Translated by Levia
[Chatter/Talk] I knew this ship would sail the moment Eunseok awakened [1,290]
[Poll] Choi-Lee couple’s proposal—who do you think popped the question? -///- [20,865]
[Chatter/Talk] Kwon Eunchae posting paparazzi shots of the Choi-Lee couple on SS is such a blessing ㅠ
TT [3,866]
[News] Choi-Lee couple’s engagement officially confirmed!!!!!! Choi Hanseo admitted it himself!!!! [11,752]
[Chatter/Talk] Choi Hanseo brushing back his hair in front of the cameras just to show off the ring is SO obvious lolol [6,095]
Eunseok skimmed through the latest posts on the couple’s fan café and groaned, covering his face with his hand in embarrassment.
It had only been two days since their engagement, and the whole world already knew. He’d expected the news to spread, but actually seeing it out there like this made him want to die from secondhand shame.
He scrolled through the flood of photos plastered across the internet.
Just like the post described, the photo showed Choi Hanseo brushing back hair that didn’t even need fixing, all just to flash the ring on his finger. Eunseok stared silently at the image of Hanseo grinning while shamelessly flaunting the ring, and despite himself, he ended up chuckling too.
The sound of the hairdryer cut off. Eunseok quickly turned off his phone and set it down beside his pillow.
Right on cue, Choi Hanseo emerged from the bathroom.
The only thing draped over his sculpted body was a towel barely clinging to his hips. He hadn’t even bothered with underwear. The intention was crystal clear—there was no way he was letting Eunseok sleep tonight.
“What were you doing?”
Hanseo climbed onto the bed. More accurately, he climbed on top of Eunseok as he asked.
“Nothing,” Eunseok replied smoothly, lying through his teeth.
Hanseo reached for Eunseok’s left hand.
On his ring finger sat the engagement ring Hanseo had placed there—a sleek, flat design crafted from a special ore mined in the Gate. Hanseo had kindly explained that the material was durable enough not to get in the way or break during combat. In other words, it was meant to be worn all the time.
Hanseo gazed quietly at the ring for a moment before lowering his lips to press a long kiss against it.
Eunseok’s chest tingled—already fluttering, now it was on fire.
Smack. Smack-smack.
The kisses that started on the ring trailed up to the back of his hand, his forearm, then his shoulder. Each spot Hanseo’s lips touched sent a spark skittering across his skin, lighting up his nerves and spreading heat throughout his body.
A slow-burning arousal stirred to life.
But instead of giving in to instinct, Eunseok gently pushed Hanseo’s head away.
“Why?”
Hanseo’s eyes glinted with blatant dissatisfaction.
“I have to go in early tomorrow.”
Heading to the Guide Training Center had become the perfect excuse to keep Choi Hanseo’s insatiable libido in check.
“Ugh… that damn training center.”
Hanseo grumbled with his forehead pressed against Eunseok’s chest. Even his muttering complaints sounded adorable. If finding this big guy cute all the time was a sickness, then Eunseok was definitely terminal. He idly played with Hanseo’s hair as the thought passed through his mind.
Eventually, Hanseo gave up and flopped down beside him. The way he slipped his arm under Eunseok’s and how Eunseok raised his head just enough to make room—it all happened with fluid, unthinking ease, like water flowing into its natural path.
“How’s the training going for the Guides?”
“It’s going well. They’re all pretty motivated, so they’re following along smoothly.”
“If things keep progressing without issues, the 2nd and 3rd squads should be able to enter the Gate with their own Guides.”
“That’s the plan. Though honestly, assigning A-rank Guides to the 2nd and 3rd squads feels like a bit of a waste.”
Eunseok said, recalling Seo Beomgyu and Choi Sunhee—both A-rank Guides who had agreed to extend their contracts with Baekho Guild by an extra three years in order to join the training center. With Eunseok stationed in the 1st squad, those two would likely be assigned to the 2nd and 3rd.
“By that logic, you’re wasted on the 1st squad too, being an S-rank and all.”
Hanseo replied, idly toying with Eunseok’s hair.
“An A-rank Gate is just about right for me. S-rank… honestly, that’s pushing it.”
Eunseok spoke while recalling his time in the States, when he’d entered an S-rank Gate. It hadn’t been a complete disaster, but it was true that he had slowed the team down. Always self-aware, Eunseok knew the other Hunters had adjusted their pace considerably for his sake during that raid—even if no one had said it out loud. And despite their help, he’d still been pushed right to his limits.
Truthfully, Eunseok’s once unrelenting urge to enter every Gate had mellowed over time. That shift came from several different factors.
First and foremost, his thirst for vengeance—the deep-seated rage lodged in his chest—had been largely appeased. Killing off multiple creatures identical to the ones that murdered his family, and saving people on the brink of death, had started to ease that inner torment.
Second, his obsessive compulsion to constantly fight and struggle had faded. Many things contributed to that change, but his relationship with Hanseo played a major role. Eunseok wasn’t alone anymore. He couldn’t just throw himself into danger like he didn’t have anything to lose.
Third, he’d begun to develop a genuine sense of purpose in his role as a Guide.
Before, he saw Guides as little more than glorified backline support—just someone who sat there and “guided.” But as he worked more closely with Hunters, he gradually came to understand the true weight of the role. A Hunter without a Guide was essentially a walking time bomb. Just like a war without support on the rear lines is doomed to fail, a Hunter without a Guide is nothing but a moth diving straight into the flames.
Now, Eunseok was starting to feel genuine professional pride and fulfillment in guiding Hunters and helping to stabilize them. Even if he didn’t directly slay the monstrous creatures himself, he had no doubt that he was playing a crucial role. That was why, on days when the Guides were training, he willingly stepped back from 1st squad’s Gate operations without hesitation.
This was something that, in the past, he wouldn’t have even considered possible. Of course, the sense of fulfillment he gained from training the new Guides also added a quiet richness to his heart.
Simply put, Eunseok’s life these days was… deeply satisfying. So satisfying, in fact, that it made him wonder if it was too much.
Choi Hanseo tugged his hand and laced their fingers together tightly. Then, with his thumb, he gently traced the ring on Eunseok’s finger. It had become a new habit of his. Watching Hanseo fidget with the ring with such intensity made Eunseok feel a little self-conscious. Every time he did it, it gave off this oddly pressuring let’s-get-married vibe.
Marriage, huh…
Lying down with his head resting on Hanseo’s arm, Eunseok let out a quiet sigh in his thoughts. Even though same-sex marriage was now legal, it still felt strangely distant to him.
Marriage. Getting married to Choi Hanseo.
Then again, thinking about it rationally—wasn’t their current situation basically the same as married life? They were already living together. Even if they did officially marry, their daily routine wouldn’t change all that much. And yet, the reason he couldn’t easily make up his mind was probably because he, too, assigned a significant weight to the act of marriage itself.
“I was thinking… maybe we should redo the interior here.”
Hanseo fiddled with the ring again as he spoke, their fingers still tightly intertwined.
“The interior?”
“Yeah. I mean, this place is totally done up to my taste, right? I think… I’d like to try living in a space that reflects your style too.”
“I don’t find anything uncomfortable or bothersome as it is.”
Eunseok had been trained to adapt seamlessly to any environment—even as an intelligence agent. He could sleep anywhere, live anywhere, and adjust without issue. This tastefully decorated penthouse certainly gave him nothing to complain about.
Hanseo went quiet for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully, then leaned in and whispered directly into Eunseok’s ear.
“Still… shouldn’t a newlywed home be something the two of us build together?”
There it was. Another subtle nudge toward marriage.
Barely two days into their engagement, and Hanseo was already unable—or unwilling—to hide how eager he was to take the next step. Even though he knew Eunseok was feeling a bit pressured, he kept pushing forward like he had no doubts left about where Eunseok’s heart stood.
“If we’re gonna redo everything here, it’ll take at least a few months.”
Hanseo began trying to persuade him again. He clearly had no intention of dragging out the engagement period.
“You said you’d wait ten years.”
Eunseok threw his own words from the proposal right back at him.
‘I don’t care if we’re engaged for years. Even ten. As long as you say yes, I’ll wait however long it takes. Just… say yes to marrying me!’
At that, Hanseo’s arm—tucked under Eunseok’s head—tensed with force.
“Do I really have to wait ten years?”
He asked with a feigned seriousness that was so convincing, Eunseok couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“I don’t plan on torturing you that long. It’s just… it’s only been two days. Let’s take it a little slow.”
“Hmmm…”
Choi Hanseo let out a soft breath. Then, in that same subtle tone, he prodded again.
“Still… wouldn’t it be better to get started on the renovation now? Like I said, it’s the kind of project that takes months.”
Persistent as ever.
Clearly, Hanseo had no intention of letting this slide with vague promises or evasive answers. Seeing him push like this, Eunseok realized the man wasn’t going to let him wiggle out of it.
Eunseok raised a hand and gently brushed back the hair falling across Hanseo’s forehead as he finally replied.
“There’s no need for a renovation. It’s already a perfect place to live. I’m not too keen on messing with a space we’ve been happy in.”
Hanseo’s eyes narrowed just a touch.
“Come on, let’s sleep.”
Eunseok pulled the blanket up to Hanseo’s shoulders and closed his eyes. He could feel the stare boring into him from across the pillow, but he ignored it and pretended to fall asleep.
He had a sinking feeling that this was just the beginning—that Hanseo’s marriage nagging would be an ongoing battle from here on out.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
