By Zephyria 
“Augh….”
Yoo Jiha groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. Even though he was alone in the room, he felt as if his face were about to explode from embarrassment.
‘Why on earth did that ahjussi appear in my dream…?’
It was a dream, so it was only natural, but he had never clearly seen the face of the man who stayed with him or the woman who claimed to be his mother. Previously, they had been blurred and smudged, like the world seen by someone with poor eyesight who wasn’t wearing glasses, but for the first time, the man’s face was vivid. Specifically, it was Jeil Heon’s face.
One might wonder if there was any meaning to a random dream, but the man in the dream was a being who protected him absolutely. Even in a hazy, illusory dream where nothing was clear, he was able to wake up while holding onto that one fact. It was thanks to that that he hadn’t been afraid of the eerie, repeating dreams.
And yet, the moment he realized he liked the man, the figure was replaced by Jeil Heon. He felt like an elementary schooler; he was dying of shame.
Even after waking up, he spent a long time letting out silent screams and kicking the blanket before crawling out of bed. It was almost time to go to work. As a member of society, he had an obligation to work as much as he was paid. Even if he had a humiliating dream, even if he had realized he had a crush on the boss he was living with.
He washed more meticulously than usual and patted on the skin lotion his noona had thrown at him, claiming she’d picked it up on the way. He pulled out various clothes and laid them across the bed, but they all looked the same. Swallowing tears of blood over his own complacency in buying clothes based solely on cost-effectiveness without a second thought, he changed into the one that looked the most decent.
Slipping out of the room, he sensed someone in the kitchen. The thought of facing him made his heart suddenly throb. After clearing his throat with a few “ahem”s, he cautiously opened the door.
“G-Good morning, kuh, Team Leader…!”
If he were to die today, the cause of death would certainly be embarrassment. He had bitten his tongue.
The man standing in front of the induction stove turned around with a smile.
“Morning, Jiha. Did you sleep well? Was the bed comfortable?”
“Yes, yes!”
“But we’re at home; why call me Team Leader?”
“I-I’m just nervous…!”
“Suddenly?”
Unlike last night, Jeil Heon found his awkwardness amusing and let out a faint chuckle, gesturing with his hand.
“Do you want to taste this and see if it’s okay? It’s been a while since I made this, so I’m not very confident.”
Moving his left foot and left leg forward simultaneously, Yoo Jiha tasted the soybean paste stew Jeil Heon had scooped into a spoon. Surprisingly, it was delicious. He had thought the man might be clumsy with housework since he mentioned hiring a housekeeper.
“How is it?”
Jeil Heon tilted his head slightly and asked for his impression. Aaaagh. His lips were too close. Those very lips, whose taste he already knew…!
“It-It, it looks delicious.”
“Hmm? Weren’t you tasting it?”
“No, it’s, it’s delicious! I mean the soybean, the soybean paste!”
Yoo Jiha deserved praise just for barely managing to swallow the word ‘lips’ without speaking it. Feeling a sense of self-loathing that made him want to slam his head onto the table, he forced the breakfast into his mouth. Even then, glancing across from him, he saw Jeil Heon picking at his food, barely eating a few grains of rice. He had eaten a lot last night.
“Do you usually eat small portions, ahjussi?”
“Since I spent a long time fused with an Aberration, my appetite only returns for raw human liver rather than cooked food. Was the Blind Eater that held onto me a fellow mixed with a fox demon?”
“…….”
“Don’t worry. Even if I starve to death, I’ll never eat you.”
“……Yes.”
He really didn’t know why this ahjussi made such terrifyingly sincere-sounding jokes with such a serious expression. However, thanks to that, his pounding heart calmed down, and he was able to finish the meal without further incident.
* * *
Q. I’m a new employee who is still half-student, and I’ve fallen for my team leader. Now that I’ve realized it, my heart flutters just seeing his face at work. What should I do?
A. Work.
“Jiha-ssi, you’re spacing out today.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’m not scolding you; I’m just worried that you might not be feeling well. You have to stay sharp in an Aberrant Realm.”
He had nothing to say. Yoo Jiha only bowed his waist repeatedly at Song Hilda’s comforting words. That’s right. It was a day that had started so disastrously that he was seriously considering death by shame, but the earth still turns and the sun still rises. He had to go to work and enter an Aberrant Realm today.
“I heard he’s boarding at the Team Leader’s house. Maybe he’s just not adjusted yet? It’s Monday, so it’s natural to feel sluggish.”
Yoo Jiha nodded vigorously in response to Kim Min-seop’s chipper interruption.
“True, even if the Team Leader is kind to him, facing him all the time at home must be nerve-wracking. Still, there aren’t any other problems making it difficult to enter, right?”
“It’s totally fine. I even got a comfortable ride to work in the Team Leader’s car. ……But, Sunbae. Do you really think the Team Leader is being kind to me?”
“It does feel like he takes special care of you. Like last time at the Opera House; as soon as an anomaly appeared and it looked dangerous, he protected you immediately.”
“You have a special relationship. If it weren’t for Jiha-ssi, he would have been quarantined in a lab or died already. If I were him, I’d carry Jiha-ssi on my back too.”
Knowing that it was obvious even to others made him feel a bit better. Not that it meant he wanted to do something about it with Jeil Heon right this second.
‘Though I don’t even know what that ‘something’ would be….’
His only experience with dating was back in elementary school, so he had no past to refer to. Even then, it had ended quickly.
While his worries deepened, Jeil Heon, having finished talking with the Enforcement Division agents, approached the SUV. The agents’ eyes were sparkling with admiration for him today as well.
“Everyone is on board, so we will depart.”
The SUV driven by Song Hilda headed toward Gwanghui Market in Jung-gu, where the five-day market was being held today, to enter the Aberrant Realm. Yoo Jiha, who had been stealing glances at Jeil Heon’s face reflected in the car window, finally couldn’t resist and tugged firmly on the hem of his t-shirt.
“Hmm?”
“The Sunbaes said the Aberrant Realm we’re entering today is an easy one. They said they’d give us an easy one since there’s a rookie, but it seemed like you—I mean, Team Leader—weren’t too pleased with it.”
“Well….”
Jeil Heon let out a low sound and rubbed the back of his neck. Having been assigned the ‘Jeonmae Five-Day Market’ at the team leaders’ meeting on Monday morning, he had looked somewhat unconvinced.
“It’s because it’s a place where I have some personally unpleasant memories. I’ve made you worry too.”
With a face that told him not to mind, Jeil Heon ruffled his hair. It was a relief if nothing was wrong, but… Feeling the touch on the crown of his head, Yoo Jiha’s cheeks flushed red. No matter how his feelings were changing, Jeil Heon still embraced him from the closest distance. He vaguely felt that things were fine just as they were.
[Jeonmae Five-Day Market Survival Procedure Manual]
As of the writing of this manual, the survival rate of the Jeonmae Five-Day Market is approximately 81%. This is a significantly meaningful and high survival rate, so do not panic and calmly follow the manual.
You must disguise yourself as a customer visiting the Jeonmae Five-Day Market. Transactions in the five-day market are possible only in cash, and any currency that was used on the Korean Peninsula is acceptable. State-authorized currencies such as Sangpyeong Tongbo or Hwalgu are naturally accepted, and key currencies introduced from abroad such as Gyocho and dollars, as well as grains, hemp, and seashells used in bartering, can also be considered cash.
2-1. At the entrance of the market, there is a merchant entity selling coupons to revitalize the traditional market. If you have never smoked or consumed alcohol, directly or indirectly, in your entire life, you may purchase a coupon with a portion of your lungs and liver.
If you have cash, you must find the ‘Wing Quilt Shop,’ which opens at random locations only on market days. Purchase a quilt embroidered with an auspicious pattern at the Wing Quilt Shop. The price depends on the whim of the owner entity on that day. If you are lucky, you may be able to purchase it for a single seashell.
Once you have purchased the quilt, drape it over your head so that the auspicious pattern is facing outward. Then, looking only at the ground, walk toward the direction of the rising sun without making a sound. Even if an Aberration speaks to you, even if a wall appears in front of you, or even if the ground cracks or flips over, you must go straight. You must not react.
As you walk, you will reach a point where you are aligned with the sun and no shadow is visible. Wait there for rescue by headquarters agents. However, since the Jeonmae Five-Day Market is an area with a weak wavelength, confirmation of casualties may be delayed. The location is safe, so please wait until the next market day.
The part about having to wait until the next market day bothered him for some reason. The Jeonmae Five-Day Market can only be entered on days ending in 3 or 8. If the timing was missed, even a Management Bureau agent would have to wait another five days.
Surely, since Jeil Heon was with him, there was no way he’d be stranded in an Aberrant Realm for five days, right…?