Chapter 69
His voice, unusually heavy and low, made me wonder if he had caught a cold from walking in the rain, but we were Hunters, not ordinary people. Our bodies wouldn't falter even if we were swept up in a typhoon, let alone some rain.
"Why?"
I asked Baek Eunseong, who was propping himself up with one hand beside my head, but he merely stared down at me without answering.
No, actually, I wasn't even sure what he was doing. The curse flowing from his heart enveloped him entirely like a suffocating smog, making it impossible to read his expression.
Gathering the vapor-like sensation, I swiped the billowing smoke aside. Only then did his face emerge, drenched in cold sweat.
Hmm. He definitely looks like he's lost his mind.
I stared at his unfocused pink eyes and opened the skill window.
[Splash Splash]
"Hey, Baek Eunseong."
As I called his name and simultaneously snapped my fingers with a sharp *tick*, Baek Eunseong shifted his gaze blankly and met my eyes.
"Yes."
What, he answers just fine?
When I called his name again to snap him out of it, Baek Eunseong nodded and suddenly flopped down on top of me. The heavy weight blocked my breath in an instant.
"No, is he crazy..."
I struggled under Baek Eunseong's weight and squeezed my eyes shut.
Truly unintentionally, I ended up feeling exactly how he packed himself—left or right. Grinding my teeth in shame and mortification, I shoved Baek Eunseong's shoulder hard.
"Hey!"
"Yes."
He's completely lost it, lost it. Looking at Baek Eunseong, whose eyes were still hazy even after I hit him with Splash Splash, I swallowed back a curse. Fuck, of all things to deal with... Ugh!
If you're sick, go collapse in your room! Why throw a fit outside!
Barely escaping his upper body, I called Asil and ordered it to find Baek Eunseong's secretary. Then, watching the golden thread crawl out of the house, I grabbed the hair of Baek Eunseong, who was clutching his waist and barely holding on. At the same time, I pushed his chest with my knee and barely flipped his door-sized body over.
"Ugh, you heavy bastard."
Our positions reversed in an instant. Straddling Baek Eunseong's stomach, I shook out my wrists and placed my hand on his chest. As I suppressed the curse like that, the curse hovering around Baek Eunseong finally seemed to settle.
Unlike Baek Hamin, whose curse kept rearing its head no matter how much I pressed down, I had to keep drawing up power. It felt like hours had passed before I could finally catch my breath. When I lifted my hand, both Baek Eunseong and I were a mess of cold sweat.
Sweeping up my sweat-drenched hair, I frowned seeing Baek Eunseong's twitching hand. Tch, I should probably suppress Baek Hamin's curse a bit too. As I firmly pressed his annoyingly puffy cheek, his thick eyebrows reflexively furrowed.
"Hey, if you're awake, open your eyes."
"Yes."
Did he replace his brain with an answering bot?
Just as I, who had been glaring at Baek Eunseong, tried to get up—I was grabbed with strong force and plopped right back down on top of him.
"Why."
"Um, just a moment... please. Right now, um..."
His voice was still thick, but his eyes were clearer than before, indicating his consciousness had returned. I looked down at Baek Eunseong as he shook his head and blinked. Every time his long eyelashes fluttered, his unfocused eyes regained their clarity.
"This isn't... a dream, right?"
"If you're awake, get up."
He must have finally come to his senses. I slapped the back of Baek Eunseong's hand that was gripping my thigh and stood up. As I twisted my waist to rise, I noticed the thick bulge in his pants.
"You fucking... bastard..."
Before my precious, innocent eyes...
Squeezing my eyes shut, I half-kicked Baek Eunseong and stood up. Baek Eunseong, who had been lying there blankly, quickly pulled the blanket over to hide his lower half. Ignoring him, I patted Baek Hamin's back as he sniffled.
"Uncle..."
While wiping the forehead of the child who was whining and clinging to me like a morning glory, I felt a tug on my clothes from behind. I turned around and looked at him as if asking what, and met a pair of languid eyes.
"Why."
"...Can I hold your hand?"
"No."
At my answer, given without a moment of hesitation, Baek Eunseong let out a small chuckle. Fuck, I wanted to demand how he could laugh after showing me that, but figuring it would only make things more awkward, I kept my mouth shut. However, the clueless Baek Eunseong kept talking.
"It's not like it'll wear out... just this once."
"It will wear out."
Crossing my arms and turning away, I checked Baek Eunseong's condition. Aside from looking a bit out of it, he seemed fine.
"What does rain have to do with the curse anyway?"
"Um, the more contact it has with water, the stronger it gets."
At Baek Eunseong's explanation, I looked at him with a face of disbelief. It was essentially a weakness, so I thought he wouldn't tell me, but wasn't he answering way too obediently? As if reading my expression, Baek Eunseong smiled softly and reached out his hand.
"So please hold my hand."
"Good grief."
Since he said it wouldn't wear out, I tossed my hand at him, and his cautiously approaching hand grabbed mine. Baek Eunseong quietly stroked the back of my hand with his thumb, then forcefully pried my fingers apart and slotted his own between them.
Every time his thick knuckles brushed against my fingers, it tickled so much a shiver ran down my spine. The sensation was so weird that the moment I tried to pull my hand out, Baek Eunseong noticed and clenched his hand tightly. I alternated glaring at my hand trapped in his grip and at him.
"I didn't say you could interlock fingers."
"I can interlock them, right?"
We couldn't communicate at all. I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again, and naturally, my hand was still held firmly in his. After staring at our hands for a moment, I thought, *whatever*, and flopped down on the bed next to him.
Listening to Baek Hamin's shallow breathing, I felt sleep creeping up on me too. Just as I let out a small yawn, Baek Eunseong turned over to face me.
"What are you going to do now?"
"I'll leave, what else would I do."
Because of this incident, Baek Jisung was undoubtedly furious. He would be insanely wary of me holding Baek Eunseong's hand, and of whether I would harm Baek Kyeongmin. There was no way he'd let me stay at the Baekwoo Guild under those circumstances, so I would definitely be kicked out the moment Baek Jisung showed up.
Well, I had achieved my initial objective, so I had no lingering regrets.
Baek Jisung also now knew I wasn't the type to just sit still, so he wouldn't mess with me recklessly either.
"...Even if you leave, our contract remains valid, right?"
"Ask me one more time and I might just cancel the contract."
I glared at him, feeling like I'd develop neurosis, and his pretty eye corners crinkled smoothly. What an obsessively meticulous bastard. I clicked my tongue and shifted my gaze to the ceiling, then felt Baek Eunseong slowly scooting closer.
"What now."
"I'm still a little struggling."
"What are you talking about?"
I had worked so hard to suppress his curse. I sat up and thoroughly scanned Baek Eunseong, like a knight providing aftercare. But contrary to his words, there was no fluctuating curse, and his breathing looked comfortable. He could just sleep as is, so what was he struggling with?
Under my scrutinizing gaze, Baek Eunseong fumbled near his chest and spoke.
"It's especially like this on rainy days. I know it's a bother, but..."
Baek Eunseong trailed off and gripped my hand tightly. He held it so tightly that my circulation was practically cut off. I slapped the back of his hand to shake him off and shook my wrist out.
"Baek Hamin is just sleeping, so you should just sleep too."
Since when do adults throw tantrums.
I threw a pillow at Baek Eunseong and belatedly asked the secretary, who had been dragged in by Asil, to turn on the dehumidifier. After the secretary left, having turned the dehumidifier on so strong it dried my mouth out, I could finally seek sleep.
* * *
"Ugh... Heavy..."
The suffocating sensation forced my eyes open. The moment I saw Baek Eunseong's arm draped over me, I brought my fist down hard on it.
"Ah..."
Thanks to hitting him with all my might, Baek Eunseong immediately pulled his arm away, groaned, and went back to breathing evenly. I glared at the back of his head before checking on Baek Hamin. The child was sleeping comfortably.
I quietly got up, placed a cup of water next to him, and then kicked Baek Eunseong, who had invaded my spot, away with my foot.
I don't know when he woke up, but he resisted being pushed away, straining to hold his ground, before his eyes snapped open and he called me.
"Hunter Seong Dohyun."
"What."
"Can I hold your hand?"
His pink eyes were blinking so eagerly that I felt he would ask all night if I refused. I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them, then reached my hand out to Baek Eunseong. Gripping my hand tightly, he tried to fall asleep, but kept tossing and turning.
"Can't sleep?"
He's seriously high-maintenance, so high-maintenance. I clicked my tongue and sat up, just as I was opening the skill window to use 'Celestial Command'...
"...Can I kiss you?"
"Are you crazy?"
I snapped at him in genuine shock, and the ends of Baek Eunseong's eyebrows drooped. Goosebumps rose on my skin, and I even yanked my hand away, making him sullenly bite his lip.
"Why not... Back then, you told me to do it."
"What?"
I... I did?
While I froze in surprise, Baek Eunseong stubbornly pulled my hand and carefully pressed his lips to the back of it. I blankly watched Baek Eunseong drift off to sleep before belatedly shooting up.
"Hey, Baek Eunseong. Wake up."
I shook Baek Eunseong's shoulder, giving him a morning call, but he just kept his eyes tightly shut and let out soft, sleeping breaths.
"Hey! You crazy bastard! Wake up! When did I ever!"
When did I ever tell you to do that!