The café in the middle of the Main Building lobby was, as usual, packed. Just placing an order meant waiting at least fifteen minutes.
“One iced hazelnut latte and two watermelon juices to go, please. Oh, and what do you want?”
“Iced Americano.”
Han-seo gave a playful scoff and scolded him for being boring, but Woo-jun had called it right. Normally, Han-seo loved any kind of fruit juice, but watermelon was a seasonal item, only available in summer—so once it hit the menu, he practically lived on it.
“Add an iced Americano to that too. Hmm, and I’ll take one slice of each cake.”
“All that? Who’s carrying it?”
There were at least five or six different cakes on display in the showcase. Choi Jae-won, who’d only been thinking of grabbing a light snack, instinctively made a sour face and grabbed Han-seo’s wrist just before he could swipe his card. But Han-seo didn’t even flinch—he just flicked his fingers toward the waiting barista. Go ahead and ring it up.
“You are. And since both of them eat like champs, we’ve gotta bring this much.”
“‘Both meaning… Ho-yeon hyung too?”
“Obviously. He goes nuts for dessert.”
Apparently just listening wasn’t enough. Jae-won whipped out his notepad and started scribbling notes. Holding the buzzer they’d been given, Han-seo leaned over and peeked at what his cousin was writing. “Likes all desserts” had just become item sixteen on his real-time list of Things Hyung Likes.
“What are you doing?”
“Ugh, don’t look.”
“Add number seventeen. Hazelnut latte. Usually iced, but on rainy days, he prefers it hot.”
Already caught, Jae-won didn’t even bother being embarrassed. He settled into a seat to wait for the takeout and started interrogating Han-seo like it was a full-blown interview, digging for every bit of trivia about Ryu Ho-yeon’s preferences.
The last time he’d shown up at the Guiding Room where Han-seo worked, it had been for the same reason. But that day, he hadn’t been able to ask a single thing thanks to Park Woo-jun’s icy glare every time he opened his mouth.
“He likes plums best. Doesn’t enjoy exercise—hates physical activity, actually.”
“Fruit… plums… exercise… hates it… got it…”
“You really like Ho-yeon, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Not even gonna try hiding it?”
“Why should I?”
“Well, for starters, it’s obvious you joined just to get close to him. At least pretend until Grandpa or Uncle adjusts to the idea that you’re stationed here.”
“No thanks. Waste of time. I’ve already waited long enough.”
Considering his cousin had always been the type to be born with everything, totally detached from the world and seriously lacking in charm, it was definitely a shock to see him bulldozing his way forward like this. But the fact that he liked Ryu Ho-yeon? That wasn’t surprising at all. Ho-yeon had the kind of face anyone could fall for at first sight.
What was surprising was when it all started.
“So that’s why you suddenly decided to become a Guide. I thought you were just being dramatic, but if it was to get close to Ho-yeon, I guess I get it.”
“I didn’t ask for your understanding.”
“Hey. Write this one down. Thing Ho-yeon likes, number zero: Lee Han-seo. Thing Ho-yeon hates, number zero: anything Han-seo tells him to hate.”
“Oh, come on!”
“Got it? Then don’t be stupid, Jae-won.”
“…You two are just friends, right? Like, seriously—just friends?”
“Yeah. Woo-jun’s my first love.”
Han-seo smiled as he said it, his face visibly brighter. The fact that Ho-yeon finally had a Guide was heartening. And the fact that it was someone he knew made it even easier to feel relieved.
Han-seo’s betrayal of Ryu Ho-yeon would never just disappear, but at the very least, maybe—just maybe—he wouldn’t be crushed with guilt every time he thought of him.
“Be good to him. He’s awkward with people, so you’ll probably want to pull your hair out. And he’s super slow to react too.”
“…I know.”
“If you ever have questions, come ask me anytime.”
It was a huge relief that the Guide who’d finally shown up for Ryu Ho-yeon was someone capable of pouring this much care into him.
“But wait—aren’t you B-Class? What’s your Matching Rate like that they assigned a B-Class to an S-Class?”
“Well, that’s—”
“Oh, the buzzer’s going off. Let’s go.”
Han-seo grabbed only the two drinks for himself and Woo-jun, one in each hand, and headed toward the elevator with a bounce in his step—completely forgetting the question that had gone unanswered.
“Han-seo!”
The moment he opened the small conference room door, a massive body wrapped him up in a tight bear hug. He didn’t even need to see the face. Of course it was Park Woo-jun. Still holding the drinks, Han-seo wriggled his shoulders.
“Let go. I’m holding stuff.”
“Mm-mm, nope. I missed you way too much…”
“What’s with you? Just take your drink already—my arm’s killing me.”
“Knew it. You went with watermelon juice.”
“Huh?”
“Hehe. Drink up.”
Park Woo-jun took both cups and brought one to Han-seo’s lips. Without much thought, Han-seo took a sip through the straw. The cool, sweet flavor immediately spread across his mouth.
“Tastes good, huh, Han-seo?”
Why’s he acting like he did something special when I paid for this? Still, Han-seo kept sipping, not bothering to argue. He didn’t have to wait long to figure it out.
“Of course I know exactly what my boyfriend likes. Right?”
Woo-jun shot a smug glance over his shoulder, proudly grinning like he’d just scored a win. Han-seo sighed. Really? Pulling this kind of stunt in front of an old friend? It had been almost thirty minutes since they left to get drinks, and clearly the petty posturing was still going strong. If he’d known it’d be like this, he should’ve just ordered a lemonade.
“…Hey, you’re kind of blocking the entrance. Mind stepping aside? Or moving, at least?”
Han-seo rolled his eyes as Choi Jae-won finally showed up, one hand clutching a drink carrier and the other gripping a large paper bag stuffed with six slices of cake. Maybe it was just him, but it looked like those bags were extra heavy today.
“Oh, we’re heading out anyway. You can go on in.”
“We are? Did you already schedule the training with Ho-yeon?”
“Yup, all set.”
Han-seo blinked, glancing back and forth between Woo-jun and Ho-yeon. He half-wondered if Jae-won was just saying that to avoid the awkward tension.
Woo-jun was trying to play it cool, but anytime Ho-yeon’s name came up, he reacted like someone had brought up an ex—like he was physically resisting the urge to flinch. For both of them, Ryu Ho-yeon had always been a delicate subject. So much so that in the past five years, not once had his name come up between them.
Sensing the tension in Han-seo’s narrowing gaze, Woo-jun launched into a detailed explanation of their so-called training plan—whether it was pre-arranged or something he’d just made up on the spot was anyone’s guess.
“Next week, we’ll start with three B-Class dungeons. If that goes smoothly, we’ll jump straight into A-Class. We’ll probably rotate through those for about a month. After that, it depends on how well you two keep up. By tomorrow at noon, send me the list of three B-Class dungeons you want to hit—based on the forecast. You know how to use the work messenger, right? Look for the Chief of Espers team in the org chart. I’m listed right at the top—send it there.”
“Got it.”
Most of the admin work fell to his assistants these days, but Woo-jun had been a Team Leader for years—he still had the presence for it. He laid out the schedule with practiced ease, and for some reason, that made Han-seo feel proud. So much so that he gave Woo-jun’s butt a light pat.
“Hey, come on… Not in public.”
Says the guy who kisses his hair and bites his cheek whenever he feels like it—regardless of who’s watching. Now he was embarrassed over a little pat? Please. How exactly was Han-seo supposed to discipline a boyfriend this shameless? Grinning to himself, he turned to wave at his cousin, still holding bags in both hands.
“You heard him—we’re heading out.”
“Seriously? What am I supposed to do with all this?”
“Jae-won. Zero and zero.”
“…I’m just saying, wasting food hurts the planet. Think of the Earth, hyung.”
With his tiny appetite, Jae-won clearly couldn’t wrap his head around how they planned to devour that much cake. He probably wouldn’t finish a single slice on his own.
Han-seo raised his index finger and subtly pointed to Ryu Ho-yeon, who’d been sitting quietly with his head down.
“Relax. Ho-yeon can finish it all by himself.”
At the sound of his name, Ho-yeon lifted his head. Their eyes met. For the first time in what felt like forever, Han-seo smiled at him without guilt.
“I brought cake. You still love it, right?”
“…You remember that?”
“Of course I do. How could I forget? You’ve always been my most precious friend.”
“……”
“I’m sorry, Ho-yeon. I walked away first… and then I kept avoiding you. I’m really sorry.”
Woo-jun tugged at his sleeve, silently urging him to leave. But Han-seo gently pushed his hand away. Woo-jun’s eyebrows immediately drooped like a sulky puppy. Seriously? One second. The guy couldn’t last one second without pouting.
Stifling a laugh, Han-seo quickly laced their fingers together and gave his hand a firm squeeze. Just like that, Woo-jun’s eyes lit up again.
He’d only let go to intertwine their fingers, and this guy had already started sulking. Honestly, it was ridiculous. But somehow, it made Han-seo feel a little lighter.
“I won’t avoid you anymore. Even if it takes time, that’s okay. If there ever comes a day you think you might be able to forgive me… let me know.”
“……”
Not once had Han-seo regretted giving up the chance to be Ho-yeon’s Guide just so he could hold Woo-jun’s hand. In fact, that was what he felt guiltiest about. But that? That was something he could never bring himself to say.
“I was really happy when I heard you found a Guide. Congrats.”
His smile was blinding—bright and open, without a trace of darkness. Ho-yeon gave him a small, uncertain smile in return, like he wasn’t sure how to feel. But Han-seo didn’t notice.
It was one of those rare days when everything felt like it might just turn out okay.
