#78
What if something happens because I had sex with Choi Do-jun? What if I unknowingly had some bad influence on him? What would I do then?
Seo Yi-young couldn’t help but worry about not knowing why Jo Tae-su recommended approaching S-Class Natural Hunters through sex, or what he aimed to achieve through such “personal exchanges.” If there was one thing that seemed suspicious, it was that medicine bottle.
He had no idea what it was. If only he could see the memories that followed, even in a dream. But since the dreams came without rules or warnings, there was nothing he could do but feel anxious.
“Hey. Are you okay—”
Slap!
Seo Yi-young harshly knocked away Choi Do-jun’s hand that was reaching toward him.
“…Sorry.”
Choi Do-jun’s eyebrows rose at Seo Yi-young’s immediate apology.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Nothing at all.”
Seo Yi-young smiled and shook his head. He still hadn’t decided whether to tell Choi Do-jun or not. Seo Yi-young moved his lips before speaking.
“Have you felt anything strange in your body since sleeping with me?”
“What an odd question.”
Choi Do-jun responded as if he’d heard something amusing, but then his expression became serious when he saw Seo Yi-young’s face. Was there really nothing wrong, or was he just not noticing the changes? Remembering that Lee Myung-hoon, the hunter Jo Tae-su first mentioned, was still actively participating in dungeon conquests, Seo Yi-young bit his lip.
At least it didn’t seem to be the kind of drug that immediately showed symptoms in the body. But that was no reason to feel relieved. Instead, he felt more lost. He couldn’t guess why Jo Tae-su had done this, what his purpose was. He’d said he was asking for this to improve relations between Normals and Naturals. But how would this kind of approach improve any relationship, especially using sex as the means? He knew S-Class hunters sought stimulation, but this was too absurd even considering that.
What if Jo Tae-su’s stated justification itself was a lie?
Seo Yi-young swallowed. He felt a throb in his head.
Once such suspicion arose, nothing seemed right. If he had to start deducing from there, there were too many possibilities.
“…”
One thing was certain: Jo Tae-su was not a good person for Seo Yi-young. But besides that fact, everything else was a complete mystery.
He wouldn’t have written such things down anywhere. So did that mean he had to wait for another dream? How would he know when that would happen? His mind wasn’t working properly in this sudden situation. If it only affected him, it would be fine. But this.
He knew he was entangled with Jo Tae-su in some kind of secret affair, but he never imagined it would be like this. The problem was that he didn’t know Jo Tae-su’s purpose in making Seo Yi-young do this, beyond what he saw in the dream. His mouth went dry with anxiety, and he rubbed his forehead with his hand.
“Seo Yi-young.”
Hearing his name called, Seo Yi-young was pulled from his thoughts and came to his senses. Choi Do-jun was holding his shoulder and looking at him. He was startled to realize he’d been so lost in thought that he hadn’t even noticed his shoulder being grabbed.
“What’s wrong?”
“…Ah…”
His tone was different from usual. Did it sound more gentle, or was that his imagination? For a moment, his heart wavered. What if he confided in him? Would he listen? Would he believe him? Such thoughts emerged. But he immediately cut them off. That couldn’t be.
To properly explain what happened, he’d have to start by saying he came from another dimension—and how many people would believe that? Even Seo Yi-young, if a friend suddenly said such a thing, would slap them on the back and ask if they were crazy. Let alone Choi Do-jun. …He and Choi Do-jun weren’t that kind of relationship. He shouldn’t misunderstand just because they’d had sex a few times.
Even if he decided to tell him everything, he couldn’t say, “I slept with you on Jo Tae-su’s orders. Let me know if anything strange happens. What kind of strangeness? I don’t know either.”
He couldn’t say it.
He wouldn’t be able to say it.
Seo Yi-young concluded his thoughts as if slapping himself to come to his senses.
“It’s nothing. I just couldn’t sleep well. You should change your bed.”
He deliberately spoke in a lively voice. If he acted like it was just a whim, Choi Do-jun would probably let it go. Weren’t they just that kind of relationship? Not intimate enough to care about each other’s circumstances.
“You seemed to be sleeping very soundly though.”
“Ah, I was tossing and turning so much I got tired and fell asleep.”
“…Hmm.”
Choi Do-jun didn’t ask any further.
See? Wasn’t he right? He doesn’t press any further. Even asking now was just a courtesy because Seo Yi-young had come to his home, just something he mentioned in passing.
Seo Yi-young took a deep breath quickly, feeling as if his mouth was turning bitter.
“I should get going now. I’m busy. You know? My tight schedule. I came to see you in the midst of all that. Be grateful.”
“Thank you.”
“…Oh.”
Seo Yi-young didn’t expect to receive thanks from him and couldn’t answer immediately, his mouth hanging open.
“Why that expression?”
“…No, I just, I just didn’t know you could say such things. It’s not really your image.”
He was sincere. He hadn’t expected him to so readily say thank you. At Seo Yi-young’s words, Choi Do-jun’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.
“It makes me want to ask what exactly my image is.”
“Should I tell you?”
“No. It’s fine.”
Looking at Choi Do-jun’s outright refusal, Seo Yi-young realized that his heart, which had felt so heavy it seemed he might die under the weight of what he’d seen in his dream, had lightened a bit.
“I really am leaving. I have things to do.”
“So you came to see me, putting aside all your work.”
“Ah. No, why do you say it like that? It’s cringeworthy.”
It wasn’t wrong. But because it wasn’t wrong, it was even more embarrassing. After clearing his throat once, Seo Yi-young hurried to prepare to leave. He also needed to check the item window that had appeared on the object he’d picked up in the New-type dungeon. He wondered if similar status windows had appeared on the items he’d collected at home. His face warmed up needlessly when he recalled that he hadn’t even done that simple check before coming to Choi Do-jun.
He was definitely better now. At least he didn’t have that expression like he was stuck in mud like yesterday. Choi Do-jun was a senior who had been a hunter longer than Seo Yi-young. He would probably be okay now.
In reality, there wasn’t much more Seo Yi-young could do here. World problems aren’t solved just by the desire to help. There are clear limits to what you can do for someone else. The rest is up to Choi Do-jun.
“I’m going, okay? You’ll be fine?”
He asked with the implication of “Will you be okay alone?” and Choi Do-jun seemed to catch this. Choi Do-jun’s eyes curved just a little.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Alright then.”
Seo Yi-young immediately waved goodbye and headed out of the room. It was then that he noticed the delicious food smell coming from the kitchen. Seo Yi-young’s footsteps stopped. There were side dishes on the dining table.
Rolled eggs, stir-fried mushrooms, and this savory smell… seaweed soup?
Could he have made this after waking up this morning?
Seo Yi-young reflexively looked toward Choi Do-jun. He naturally stepped between the table and Seo Yi-young and said.
“Go. You said you’re busy.”
“No. …Did you make this?”
Choi Do-jun didn’t answer. It seemed like the first time he’d been at a loss for words. Seo Yi-young looked at him like that and immediately sat down at the table.
“Didn’t you say you were busy?”
People are truly fickle. Normally, he would have thought, why are you being so picky again, but now Choi Do-jun’s words sounded like he was hiding his embarrassment. Thinking that way made him seem cute. However, Seo Yi-young, who had no intention of showing such thoughts, maintained an expressionless face and picked up his chopsticks.
“Have you eaten breakfast? It looks like you haven’t yet, want to eat together? Food is always more delicious when eaten together.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. Look. It’s delicious. There’s not much prepared, but come eat with me.”
He said while taking a spoonful of soup. Choi Do-jun gave a small laugh at Seo Yi-young’s words.
“You talk as if you prepared it.”
“Hey, well. Who cares who prepared it. I’ll eat well.”
Seo Yi-young glossed over Choi Do-jun’s comment. Having contacted Driver Jung to come to Choi Do-jun’s house, Seo Yi-young examined the table again.
Seaweed soup, rolled eggs, stir-fried mushrooms, soy sauce marinated pork.
For Seo Yi-young, who used to make meals with just rice and soy sauce when money was tight in the previous dimension, this spread was already a feast. Moreover, it didn’t taste bad. It wasn’t particularly special or delicious, just as expected. That alone meant it was decent. It was quite surprising since Choi Do-jun never gave the impression of someone who could cook. Well, that would explain why there were ingredients in the refrigerator.
They sat facing each other, eating without much conversation. But there was no need for conversation. The air surrounding the two was soft just by sharing a meal together. Choi Do-jun, who finished eating a little earlier than Seo Yi-young, saw that he had cleaned his plate and said.
“You said you have urgent business, so hurry along.”
“Huh? No, but…”
Just eat and leave? No matter what, that doesn’t seem right. It’s not like they’re at a restaurant. Noticing Seo Yi-young’s hesitation, Choi Do-jun smirked.
“You ate so cleanly there doesn’t seem to be anything to wash.”
Isn’t that how you’re supposed to eat rice? Something about farmers’ blood and sweat in every grain, right? But being pointed out like that made his face heat up needlessly.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
