Chapter 24
“Haa…”
Dowoon exhaled a breath filled with many emotions as he tightly pulled Seoyul into his arms.
Being held in Dowoon’s embrace was somewhat embarrassing, but knowing why he was doing this, Seoyul smiled again and said, “Shall we try again?”
“Just a bit. Just a bit later.”
The mumbling voice sounded cute. Seoyul felt the enormous energy flowing steadily into Dowoon.
Indeed, the S-class Guiding was happening clearly in proportion to how much he was enjoying himself.
‘If I keep getting used to it like this, I think I’ll be able to control it.’
Somehow, he felt confident about it. Though it was still incomplete, he felt that someday he would be able to Guide him properly.
“Okay. I’m good. Let’s do it again!”
After absorbing all the energy, Dowoon raised his head with renewed determination. He boasted loudly that this time he wouldn’t die and would show his skills as an S-class Esper.
“……”
“Hahaha.”
But no matter how outstanding an S-class Esper he was, it seemed to have nothing to do with his gaming skills.
“One more time!!”
Having grown rapidly closer through gaming, the two never separated once they entered the house, staying constantly together.
To be precise, Dowoon was the one who refused to separate, and Seoyul was generously accommodating him.
“Seoyul. Can you cook too?”
“Of course. From now on, I’ll cook for you!”
They had been so immersed in exploring restaurants that they hadn’t thought about cooking at home. But now, thinking it would be fun to cook meals with Dowoon, he rolled up his sleeves and confidently stepped forward.
But…
“Um… Esper-nim.”
“What?”
Dowoon calmly replied while embracing him from behind.
“If, if you stay like that, I can’t cook…”
More precisely, it was distracting. When playing games, it was fine because he had something to focus on, but cooking was different.
While there was the excuse of Guiding when gaming, he wondered if there was really any need for this while cooking.
But Dowoon was confident.
“No. You can do it. And since we don’t know when Guiding might pop up, we need to stay close.”
“Do, do you think so?”
“Of course. Now, what are you making? Hurry up and do it.”
Unable to resist Dowoon’s strange persuasion and urging, he began cooking. Dowoon watched him while maintaining that same position.
Since that was really all there was to it, Seoyul relaxed and started cooking. Plus, Dowoon moved with him so well.
When he needed to go right, Dowoon moved right; when he went left, Dowoon moved left. It was almost as if they were one body, moving together so perfectly that it was fascinating.
‘Is this because he’s an S-class Esper?’
Because of his good motor skills?
Seoyul’s eyes sparkled. But for Dowoon, it was simply an automatic behavior stemming from his desire to stay close to his Guide by any means.
After finally getting permission, what if he was told to move away because he was in the way?
‘No way, no way.’
Dowoon, wanting to stay as close as possible, carefully observed and watched him cook.
‘He can make all sorts of things.’
Having never properly seen someone cook before, it was fascinating. Though Seoyul had said he couldn’t make anything special, to Dowoon’s eyes it looked impressive.
“Ooh.”
A modest but solid meal was arranged on the large table.
It was just bubbling doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), an omelet, and a few side dishes bought from outside, but it was a proper meal.
“So these things can really be made at home.”
Dowoon’s eyes sparkled as he expressed pure admiration. So this was the home-cooked meal he’d only heard about! And Seoyul made it for him!!
“I’m not sure if it will suit your taste. I only made the stew and the omelet…”
“That’s plenty! Amazing! You’re really the best!”
Dowoon lavished praise even before tasting it. While part of it was considering his Guide’s feelings, it truly was impressive.
‘Is there anything Seoyul can’t do?’
Good at Guiding and good at cooking. Seoyul might be a genius.
No, he was a genius.
“Let’s eat.”
Dowoon scooped up a spoonful of doenjang jjigae and put it in his mouth. Seoyul waited for his evaluation, wondering if it would suit his taste, if he’d made a mistake by offering to cook.
“How, how is it?”
When he anxiously asked after Dowoon’s silence, Dowoon exclaimed with shining eyes, “It’s the best! You really must be a genius!”
“What?”
“Wow! I’ve never eaten something this delicious before! Really!”
“Is, is it that good? I don’t think… it’s that special?”
Seoyul knew his cooking skills well. When his mother was alive, they often cooked together. So while he knew how to make things, the taste was ordinary.
He remembered always feeling disappointed because he could never achieve the taste his mother used to make.
“No! Let’s always eat at home from now on. Ah, if that’s okay with you.”
“I, I’m fine with that!”
Seoyul quickly responded. Dowoon seemed excited by this and, uncharacteristically, smiled brightly as he scooped up a heaping spoonful of rice.
‘He can… smile like that too.’
Seoyul felt somewhat proud and at the same time couldn’t take his eyes off that smile, staring intently. Though he didn’t smile often, when Dowoon smiled like this, he was truly dazzling.
So dazzling that even his own dark and gloomy self felt purified by the brightness.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and eat too. If you don’t eat, I’ll eat it all?”
“What? Oh. You, you can have it all…”
“What are you saying? You need to eat too. Eat quickly.”
Dowoon urged him to eat quickly and scooped up some tofu from the doenjang jjigae, holding it out. Seoyul, puzzled by the tofu suddenly approaching his face, ended up opening his mouth without thinking.
‘Ah…’
The tofu that Dowoon fed him directly melted softly, gently dissolving his heart. It felt as if his heart had become as soft as tofu, becoming fluffy and then melting away.
Fwhoosh.
His face reddened for no reason, and he pretended to chew while hiding his face. But since he couldn’t hide it properly, Dowoon caught the full sight of his expression.
‘Ah…’
Dowoon also sighed softly, recognizing his own unconscious action.
‘Just, just now. Seoyul. With the spoon that I used…’
Fwhoosh.
His face also turned red. An indirect kiss.
As that thought occurred to him, things he had never considered before began to flood his mind.
Seoyul’s lips looked especially red and tempting enough to bite into. He wondered what it would feel like to kiss those lips, to share deep breaths—his heart felt like it would burst.
…This was troublesome.
“I… I need to use the bathroom for a moment.”
Dowoon hurriedly stood up. He was worried that his sentimental feelings might be noticed. Seoyul only then looked at Dowoon, but he had already disappeared into the bathroom.
“Haa.”
Somehow, he felt relieved that Dowoon had left. Seoyul waved his hands, cooling his heated face.
“Ah, why am I like this.”
But… his reddened face didn’t return to its normal color for a long time.
* * *
Despite that subtle situation, the two soon returned to how they were before. They comfortably played games again, cooked, and sometimes watched movies.
Seoyul, who had never experienced watching movies so comfortably, once again experienced a new world.
‘To think there are such diverse worlds.’
It was incredibly fun. Of course, they were watching in order of how entertaining they were, but he never dreamed that something could be this enjoyable.
Seoyul steadily expanded his hobbies, continuously Guided Dowoon, and lived an ordinary daily life.
But that story applied only to Seoyul; for Dowoon, it was not like that at all.
‘Crazy. Crazy. Crazy. You filthy bastard. You want to think about that in this situation?’
Once he became conscious of it, for days, he could see nothing but Seoyul’s lips. Wherever he went, the lips caught his attention first, and if he let his guard down even a little, he felt like he might kiss those moving lips.
Plus, since he was always embracing him when they were home, the impulse grew stronger and stronger. Seoyul was in his arms, and if he just lowered his head a little, he could kiss him.
Because of this, he was constantly holding back, enduring.
It was all something that could be resolved if he stayed away from Seoyul, but the foolish Esper had completely erased that option.
Even though it was difficult, he wanted to stay close. Partly because of Guiding, but also because being close to him made him feel as if Seoyul belonged to him, which was satisfying.
‘Sigh. I’m going crazy. Really.’
In his arms, Seoyul was blankly staring at the screen, immersed in the movie. His slightly parted lips caught Dowoon’s eye, and he couldn’t look away.
What would it feel like to touch those plump lips? They’d be soft, right? What if he put his finger in? They would surely be warm and soft.
Seoyul would look at him in surprise, and if he kissed him right then…
“Hoo…”
Dowoon eventually failed at pretending nothing was wrong and buried his face in Seoyul’s shoulder with a heavy sigh.
“Um… are you not… enjoying it?”
“No. It’s because of the Guiding.”
“Ah…”
Though no Guiding was happening right now, he blamed the Guiding as an excuse for his crumbling state.
Fortunately, Seoyul believed him without question and resumed watching the movie.
Dowoon calmed his turbulent heart a little and then turned his head.
A pale white nape came into view. Then his thoughts began to chain together again.
The nape looked so white and delicate that he felt the urge to bite it. If lips weren’t okay, wouldn’t the nape be fine?
He kept searching for possibilities while having such absurd thoughts. It felt like this cute creature would taste sweet if he bit into it.
‘Ah, I really want to eat him all up.’
But that was impossible. Dowoon hid his surging feelings as best he could and buried his lips in the nape, pretending not to know what he was doing.
Then, Seoyul’s body twitched and jumped. But Dowoon pretended not to notice and didn’t move.
Seoyul didn’t move either. Why wasn’t he moving? Did this mean it was okay to do more? Or was he just being understanding because he thought Guiding was happening?
Kind Seoyul.
Good Seoyul.
Insanely cute Seoyul.
‘Aaargh!’
Dowoon raised his head, locking the overflowing scream in his heart.
“Do you want to watch the next one?”
The ending credits were just rolling up.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
