By Zephyria 
“Joker, a word, please! What’s your relationship with Ryan? Did you know him from the start?”
“What’s the status on the use of the special bullet?”
“What are the criteria for selecting the team leader? How did you gather the members?”
“Whose idea was it to recruit Orca, who you faced in the first match?”
“Alright, let’s move on. No questions.”
Surrounded by reporters, Ero waved his palms from side to side. Yet, he kept his neck stiff and maintained a consistently weary expression.
“My brother hates this kind of thing.”
“Do you know Ryan well?”
“Has he recognized him as an official partner?”
“Of course.”
He acted like he would never answer, but his twitching lips occasionally opened. The reporters clicked their tongues at his tantalizing way of speaking, but they couldn’t give up. The Council’s security personnel shielded him with their bodies, escorting Ero to a safe place. After stepping into the participants-only area, Ero finally let out a big sigh.
“Being popular is so tiring.”
Then, he delivered the line he wanted to say. With a smug look, he swept back his hair and chuckled as he turned around. He hadn’t intentionally tried to expose himself to people, but he ended up in this situation while trying to fulfill his duty as a messenger.
“Still, they gave me a bodyguard, so it’s not so bad….”
Muttering to himself, he checked the medicine in the envelope he had been hiding in his arms. The sympathetic nerve suppressant and Stabilizer he had been prescribed after the test match, and even the PTSD improvement drug and anti-anxiety medication he had included just in case. They were mainly for calming excitement. After checking that he had everything, Ero carefully packed energy bars and clothes and moved to a quiet hallway.
‘Still, I didn’t know my brother took even these kinds of things.’
With the previous two matches, Team Joker’s schedule for the day was over, but the participants were waiting for a while for the treatment of the injured and the sharing of the subsequent schedule. Fearing that Orca might hit on his brother again in his absence, Ero gradually increased his pace. He turned the corner and stepped into the hallway where Team Joker’s waiting room was located. That’s when it happened.
“Huh?”
A black shadow was loitering in front of the waiting room door in the distance. Ero paused for a moment and stared at the figure. Then, as if sensing his presence, the other person glanced back. Then, they naturally disappeared to the other side of the hallway. There was no sign of rushing.
“What… did they get the wrong room?”
Ero scratched the back of his neck and approached the waiting room. After staring at the direction the figure had disappeared for a while, he pulled the handle at the loud noise coming from inside the door.
“Brother, I’m back―.”
“You ruined my hair because of you!”
“I had no choice back then.”
What he saw as soon as he opened the door was truly a spectacle. Long hair flew around like animal fur, and accessories that clearly belonged to someone, such as hairbrushes and skull brooches, were scattered everywhere. Bell in her petticoat and Orca, who was running away, were rummaging through them.
“I was trying to put it in a safe place. If I hadn’t helped Ryan back then, the whole team would have been eliminated.”
“You put it in a safe place, but why did the wig come off!”
The two of them stood facing each other with the sofa in the middle, fiercely confronting each other. Ero sized up the situation, noticing Beatrice wearing a black net on her head. It seemed she thought Orca had carelessly taken off her wig. Since that appearance was exposed to the audience, it was the same as having her carefully worn combat uniform stripped off in front of everyone. He would want to tear his hair out if he were her.
Leonardo, caught in the middle of the confrontation, put his arm on the backrest and chuckled. His curved eyes seemed quite amused, so Ero quietly entered the waiting room so as not to disturb them. Leonardo, who was the first to notice Ero’s presence, raised his hand.
“Oh, you’re back.”
“Ah, yes. I’m back! Hehe, I was quick, right? Wow, Bell! I’m glad you woke up! Do you know how worried I was?”
Ero spoke cheerfully, but he walked quickly and sat next to Leonardo. Beatrice, who had been huffing and puffing, only glanced at him before threatening Orca again with her shoe held upside down. It seemed she didn’t know who the real culprit was.
Meanwhile, Leonardo rummaged through the medicine envelope he had received.
“You came back faster than I thought… huh?”
His golden eyebrows lifted slightly. Soon, his eyes shifted to the side.
“What’s this? I didn’t say anything about this?”
“Ah, the medical officer said Ryan might need it, so she packed it for him! I don’t know what it is, so I just brought it.”
The only thing he had instructed to get was a Stabilizer to calm his heart rate, but all the medicines he had taken before were sealed inside. It was well known that he didn’t eat suspicious opened medicines, so that was beside the point. There were also medicines he took when he had nightmares or hyperventilation symptoms.
“Is that so?”
‘Did he see it.’
Leonardo stared at Ero’s eyes for a moment, then folded the medicine envelope and stuffed it into his jacket pocket.
“Good job.”
Ero gave a silly smile to Leonardo, who patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him without any further questioning.
“Hehe. Ah! And I got permission to use the men’s shower room in front. I asked them, and they said they would keep it empty for 40 minutes, so you can go right now!”
“Oh, good job.”
Leonardo stretched and got up from his seat. He was covered in dirt and swallowed by Orca’s Divine Beast, so his body smelled fishy throughout the match.
Even if it was just for a moment, he couldn’t meet His Excellency with this smell. He had requested the league management to temporarily control the participants’ access to the shower room through Ero. It might be a privilege, but it wasn’t difficult to say Ryan’s name.
“I’ll go too.”
Orca, who had been arguing with Beatrice, perked up his ears and interrupted. But that was a sound that wouldn’t be heard. Leonardo’s eyes narrowed unpleasantly.
“Are you crazy?”
“Bathing together is a sign of bonding.”
“I don’t think you and I have bonded that much.”
“That’s harsh, haven’t I shown enough ability?”
Ero, who was more startled by the unexpected request, let out a sigh of relief only after seeing his brother’s firm reaction. At that moment, Gillian, who was sitting across from him, chuckled and shook a bottle of wine before opening her mouth.
“Hey―, Joker. Our team decided to have a drink together. The leader has to go, of course, right?”
“Huh?”
Ero, who answered in surprise again, looked back and forth between Leonardo and Gillian.
“H-have a drink?”
“Not really, we’re just going to have a meal. You said that, didn’t you? You said to tell you depending on the situation.”
Leonardo corrected the facts and added. In an instant, Ero remembered how he had flattered his brother before the preliminary round started, sticking to him and saying he would treat him to a meal several times.
“Oh, oh….”
Ero, who was about to say something with his index finger raised, couldn’t continue and only opened his mouth. Then, he looked back at Orca and his brother and somehow squeezed his head.
“Ryan, you can’t drink alcohol for a while…!”
“I won’t drink alcohol.”
“S-still, if you’re together―.”
“I can control that well.”
“…….”
“Hey, you’re the one who said let’s have a drink first, why are you suddenly backing out? What, do you have a prior engagement?”
“Ah, no. It’s not that….”
Ero, with a troubled face, rolled his eyes and shouted inwardly.
‘Are you allowed to meet the person who’s courting you in private!’
But at that moment, Orca, whose eyes met his, blinked at the real culprit who had abandoned Bell. His pure eyes seemed to threaten him that he would report him if he didn’t go with him, so Ero swallowed hard and nodded.
* * *
“Brother, I put the gown and towel you mentioned on the shelf. Should I put the clothes to change into next to the sink?”
“Oh, thanks.”
Swish―
A voice mixed with the sound of water echoed from inside the partitioned shower. Ero, who was organizing Leonardo’s belongings outside the curtain, carefully held the clothes and glanced sideways.
“Hey, brother…. Don’t you have a prior engagement today? You always left in a hurry after the match, didn’t you?”
Beyond the rising steam, a slender silhouette gently stroked his left shoulder.
After a moment of silence, Leonardo answered as he rubbed the skin where the water was flowing.
“…Well, I don’t have anything planned today. I was just going to say hello for a moment.”
“Ah, so you’re going to meet them? Then our meal can be next time, right?”
“Who knows when you’ll be eliminated and we can have it next time? Let’s just go now.”
The reason why the wary Leonardo was accepting today’s dinner was clear. He was waiting for Ero, who might have been eliminated before the preliminary round started, and he was secretly regretting not taking the time to see him. It was right to get along appropriately at times like this to celebrate the victory, because they would become rivals or strangers if they were eliminated at any time.
It was to commemorate this moment by receiving a meal while also fulfilling the guy’s request before he felt regret.
“You’re the one who’s paying?”
Of course, it was flowing in the opposite direction of Ero’s intention.
“Yes, yes? Ah… yes….”
“Why, don’t you want to go?”
“No, no! It’s not that! Why would I not want to go? I’m just worried that you might be uncomfortable….”
“I told you I’m okay. Rather than standing there blankly, go out and get some spray pain reliever.”
Ero, who was struggling to think of an excuse, widened his eyes.
“Yes? Pain reliever? Are you hurt somewhere?”
“It’s nothing serious, my wrist is stiff from wearing handcuffs.”
“Oh! Yes, I understand! I’ll be right back!”
Ero, startled by his brother’s words that he was stiff, hurriedly turned around. He passed the sink with a mirror outside the shower and headed to the infirmary after turning the ‘Cleaning’ sign outside the locker room.
As the presence disappeared, the golden eyes staring beyond the curtain returned to his left shoulder. In fact, it wasn’t just the handcuffs, but he had destroyed dozens of Floating Stones while facing Asher in the first match. His left shoulder, which had been continuously impacted, had been throbbing since earlier.
‘Did the muscles get shocked….’
The scar area, which was several years old, was slightly swollen. If left untreated, the muscles would sometimes twitch on their own. Leonardo continued to pour warm water on his shoulder and slowly massaged it.
Although it was the opposite of his compatibility, there was nothing like water and steam to relax his tension.
He entrusted himself to the pouring water and closed his eyes tightly before opening them.
Creak―
About three minutes passed. Leonardo, who had finished the treatment and closed the valve, pulled the curtain open. The hot air that had been trapped inside spread out. He ran his wet hair back with his hand and walked to the shelf with his wet feet.
He unfolded the gown that Ero had placed and draped it over his shoulders, roughly putting his arms through it. At that moment, he felt a presence outside the shower.
‘Is he back already?’
He casually put the large towel over his face and head as if he was wiping them. Even though they were going to have a meal together, he had never shown Ero his bare face, so it was nothing new. Even when he had a nosebleed, he had covered only his lower face with his hand, and he had tried not to expose his face as much as possible.
Leonardo, who had loosened the belt of his gown, paid attention to the outside of the shower. He moved his steps along the wet trail and headed to the sink and mirror.
“You’re here? That was faster than I….”
He continued speaking casually, assuming it would be Ero. Then, he trailed off at the scent that brushed past his nose. In front of the brightly lit sink. A man filling his vision was standing in the path to the locker room.
A pure white uniform pants and a white shirt, wearing a tie. His jacket was nowhere to be seen.
The man, sitting diagonally on the cold marble countertop, was unusually well-suited to the blue-tinged lighting.
He was holding the mask that Ryan had taken off in his hand. To be exact, he was holding it on the tip of his finger, raising it to his face.
Soon, the blue eyes rolled first, and then the neat face slowly turned to the side.
“Oh.”
Hugo casually put down the mask he had been holding again. The fishy smell that spread from there filled the space where the two were standing.
The smell of another person from clothes that had been wet and dried. It was also the smell that Leonardo wanted to erase before meeting His Excellency.
“You’re here.”
Hugo greeted Leonardo in a gentle voice.
He clasped his hands together, relaxed his lips, and drew a gentle smile.