#108
As he stepped out of the bedroom, the aroma of fragrant coffee stimulated his senses. It had been a while since he had caffeine, trying to settle his stomach. The coffee scent wafting through his nose was unexpectedly welcome.
“Come here,” said Choi Hanseo, comfortably seated on the sofa with his legs crossed, patting the spot next to him. Lee Eunseok walked over without hesitation and sat beside him. In front of them were coffee cups tailored to their individual tastes. Eunseok happily picked up his cup and put the straw in his mouth.
“How’s the situation out there these days?” Eunseok asked after quickly drinking half of his iced Americano.
For the past few days, as if by unspoken agreement, they hadn’t discussed the outside situation at all. When Choi Hanseo kept quiet, Eunseok didn’t push the issue. Of course, he was curious, but he held back knowing Hanseo wanted him to rest and recover fully. However, now that he had his phone back and his patience was wearing thin, it was time to return to reality.
“It’s probably similar to what you’re imagining. The government and the Management Bureau are still whining, while the media and public opinion are split, fighting vigorously on both sides,” Hanseo replied briefly. Eunseok hadn’t expected a long, detailed explanation from him anyway. He could always look things up on his laptop.
Hanseo casually draped his arm over Eunseok’s shoulder and began nuzzling his neck. He had a particular fixation on Eunseok’s nape, especially liking to kiss or gently nibble on the point at the back of his neck.
After finishing his coffee through the straw, Eunseok put the cup down on the table. He then pushed Hanseo away and stood up.
“Well, I’ll be heading back to my quarters now,” he announced, turning to leave. Hanseo grabbed his wrist. Eunseok looked back at him with a troubled expression.
Of course, the time spent with Hanseo wasn’t bad. Living together wasn’t uncomfortable, and sleeping in his arms at night was nice, if anything. No, it wasn’t bad at all. Rather, it felt like he had become completely accustomed to it. And that was the problem.
Having lost his family at a young age, Eunseok had always had to stand alone. He had lived independently and autonomously, which allowed him to be truly self-reliant. Perhaps that’s why Eunseok was worried about this daily life with Hanseo becoming permanent. No, it was more fear than worry.
“Eunseok-ssi.”
“I’ll just go to my quarters and tidy up a bit…”
“Eunseok-ah.”
Hanseo called out again.
Eunseok-ah.
It wasn’t a way Hanseo often addressed him. But he always called Eunseok that at crucial moments.
“Your quarters have already been cleaned. Someone else is probably using it by now.”
Eunseok raised his eyebrows at Hanseo’s words. After the initial bewilderment, anger flared up.
“Why did you arbitrarily…!”
“Eunseok-ah.”
“…”
“Live with me.”
“…Choi Hanseo-ssi.”
“Let’s live together, us.”
Hanseo said softly, kissing the soft skin inside Eunseok’s wrist deeply.
Eunseok couldn’t find the words to answer. He should have flatly refused – the old Lee Eunseok would have done so immediately – but strangely, the words of refusal wouldn’t come out.
Hanseo stood up, still holding Eunseok’s wrist. He stepped close to Eunseok and gently lifted his chin. Their eyes met. Eunseok’s troubled face was clearly reflected in Hanseo’s deep, intense gaze.
“Lee Eunseok-ssi. Live with me. Sleep together, wake up together, eat together… That’s what I want. Do you dislike it?”
“I…”
“When we’re apart, I can’t bear the anxiety. It takes all of my patience just to endure being separated while working. Don’t ask me to endure more than that. Okay?”
Hanseo whispered softly, showering Eunseok with light kisses like a baby bird begging its mother for food. Eunseok once again felt that he was particularly, and seriously, weak to this man. He couldn’t bring himself to refuse the man who was pleading like this. And above all… he liked being with Hanseo.
“Are you not going to answer?” Hanseo coaxed, planting more kisses.
“…Then… let’s try it for a while, as a trial…”
As soon as Eunseok finally answered, Hanseo began to shower him with kisses as if he had been waiting for this moment.
***
A guiding reservation request has arrived.
[Accept / Decline]
A guiding reservation request has arrived.
[Accept / Decline]
A guiding reservation request has arrived.
[Accept / Decline]
A guiding reservation request has arrived.
[Accept / Decline]
At exactly 9 o’clock, reservation request notifications rang out one after another. The familiar sound was quite welcome after a long time.
Moon Bora (A-class): Rating (5.0) | More
Shin Jeongho (A-class): Rating (4.98) | More
Han Cheolyong (B-class): Rating (5.0) | More
Oh Seongeun (A-class): Rating (5.0) | More
As expected, all the reservation requests were from the 1st Combat Team. Only one name that was usually there was missing.
Eunseok accepted them all. As if on cue, the guiding room bell rang.
“Come in, noona,” he said as he opened the door. Suddenly, a small box appeared in front of him. It was an unopened box of protein bars.
“It’s a gift for your release from confinement,” Moon Bora said with a playful smile. Thinking it was truly a gift befitting her, Eunseok couldn’t help but smile.
The two sat facing each other at the desk and began guiding, holding hands. Her numbers were a bit on the high side.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had guidance from you,” Bora said with a nostalgic look in her eyes.
“Indeed. You must have had a hard time while I was gone.”
“Yeah. Gate breaks, gate conquests, and the final battle. We were really put through the wringer.”
Bora frowned as if completely exhausted. For Bora, who usually enjoyed combat, to show such an expression, one could imagine how grueling their journey had been.
“It’s fortunate that the situation has calmed down now,” Eunseok said.
Bora sighed heavily without answering. He could sense her frustration, sense of loss, and feeling of helplessness. It seemed she hadn’t fully overcome the loss of Ji Taeuk yet.
Ji Taeuk had been important to Eunseok too. But perhaps because he was accustomed to the world of espionage filled with all sorts of schemes, Eunseok had long ago learned how to detach himself from allies who suddenly turned into enemies. However, Eunseok didn’t offer any advice or consolation to Bora. In the end, it was something everyone had to overcome on their own.
“The media and public opinion are fighting fiercely, but the fact that the Ability Management Bureau’s power has weakened remains unchanged. After all, a significant number of their affiliated ability users have defected. Most gate conquests will be distributed to the guilds, so we’ll probably be busier than before.”
“They won’t just keep the arrested ability users locked up, will they? Won’t they put them to work for the duration of their sentences?”
“Yeah, it’ll probably go that way. But they can’t use them right away. Given the current situation, they’ll likely keep them confined for a while as a taste of what’s to come. They’ll tame them until they become docile again.”
Eunseok nodded silently as Bora’s words matched his predictions.
After a moment of silence, Bora’s expression softened. She glanced at Eunseok and asked, “Are you okay?”
Her question carried many implications.
“As you can see, I’m fine,” Eunseok answered nonchalantly. He added one more thing, “The only problem is I’ve lost some muscle.”
At the mention of muscles, Bora’s eyes lit up.
“Right? You’ve lost a lot of muscle, haven’t you? I could tell just by looking. Ah, you’ll have to exercise diligently to regain that lost muscle. I hate losing muscle mass the most.”
Bora, suddenly full of energy as if nothing had happened, started chattering about various things. To be precise, it was information delivery disguised as casual conversation. Thanks to this, Eunseok was able to grasp a significant portion of how the guild had operated while he was away and confined in the penthouse.
