Chapter 91: The Beginning of Disaster

But it seems that wishes are never easily fulfilled after all.

“…Hey, did something happen to the team leader?”

While I was at the office, doing paperwork that didn’t even need to be done right now, Park Bomyeong quietly approached me and asked.

If even this tactless guy had noticed, Jaeyul’s mood must really be at rock bottom.

Maybe because he’s an Esper specialized in combat, he senses these things even more sharply.

“I don’t know… I’m not really sure…?”

Honestly, I felt like I was suffocating to death too.

It was so silent that it felt as if everyone in the office had read Jaeyul’s emotions and was afraid to even breathe loudly.

It was a kind of stillness I could never have imagined on a normal day.

Even so, I decided to play dumb for now.

“Just look at that face.

He looks like he’ll tear someone apart if they get caught, doesn’t he?”

At Park Bomyeong’s words, I cautiously glanced at Jaeyul’s face over the partition.

Huh…?

Why is ‘X’ sitting here working…?

It felt like lasers might shoot out of those murderous eyes at any moment.

His gaze was far sharper than at home, and afraid that our eyes might meet, I quickly ducked my head below the partition.

If we made eye contact, I really might get torn apart.

“Ugh… creepy.

I’m going to the training room.

If the team leader looks for me, tell him I took a half-day off.”

…As if we even get half-days, idiot.

Park Bomyeong slipped out of the office so quietly that I couldn’t even hear his footsteps.

I felt just as stifled, so I headed to the break room to catch my breath.

Just leaving the office made it feel like I could finally breathe properly.

“Haa….”

As I gulped down a glass of cold water and turned to sit on the sofa, a pitch-black figure suddenly filled my vision.

Startled, I almost smashed the cup in my hand into the other person’s face.

“Hyung, do you have a moment?

I’ll make some coffee, so please sit for a bit.”

It was Lee Rihyeon, whom I hadn’t exchanged a single word with or even made eye contact with all day.

He must have used his special ability to approach me in an instant.

Otherwise, there was no way I wouldn’t have sensed him until he was right in front of me.

“…Huh?

Yeah… sure.”

Rihyeon spoke with a bright smile on his face.

Judging by his behavior and tone, it was as if nothing at all had happened between us yesterday.

He looked completely normal, just like always.

How could he act so unaffected…?

His calmness was so disconcerting that I couldn’t even respond properly, and I sat down on the sofa in a daze.

A moment later, Rihyeon placed an iced coffee in front of me, saying, “I made it iced, the way you like it,” and sat across from me.

To be honest, his composure made me a little angry.

How could he talk to me with a smiling face after what happened yesterday?

Because of that, Jaeyul and I were in a serious cold war right now.

Just as I was about to point out those unpleasant parts—

“I’m sorry, hyung….

I didn’t mean to lie to you too.

I just didn’t get a chance to tell you in advance.

I only mentioned meeting Jaeyul briefly to my uncle, but I didn’t expect my parents to show up there together…

I didn’t know either….”

Rihyeon spoke first.

He explained what had happened yesterday and apologized.

The smile he had shown earlier was gone, replaced by a serious expression.

In short, he was saying it wasn’t a situation he had intended.

“I’m really… upset too.

Things turned out like that, and it feels like the opportunity I worked so hard to get just disappeared.

Jaeyul won’t even talk to me now…

and I’m so sorry to you too, hyung, for being put in such an awkward position….”

Now with tears welling up in his eyes, Rihyeon apologized again in a trembling voice.

Well… if he had his head on straight, he probably wouldn’t have brought his parents to a hard-earned date.

If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes yesterday, I might have believed his words and actions without question.

But I still couldn’t forget the look in Rihyeon’s eyes that I saw for a brief moment yesterday.

It was only an instant, but he looked like he might lunge at me and strangle me at any second.

Because of that, it was hard to accept his apology and explanation at face value.

“…Alright.

I don’t mind, but I hope you properly apologize to Jaeyul and make up with him.

If we’re going to keep working on the same team, it’ll be troublesome if feelings stay hurt.

How could we trust each other with our backs otherwise?”

I didn’t bother trying to confirm whether Rihyeon’s words were true.

Even superficial peace was fine.

As long as we looked like friendly teammates to anyone watching, that was enough.

“Thank you, hyung!”

Thinking I had accepted his apology, Rihyeon regained his smile.

Sitting alone with him in the break room was just as uncomfortable as being in the cold office, so I stood up.

As I passed by him—

“But… how did you end up at that place yesterday, hyung?”

Rihyeon’s voice from behind stopped me in my tracks.

In the brief moment I thought about how to answer, many thoughts crossed my mind.

I could lie and say, ‘I was just watching from afar, but the atmosphere felt strange, so I stepped in.’

Considering my relationship with Rihyeon, a well-intentioned lie might help.

But I decided it would be better to clearly state my intentions now, even if it was late.

“No matter how I think about it, I feel like I made a mistake.

If you’re going to date, it’s right for you two to resolve things yourselves, not rely on someone else.

So even though it was late, I went to fix the mistake I made.”

With my back turned to Rihyeon, I spoke honestly.

“I’m sorry I broke my promise too…

but I don’t think I can help with things like this anymore.”

I made it clear that I wouldn’t be helping anymore.

Even after I finished speaking, there was no sound from behind me for quite a while.

As I wondered whether I should leave the break room or turn around to hear Rihyeon’s response, a brighter voice than I expected came back.

“Ah, I see….

I understand, hyung.

Sorry for putting you in a difficult position.

That kind of thing won’t happen anymore, absolutely.

Like you said, I’ll try to handle it myself!”

From Rihyeon’s perspective, what I said could have been quite unpleasant.

After all, I had barged into their date and taken Jaeyul away.

And on top of that, I told him I wouldn’t help anymore.

I naturally expected at least some resentment.

But contrary to my expectations, Rihyeon responded cheerfully, as if my words didn’t bother him at all.

I felt an inexplicable sense of unease, but I was satisfied thinking I’d taken care of a troublesome matter.

It was a relief that I no longer had to get involved in Rihyeon and Jaeyul’s relationship.

Now, the real problem remained…

and my head already hurt just thinking about it.

Thinking it over, I came to the conclusion that there was no reason to agonize so much.

Jaeyul and I might not be related by blood, but we were practically family.

We had spent a long time together, and I believed we shared enough emotional understanding.

If we were family, a sincere apology should be enough.

Of course, Jaeyul’s feelings might not soften right away.

But if it were the Jaeyul I knew, he wouldn’t ignore my apology at the very least.

It might have been baseless confidence, but I was sure of it.

“Hoo….”

Even after making up my mind, feeling nervous when trying to talk to Jaeyul was unavoidable.

I took the lunchbox out of my bag and walked toward Jaeyul’s seat.

I had prepared it just in case, so I figured I could use it as an excuse to face him properly.

I would somehow keep him there and apologize no matter what.

If he tried to run away again, I’d even grab his pant leg if I had to.

“Team leader… no, Jaeyul.”

Since it was lunchtime and only Jaeyul and I were left in the office, I called him comfortably.

At my voice, ‘X’… no, Jaeyul turned his head with an expressionless face.

Why does he open his eyes like that.

His gaze was so sharp it felt like it might bore holes into my face.

“What.”

I took a deep breath and raised the lunchbox in my hand as I spoke.

“It’s lunchtime, so let’s….”

I finally managed to start speaking, but my voice didn’t even reach my own ears.

At the same time, a loud sound rang out and swallowed my words.

Wiiing!

Wiiiiing!

A blaring siren filled the entire office.

Listening closely, it seemed to be echoing throughout the whole center, not just our office.

The moment I heard the noise, my heart dropped heavily.

“Come here.”

Realizing this was no ordinary situation, Jaeyul stood up, wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and guided me into the guiding room.

Just like when we were kids, his ability to sense danger was remarkably sharp.

“Stay here until I check what’s going on.

Don’t go anywhere, alright?”

As Jaeyul tried to leave the guiding room, I hurriedly grabbed his wrist.

He looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if asking what I was doing.

“Don’t go.”

The truth was, I knew exactly what this siren meant.

“No, just leave work and go home like this.

Say th-that there’s a rift.

Yes, a rift.

Say you need to rest for a few days and go home.”

Hearing that noise that unsettled even my previously calm mind, I desperately tried to think.

“…What are you suddenly talking about, hyung.

Calm down and explain properly.”

Was my state really that strange.

Unlike just moments ago, Jaeyul looked at me with warmth in his eyes as he spoke.

I was relieved to see him back to his usual self.

But that wasn’t what mattered right now.

“…Something serious has happened somewhere.

That’s what this is.”

I explained briefly, choosing my words carefully.

“What kind?”

Jaeyul asked again, his face full of questions.

How should I say this.

No matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t wrap it in nice words.

“For example… something close to a disaster.

Like a gate appearing… something like that.”

That siren was the sound that marked the starting point of a dire incident—

one that foretold countless sacrifices and could never be taken lightly.