Free Web Novel“Yang Yohan-ssi. Did you sleep well last night? Did the new sleeping pills work for you?”
“Hyunmook-hyung...?”
Muttering blankly, Yohan still couldn’t grasp what exactly was wrong. His mind was strangely hazy. Why was the other addressing him as Yang Yohan-ssi? Before, he had called him warmly, familiarly. And why was he here? What had happened to him?
“It seems the medication is still in effect. Your body feels weak, doesn’t it? You might fall, so why don’t you sit on the bed for now?”
Dazed, Yohan followed the gentle guidance and slowly sat down on the bed. Staring at the other’s face, uneasy with the strange sense of wrongness, he saw Lee Hyunmook smiling kindly as he sat beside him. Only then did Yohan notice the doctor’s coat he was wearing. A name tag was pinned above the pocket.
“A... doctor....”
Yohan muttered feebly, and Hyunmook spoke in a gentle, tender voice.
“That’s right. I’m your attending physician.”
My attending physician, Lee Hyunmook? That’s right, Lee Hyunmook-ssi was a doctor. He was... but not this kind of doctor, was he? Something was wrong. As Yohan tilted his head in confusion, Hyunmook patted his shoulder.
“From your complexion, the sleeping pills didn’t work well, did they? You look especially tired today. Is anywhere else hurting?”
At those words, Yohan suddenly felt an overwhelming fatigue. The headache worsened, pounding like a migraine. Groaning, he clutched his head.
“Yes, my head hurts....”
“Then I’ll prescribe a painkiller with your morning medicine. Now, shall we take a walk before breakfast?”
Still not understanding anything, Yohan let Hyunmook help him to his feet. In his groggy state, he shuffled along slowly—when suddenly, he recognized a familiar figure.
“Huh? Yakrin-noona....”
Startled, he murmured. Seo Yakrin was strapped into a restraint suit, thrashing in the corridor. She banged her head hard against the wall. The restraints and gag looked suffocating, so Yohan stepped forward to free her, but Hyunmook stopped him.
“Seo Yakrin-ssi has anger management disorder. It’s best not to approach. Right? She can’t control her temper.”
“Th-that’s true, but....”
Hyunmook’s words weren’t wrong, but unease gnawed at Yohan. Then Hyunmook pointed at Joo Hoyoung and Yoon Seungryong. Joo Hoyoung was utterly absorbed, head practically shoved into a game console, while Yoon Seungryong lay motionless on the floor.
“Yoon Seungryong-ssi suffers from severe lethargy. Joo Hoyoung-ssi has serious gaming addiction.”
What Hyunmook said was correct. Not a single mistake. But, but.... Suddenly seized by a fierce doubt, Yohan turned to Hyunmook, the doctor smiling handsomely like a picture.
“Then what about you, Lee Hyunmook-ssi?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you too. You told me before.”
But Hyunmook only smiled silently, giving no answer, and led Yohan forward again.
“Now, let’s walk. Walking is good for your health.”
Something’s wrong.... Not knowing what exactly, Yohan rubbed at his waist again. Since earlier, he kept feeling something tugging there. Hyunmook guided him around the pristine, white hospital.
“Yang Yohan-ssi, since you returned safely from the Abyss, you need to stay strong and undergo contamination treatment. That way, you’ll be able to go back to your family.”
“Contamination treatment? But... there’s no cure for contamination. Except purification....”
Bewildered, Yohan replied. Hyunmook turned to him, his voice still gentle yet cuttingly firm.
“Now, Yohan-ssi. Accepting your contamination is the only true treatment. There are no other methods.”
“No, there is. Purification works....”
“I don’t know what you mean by purification. But I do know you need to take your morning medicine. Come now, we’re already late.”
Something in Hyunmook’s tone sounded irritated, and Yohan shrank back. Even as he was led away, he protested stubbornly.
“And I’m not contaminated.”
“Yohan-ssi, what are you saying? That’s impossible.”
When Yohan stopped and stared at him, Hyunmook smiled back. But those eyes—cold, glossy, unfeeling—made Yohan’s brows knit tightly. Hurt welled up, and his words trembled as his voice broke.
“Hyunmook-hyung, you’ve been speaking strangely since earlier....”
“It’s just your imagination, Yohan-ssi.” freewebnovёl.ƈom
“You keep calling me Yang Yohan-ssi... it hurts. Why don’t you call me like before? Why are you looking at me so coldly?”
“......”
“...Hyunmook-hyung?”
“Sorry, Yohan-ah. It’s because we’re doctor and patient here. We agreed to separate public and private. Don’t you remember?”
“...I think I remember....”
Hearing that familiar tone, Yohan’s heart eased a little. He followed Hyunmook again, step by step. Ahead, a room marked “Treatment Room” glowed whiter than any place in the hospital. Just before reaching it, Yohan stopped again.
“Yohan-ah?”
“...What’s my nickname?”
“Yohan-ah? Let’s take your medicine first. Then I’ll call you by it.”
“What’s my nickname?”
The hollow, empty [N O V E L I G H T] eyes staring at him made Yohan yank free from the hand gripping him. Tilting his head with a smile, Hyunmook said,
“Hani?”
Chuckling, he reached toward Yohan again—but Yohan’s eyes snapped sharp, and he spun around, bolting.
“That’s nonsense! Hyunmook-hyung calls me Yangyang!”
“Yang Yohan!”
The voice calling after him sounded utterly alien now. Glancing back, Yohan saw—not Hyunmook—but Lee Chanha’s face again. Why had he mistaken him for Hyunmook? Horror prickled his skin, and Yohan ran faster. After a moment of confusion, he felt the tug at his waist once more and instinctively dashed in that direction.
“Huff, huff! What is this place?”
His head was still foggy, but one thing was certain: something was very, very wrong. He wasn’t supposed to be here. Such cleanliness, such purity—it was impossible. Because... because this was the Abyss!
That jolt of realization triggered memories.
“That’s right, I’m... a purifier!”
Panting, Yohan stopped and turned back. Lee Chanha was right behind him, smiling beautifully, clean and flawless. His head tilted to the side.
“Yang Yohan-ssi, come here. I’ll make you happy, joyful. You can feel peace. Just accept it. All you need to do is love this pain!”
“Get away!”
Screaming, Yohan grasped at another memory. He had been in a similar situation before—yes, in the jungle! Hallucinations caused by the pollen of a contaminated flower! Reflexively, Yohan unleashed his now-familiar power of purification.
Lee Chanha froze mid-step, the dazzling light spilling from Yohan halting him. Eyes wide, he glared—but Yohan had no attention to spare. The hospital walls and tiles, pristine and spotless, crumpled under the light, twisting into repulsive forms. A terrified shriek split the air.
■ji...■■■aaaah!
Vertigo struck hard, and Yohan collapsed. The world spun, warped, melted, tangled. Clenching his eyes shut, he barely managed to crack them open again—only to find the hospital gone. His headache worse than before, he groaned in agony. Then, in his ears—or inside his head—a strange voice thrummed.
What did you just do?
That... do it one more time. Please? Yang Yohan-ssi. I’m asking you. Just once, won’t you?
“Wh-who’s there?!”
Yohan cried out, but the eerie voice was gone. His heart pounded. Surely, it had been Lee Chanha’s voice. Again came that tug at his waist, and as he fumbled—
“Excuse me, are you alright?”
Startled, he looked up. A woman was peering at him with worry. Staggering to his feet, Yohan realized—the unnaturally spotless hospital was gone. He was in a subway station.
