Blood and Devotion | Woosan (English version)

16 - Before the battle

As soon as Wooyoung, Hongjoong and Yeosang had gotten far enough away from San to go look for some unfortunate victims, Hongjoong grabbed Wooyoung by the collar.

"Will you tell us what's going on?!"

Wooyoung felt like he had missed a few steps. He released himself from Hongjoong's grip.

"What do you mean?"

"I've never won a fight against you in more than two hundred years, and suddenly you can't even knock me down once in two weeks!" said Hoongjoong incredulously.

Ah. That was the problem.

"It's nothing. I'm just a little tired."

"A little tired?! I don't think that's the problem. Talk now. We've known each other for too many years for you to bullshit me."

Wooyoung sighed. "I didn't lie...I've been feeling quite weak lately..."

"How so??" asked Yeosang apprehensively. It was not very normal for an immortal being with instant healing abilities to feel exhausted.

"Just swear not to tell San if I tell you about it."

Hongjoong and Yeosang shared an exasperated glance at each other.

"That's why I told him to stay home," Hongjoong said, sighing. "I knew you would never talk about your problems in front of him."

"Okay, we won't talk to him about it. However, Wooyoung...seriously...you should be more open with him," Yeosang added.

Wooyoung shook his head. "Not about this, I can't. The thing is...since San has been drinking my blood...I feel extremely weak and tired. I haven't felt like this since I was human."

"WHAT? But didn't you say it was completely harmless!" exclaimed Yeosang, dumbfounded.

"I thought so, at first...then when he started doing it frequently, I noticed the difference."

Hongjoong looked bewildered. "...Wooyoung, you absolutely must talk to him about this. He would never willingly hurt you! How can you think of keeping such a thing from him?!"

"I can't tell him! You don't understand! Feeding from me is the thing he has clung to in order to escape the horror of his present life. To tell him he has to stop would be like crushing his hopes of being able to live in an almost normal way. I just can't. Not after I was the one who forced him to do it the first time. Besides..."

"Besides?!"

"I think it has become some kind of addiction for me. I can't think straight anymore. I just know that every night I look forward to it no matter what. You don't know how hard I have to try not to do it to him myself. Holding myself back now is even harder than when he was human. The only thing holding me back is that I don't want to weaken him. I'm too afraid of causing him irreparable harm."

"You mean like what he is causing to you without even being aware of it?!"

"Yeosang, you cannot understand! If you were in my situation you would act the same way! You know how much power San has over me, ever since he was a child! It is not as easy as it seems to deny him happiness and at the same time deprive myself of something I crave so much!"

Before Yeosang could retort, Hongjoong put a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll discuss another time about what is right to do or not. Right now, I'm only interested in knowing one thing. Do you think you can face Jongho tomorrow, or not?"

To tell the truth, he had asked himself the exact same thing. According to San, Jongho was incredibly strong. They had tried to split the four opponents so that the fights would be balanced, but to tell the truth, Wooyoung was haunted by the promise he had made to San that he would not have died.