The suggestion was so sudden that Haru looked surprised.
"Going out?"
"Yes."
"Where to?"
"Well, how about we go see the sea? We said we'd see it together but never did."
It was something we had promised last summer, but this winter, something came up, and we couldn't find the time to see the sea. Now that March had arrived and we had finally caught our breath, it felt both regretful and awkward not to have gone before the full onset of spring.
While I was waving my hand in front of him, who had suddenly lost his spirit, he said,
"I thought you had forgotten."
"Huh?"
"...Since you never mentioned it again after that day, I thought you had forgotten about our promise. But."
That wasn't the case.
His gentle voice brought a subtle peace. A mixture of affection and relief was so palpable that I felt myself relaxing too.
As our eyes met, Haru's eyes softened.
All this fuss over a single promise.
Just mentioning that fleeting remark made half a year ago, and seeing how purely happy he was, made me feel a twinge inside. If I had forgotten, I would have been a great sinner.
"...If I ever forget, remind me."
"Remind you of what?"
"Going out together. I really want to make sure we go this time."
I had almost forgotten myself, but seeing Haru so concerned made me feel like this time it truly shouldn't be forgotten. As I casually mentioned it, Haru smiled. His lips curved gently, and his fair skin flushed pink. His innocent smile was unparalleled.
"So, let's postpone our outing for the two of us to another time. This time, let's all go together for the test. If Haewoon finds out, he'll want to come along too."
Haewoon, who enjoys flocking together, wouldn't miss this opportunity. Despite my refusal, it was inevitable that we would all end up going for the test together, so I reluctantly smiled, and Haru chuckled in agreement.
It was a peaceful resolution.
Worried about another fight or conflict, Kang Sihyun was relieved and headed back to the car. He dozed off in the back seat until we stopped at a convenience store near our lodging to grab a simple meal before parting ways with Haru.
8:18 AM.
As expected, it was a reasonable time before heading out. Neither too early nor too late, Sihyun woke the kids up.
He kicked Hamin, who was unaware of the incoming messages and sleeping, and sent Pia to wake up Geonu. The tiny fantasy bird pecked at Geonu with its sharp beak quite effectively.
"What now…"
Hamin, rudely awakened from his deep sleep, grumbled. Sihyun handed him his phone.
"Stop sleeping and check your messages."
"Messages?"
"Yeah. You should have received one too."
"What's it say?"
"How should I know?"
"Try 0331."
In a groggy voice, Hamin spoke. Sihyun turned on the screen of the black phone. A prompt to enter the PIN appeared on the lock screen.
"The password?"
"Uh huh…"
With a voice close to dying, he dived back under the covers, ready to sleep again despite being woken up.
Sihyun unlocked the phone and found a message from the association, similar to the one he had received.
"You got it too."
"So what's it… ugh."
Hamin groaned as he accidentally stepped on his solar plexus. Sihyun quickly apologized for the mistake and showed him the phone screen, even adjusting the font size to its largest for his barely awake state.
Hamin reluctantly read the message out loud after turning his head away a few times.
"...It will proceed, so please come to the association in the morning..., in the morning?"
"Yeah. Feeling like getting up now?"
"Are you crazy? If the evaluation is at 4, why do we have to register in the morning?"
Hamin furrowed his brows in frustration, but it seemed to wake him up.
Sihyun, unable to properly respond to his complaint, shrugged and pushed the now-awake boy towards the bathroom. Next target: Geonu, who remained unaffected by Pia's beak attacks.
"Phyaphyaphyat!"
After a few more pecks, Pia fluttered over to point at the sleeping boy with its wing, as if tattling. Sihyun approached Geonu, who had covered his face with the blanket, and pulled it down. The fluttering sound revealed the hidden face.
"...Even looking tired, he's handsome."
Seeing Geonu's haggard face up close after a week of overwork, Sihyun whispered in admiration.
It had been two months since he joined the Redem Guild, but he hadn't seen
anyone as striking as Geonu. Hamin always said that while not common, there are occasionally people as good-looking whenever Sihyun praised Geonu's looks, which Sihyun took as simple jealousy.
There couldn't be two people in the world who looked like Geonu.
He had watched idol shows and dramas with actors, but Geonu's appearance seemed to have a different level of clarity compared to them.
Of course, Hyuk, Hamin, Seowoo, Ruth, and Haru weren't ugly. They were rather handsome, but Geonu was like a masterpiece hanging beside good-looking people.
He was simply statuesque.
"I wonder if he'd be embarrassed if he heard that."
For the past year, Baek Geonu had always shown the same demeanor—indifferent yet caring, never angry or shy. It made Kang Sihyun wonder if Geonu would ever feel embarrassed if he heard what was said about him. Sihyun quickly dismissed the thought as a meaningless fantasy.
It was just idle talk that he had no intention of vocalizing.
"Hey."
"..."
"Baek Geonu."
"...Yeah."
"Wake up."
As Sihyun shook him, it was unclear whether Geonu was still half-asleep or awake, but a faint response was heard. Encouraged by this halfway success, Sihyun shook him more vigorously, causing Geonu to slightly frown with his handsome face.
"Wake up."
"..."
"Don't go back to sleep. Hey."
The force used to shake Geonu became more intense. Sihyun had thought Geonu would be easier to wake than Hamin but was surprised to find him quite the challenge. He remembered Yoo Seowoo once mentioned that a deeply sleeping Geonu was hard to wake.
He hadn't taken those words seriously at the time, but he didn't expect it to be this difficult.
Geonu seemed about to wake up but then pressed his eyelids tightly shut and fell back asleep. After a single twitch, there was no further movement, as if he was an impenetrable fortress. Sighing, Sihyun grabbed the blanket wide with both hands.
Flutter!
He lifted the blanket and shook it above Geonu three times. The fabric created a small noise and wind as it flapped.
"...Hmm."
Only then did Baek Geonu stir. Sihyun had seized the moment to shake Geonu when suddenly, a hand reached out, grabbed Sihyun's arm, and yanked him onto the bed. Sihyun, unable to resist with the strength that Geonu exerted, collapsed in disbelief. He wasn't a paper doll, having his own strength, yet he fell so easily.
Despite his strength being inferior to Down's, this was a blow to his pride.
Attempting to rise again, Sihyun found the sleeping boy wouldn't allow it. Strong arms pulled him in close, wrapping around his waist and forearm, rendering Sihyun unable to move and effectively becoming Geonu's body pillow.
"Phyaphyaphya!"
Pia, distressed by Sihyun's predicament, pecked at Geonu's arm busily. Despite the pain, the boy remained motionless. Sighing, Sihyun strained against the grip, calling Geonu's name repeatedly.
"Baek Geonu."
"..."
"Hey, Baek Geonu. Let go."
"..."
"Baek Geonu!"
"...Yeah. ...Just a bit."
"Hey."
"Let's sleep more..."
What do you mean sleep more, kid?
Frustrated, Sihyun grimaced and resorted to his last measure. He pinched the tight arm with his fingernails, causing the grip around his waist to twitch. The disapproval was visible on the otherwise composed face.
Seeing the effect, Sihyun pinched harder. It might leave marks, but it was Geonu's own fault.
"Can you wake up?"
Finally, a low voice emerged from the boy. Sihyun, momentarily pleased, had to compose his face into a scowl as he continued to feel uncomfortable with Geonu holding him tightly and patting his back as if to soothe him.
It seemed as if Geonu was trying to pacify him, which led Sihyun to swallow a laugh and wiggle his arms in an attempt to move. His arms were pinned in a salute position, leaving him unable to pinch any longer.
"Phyaphyaphyat!"
Pia flew around the room, expressing indignation on Sihyun's behalf.
Sihyun could only sigh at the breathing sounds above his head.
"What a sight. You wake me up fine, but why can't you wake him up without causing such a fuss?"
Only after Hamin finished his shower could Sihyun finally escape from Geonu's grip. He glared at Hamin, who retorted with a smug look, knowing he had played a part in freeing Sihyun. Holding back his anger due to Hamin's help, Sihyun turned to Geonu.
"Sorry."
Geonu, having finally woken up and realized his actions, awkwardly apologized after hearing from Hamin what he had done. Unable to stay mad at him for acting in his sleep, Sihyun warned him to be more careful next time and then brought up the topic of the rank test.
Geonu blinked as he listened to the explanation and checked his phone for the received message. Just then, the door burst open.
"Let's go for the test together!"
Ha
ewoon, predictably, shouted loudly enough for others in different rooms to hear, causing Sihyun to cover his ears and grimace.
One by one, Seowoo and Haru emerged behind Haewoon, laughing. Soon, Down and Jihye peeked in, having apparently gathered everyone for the meeting.
The room, which had felt empty just the day before, was now buzzing with activity, overwhelming Sihyun, who hastily ushered the rowdy kids inside.
"How was the large-scale rift?"
"Don't even start! It was horrible! I never want to go back!"
"It must have been tough. Our room went to the rift last time, and they're still scared stiff at the mention of a large-scale rift."
"Geonu's missing. Where is he?"
"In the bathroom."
"Anyone not eaten breakfast? I stopped by the convenience store earlier, thinking you might be hungry, so I bought something for us..."
The voices overlapped, with at least two people talking every second. Overwhelmed and unable to decide which conversation to follow, Sihyun watched them chat energetically, like fish in water, feeling somewhat reassured despite the chaos.
It was noisy, but the joy of gathering after a long time was undeniable.
It was the first A-class meeting in about two months.
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