“Don’t joke around like that.”
Yu-won came out of the bathroom, covering his upper body as much as he could with a towel. He lightly shoved Rion aside, went straight into his room, and shut the door.
Before Rion could say a word, he was pushed out of the way, left staring blankly at the closed door.
“No, I mean, you’ve got a great body, so why are you acting so shy? It’s not like you were completely naked—you just didn’t have a shirt on, that’s all…….”
That was what he said, but Rion himself was in a pretty awkward state too. It was just another man’s bare body, and it wasn’t like Yu-won was the only well-built person around him. And yet, for some reason, the feeling was strange.
I felt it before when I touched him too…… You can’t really tell when he’s dressed since he doesn’t look that bulky, but seeing him like that, his muscles are just…….
It was such an overwhelming body that being shoved aside didn’t even register as unpleasant. Rion was still recalling the image of that body that had brushed past him for just a split second when the door finally opened again, snapping him back to his senses.
“Ah—jeez, you startled me.”
“Why are you standing right in front of the door? You could’ve started eating first.”
“Huh? Oh, I’m not that hungry anyway…….”
Rion forgot all about being annoyed and laughed awkwardly. It was only after he sat down at the table that he finally gathered himself enough to bring up what he’d prepared to say.
“How was the Gate?”
“The work itself wasn’t that different from usual. It was pretty chaotic since Hyeon-seo sunbae got seriously injured at the end.”
“Ah, Hyeon-seo sunbae. What happened to her?”
“We didn’t actually see the combat situation, so we don’t know the details. The surgery’s over, but I heard they have to monitor her condition.”
“And you? You didn’t get hurt anywhere?”
He’d heard everyone had minor injuries. From what he could see at a glance, Yu-won didn’t look hurt, but until he checked properly, Rion couldn’t fully relax.
“I’m fine. None of the Guides were injured. The Espers had minor injuries, so they’re being hospitalized for a day and then discharged.”
That was a relief. Only then did Rion let out a small sigh. It had been a week since he’d last seen him. Yu-won looked a little tired, but otherwise no different from usual.
“……Wasn’t it inconvenient, with me gone?”
It was a good thing, but somehow it still felt a bit disappointing. Yu-won wasn’t a kid, and Rion hadn’t expected him to panic or anything just because he wasn’t around. Still, he thought Yu-won might’ve felt at least a little awkward or worried.
“It was better, actually.”
“…….”
At the answer that came without a moment’s hesitation, Rion pressed his lips tightly together. Better how, exactly? He hadn’t really expected anything, but it still wasn’t a pleasant answer to hear.
“That’s not what I meant.”
Yu-won, who had been looking at Rion’s tightly shut mouth, awkwardly started to explain. After hesitating for a moment, he continued.
“You’re not completely recovered yet, hyung, so I thought it might’ve been distracting if we went together.”
It was a first. Yu-won explaining that he hadn’t meant it that way, and Yu-won paying attention to Rion’s reaction.
Did I really hear that right just now? Flustered, Rion blinked, doubting his own ears.
“So don’t interpret it weirdly.”
The way he added that last line, looking a bit embarrassed, almost made him seem shy. It was awkward beyond belief—but that made it feel all the more real.
“I—I’m totally better now, though.”
It felt like even the air itself had turned awkward. Rion avoided Yu-won’s gaze and lowered his head. Somehow, being shoved aside earlier had felt less uncomfortable than this moment.
“There are other people you should be worrying about—why are you worrying about me? It’s not like I’m the Center’s poster-boy Esper for nothing. No matter how good your body is, huh? You’re still a Guide, and I’m an Esper.”
Rion rambled on so incoherently that even he couldn’t understand what he was saying. His hands kept moving as he ate, without knowing whether the food was going into his mouth or his nose.
“As long as you’re not hurt, that’s all that matters.”
“While I was inside the Gate…… were you worried?”
Yu-won spoke to Rion as he continued moving his hands mechanically. It was a question that didn’t sound like him at all.
It sounded like he really wanted to hear that Rion had been worried. As one unusual thing followed another, Rion’s heart began pounding heavily, sensing something was off.
“I was…… worried, yeah. Isn’t that obvious? You’re my matching Guide. If something happens to you, I’m screwed.”
He tried to make it sound casual, but he wasn’t sure how it came across to Yu-won. Rion glanced at him and continued.
Yeah, of course I was worried. That’s all it was. What other reason would I have to worry about him that much? Obviously…….
But the more he said it out loud, the clearer it became that it wasn’t just that. Yu-won had been Rion’s matching Guide since the moment he entered the Center, but back then, Yu-won hadn’t been this special to him.
Someone he couldn’t shake off even if he wanted to. A low-blood-pressure remedy.
That was all he’d been. But now, it was different.
Being together had become familiar. When Yu-won disappeared beyond the range where Rion could help him, he worried. Every small action started to bother him, and even when Yu-won wasn’t in sight, Rion found himself thinking about him.
“Why are you asking such obvious things?”
Even so, he didn’t have the courage to put a name to those feelings, or to do something that would change their relationship into something else. Pretending nothing was wrong, Rion kept moving his hands.
“Ah, why is this so spicy? Ugh, I can’t eat any more.”
But perhaps because Rion had absolutely no immunity to awkwardness, he couldn’t hold out for long and eventually stood up.
“Finish it. I’m done.”
Pretending to look for water, Rion headed deeper into the kitchen. Ridiculous situations kept piling up, and it really felt like this year was cursed beyond all reason.
The S-rank Gate, and now this new…… wait. Hold on. I didn’t even tell him the most important thing, did I?
Rion, who had been calming himself by gulping down water, remembered what he’d meant to say once Yu-won got back and set the cup down. Relationship issues aside, this was far more important—how had he managed to forget it?
“It’s a bit awkward to bring this up right after you got out of a Gate, but…….”
As soon as his thoughts turned back to work, his mind settled rapidly. Returning to the table, Rion spoke with a composed expression.
“We’re going back into a Gate.”
“……We are? But the Center Director said…….”
“It couldn’t be helped, so I ended up being assigned. The announcement will probably go out tomorrow.”
“Gates…… have been popping up a lot lately.”
Yu-won said that with a displeased look. He knew the Center had been in turmoil after three Gates appeared in just one week.
But that wasn’t the biggest reason Rion was being sent back into a Gate.
“Another S-rank Gate is going to appear.”
At Rion’s words, Yu-won froze on the spot. Rion himself had doubted his ears when he first heard it, so the reaction was understandable.
With the last Gate, there had always been a vague sense that an S-rank Gate might erupt someday. It had been shocking, but they’d accepted it as unavoidable and prepared accordingly.
This time was different. No one could calmly accept a second S-rank Gate appearing immediately after they’d barely made it through the first crisis.
“The only S-rank Espers who can enter a Gate right now are me and Hyobin sunbae. Originally, Hyeon-seo sunbae was supposed to go in with us, but she got injured that badly.”
Rion spoke while cautiously gauging Yu-won’s reaction. Rion himself was truly fine, but Yu-won tended to overprotect him as if he were still a patient.
He’s always picking fights, asking why I go so far out of my way. Is he going to lecture me again? Ugh, if we keep talking, it feels like we’re definitely going to end up arguing.
He spoke with a bit of anxiety, worried it might turn into another fight, but the response he got was unexpectedly calm.
“An S-rank Gate…… I guess it’s not like there’s a fixed cycle for when they occur. The timing isn’t great, though.”
“Doesn’t it bother you at all?”
Rion usually found people who overprotected his health annoying, but now that he saw no sign of that meddling, it felt strangely unsettling.
I’m not saying I want him to do it…… but he’s always been like that, so if he suddenly stops, isn’t that weird?
“I do think it’s a bit much for a return mission, but it’s not like I thought you’d never enter a Gate again forever. I don’t hate the fact that you work as an Esper, hyung.”
“…….”
“I just don’t like it when you take on risks you don’t even have to.”
After saying that, Yu-won began clearing the table.
“But since we’re going in together this time, I guess I won’t be wondering what you’re doing in there.”
“That kind of worry was just me, wasn’t it? What is there to worry about outside people when you’re inside a Gate? It’s not like you’re some kid I let wander off by the water.”
“You’re an exception, hyung. Whether you’re inside a Gate or outside, you’re someone who could get into trouble at any time.”
Yu-won said that with a faint smile. Considering he’d just heard the terrifying news that another S-rank Gate was going to appear, he looked far too calm.
“Then will the rest of the roster be announced tomorrow too?”
“Huh? Probably…… but I don’t know exactly who’ll be going either. They also have to consider the people who are already inside Gates right now.”
“Then let’s talk about the rest tomorrow. I’m a bit tired right now.”
“Ah, yeah. That makes sense. Go get some rest.”
So that was it—he’d seemed a bit different than usual because he was tired. Come to think of it, Rion had probably kept someone who’d just spent nearly a week inside a Gate tied up for too long.
So that’s why things felt weird. Still…… it’s kind of strange.
Was the excuse that followed his sharp words also born of exhaustion? If that was the case, then maybe letting him live a slightly more tiring life from now on wouldn’t be such a bad idea. With that thought, Rion lingered for a moment, staring at the door to Yu-won’s room.
