Chapter 36
“There were those who blindly blamed and criticized ‘Yoo Eunseong’ in the past. They were people who knew nothing but just wanted to place responsibility on someone and feel comfortable. I wish that you, Hunter Baek Mujin, and the guild leader wouldn’t have to see or hear such filthy things, but how could the world work according to our wishes?”
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
“So I want to emphasize just one important fact. Even before the accident three years ago, what I kept stressing was the fact that ‘it’s not Yoo Eunseong’s fault.'”
“I guess I didn’t listen to Team Leader-nim’s words back then.”
Eunseong suddenly thought of Hanyeong. The young voice that used to scold him saying he thought too much echoed in his ears. It was probably just his personality.
“Yes, well…… you weren’t in a state to listen back then. Anyway, my request is that if such bastards appear in the future, slap them hard across the face.”
“What?”
“It doesn’t matter who – hunters, civilians, Rift Control Agency bastards, guild leaders, whoever. If you hear nonsense, slap them hard across the face and forget about it. I’ll handle the aftermath.”
“How can you say that so suddenly……”
“That’s my wish.”
His voice was so serious that Eunseong was at a loss for words.
“Oh, Team Leader Yeon, you still haven’t left work?”
He was just fiddling with his innocent teacup when the glass door on the other side opened and Baek Mujin’s voice flew in.
“Hunter Baek Mujin.”
When Eunseong called out, Mujin laughed out loud as if to say ‘here I am.’ It was like clapping to tell a blindfolded seeker ‘I’m here.’
Eunseong walked briskly and approached Mujin closely. The closer the distance got, the more impatience seeped into his footsteps. It was because he noticed the smell of blood.
“Are you hurt?”
“I had to capture it alive, so it couldn’t be helped.”
Maybe it was because they had moved residences, but Eunseong somehow felt Mujin’s way of speaking had become much closer.
“Was the operation successful?”
Yeon Seokchun asked while opening a water bottle and handing it over.
“Don’t you think it would have been successful?”
Instead of answering the questioner, Mujin asked Eunseong back. Since his gaze seemed to be directed only at him the whole time, Eunseong felt a little breathless. When he shook his head slightly, Yeon Seokchun clapped beside him.
“Seeing you two standing face to face like this, those three years seem meaningless. Though I’m saying this now, best friends should stick together like this after all. Helping each other, getting through this harsh world together. It really looks so good.”
“……What kind of friends?”
Eunseong asked back in confusion.
“Ah, hahaha. Is the word too crude for our guild leader to hear?”
“Go inside, Team Leader Yeon. Did you drink? You’re talking a lot.”
Mujin pushed Yeon Seokchun away and took Eunseong’s side. He firmly wrapped his arm around his shoulder and immediately left the cafeteria.
Yeon Seokchun followed them to the elevator without giving up and kept nagging.
“Did you receive proper treatment? Should I call Hunter Lee Haesu?”
“I got treated at the Rift Control Agency.”
Mujin replied half-heartedly while leaning slightly toward Eunseong. The strangely strong smell of blood stimulated Eunseong’s nerves. When he fumbled and touched Mujin’s hand resting on his shoulder, it gripped back tightly as if playing around. He could only clearly feel the texture of thick gauze bandages.
When the frustrated Eunseong tried to take off his security glasses, Mujin grabbed his fingers to stop him.
“I want to wash up and sleep quickly, so don’t call Hunter Lee Haesu. He won’t come anyway.”
“Understood, then.”
While Eunseong struggled desperately to escape from his grip, Yeon Seokchun said goodbye and withdrew, and the elevator began moving toward the upper floors.
“I can walk fine without you holding me like this.”
Eunseong, tired from fighting with his fingers, let both arms hang down and said.
“I’m the one leaning on you.”
“Are you badly hurt?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why didn’t you get proper treatment……”
Eunseong turned his head toward Mujin as if he could see.
Even though Eunseong’s eyes weren’t visible, Mujin met his gaze as if he could see right through the security glasses. A strangely uncomfortable silence flowed. It was eye contact that was both comfortable and regretful – Mujin couldn’t take his eyes off the pitch-black security glasses until the end.
“It’s the kind that’ll be fine if I rest a bit.”
“How hurt are you? Did you get injured somewhere other than your hands?”
“……My face got scratched a little. My side too.”
Mujin let Eunseong fiddle with his hand as he pleased.
“Wouldn’t it be better to be a little less good at it rather than get hurt?”
“Right. I should have ignored orders like live capture.”
Eunseong had definitely felt this emotion before. The feeling of looking at someone upright and solid who looked only at their given mission without wavering…….
“I don’t like the feeling of you getting hurt so carelessly.”
“……Then I won’t get hurt anymore.”
It was a worse feeling than ‘dislike.’ He became anxious and scared. Eunseong shook his head and consciously shook off that clinging sensation.
“But what does ‘best friends’ mean?”
“Huh?”
Perhaps it was an unexpected question, as Mujin’s answer was delayed. At that moment, the elevator stopped with a ding.
Tap, Mujin hit between Eunseong’s legs with the back of his hand.
“You’re asking because you don’t know that?”
“I wasn’t asking about the meaning of the word……!”
Startled, Eunseong hastily covered his lower area with both hands. But Mujin’s hand had long since moved away. At the sound of laughter from above his head, both of Eunseong’s cheeks burned hot.
Mujin left the trembling Eunseong alone and got off the elevator first. Then he ran ahead to the front of Eunseong’s house door. When Eunseong caught up while fuming, he arbitrarily opened the door wide and acted cheeky, telling him to hurry inside.
The air inside the house was cool. Mujin took out slippers for Eunseong to wear, then first touched the temperature control. Next, he softly adjusted the lighting in the living room and even undressed to go wash up – there was no hesitation as if he’d come to his own home. Eunseong, who had been awkwardly following him, had to briefly reconsider whether he had followed Mujin into his house.
“Want to wash together?”
Since Eunseong was already awkward in the new house that had appeared overnight, it wasn’t easy to keep up with Mujin’s tempo.
“What?”
“It’ll be inconvenient to wash alone.”
“No, no! It’s fine!”
As if he really intended to put it into practice, the closer Mujin’s footsteps got, the more cold sweat formed on Eunseong’s back. Mujin ignored Eunseong who was waving his hands and pressed his body close. Then he unhesitatingly removed Eunseong’s security glasses. Just removing what was only covering his eyes, but why did it feel like becoming naked? Eunseong even staggered in his panic.
“Give them back! I won’t wash. I won’t.”
To avoid Eunseong who was snatching at the security glasses, Mujin raised his arm high. Suddenly mischief appeared on his lips.
“Is it awkward? Because it’s been too long? No, wait. Since you have no memory, should we count this as the first time……”
Mujin’s naked body was covered in wounds. Even though he had clearly received healing, seeing that red marks still filled it meant either the wounds themselves were deep, or the healing-type ability user’s grade was low. He couldn’t tell if his heart was pounding because he was shocked by the wounds or surprised by the body temperature touching his hands.
“Don’t joke around.”
Eunseong glared at Mujin with such force that tears welled up in his eyes, then soon gave up. It was because he got tired on his own due to the expression filled with laughter. When he sighed softly, Mujin tilted his head and examined his face. That obvious gaze was also too close.
“Then may I go in and rest now?”
“Is there anywhere on your body that’s still uncomfortable? Should I call Lee Haesu?”
At the words that he would go in and sleep, the expression suddenly disappeared from Mujin’s face. Since he’d been acting relaxed from earlier, Eunseong had wondered if his original personality was on the gentle side, but with such a flip like turning over a palm, he didn’t know which tune to follow.
“What? No. Nothing hurts.”
“Then why are you going in? Wait, let’s talk together.”
“……”
Mujin headed to the bathroom without waiting for Eunseong’s answer. Left standing there blankly, Eunseong had no choice but to wait for him. He seemed to treat him as a friend, but since Eunseong hadn’t yet found a definite word to define their relationship, he couldn’t casually ignore him.
‘For now, Baek Mujin is also the owner of this place……’
Eunseong wandered around the living room like a caged animal, then went and sat on the sofa. He carefully looked around while mulling over Yeon Seokchun’s words about buying the exact same furniture he used to live with.
‘I guess it was my misunderstanding after all?’
There was no way Baek Mujin and he had been lovers. It was an absurd imagination. Most importantly, they were both men. His head had gone strange from experiencing too many big events in a short time. After all, he’d been lying down for a whole week – there was no way he’d be normal.
“……”
Eunseong’s shoulders drooped.
‘I miss Hanyeong. I don’t see Curry either……’
Since he couldn’t see Curry, who used to peck at him whenever he forgot, that also worried him. As Eunseong was endlessly continuing his thoughts, his gaze reached the tablet on the table. It was what Yeon Seokchun had left, telling him to look through it when he had time.
After pressing his stinging eyes once and unlocking it, the home screen opened with document files he had organized spread out.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
