Chapter 102
“Give me your hand, quickly.”
“Why.”
“Because I want to hold it.”
“…Ha. What did you entrust to me?”
“Yeah, you’re mine. So hurry up and give me your hand.”
This time Baek Rak truly furrowed his brow in earnest. Regardless, Seo Won just blankly held out his hand.
“Baek Rak, Yoon Seo Won.”
In the middle of their invisible fight, Han Seong Hyeon came running from far away, calling the two. Even so, the cold atmosphere showed no signs of lifting. Han Seong Hyeon approached closely and tilted his head looking at Baek Rak and Seo Won.
“…What’s this, is something wrong?”
Seo Won was holding out his hand as if demanding something, and Baek Rak had his arms crossed with no intention of giving anything, glaring at each other.
Had they gotten into a fight?
“Um…”
“…”
“…Yoon Seo Won?”
Since it was obvious Baek Rak wouldn’t respond in this state, he called Yoon Seo Won. As expected, Yoon Seo Won’s eyes twitched and he slowly opened his mouth.
“…Yeah. What.”
“Why are you two like this? Did you fight?”
“No, we’re in the middle of a battle of wills.”
“About what?”
“There’s stuff like that.”
Seo Won, who had been glaring at Baek Rak with narrowed eyes, soon turned his head to Han Seong Hyeon.
At the resolute gaze he couldn’t usually see, Han Seong Hyeon smiled faintly. Somehow he felt like Yoon Seo Won was gradually becoming more like Baek Rak.
“I see. Make sure you win.”
“Yeah, of course I will.”
“…”
Yoon Seo Won was fully fired up. He thought Baek Rak might actually lose. Once that type made up their mind, they were surprisingly hard to break.
“Anyway, that aside. What about earlier? Can you really use abilities?”
He had momentarily forgotten about the confrontation between the two, but the reason for seeking out Seo Won here was clear.
He had never seen or heard of another ability manifesting in a hunter who was awakening as a guardian. It was that significant a matter.
“Yeah, I think I can use all the abilities I received through transfer for awakening.”
“All the abilities you’ve received so far…?”
Instead of explaining, Seo Won showed it directly before his eyes. He had poured out a lot of energy all at once healing Baek Rak, so it was a bit burdensome, but not to the extent that he couldn’t operate it. Though he wasn’t familiar with it, the more he used it, the more he felt he was getting a sense of how to utilize it.
Seeing the flame and white aura rising from Seo Won’s fingertips, Han Seong Hyeon’s expression became serious. After pondering for a while, he asked Baek Rak:
“…Baek Rak. Will it be okay?”
“I think we’ll know when the next awakening comes.”
“If it works out, there won’t be a problem, right?”
“For now.”
“Then, if things go well, he could use all his abilities while becoming a guardian?”
Baek Rak and Han Seong Hyeon simultaneously stared at Seo Won. Baek Rak showed no particular change, but Han Seong Hyeon had a subtle expression.
Not understanding the meaning, Seo Won asked Han Seong Hyeon:
“Why? Wouldn’t it be good if they worked together?”
“Of course it would be good, but the question is whether it’s possible.”
Since this was the first case they’d encountered, he seemed unable to hide his anxiety. Seo Won spoke as if giving himself positive suggestion, hoping for the best possible outcome:
“We can only hope it goes well.”
“I suppose…”
Han Seong Hyeon patted Seo Won’s shoulder and chuckled.
“But just in case, from now on only use flame abilities. There’s never been anyone who used multiple abilities either. You’re breaking the mold in many ways, Yoon Seo Won.”
“…That’s true, I understand.”
“For now, we’ll have to wait until the next awakening. But it seems like it’ll take several days for Rouni to wake up. His condition is worse than expected.”
“Why? How bad is it?”
“Nutritional state is the biggest problem. It must have been mentally difficult too, but his body couldn’t endure it. You said he woke up briefly? He seems to have used his last strength then.”
Seo Won smiled bitterly, recalling Rouni who had been amazed while eating fruit. It was fortunate that he had fed him some food then. Apart from his own awakening as a guardian, he hoped the boy would get back on his feet quickly.
“But what about me and Yu Sol? Should we stay inside the shelter like you said earlier?”
“Ah, that’s…”
“I’ll take charge of Yoon Seo Won, and attach Yu Sol to Nora.”
Before Han Seong Hyeon could say anything, Baek Rak stepped forward first. He seemed intent on keeping his word about having him in his sight. Did he really have no intention of avoiding it?
They’d be together continuously from now on, so he’d have to see how long he could endure it.
“Alright, Baek Rak, you stay with Yoon Seo Won. I’ll tell Yu Sol and Nora. And we should deploy some sentries around too.”
“Seo Won and I will be to the south, so divide the rest among the kids.”
“Deploy the hunter kids?”
“It’s better if we do it.”
“Hmm… Alright.”
When Han Seong Hyeon also agreed, things were somewhat settled.
Seo Won was brushing off the bloodstains that had hardened. Watching this, Han Seong Hyeon looked at the blood on Baek Rak and Seo Won’s arms and hands and asked:
“But whose blood is that? Are you hurt?”
“…”
“…”
Seo Won and Baek Rak’s gazes met again. Just as Seo Won’s eyes were about to sharpen again, Han Seong Hyeon sighed and said:
“Don’t tell me you deliberately made wounds to check if healing works? From the amount of blood, it looks like you cut deep… No matter what, please cherish your own body.”
As Seo Won lifted his chin as if to say “see?”, Baek Rak’s eyes became narrow. It was shameless beyond belief when it was something he had tried to do himself.
“Anyway, you two tone down the battle of wills. Got it?”
“There won’t be any trouble if Baek Rak doesn’t act stubborn.”
“What stubbornness?”
“Insisting it’s not true.”
“Insisting what’s not true?”
“That…”
Seo Won, who had been speaking without hesitation, belatedly trailed off. No matter what, he should restrain himself from revealing matters between them to other people. Wasn’t Baek Rak still turning away from his own feelings?
‘How do I handle that guy…’
He had made up his mind, but the guy was indeed formidable. He was quite rational, so it wasn’t easy to shake him either.
At least when they kissed, he was shaken enough to notice…
“…”
Wait? When they kissed?
Seo Won blinked at the scene that suddenly flashed through his mind. Hadn’t Baek Rak only pounced on him like a unleashed horse after he pushed first? Until then, he had acted coldly, telling him to let go.
‘Could it be… he’s weak to physical contact?’
He had said something about physical needs too, but as expected of a man, he was equally weak to stimulation. However, since he had already been caught once and would be on guard, it was uncertain whether he’d fall for it again.
Then Han Seong Hyeon, who was beside him, looked at him and quietly stepped back.
“…Yoon Seo Won. Why is your expression like that?”
“Like what?”
“You look like someone thinking bad thoughts.”
“…”
Seo Won glared at Han Seong Hyeon indignantly. Bad thoughts, indeed. Wasn’t that too harsh an assessment for someone worrying because of his fluttering heart?
He was so absurd and dumbfounded that words wouldn’t come out, when suddenly he heard a small laugh from beside him.
Seo Won turned his head with lightning speed. Then his gaze met with Baek Rak’s indifferent expression that couldn’t be called a smile. Look at this?
“Why are you laughing?”
“Who is?”
“You just laughed.”
“I didn’t laugh.”
“You did? I heard laughing.”
“Han Seong Hyeon must have laughed.”
“I was looking at Han Seong Hyeon until just now, you know? I definitely heard laughing from your direction. It was you.”
“You must have heard wrong.”
Baek Rak denied it to the end and moved his steps first as if annoyed. Seo Won hurriedly chased after him.
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“…”
“Where are you going, I asked. Ah, Baek Rak!”
“…Be quiet and follow me. We’re going to where we’ll stand guard.”
“But we were having a conversation, how can you just leave like that?”
“What kind of conversation was that?”
“Was I talking alone? If two people talked, then it’s a conversation.”
Han Seong Hyeon watched the backs of the two bickering as they walked away for a while, then seemed to realize something and chuckled.
“They’ve become… quite close.”
Though they seemed not to listen when he told them to get along well, they appeared to have become more intimate than expected.
Han Seong Hyeon quietly looked up at the red sky, then focused his gaze on the passing clouds. Only after those clouds disappeared behind the department store building did he mutter inaudibly to anyone:
“Baek Rak needs to get his feelings straight.”
His voice was full of worry.
***
Thud.
A considerably loud sound echoed.
When the people patching up the barrier looked up in surprise, Seo Won awkwardly waved his hand apologetically.
“…Haha.”
Only after confirming it wasn’t a big deal did people’s gazes return to normal. This time Seo Won carefully banged his head against the wall. If he hit it hard like before, he’d obviously draw attention again.
“This isn’t right.”
As his plan went awry, Seo Won lamented with his head against the wall.
No matter how he thought about it, this wasn’t right. He wasn’t a child, and he didn’t know what a grown adult was doing.
He had said he would make Baek Rak unable to turn away from his own feelings, not that he intended to grumble at the guy like this. When he came to his senses, rather than someone he liked, they seemed like a relationship where they annoyed each other and fought childishly every day.
Having continued in this state from when they first met until now, it seemed to have become completely ingrained.
“…Haa.”
But how should he act toward someone he likes? Especially toward a guy who rejects him despite being interested. Apart from acting shamelessly, he definitely needed to correct his attitude toward Baek Rak.
Should he try being affectionate and nice to him?
Or smile every time their eyes meet?
“…”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
