16
“Fuck.”
His face was completely distorted. No matter how many times he read it, there was only one bastard in this world who called himself ‘Wook-i hyung’ and addressed him so familiarly.
The fingers that had been typing a reply to Samin moved without hesitation to the block button.
[Do you no longer want to receive calls and messages from this number?]
[Block]
There was no hesitation. This was already the third time blocking Timer Choi Jeongwook’s phone number. Honestly, compared to the past when his heart felt uncomfortable, now he just felt relieved.
‘Next time I meet him near the tower, I’ll drag him to a secluded place and beat him up.’
There was once a time when Doun had decided to accept Jeongwook’s apology. However, Jeongwook couldn’t wait for that brief moment when Doun had delayed his reply, needing time to steel his heart, and unilaterally left messages on his voicemail, ending everything.
Now it was all over. His intention to forgive Jeongwook had long since disappeared. With only stale anger remaining, if he happened to meet Jeongwook next time, he really planned to beat him up even if it meant preparing settlement money.
Doun narrowed his eyes and briefly composed his surging emotions, then typed a reply to Samin again.
[Where is that place?]
When he pressed the send button, the screen flashed. What appeared on the screen was the only name saved in his phone.
The eleven-digit phone number that Doun, who had chosen to voluntarily isolate himself from society while steeped in depression, had reluctantly saved.
The rascal who made him think he sent annoyingly frequent texts, but now made him wait for when contact would come.
The delinquent whose actions seemed quite crazy but whom he didn’t dislike.
[Kyung Samin]
“Yeah. What’s up?”
Doun’s voice as he answered the phone was very soft.
-Huh? Isn’t this Doun hyung’s phone? Why does your voice sound like this? Did I call the wrong number?
Couldn’t he recognize him just because his voice had softened a little? Doun felt unnecessarily disappointed.
“It’s me. Lee Doun.”
When he answered in a slightly stiff voice, the voice on the other end of the phone burst into laughter.
-I really can’t joke around with you. Hyung. If you have time, would you like to go eat lunch with me tomorrow? That steakhouse I mentioned earlier—normally they take reservations on a first-come-first-served basis a week in advance, but I only need to call thirty minutes beforehand.
Doun belatedly realized he had fallen for Samin’s scheme.
“You didn’t even make a reservation, so how?”
At his sulky tone, he could hear Samin holding back laughter with a “kkeup” sound.
-Hmm, should I say the owner there and I are comrades who’ve crossed various lines of fire together? That’s how it is. I’ve saved his life many times too.
Roughly summarized, they were teammates who had conquered towers together.
-So when I go, they give me special services that aren’t even on the menu. I’m really picky about food, but that place is really delicious. Let’s go together. Sounds good, right?
“…Where should I go?”
Doun took the bait readily. He was sick of eating delivery food alone. Knowing he couldn’t live like this forever, he decided to put into practice the advice of the psychiatrist who only gave advice that didn’t resonate with him.
‘If you start doing small things for yourself one by one, you’ll gradually become a changed Doun.’
Right now, what he needed wasn’t sitting alone in a kitchen with no lights on tomorrow morning eating by himself.
Going outside under the pretext of dining out and making small talk.
-If it’s okay with you, would you come to our guild building? Or I’ll go near the park where I went yesterday.
As if considering his stiff state, Samin proposed two options. In the past, Doun would have called Samin to the park. No, he wouldn’t have even considered eating together in the first place.
However, he no longer wanted to shrink back from people’s gazes. That’s how he felt right now. He wanted to change. So Doun answered with a determined expression.
“I’ll come to your guild building.”
-…Really?
“Yeah. You said last time to mention your name at the lobby entrance.”
-I did say that. But I didn’t think you’d actually say you’d come here. I’ll tell the hunters in the lobby not to bother you, hyung.
“You didn’t think I’d really come? So you were just saying let’s go eat as empty words.”
Didn’t he expect it at all? Doun got up from his seat while unnecessarily picking a fight. As he mentally went through what to wear tomorrow, rambling excuses flowed from the other end of the phone.
-It wasn’t empty words… Even if you said you’d come, I thought you’d tell me to come to you instead. You seemed uncomfortable with crowded places, hyung.
“I am uncomfortable.”
-What?
Doun held the phone in one hand and rummaged through his closet with the other as he answered.
“I said I am uncomfortable with people.”
-But why are you specifically coming here…
Listening to Samin’s puzzled voice, Doun pulled out a short-sleeve t-shirt he hadn’t worn much.
“Just. I thought the guild members that Kyung Samin brags about so much might be different, so I’m giving it a try.”
-Hyung…
On the other end of the phone, Samin kept calling Doun’s name in a deeply moved voice. It seemed like he heard something being kicked between the earnest voices, but Doun didn’t pay attention.
He was more worried about whether it was a place where he needed to dress formally since reservations were competitive. He had thrown away things like suits last year.
“Is it the kind of place where I have to wear a suit?”
-No. Just come dressed comfortably!
His heart eased slightly at Samin’s firm answer. He had made up his mind to go out for a meal, so he didn’t have to be frustrated because of attire.
“Then what time should I be there?”
-Whenever you want to come, hyung!
“Give me a specific time.”
-Hmm… How about we meet in the lobby by 11 o’clock, with plenty of time?
Doun glanced at the wall clock. To go out by that time, he should probably sleep now.
“Got it. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
-Yes. Hyung…
It seemed like he heard some swearing just before the call ended. It didn’t seem like his imagination. Doun sat on the bed and pondered.
‘Why did he swear?’
It would be troublesome if he had anger management issues or something. Doun typed out a text with a serious expression.
[Do you have trouble controlling your anger or something?]
When he was about to send it, it seemed like a question that crossed the line. Sending it as a text also seemed to have potential for strange misunderstandings. He was about to delete the text when the send button got pressed by mistake.
“Ah!”
He felt his head turn cold. As he was pulling his hair wondering how to handle this, his phone rang and a long text arrived.
[Kyung Samin: Actually, I have a tendency to want to punch walls when I’m too happy ٩(//̀Д/́/)۶ I was so happy that hyung called my name!!!!!!!!!!! I swore without realizing it ( •́ ̯•｡̀ ) I’m not that kind of violent bastard.. Please believe me……]
Fortunately, the crazy Samin didn’t interpret Doun’s text in a twisted way. He was just overwhelmed by the fact that Doun had asked him a question and excited that he had called his name.
[Kyung Samin: Really look forward to tomorrow, I’ll show you an amazing meal ( *๑•̀д•́๑)> ]
At the text that arrived in succession, Doun sighed deeply.
“It’s fortunate, but a bit…”
It was fortunate that Samin didn’t nitpick about the nuance of words or texts. But it was burdensome that he was someone with emotions that were hard to relate to.
‘Still, I’m grateful…’
Doun flopped down on the bed and held up his phone. It used to be an object he didn’t even want to look at because terrible texts and voice messages would arrive, but now it was hard to put down.
It was all thanks to Samin.
[See you tomorrow]
The finger sending the reply felt particularly light. The memory of being surrounded by people and feeling suffocated just moments ago was nowhere to be found.
* * *
In the taxi, Doun kept fidgeting with his bangs that covered his eyebrows, finding them awkward.
‘I should have just worn it. I only need to take it off briefly when eating.’
Without the black baseball cap that had been on his head every time he went out, his heart felt strangely empty.
“Student, we’re here.”
At the taxi driver’s call, Doun finished paying and looked up nervously at the gleaming building exterior. He had come back on his own to the building he thought looked perfect for collapsing with a few skill attacks. And for a meal, no less.
Doun touched above his mask and put strength in his eyes. Steeling himself with solemn resolve, he entered the lobby and the hunter he had seen before approached quietly.
“That…”
When it came time to actually say he had come to meet Samin, he didn’t know how to continue.
‘To meet Kyung Samin-ssi…? To meet Hunter Kyung Samin? No wait, the hunter nickname is different. Just say I came to meet the guild master…?’
Just as Doun was blinking his eyes.
“Please come this way for a moment.”
The hunter guided Doun to a rest area placed on one side of the lobby with a very polite attitude. After confirming there was no one around, he looked at Doun and said.
“You’re Magnetic-nim, right?”
“…Yes.”
How did he recognize him? As Doun’s lips moved nervously in a tense state, the hunter wiped his hands on his pants and suddenly asked for a handshake.
“I’ve really wanted to meet you since long ago. Could you shake hands with me once?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
