[Whisper] Chasa: Killer-nim
[Whisper] Killer: Why are you being so formal with me?
[Whisper] Chasa: Just be quiet before I block you again.
[Whisper] Killer: ㅜㅜ
At that, Killer obediently went silent. He was still following behind, but Chasa decided to just think of him as a shadow.
“Listening well does seem like something 44 would do.”
Still, after the server transfer, at least he actually listened when people spoke, so maybe that was an improvement… Wait, what was he even thinking? It was true that Killer had helped him, but that didn’t erase all the wrongs he had done.
[Guild] Oath’s Vow: If everything’s settled, should we head out now?
[Guild] Killer: Where are we going? Wargod?
[Guild] Killer: I’m coming too.
[Guild] Killer: Invite me.
Killer belatedly expressed his desire to join, but unfortunately, the party was already full. Just as Sa-yoon was about to inform him—
[Party] Shokrates: Ah, my mom just called me for dinner.
[Party] GegulGegulFrog: …You live alone, though?
[Party] Shokrates: Frog, read the room….
[‘Shokrates’ has left the party.]
Shokrates suddenly left the party.
[Guild] Killer: That means there’s a spot open, right?
[Guild] Chasa: LOL.
And, as expected, the one who took the empty spot was none other than Killer. It was obvious to everyone that he had pulled some strings behind the scenes, but Chasa decided to let it slide this time.
***
[Party] Freedeal: What exactly am I looking at right now?
At Freedeal’s words, Sa-yoon let out a sigh and pulled up the combat log.
[Combat] ‘Killer’ used Encouragement on ‘Chasa.’ While within a 10m radius for 1 minute, attack power increases by 20%.
[Combat] ‘Killer’ used Shadow Alliance on ‘Chasa.’ Evasion increases by 1,000 for 30 seconds.
A demon hunter was supposed to be a damage dealer. Yet, instead of attacking, Killer was spending his limited buffs on Chasa, so it was no wonder Freedeal was confused.
[Party] Chasa: For god’s sake, just deal some damage.
[Party] Killer: Got it.
[Party] Chasa: Next time, bring actual DPS skills.
[Party] Killer: Yes, sir!
[Party] GegulGegulFrog: Honestly, ever since Inseong transferred servers, things have felt weird…
[Party] GegulGegulFrog: But today is extra weird…
Frog was right. It was as if Killer had decided to become some obedient, well-behaved child. He followed instructions without complaint, and since he wasn’t flooding Chasa’s whispers with nonsense, maybe… just maybe, he wasn’t so bad to have around after all.
As everyone was reevaluating their opinions on Killer, the party successfully defeated Wargod Mars’ Clone, the boss of the Treasure Vault.
[Party] Furple: Ugh, what a scam.
[Party] GegulGegulFrog: Guess we’ll be grinding this all week. T_T
The Treasure Vault wasn’t just for its new cosmetic items—it also dropped enhancement materials and rare loot, making it a limited-time dungeon that everyone farmed religiously.
The dungeon wasn’t particularly hard or easy—it was balanced just right for an event dungeon. The temporary high-value cosmetic item had a low drop rate, and even after running the dungeon the full three times allowed per day, they didn’t get a single one.
By the time they were done, it was already early morning.
[Guild] Chasa: I’m heading off now.
[Guild] Oath’s Vow: Oh, right.
[Guild] Oath’s Vow: Chasa-nim, when will you be online this weekend? We need to have a strategy meeting for the siege battle.
At that, Sa-yoon reached for his phone and tapped the screen, which lit up immediately, opening the chat window.
The script review he had submitted to his professor was completed much faster than expected. He had assumed it would take a while, but two days ago, he was called in for a meeting.
Professor Jung Eun-chan initially expressed concern over the common theme Sa-yoon had chosen, but after hearing his thoughts, he encouraged him to go forward with it. It was the kind of trust reserved for a favored student.
The returned script had only minor corrections, with no major revisions needed. If he managed his schedule well, he might even be able to film part of it before midterms. That was why he had already messaged Sa Shin-jae to check if he was available on Saturday.
There was still no reply. Was he the type who didn’t check his phone often? Come to think of it, Sa-yoon had never seen him use his phone when they were together.
His music taste was classical, he barely looked at his phone, he didn’t seem to have a sweet tooth… On the surface, he looked like the type to go out drinking with friends every night, but in reality, there was something oddly old-fashioned about him.
Tilting his head at the thought, Sa-yoon turned his gaze back to the monitor.
[Guild] Chasa: I have plans on Saturday.
[Guild] Chasa: I’ll probably be on in the evening, but I’m not sure.
[Guild] Oath’s Vow: Then should we have the meeting on Sunday?
[Guild] Chasa: Yep.
[Guild] GegulGegulFrog: Whoa, Chasa-nim actually has plans this weekend?
[Guild] Shokrates: Damn, what a social butterfly.
[Guild] Freedeal: Is it a date?
[Guild] Chasa: LOL, no, it’s work. T_T
[Guild] Killer: Me too.
[Guild] Killer: I have plans this weekend too.
[Guild] Chasa: Yeah, okay.
[Guild] Freedeal: Cold. So cold. LOL.
[Guild] Killer: ㅜㅜ
Killer, who had been standing nearby the whole time, suddenly dropped an unnecessary TMI out of nowhere. Just then, Sa-yoon’s phone lit up, signaling an incoming message—the reply he had been waiting for.
[ sj ] Sounds good, see you then.
***
“Damn…”
Sa-yoon ran a hand down his face as he stood at the foot of the stairs leading up to the café. A cigarette before heading in would’ve been perfect. He still had about five minutes to spare before the meeting.
He tapped the cigarette pack against his thigh a couple of times but ended up shoving it back into his pocket.
“…Forget it.”
The reason? His overly sensitive meeting partner.
At the theater club’s get-together, most details were hazy, but for some reason, he clearly remembered Sa Shin-jae mentioning he was a non-smoker.
I can hold out for half a day, whatever.
Even after making up his mind, the restless feeling lingered. Sa-yoon ran his tongue over his bottom lip absentmindedly. Might as well grab a coffee or something. Maybe putting something in my mouth will help.
The moment he stepped inside, a familiar figure immediately caught his eye. Hard not to recognize that back—he’d been practically stalking it for the past two weeks.
Damn, good-looking people even have good-looking backs, huh.
Pale hair, a white nape, a straight posture that was surprisingly proper for someone his age—Shin-jae’s whole presence exuded a kind of old-fashioned elegance. However, Sa-yoon was well aware of what lay concealed beneath the chair.
Sa Shin-jae had an insanely beautiful frame. He seemed naturally well-proportioned, but a closer look showed just the right amount of lean muscle, the kind that only came from deliberate effort.
Should I frame his back in the shot? Or maybe open with an impact shot from behind…?
As he moved closer, Shin-jae’s profile came into view. The afternoon sunlight streaming through the café windows bathed him in soft, natural light, making him look like something straight out of a painting. At least, that’s how it appeared through Sa-yoon’s eyes.
Deep in thought, Shin-jae hadn’t even noticed someone approaching. Taking advantage of the moment, Sa-yoon let himself indulge in the sight. The way he sat, the way the light hit his features—ideas for shots filled his mind, his fingers itching to capture them.
In terms of personality, Shin-jae was sharp, difficult to read, and unpredictable. But appearance-wise? He was flawless. And the fact that he could act on top of that? It was like striking gold.
That guy is the lead of my graduation project.
A grin naturally crept onto Sa-yoon’s lips.
“You’re early.”
At the sound of his voice, Shin-jae, who had been staring blankly at the pillar in front of him, lifted his head. Sa-yoon’s reflection was captured in his light-tinged pupils, even softer in the afternoon glow.
“Hello.”
“I’m gonna order something—do you want…?”
It wasn’t until Sa-yoon sat down that he finally noticed something strange.
“Shin-jae, what… the hell is this?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
Had he mixed up their meeting today? Was this not their scheduled meetup? A glance at the table sent a rush of thoughts through Sa-yoon’s head.
“Did you… have other plans today?”
“Huh?”
Shin-jae squinted at him in confusion, as if he had just heard the dumbest thing in the world.
“You’re the one who asked to meet, senior.”
Right. That was true. I was the one who asked to meet. But then…
“Then what the hell is all this?”
It was a reasonable question—because sitting on the massive table, which could easily fit eight people, were over ten different drinks.
Blueberry smoothie, grapefruit ade, lemonade, a variety of teas he couldn’t even name, americanos, espressos… and even a homemade jujube tea, which one of his classmates once questioned why the campus café even stocked. Not a single drink was the same.
Bzzzt. Bzzzt.
Right then, a round, flat buzzer hidden among the drinks started flashing red and vibrating noisily.
“I’m gonna go grab my next order,” Shin-jae said casually, picking up the buzzer.
Sa-yoon was floored. There were more drinks coming?!
“Wait, hold on.”
He instinctively reached out and grabbed Shin-jae before he could head toward the counter.
“Is someone else coming?”
“No? It’s just us.”
That answer did nothing to clear things up.
“Then what the hell is all this?”
“Oh, this?”
Shin-jae turned back to look at the drinks, then smiled—his expression warm and radiant, almost like the sunlight streaming in from outside. He casually pointed at each drink, one by one, from the first to the very last.
“They’re all yours, senior.”
“…Huh?”
The sheer absurdity of the statement made Sa-yoon let out a noise that could only be described as a dolphin-like squeak.
“All of these?”
“All of these.”
