Delusive Fate

#083

#5. Ki Baek-woo

Ki Baek-woo’s life always changed suddenly one day. Lee Han-sol who appeared suddenly one day, the apocalypse that emerged suddenly one day. There wasn’t much he could do in the face of things that changed in the blink of an eye every time. He could only pray that the upcoming changes would flow in a good direction. Even though the apocalypse destroyed his home and devoured his mother, just like Han-sol hyung remained by his side, hoping that everything would get better….

Baek-woo’s prayers had power. The unfamiliar changes that blocked him, contrary to his initial worries, mostly flowed in a good direction. Even the arduous process of adapting to something eventually became nourishment that made Baek-woo grow. Until now, he hadn’t experienced anything too terrible. Baek-woo knew. This was all thanks to Lee Han-sol.

It was really amazing. No matter what happened, even if an inexplicable phenomenon took away his family and drove him onto the streets, Baek-woo was okay. Everything became okay when Han-sol was by his side. Like magic….

So Baek-woo was optimistic.

“Hyung is asking. If you’d prefer Jung Yi-dam lying in this bed instead of me.”

“…Huh?”

“If you want to see someone else, go find that bastard at his house. This is Han-sol’s place, you know? You’re getting on my nerves from early in the morning….”

When he suddenly felt one day that Han-sol loved him less. Baek-woo was okay. Even though Han-sol’s eyes, which had sparkled with affection like fish scales just the day before, became dry like empty husks after waking up. Even though Han-sol’s tone, which had overflowed with affection even in a whispered “good night” before sleep, suddenly became chillingly indifferent. He was more or less okay.

It’s sudden, but… somehow it will turn out well. Because Han-sol hyung is here.

Baek-woo remembered that day in detail. No, he remembered the day before too. And the day before that, and the day before that. He remembered a whole week so vividly. Because something suddenly became strange. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what… but one thing was clear, that existence made Baek-woo extremely uncomfortable. Its name was Jung Yi-dam.

Yi-dam appeared noisily. He was that kind of existence. An S-class healer, he had never heard of such a thing. “That’s amazing,” Baek-woo marveled when he first heard the news through the center’s network, before Yi-dam’s existence was officially announced. That was all. He felt it was amazing because it was amazing. There was nothing else.

When Baek-woo first heard about Yi-dam, he was in the briefing room with the researchers. He felt uncomfortable being at the center when there wasn’t even a raid. It hadn’t been long since Han-sol returned from the B-zone gate. It was a time when he was busy monopolizing Han-sol, cooped up at home all day after their long-awaited reunion.

But what am I doing here? Baek-woo sighed, rubbing between his eyebrows.

S-class, healer type, healer… murmurs filled the room. Baek-woo glanced irritably at the hunters and researchers who were gossiping about completely unrelated topics instead of focusing on the last raid briefing they had gathered for. He had already said everything he needed to say, and he only wanted to go home right away to see Han-sol.

That was the extent of his interest. The new healer seemed amazing, but the curiosity about “what is Han-sol doing alone without me at this very moment” was absolutely unbeatable….

Even after that, Baek-woo wasn’t particularly interested in Yi-dam. He just didn’t like how Han-sol kept bringing up the S-class healer from time to time.

Don’t think about anyone but me. Don’t be curious, hyung. I don’t like that kind of thing even as a joke.

Han-sol always laughed off Baek-woo’s words. He seemed to think it was a joke. But it was all serious.

The problem started the moment Yi-dam emerged from gossip and revealed himself. A sudden summons from the center director flew in even though there wasn’t any particular schedule. Baek-woo, who had been sticking to Han-sol like a burr, entered the center’s conference room with even more reluctant steps than usual that day.

In the spacious conference room, familiar faces like Choi Tae-hyuk and Ji Woo-won were sparsely seated. He nodded vaguely and sat down in any seat. In the silence, he repeatedly turned his phone screen on and off. It was just, for some reason, a bad day.

‘It was fine when I was with hyung.’

Baek-woo mumbled to himself, thinking of Han-sol. When he felt anxious or scared, sad or… whenever he felt mentally vulnerable, Baek-woo habitually thought of Han-sol. He filled his mind with various Han-sols. Then, as if by magic, his mood improved, and courage welled up from the tiny cracks inside him that even he didn’t know about. For Baek-woo, Han-sol was a magical spell.

“What’s the point of calling people here and doing nothing? Whether it’s the center director or whoever, all these useless people should be cleaned out. Their minds are rotten, they don’t know how precious other people’s time is.”

Choi Tae-hyuk grumbled impatiently while waiting for the center director. Someone snickered. Baek-woo anxiously checked his vibrating phone. There was a message.

♥

Bring Melona when my cutie comes

Just as he was about to smile, the front door of the conference room opened. The center director appeared, and behind him… Jung Yi-dam….

“Since our Healer Jung Yi-dam’s rank is what it is, he’ll be working frequently with our hunters from now on, so I wanted to introduce him in advance….”

‘Huh?’

Ignoring the center director’s voice droning on, Baek-woo’s mind suddenly went blank. It was the literal meaning of the phrase. The numerous Han-sols that he had filled his mind with to forget the inexplicable anxiety. The densely packed Han-sols suddenly disappeared somewhere as if someone had pressed a format button. The moment his eyes met Yi-dam’s.

What is this? Baek-woo felt a chill. The ominous feeling he had been experiencing for some unknown reason since receiving the center director’s call. The strange mood, the unpleasant feeling. Something bad might happen. His expression hardened with instinctive intuition. He felt a vibration in his hand.

♥

Our cutie shouldn’t follow anyone who offers candy on the way

Baek-woo’s heart pounded loudly. Hyung, something’s strange. Baek-woo wanted to reply like that, but his fingers wouldn’t move. It wasn’t his will. Just like how his mind had gone blank a moment ago, with only Yi-dam’s gaze remaining.

♥

Why aren’t you answering after reading? Are you going to follow strangers if they offer you candy?

My cutie answer

I’m going crazy, a grown man like you, if you don’t know how to say no or can’t, what am I supposed to do, really

Someone might just take you away like this

It was definitely from that time. Baek-woo’s daily life quickly twisted. He felt like he had become a typhoon rushing towards Yi-dam at the center. Yi-dam simply greeted Baek-woo, talked to him, and often happened to be standing in the paths Baek-woo frequently passed. But with each greeting Yi-dam offered, each response, each action, Baek-woo’s heart fiercely tangled.

“Ah, hello, Hunter Ki. It seems we run into each other by chance quite often, don’t we?”

While passing through the center corridor, Yi-dam smiled and greeted him, once again meeting by chance. Then Baek-woo’s mouth would respond very naturally, without will or consciousness.

Ki Baek-woo

『Haven’t we gotten closer quickly because of that?』

As if there was some script floating in front of him, and he was just reading it naturally….

“Haven’t we gotten closer quickly because of that?”

“That’s right. But I heard something recently.”

Ki Baek-woo

『What did you hear?』

“What did you hear?”

“They say if coincidences keep happening, it becomes fate. I guess we were destined to become close.”

Yi-dam laughed, haha. Baek-woo tangled again. His heart became a mess. Like reassembling blocks, the positions of Han-sol and Yi-dam switched. Yi-dam stacking up neatly on top of Han-sol at the very bottom. Yi-dam instantly covered Han-sol. So that even when Baek-woo looked into his own heart, he could only see Yi-dam…. So that he wouldn’t even think of Han-sol who was in a raid….

Such days repeated several times. Baek-woo felt himself becoming stranger day by day.

So, on the first day he exchanged words with Yi-dam, he felt tremendous guilt on his way home. He felt so disgusted with himself for feeling comfortable while talking to Yi-dam that he wanted to vomit right away. He couldn’t understand why he felt such guilt just from exchanging greetings. But anger welled up against himself, and he couldn’t stand it. In the quiet house where only Baek-woo remained while Han-sol was away on a raid. His most primal instinct was telling him.

YoufeltattractedtoYidamthatisnothumanismthetrueidentityofyourheartthatenjoyed talkingwithYidamis ro man ce ero ti cism.

How dare I, when there’s Han-sol hyung. Baek-woo, just say you lost your mind for a moment. How dare I to hyung… Get a grip, you crazy bastard! Baek-woo blamed himself and suffered. He felt fear. So he thought of Han-sol. He thought it seemed a little harder than usual to think of Han-sol for some reason. And the next day.

On a normal day, Baek-woo wouldn’t have been wandering outside while Han-sol was on a raid. But for some reason, Baek-woo felt compelled to go out, and as if by a lie, he met Yi-dam where he went. They talked, and again he writhed in guilt. But it was a more bearable emotion than yesterday. He thought of Han-sol. It seemed even harder to recall him.

And the next day, meeting Yi-dam again, feeling less guilt on the way home than yesterday, why is it so hard to think of Han-sol hyung, the next day inevitably meeting Yi-dam and on the way home why should I feel guilty? Is talking a sin? I won’t even think about Han-sol hyung anymore, and the next day guilt? Is Han-sol hyung my owner or something? That’s ridiculous, the next day Yi-dam has a completely different charm from Han-sol I want to meet him tomorrow too….

Baek-woo was scared. He felt that he was changing too quickly, very suddenly, from the day Yi-dam appeared. It felt like being overwhelmed by something he couldn’t resist. At this rate, the Baek-woo from before meeting Yi-dam would soon be crushed to death. He might completely forget Han-sol, Baek-woo’s everything. Such a terrible thing might really happen….

No, tell me to die instead. That can’t happen.

However, even the fear that had made Baek-woo’s skin crawl quickly disappeared as if erased by an eraser. Baek-woo’s mind goes blank again. Han-sol was not there anymore. Now Baek-woo didn’t say “Huh?” in confusion. He had gotten used to it.

And the next day, Baek-woo kissed Yi-dam.