WTSG 15

Let’s Go See the Sea (4)

“Stop wearing that already.”

Maybe it was from all the walking, or maybe it was because he couldn’t stop thinking about Tae Ijae’s lower half—either way, Kang Junwoo was feeling hot. He took off the jumper he had been wearing and handed it back to Tae Ijae.

“I’m fine. Keep it on.”

“You’re going to catch a cold.”

“I won’t.”

“I’m getting hot, I’m taking it off. Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want it to get hard again after I’ve just calmed it down.”

In an instant, Kang Junwoo’s face flushed crimson.

“What the—Wearing this has nothing to do with—”

“It’s got your scent all over it.”

“My sce—what?!”

“I told you before, don’t you remember?”

“…??”

“I like your scent. A lot.”

Kang Junwoo felt like his face might explode at any moment.

He let out a short sigh, draped the jumper he had offered to Tae Ijae over his arm and started walking again. Then he stopped once more, looking up at Tae Ijae, who had also halted his steps to match his.

“Tae Ijae-ssi.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you… like me?”

At that moment, a rather strong gust of wind blew between Tae Ijae and Kang Junwoo. Tae Ijae’s hair was tousled by the wind. Even disheveled, Tae Ijae looked dazzlingly handsome.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

Kang Junwoo’s heart began to pound wildly. The look in Tae Ijae’s eyes as he gazed at him seemed like the gaze of someone in love. A ridiculous thought crossed Kang Junwoo’s mind.

“Do you like me?”

Tae Ijae, who had been staring intently at him, slowly moved his lips.

“I said I would.”

Kang Junwoo’s heart, which had been racing, suddenly plummeted. Whether from embarrassment or surprise, his face was burning fiercely.

“I said I would.”

The memory of Tae Ijae asking if pretending to like him would be enough to get exclusive guidance rights flashed through his mind. Kang Junwoo bit down on his lower lip. He had known this all along, yet he had let himself be swayed just because Tae Ijae was being a little nice to him.

What Tae Ijae wanted was exclusive guidance with him. This was the same man who had said he would do whatever it took to seduce him into it.

Kang Junwoo let out a breathy, bitter chuckle.

‘What the hell was I expecting?’

“Kang Junwoo.”

Tae Ijae called out to him at the sound of his hollow laughter. Kang Junwoo forced a smile and spoke to Tae Ijae.

“Shall we head back now?”

His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not, and Tae Ijae silently gazed at him.

***Esther’s Fund***

“It would be better if we moved separately tomorrow.”

As soon as they entered the hotel room, Kang Junwoo dashed into the bathroom and, while drying his wet hair, spoke to Tae Ijae.

“Why?”

Tae Ijae raised an eyebrow and asked why.

“Just because. We’re just going to walk around the beach anyway, so is there really a need to stick together?”

On a rare day off, Tae Ijae had used teleportation, which he didn’t particularly like, just to come to see the sea for Kang Junwoo. So when Kang Junwoo suggested spending the next day separately, Tae Ijae, who wouldn’t have come all this way to the distant sea without him, was understandably taken aback.

“We’re just going to walk by the sea anyway, so why not do it together? Is there a need to be apart?”

“…I just want to be alone for a day. I’ve always been like that.”

“…”

“Or, you can go back first if you want.”

“Don’t say something so ridiculous.”

Tae Ijae frowned.

“Do you think I called the manager at dawn to secure your leave just so you could wander around alone?”

“…Aren’t you trying to seduce me?”

At Kang Junwoo’s words, Tae Ijae’s eyebrow twitched.

“You said you’d do anything to seduce me, didn’t you?”

“…”

“So please do that too. I want to be alone tomorrow.”

“…Ha, you… When you asked if I liked you earlier…”

“Oh, that was a slip of the tongue. I know well that Tae Ijae Esper doesn’t like me, and I also understand that you can pretend to like me to secure exclusive guidance. So there’s no need to worry; I won’t ask such pointless questions again.”

“Kang Junwoo.”

“If you’re thinking of making me want an exclusive guidance, it would be nice if you made an effort to grant what I want.”

“……”

“In that sense, I’ll be going alone tomorrow.”

Tae Ijae and Kang Junwoo locked eyes. Their gazes were unwavering as if they were engaged in a staring contest.

“……Do as you please.”

It was only after a long pause that Tae Ijae finally spoke.

“Thank you.”

Without responding to Kang Junwoo’s calm gratitude, Tae Ijae turned sharply and went into the bathroom. Kang Junwoo, running his fingers through his still damp hair, headed towards the window. The view of the night sea from the high hotel room was so beautiful that it stirred a desire to go outside.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen the stars over the night sea, nor had he drunk the coffee he had taken out with him. As soon as he realized that his brief delusion that Tae Ijae might like him was a misunderstanding, something inside him cooled rapidly, leaving him unable to think.

A sigh mixed with laughter escaped his lips. How far was he going to let himself unravel over the shallow feelings he had for Tae Ijae’s appearance?

Kang Junwoo began to bite his lower lip.

‘It’s because that guy keeps throwing things out there like a pro. But just because he does that doesn’t mean I should lose my reason. Get a grip, Kang Junwoo. Even if Tae Ijae says he likes you, it can’t be with the mindset of treating you as a lover. Tae Ijae ultimately wants an exclusive guidance with you, and he’s doing these things to secure it.’

Kang Junwoo nodded and tucked his lips inward.

***

In the early dawn before the sun rose, Kang Junwoo, who had been curled up at the edge of the bed as if dead, carefully got up. Sharing a bed with Tae Ijae in their subtly awkward situation made it hard for him to sleep, and he also wanted to see the sea bathed in the blue light of dawn. He took a cardigan and quietly stepped outside, being as careful as possible not to wake the still-sleeping Tae Ijae.

As soon as the door closed, Tae Ijae, who had been pretending to sleep, slowly opened his eyes. Just as sensitive to sleeping conditions as Kang Junwoo, Tae Ijae hadn’t fallen asleep but continued to feign slumber until Kang Junwoo had dressed and left the room.

There was no grand reason for this. The subtle awkwardness between them was uncomfortable, and he didn’t want to disturb Kang Junwoo, who had expressed a desire to spend a day alone. However, he hadn’t expected that day to start so early.

After Kang Junwoo left, Tae Ijae slowly sat up with a long sigh, perching on the edge of the bed. Despite being a large king-size bed, it was smaller than the one at Kang Junwoo’s home and quite uncomfortable. The fact that his lower body kept reacting due to the strangely appealing scent of Kang Junwoo since he regained consciousness added to the discomfort.

It seemed like it would be best to secure an exclusive guidance quickly and then distance himself from him.

He didn’t know why he was suddenly reacting to Kang Junwoo’s scent like a dog in heat, but at this rate, it seemed he wouldn’t be able to let go of Kang Junwoo against his own will. Tae Ijae slowly ran his hand through his hair, which shimmered in the moonlight, and let out a long sigh.

He got up and walked to the window, looking down at the beach. Even though everything below looked tiny from the highest floor, Tae Ijae kept his eyes on the lookout for Kang Junwoo, who might pass by. It was a civilian area where random gates often opened on the outskirts, which was concerning, but since he was marked, there shouldn’t be any danger no matter what happened. Unless, of course, Kang Junwoo hid a dangerous situation and got himself devoured by a monster like his sister, who was his bloodline imprint marker.

Suddenly, Tae Ijae’s whole body went cold. It felt as if all the blood in his body had drained out and soaked the floor. Just the thought of it made him breathless—the refusal of help by a marked individual was something he never wanted to experience again. It was a wound that had already eaten away at one side of his heart and would never heal.

Tae Ijae’s mind began to torment him with vivid images of Kang Junwoo in danger, refusing his help and being consumed by a monster. He tried not to think about it, clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly. He stared intently below for a long time, trying to catch sight of Kang Junwoo walking on the moonlit, glistening sand.

Kang Junwoo, having bought a can of beer from a convenience store, began walking along a quiet street behind the buildings instead of the sandy beach. He had expected there to be hardly any buildings since H001 was known for having the most random gates open, but it turned out to be a much larger bustling area than he thought. He had heard that it couldn’t be certified as a tourist spot because it was on the outskirts, but perhaps because Chairman Duen had built it here, the entire street felt like a tourist destination.

Was it because there was a barrier that they weren’t worried about random gates opening? No matter how reliable the barriers being created these days were said to be, wasn’t this a place where red gates opened unpredictably? If it were a confrontation zone where gates opened regularly, it would be easier to protect such a street, but seeing how clean this civilian area was, he wondered if he was witnessing Noblesse Mallard with his own eyes.

‘Well, does it matter?’

Kang Junwoo leisurely walked the brightly lit dawn streets, sipping from his can of beer. His heart, which had been deflated like a balloon because of Tae Ijae, had somewhat recovered. He still had questions about Tae Ijae’s mental state, views on relationships, and character, but he realized that Tae Ijae wasn’t pursuing an exclusive guidance with him out of infatuation or treating him well for various reasons.

“Come to think of it, why…?”

A low question escaped Kang Junwoo’s lips. He couldn’t understand why Tae Ijae was so determined to have an exclusive guidance with him, even if it meant pretending to like him to secure it.

Although he had momentarily misunderstood the meaning, Tae Ijae had even said he’d do anything to seduce him. Kang Junwoo couldn’t understand what kind of merit an exclusive guidance with him held for Tae Ijae that made him so determined to secure it. The basic duration of an exclusive guidance was longer than a pairing, and he had no desire to take on an Esper who didn’t receive guidance just to earn a salary without effort. He definitely didn’t want to engage in an exclusive guidance.

The current pairing he was involved in would end in a month, so he figured he just needed to handle Tae Ijae’s insistence on having an exclusive guidance for that one month.