TL | Chapter 39 | Light

8:30 PM. As they arrived in front of the aquarium, a man who seemed to be the person in charge came out to meet Iden and Seowon but flinched upon seeing the men in black suits. It was only natural to feel tense around such an unusual group.

For precaution, the security team had accompanied them the whole way from the car to the aquarium entrance. Given that it was an enclosed building, defending against an attack inside would be challenging, which only made them look more suspicious to the public.

“I heard only the two of you would be entering….”

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The aquarium manager glanced nervously at the security guards lined up behind Iden, then looked toward the entrance.

“Only the two of us will go in. The ones who went ahead are there to make sure no one else is inside,” Min explained in Iden’s place. With his words, Seowon realized that Leo, who had been out of sight earlier, had arrived ahead with other security guards to check the interior of the aquarium.

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“All our staff has left, and as you requested, the lights are dimmed,” the manager said, then added, “Still, we need to confirm things on our side. We’ve already informed you about this arrangement in advance.”

Though the manager acknowledged the prior agreement, his face showed he still couldn’t understand why so much was necessary. While waiting for Leo and the other guards to finish their sweep, Seowon stifled a sigh several times.

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Why had he insisted on going out? He hadn’t realized his small act of rebellion against being confined could cause such a scene. Every time the aquarium manager glanced at Iden, Seowon, and the security guards, wondering who these people were, he regretted words that couldn’t be taken back.

“There’s no one inside. You’re clear to go in.”

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About ten minutes later, Leo and a few guards returned and reported. At Iden’s signal, Min approached the aquarium manager again.

“Besides this main entrance, how many emergency exits are there?” Min asked.

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“Why do you need to know that…?”

“We plan to station guards at each exit, just in case,” Min said with a gentle smile, nodding toward the waiting guards.

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“What on earth do you people do…? Ah, never mind. Follow me,” the manager said, clearly baffled but resigned to his instructions. With Min and Leo following him, Iden gave Seowon a nod, signaling him to go in. The rest of the aquarium security seemed to be left in their hands.

Now that they’d come this far, there was no point in complaining. It was his own fault to begin with.

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Although Seowon wasn’t entirely comfortable with the situation, it was too late to turn back now, so he followed Iden inside.

When was the last time he’d visited an aquarium? Searching his memory, he realized it had been quite a while. It was back on their 100th day together during his first year of college. Maybe that’s why, or perhaps because this was another world, the entrance looked distinctly different from the one he remembered.

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As they entered through a colorful, child-friendly entrance decorated with adorable characters, tanks illuminated on all sides came into view.

“It’s more ordinary than I thought,” Iden commented as he observed the tanks.

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“Aren’t these fish the kind you’d just want to fish out?”

Looking at the fish swimming leisurely inside the tank, he joked about fishing. Indeed, the tanks were full of fish one might see in a lake or river.

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“Didn’t you have enough dinner?”

When Seowon teasingly asked if his talk about fishing was because he was still hungry, Iden chuckled, amused. As they moved further in, they encountered a pond with a miniature hexagonal pavilion.

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“It looks like Hyangwonjeong Pavilion from Gyeongbokgung Palace.”

Though it was smaller in scale, the pond and background reminded him of a familiar scene.

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“Hyangwonjeong?” Iden asked.

“Never been there?”

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“I think I went to Gyeongbokgung when I was young, but I can’t really remember.”

When he said “young,” it likely meant before he moved to the United States, probably back in middle school or even elementary school, so it was understandable he couldn’t recall it.

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“If you get a chance, you should visit. It’s quite pretty in person.”

Iden smiled at Seowon’s calm response.

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“What are you smiling at?”

He hadn’t said anything funny, so he wondered why Iden reacted that way.

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“It’s just, I noticed you really like places with water.”

“When did I…?” He almost protested, but then swallowed his words. Come to think of it, Iden had first found him by a lake that he used to visit with Iden’s older brother. He liked the tranquility of watching the gentle waves, and he would sometimes visit Hyangwonjeong in high school as well, thinking it was the epitome of serene beauty in Gyeongbokgung.

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“Hyangwonjeong? Let’s go together sometime. I’m curious now,” Iden replied casually, moving forward. Watching his back for a moment, Seowon walked up to match his pace.

“So is that why you chose the aquarium?” he asked, realizing that maybe Iden hadn’t picked it just because it was enclosed and easy to control for visitors. Iden glanced back at Seowon and simply smiled without a word.

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It wasn’t really about loving water but rather the stillness that places with water tended to bring. Seowon decided not to explain. The aquarium, too, was quiet—likely because there were no other visitors. Even their footsteps sounded loud.

In the dim space, the light illuminating the tanks filled the aquarium with tranquility. The countless types of fish moving within that light seemed almost mystical.

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“It’s beautiful,” Seowon murmured.

“It’s because of the light,” Iden replied absently, still gazing at the blue-lit tank. Seowon turned to look at him, wondering what he meant, but Iden’s gaze remained fixed on the blue-hued tank.

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“People imagine underwater as a clear blue, but in reality, it’s pitch black. Go a little deeper, and you can’t see a thing. If you saw anything down there, it’d probably be terrifying. But what about now?”

Knowing that Seowon was watching him, Iden continued in a calm tone. Slowly, Seowon turned back to the tank. With the blue light, the fish swimming inside looked beautiful and dreamlike.

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“If there were no light, it’d be a completely different world.”

Only then did Seowon understand his words. The light from somewhere transformed the entire atmosphere within the tank.

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As they walked through the long underwater tunnel, his words resonated even more. The tunnel was dark, but the surrounding water glowed blue. Briefly entranced, he looked up at the sharks passing overhead, unable to take his eyes off them as they moved to and fro.

“Ha Seowon.”

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When he turned at Iden’s voice, Iden was already at the far end of the tunnel. Perhaps because of the darkness inside the tunnel, the light streaming in at the end seemed exceptionally bright, making Iden appear almost surreal standing there.

Would he disappear if I reached out? Would he drift away into the light, just like his older brother…?

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The thought made his heart sink. A surge of anxiety and fear that he might lose the person standing before him quickened his steps. Nearly running, he caught up to Iden and instinctively grabbed the hem of his shirt.

“Ha Seowon?” Iden’s voice was laced with curiosity. Only then did Seowon realize what he had done. His sudden surge of anxiety hadn’t fully dissipated.

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He released the fabric, trying to let go as if nothing had happened, but Iden caught his wrist, stopping him. When he looked up, he saw Iden’s eyes locked on him, intense and unwavering.

“What’s wrong?”

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Seowon turned his head, feeling awkward after answering honestly. In the overwhelming silence of the aquarium, he could hear Iden sigh softly. Did he think he was pathetic? Embarrassed, Seowon tried to shake off Iden’s grip, but Iden pulled him closer, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

He didn’t say anything, only held him gently, patting his back. Seowon’s tense body gradually relaxed, comforted by Iden’s warmth and familiar pheromone scent. It felt as though they were the only two people left in the world, cut off from everything else.

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After hesitating, he lifted his hands to hold onto Iden’s back, filling his arms with the presence of the person before him, and felt a pang in his chest. Whether it was pain or something else, he couldn’t tell.

“Standing there in the light… you looked like you might just disappear.”

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Unintentionally, his quiet voice slipped out. Seowon hadn’t expected to open up like this with the current Iden. He wasn’t “Iden-hyung,” after all, and he’d always kept his distance.

But here in this stillness, his words flowed out without his control, as if he’d wanted to hear a reassurance that Iden wouldn’t vanish.

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“To me, Ha Seowon, you’re the light. So there’s no way I’ll disappear.”

Hearing his soft voice near his ear, Seowon felt an urge to cry.

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