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Humming…
I woke up to the sound of someone humming a song. Through my blurry vision, I saw a swift and handsome man lightly swaying to the rhythm while humming. His lean muscles were visible through his thin cotton T-shirt, and tattoos covered his arms beneath his rolled-up sleeves.
Where am I…? I was definitely… in an alleyway…
Ugh, my head…
As I tried to recall what had happened, a sharp pain throbbed through my head. Instinctively, I tried to press my forehead in agony, but—wait… I couldn’t move my hands.
Clank, clank…
As my mind slowly cleared, I realized that my hands were bound by chains, and I was kneeling on the cold floor.
Dark walls, a chilly concrete floor, damp air…
My vision sharpened, allowing me to take in my surroundings.
So, I’ve been captured…
How did I get caught? I need to retrace my memories…
Right… I was on my way to the operation site. I was supposed to take down those lunatics from my kind. But they must have received intel beforehand because someone had started tailing me. To shake them off, I deliberately entered a crowded street and blended in with the passersby.
When my pursuer lost track of me in the crowd, I quickly slipped into a nearby alleyway. But there was someone standing there. In my haste, I tried to sidestep and pass by, but at that moment, I felt a sharp prick on the back of my neck. And then… I lost consciousness.
The last thing I saw before I blacked out was that face…
Yes, it was him.
The man sitting on a tall chair rested his chin on his hand, looking down at me as I sat helplessly on the floor. With a smirk, he winked at me.
"Hey… pretty one, are you finally awake?
I’ve been waiting for quite a while…"
His handsome and neat lips carried a trace of mockery in his tone.
"You bastard! Who the hell are you?! Let me go!"
I shouted at the top of my lungs, trying not to show fear, but the reality was clear—I was completely helpless. The only response to my outburst was the hollow clanking of chains filling the empty space.
I usually have a high tolerance to toxins, but I had lost consciousness… Something was definitely off.
"And who exactly are you, my pretty one?
Normally, anyone who gets bitten by my venom either dies or barely clings to life…"
The man slowly stepped off his chair and walked toward me.
"H-how would I know?! Let me go before I report you!"
I yelled desperately, but before I could react, the man grabbed my chin with his large hand.
"Eek…!"
I tried to transform, focusing all my strength to externalize my beast form, but—nothing happened. My body wouldn’t change.
What’s going on…? I was suddenly engulfed in sheer panic.
Externalization: The ability of beastkin to transform into their animal form.
"Are you seriously raising your voice at me right now?
You still don’t get the situation, do you?"
His voice was cold and calm.
"It’s useless to struggle. You were injected with a drug that prevents transformation.
For the next few hours, you won’t be able to shift."
His round, black eyes stared at me intently. Then suddenly—crack!—I heard the grinding of his teeth, and in an instant, his round pupils split vertically before returning to normal.
Ah… he’s a snake beastkin…
Shit. I’m screwed.
Of all things, I had to get caught by a snake beastkin?
My kind doesn’t get along with them at all…
If he found out who I was, there was no way he’d let me go.
To snake beastkin, we were natural enemies.
My mind went blank with panic, but I forced myself to glare at him.
Knock, knock…
A moment later, there was a knock on the iron door.
The man stood up and quietly opened the heavy steel door.
A pale-faced man in a suit was standing there.
"Oh? Yoongi-hyung…"
"Is she awake?"
"Well… as you can see."
The man stepped aside slightly so that the pale man could see me.
"Did you confirm her identity?
Is she the one we were looking for?"
"Here. These are the results of her blood test.
The DNA analysis is still in progress…
I’ll bring it to you once it's done."
The man called Yoongi glanced at me briefly, handed the yellow file to the other man, and then left, closing the door behind him.
The man sat back down in his chair and flipped open the file as if he were interrogating me.
"Let’s see…
Ah, so that’s why my venom didn’t work on you…"
A sinister smirk spread across his lips.
"Thank you, little honey badger… for getting caught by me.
Once I confirm your identity, I have no intention of letting you go…
I have some unfinished business with honey badgers."