Chapter 38: A Familiar Encounter

“Team Leader, this…”

“What is it?”

“It’s the clothes you lent me before. I had them dry-cleaned and picked them up yesterday. Thank you again for that day.”

Jung Hanseol extended the paper bag, reiterating his gratitude. While the memory of sweating profusely in Ryu Yishin’s clothes all day at the company wasn’t exactly pleasant, he knew he would have been in a far more awkward predicament if Ryu Yishin hadn’t lent them.

Hanseol recalled the dry cleaner’s shocked expression when he dropped off his blood-stained clothes along with Ryu Yishin’s. He offered an awkward smile as Ryu Yishin took the paper bag and casually set it on the floor.

“Oh, Team Leader. And this…”

Hanseol, who had been blankly watching Ryu Yishin’s indifferent gesture, hurriedly rummaged through his bag. He thought it would be perfect to offer some chocolate now that he had already expressed his thanks.

“What’s this now?”

Hanseol, presenting the chocolate box with both hands, felt a slight tension at Ryu Yishin’s nonchalant tone. He steeled himself not to waver, even if the scenario unfolded as he expected, and continued.

“Uh, I went to the convenience store, and… they were having a promotion, so I bought it… Th-this is really delicious…”

“……”

“I thought… you might like chocolate. Oh, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it…”

Hanseol, growing anxious from Ryu Yishin’s silence, babbled on. He was confident he wouldn’t be hurt if he refused, but being rejected was never a pleasant experience, so he swallowed hard.

Ryu Yishin looked between the chocolate box Hanseol offered and Hanseol’s face, then snatched the chocolate with a rough, almost seizing, motion. Despite the abruptness, Hanseol’s expression noticeably brightened, simply because he hadn’t refused.

Ryu Yishin immediately tore open the box, then impatiently ripped off the gold foil wrapper before popping a chocolate into his mouth and gnawing on it. His moving jaw lacked enthusiasm, and his expression suggested he was forcing himself to eat something unpalatable. Yet, Hanseol was slowly coming to understand that this was Ryu Yishin’s default demeanor when he ate.

“Jung Hanseol.”

“…Yes?”

“Give me your hand.”

“Ah, yes.”

Hanseol, who had been looking at Ryu Yishin, inwardly relieved that he hadn’t been rejected, meekly placed his left hand on Ryu Yishin’s palm, accustomed by now to his commands. As always, Ryu Yishin’s cool hand began to knead Hanseol’s relatively smaller, slender hand.

Perhaps he had developed some immunity, as it wasn’t as ticklish as it had been initially. Of course, there were still moments when the feeling of Ryu Yishin’s grip, as if massaging his entire body, felt peculiar. Lately, Ryu Yishin’s cold hand sometimes brought a pleasant coolness, unconsciously easing his mind.

Hanseol gazed fixedly at Ryu Yishin, who was indifferently chewing the chocolate while massaging his hand. The ashen hair and eye color, consequences of his rampage, always felt unreal, a constant marvel to behold. The harmony of his large, double-eyelid-free eyes, his straight, high nose bridge, and his moderately full lips was undeniably striking, prompting exclamations of admiration from anyone who saw him.

Overall, he exuded a cool and aloof aura rather than a soft and gentle one, but given his abilities and personality, even that combination felt perfectly suited to him.

‘Though I can’t say his personality is perfect…’

“Ah…”

Just as Hanseol found himself openly staring, his eyes met Ryu Yishin’s. Startled, he quickly lowered his gaze. Ryu Yishin tightened his grip on Hanseol’s hand and pulled it, causing Hanseol’s center of gravity to shift forward, his upper body lurching. This brought him even closer to Ryu Yishin.

“Why are you staring like that? Is there something else you want to say?”

“Ah, no. It’s nothing…”

He felt an undeniable flush of embarrassment, as if caught secretly peeking. As Hanseol flustered, his cheeks, earlobes, and even the nape of his neck quickly turned crimson. Ryu Yishin squeezed Hanseol’s hand even tighter.

“Is staring like that a habit?”

“…Yes?”

Ryu Yishin mumbled something Hanseol couldn’t quite understand, like a thought to himself, then crooked one corner of his mouth in a smile. The smile seemed to mock him, and Hanseol, feeling inexplicably deflated, lowered his eyes. Ryu Yishin gripped Hanseol’s hand firmly, then released it, rising from his seat with a light movement as he asked,

“When do your test results come out?”

“Next Tuesday…”

“What time?”

“…They said anytime after 10 AM is fine.”

“Be at the hospital lobby by 10 AM that day. I’ll head straight there too.”

“Yes…”

Ryu Yishin nodded subtly after receiving Hanseol’s answer, then walked to his desk and picked up his tablet. After tapping the screen a few times to input something, he put on his jacket. He casually mentioned that he had an errand and would be back late, then quickly strode out of the office with long, decisive strides. Left alone in the office, Hanseol could finally release the breath he’d been holding only after complete silence settled around him.

“……”

Hanseol quietly clenched and unclenched his left hand, which had assimilated Ryu Yishin’s temperature. In contrast, his right hand, retaining its original warmth, had a lukewarm heat lingering about it. Spreading both hands before him, palms facing the ceiling, Hanseol gently clasped them together.

The conflicting temperatures of his hands, mingling yet never truly merging, left Hanseol feeling restless for a long time. He couldn’t quite grasp why.

****

“Rock, Paper, Scissors!”

A solemn voice echoed through the office. Simultaneously, two hands sliced through the air, darting forward. The tense expressions instantly melted away, and Woo Chanhee, wearing a winner’s smile, patted Hanseol consolingly on the shoulder.

“Have a good trip, Hanseol.”

“Yes, senior… An iced cafemocha, right?”

Hanseol received the card from Woo Chanhee, who nodded vigorously, then busied himself with putting his employee ID around his neck.

Ryu Yishin, who had left early that morning, said he would be back late. With the other team members all out on assignment, Hanseol and Woo Chanhee were the only ones left in the office, spending a languid afternoon together.

Suddenly, Woo Chanhee, who had been sharing jellies with him, proposed a coffee bet. More precisely, it was a wager over ‘who would go buy the coffee Woo Chanhee was treating them to.’ And Hanseol, having played scissors in the recent rock-paper-scissors game, had suffered a glorious defeat to Woo Chanhee’s rock, sealing his fate to go buy coffee.

Hanseol tucked the card Woo Chanhee gave him into his pocket and left the office. He realized it had been a long time since he’d left the office during work hours to go to a cafe. Having spent his days in constant tension, whether Ryu Yishin was present or not, this short outing felt incredibly sweet.

As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, Hanseol hurried to the in-house cafe. He stood at the counter, pulling out Woo Chanhee’s card and a coupon from his pocket. After contemplating what to drink, Hanseol settled on an iced latte and opened his mouth to the cafe employee, who wore a friendly smile.

“One iced cafemocha, and…”

“Hey, Jung Hanseol!”

Before he could even finish his simple order, Hanseol spun around, startled by the voice calling him. The faces that came into view were so familiar that Hanseol forgot his original purpose and couldn’t help but rush towards them.

“Wow, it really is Jung Hanseol.”

Three people stood facing Hanseol: Jo Jinwoo, who had called out to him with the loudest voice; Min Yugeon, an Esper he had been quite close with, though not as much as Jinwoo; and his former superior, Team Leader Joo Youngmin. Hanseol finally managed to speak after confirming all their faces.

“Yugeon hyung… Jinwoo hyung… Team Leader…”

His nose inexplicably tingled, his throat tightened, and he felt as though tears might well up. Hanseol barely managed to squeeze out their names, calling them one by one. The utterly unexpected encounter brought a rush of surprise, delight, and an inexplicable surge of sorrow that constricted his throat.

“Hey… Hanseol. I honestly thought you were being held captive somewhere… Why is it so hard to see your face? You’re not just stuck in the office, are you? Are you getting off work on time?”

Hanseol could only offer an awkward smile at Min Yugeon’s genuinely worried words. Considering his current daily life, which could almost be described as being held captive by Ryu Yishin, it wasn’t surprising that Min Yugeon would think such harsh thoughts. Team Leader Joo, seeing Hanseol simply smiling without answering, let out a deep sigh.

“Oh dear, our Hanseol’s face has gotten so thin. Hanseol, is Team Leader Ryu tormenting you? Yelling and intimidating you? Surely he’s not starving you, is he?”

“It’s not that bad… I really am fine…”

Hanseol awkwardly stroked his cheek as he answered Team Leader Joo’s questions. Team Leader Joo Youngmin was the one who had personally brought Hanseol in, and he had always treated Hanseol with care, like a much younger sibling, so it was natural for him to be concerned. Hanseol’s nose tingled again, feeling as if he understood Team Leader Joo’s feelings. Jo Jinwoo clicked his tongue, watching Hanseol repeat his habitual assertion of being fine.

“This guy’s too damn nice… What do you mean, ‘it’s not’? It’s obvious without even looking. Team Leader, that Ryu Yishin, he’s definitely tormenting Hanseol. That jerk, he probably doesn’t care if you collapse from side effects, right?”

“Uh… hmm… well…”

Hanseol couldn’t readily answer Jinwoo’s question, trailing off vaguely. He was hesitant to categorically state that Ryu Yishin didn’t care, as Ryu Yishin’s actions weighed on his mind. If he truly didn’t care, he wouldn’t have pried so much about the guiding side effects, nor would he have made him get tested.