Chapter 63

The sky that was only cold made even the shining sunlight feel sharp rather than warm. Thinking like that, it seemed like his body had become slightly chilly, so he rubbed his arms. Tae-un, who was looking at Soram, touched the back of his fingers to his cheek.

"Are you cold?"

"I'm wearing long sleeves in this season, so I'd be hot, not cold."

"If you're not feeling well, tell me. It hasn't even been a week since you were discharged."

"You should take care of yourself. Han Tae-un ssi, who has a lifelong scar on his palm."

"I'm serious. Don't overdo it."

The palm story that had been used for a long time no longer worked.

"I'm older than you."

"You got hurt more than me."

"...You've started to care in a weird way."

Soram thought again that he could have this kind of relationship with Han Tae-un. The effect of 'a ruined game that started with half-giving up' was quite amazing, so as time passed, this life became completely different from the previous three lives.

Soram looked up at the sky again. The sky on the side where the cloud mass had cleared returned to a bright blue color. Whenever he looked at the bright blue sky directly, the black crack that seemed to split the middle would come to mind. The 4th Great Rift that he ultimately failed to stop, was saved by Tae-un, and met his death.

"Han Tae-un."

"What?"

"I have something to ask you."

"What is it?"

"If you were to save me and die, what would be the reason?"

"What?"

Tae-un asked back in bewilderment.

"Think about it. If you throw your life away for me, what would you be thinking at that moment?"

"What would I be thinking if I'm dead?"

"So why did you end up dying for me?"

"I'm not dead yet, and you're the one who almost died trying to protect me."

"No. You died. You already died, so use your imagination. You came rushing to push me out of danger in a situation where you could have run away."

"...Are you talking about something like a dungeon?"

"Well, yeah."

"I probably died not knowing I would get hit after rushing in because you were in danger."

"..."

Tae-un's answer had a tone of imagining an absurd and vague situation. On the other hand, Soram remembered all those scenes vividly. Because Han Tae-un had left all his memories behind and started anew alone.

Good for you. Tae-un, who interpreted Soram's expression that had turned sour differently, continued his words a bit more.

"It's not that I mean I'll die easily though."

He said while taking out a cookie from the snack box.

"If you and I are on a scale in a desperate situation, I'll probably save you."

"Why?"

"Because you'll be able to save more people."

"So you see me as a great hero?"

"Something like that."

Tae-un tore open the individually wrapped cookie plastic. Soram snatched it from Tae-un's hand. And he put the sweet chocolate chip cookie he didn't even like in his mouth.

"Sorry."

"...It's fine. It's not the first or second time."

"Actually, I'm not really sorry. Because I was having a really hard time too."

At those words, Tae-un frowned with one eye.

"Are you really hurting somewhere?"

"That's not it, but my energy is dropping rapidly."

After offering a meaningless self-satisfying apology, he belatedly swallowed his words. Tae-un, who no longer had any intention of snatching it back, tore open another of the same snacks and gave it to Soram.

"It's fine. You eat it."

"Eat it. You said you're having a hard time."

"Hey, do Koreans gain energy by eating this? We should slurp down some hot soup or stew after we're done."

When Soram refused, this time he opened a warm drink can and held it out. Soram stared at Tae-un's face behind the drink. Contrary to his appearance, he was unexpectedly delicate and remembered even the words thrown out in passing.

This personality must have been the same since he was young. It would have been the same when he was a student. But with this face added, as the head of the PR department said, he would have had the charm of a shy country boy. It seemed like he could picture that image in his head without even looking.

"Hey, have you ever seduced someone by giving them potatoes like this when you were young?"

"Why would I seduce someone by giving them potatoes?"

"Just, I feel like if you had short hair and gave potatoes when you were in high school, you could have seduced everyone in the world."

What are you talking about? Laughter was heard behind Tae-un's words. The staff burst into laughter of agreement after hearing Soram's words.

"Ah... It suits you so well. If Chief Han did that, I think anyone would fall for him."

"See?"

Soram sent a triumphant look to Tae-un. Two staff members, excited that the hunters had engaged in conversation with them, approached and added more words.

"You two seem really close. It seems like you know each other's small habits and everything."

"We're on the same team and our dormitory rooms are next to each other, so we're always together."

"I see. Ability users like you two are rare, right? Then you should stay together even 5 years, 10 years from now. Definitely."

"Ah, 5 years, 10 years from now... Isn't that a bit far? Will that time even come?"

"Eh, it passes by surprisingly quickly. Ah, I think you two will be so cool when you're in your 30s."

"...Thank you. Then what about now?"

"Now you're only twenty-six. It's when you're called the nation's younger brother."

"Haha. If you had a younger brother like me, you'd be really worried."

The conversation was mostly done by Soram, and Tae-un either gave short answers or just looked at Soram silently.

The staff members who had a brief conversation left, and Soram, now tired, covered his mouth and yawned.

"Sleepy?"

"Mm... The magic words that make me sleepy came out."

Tae-un poked Soram's cheek, which had become taut from opening his mouth.

"Huh?"

Soram turned to look at him, raising his eyebrows. When Tae-un didn't give much of an answer, he turned his head back, saying, "What?"

Playing around became natural, and at some point, Soram started treating Tae-un comfortably like old friends. Tae-un swallowed a sigh inwardly. He wasn't an elementary school student, but he felt good from the reaction he got by poking him.

"Do we have to wait more?"

"Looks like it."

The main filming crew was still looking at the sky, looking at the equipment, and having some kind of discussion. It seemed that a few problems had arisen as the time was delayed in addition to the weather.

"I'm going to sleep a bit. Wake me up if something happens."

"Okay."

Soram dropped his head while keeping his arms crossed like that. It seemed like he fell asleep in an instant.

A very faint white light fluttered around the swaying Soram. His sleeping face slowly drifted towards Tae-un's direction, and his head touched his shoulder. Then his nodding head leaned stably.

Soram opened his eyes halfway, still drowsy. Tae-un flinched.

"Han Tae-un."

"...Yeah."

"Why are you being so kind?"

"Sleep comfortably."

Soram closed his eyes again. He didn't lift his head from the shoulder.

"Thanks."

Not long after, his breathing became more even than a little while ago. Tae-un could also tell. Soram's walls had almost completely crumbled. The line he had been pushing away with a smile, saying this much was not allowed, even as they got closer step by step, he had allowed it.

The fan-like spread eyelashes covered the thick flesh under his eyes. His breathing continued to spread out evenly.

"Oh my."

The staff who had approached to fix the makeup stopped.

"I guess we made you wait too long."

They looked restless, wondering what to do after calling the hunters and having one of them curl up and fall asleep on the other's shoulder in the corner.

"Chief Jin's injuries from last time haven't fully healed yet. Please start with me."

"Oh, I see. Yes. Understood."

Leaving the sleeping Soram, the brush first touched Tae-un's face. More than the unfamiliar sensation, what was more ticklish was that it didn't matter because it was touching his shoulder.

5 years, 10 years. The two of them would probably continue to be together like that. As hunters of the same age group and with similar flight abilities.

Belatedly realizing it was jealousy, Kim Ga-eul thought she might be able to quickly catch up to the level of closeness between Seo Min-ki and Jin Soram. Soram easily opened his heart to people who had no malice, and Tae-un had a very long time to prove to Soram that he had no malice towards him while being together.

Soram didn't mind that the door connected to his room was still not fixed. He fell asleep leaning on Tae-un's shoulder as if it was nothing.

This would be what others would evaluate as being "close" now.

And only one of the two had a heart beating like crazy and a dry mouth. Tae-un could no longer not know what the identity of his feelings was.

Ironically, when the relationship had narrowed in a big way, he realized that this was the stop line where it should halt. The place he was standing was already inside the line allowed for a normal relationship, and if he walked further, this time a red line drawn on the floor would appear.

The moment he stepped on it, the comfort of Soram, who had his eyes closed leaning on his shoulder, would shatter.

"Chief Han, I think we need to do Chief Jin's makeup now."

"Ah, yes."

Tae-un placed his hand on Soram's shoulder. And he opened his lips.

"Soram-ah."

"Hmm..."

"Wake up."

"Wow, that's so sweet. If someone woke me up like that in the morning, I'd jump right up."

The staff exclaimed exaggeratedly. However, far from jumping up, Soram couldn't shake off the sleep from his shoulder and barely lifted his face after mumbling.

"Sleepy."

"Wake up."

Behind Soram's neck, fingers bent a few times as if hesitating. Only after making the judgment that this much was okay several times in a short period of time, he grabbed his neck and did something similar to a massage.

"Don't do that."

Soram laughed as if he had been played with and stretched his neck left and right. He didn't push Tae-un's hand away until he removed it himself. It seemed like this was the limit.