By Zephyria It was a hard story to believe. Jung-bin, who kept fiddling with the doorknob, asked seriously.
“Is that possible? A human creating a Dungeon?”
“Well…”
Sa-young shrugged.
“Well, it’s just a possibility. It’s not certain. The possibility is low.”
“…I guess so.”
“But… someone with this much self-love.”
He glanced at the doorknob and continued.
“Among the people I know… it’s only Hong Ye-seong.”
Cha Eui-jae also knew because he had used the spear Hong Ye-seong made. His skills are amazing. But no matter how great The Artisan is, creating a Dungeon is the System’s domain, isn’t it?
The image of Hong Ye-seong being slapped on the cheek by Cluck flashed through his mind. The image of him giving a thumbs up too. The image of him trembling like a newborn alpaca while holding Jung-bin.
‘…Him?’
Eui-jae looked around.
‘This?’
…No way. It would be more credible if he only made the doorknob. Eui-jae shook his head to shake off the thought. Then Sa-young muttered.
“If, by any chance, Hong Ye-seong really made this…”
“……”
“It’s actually okay. There’s no need to worry.”
“Huh? Why?”
Shouldn’t we be more worried? Eui-jae looked up at Sa-young with a puzzled face. Sa-young lowered his eyes and fiddled with his lower lip as if lost in thought.
“He’s a bit… out of his mind, but he’s not a bad guy.”
Is he serious?
Doubt filled Eui-jae’s face. Lee Sa-young chuckled.
“I know more about Hong Ye-seong than Hyung does.”
“…That’s probably true.”
“Trust him, just once. He’s not malicious. And…”
“……”
“You’ll have more good things than you think.”
Sa-young reached out his hand to Eui-jae, who was still squatting.
“Get up.”
“Okay.”
Eui-jae grabbed the outstretched hand without hesitation. Sa-young pulled his hand with force, and he stood up as if bouncing, dusting off his pants.
And looking at Lee Sa-young, who was narrowing his eyes with his hands on his waist, Eui-jae sensed it. The interrogation is starting.
“So many things happened while I took my eyes off you for a second… Why did you open the door?”
“No… I have to find a way to clear the Dungeon. I can’t stay trapped here forever.”
“You can do it with me.”
“No, you’re just an ordinary person who hasn’t had an Awakening yet. I can handle anything that happens right away.”
“Ah, that’s the excuse this time.”
“……”
“It’s always like that.”
Lee Sa-young twisted his lips. It was obvious that he was upset again, but Cha Eui-jae couldn’t back down on this matter. He couldn’t let an ordinary person who hasn’t had an Awakening face the threat of the Dungeon, especially if it’s Lee Sa-young.
“Okay, let’s say that’s true. Is that why you’re staring blankly out the door like you’re about to fall?”
“That’s because I was flustered.”
“If you get flustered twice, you’ll fall.”
“It won’t happen again.”
“How can I believe that?”
Eui-jae paused and raised his head. A faint, gloomy light was cast on his delicate face. His lips twitched.
“How can I believe that?”
There were many things he wanted to say, many things he was going to say. But the moment he saw that face, all the words disappeared as if white paint had been spilled in his head. He could only stare blankly at Lee Sa-young.
Sa-young, who had been glaring at Eui-jae, spat out irritably.
“I know why you had an Awakening. This body.”
“……”
“It must have been frustrating and annoying.”
“……”
“Because there’s nothing you can do.”
Sa-young, who had snapped sharply, turned his body and disappeared down the hallway. Eui-jae, left alone, looked at his empty palm. This body doesn’t have the traces left like cracks on the palm, nor the swaying golden chains.
The footsteps stopped, and the sound of water stopped too. Silence fell. Eui-jae stood still at the entrance and stared at the empty hallway.
Why did I think Lee Sa-young would be okay?
A small breath was heard through the silence. Eui-jae moved as if possessed. He stepped on the wooden floor and crossed the long hallway. A picture of the blue sea flashed past his vision.
At the end of the hallway, Lee Sa-young was standing with his head bowed, holding onto the sink. Eui-jae approached without hesitation and hugged his broad back. The body in his arms flinched greatly, and his breathing became a little rougher. He put his ear to his back. His heart was beating fast. Eui-jae murmured softly.
“I’m sorry.”
“……”
“I didn’t think enough.”
Cha Eui-jae is a mess. He’s been like that ever since he entered the Rift, so it was too natural. Even though there’s someone who isn’t like that. Even though there’s someone who worries about him.
Eui-jae put strength into the hand that was hugging his waist.
Even though everything doesn’t get better with just one word of ‘it’s okay’.
“Were you worried?”
“……”
“I’m sorry.”
The lump he didn’t even know was in his heart was melting away. Another hand covered the hand that was hugging him. When Eui-jae released his strength at the gentle pushing motion, Lee Sa-young turned his body.
He couldn’t see his expression. Because he was immediately pulled into his arms. Large hands wrapped around the back of his head and waist. Long fingers intertwined as if buried in his hair.
Are you listening to my heartbeat right now too?
Eui-jae blinked, then wrapped his arms around his neck and leaned his head on his solid shoulder.
I hope you don’t hear it.
His heart was beating like crazy. Both of them.
Let’s assume that Hong Ye-seong made this space. Hmm… It’s hard to believe, but even that omnipotent Hong Ye-seong couldn’t touch the TV program schedule.
‘No… Did he touch it and make it like this?’
Eui-jae ignored the hair tickling his neck and pressed the remote control buttons.
Only documentaries were shown on TV. Intelligent octopus teachers, the daily lives of penguins, pandas sprawled on trees taking naps, elephant families, and so on. Even the entertainment channel showed videos of tigers yawning.
‘I was going to watch a movie.’
Eui-jae put down the remote control on the channel where penguins were speeding while rubbing ice on their bellies. He could hear soft breathing in his ear. Eui-jae pulled his shoulder closer to him with his hand. “Eung,” Lee Sa-young, who had closed his eyes, mumbled softly.
Hugging and apologizing? Good. Being hugged? Good. Somehow, it felt like there were only things to apologize for. Anyway.
Lee Sa-young didn’t let go of Cha Eui-jae for a long time. He even growled if Eui-jae moved slightly to loosen the arm around his neck. But he couldn’t keep hugging him. He glanced out the window and saw that the sunset was slowly setting. The flow of time in this space seemed a little different.
‘Maybe. Spending a day in this space might be the clearing condition.’
He had an unusually optimistic thought. So he patted Sa-young’s back, who wouldn’t fall off like a koala, and told him to sit on the sofa and watch a movie after he finished washing the dishes, and only then did Lee Sa-young release his arms.
And that’s how it turned out. No movies, just animal documentaries, and Lee Sa-young is dozing off next to him.
Lee Sa-young didn’t show it, but he must have been very stressed or tired, because he started nodding off as soon as he sat next to Eui-jae. He felt sorry for his head swaying from side to side, so he let him lean on him…
‘It would be better to just go in and put him to sleep.’
In the time he was wrestling with the TV, darkness had already settled in the place where the sunset had disappeared. Eui-jae turned off the TV and shook Sa-young awake after looking out the dark window.
“Wake up. Let’s go in and sleep.”
“…Huh? Euh.”
Sa-young slowly raised his head. Eui-jae got up from his seat and reached out his hand.
“Come on, get up.”
“……”
Eui-jae led Sa-young, who obediently grabbed his hand, into the bedroom, and had to face the king-size bed that he had forgotten for a moment. He felt a slight headache, but Lee Sa-young came first. Eui-jae pulled back the blanket, and Sa-young obediently went into bed and lay down. When he covered him up to his neck, he gently opened his eyes.
“…Hyung?”
“Me?”
“Aren’t you sleeping?”
“……”
When Eui-jae hesitated without answering, his sleepy eyes became sharp.
“Don’t say any bullshit about sleeping on the sofa again… Lie down next to me.”
‘Shit.’
“There are two pillows…”
Why is he so quick-witted even when he’s sleepy? Eui-jae bit his lip and lay down next to him. Sa-young quickly covered him with the blanket. Eui-jae turned on the bedside lamp on his side and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Crimson light, the sound of breathing right next to him, a soft mattress, and a soft blanket.
“……”
Can it be this perfect?
This place is like a box filled with only precious and good things. It’s so sweet and perfect that he doesn’t want to wake up.
‘Ah.’
Eui-jae opened his mouth slightly. So that’s why he needed Lee Sa-young.
He tossed and turned from his straight position and lay down in a position facing Lee Sa-young. As if sensing his movement, Sa-young also turned his head towards him.
Purple eyes with a sleepy look look at Cha Eui-jae. Eui-jae propped himself up on his elbow, supported his head with his hand, and looked at Lee Sa-young.
“…Hyung?”
A slightly husky voice calls him. Instead of answering, Eui-jae reached out and grabbed the hand hidden under the blanket. The sensation of the band wrapped around the first joint of his finger was clear. As the stiff fingers dug between his fingers, they intertwined without any gaps. His thumb rubbed the back of his hand.
He could tell instinctively.
The owner of this memory is Cha Eui-jae. Well, Cha Eui-jae is a comprehensive gift set of only weak things.
Then the way to clear it must also be according to Cha Eui-jae’s thoughts.
I wanted to tell you this someday.
It might have been a natural everyday life. But not for the two people who visited this place now. So they had to endure the anxiety about the unknown, and they had to go further.
‘But it’s okay.’
Cha Eui-jae smiled. He reached out and covered Sa-young’s eyes. Just before they were covered, he saw Lee Sa-young’s eyes widen. Eui-jae raised his upper body, put his lips on the back of his hand covering his eyes, and whispered softly.
Doing something that is natural but not natural.
“Good night.”
At the same time, a pure white window appeared.
[Dungeon Clear!]
The thick and soft blanket, the soft mattress, the subtle bedroom lighting, everything began to scatter like white ashes. However, the warmth felt from the joined hands and the touching skin was clear.
That was the only real thing.