Chapter 37
[ Rift Control Agency Organization Chart and Contact Network (Ver.3.2) ]
[ Registered Hunter Activity Summary by Grade (National Standards) ]
[ 20XX Item Support/Distribution Performance Report ]
[ Rare Grade Item Real-time Trading Trends (Domestic/International) ]
[ NOVA Energy Byproduct Auction Protocol (Including Unofficial Commentary) ]
[ Latest Guild Ranking Status + Detailed Ranking by Category ]
[ Yuseong Guild Return Plan Reference Materials (Summary_Yeon Seokchun) ]
[ Void Stone Related Research Material Summary (Continuously Updated) ]
[ Neutral Zone Operation Agreement (For Reference, No Confidentiality Classification) ]
[ Eunseong Personal Records – Hunter Activity Log Recovery ]
“…Hmm.”
There were so many files that he got tired before even opening them, and each one had an enormous volume.
“I’ll have to use my eyes as an excuse for this.”
Clean information would all be contained in the organized files, but the fun was usually in the raw stuff. Eunseong closed all the documents filled with tables and opened a web browser.
But strangely, it was completely blocked. Nothing opened except a pure white loading screen.
“…Why isn’t it working?”
Thinking there might be a problem with the device settings, he opened the options window. Even when he activated the wifi icon at the top of the screen, the device itself couldn’t detect any networks to connect to.
“Is it locked?”
It seemed like the network itself was blocked. Not only external networks, but even internal networks were structured so that access was impossible except for designated users. Had they even put security levels on simple web access…?
“That can’t be…”
Settings, options, system information… He was pressing all sorts of buttons looking for a solution when suddenly a large hand intruded into his field of vision. The owner of the hand instantly snatched the tablet away from Eunseong.
When he looked up, Mujin’s face appeared upside down. His face, with wet hair that wasn’t fully dried naturally scattered, had a smile on it. His upper body, still damp with moisture, had only a towel casually draped over it.
“Your eyes hurt, so why are you looking at stuff like this?”
Mujin jumped right over the sofa backrest. He carelessly tossed the tablet into a corner of the sofa and set down two cans he had brought on the table. A cool scent wafted from his body that had come close.
The dressing bandages stuck all over his body seemed to have been applied by himself after washing. The way they were attached on his back was crooked and haphazard, making Eunseong chuckle.
“Why are you laughing?”
Mujin opened the tab of a cold drink can and suddenly brought it to Eunseong’s cheek.
“Ah, cold-“
The drink that overflowed from the can he had touched got on his cheek. Amid the strong spread of sweet peach scent, Eunseong’s face heated up even faster.
Eunseong rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand, pretending to wipe off the drink. He thought that might hide his blush. Having touched him, Mujin was bringing his own can to his lips as if nothing had happened. After moving his Adam’s apple up and down several times, he crushed the empty can.
“Is it okay to drink alcohol when you’re injured?”
Eunseong asked while looking at the crushed can. It was a common beer with 4.5% alcohol content, but he was concerned.
“Is this alcohol?”
“It’s beer.”
“That’s what you used to say before.”
“…But why is mine a soft drink?”
“Because you’re the type who can’t drink but talks big.”
“…”
“You’d collapse after just one can, and it was my job to carry you home.”
Mujin stood up with the crushed can. He brought two more new beers from the refrigerator and sat down deeply next to Eunseong again. Only Eunseong was conscious of their touching shoulders.
“When you go to the neutral zone major rift, I’ll go too. I need to earn money…”
“Ah, our Eunseong really has no fear.”
Mujin laughed as if amused. Was it his imagination? He looked much more relaxed than when he was at Huiseon. Eunseong quite liked his relaxed face.
“I can’t let Hunter Baek Mujin go alone.”
“…”
It seemed his feelings weren’t a mistake after all. Eunseong rubbed around his chest area. When he saw Mujin injured, his heart sank, and when he imagined him in danger, his whole body ached with a tingling pain. But Mujin gave no answer either way. Eunseong added more words to drive the point home.
“And you need support, don’t you? I’ll definitely go.”
“What kind of support are you going to provide?”
“Buffs, I can cast them.”
Ah, right. Buffs. Mujin muttered with the beer can still at his lips. He glanced toward Eunseong and suddenly stiffened his expression.
“When you lived at the bottom, did you use your buff abilities too?”
“No? I didn’t know about them then.”
Actually, he didn’t know how to use them even now. He had only brought it up because Yeon Seokchun had told him he had such abilities. He planned to first get on board with Mujin’s plan, then practice slowly. Since it was an ability he originally had, he thought it wouldn’t be too difficult to bring it out again.
“I see… Well, if it’s something you’re using on me, it might be… okay.”
Since Mujin muttered an enigmatic answer while drinking his beer, Eunseong also gulped down the soft drink he was holding. The rich sweetness was quite to his liking. This must have been his original taste too.
“What else did you hear from Team Leader Yeon Seokchun?”
“Just… I heard a lot of various things, about what kind of person I was, what kind of place Yuseong was. But he mainly spoke in ways that praised me…”
“Team Leader Yeon would have been excited to meet you.”
When Eunseong remained silent without responding, Mujin tilted his head and made eye contact. He quietly watched Eunseong’s eyes that had tears welling up, then reached out to wipe them away. Still, he didn’t tell him to wear the safety glasses again. His fingers moved slowly along his cheek.
“Why? Was it a bit burdensome? Were the visits too early?”
“…No. I just don’t really know. I don’t know if I was that kind of person.”
“You say you lost your memories, but your bad habits are still the same.”
Mujin wound a few strands of Eunseong’s hair around his fingertips. His gaze looking at the hair that had turned pure white was complex.
“Yoo Eunseong, you’re stubborn. You have consistent aspects.”
“What kind?”
“Well, like blindly seeing people only in a good light and easily trusting them?”
Like the way you’re looking at me right now… Mujin stared intently at Eunseong while rolling the can with beer still in it in his hand. The sound of aluminum gradually crumpling seemed to clear the strange atmosphere.
“Ah, there are some changed aspects too. You used to talk more and were more adorable.”
“…”
“Now you’ve become much more cautious. You treat me like a stranger.”
Eunseong closed his mouth because he had no words to respond with. Wasn’t it inevitable to be cautious about such things?
“Before, we were like… best buddies, I guess?”
When he asked tentatively, Mujin sharply raised his eyebrows. He folded his slightly widened eyes into a smile and poured the rest of his beer into his mouth.
“It was actually more like you were a younger brother.”
“Ah.”
At the tone that casually threw out what seemed like an obvious fact, Eunseong felt like he had been hit hard on the back of his head. The inside of his solar plexus lurched. So he stupidly repeated what he had said once more.
“Ah, younger brother.”
“Yes, younger brother.”
Mujin’s gaze turned toward somewhere far away.
“Jaeseong was definitely a friend, but I think I saw you as a younger brother. You used to complain every time that you were born half a year earlier than me, but you don’t remember any of that either?”
“Ah…”
Eunseong was completely speechless. He felt like he had glimpsed Mujin’s complex gaze and a cross-section of his heart. Guilt washed over him. He really was a precious friend. Yoo Eunseong was to Baek Mujin.
‘What was I thinking…’
At the sight of him looking at his face and curling up the corners of his mouth in a wonderful smile, Eunseong unconsciously smiled along. Still, the aftertaste of the smile was bitter. When Eunseong’s expression clouded, Mujin added more words.
“But it’s good. That you came back.”
“I’ll definitely remember again… No, I will. I want to.”
When he spoke as if they had become friends, Mujin nodded with a satisfied expression. As if he couldn’t stand it, he reached out and thoroughly tousled Eunseong’s hair. His ears heated up hotly like a conditioned reflex, but he obediently let him touch him.
Mujin gathered up the empty cans and stood up, looking back at Eunseong.
“Did you hear anything about Jaeseong?”
“They told me to hear about that from Hunter Baek Mujin.”
“All the difficult stuff is always my share.”
Eunseong took his extended hand and stood up with him. Feeling sorry once again for not knowing anything, he squeezed their clasped hands.
“I’m joking. I told them not to talk about it and to leave it for me because I wanted to tell you myself.”
Mujin pulled Eunseong hard, making their bodies collide.
“Come on, shall we go?”
“…Where to?”
“Where else, it’s late now so we should sleep.”
Where he pointed with his chin was the bedroom, and the digital clock on the wall showed 1 AM.
“…”
Eunseong bit his lips tightly as he was dragged powerlessly to the bedroom. To Mujin, like a younger brother who had grown up together in the same house, bathing together and sleeping in the same bed all seemed natural.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
