“I’m saying… what do you think about us living together?”
Yu-won blinked silently, completely thrown off by Rion’s sudden bombshell of a question—which had skipped way too many steps to make any sense.
He’d figured whatever Rion wanted to say, it’d be the same old thing anyway, so he’d planned to hear him out quickly and leave. But then Rion went and said something completely out of left field.
“…Are you saying I should move into the dorms?”
“The dorms are kind of small for two people, don’t you think? We could get a place elsewhere if you’re okay with it…”
“Wait, wait—are you seriously suggesting we live together?”
“Is there such a thing as fake living together?”
“You’re not just saying this to save commute time or something?”
“Your place is practically next door to the Center. What’s the point? It’s barely a ten-minute walk.”
Rion tilted his head. Yu-won knew that much too—he hadn’t asked because he didn’t know. What he wanted to know was why Rion would suggest living together if not for that kind of reason.
“Then why are you suddenly saying this?”
“I just feel like… we barely know anything about each other. Instead of saying, ‘Ugh, we’re always fighting,’ maybe we should actually try to get to know each other.”
“And why now are you thinking like that?”
“Just… can’t I?”
Because that bitter expression of yours keeps bothering me.
Rion didn’t say that out loud—it was a little too embarrassing—so he glossed it over.
“While we were inside the Gate, the sunbaes told me something. Apparently, they used to fight like crazy too. Well, honestly, they still kind of do… but you can tell that there’s trust between them now, right?”
Rion spoke with a serious face, and Yu-won thought back to how things were between Tae-hwan and Hee-soo, nodding slowly.
Even if we only got to that level, I’d be okay with it.
“So I asked them how they built their relationship like that, and they said… they worked it out after they started dating.”
“…What?”
Yu-won stared at him, stunned, wondering if he’d misheard.
Rion, who’d been too focused on getting the words out to realize how strange it might have sounded, quickly waved his hands.
“No, no! That’s not what I meant!”
After finally calming down, Rion explained in detail what the two had told him inside the Gate. Once Yu-won grasped the context, he nodded again, the confusion clearing.
“So… you’re saying we should spend some time actually getting to know each other?”
“Exactly. I mean, we haven’t even known each other that long, right? But like you said, whether it’s 98% or 99%, our matching rate is unheard of. We’re gonna be working closely for the foreseeable future, and now I’m injured, so I can’t even enter a Gate for a while.”
Rion looked a little down as he spoke. He knew the Center would function without him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel uneasy about it.
“Anyway, I’ll be stuck around here for a bit, so I figured I’d make good use of that time. Maybe if we stick close, talk more, something might actually change.”
“…”
“We’ve always said, ‘Let’s try to get along,’ but outside of work we’ve barely made the effort. If you’re not comfortable with it, then I’ll drop it—”
“I’m fine with it.”
Yu-won agreed without even hesitating. Rion, who’d prepared a whole arsenal of arguments just in case he got turned down, was thrown off by how fast he accepted.
“Seriously? You’re really okay with it?”
“Instead of renting a new place, why don’t you just move into my apartment? It’s not like it’s too cramped or anything, and if that’s the reason, I’m good with it.”
“Well… yeah, I guess that works.”
“There’s a spare room I use for guests, so I’ll clear it out. When were you thinking of moving in?”
“Hmm… Since I’ve made up my mind, the sooner the better. I’ll need to put in a notice to vacate the dorms, so maybe… three days at the earliest?”
“Got it. I’ll prep accordingly.”
“Your food is ready.”
With the food arriving just as their conversation ended, Rion reached awkwardly for his utensils, still a little dazed.
He’d expected to need time to convince Yu-won, but instead, the whole thing had gone down surprisingly smoothly—and ended quickly.
“People are gonna flip when they find out. The moment I say I’m living with you, someone’s bound to ask if it’s April Fool’s or something.”
“Probably. Especially…”
Yu-won pictured someone who would most definitely lose their mind over this news. Sure, everyone would be surprised, but that person in particular? Top of the list.
“Especially who? Jin-ha?”
“…You don’t know?”
“He went into a Gate and hasn’t come back yet. Didn’t you check his schedule?”
“I wouldn’t know—I wasn’t paying attention.”
Was it just his imagination, or did Yu-won’s expression brighten a little just now?
Rion studied Yu-won’s subtle change in demeanor, then figured out who he’d meant.
“Ohhh, I get it. I was already planning to go see him tomorrow. Wonder if he’ll faint from shock.”
Rion chuckled, clearly amused just imagining it.
***
“…Am I dreaming right now?”
“It’s not a dream. Want me to pinch your cheek?”
“Okay, now you’re just talking nonsense. So what, am I hallucinating?”
“That’s the dorm withdrawal form, sir.”
“You trying to rebel in some new creative way? Doesn’t matter—I still won’t let you into a Gate. The doctor said you’re cleared to leave the hospital, not to start overexerting yourself.”
The Center Director waved the dorm withdrawal form at Rion like a threat.
Rion had expected surprise—but not this kind of reaction.
Now I just kind of want to live up to the drama he’s giving me.
“I just… wanted to take some time and think things through.”
“Take your time? Think?”
The Director narrowed his eyes sharply, like the idea of “thinking things through” didn’t even belong in the same sentence as Rion.
Rion neither confirmed nor denied the jab and continued.
“I realized maybe I’ve been too rash up till now. Working hard is good, sure, but you can’t solve everything by just charging forward without stopping to think, right?”
“Well, I mean… that’s not wrong, but still…”
The Director looked like he was about to get choked up. He’d completely misinterpreted Rion’s intentions—taking the dorm withdrawal as a sign Rion was heading in the exact opposite direction of everything he stood for.
“You could’ve at least told me in advance. How do you just make this kind of decision without so much as a heads-up—”
“I didn’t think it was something I needed to consult you about, Director…”
“Y-you… How could you… I’ve always—”
Okay, maybe I’ve teased him enough.
Rion decided it was time to stop pushing. The Director looked like he might actually cry if he poked any further.
“Right? I mean, it’s just moving houses—why would I need to ‘consult’ anyone about that?”
“H-huh?”
“I’m moving out of the dorms. Just staying somewhere else for a while.”
“So you’re not quitting the Center?”
“Why would I quit the Center? I’m already losing my mind from not being able to go into a Gate.”
Only now did the Director realize Rion had played him. It was true Rion hadn’t actually lied—but he also hadn’t gone out of his way to correct any of the Director’s assumptions, letting him spiral into a full-blown drama by himself.
“Y-you little… You damn brat! I nearly had a heart attack!”
“I didn’t say anything, sir. You just scared yourself.”
“With everything going on right now, what else was I supposed to think?! And why get all dramatic just to say you’re moving out of the dorms?”
The Director looked personally offended.
He clearly thought Rion had planned this just to mess with him.
The dramatic tone was for someone else, actually.
“So what wind suddenly blew you into this decision, huh? You used to say the dorm was convenient and felt stable. What changed?”
“I still think that. But something came up.”
“What, bugs? Ghosts? You’re not the kind of guy who moves out over just anything.”
Technically, there was nothing strange about moving out of the dorms, but Rion was one of the rare exceptions who had stuck around longer than most.
The dorms weren’t bad, but Espers and Guides weren’t exactly low-income professions—there was no real need to keep living there.
“Where are you moving?”
“Right across from here. That officetel—uh, ** Officetel, I think?”
“Oh, that place? Yeah, I’ve heard the facilities there are great. Crazy expensive though. But I guess that doesn’t matter to you. A few people live there already… Who was it again…”
“Yu-won?”
“Ah, right. Yu-won lives there. And Jin-ha too. You’re not gonna start some dumb fight again just because you run into one of them on your way to work, right?”
“I won’t.”
Rion shook his head quickly.
The Director didn’t quite believe it—he’d heard the “I won’t fight” line too many times to trust it—but at least Rion was giving him an answer.
He picked up the dorm withdrawal form.
“I’ll process this as fast as I can. Should be done by tomorrow. Or wait—don’t you need time to move? Should I give you a more flexible date?”
“No, please make it as soon as possible.”
“You already signed a lease? You just got discharged. Did you scout out a place while you were still in the hospital?”
“Nope. I’m moving in with someone.”
“Oh, with Jin-ha? Then I should get the paperwork sorted so you can move in right after he clears the Gate.”
The Director nodded, fully convinced Jin-ha was the roommate. But then—
“No. I’m moving in with Yu-won for the time being.”
“…What?”
Now the Director was certain his ears were broken.
But Rion didn’t even blink—he calmly drove the point home.
“I said I’m moving in with Yu-won.”
It took less than an hour for the unbelievable news to spread throughout the entire Center.
