Chapter 83: The Rain, and What Comes Next

“……”

“You’re….”

Park Sujin froze in surprise when she came face to face with someone she hadn’t expected at all.

Yoo Heero swept a dispassionate gaze over her and walked straight past.

“So you’re here.”

The Association President greeted Park Sujin as if he’d been waiting for her.

But Park Sujin ignored him as though she hadn’t heard a word and hurried after Yoo Heero.

“W–Wait, don’t misunderstand. The reason I came here is—”

She blurted out her words in a rush, then tried to explain the disordered sentence after the fact, but Yoo Heero was faster.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

“……”

It was a question completely devoid of emotion, as if he were speaking to a total stranger.

To Park Sujin, however, it sounded like a rebuke: What could you possibly have to say to me? Her body stiffened on the spot.

“No, I just thought you might misunderstand—”

Yoo Heero’s reaction remained cold.

“Why would I misunderstand anything?”

His tone made it clear he hadn’t cared in the first place. Park Sujin nodded bitterly.

At that moment, the door to the Association President’s office—previously shut—opened.

“I called them. Even if they quit halfway through, they were my chief researcher.”

Standing in the doorway, the Association President rattled off an explanation no one had asked for.

“As I mentioned earlier, someone burned the data, so we’re gathering experimental information from wherever we can.”

Park Sujin bit her lip hard. She’d sworn never to set foot here again, yet the words second project had clouded her judgment and led her back on her own.

Seeing the President’s unchanged high-handed, authoritarian attitude made her fists clench unconsciously. He lifted his arm awkwardly, exposing the cuff of his shirt.

Park Sujin’s eyes widened.

The cufflinks were something she recognized instantly—Seong Jiwoo’s artifact, set with an ability stone crafted by Gamjuan.

She had something similar herself.

“That… don’t tell me.”

“Ah, I knew it. You’ve got a sharp eye. There’s quite a capable craftsman in a newly formed guild.”

Yoo Heero turned his head toward the Association President and stared at the cuff on his wrist.

It was so obvious what he was plotting that it wasn’t even funny. All this time, he’d pretended to coax Yoo Heero with two different offers, but what he truly wanted in the end was blackmail.

“It was made by that guild’s vice-guild master… and apparently, he’s very close to the guild master.”

“President.”

Park Sujin cut in, her voice low. This crossed the line—dragging in people who had nothing to do with this.

“You seem to know quite a lot.”

Yoo Heero replied smoothly, his expression unchanged.

If anything, it was as if he were daring him—If you can touch them, go ahead and try.

He didn’t panic, didn’t get angry, didn’t raise his voice.

“I thought you were just spouting nonsense because you’d gone senile… but it turns out you can still think straight, surprisingly.”

“What? You little—!”

The first to lose his temper was the Association President. His face flushed red and purple as his eyelids twitched.

“You’d do well to remember this from now on.”

“What did you say?”

“That the guild master and vice-guild master of that guild are very close.”

After tossing out those words, Yoo Heero turned away. The Association President finally grabbed at the back of his own neck in frustration. Park Sujin stared blankly.

They say kids grow up faster by the day…

The Yoo Heero she remembered had been timid and withdrawn. He’d suffered badly from depression, never learned how to express himself, and usually kept his mouth tightly shut no matter the situation.

And now that same child was trading barbs with the Association President.

…So Seong Jiwoo was his mentor. Is this Seong Jiwoo’s influence?

Shaking her head, Park Sujin addressed the still-fuming President.

“Stop doing something so ugly to a kid and get to the point.”

**********

Yoo Heero got into the elevator and selected the first-floor lobby instead of the underground parking lot. Just as he’d expected, rain was falling outside. His shadow wavered darkly on the ground.

After a moment of hesitation, he lifted his phone. There was only one person he could call.

[-Hello?]

The moment he heard the familiar voice, his heart settled.

“Hyung….”

[-What is it? Did something happen?]

That voice—so gentle it was almost unfair—hadn’t changed. He scolded himself inwardly, blaming Seong Jiwoo for making him want to act spoiled for no reason.

“It’s raining outside.”

[-Huh?]

“Could you come pick me up?”

Seong Jiwoo might have refused, saying it was a hassle—and that would’ve been fine. If he didn’t come, Yoo Heero could always go to him. That wasn’t hard at all.

But after a brief silence, the reply came—

[-Where are you right now?]

That was even better.

So Yoo Heero stood there without moving for nearly an hour, waiting for Seong Jiwoo to arrive.

A taxi pulled up in front of the Association building, and Seong Jiwoo got out. The moment he spotted Yoo Heero waiting, he ran over without even properly opening his umbrella.

“What are you doing out here? You should’ve waited inside.”

Even though there was a roof overhead and he hadn’t gotten wet, Seong Jiwoo scolded him. Yoo Heero greeted him with a bright smile.

“I wanted to see you sooner.”

“Ugh… what’s with that? We saw each other just a few hours ago.”

Seong Jiwoo shook his head, thinking Yoo Heero was just teasing.

“By the way, didn’t you bring your car?”

“Um… no.”

“Really?”

Seong Jiwoo tilted his head. He’d come because Yoo Heero asked him to, but as soon as he got in the taxi, the thought had crossed his mind—Didn’t Yoo Heero bring his car? Still…

Well, if he says no, then I must be mistaken.

Shrugging it off, Seong Jiwoo held out the umbrella.

“Here.”

“…Aren’t we sharing?”

“What? The umbrella?”

“……”

Seong Jiwoo stared at him in disbelief.

“Hey, the difference in our builds alone—this tiny umbrella—”

“Exactly.”

At Seong Jiwoo’s vehement refusal, Yoo Heero’s face drooped.

“That’s why I want to share it…”

“…Just for a bit. If the rain gets heavier, we’ll use separate ones.”

“Yes!”

The instant permission was granted, Yoo Heero slipped right under Seong Jiwoo’s umbrella. Worried he might get poked by the ribs, Seong Jiwoo quickly lifted it higher.

“You’ll get hurt.”

“Should I hold it?”

Yoo Heero placed his hand over Seong Jiwoo’s on the umbrella handle. Seong Jiwoo quietly pulled his hand away.

“Go ahead.”

He had no pride he felt the need to protect in front of Yoo Heero.

“Should we call a taxi?”

“…A taxi?”

“We can’t walk.”

The distance was ridiculous—walking from here to the general store could take half a day. And with the rain, there was no way he wanted to suffer like that.

But Yoo Heero looked gloomy. He hesitated, reluctant to move forward. Having lost control of the umbrella, Seong Jiwoo had no choice but to match his pace.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want a taxi… Can’t we take the bus instead?”

“The bus? Sure, I guess…”

Taxi or bus—either was fine as long as they rode something. Once Seong Jiwoo agreed, Yoo Heero stepped forward again, his face brightening.

“I didn’t think you’d really come.”

“I didn’t think I’d really come either.”

“…Thanks.”

“Actually… this is my first time going to pick someone up.”

Seong Jiwoo admitted, sounding a little embarrassed.

“It’s my first time being picked up too. …Next time, I’ll come get you for sure.”

“Ah, well… I wasn’t saying that because I wanted you to…”

Feeling oddly self-conscious, Seong Jiwoo scratched his cheek.

“So what did the Association call you in for?”

Instead of answering, Yoo Heero pulled Seong Jiwoo closer. Right on cue, a car passed by them at close range.

With Yoo Heero pressed against his chest, Seong Jiwoo instinctively pulled away. As a result, he slipped out from under the umbrella, and Yoo Heero hurriedly pushed it forward.

The umbrella, tilted backward, swung forward—and Yoo Heero ended up taking the full force of the rain cascading off it.

In an instant, his hair and shirt were soaked.

All that effort to stay under the umbrella, rendered meaningless.

“Hey—sorry!”

Seong Jiwoo stared at the drenched Yoo Heero in shock. He simply wasn’t used to physical contact with others.

He’d never shared an umbrella before, never walked this close to someone, and the unfamiliarity had made him panic.

“I mean, why did you even suggest sharing the umbrella—!”

Flustered and snapping back defensively, Seong Jiwoo ruffled Yoo Heero’s hair, then tugged at his sleeve to wipe the water from his face—but it didn’t help much.

“Hyung, you’re not wet?”

“Huh? Me? Well…”

“Then it’s fine. Let’s go.”

As he said that, Yoo Heero naturally took Seong Jiwoo’s hand where it rested against his cheek and lowered it, then started walking forward.

Caught off guard, Seong Jiwoo followed without complaint—after all, it had been his mistake—but the warmth of their joined hands felt strangely awkward.

Yoo Heero’s hand was warmer than he’d expected.

Still holding hands, they reached the bus stop in a daze. When the bus arrived shortly after, Yoo Heero let go with visible reluctance.

As the bus rattled along, the two stood side by side, gazing out the window.

“Goo Min-ah came by the general store while you were at the Association.”

“…Why do so many people always come to your store, hyung?”

“Are you making fun of me? I’m already dying here because it’s nothing but weirdos instead of customers.”

That wasn’t what he meant to say at all, but Yoo Heero just ended up getting scolded. He pouted slightly.

“Anyway, she brought vegetables.”

“Vegetables…? Why?”

The unexpected word made Yoo Heero ask with a strange expression.

“She said thanks for taking care of the Dohwari Gate. But since you’re the one who handled it…”

After some thought, Seong Jiwoo decided to pass the gift on to Yoo Heero. The one who’d contributed more was Yoo Heero, after all—he’d been the one to directly deal with the gate.

“I couldn’t have done it without you.”

In truth, it was more likely that he wouldn’t have done it rather than couldn’t, but Yoo Heero lied smoothly.

“So it’s all thanks to you. I bet they think so too.”

From their perspective, the one who entered the gate first—Yoo Heero—might have seemed the most deserving of thanks. Civilians wouldn’t know the finer details.

But to Yoo Heero…

“No. This time, it really was you. And that’s why I thought…”

Seong Jiwoo looked up at him. For a moment, his eyes sparkled with life.

“Next time, I’ll be the one to do it.”

“…What? What do you mean—”

After taking a deep breath, Seong Jiwoo spoke with the resolve of someone who’d made a major decision.

“I’m switching to being a dealer.”