“Suhyeon, Suhyeon. You like being lazy. You like lying down and fooling around cutely without any worries or pain. You like that, don’t you?”
Hajin looked down at him with a face that looked like he was about to cry.
It was an expression a young boy might make when absolutely nothing was going his way.
“I’ll make it like that for you, okay?”
Hajin said, his eyes twisting with emotion.
“I can do anything for you. Why is it that a person who loves being at peace the most refuses to accept what I’m offering only at times like this?”
Suhyeon’s lips parted slightly. Hajin was right.
Suhyeon had been incredibly exhausted these past few days.
But perhaps the incident with Shin Seojun had served as a bit of a wake-up call.
It was even more so because this option was presented to him just when he felt he needed the power to protect himself.
Saving the puffball was, of course, also an issue.
He thought he understood what Hajin wanted to say.
Aside from the absurd suggestion of not providing guiding for a month, if things went as Hajin said, he might be able to save the puffball without his daily life being disrupted much.
But in the end, it would mean being trapped in Hajin’s arms and only being protected. It wasn’t that he disliked that.
Normally, it made him nothing but happy.
But right now, it was a bit different.
Even while playing around in his arms, he wanted to be able to protect himself when he was in danger.
He didn’t want to just stare at Hajin and suck his thumb.
—Ting-ring-ring.
That horrible music box sound and the puffball had changed Suhyeon a little.
He knew full well that the path he chose could be dangerous and that it would make Hajin hold his breath in anxiety, but still.
Suhyeon looked at Hajin.
When he raised his free hand to cup Hajin’s cheek, Hajin’s eyes flared with a rough gaze as if he wanted to slap the hand away immediately.
But in the end, he leaned his cheek into Suhyeon’s palm. Suhyeon managed to move his stiff lips.
“I know it’s dangerous enough.”
Hajin’s eyes twisted violently as he realized Suhyeon had not changed his mind.
“I’m not saying I’ll go out and follow the Association’s orders right away. After checking my power in a place that isn’t a Gate, if it’s judged to be dangerous, I’ll drop the idea immediately. Since it’s true that… if the puffball doesn’t listen to me when it turns back into a monster, it has to be killed.”
Though he felt that wouldn’t happen.
Suhyeon continued, whispering his reliance on his intuition to himself.
“But if it’s true that I have power, no matter how strange or abnormal it is, it’s my power.”
Suhyeon spoke his thoughts calmly.
“Even if it’s not just to save the puffball, if this power can really do something about monsters or things from the Gate… then I want to do it so I can learn the strength to protect my own body.”
To someone who had never been to the field, this might have been an incredibly naive thought.
However, Suhyeon could say this because he had heard the Association would attach a large number of Espers to him.
Unless they were insane, they wouldn’t push a high-rank Guide like him into danger alone.
And finally, whether it was the influence of his power or not… strangely, Suhyeon wasn’t as afraid of Gates and monsters as he used to be.
Surely, even when he had just been sucked into a Gate and come out, or when he first stepped into the field as a Guide, he had been terrified enough of Gates and monsters to tremble, but those memories and sensations seemed to have faded.
He didn’t even feel negative emotions.
That peculiar sensation led Suhyeon to utter even more complacent words.
Something akin to instinct pushed Suhyeon’s back toward the Association’s choice.
“…Are you really not going to give up, no matter what I say?”
Hajin looked down at Suhyeon with an expression of pure frustration.
Soon, a long sigh echoed in the room once more.
Hajin removed the arms he had used to pin Suhyeon to the bed.
The hand that had been interlaced with Suhyeon’s also slid away.
When Suhyeon flinched, Hajin straightened his upper body.
He caressed Suhyeon’s ankle, which was sticking out over the edge of the bed.
His hot hand brushed against the prominent ankle bone.
For a long time, Hajin said nothing, only caressing Suhyeon’s ankle.
“You know, Suhyeon.”
How much time had passed? By the time Suhyeon blinked in the silence, Hajin spoke.
It wasn’t a sharp voice, nor an angry one, nor a relaxed one.
Because he couldn’t gauge what kind of expression Hajin was making, Suhyeon tried to sit up, but Hajin pulled down the ankle that had risen slightly with the movement.
Suhyeon was flopped back down before he could even move.
“Do you know what I’m thinking right now?”
“No…”
Staring at the ceiling, Suhyeon let out a faint answer.
Strength suddenly surged into Hajin’s hand as it caressed his ankle.
“…Ugh.”
“If I were to tie this place up with shackles, wouldn’t you be unable to do anything?”
Suhyeon blinked.
“…Pardon?”
“How do you think it would be if I tied you up here, made it so you couldn’t do anything, and just handled everything my way? Of course, I’d save that monster, and you can do whatever you want, Suhyeon. You can boss me around however you like, and if you ask me to kill someone, I’ll kill them. But you’d stay only by my side, only in my arms.”
He felt one side of the bed dip.
A shadow fell completely over Suhyeon.
Hajin, who had let out those chilling words, climbed on top of Suhyeon again in an instant, just as he had before.
Within the blue eyes that had been smoldering earlier, a light was now flickering.
It wasn’t a light that looked particularly sane.
“Suhyeon, you’d still forgive me anyway.”
Hajin muttered as he leaned down.
The shadow grew deeper, and before Suhyeon could say anything, their lips met again.
“Mm…”
This kiss was short.
As if he just wanted a taste, Hajin swirled through Suhyeon’s mouth once and let go.
He looked down at Suhyeon, blinking his blue eyes.
“Right?”
It was an attitude as if Suhyeon would obviously do so.
Suhyeon stared blankly at Hajin.
The man understood him well.
If Hajin really pushed forward forcefully to have his way, Suhyeon might find it difficult, but he would eventually resign himself and nod for him to do so.
“Would I?”
However, when Suhyeon asked quietly, Hajin’s face crumpled.
He said nothing for a long time, as if he were standing before the forbidden fruit.
“No…”
After a short while, a faint sound drifted out.
Suhyeon looked up steadily at his lover, who was always kind to him and his choices.
Although it wasn’t a very fitting expression for this situation, Hajin’s face soon changed to look like a pouting child.
Having distorted his face in so many ways today, he lowered his body over Suhyeon’s once more.
Suhyeon felt a bit bitter knowing that he was the cause of all those contortions on Hajin’s face.
Solid arms instantly wrapped around Suhyeon’s waist.
Hajin rolled on the bed, hugging Suhyeon tightly.
Suhyeon hesitated for a moment before raising his arms to stroke the hair of Hajin, who was burying his face in Suhyeon’s shoulder.
“If I see even a hint of anything suspicious, I’m going to stop you.”
A small mumble spread out.
“Answer me.”
As if he couldn’t permit even a second’s delay in Suhyeon’s response, Hajin whispered it less than a second after speaking.
Suhyeon obediently nodded his head in response.
As his head moved against the bed, the sheets made a rustling sound.
“Yes.”
“Even if you do go out, you can’t go without me. If all else fails, I’ll even stick Asher Delveron to you.”
Mentioning Asher, who he would definitely get into a massive fight with if they were in the same space, showed just how anxious he had been since last time.
“No, I don’t even trust that. You’re only going out when I’m there. If they realize it’s a waste of manpower, they’ll stop. It’ll only take a few outings since it’s just a power level that can only cause minor injuries to civilians anyway.”
Hajin tightened his arms as if demanding an answer.
Suhyeon submissively lowered his gaze.
“…Ugh, yes.”
“It’s the same even if the Association seems to be paying less attention to safety. Understood?”
“Yes…”
Only after hearing that final answer did Hajin let out another deep sigh.
“Really, there’s no one who picks me up and throws me down as much as you do…”
At the faintly muttered words, Suhyeon gave a weak smile.
“Every time there’s a situation where you might be in danger, my heart stops. I’m never going to allow it again after this…”
Hajin muttered, rubbing his face against Suhyeon and hugging him so tightly it hurt, as if they were about to be separated forever.
“Kkyuu.”
While he was continuing to stroke Hajin’s head, the puffball, which had made a small sound, rolled past Hajin’s body and up to Suhyeon’s face.
It stopped after poking Suhyeon’s cheek.
Pure white fur fluttered right before his eyes.
The tired smile on Suhyeon’s lips deepened.
Did this thing know that Suhyeon was having such a difficult morning because of it?
It seemed to have at least noticed that the atmosphere was unusual.
—Graaaargh!
The time when this thing had turned into a monster flashed dimly through Suhyeon’s mind.
All this chaos had happened in less than half a day.
Exhaustion came crashing down.
Feeling the warmth of Hajin filling his arms and the small warmth on his cheek, Suhyeon’s eyelids slowly closed.
