102.
“……!!”
Fortunate or not, the good thing was that Choi Jae-won was the only one who immediately saw with his own eyes Ryu Ho-yeon’s healed hand.
Choi Jae-won harshly pushed away Song Won-young’s hand and immediately grabbed Ryu Ho-yeon’s hand, fleeing the scene as if escaping.
Ryu Ho-yeon, not understanding what was happening, could only gasp for breath while his hand was held. Choi Jae-won’s pace was so quick that Ho-yeon’s weakened body could hardly keep up.
“Wait, wait…, too, fast…, ugh!”
His relatively quick legs finally lost their tempo and tangled. The muscles in his calves screamed as if cramping. A squeezing pain slowly crept in, but Ryu Ho-yeon couldn’t properly express his discomfort.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault, I’m sorry……”
This was because Choi Jae-won’s voice was trembling terribly as his strong arms wrapped around Ryu Ho-yeon’s body when he nearly fell again.
Like someone who had lost his mind, Choi Jae-won couldn’t collect himself and just repeated apologies incoherently, his eyes unfocused. Recalling how Choi Jae-won had been concerned about others’ gazes and potential rumors just moments ago, Ryu Ho-yeon forcibly moved his legs that felt heavily dragged on the ground. He thought it best to get him to the car first.
It was fortunate that they encountered the other attendants who had been waiting near the elevator for the two to return.
“Has something happened to the young master…?”
“I’ll explain later. For now, we need to depart quickly.”
“Understood. We’ll do that.”
Though they looked questioningly at the panicked Choi Jae-won, they readily followed Ryu Ho-yeon’s instructions. With the attendant’s help, Choi Jae-won was practically loaded into the back seat.
The car started, and only after the partition between the front and back seats was raised, leaving Ryu Ho-yeon and Choi Jae-won alone, did Choi Jae-won’s trembling subside somewhat.
“…I’m sorry, suddenly. You were surprised, weren’t you?”
“It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t.”
“……”
Choi Jae-won apologized again without explaining why. Hmm, should he have lied and said he wasn’t surprised? Seeing the tearful eyes that appeared after his response, Ryu Ho-yeon tilted his head in confusion.
He had always thought the much deeper eyes of the mature Choi Jae-won, now well past thirty, were unfamiliar. But the reddened eyes that looked ready to burst into tears were exactly the same as he remembered. Exactly the same. The very image that Ryu Ho-yeon had loved deeply, and that had loved Ryu Ho-yeon deeply.
Ryu Ho-yeon decided not to press Choi Jae-won, who seemed unprepared with any excuse. Instead, he just gently stroked his trembling back and shoulders.
“Hoo……”
Fortunately, Choi Jae-won found stability through Ryu Ho-yeon’s touch, despite Ho-yeon being neither an Esper nor a Guide anymore—just offering lukewarm warmth. Even Ryu Ho-yeon could clearly feel layers of deep sighs melting away.
“Ho-yeon.”
“Yes.”
“Can I hold you for a moment? Just for a little while.”
“……”
Since when had Choi Jae-won started asking for his permission even for a brief hug?
“Hm? Is it not okay?”
The reason for his silence wasn’t refusal, but it seemed Choi Jae-won had grown impatient, his voice carrying a subtle plea. Ryu Ho-yeon smiled faintly and said, “You never used to ask.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than he was lifted into Choi Jae-won’s lap. After blinking once, he found himself on Choi Jae-won’s knees. He could feel hot body heat around his neck as a feverish face pressed against him.
Even with this intense contact, no exchange of guiding occurred between them. Ryu Ho-yeon found that somewhat regrettable.
He didn’t regret losing his powerful abilities or no longer being an Esper. If the price for saving this world and securing Choi Jae-won’s future was this, what more could he ask for?
However… he felt a little sad that he could no longer feel the desperate yearning of the young Choi Jae-won who had been so eager to pour even a grain more of himself into Ryu Ho-yeon, whether from lack or from thirst.
Though he was pretending to have lost his memories, Ryu Ho-yeon also had many questions for Choi Jae-won.
How did he rise to S-class? Did he continue that damned experiment even after Ryu Ho-yeon disappeared? Was it difficult for him after Ryu Ho-yeon vanished? How had he been living? Though he had no right to be curious, he wondered if perhaps, just perhaps, Choi Jae-won had liked someone else, even briefly, during that time.
And above all, there was one thing he was most curious about. If he could ask just one thing, this would be it: whether Choi Jae-won truly loved the now pathetic version of himself just as much as before.
Choi Jae-won still loved the changed Ryu Ho-yeon. That was a fact beyond doubt.
But what made Ryu Ho-yeon anxious was whether this love being poured onto the current Ryu Ho-yeon was just… the lingering fever of a past first love. He was afraid to confirm whether Choi Jae-won could truly love this appearance that made even Ryu Ho-yeon afraid to stand before a mirror every morning.
The fact that Choi Jae-won’s persistent skinship—once using guiding as an excuse to hold hands one more time or press lips together one more time—had become noticeably cleaner was another catalyst fueling his anxious imagination.
“I’m sorry, I know I’m still unfamiliar to you. I know I shouldn’t be like this already… But sometimes being apart makes me so anxious…”
But seeing him hunching his broad shoulders, desperately trying to burrow deeper into Ryu Ho-yeon’s embrace, he understood. Seeing him tremble pitifully like a rain-soaked bird, he understood all too well.
Choi Jae-won was still Choi Jae-won.
Just as Ryu Ho-yeon, though pretending to have lost his memories, was still Ryu Ho-yeon.
“Could you loosen your arms for a moment?”
“No, I don’t want to let go. I won’t let go…”
“Choi Jae-won.”
“……”
“Jae-won hyung.”
“Ugh…”
The moment he called him “hyung” while meeting his gaze, both of Choi Jae-won’s ears turned bright red. The sight was purely delightful. So delightful that laughter almost burst out, yet not at all amusing.
Ryu Ho-yeon touched those reddened ears without asking permission. The flushed color expanded its territory, soon dyeing his straight forehead and hollow cheeks completely red.
Thinking that it was all his domain made him secretly proud. Still without asking permission, Ryu Ho-yeon abruptly leaned in, intending to firmly plant a kiss.
“……!!”
But perhaps asking permission would have been better this time. Seeing Choi Jae-won’s expression, which had been shyly flushed just a second ago, now completely crumpled in pain.
Having forgotten he was wearing a hat, he had thoughtlessly leaned in, and the long brim had struck Choi Jae-won squarely on the bridge of his nose and eye area. Choi Jae-won, afraid of startling Ryu Ho-yeon, couldn’t even cry out in pain and just swallowed his suffering. That expression… was pure devotion that couldn’t be viewed without tears.
“Ah. I’m sorry.”
Ryu Ho-yeon apologized a beat late and finally removed his hat. Though it was a hat he had held onto desperately even when falling face-first, in front of Choi Jae-won, he wasn’t afraid to take it off. The messy hair that had been pressed under the hat, the unsightly face revealed beneath the brim. He knew that none of it would appear unsightly in Choi Jae-won’s eyes.
Ryu Ho-yeon planted a light, comforting kiss on Choi Jae-won’s cheek, which was still wincing in pain. Choi Jae-won forgot the pain and opened his eyes wide in surprise. If he was already surprised by this much, Ryu Ho-yeon wondered how he would handle what was to come. Feeling playful, Ryu Ho-yeon kept his lips on Choi Jae-won’s cheek and moved his face sideways.
The corner of his lips first touched the corner of Choi Jae-won’s mouth. As anticipated, the corner of his mouth kept twitching mischievously. Instead of going straight to the center of his lips, he was timing it when suddenly his neck was grabbed as if Choi Jae-won couldn’t stand it anymore.
“I’m sorry. I really can’t hold back anymore.”
Though he had heard the word “sorry” countless times today, no apology had ever sounded so good. As Ryu Ho-yeon slowly closed and opened his eyes, signaling his acceptance of the apology, Choi Jae-won immediately parted his lips and entered. His palm slipping inside Ryu Ho-yeon’s clothes was just as urgent as his tongue delving hotly inside.
While firmly wrapping his arms around Choi Jae-won’s neck, who seemed to have lost all restraint, Ryu Ho-yeon glanced at the partition. He wasn’t sure if it was… completely soundproof.
“Where are you looking? No, focus only on me.”
“…Yes, sir.”
Anyway, since he had decided to follow Choi Jae-won’s words for the time being as a way to atone… he chose not to worry about such minor details. Even the glimpse of his healed hand that occasionally caught his eye. To Ryu Ho-yeon, it was just a trivial matter.
“Good. Now let’s start with a proper kiss. Close your eyes.”
“…Yes, sir.”
Compared to Choi Jae-won, it was only natural that it would be.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
