement that had been progressing wildly like a seesaw finally stopped. He was completely disoriented.

“Feeling sick?”

The red bird… no, the unidentified being that had taken human form asked with a strangely familiar tone. As he raised his head with furrowed brows, dazzling blonde hair caught his eye.

“Who…”

As he reflexively stepped back and asked, the pretty white boy pouted as if considerably disappointed. Then he immediately grinned.

“Want me to make you remember?”

It was a smile that somehow gave him a bad feeling.