NTFT | Volume 2.1

There had been several brushes with death, but this was a first for Wi Beom. Living life without a care for his own safety, Wi Beom was grabbed by the tail of a Gumiho and thrown from the fifth floor.

The chances of survival were incredibly slim, and even if he miraculously survived the fall, avoiding some disability or a comatose state clingingThere had been several brushes with death, but this was a first for Wi Beom. Living life without a care for his own safety, Wi Beom was grabbed by the tail of a Gumiho and thrown from the fifth floor.

The chances of survival were incredibly slim, and even if he miraculously survived the fall, avoiding some disability or a comatose state clinging to life was practically impossible.

Yet, whether it was due to his stubborn will to live or his intense determination, Wi Beom managed to grab onto the railing of a third-floor balcony and narrowly saved his own life.

“Shit, my shoulder popped out.”

His weight was no joke, and grabbing the railing during the fall was nothing short of a miracle. The impact had been transmitted forcefully to his shoulder and arm, and Wi Beom was in excruciating pain as if his consciousness was about to fly away.

Driven by a desperate need to climb back up, Wi Beom, using his injured arm and the other, clung to the railing and managed to get over to the balcony.

“Ha, that was a close call.”

He had barely saved his life, but the pain was intense. It felt as if dozens of awls were relentlessly piercing and pressing down on his arm, and his whole body was drenched in cold sweat. Even amidst the agony, he thought of Mi Hong, who had escaped. He had no clue how he would catch him again now that he had vanished.

With a grim face, he clutched his injured right arm and opened the door to the balcony.

The room wasn’t empty, as there were clear signs of occupancy.

Scattered photographs, camera lenses, and cleaning tools for cameras were placed on a table. He made sure the room’s owner wasn’t there, then opened the front door and stepped out.

The group searching for him found Beomha and hurriedly supported him.

“Boss! Are you okay?”

Beomha didn’t respond and just accepted the support. The suddenness of his injury had startled his subordinates, but their silence made it difficult to discuss anything significant.

They just supported the injured man, exited the building, and moved to a vehicle. He had sent most of his men elsewhere when he had dispatched Euijong.

It was meant to be a private conversation with Mi Hong, but it had been a poor decision. He clenched his jaw in anger at his own mistake and headed to a nearby hospital to treat his injured arm.

In the meantime, he had ordered his men to comb through every possible place Mi Hong might go, not just his home but also to monitor his mobile phone location and the platforms he broadcasted on.

He had no intention of letting Mi Hong go easily. Even if it meant putting his own life at risk.

Mi Hong wouldn’t get to spread his legs for anyone other than himself if he could help it.

‘I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth… Just wait. You will definitely be mine.’

He was more than ever determined to possess Mi Hong, especially since he had discovered his non-human nature, and there was something highly appealing about his lower half not being ordinary.

Beomha was full of intense resolve for Mi Hong even amidst the pain. His vehicle passed the lodging where Mi Hong had stayed and was now passing by the coastline, where the waves were crashing high.

Unaware that Mi Hong might still be there, the black vehicle sped off, taking sharp turns out of the area.

Someone was taking a walk on the sidewalk of the road Beomha had passed, enjoying the sea breeze. This man was quite tall, with noticeable light brown hair.

The man, using the camera slung over his shoulder, occasionally examined the sea as if looking for a subject of interest or a scene to capture, pausing to take photos whenever he found something appealing.

He was the owner of the third-floor balcony room that had saved Beomha’s life and was active as a photographer, ‘Gu Bonha.’ Although he had another name, he had been using his professional pseudonym more than his original name.

“Is Korea colder than France…”

Having lived abroad for studies, he had stayed in various countries, starting with Canada, then moving to Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, spending the most time in France where he focused on studying photography.

He had entered an art school and excelled there, and for the past three years, he had been actively working as a photographer, holding personal exhibitions.

His next exhibition was scheduled in his homeland, Korea.

He mostly photographed people, capturing a variety of expressions within human faces in his photos, sharing a spectrum of emotions. His photos seemed ordinary, yet his perspective on humans had unique qualities.

Sometimes he captured faces crying out of joy, smiles filled with anger, and anger wrapped in tears.

This peculiar mix of emotions and expressions, along with his unique perspective, had drawn public attention, and he continued to rise as a renowned photographer.

‘Gu Bonha’

It was the name he had chosen for himself as a photographer, but remembering it felt like rediscovering a forgotten name, almost like an unexpected reunion.

For a long time, he had wondered if his real name truly belonged to him.

Sometimes, he would startle when someone called his name, or it felt like they hadn’t called him even though they had.

Despite it being his own name, it strangely made him shy.

But this name was different.

After adopting this name, he felt as if he had finally found the right fit, like wearing clothes that truly fit for the first time.

Why he felt this way was unclear, but he speculated that this name might be related to ‘him’ in his dreams.

“…Maybe I can meet him here.”

He had been dreaming of the same scene since childhood. In these dreams, an old friend existed, and he spent most of his time with this man.

He couldn’t be sure who his parents were, who he was, or where he was born, but from the starting point of his dreams, which felt like the beginning of his memory, he had been keenly aware of the man accompanying him.

The man had dimples under his eyes when he smiled, long, glossy black hair, a face as beautiful as a fair man’s, and skin clear and pure like white magnolia flowers. His cheeks seemed dusted with powder, and his lips were red as if tinted, radiant with color.

Often, his gaze would be drawn to this man’s exquisite beauty, and he would lose himself in admiration. Then, the man would catch his eye and smile faintly, blooming like a flower in a radiant atmosphere.

Truly, he was a beautiful man.

Such beauty was a first in his life. Despite his long career in photography, few could compare to this man’s beauty. He was not only handsome but had a unique aura that made him seem not of this world.

“Am I just staying in an illusion? It’s just a dream after all…”

The sea breeze was quite chilly. The waves were getting higher, and he didn’t dare go down to the shore. He just enjoyed the view of the sea from a distance, peering at the world through his camera lens.

He had returned to Korea and traveled to Gangwon Province, which looked the most like the place in his dreams. However, this place was very different from his dreams, and there weren’t many similarities.

Since returning to Korea, he felt increasingly that his dreams were mere illusions, and the man he had seen in his dreams was just a fictional character he had created.

Could he meet someone like the man in his dreams if he continued to meet people through his photography? Secretly, he hoped so.

He walked aimlessly along the sidewalk, intensely captivated by thoughts of the man from his dreams.

Was there a way to meet him? If not, where should he go to find someone like him?

With these unanswered questions, he walked until his body felt as cold as ice, and only when the sun began to set did he return to his lodging.

But as he opened the door to his room.

He was startled by unexpected footsteps.

“Who… has been in my room…?”

He had specifically asked the lodging’s owner not to let anyone clean his room to avoid touching his belongings, but he couldn’t get a clear answer from them. Eventually, he packed up late at night and returned to Seoul, ending his trip in Gangwon Province.

He never expected that finding a runaway fox would take so much time. He had used every means to track him down but hadn’t found even a single hair.

The house where he had lived was quickly disposed of through the landlord, and the broadcast he was doing also disappeared, leaving behind only a notice without sincerity. This notice seemed almost like it was left for Wi Beom who was pursuing him.

Title: Thank you for everything. This is left for just one person.
Content: ㅗ

Despite the absurdity of this notice, countless comments were posted, but soon after, the notice was made private, and the account was completely blown up.

Seeing this, one of Wi Beom’s subordinates had all his fingers broken, resulting in a grim six weeks ahead, unable to escape this miserable fate.

His men had been enduring difficult reports without any results since that day. What cruel punishment would they face today? A burst lip or flying teeth were considered light punishments. Even a kicked shin was very mild.

As time passed, the lack of results felt like a noose tightening around their necks. If they just continued wasting time, they might end up losing their barely hanging lives.

No matter what, they had to bring Mi Hong before him.

Where could they find him? He had no close friends, and even his family was gone. They had tried everything, including illegally checking his card transactions and location tracking through communications, but everything came up clean.

Where had he disappeared to?

“…Where could our Pretty one be? He should be eating well…”

On the dark desk he sat at, there was a vacuum-sealed organ in an icebox. At a glance, the large red mass was clearly a fresh liver prepared for Mi Hong.

His subordinate turned pale, pretending not to know the origin of the liver.

However, he couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that this was just the beginning.