“…Is it okay?”
“Let it be. He ran away after saying it himself.”
Kang Sihyun cooled his heated nape with a cold hand. It was a relief that Hamin hadn't blurted out something like 'Did you forget I confessed?' Such words would have made it impossible for Haru and him to converse so calmly as they were now.
Otherwise, we would have been awkwardly munching on snacks.
Just the thought made me feel like I was about to be sick. I handed the half-eaten bag of snacks to Haru, my lips twisting in displeasure as I mulled over Hamin’s actions.
Wasn't it he who said not to be swayed by my feelings?
Despite being his own words, his actions contradicted them. How was I supposed to remain unaffected when he behaved like that?
While pondering whether the one who had stormed out, cursing and then coming back, was the same person who had held my hand before the winter break, suggesting we try something, Haru glanced at me discreetly.
I finally diverted my attention from Hamin.
After all, there's no need to keep thinking about a monk who left the temple by choice. Not wanting to make someone else uncomfortable, I forced a smile and picked up the remote control Haru had set down.
Click, click.
As the channels changed, dull TV programs played on.
“Hamin’s not back yet…”
Haru murmured, glancing at the door as a movie we half-heartedly watched ended around 3 PM. I glanced at the firmly shut door, previously exited by Hamin, and let out a low chuckle, more of a sneer than a laugh.
“He won’t be back by 4. With his pride? No way.”
“Hmm.”
“Should I call him back?”
“Can you?”
“Yes, of course.”
I was quite adept at handling Hamin. A few taps on the phone could do the trick, but Haru suddenly grabbed my wrist.
“……?”
Surprised, I looked at him. He released my wrist slowly, seemingly shocked by his own action.
“What’s wrong?”
“…Well, it might be a bit different if Hamin comes back on his own than if you call him.”
“Is it different?”
I mused aloud, having never considered the distinction. It didn’t seem to matter much to me. Whether I called him and he came back with a slight dent to his pride, or if he returned on his own accord, embarrassed by his experience, didn't make much difference.
Was there really a significant difference between the two?
Just as I decided to call him an hour earlier than planned, the initiator of the topic hesitated.
Watching him closely, I noticed his throat move with a swallow.
“Having you call him might be a bit… different than if Hamin decides to come back later.”
He trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging. As I gazed at his wandering eyes, suddenly, there was a rustle near the entrance. It seems that talking about someone truly brings them up, as the door cautiously opened. Leaning forward from the couch, a familiar face came into view.
“He’s back.”
Pointing at the timely arrival, Haru's shoulders drooped momentarily.
Did I see that wrong?
I was sure I saw a look of regret, but now, Haru’s face was as calm as ever.
“Did you come back early?”
“…….”
I asked calmly, masking any variation in tone. The question seemed to startle Hamin, whose eyebrows twitched.
A slight smirk crossed his lips, and I couldn't help but smile a bit more at his discomfort.
That's what he gets for blurting out anything and storming off.
It would be nice if this moment made him reconsider his habit of speaking without thinking. As I teased him about overcoming his embarrassment, his face scrunched up in annoyance, and he flopped down next to me on the couch. Then, in a voice just loud enough for me to hear, he muttered.
“Give it a rest, will you?”
It was a whisper, meant only for me. Recalling a time when Haewoon imitated Hamin, I considered teasing him further but noticed his ears were still flushed. Instead of continuing the jest, I pressed my fingernail into Hamin’s thigh, prompting a jolt from him.
“Ah! Shit!”
“Really, you need to watch your mouth.”
Even though Hamin had managed to overcome his embarrassment and return, it didn’t erase the awkwardness his earlier actions had caused. Instead of prolonging the mischief, I simply poked fun at him, observing his reaction and then spoke calmly as he settled beside me.
“Heh.”
Hamin lets out a sigh of disbelief. Sihyun turned his gaze towards the screen where the ending credits of the movie were rolling.
Holding the remote control, Sihyun had the power to choose the next movie. Glancing at Haru and Hamin, he ventured into the horror category.
Seeing this, Hamin’s complexion turned ashen.
Sihyun, with the intention of properly disciplining him, selected a movie advertised as "the scariest horror movie of all time."
As a result, Hamin remained pale and speechless until the movie ended, while Sihyun, who didn’t even flinch, watched Haru who only twitched slightly during sudden loud noises or jump scares in the movie.
The movie turned out to be scarier than expected, somewhat straining Sihyun's nerves, but by the end, it was Hamin who seemed to have suffered the most, making the plan not entirely a failure.
After watching about three movies back-to-back, boredom began to set in. Mindlessly flipping through channels, Sihyun eventually put down the remote control. Normally, Hamin would have snatched it up immediately, but this time, no one showed interest in the device left on the table.
Resting idly and letting time slip by, Sihyun broke the silence.
"Lee Hamin."
"What?"
"Got anything to do?"
"Like what?"
"Anything fun in mind?"
Hamin shakes his head. The question is then passed to Haru.
"Hyung, anything you want to do?"
"Not really..."
Haru too trailed off without a clear answer. With no conclusive plans, Sihyun let out a groan.
Really.
"So bored."
Lately, the days were filled entirely with battle support activities. They would wake up at dawn, head out, and return late at night, drained of all mana. Suddenly given two days off, they quickly ran out of things to do. They've slept in, indulged in delicious meals, and binge-watched movies they hadn’t seen before.
And now, they were out of activities. Given the current state, where encountering an Irregular just an hour outside was likely, places like PC cafes couldn’t possibly be open.
Naturally, karaoke bars and cafes were closed too. The only places open nearby were a convenience store and a restaurant operated by the Awakener Association, but it wasn’t like they could just go to a convenience store to have fun.
Scouring the app store on his phone for an interesting game and finding none, Sihyun laid his phone on his stomach and blinked.
"What did we used to do for fun?"
"We were dragged around by Kang Haewoon."
"Ah..."
Memories from the past naturally surfaced. Sihyun wondered if having Haewoon around would have made things less dull and yawned. They had decided to visit the beach tomorrow, and it seemed there was nothing left to do for today, so he considered just going to sleep.
That's when his phone rang.
It wasn’t a disaster alert or app notification but an actual phone call. As Hamin and Haru turned their heads, Sihyun slightly furrowed his brows before checking the screen.
'Redem Guild Leader'
"……"
Recognizing the five characters boldly displayed on the screen, Sihyun’s eyes narrowed. Being called by your boss during a vacation was said to be one of the worst things, yet he hadn’t expected Haehyuk to fall into that category. Nevertheless, it was a call he couldn’t ignore. Swallowing, he sat up straight and pressed the answer button. Haehyuk’s distinctive low voice flowed from the other side.
***
"Sorry to call you during your vacation."
The man seated, waiting for them, spoke with a face that showed no sign of actual apology. If he was truly sorry, he wouldn’t have called, Sihyun thought, suppressing a minor rebuke. Sitting down at the arranged spot along with Haru and Hamin, it felt like they were visiting Haehyuk’s office more frequently these days.
After checking the three young men seated before him, Haehyuk licked his lips and gazed at Sihyun with his deep eyes. Meeting his gaze directly, it wasn’t long before the man’s red lips parted.
"The black entity from the sea will rise to snatch away salvation."
"……?"
Was he reciting a poem?
Out of nowhere, Haehyuk intoned a mysterious phrase with a gravely serious voice, causing a question mark to hover over Sihyun’s head. Watching quietly, Haehyuk linked his fingers and continued.
"An oracle has been issued. The British Awakener Association forwarded it to us, identifying it as targeting Korea."
"An oracle?"
"There’s someone there who awakened with such prophecies five years ago. It’s an unpublicized class known only to a few S-rank individuals and the heads of the world
’s Awakener associations. Well, that’s not what you should be worried about. The important thing is that the prophet only sees futures with Irregulars of disaster level or higher, and this time, the prophecy targets Korea."
Despite the steady pace of his speech, it was hard to grasp the situation. It was the first time hearing such information, dumped all at once.
As Sihyun mulled over Haehyuk’s words for analysis, Haehyuk abruptly concluded.
"And the association interprets the being in the prophecy as Titan."
"……."
At the monotone mention of that name, Sihyun’s eyes flickered briefly. Instantly, all eyes in the office landed on Sihyun, who sat up straight on the couch.
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