As time went on, the frequency of Gates appearing dropped dramatically. The number of mutant beasts in their habitats was steadily dwindling as well.
People began to say, almost in unison, that the age of beasts might truly be coming to an end.
Ability Users now spent their days dealing with the occasional Gate, harvesting Ridune left behind by lingering beasts, and inspecting the defensive barriers that surrounded habitats.
Some had already resigned from the Central Bureau or the Association, choosing instead to step into the broadcasting industry or seek out jobs where they could put their powers to better use.
Water-attribute Espers, for instance, found work managing aquarium systems or serving as lifeguards along the coast.
Contrary to what Bureau Chiefs and researchers had feared, even with beasts disappearing and Gates no longer emerging, Ability Users adapted quickly, finding new roles and settling into them without much trouble.
There were murmurs that the Central Bureau and the Association no longer carried the same prestige as before, but as long as even a single beast remained alive, Ability Users would still be protectors of civilians—and civilians still admired them for the powers they themselves did not have.
Hyun Tae-oh and Kang Chi-yu had become a well-known couple within the Central Bureau.
Once only a Temporary Pair, they were now an official Pair, each bearing the other’s initials boldly engraved on their necks.
Whenever Tae-oh held Chi-yu close, he would press his lips again and again to the spot where his initials were marked on Chi-yu’s skin. Because of that, Chi-yu often winced the next morning when the collar of his uniform brushed against his neck. And yet, he never told Tae-oh to stop—because Tae-oh’s affection for that mark was far too endearing.
That, and all the other small, tender gestures that came with it.
Chi-yu sat at the table, chin resting in his hand, watching Tae-oh’s broad back as he moved busily around the sink.
The sight of Tae-oh in an apron, ladle in hand, was almost absurd—something that should’ve looked completely out of place—yet somehow, the mismatch suited him so perfectly it was disarming.
The great Hyun Tae-oh cooking? Even his own mother would probably be shocked.
Of course, Tae-oh had always been especially considerate toward Chi-yu, even back when they were just friends, but since they’d started dating, that consideration had taken on a whole new depth.
After they became an official Pair, it only intensified.
He used to eat only what others cooked for him; now he insisted on cooking meals himself so that Chi-yu could eat them.
Chi-yu had eaten Tae-oh’s cooking maybe half a dozen times since then, and every dish had been genuinely good.
Unlike his mother, Tae-oh was skilled in the kitchen. Then again, maybe that was simply because he was the kind of man who excelled at everything.
“You didn’t forget about next week, did you?”
Tae-oh asked as he stirred the pot of soup.
Chi-yu had said he wanted potato soup, and Tae-oh had been at it for an hour already.
From chopping the potatoes to simmering the stock from scratch, cooking with Tae-oh always meant time slipping away.
Two, even three hours was his usual pace—slow as a turtle—but the results were always worth it, so Chi-yu never really complained.
“Oh, the deserted island hotel?”
“Yeah. We’ll spend a week there first, then use the rest of our time off to travel around.”
Between the one-month vacation they’d earned filming A Pair is Born, the extra week Tae-oh had gotten from Lee Jun-hyung, and the year-long paid leave, they had more than enough time to wander.
“Where to?”
“Everywhere. Wherever you want.”
Even spending an entire year traveling the world with Tae-oh sounded wonderful.
Honestly, though, even if they spent all that time at home, Chi-yu would still be happy as long as he was with him.
Tae-oh scooped up a spoonful of broth, blew on it gently, and offered it across the table.
Chi-yu opened his mouth without thinking and tasted it. The flavor was clean and light.
“Oh—”
A small sound of appreciation escaped him. Tae-oh nodded, turning back toward the sink.
“You’re getting better at this.”
Chi-yu said, chin still propped up. At those words, Tae-oh switched off the induction burner and replied,
“I’ve still got a long way before I catch up to you.”
He set the soup and several side dishes on the table.
When Chi-yu moved as if to help with the utensils, Tae-oh only motioned with his chin for him to stay put.
The few times Chi-yu had tried insisting, Tae-oh had simply headlocked him, threatening playfully until Chi-yu plopped back down in his chair. And every time, Chi-yu had obeyed.
***
Beom Do-il and Min Yu-hyun were swamped filming the backlog of A Pair is Born.
That left Lee Jun-hyung, who usually spent time with Do-il, on his own.
Whenever Chi-yu had a free moment, Tae-oh would swoop in and take him away, leaving Jun-hyung without company.
Sometimes he ate with Yoon Do-jae when their schedules lined up, but Do-jae wasn’t much fun. Time with him felt even duller than gaming alone.
Naturally, Jun-hyung found himself spending more and more time by himself.
The weekends were no different.
One weekend, he was in the middle of a phone game when he noticed it was time for A Pair is Born to air, so he turned on the TV.
On the screen, Beom Do-il and Min Yu-hyun were attempting saliva-contact Guiding.
It wasn’t an explicit kiss—just the tips of their tongues brushing, enough for saliva to exchange. And yet, strangely, it felt far more intimate than any passionate kiss scene.
Jun-hyung stared, dazed, until the sudden GAME OVER blared from his phone, startling him into dropping it.
“Ah…”
As he bent to pick it up, tears spilled down his cheeks before he even realized. He raised his hand to his face, startled.
“…What…?”
He hadn’t known he was crying. And just then, Beom Do-il teleported straight into his living room. Do-il had rushed over, worried Jun-hyung might catch the Guiding scene.
“What!? Why are you crying?!”
But seeing Jun-hyung’s tear-streaked face the moment he arrived left him completely flustered.
“Who was it? Who the hell made you cry?!”
He shouted fiercely, scanning the room—until his gaze fell on the TV, where his own Guiding scene with Yu-hyun was still playing. His eyes went wide.
“Why are you here? Aren’t you still filming? Can you just walk out like that?”
Jun-hyung quickly turned away, wiping his eyes. Do-il just stared at him.
“…Why were you crying?”
“I wasn’t. Something got in my eye.”
“The contract required at least one saliva Guiding scene. That’s all it was. We agreed to shoot it once and be done. It really doesn’t mean…”
“It’s fine. I don’t care. You don’t have to explain.”
Jun-hyung sat back on the sofa, restarted his game, and focused on it as if nothing had happened. Do-il watched him intently.
“…Why were you crying?”
“I told you. Dust.”
“Don’t lie.”
“Why would I lie to you?”
Jun-hyung let out a small, bitter laugh. His eyes stayed on the screen, but his mind was lost in the puzzle of tears he himself couldn’t explain.
“Jun-hyung.”
“…What?”
“You know…”
Do-il’s voice was unusually serious. Jun-hyung finally looked up, his eyes still wet, shining like jewels.
“To be honest, I thought about… trying things out with Yu-hyun-hyung.”
With that one sentence, Jun-hyung broke. His widened eyes spilled heavy tears, streaming down uncontrollably.
“Wha—why is this happening…”
He pressed his palms against his eyes in a panic. It had to be because he’d been so lonely these days.
He’d spent so much time alone, he was bound to be fragile. Hearing his closest friend say he wanted to date someone else—it only made sense he’d cry. But worried Do-il would misunderstand, Jun-hyung rushed to clarify.
“Don’t get the wrong idea, it’s not because of what you just said…”
“I did, though.”
Do-il spoke right over him, continuing calmly.
“But I can’t. I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Even when the ever-popular Min Yu-hyun confessed to him, it was Jun-hyung who came to mind. Saying he hadn’t been tempted would’ve been a lie. But even through the temptation, the conclusion was the same: it had to be Jun-hyung. No matter how perfect someone else was—even if they gave him everything—it would never be enough. For Do-il, there was only one person. And that was Lee Jun-hyung.
“I told myself I’d try. Date this person, that person. Try falling in love. And if, after all that, it still came back to you—then I’d come to you with certainty.”
“……”
“But it turns out I can’t even do that. I can’t, Jun-hyung. If it’s not you, it’s no one.”
At some point, Do-il had moved closer, gently wiping the tears from Jun-hyung’s face.
“So just… let me in, okay?”
He sat beside Jun-hyung, wrapping his arms around him carefully. Jun-hyung pressed into him, trying his best not to sob.
“Take me, Jun-hyung.”
“…Are you really sure… you’d be okay with me?”
Jun-hyung asked, almost afraid. Do-il’s embrace tightened.
“You’re the only one I’ll ever be okay with.”
***
“Are you serious?!”
In the Guiding Room, when Jun-hyung told Chi-yu that he and Do-il were now together, Chi-yu’s eyes went wide.
He already knew Do-il had liked Jun-hyung for a long time, so it wasn’t all that shocking.
Still, after seeing Jun-hyung push him away so many times, the sudden change was surprising. But more than anything, he was happy for them.
So much so, he gave back the one-week vacation pass he had once handed to Tae-oh. After all, he and Tae-oh still had the one-month pass from the second game mission, plus the full year of paid leave.
The deserted island hotel trip they had planned, Chi-yu handed over to Jun-hyung and Do-il. He and Tae-oh began searching for another destination. But when Jun-hyung asked if they could all just go together, Chi-yu immediately suggested to Tae-oh that the four of them travel as a group.
Tae-oh, of course, was irritated—Jun-hyung and Do-il were not only taking their pass but also tagging along on their trip. But when he saw Chi-yu’s excited face, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
It was just one extra week added to their month-long vacation, he told himself. He could live with that.
But then the “extra” kept growing.
Beom Do-il gave the one-week vacation pass he’d earned from filming A Pair is Born to Min Yu-hyun, who then brought along Yoon Do-jae.
What was supposed to have been an intimate getaway for just him and Chi-yu had somehow turned into a six-person group trip.
