By Zephyria 
The group briefly washed up, spread their rain-soaked windbreakers and boots on the floor, and nestled into a corner of the office. Unable to fall asleep, Ha-jin tossed and turned for a long while, finally rising from his spot the moment Jeffrey’s snoring began.
Armed with a flashlight, he went outside, opened the passenger door of the mid-sized car he had noticed earlier, and settled inside. Rummaging through the glove compartment, he found a grimy, palm-sized rabbit doll and a flowerpot-shaped keychain.
Since embarking on the path of a magician, it was the first time he hadn’t practiced his sleight of hand for so long. Straightening his back, Ha-jin started with simple juggling, freely concealing and revealing the doll in his arms, loosening his stiff fingers.
He then took out the coins from the console box. He pretended to pick up a coin balanced on his left middle finger with his right hand, dropping the coin into the lower joint of his finger. It was a fake take, a basic move.
Despite his considerable experience, Ha-jin made it a rule to never neglect basic practice, adhering to the belief that fundamentals were the most important thing.
He was enthusiastic about researching new magic techniques, investing in Magic Lectures costing tens of millions of won whenever he earned money, but he considered practicing these basic techniques even more important.
Mi-so always called Ha-jin a model student because of this. Ha-jin was a magician who surprised people with unpredictable variations, but he was also frustratingly rigid at times, a rational person who prioritized reason over emotion in crucial moments.
But only when he was involved with Eden…
As he practiced various techniques until his fingers were numb, he suddenly let out a deep sigh.
Whenever he saw Eden, Ha-jin felt as if he had become an audience member at a magic show. Like a naive spectator who couldn’t even grasp the principles of the magic despite being repeatedly hit over the head by unexpected developments, frustration and a strange excitement always coexisted chaotically in a corner of his mind.
Lectures on dealing with Jeong Tae-geon didn’t exist, so he couldn’t plan or prepare for anything. It goes without saying that he wasn’t even given the chance to imagine a future with him.
With his breakup with Mi-so and his impending separation from Eden just days away, Ha-jin felt like he was suffocating from his own powerlessness.
Ggrrrreeeak― Hic- Ggrreeeak―
As the thunderstorm outside subsided, a zombie, as if waiting for its cue, began to wail from somewhere, dragging its throat. Ha-jin, slumped over the dashboard and staring blankly at the closed gray shutter, squinted at the flashlight beam shining brightly through the window.
Eden walked towards the hood of the car and, upon discovering Ha-jin inside, immediately yanked open the driver’s side door. Ha-jin, still half-slumped over the dashboard, merely turned his head to look at him.
Eden got into the driver’s seat, slammed the door shut, and immediately placed his hands on the steering wheel. Like Ha-jin, he leaned halfway over, resting his chin on the back of his hand.
The two men, facing each other in a languid pose, smiled simultaneously. The flashlight stuck in the console box cast a soft glow.
“Jeffrey’s snoring is a bit loud, isn’t it?”
He clicked his tongue as if he was fed up. Ha-jin chuckled and blinked in agreement.
“He must have been very tired today. Did you see him crying secretly after Mi-so left earlier?”
“Did he?”
“Yes. I thought it was rain, but when I looked again, it was tears.”
“Hmm, that’s not like him.”
“He must have grown attached.”
Eden, who had been suspiciously gazing at something beyond the window, turned his gaze back to Ha-jin. He said,
“Shall we kiss?”
Ha-jin’s eyebrows twitched at the nonchalant remark. Even though he had somewhat expected Eden to follow him into the car, his heart began to pound fiercely as soon as the stage was set. To ease the tension, he diverted his gaze and cleared his throat as he replied.
“It seems Jeong Tae-geon only has that on his mind.”
“Not at all. I imagine even more.”
He retorted without a hint of a smile and reached his hand between Ha-jin’s side and armpit. Ha-jin flinched at the embarrassment, and the thick hand squeezed and released his flesh. Goosebumps rose on his arm from the pleasant pressure. Ha-jin sighed softly and looked at Eden with a slightly embarrassed gaze.
Eden frowned like an angry child, as if trying to suppress the rising excitement. He narrowed his eyes sharply and then removed his hand from Ha-jin’s body. Then, he straightened his bent back and looked directly at Ha-jin.
“Do you remember the wish I made yesterday?”
At the sudden question, Ha-jin’s upper body, which had been leaning against the dashboard, slowly straightened.
‘I wished that Do Ha-jin wouldn’t reject my proposal.’
“Yes, I remember.”
Eden lowered his gaze and picked up the rabbit doll placed on the console box. He fiddled with the doll’s ear for a while, his face lost in thought as if contemplating the right words.
“I don’t intend to force you, but I hope you’ll make a decision as rationally as possible.”
He raised his head again.
“There are three stealth aircraft and several transport helicopters at the Dragon Cloud City Maintenance Depot. I can’t guarantee they’ll still be intact, but I expect at least two of them can be operated.”
Eden, who had released the doll’s ear that had been dangling between his middle finger and thumb, continued.
“If there are any usable Transport planes left, I’m thinking of going to Neverland with Do Ha-jin.”
“…Pardon?”
A calm explanation followed his dumbfounded question.
“Of course, I plan to evacuate Jeffrey and Byeol first. I’ll be the only one going there with Do Ha-jin.”
While the person making the incredible proposal was calm, Ha-jin was speechless for a while. A brief silence flowed. His eyes, looking at Eden, trembled helplessly at the unexpected proposal. Eden brushed Ha-jin’s bangs behind his ear and asked.
“Do you need time to think?”
Ha-jin’s long bangs fell down again, tickling the tip of his nose. He flinched as if he had been splashed with cold water.
“No.”
Eden stared intently at Ha-jin, who was fidgeting in his seat.
“Why would Jeong Tae-geon follow me?”
As if he had anticipated the reaction, he casually raised one eyebrow.
“Why would I follow you? Do I really need to explain the reason?”
“Still, this isn’t right.”
Ha-jin grabbed Eden’s arm as if to stop him.
“This might be the last chance to escape, and you’re throwing it away to follow me somewhere? Don’t talk crazy and get your head straight.”
There was no room to dwell on the proposal. Just because their hearts were connected didn’t mean his sacrifice was justified. Affection for each other couldn’t take precedence over survival. Ha-jin shook his head again vehemently.
“Let’s pretend we didn’t have this conversation today.”
Eden placed his other hand on top of Ha-jin’s hand gripping his arm. The hand that had been placed gently suddenly exerted force.
“It seems Do Ha-jin has no intention of saving his brother at all.”
At his sudden words, Ha-jin’s face quickly hardened as if he couldn’t understand what he had just heard. Eden continued, caressing the back of his tightly gripped hand.
“But it’s not like you’ve come to love me more than your own brother.”
“…….”
“Do Ha-jin is not in a position to reject my proposal right now. Traveling by Transport plane will save time, and it goes without saying that two is better than one.”
He said he didn’t intend to force him, but Eden was relentlessly pushing him, holding Ha-jin’s anxiety hostage. It seemed like he was always ready to ruthlessly exploit Ha-jin’s weaknesses in order to get what he wanted.
“Are you really sure you can handle it alone?”
Ha-jin was at a loss for words, gaping blankly at the realistic and cruel advice. Eden, who had been looking at the frozen Ha-jin with a sharper and more persistent gaze than ever before, then opened his mouth in a much softer tone.
“I know you’re worried that something might happen to me if I follow Do Ha-jin… but the truth is, I would have died a long time ago if it weren’t for you. So, you don’t need to feel guilty.”
Eden relaxed the tension in his sharply honed eyes and smiled gently. Ha-jin was caught off guard by the duplicity that easily crossed between an overbearing attitude and a humble one, and he opened his mouth slightly.
After staring blankly at Eden for a while, he pulled out his trapped hand and ran it over his dry, parched face.
Hic― Ggrreeeak― Ggrreeeak―
The zombie’s wail, piercing through the silent gap, fueled his troubled mind. Eden didn’t press him and quietly waited for Ha-jin’s decision. Ha-jin, who was continuing a difficult battle on his own as if he were playing tug-of-war with an imaginary opponent, leaned his head against the passenger seat headrest and looked at the low ceiling.
His head was spinning. The sight of himself begging for his life, asking to be taken to Dragon Cloud City together, came to mind, and a laugh escaped through his teeth. That Eden, who had coldly refused to accompany him, was now so eager to follow him.
If he had known he would receive such a proposal, he would have considered sharing his heart with him more carefully. It was a futile assumption since he had already come too far to turn back, but he couldn’t think of a suitable way to quell this confusion without blaming himself.
‘How did this happen?’
Ha-jin closed his eyes wearily, letting out a deflated sound.
Fake Take: A hand motion that only pretends to pick up a coin