#144
“Alright. Then I’ll wash you. Let’s bathe and sleep together.”
Choi Hanseo said with a regretful voice. He then got up from the bed and carefully lifted Eunseok. It was embarrassing for a grown man to be carried by another man, but this was Choi Hanseo. Of course, Eunseok also didn’t feel confident about walking properly. Eunseok was quietly carried into the bathroom in Choi Hanseo’s arms.
Choi Hanseo seemed very happy as he washed Eunseok’s hair and body thoroughly while Eunseok sat in the bathtub with peeling paint. Unlike Eunseok, who could barely sit up, Choi Hanseo was overflowing with energy.
A hunter’s stamina…
Eunseok inwardly grumbled and decided to work on improving his stamina in the future. He didn’t like the situation where Choi Hanseo was so energetic while he was so weak. Of course, no matter how much he improved his stamina, it would be impossible to match an S-class hunter’s endurance.
After happily washing Eunseok, Choi Hanseo quickly washed himself. Then he carefully dried Eunseok with a towel and even blow-dried his hair. By then, Eunseok had regained a tiny bit of strength and pushed away Choi Hanseo when he tried to carry him again, walking out of the bathroom on his own feet.
They climbed onto the cheap bed, which was a mess of bodily fluids, and lay down side by side.
Choi Hanseo removed Eunseok’s pillow. Then he stretched out his arm and placed it under Eunseok’s head. Despite the rock-hard muscular arm pillow that should have been uncomfortable, it now felt the most comfortable.
As always, Choi Hanseo pulled Eunseok into his embrace. The feeling of being held tightly while using his arm as a pillow felt perfectly comfortable, as if made for him.
“I missed this feeling. Even when I had no memories, I hugged a pillow every night because my arms felt so empty.”
Choi Hanseo whispered with his nose buried in Eunseok’s hair. His voice dripped with sweet honey. Eunseok stared blankly at the long arm he was resting on and the hand at its end. This was the sight he wanted to see every night before falling asleep.
“Eunseok. I’m sorry.”
After silently savoring each other’s presence for a while, Choi Hanseo apologized softly.
“It’s not your fault that you had an accident.”
“It is my fault. Not remembering you, leaving you alone all this time—it’s all my fault.”
“That’s…”
“I promise I’ll never let this happen again. I’ll always come back to you in one piece. I swear you’ll never be left alone in this world until the day I die. I promise.”
Promise. An easy yet difficult word. But if it was Choi Hanseo’s promise, it felt trustworthy.
“…Okay.”
Eunseok replied shortly in a small voice. Then he placed his hand on Choi Hanseo’s arm wrapped around his waist and held it tightly. Choi Hanseo pressed his lips deeply on Eunseok’s crown.
“Let’s sleep now.”
Choi Hanseo whispered. Eunseok obediently closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. He felt like he could sleep very soundly.
#Epilogue
The phone alarm went off. Eunseok immediately opened his eyes and turned it off.
“Let’s sleep a little more.”
Choi Hanseo wrapped his arms tightly around Eunseok, pulling him close. Then he lazily kissed Eunseok’s crown and nape.
“I need to leave early today.”
“Just five more minutes.”
Choi Hanseo tightened his arms, stubbornly refusing to let go. This was a tug-of-war they had almost every morning. Of course, Eunseok knew very well how to break Choi Hanseo’s stubbornness.
“Alright. I’ll just skip breakfast then.”
As Eunseok muttered while relaxing his body, the arms wrapped tightly around him loosened. The hands that moved down squeezed Eunseok’s buttocks regretfully before letting go. Then Choi Hanseo got up first, looking drowsy.
“Go wash up. I’ll prepare breakfast.”
Choi Hanseo said as he got out of bed. The morning sunlight draped over his muscular body clad only in underwear. Eunseok looked him up and down with narrowed eyes. It was always pleasant to see a well-toned body.
“Done staring?”
Choi Hanseo, who had been standing still as if enjoying Eunseok’s gaze, asked with a grin. Eunseok chuckled and quickly got up from the bed.
When he came out of the bathroom after showering, the savory smell of doenjang jjigae tickled his nose. Of course, Choi Hanseo hadn’t cooked it. The housekeeper always prepared breakfast ingredients for the two of them. Choi Hanseo just reheated them and set the table.
But even that was quite a task. Eunseok approached Choi Hanseo from behind and hugged his back as he always prepared breakfast for him. Then he lightly kissed his shoulder blade.
“Sit down.”
Choi Hanseo pulled out a chair at the dining table.
The doenjang jjigae was bubbling in the earthenware pot placed in the center of the table. Eunseok held his spoon and took a moment to take in the sight of the breakfast table and Choi Hanseo sitting across from him. A strange emotion stirred in his heart.
Cleaning up after meals was Eunseok’s job. Eunseok put the leftover side dishes back in the refrigerator and rinsed the dishes and utensils, placing them in the sink. After wiping the table and finishing the cleanup, Eunseok went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Choi Hanseo was showering in the shower booth.
After brushing his teeth, Eunseok went to the dressing room to get dressed.
“Do you have to leave now?”
Choi Hanseo asked as he entered the dressing room after finishing his shower. Eunseok checked the time and nodded.
“Take care.”
Choi Hanseo approached and kissed him lightly.
“I’ll be back.”
Eunseok briefly said goodbye and turned around.
When he went out through the front door on the first floor, a vehicle sent by the Ability User Management Bureau was already waiting. Eunseok got into the car only after confirming the faces of the driver inside and the employee sitting in the passenger seat.
For about a month now, Eunseok had been going to the Ability User Management Bureau once or twice a week. He had been invited as an assistant instructor for a newly established training program at the Ability User Management Bureau.
When several guides persistently requested to accompany hunters on gate conquests, the Ability User Management Bureau took active steps. Naturally, Eunseok was the first person they reached out to.
Of course, Eunseok flatly refused at first. But not only the Management Bureau, but also various affiliated guides began to express their desire to participate in gate conquests. As the requests piled up, Choi Hanseo came to ask Eunseok’s opinion. Only then did Eunseok seriously consider the matter.
In fact, there were considerable benefits to guides participating in gate conquests. Hunters could use their abilities without worrying about their stats and could conquer gates more stably. Guides could gain gate shares that they couldn’t obtain before. If the guide’s capabilities were sufficient, it would be beneficial for both parties.
Therefore, Eunseok recently decided to respond to the Management Bureau’s offer. Of course, on the condition that the applying guides must have a strong will to participate directly.
When Eunseok accepted, the Management Bureau very quickly set up guide training facilities and systems. The speed was so fast that it was clear all the plans had been in place even before Eunseok’s acceptance.
However, Eunseok had duties and missions as a member of Baekho Guild’s First Attack Team. So he couldn’t be in charge of the training program full-time.
Eunseok made three demands to the Ability User Management Bureau:
First, to allow Eunseok to interview the applying guides one-on-one to confirm that they made the decision on their own without any external pressure.
Second, to give him the authority to supervise the overall training process.
Third, to have Eunseok verify whether the guides who completed the training are capable of entering gates.
All of these were to prevent guides from being forced into gates due to atmosphere or external pressure, and to prevent unprepared guides from entering gates prematurely.
The car stopped. As Eunseok got out of the car, he could see the newly established guide training center at a glance. There was also a large exercise field in front of the modern building. He could see people running in lines on the grass-covered field. They were the first batch of trainees.
“Instructor!”
A guide running at the front of the line called out to Eunseok happily. It was Seo Beomgyu, a guide from Baekho Guild. Choi Seonhui was also behind him. At that signal, the guides who had been running around the field rushed towards Eunseok.
Eunseok briefly glanced at Choi Seonhui among them. The woman who had made him seethe with jealousy by clinging to Choi Hanseo turned out to be actively persuading Choi Hanseo to participate in gate conquests. It was embarrassing and regrettable to think that he had misunderstood and been jealous without knowing this.
The first batch of trainees consisted of 8 people, a mix of guides from the Ability User Management Bureau and Baekho Guild. Of course, these were people whose participation Eunseok had confirmed through individual interviews.
Guides are physically no different from ordinary people. Naturally, the bodies of those who had been running on the field since morning were drenched in sweat. But their eyes looking at Eunseok were all sparkling with passion and admiration.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
