Chapter 59

"Ah, really?"

"Yes, that's right. We're really going to go in and take a look."

Seo-un made a polite greeting and pushed Chahaya's back. Chahaya, however, did not budge and instead pointed at Eom-jigeun.

Eom-jigeun was playing with water as if handling a steering wheel, drawing water from the fountain. Despite this, he seemed to be on guard, and Seo-un also raised her guard. The water around them could be used as his weapon.

Chahaya followed the stream of water seeping between his fingers, almost like an audience member trying to spot a trick in a magic show.

"I want to join the Tachun Guild, but your vice-guild leader said I need a recommendation from a guild member first. Chahaya, can you recommend me?"

Suddenly, Chahaya gave a thumbs up. Both Eom-jigeun and Seo-un were surprised by his willingness to recommend, but Eom-jigeun quickly lowered his thumb.

"Thumbs down."

Eom-jigeun let out a dazed laugh, and Chahaya was also grinning despite the rejection. Seo-un felt an unspoken competition of wills.

"Hey, just go in."

Chahaya finally pretended to be pushed by Seo-un's force. As they entered the lobby and got into the elevator, fortunately, Eom-jigeun did not follow. The last Seo-un saw of him was him heading towards the opposite elevator.

"Did you form a couple?"

The high-speed elevator's numbers were changing rapidly.

"Eom-jigeun forced himself on me."

"Did you meet at the Control Center headquarters?"

"Yeah."

"Did you become friends?"

Chahaya looked at Seo-un as if testing the waters.

The elevator was already cramped, and with his gaze, Seo-un's mouth went dry.

"What, the first impression was really bad, so I didn't like it."

"What did he say?"

"…He was just being arrogant."

Seo-un didn't want to repeat the kind of talk Eom-jigeun had used.

"Yeah, Eom-jigeun is a real pain."

"How do you know him?"

Eom-jigeun had clearly greeted him as if they hadn't seen each other in a while.

"How do I know him?"

He paused, as if trying to remember.

"Oh, I met him while hunting the North Han Mountain deer beetle."

The deer beetle variant was before Seo-un joined Tachun. It was a dangerous level 5 event that had erupted in the early days, and at the time, various guilds were competing to capture it.

"Did you hunt with Eom-jigeun?"

"I did all the work, and his guild tried to take credit, so I knocked them out one by one."

"Good job, Chahaya. Don't let them get the first hit."

"Yeah, but not even Eom-jigeun can do that to me."

Chahaya raised his index finger and then grabbed it with his other hand, pretending to eat it.

"Eom-jigeun, you're crazy."

Seo-un let out a silly laugh.

"Hey, did you watch the Oseong Guild's video?"

The elevator doors opened.

"We agreed to watch it together. Seo-un, are you breaking another promise?"

"You watched the first three episodes separately, didn't you?"

"Who didn't watch the second episode with you? Don't complain."

Avoiding Chahaya's attempt to grab his collar, Seo-un quickly jumped out of the elevator.

Wow, field mouse, look at your escape speed.

Chahaya let out a half-hearted exclamation and confidently headed left as if he were at home. Seo-un pushed him aside and stood in front of the door lock, ready to open the door.

Seo-un made a shield with his hand and quickly pressed the buttons.

"If you keep doing that, you'll want to see more."

"What are you going to do with someone else's password?"

"Someone else?"

At the word "someone else," Chahaya's expression turned serious. When he looked at Seo-un so coldly, Seo-un sometimes felt as if he were being swallowed by a giant nebula, making his spine shiver.

"A friend's password. Happy now?"

"I told you all the passwords to my house."

"But you said you wouldn't need them anyway."

"Seo-un's house, just selling the marble floor at the entrance would be worth a lot."

When Chahaya tried to hit the floor with his scabbard, Seo-un quickly blocked him with Matahari. Chahaya playfully pushed Matahari's scabbard up, engaging in a childish sword fight.

"Cry out from my sword, White Rain!"

With a "Tat," he pushed the sword forward, and Seo-un, pushed by the force, was pinned against the wall.

"Are you crazy?"

"I'm giving a name to my ultimate move."

Chahaya gradually pushed his sword closer, reducing the distance. Seo-un, pressed against the wall, blocked his sword. Reflecting on it, Seo-un and Chahaya had never engaged in a physical fight before. Even in high school, they were far from the kind of people who got into fights. It was ironic that they were now hunting variants.

Thinking he would back off, Chahaya pressed his body so close that Seo-un could hardly breathe.

"It's hard, can you move a bit?"

Their heads and lips were very close.

"Seo-un, you have such a baby forehead. Round and round."

To avoid Chahaya's lips, Seo-un quickly crouched down. His heart raced, thinking they might have touched. He could even feel Chahaya's breath. If he had been a bit slower, he would have kissed him. Is he crazy? But Seo-un tried to act as if nothing happened, leaving Matahari on the sofa. Chahaya also placed his sword next to Matahari.

Did he really try to kiss my forehead?

It started again. Seo-un was trying to give meaning to what was just a playful act. He took two cans of beer from the fridge and threw one to Chahaya. Glancing at him, Chahaya seemed to be reflecting on his actions as he opened and drank the beer. His indifferent eyes and unconscious smile were the same as always.

Of course, that kid just does what he wants.

Seo-un turned on the TV and opened a can of beer to break the silence. He went to the living room table to rest his legs, which had been moving all day. The 8-person table was still spotless.

Chahaya jumped onto the table and looked down at Seo-un.

"Hey, do you sit at the dining table?"

The solid wood wouldn't break, but it was annoying to see it treated so carelessly. It was a precious piece of furniture he had waited a year to receive.

"I never learned."

He tapped the wood lightly with his fist and smiled.

"Strange. Then why didn't you sit at the dining table?"

"I didn't know? If I did, it would have broken and been thrown away."

Seo-un wanted to hit him in the back.

"Oseong Searcher was a lower-tier before the reawakening."

"The field mouse was so unfair."

Chahaya clinked his can against Seo-un's.

"But I'm more impressive, right?"

"Got it, field mouse."

"Stop it."

Seo-un couldn't help but laugh, but his expression soon turned serious.

"Hey, I heard the Alliance is planning to take over Nam-dong."

"Who decided that?"

Chahaya had been the one to organize the traffic to take over Nam-dong. In a way, he had just added a spoonful to the mix.

"The video mentioned a project to care for lower-tiers in Nam-dong."

Seo-un took a sip of beer.

"Should we push them out?"

"Should we just go to the northwest?"

Their words overlapped, creating a harmony.

"How can we push the Alliance? We're already disliked for not joining, and we don't want to become public enemies. If we go to the northwest, the landmarks are close, and it won't affect our living."

"There are no variants there."

We need uranium, so Seo-un nodded.

"Should we meet with the Alliance guilds and negotiate? We'll hand over Nam-dong without issues, but all the variants that appear there will be ours."

"That's obvious. Why do we need to negotiate?"

Chahaya seemed to brush off complicated matters but was stubborn in certain areas.

"Seo-un, if the Alliance wants to take over Nam-dong, should we tell them to use force?"

After finishing his sentence, he drank the beer in one gulp. Chahaya's neatly styled hair was almost the same as when he left the salon, except for a few strands that had fallen forward. Seo-un almost brushed them away but quickly changed the topic.

"I want to avoid a full-scale war. And we should also talk to Abdul."

"Is that all the video said?"

Right, Chahaya hadn't seen it yet.

Seo-un finally showed the video to Chahaya. After watching the announcement, Chahaya asked, "There's no mention of taking over Nam-dong?"

"The rest was told by Eom-jigeun."

For some reason, his lips were pouting.

"Do you believe him?"

He hit the core unexpectedly. Reflecting on it, the information about managing lower-tiers in Nam-dong came solely from Eom-jigeun.

"You said the first impression was bad, yet you believe him easily."

Seo-un thought deeply.

Why did I believe him so easily? As Seo-un recalled his conversation with Eom-jigeun, he exclaimed, "Ah," and found the answer.

"He said he was against it."

"Are you saying I'm an outsider and Eom-jigeun is on our side? Did you become that close?"

"Eom-jigeun, that guy, opposed using Nam-dong without Tachun's permission. Got it?"

Seo-un's heart, which had been closed, seemed to open at the thought of Eom-jigeun supporting them.

"Fine, I'll call Eom-jigeun formally from now on."

It was funny how easily he was satisfied.

"But why would he oppose it if he's not in our guild? Don't believe him."

"Why are you so suspicious? It could be true."

Seo-un almost dropped his beer can as Chahaya leaned in, lowering his face.

"Seo-un, don't believe anyone but me."

It was overwhelming, and Seo-un leaned back against the sofa.

"If the Oseong Searcher's claim about variants appearing overseas is true?"

"Indonesia?"

"Yeah, your uncle is there, right?"

"What about you?"

Chahaya was asking about his instincts.

"I'm still…"

He shook his head, not knowing. The Messenger hadn't given him any information.

"Then, Seo-un, you're right."

"Why? The Oseong Searcher might be better than me."

"I don't want to hear you lowering your self-esteem. You were more impressive before."

Without the Messenger, I'm practically a corpse.

<'Elephant field mouse trying to straddle two stools, Seo-un.'>

Straddle two stools?

<I miss you so much. I didn't interfere on purpose. Do you like it? Are you excited? Do you want to get closer?>

Seo-un closed his eyes tightly. This was the only way to calm down.

"Are you sleepy?"

Chahaya placed his cool hand, chilled from holding the beer can, on Seo-un's forehead.

"I'm not sleepy."

When he opened his eyes, he saw a faint line on Chahaya's wrist, barely visible.

"Is your wrist okay?"

"Wrist?"

Chahaya looked at his left hand, which Seo-un was pointing at, and turned it as if to show it.

Despite being pressed against the back of the sofa, Seo-un moved closer to Chahaya. His deep purple eyes were filled with concern.