* * *
It was one thing for a deity revered by all to sneak into someone’s room.
But running away the moment their eyes met?
That was absurd.
Seo Woohyun couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
“What the hell… Why did he run?”
His mumbled question went unanswered, of course.
Frustrated, Seo Woohyun shot up from the bed.
Awkwardness was one thing, but blatantly fleeing?
That was too much.
Who had entered whose room uninvited?
Pacing in circles, Seo Woohyun fumed silently.
He wanted to let it go, but the alcohol in his system only amplified his irritation.
‘I’ve been trying so hard—making notes, living my best life. And yet, he tricks people, sneaks into my room, and runs off when we make eye contact?’
He glared at the notebook on the side table.
Each page was filled with information, from the inn’s meal-inclusive fees to the lack of a prescribed speech for temple priests—trivial to some, but valuable to him as mementos of his first journey.
‘He called Prince Habios shady, but wasn’t that just projection?’
Flipping the pages, his gaze lingered on one particular set of notes: the rules he’d painstakingly written after much deliberation. Among them:
- Resolve misunderstandings through honest conversation.
Simple in theory, but rarely practiced.
People often let misunderstandings fester, creating distance. Initiating dialogue was never easy.
Maybe it was the staring or the alcohol clearing from his system, but Seo Woohyun realized he needed to talk things out with Erdian.
‘I can’t go back home, so I can’t keep avoiding this tension. I rejected him, but that doesn’t mean I have to live with this awkwardness.’
He couldn’t let this drag on like a child.
If Erdian ran away, he could just find him.
‘Fine. I’ll ask. Were you sneaking in and got caught, so you ran away?’
He considered using a direct prayer to contact Erdian but hesitated, recalling how poorly Erdian had looked during their last meeting.
Instead, he headed for the door.
Oddly, Justin was still standing guard.
“Going out? I’ll accompany you,” Justin said.
“I’m heading to El’s room. He came to mine but left abruptly.”
“He was in your room?” Justin’s eyes widened.
Seo Woohyun pointed to the door, confused.
“He came in, left, and you didn’t notice? Not even when he entered?”
Waving his hands to calm him, Justin whispered, “Please, lower your voice, Ciel.”
Realizing he’d just casually mentioned Erdian’s name in a foreign temple, Seo Woohyun clamped his hands over his mouth.
‘In the middle of another nation’s temple? Damn it, Seo Woohyun, what are you doing?’
In his tipsy state, Seo Woohyun found himself both scolding and rationalizing his actions.
‘Is it so unreasonable for the person I pray to daily to actually show up?’
Still, the thought of his mistake made him inhale sharply, and the hiccups he’d managed to suppress erupted once again.
Justin was at a loss.
He couldn’t very well leave a hiccupping saint standing in the hallway.
Yet, with Seo Woohyun clearly too drunk to be sent off to sleep on his own, there was only one logical course of action.
“Let’s head this way. I’ll take you to his room.”
“Okay.”
Following Justin down the corridor, Seo Woohyun hiccupped incessantly.
He tried swallowing and holding his breath multiple times, but the hiccups stubbornly persisted.
“Justin, do you… do you know how to stop hiccups?”
“Drinking some water usually helps.”
Mumbling “Water, water…” with his slurred tongue, Seo Woohyun stopped in front of the door Justin indicated and took a deep breath.
Determined to approach this like a grown-up, his resolve wavered as he stood there.
When he made no move to enter, Justin, clearly frustrated, spoke up.
“Shall I ask if he’s inside for you?”
“No, no. I’ll do it myself.”
If he’d resolved to act like a man, he had to follow through.
Seo Woohyun exhaled deeply, the smell of alcohol escaping with his breath.
Retreating wasn’t an option now.
‘Just knock!’
He raised his hand to knock, but the door slid open before he could.
Looking up, he was met with Erdian’s conflicted expression.
It seemed Erdian had overheard their conversation, as the soundproofing wasn’t perfect.
“…Come in. Justin, will you join us?”
“No, I’ll wait outside.”
“Very well.”
Erdian replied indifferently and shut the door as soon as Seo Woohyun entered.
The click of the lock startled him back to his senses.
The downside of alcohol, beyond its health risks, was the likelihood of making irrational decisions.
Seo Woohyun regretted his impulsive actions as his eyes darted around nervously.
“You’ve had quite a bit to drink.”
Erdian spoke first, his tone casual, as the hiccups continued unabated.
Seo Woohyun didn’t think he’d drunk that much.
Still, there were those who considered hiccups a sure sign of overindulgence.
He didn’t understand why memories of coworkers teasing him for turning red or dropping chopsticks during company dinners suddenly surfaced.
“I didn’t drink that much… I mean, I’m hiccupping, but I didn’t overdo it.”
“I instructed them to give you only a little. It seems my orders weren’t passed on properly.”
He felt guilty, as if his comment had inadvertently set up Sihero and Giselle to be scolded.
“It was just for dinner. The head priest offered, and I couldn’t exactly refuse. You don’t decline alcohol from the head priest, do you? I really didn’t drink much.”
“And yet, here you are, drunk.”
“I’m not drunk!”
“Even though the smell of alcohol is quite strong?”
“…Yes.”
While the smell was undeniable, his mind was still relatively clear.
The buzz had subsided as he wandered around the room, stunned after Erdian’s earlier retreat.
Time to get to the point—he hadn’t come here to discuss alcohol.
“Anyway, the reason I’m here is… I wanted to ask why you left without saying anything earlier. It didn’t sit right with me, and we’re not in a position to just avoid each other, are we?”
Surely, he wouldn’t be stripped of his position as a saint just because he’d turned Erdian down… right? The thought came too late to change anything.
“I just thought it had been a while since I’d seen you and wanted to look while you were sleeping. Like you said, I came in quietly.”
Erdian avoided eye contact as he gave his awkward explanation, and Seo Woohyun narrowed his eyes.
‘Still lingering feelings, huh? At least he doesn’t seem ready to kick me out just yet. That’s a relief.’
It seemed plausible enough.
If Erdian had been the type to act recklessly, he’d have done so already.
For now, his still-kind demeanor was reassuring.
“Justin mentioned earlier that he didn’t see you come to my room…”
“That’s easy enough to manage.”
Apparently, if he wanted to, Erdian could move about unseen.
What kind of god treated privacy so casually?
“I’d appreciate it if you could give me a heads-up before entering my room. Last time, you just appeared on my bed out of nowhere, and it startled me…”
“Understood. That won’t happen again. I promise.”
Erdian stood at a distance—neither too close nor too far—wearing a faint smile.
It was a stark contrast to his previously subtle touches.
“Alright… Do you have anything else you’d like to say to me?”
“Nothing. Do you?”
There wasn’t much else to ask. He’d come here impulsively to find out why Erdian had left, and now he had his answer.
“…No.”
“Then go get some rest.”
Erdian gestured toward the door, his tone soft.
Seo Woohyun couldn’t help feeling strangely disappointed.
He’d been the one to reject Erdian, yet this newfound distance left him feeling conflicted.
If only he hadn’t regained memories of his past life… things might have been different.
‘No, it’s better this way. Knowing before anything began is a good thing.’
Seo Woohyun still didn’t want to be anyone’s second choice.
“Alright, I’ll go. Sorry for barging in like this.”
“No need to apologize. I should be the one apologizing for entering your room uninvited. You must have been startled.”
“…It’s fine. You said it wouldn’t happen again.”
“Indeed. Take care on your way back.”
Their conversation carried an undeniable sense of distance, though Seo Woohyun hadn’t been unprepared for this outcome.
Rejecting Erdian had naturally led to this point.
Still, as he left and walked back to his room, his steps felt heavier than usual.
* * *
You’re talking but not about the right topics.
Good chapter.