Utoya ignored Eileen’s almost flirtatious words.
She reached out her hand, the calloused pads of her fingertips dragging across Eileen’s tear-dampened, smoke-tainted, swollen lips with a slowness and intensity that felt almost blasphemous—so forceful it nearly tore the delicate skin.
Then her fingers slid down along Eileen’s fragile, graceful neckline, finally stopping at the side of her throat near her collarbone, where her collar had fallen slightly open to reveal a small patch of pale skin.
“What’s wrong?”
Eileen shifted uneasily, thinking she could just say no and be done with it—so why was this still going…
Without the slightest warning, Utoya suddenly lowered her head!
“Mm!”
Eileen cried out in pain, a sharp sting surging instantly—then realized, the next second, that Utoya had actually bitten into the skin at her neck.
It wasn’t a playful nibble, but a brutal mark, hard enough to leave deep, visible teeth marks. Her skin broke, and the wound carried the metallic tang of blood.
Utoya lifted her head, her lips faintly stained crimson.
With chilling slowness, she stretched out her tongue and licked away Eileen’s blood, a gesture thick with possession, as though she were staking a claim.
In her golden slit pupils burned an unmasked declaration—like a beast marking its territory.
“Ha…”
Eileen clutched her neck in disbelief, staring at the depths of Utoya’s eyes, filled with selfishness, lust, and a consuming need to possess.
It was ugly, something that would disgust anyone else.
“I’ll remember your taste… your blood, your fluids, your very feel. Even if you change your face, even if you become someone else, I will still find you… You’re mine, and only mine.”
Utoya seemed to be smiling, but her face didn’t move at all.
And once again, Eileen realized—her relationship with Utoya was twisted from the start.
Yet for the first time, that thought made her truly smile.
Only I could accept this kind of love.
Only I could accept her like this.
No woman, no man, could ever accept someone like Utoya.
Only me—so her love will always belong to me.
Only me.
So…
I really do want it.
……..
“Speaking of shady people, Hunter, can you really compare yourself to Miss Sydney?”
“And you’re the one who caused the misunderstanding in the first place. I only went to explain. Treating me like this—I’ll get angry, you know.”
On the way home, Eileen kept trying to tease the hunter into repeating what she had done.
But Utoya stayed completely silent all the way back.
Damn it…
Could this woman really be that good at holding back?
She was supposed to be so straightforward—so why…
The truth was, Utoya was direct with her. When she wanted Eileen, she didn’t try to charm like a normal lover, nor did she seek romantic moments to nurture feelings.
Instead… she just took her away.
As long as Eileen couldn’t reach anyone else, she would always be Utoya’s.
After all, Utoya likely never believed she could outshine others in matters of the heart.
But today… well, it wasn’t exactly romantic either.
Still, somehow… it felt like she hadn’t been the one in control.
Eileen bit her lip hard.
Damn it… this woman…
One day, when I’m taller and stronger, I won’t let her get away with this…
“Whatever. What are we eating?”
Now that they were home, Eileen could only swallow her frustration.
Here, she didn’t dare push further—her body might not survive it.
On the road, Utoya definitely wouldn’t risk going too far. But here… who knew?
I’m not ready for that yet…
“Anything.”
Utoya spoke simply, her golden eyes trailing with satisfaction over Eileen’s body… clearly intentional.
She had never rejected love.
On the contrary, she was brutally honest about it—what she did to Eileen was, to her, as natural as eating or drinking.
But when teased… she blushed. That part, Eileen admitted, was kind of cute.
So Eileen’s only protest could be shown through cooking.
But she had to eat the same food herself, and wasting food was unforgivable… so she swallowed her anger and made a full meal anyway.
That didn’t mean her frustration disappeared, though.
She was straightforward, not one to hold grudges overnight—but still, Eileen decided she’d get her revenge before bed.
This top-tier hunter wasn’t escaping without paying back what she owed.
“Hunter, what kind of person were you before?”
She tossed a bundle of chopped firewood into the closet, washed the dishes, and, noticing the forecast for rain tomorrow, pulled the curtains shut early…
For a moment, the little world held only the two of them, their shadows stretching and overlapping in the firelight.
There were no cicadas or birdsong in the radiation zone, not even the rustling of leaves.
Radiation killed all life, except for the strongest people.
Eileen sliced up an apple, set out a fruit plate, and pulled off her hood.
Her damp cat ears twitched freely, her tail lazily swishing behind her in comfort.
“…”
“We’ve kissed, you’ve bitten me… but you’ve barely said a word all day. You haven’t even smiled. Is being with me really that awful?”
Pretending to sulk, Eileen poked at Utoya, who was nibbling at the fruit.
Sure enough, Utoya couldn’t resist food.
If she ate from Eileen’s hand, she had to speak.
“I don’t want to lie. And you definitely wouldn’t like my past.”
After a pause, Utoya swallowed the apple and spoke softly.
“Mm… sounds like PUA. But let’s be honest—who else but me would accept such a twisted woman as you, Hunter? If you don’t tell me, are you planning to rot with it inside you forever?”
Eileen grinned. It didn’t sound like a lie.
“…What do you want to hear?”
Finally, Utoya sighed, giving in.
“Your past, Hunter… where you came from, why you hunt in this godforsaken place. And… Ribe. You know her, don’t you?”
Eileen asked three questions at once—the ones she cared about most.
She wasn’t going to share a bed with someone whose past she didn’t know.
She wasn’t that careless of a cat.
“My country isn’t important. It means nothing. My hometown doesn’t matter either.
The only part of my past that matters is my parents.
But they died when I was still young.
They loved me very much.”
Utoya spoke quietly.
When she said “parents,” she stole a glance at Eileen.
Only after seeing no reaction did she lower her head again.
“As I thought, Hunter. Your name is far lovelier than mine.
It’s not random, is it? ‘Utoya’—a play on ‘Utopia.’
Looks like your parents wanted you to live happily.”
Eileen nodded in agreement.
Not having parents was easier—she never had to face her original body’s family.
“I came here… to escape people.
The radiation zone is a strange place.
Here, I can forget everything.
Here, I never have to go back.”
Hunter…
She wasn’t as strong as Eileen had imagined.
Something must have happened…
Eileen nodded silently, choosing not to press, waiting only for the last answer.
“As for Ribe…”
“She might be my only friend.”