Chapter 38: Buffer in the Crossfire

“Color? What color?”

Seong Joo-an tilted his head in confusion as he looked at Baek Eun-hoo.

Baek Eun-hoo’s blue eyes were fixed on his chest.

‘…This is insane!’

Seong Joo-an quickly covered his chest with both arms.

Even then, Baek Eun-hoo’s gaze only grew darker.

‘Wait… don’t tell me Baek Eun-hoo is gay?’

‘Why is he looking at a man’s body like that?’

Come to think of it, unlike Joo Ji-chan, who had been shocked by the kiss, Baek Eun-hoo hadn’t shown much resistance from the start.

“…Are you some kind of pervert? Why are you staring there?”

The gaze that had been fixed on his chest slowly moved up to his face.

“You didn’t know? I don’t discriminate if it’s pretty.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Man or woman, it doesn’t matter.”

That left him speechless.

“I do discriminate. No matter how pretty, I don’t like men.”

Baek Eun-hoo’s gaze dropped to his lips.

The spot where he’d been bitten still burned, and without thinking, Seong Joo-an licked his lips.

Long fingers brushed lightly across them.

“For someone who says that, you seemed pretty into biting.”

“What do you mean biting?!”

Snapping back in irritation, Seong Joo-an snatched the shirt from his hand.

Afraid it might be taken again, he stepped back a few paces, quickly put it on, then slipped into the suit Baek Eun-hoo had brought and stood in front of the mirror.

A well-dressed stranger in a perfectly fitted suit stared back at him.

He had worn a similar-colored suit earlier, but it hadn’t felt like this.

It was probably the fit.

‘Baek Eun-hoo really does have a good eye.’

As if satisfied with his own choice, Baek Eun-hoo finally nodded.

Stepping closer, he draped a blue tie around Seong Joo-an’s neck.

“Do you have a preferred knot?”

“No. Just tie it however.”

“As if I could. You should look at least a little more presentable.”

There was a certain elegance in the way his hands looped the tie and formed the knot in one smooth motion.

Maybe it was because of his looks, but even something so trivial carried a kind of mature, masculine allure.

‘What a pointless thought.’

Seong Joo-an quickly shook his head to clear it and looked back at the mirror.

Just adding a tie somehow completed the outfit, giving it a more refined atmosphere.

Baek Eun-hoo brushed off his shoulders lightly and said,

“Alright. By now, the money from selling the magic stones should be in the account. Shall we go?”

“Let’s.”

Seong Joo-an answered energetically and followed after him.

****

As soon as he stepped outside the guild, Seong Joo-an froze with his mouth agape.

Dozens of cameras were pointed straight at him.

He had heard that politicians wanted photos for image-building, but this was far too many to have gathered deliberately.

“Seong Joo-an, how does it feel to have completed your first mission as a buffer?”

“As an S-rank buffer, what are your aspirations?”

“Why was the constellation excluded from the party?”

“How much has been raised in donations?”

Questions from reporters poured in all at once.

Only then did Seong Joo-an realize this wasn’t just about the politicians calling the press, the dungeon clear itself had become a major issue.

Not knowing what to do, he sent a pleading look toward Baek Eun-hoo.

As if used to this kind of situation, Baek Eun-hoo casually draped an arm over his shoulders, leaned close, and whispered into his ear.

“I’ll open a path. Just act like you usually do.”

He gave his shoulder a reassuring pat before turning to the reporters and speaking in a serious tone.

“I’m well aware of the level of interest you all have in S-rank Awakeners…”

As Baek Eun-hoo began speaking, the surroundings fell silent.

It finally felt like he could breathe.

“As you all know, now is not the time to talk about achievements. Over a hundred people were injured in this sudden dungeon incident. Many of them are seriously wounded. Do you truly think it’s appropriate to ask us for impressions or resolutions when we’ve just dealt with a scene that was nothing short of hell?”

‘Wow… look at that expression.’

Anyone who didn’t know him would think he was completely sincere.

Seong Joo-an stared at him, stunned.

To hear such words coming from someone who treated human lives so lightly…

“No matter how little value human life seems to hold in this world, there are still basic decencies that must be upheld. Shouldn’t reporting also consider the situation?”

With just a few words, the entire atmosphere sank into silence.

Even Seong Joo-an, who knew the truth behind Baek Eun-hoo’s nature, felt a creeping sense of guilt at his words.

“Now that the immediate aftermath has been handled, our duty as Awakeners is to offer what little help we can to the injured. And the same goes for you, members of the press. So please, do not interfere with us while we’re busy.”

At Baek Eun-hoo’s firm rebuke, the reporters lowered their cameras.

He wrapped an arm around Seong Joo-an’s shoulders again and began moving.

“Is this really okay? What if they hold a grudge and write bad articles?”

“I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?”

“…That’s true.”

Seeing how skillfully he handled people, Seong Joo-an felt it had been the right decision to entrust the relief effort to him.

A moment later, in the parking lot, Baek Eun-hoo opened the passenger door.

“Using a skill would be faster, but with all the attention on us right now, it’s better to avoid standing out.”

“Got it.”

Seong Joo-an quickly got in, and after closing the door, Baek Eun-hoo walked around to the driver’s seat.

The car started moving.

“How long will it take?”

“About an hour from now. If you’re sleepy after eating, you can take a nap.”

Now that he mentioned it, Seong Joo-an did feel a bit drowsy.

Just as he slowly closed his eyes, his phone in his pocket suddenly began vibrating like crazy.

Baek Eun-hoo’s phone did the same.

****

[Group] Gong Se-yoon: Ta-da!

[Group] Joo Ji-chan: What? I’m busy as hell.

[Group] Mo Jun-young: ?

[Group] Gong Se-yoon: I thought we should have something like this too.

[Group] Mo Jun-young: Mr. Gong Se-yoon, aren’t you currently in a depressive state? Don’t forget to pick up your medication this time. The doctor is waiting.

[Group] Gong Se-yoon: I am depressed… that’s true.

[Group] Joo Ji-chan: You’re depressed but you started this? That’s weird. Are you seriously sick or something?

Seong Joo-an chuckled at how very Mo Jun-young that message sounded, but Joo Ji-chan’s comment made his expression turn serious.

Now that he thought about it, something did feel off.

Why would a depressed Gong Se-yoon be the one to start a group chat?

The answer came quickly.

[Group] Gong Se-yoon: I am depressed… but I thought if I contacted you individually, it might burden you, so I made a group chat. I really, really wanted to talk to you, but it’s not my turn.

[Group] Seong Joo-an: That’s a great idea. I was actually thinking it would be nice to have a group chat.

As soon as Seong Joo-an appeared, Gong Se-yoon suddenly became much more talkative.

[Group] Gong Se-yoon: Hyung, hyung. Where are you? Did you eat? Don’t you miss me? I thought about you a lot. I’m a little depressed, but I held it in while thinking about you. And right now, I’m with sunlight and the wind.

His messages continued in a flood.

The barrage of questions was overwhelming, but it seemed like he was handling his depression fairly well, and Seong Joo-an couldn’t help but smile.

‘Our Se-yoon really has grown up.’

‘He really has.’

[Group] Seong Joo-an: (cheering rabbit emoji) Se-yoon, that’s impressive! Make sure you eat well too. Skipping meals only makes you feel worse.

[Group] Gong Se-yoon: Yes! I’ll eat a lot!

[Group] Seong Joo-an: And everyone, thank you for cooperating so we could use the money from selling the magic stones for civilians.

[Group] Joo Ji-chan: Don’t thank us for something obvious. Though, the idea was good.

[Group] Seong Joo-an: It wasn’t my idea. It was Baek Eun-hoo’s.

[Group] Gong Se-yoon: ?

[Group] Joo Ji-chan: What?

[Group] Mo Jun-young: I think you need more rest. It seems your mind hasn’t fully recovered yet. Please refrain from acting rashly and lie down.

Seong Joo-an giggled at their reactions.

None of them seemed able to believe that Baek Eun-hoo had come up with such a benevolent idea.

“Why do you keep laughing?”

“Because of you, Baek Eun-hoo.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Hahaha.”

Just then, the car stopped at a red light.

Perhaps knowing the signal would take a while, Baek Eun-hoo leaned over and glanced at Seong Joo-an’s phone, then frowned.

“Wow… what a bunch of ridiculous people.”

“Maybe you should’ve managed your image better.”

Baek Eun-hoo told him to let him know when the light changed, then pulled out his own phone.

[Group] Baek Eun-hoo: Don’t misunderstand. I was just trying to get on the S-rank buffer’s good side. Seong Joo-an is the one who’s-

“Green.”

“Got it.”

Baek Eun-hoo put his phone away and grabbed the wheel again.

When Seong Joo-an checked the chat, everyone was responding exactly as expected.

[Group] Gong Se-yoon: Tch. Like that would make hyung like you!

[Group] Joo Ji-chan: Helping civilians with such ulterior motives…

[Group] Mo Jun-young: Then does that mean you don’t need your medication, Mr. Gong Se-yoon?

[Group] Gong Se-yoon: Is that what matters right now? Baek Eun-hoo is hitting on our hyung. Grr…

Everyone was too busy saying their own piece.

Even just reading it made his ears feel overwhelmed.

Then Mo Jun-young finally said something productive.

[Group] Mo Jun-young: When will we proceed with the next dungeon raid? We’ve fallen behind due to this incident. We should organize the schedule properly.

[Group] Joo Ji-chan: I need to adjust my volunteer schedule too.

[Group] Gong Se-yoon: The sooner, the better for me. That way I can see hyung again before my turn.

If it were up to him, Seong Joo-an wanted to start clearing dungeons from Stage 1 as soon as possible.

But everyone seemed to have their own schedules.

And besides, there was no telling what the constellations might do next, so they needed time to plan.

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