The Reason the Main Character of That Book Became a Seme 57

Chapter 57

“Training’s over, should we eat out? How about traditional Korean cuisine?”

Saliva pooled in his mouth as soon as he made the suggestion. The place was known for its various side dishes and abalone stone pot rice, so Chahun would probably like it. The fresh kimchi was especially delicious. Just imagining the hot stone pot rice made him feel like vomiting, so he figured he could order plain rice and soak it in cold water instead.

When Yeonwoo unconsciously swallowed his saliva, Chahun gestured as if telling him to lead the way.

“Where is it?”

“Have you been to the welfare district?”

“I know where the portal is. Let’s walk.”

Watching Chahun walk ahead, Yeonwoo clutched his hungry stomach. He knew this was Chahun’s considerate gesture to help Yeonwoo expel dungeon mana after collapsing from mana sickness. Though it was all Chahun’s misunderstanding, explaining his trauma would require too many additional details. Rather than making up a half-baked excuse, it was better to just be an Esper vulnerable to dungeon mana.

Wiping sweat from his forehead, Yeonwoo secretly sighed. For some reason, Chahun was walking ahead instead of matching pace with him as usual. He wanted to just use his ability, but fearing he’d be scolded for using abilities after collapsing from mana sickness, Yeonwoo did his best to keep moving his feet.

When he finally caught up, Chahun merely glanced down at him with an expressionless face without saying a word. Ah, this was a bit uncomfortable. Clicking his tongue softly, Yeonwoo stared at Chahun’s back. He couldn’t understand why he was angry.

Was it because he tried to stop Yeonwoo when he was about to give up and leave? But wouldn’t it be a waste to quit when they just needed to kill the boss to finish training? It wasn’t like he was seriously injured enough to stop training, and Chahun had seemed fine too.

As he walked with these thoughts, he found Chahun waiting for him in front of the portal.

“Ah, anyone can enter here if they’ve accumulated welfare points.”

Yeonwoo swiped his employee ID, opened the portal, and extended his hand to Chahun. Chahun rubbed Yeonwoo’s palm where nail marks were visible.

“Why didn’t you get this treated?”

“Because it didn’t really need treatment?”

Seeing Chahun frown at his response, Yeonwoo chose a well-intentioned lie. He said there wasn’t even time to ask for treatment since they came out right after opening their eyes. Chahun nodded in understanding and held his hand.

Even if there had been time to ask for treatment, he probably wouldn’t have received it anyway. Most healers had attitudes similar to Jo Heeseo. Just like how Heeseo only grudgingly provided Guiding when he was having seizures, healers only treated you when you were on the verge of death. Ah, S-class was always the exception.

After passing through the portal, Chahun, who had been following Yeonwoo, looked around with eyes full of curiosity. When his eyes met Yeonwoo’s, he walked over with a sullen expression.

“Want to look around before we go?”

Yeonwoo gestured toward the interior, seeing Chahun repeatedly stopping in his tracks. Chahun looked at items displayed behind glass windows, then shook his head with an expression that anyone could see was full of lingering interest.

“Maybe later. You’re hungry, Hyung.”

Chahun insisted on eating first but stopped when they reached an open space. Standing beside him, Yeonwoo looked around the space with a puzzled expression. The whale-back-shaped tile-roofed building was gone. This was definitely the right place, but where was it? Wondering if it had relocated, Yeonwoo looked around and spotted a sign.

…It wasn’t gone; it just hadn’t been built yet.

Yeonwoo gave a hollow laugh. Another restaurant came to mind, but he couldn’t bring himself to suggest it. What if that one hadn’t been built yet either?

As he hesitated, Chahun gestured for them to look around and decide.

“This isn’t a ghost town, so why are there so few people?”

“People usually use welfare points to rent items, not for eating out.”

At Yeonwoo’s words, Chahun stopped walking. As Chahun was about to turn back, suggesting they just go to the company cafeteria and use points to rent items instead, Yeonwoo grabbed him, laughing softly.

“Remember what Esper Yoon Seokhyun said? Mental-types don’t need items. The same goes for Auxiliary-types.”

While Attack and Defense types had many impressive weapons, most items for Auxiliary types had minimal effects. Rather than renting those, it was better to spend on delicious food.

While pretending to look for a restaurant, Yeonwoo glanced at Chahun’s wrist. Sili hadn’t been visible for a while. Thinking maybe he’d hung it somewhere else, he looked around but couldn’t sense Sili’s unique wave. Something had definitely happened, so why wasn’t he saying anything?

“Let’s just go here.”

Chahun pointed at a sign, then opened the door and went in. Standing in front of the door, Yeonwoo hesitated for a long time before entering. As soon as he opened the door, he shrank from the warm air that hit him. Yeonwoo carefully walked toward Chahun, who was gesturing to him.

“Can I order anything I want?”

When Yeonwoo nodded, Chahun pointed to various places on the menu when the server approached, then fell silent. Only the sound of ingredients being prepared echoed through the quiet restaurant. The occasional waves of warmth weren’t bothersome. This level of heat is okay, he thought.

“Hyung.”

While staring into space, Yeonwoo heard Chahun calling him cautiously. His unfamiliar tone made Yeonwoo’s eyes widen.

What exactly happened?

Chahun was holding his hands together, watching Yeonwoo nervously. His inability to keep his hands still and avoid eye contact resembled how he used to act after causing trouble during training. Did he order too much? That should be fine though.

“What? Want to order more?”

As Chahun shook his head indicating that wasn’t it, Yeonwoo slowly rolled his eyes. The mission had been completed successfully, so what was wrong? Did Lee Sangwon pick a fight? Or did he lose Sili?

His curiosity was burning him up inside. But Yeonwoo maintained a nonchalant expression and waited for Chahun to speak.

“Hyung.”

“Yes?”

“…Aren’t you angry with me?”

“Suddenly?”

At Yeonwoo’s response, Chahun, who had been slumped over, widened his eyes. Confused by Chahun’s dejected gaze, Yeonwoo blinked. Well, he had been angry with him countless times before. Each time, Chahun had always brazenly pushed through with an indifferent expression, so it was natural to be surprised when he suddenly showed concern about Yeonwoo being angry.

Chahun softened his gaze and handed Yeonwoo a spoon, then asked hesitantly.

“Don’t you remember what I said in the dungeon?”

How could he not remember? He was already trying hard to hold it in, so why pour oil on the fire?

From the moment he recognized the flame spider, he had been fighting the fear that made him want to run away. It had been so difficult that his tongue was all shredded from biting it repeatedly, making it hard to even speak. After helping despite the nausea, what did he get? “Hyung will do it”?

He had emphasized so many times that they needed to succeed. If someone says that, shouldn’t they do their best? Even the mana core seemed exasperated by Chahun’s last-minute refusal.

Thinking “I’ll show you I can do it if you tell me to,” he had transformed Sili into a knife. Although it consumed more mana than expected and was challenging, the flame spider was already near death, so he thought it would be fine if he finished it quickly. He had decided to kill it quickly and get out to rest, but seeing the burning spider, he had almost passed out.

Chahun, who he thought would remain a bystander, had dealt with the spider, and the virtual dungeon training had successfully ended. Since it ended well, there was no reason to be angry.

Seeing Yeonwoo’s calm response, Chahun hung his head low. Was he worried about making him angry? Finding this somewhat cute, Yeonwoo was about to comfort him when Chahun raised his head and grabbed Yeonwoo’s hand.

“Why aren’t you angry?”

“Huh? I have no reason to be angry.”

At those words, Chahun let go of Yeonwoo’s hand and let out a hollow laugh. Taking a deep breath that made his training clothes tighten, Chahun fiercely snatched an ice crystal floating around.

“…Do you actually care about me?”

What is he talking about now?

Despite the ice crystals flying menacingly around them, Chahun’s voice remained calm.

“I know roughly what you like, you know. Even if you didn’t tell me, after spending this much time together, it just becomes visible naturally.”

Yeonwoo kept his mouth shut, wanting to hear what he had to say. Chahun stared at him and continued in a dispirited voice.

“When you’re interested in something to a certain extent, you notice these things. I could see that you wanted to participate in the virtual dungeon even before you started singing about success, even before you were called to the Center Director. That’s why I didn’t complain when the Center Director put us in the virtual dungeon together.”

Was it that obvious? Yeonwoo bit his tongue as he watched Chahun’s fingertips drawing meaningless patterns on the table.

“I know that you and I have different values. I’ve lived as an ordinary person all my life, and you’ve lived as an Esper, so our values are bound to be different. I tried to understand that, but…”

Trailing off, Chahun looked straight at Yeonwoo.

“For me, a collapsed person takes priority over dungeon conquest. I believe that when someone is hurt, they need to be treated first.”

At Chahun’s words, Yeonwoo bit the tip of his tongue again.

In dungeons, conquest took priority over injured people. Gates didn’t open by themselves just because you dragged around injured people. To ensure as many people as possible survived, conquest had to be prioritized above all else. Wasn’t that better than all dying together while hugging a corpse?

Though Chahun might not understand it right away, he needed to get used to it now that he had awakened as an Esper. Chahun was the one who would lead the subjugation team. If he hesitated because someone was injured, the team would be annihilated. Monsters wouldn’t just fall over because you were worried about others.

“I understand what you’re saying. But what does that have to do with whether I care about you or not?”

“…Do you even see me as a person?”

“Of course…?”

If you’re not a person, what are you? As Yeonwoo was bewildered, a tray suddenly appeared before them. Chahun watched the food filling the table and reached out to wrap his hands around Yeonwoo’s porridge bowl. He used his ability to cool the porridge to the right temperature, then called over the staff to ask them to cut the braised meat into smaller pieces.

“You said you see me as a person, but honestly, I’m not sure. It feels like you’re just… seeing me as an Esper.”

Chahun’s voice was so quiet that Yeonwoo, who had been leaning forward, slowly sat up straight. Hearing this, he found it absurd. If you’re not an Esper, what are you? When Yeonwoo put down his spoon, Chahun handed him a dumpling, urging him to eat just a bit more.

“As you said, succeeding in the training would have benefited me. I would have secured evidence to report the Center Director and put Lee Sangwon in his place. But, Hyung. Is that the kind of person you see me as? Do I seem like someone who would be satisfied with reporting the Center Director and putting Lee Sangwon in his place when the person who was forcibly dragged in because of me got hurt?”

At Chahun’s words, Yeonwoo bit his lip. Pushing through with the training was entirely due to Yeonwoo’s selfishness. That way, Lee Sangwon and the Center Director would desperately hold onto Chahun. That way, Yeonwoo could protect Yeonhwa a little longer.

“And I told you. I have no intention of contracting with the Center.”

Not only had he changed Chahun’s future, but he had also tried to keep him tied to the Center despite knowing he would be bullied there.

“The Round Guild Master said he’d come to pick me up, so I’ll leave then. I wanted to have this conversation more seriously.”

Chahun clicked his tongue and placed a torn piece of pancake in Yeonwoo’s rice bowl.

“Aren’t you going to ask me where I’ll contract?”

He couldn’t bring himself to say that no matter where Chahun went, causality would drag him back to the Center. Seeing Yeonwoo’s lips moving without words, Chahun smiled bitterly.

“See? You don’t care about me at all.”