HFS 46

Lee Cheong-hyeon tilted his head to one side. He hadn’t particularly noticed it, but thinking about it, it was true that they had been together continuously during their stay at the pension house. They sat next to each other while gaming, and whenever he took a break, whether going to his room or coming out to the living room, Seo Hee-won was always beside him when he turned his head. Come to think of it, they had been together until just before he came out to the terrace. Lee Cheong-hyeon had come to the terrace while Seo Hee-won went to his room to change into more comfortable clothes.

Is he deliberately following me around?

Lee Cheong-hyeon shook his head. Seo Hee-won had no reason to do that.

“Maybe our paths just overlapped a bit? We have gotten pretty close. These days I’m more familiar with Seo Hee-won’s house than my own…”

Indeed, Lee Cheong-hyeon had become much closer to Seo Hee-won than he had anticipated. He cooked at Seo Hee-won’s house more often, and since they played games together in the same space almost every day, it was inevitable.

“Perhaps…ah.”

“Hmm?”

Hyo-jeong, who was about to say something more, checked behind her and smiled lightly. Seo Hee-won, who had changed into a black tracksuit, was entering the terrace. It looked as if he had just changed clothes and come looking for Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had disappeared in the meantime.

“Speak of the devil. I’ll go see what Ji-min is up to.”

Seo Hee-won briefly glanced at Hyo-jeong as she left, then stood beside Lee Cheong-hyeon. Once again, they were left alone. By now, he was beginning to wonder if Seo Hee-won really was following him around.

“What are the two of you doing here?”

“Talking about you, of course.”

“What did you say about me?”

“How can I tell you that? It’s a secret.”

“Oh, come on. I don’t like that Seo Hee-won person either. Hurry up and tell me.”

He burst out laughing. Despite talking nonsense, Seo Hee-won’s expression was quite serious. As Seo Hee-won urged him to speak quickly, Lee Cheong-hyeon suddenly asked, “Do you like me that much?”

“…What?”

“Why do you follow me around like this? Even during games, you’re always healing just me…Oh, it’s going to burn.”

Unaware that he had just dropped a bombshell on Seo Hee-won, he flipped the meat to ensure it cooked evenly. Seo Hee-won nearly had a heart attack. Unable to speak, he blinked frantically before regaining his composure. Fortunately, Lee Cheong-hyeon seemed to have said it jokingly.

“Healing only you…I was just focusing on the best player of our guild.”

“Really…?”

“Yes. Without you, we wouldn’t even attempt to clear the new boss. Sure, there are plenty of people with good equipment, but there’s no other damage dealer who can output as much damage as you. You’re the core of our party, so of course, I need to invest more in you.”

As Lee Cheong-hyeon heard these words, the corners of his mouth gradually lifted. His shoulders, which had been slightly hunched against the cold wind, straightened proudly. Lee Cheong-hyeon was secretly weak to praise.

Is there anything more pleasing to hear for someone who loves games than being told they’re good at it? Even if it was just flattery, compliments from Seo Hee-won felt especially good.

“Hmm…but don’t be so obvious about healing only me. It makes me self-conscious.”

“You like it though.”

Since it was true that he enjoyed Seo Hee-won’s favoritism, he couldn’t help but grin. Seeing Lee Cheong-hyeon’s inflated ego, Seo Hee-won seized the opportunity to speak. In matters of unrequited love, one must always turn crisis into opportunity.

“And it’s true that I deliberately followed you around, actually…because I’m shy around strangers…”

“What?”

Lee Cheong-hyeon doubted his ears. He turned to Seo Hee-won with a bewildered expression, wondering if he had heard correctly. Until now, Lee Cheong-hyeon had never seen Seo Hee-won form a close relationship with anyone else. But he thought that was less about being shy and more about Seo Hee-won simply not being interested in other people.

He definitely thought it was a lie, but… Seo Hee-won’s face showed a subtle dejection that could only be noticed upon close inspection, which lent credibility to this implausible claim. Moreover, his usually fierce eyes looked unusually vulnerable and even pitiful, drained of their typical intensity.

Seo Heewon occasionally had a lamb-like expression when looking at Lee Cheong-hyeon, but this expression was a first.

“Really?”

“Ye-es…”

“So…today you barely spoke to other people, and when someone talked to you, you responded rudely—that was all because you’re shy around strangers?”

“Rudely…?”

For a moment, Seo Hee-won’s jaw tensed, but it smoothed over before Lee Cheong-hyeon’s gaze could catch it. Seo Hee-won made excuses in a strangely deflated voice.

“I just felt uncomfortable and awkward, so I guess I did that without realizing it.”

“Even when you said gatherings are a waste of time, what’s the point of seeing those people’s faces, and that we should stay home instead of going to the pension house or whatever—that was all because you’re shy around strangers?”

“Yes, I guess you could say that.”

Lee Cheong-hyeon’s mouth gaped open, unable to hide his surprise. Somehow, Seo Hee-won’s behavior toward other guild members had seemed unfamiliar.

So he was shy around strangers… Lee Cheong-hyeon gradually came to understand, nodding his head. Noticing his reaction, Seo Hee-won took a step closer. He spoke in a voice lower than usual, almost whispering intimately.

“So, about that…”

“Yes?”

“When we sleep tonight, share a room with me.”

“A room?”

The pension house they were staying at tonight had a total of three rooms. The largest room was to be used by Ji-min and Hyo-jeong, and if the rest split into pairs, it would work out perfectly. However, Woo-jin had casually said “Let’s use this room” earlier in the day, which made things a bit awkward.

“I think I’ll be staying with Woo-jin tonight…”

“…Why would you say it like that…”

“Hm?”

“Nothing. Can’t you stay with me instead of him? I think I’d be uncomfortable sharing a room with someone else…”

“…”

“I don’t think I could sleep properly. We have to drive for several hours to get back tomorrow, what if I get tired and doze off?”

At that moment, a sensation like lightning struck through Lee Cheong-hyeon’s head. Seo Hee-won, who seemed to be whining, appeared to be depending on him. As if he was the only person he could trust in this space.

The distance between them had already closed to the point where he had to lift his chin to look up at him. Seo Hee-won, about half an inch taller than him, with a disposition that looked like not a drop of blood would come out if pricked, now openly wore a pitiful expression in the biting wind.

“Alright.”

Lee Cheong-hyeon nodded as if drawn by a magnet. Being someone special to anyone was an indescribably good feeling. Especially if that person was Seo Hee-won. His whole body was enveloped in elation.

“You promised.”

“Yes. I’ll stay with you.”

As he looked up again with a nod, his eyes met Seo Hee-won’s, who wore an intense smile on his face. His heart suddenly sank.

It felt both unsettling, like falling into a dangerous trap of unknown nature, and thrilling, as if on the verge of grasping something unique and precious. His mind went blank with these indescribable sensations.

A strange silence flowed as their gazes remained locked. Gradually, the smile faded from Seo Hee-won’s face. His gaze wavered. Just as Seo Hee-won parted his lips—

“Ugh, it’s cold!”

“You said you wanted a barbecue party. Stop lying around and help out.”

“Hmph…”

“Wow, that smells delicious!”

Kang Woo-jin and Tae-young opened the terrace door and entered. Their hands were full of alcohol and drinks. Ji-min and Hyo-jeong soon after followed behind them.

Seo Hee-won took a step back in the suddenly boisterous atmosphere. The subtle, refreshing scent that had been lingering also faded away. Only then did he realize it had been Seo Hee-won’s fragrance.

“Let’s grill shrimp and sausages too. Huh? Isn’t the meat burning?”

At Hyo-jeong’s words, Lee Cheong-hyeon hastily flipped the meat. It was slightly burnt, but fortunately not inedible.

* * *

“Want a drink?”

The guild members gathered around the table filled with alcohol and food. The foldable cloth chairs were quite comfortable to sit in.

Lee Cheong-hyeon seated Seo Hee-won, who had been following him around like a little duckling, beside him, then held up a soju bottle and asked him if he wanted some. Seo Hee-won shook his head repeatedly.

“I’m not good at drinking.”

“…Don’t lie.”

Lee Cheong-hyeon, who was about to fill a glass even before hearing the answer, paused and looked up. He looked Seo Hee-won up and down. Perhaps because of the black tracksuit, Seo Hee-won looked particularly rebellious at the moment. But saying he wasn’t good at drinking? When Lee Cheong-hyeon sent him a doubtful look, Seo Hee-won was bewildered.

“Why would I lie about that?”

“What’s your alcohol capacity?”

“About half a bottle?”

“I really don’t believe it…Then would you like some cider?”

“Yes. Are you good at drinking?”

“I can handle about two bottles.”

Since this was the first time they were drinking together, there was no way to know if Seo Hee-won was telling the truth or not. Half-believing him, Lee Cheong-hyeon poured him a soft drink instead of alcohol. He didn’t stop there—he also filled him a water cup and picked out well-cooked meat to place in front of him.

Since hearing Seo Hee-won’s shocking statement about being shy around strangers, Lee Cheong-hyeon had been taking extra care of him. When Seo Hee-won shamelessly asked him to bring chopsticks, he even unwrapped a pair of wooden chopsticks and brought them to him. Although he had always tended to wait on Seo Hee-won, the extent had increased compared to before.

“Cheers!”

“To Normal People, fighting!”

“Fighting!”

“Our guild name is really weird.”

Their glasses came together with a clear sound before moving apart. Although they had planned to resume practicing on the boss after dinner, everyone began eating and drinking as if they had forgotten about it. In the lively atmosphere, Seo Hee-won took a sip of the cider in his glass and tilted his head to one side curiously.