#120
“It’s fine, I don’t need to eat.”
Yoon Pa-ran openly showed wariness towards Dan Joo-hyuk’s suspicious behavior. However, Dan Joo-hyuk merely smiled slightly at his reaction.
“You won’t eat for a while once we enter. Think about it.”
“…”
Thinking it over as he suggested, Yoon Pa-ran realized he did need to eat.
He had originally come intending to confront Dan Joo-hyuk, so he had put off eating. Besides, he needed to put on his equipment here anyway.
“…Fine, whatever.”
It was suspicious but hard to refute. There was nothing particularly strange about offering food.
Hearing Yoon Pa-ran’s reluctant response, Dan Joo-hyuk again let out a small chuckle above his head.
“Come here.”
Dan Joo-hyuk’s face, which had been stiff the entire time since Yoon Pa-ran arrived, now finally looked like his usual self.
Realizing this belatedly, Yoon Pa-ran followed him, lost in strange feelings.
“…”
The detailed explanation Dan Joo-hyuk had given earlier strangely echoed in his ears. Come to think of it, two days ago, he had unexpectedly sent data gathered from the Russian gate.
Yoon Pa-ran had thought it was sent in preparation for the next [■■■ Fragment] investigation, but on reflection, it was odd.
The information about the secret corridor in the Russian gate was almost excessively important. Not only was it full of [■■■ Fragment] energy, but the discovery that it was a “shortcut” directly leading to the boss room was also remarkable.
Yes, it was unlike Dan Joo-hyuk in many ways. Like how he had personally taken someone to the hospital last time.
As he continued thinking, Yoon Pa-ran suddenly realized.
Could it be that Dan Joo-hyuk considers me something like a comrade?
“Sit here for a moment.”
“…”
Yoon Pa-ran was convinced that ‘comrade’ might be the most appropriate word to describe their relationship right now.
Of course, it could be a misunderstanding. It didn’t really suit either Dan Joo-hyuk or himself.
“I only have chicken for the fried rice right now.”
“Huh? Oh.”
Just then, Dan Joo-hyuk spoke while lifting an apron. Yoon Pa-ran, who had been staring blankly at him, suddenly came to his senses.
He could have waited outside like last time, so why was he sitting here waiting?
“I’ll make it quickly.”
“…Oh.”
For some reason, the tips of his ears felt ticklish. As he rubbed them vigorously, Yoon Pa-ran again sank into complex feelings.
…The kimchi fried rice Dan Joo-hyuk made was extremely delicious.
❖ ❖ ❖
The meal was over quickly.
After even taking a shower before putting on his equipment, Yoon Pa-ran hurried out to the living room. Although he was told he could come two hours late, there was no harm in going early.
However, for some reason, Dan Joo-hyuk was also in the living room, prepared to go to the gate.
“Are you going to the gate too?”
“Yes.”
“Where to?”
It seemed Dan Joo-hyuk had also received a gate notification. Thinking this, Yoon Pa-ran asked casually.
“The same gate.”
“You’re going in together?”
“Yes.”
It was a sudden announcement of companionship, but again, Yoon Pa-ran didn’t question it much. It was natural for Dan Joo-hyuk to go to gates, and maybe he still wanted to go together because of the intuition he mentioned before.
Either way, it was a good thing. They were short on people at the gate anyway.
So Yoon Pa-ran readily answered.
“Okay. I’ll head out first.”
Thinking he should hurry in case of traffic, he quickly headed towards the entrance, but Dan Joo-hyuk gently grabbed his arm.
“What is it?”
“Huh? Well, if you give me a ride, I can get off earlier…”
“What is it?”
He repeated the same words with a smiling face. Seeing Dan Joo-hyuk speak like a broken radio, Yoon Pa-ran looked up at him curiously.
He had just acted as he always did, but Dan Joo-hyuk’s reaction was very strange.
“Um… You want to go together? To the gate?”
“…”
He asked innocently, but for some reason, Dan Joo-hyuk didn’t answer.
Did I say something wrong?
Anyway, Yoon Pa-ran ended up in Dan Joo-hyuk’s car again. He felt a strange pressure and couldn’t bring himself to say he’d go by himself.
Dan Joo-hyuk remained deeply silent throughout the drive to the gate.
“…”
Even when Yoon Pa-ran occasionally rolled his eyes to steal glances at his profile, the silence remained unbroken.
He felt like something similar had happened before. Did Dan Joo-hyuk want to act together even near the gate?
Why?
As Yoon Pa-ran pondered this, he opened his mouth to ask. They were also approaching the point where he thought they would part ways.
“Um…”
“…”
As soon as Yoon Pa-ran started to speak, Dan Joo-hyuk immediately turned the car into an alley. Soon, his heavily tinted car stopped at the entrance of a quiet alley slightly off the main road.
I guess this means I should get off here. Thinking this, he grabbed the handle of the passenger seat.
“I’m going.”
“Mr. Yoon Pa-ran.”
Simultaneously, Dan Joo-hyuk grabbed Yoon Pa-ran’s arm, stopping him.
“Speak.”
When Yoon Pa-ran turned around, their eyes met immediately.
As Yoon Pa-ran was curiously observing Dan Joo-hyuk’s somewhat dim gaze, it happened.
“Want to kiss?” he abruptly proposed.
“Huh?”
Only after reflexively responding did Yoon Pa-ran belatedly understand the situation.
He means to fill up the skill.
…Why is he asking in such an embarrassing way?
“Oh, okay. Go ahead.”
Before Dan Joo-hyuk could say anything more, Yoon Pa-ran nodded, trying to appear outwardly composed.
He glanced out the window, but there was no sign of people. If they finished quickly, it should be fine.
“…”
Dan Joo-hyuk, who had been silent, slowly approached. Even though this wasn’t the first or second time, strangely, Yoon Pa-ran’s body, sunk into the passenger seat, stiffened.
Dan Joo-hyuk’s face came closer and closer. When he could gauge the texture of those handsome eyebrows with his gaze, Yoon Pa-ran deliberately closed his eyes. He had a feeling that if their eyes met, it would somehow be troublesome.
Just as he thought their lips would soon touch.
“Let’s just go today.”
Only Dan Joo-hyuk’s whispering breath tickled his lips.
“…Why?”
“Just because.”
It was incredibly difficult to ask back. Because Dan Joo-hyuk didn’t move from that precarious distance.
It felt like if he moved his lips any more, they would touch. Because of this, Yoon Pa-ran, frozen stiff, could neither do this nor that, and just trembled his eyelids.
Only after their breaths mixed like this several more times did Dan Joo-hyuk slowly move away.
“Go on ahead.”
As if those words were some kind of spell, Yoon Pa-ran opened his eyes and quickly got out of the passenger seat.
He belatedly realized his actions were a bit foolish, but it couldn’t be helped.
“…”
As soon as he closed the passenger door with a bang, Dan Joo-hyuk’s car disappeared.
Yoon Pa-ran stared at the now empty road for a while, then vigorously rubbed his lips with the back of his hand.
“…It’s ticklish.”
Only after getting angry for no reason did Yoon Pa-ran start walking.
After crossing the alley for quite some time, the place where the gate had appeared came into view. This gate was in front of a huge shopping mall in the heart of the city.
The area controlled for citizens looked deserted. That’s why Yoon Pa-ran could understand even more clearly why the voice of the civil servant who called was so desperate.
Because the number of hunters gathered in front of the gate was really small.
Maybe not everyone has gathered yet because it’s still early?
However, despite this situation, the expression of the Gate Management Office civil servant dispatched to the scene was truly bright.
“Hunter Dan Joo-hyuk!”
It was thanks to Dan Joo-hyuk’s appearance shortly after Yoon Pa-ran arrived.
“…”
Deliberately not looking in that direction, Yoon Pa-ran stood among the ranged attackers.
While checking his equipment first, he slowly raised his gaze. Perhaps because of his large build, it was easy to find Dan Joo-hyuk among the people.
Standing right in front of the gate, he was looking up at it as if gauging something. Yoon Pa-ran observed his handsome profile for a long time.
Lost in thought, Dan Joo-hyuk didn’t seem to notice that Yoon Pa-ran was staring at him. Yoon Pa-ran watched with quite some curiosity as Dan Joo-hyuk acted unusually dull.
But why does he look so unhappy?
The corners of Dan Joo-hyuk’s mouth were turned up slightly as usual. However, Yoon Pa-ran could feel a subtle difference. That his mood wasn’t very good.
He remembered how Dan Joo-hyuk had quite resisted when he said they should move separately. Did he say something wrong again?
…Did Dan Joo-hyuk really start to think of him as a comrade?
The topic that had been circling in his mind made one side of Yoon Pa-ran’s chest feel ticklish. He had wondered why his feelings were so strange when Dan Joo-hyuk was about to take his skill but stopped, maybe it was because of this.
It was quite an embarrassing assumption, but not an unpleasant feeling.
At least for Yoon Pa-ran, Dan Joo-hyuk was the first hunter he could trust to watch his back.
“We’re entering.”
Dan Joo-hyuk, who had been looking up at the gate the whole time, calmly declared.
As he moved behind him following the attack squad, Yoon Pa-ran scratched his cheek. Well, it might be good to form a team with Dan Joo-hyuk once inside.
They worked well together in their own way, and if he stood at the vanguard, there would be additional pay.
So there’s nothing bad about it.
“…”
However, just before entering the gate, Yoon Pa-ran looked around somewhat curiously.
The number of attackers was still too small. If Dan Joo-hyuk hadn’t come, it would have been dangerously few.
Did they decide to depart without filling the numbers just because Dan Joo-hyuk came?
Unconsciously, his gaze again fixed blankly on Dan Joo-hyuk’s broad back.
“…”
He kept his gaze fixed on his back as it disappeared beyond the gate first. Soon, Yoon Pa-ran also passed through the gate boundary.
Unable to resist the sensation of his soul churning, he reflexively closed his eyes.
“…!”
What filled his vision when it returned wasn’t the scenery inside the gate.
[God’s Judgment]
The god shall test you.
Only those who accumulate and offer blood shall receive glory.
*Those who do not pass the test cannot return.
It was a strange status window with content he had never seen before in his life.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
