Episode 24.
“Haa….”
Doun let out a breath laden with emotion and pulled Seoyul into a tight embrace.
Being held in Doun’s arms was slightly embarrassing, but because he knew why Doun was doing it, he smiled and spoke again.
“Shall we do it again?”
“Just a little. Just a little later.”
The mumbling voice felt cute. Seoyul felt a massive energy flowing steadily into Doun.
Clearly, the S-grade guiding was accomplished distinctly, commensurate with how much he himself was enjoying it.
*‘If I keep getting used to it like this, I think I’ll be able to control it.’*
He somehow felt that certainty. Though it was only half-complete, he felt that a day would come when he could guide him fully.
“Okay. I’m good. Let’s do it again!”
Having absorbed all the energy and steeled his resolve, Doun raised his head again. He boasted loudly that he wouldn’t die this time and would show the true skill of an S-grade Esper.
“…….”
“Hahaha.”
But no matter how outstanding an S-grade Esper he was, it seemed his gaming skills were a separate matter.
“Again!!”
Having grown close rapidly through gaming, the two stayed glued together without a moment’s separation the moment they came home.
To be exact, Doun tried not to leave his side, and Seoyul was generously accepting him.
“Seoyul. Do you know how to cook too?”
“Of course. From now on, I’ll make it for you!”
He had been so engrossed in exploring famous restaurants that he hadn’t thought of cooking. But now, it seemed like it would be enjoyable to cook and eat with Doun, so he rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward confidently.
But…….
“Uh…… Um. Esper-nim.”
“Why?”
Doun answered calmly while hugging him from behind.
“I-if you keep doing that, I can’t cook…….”
To be precise, it was distracting. When they were gaming, there was something to focus on so it was fine, but cooking was different.
He had the excuse that it was for guiding when they were gaming, but he wondered if there was any need to be like this while cooking.
But Doun was brazen.
“No. You can do it. And since guiding could pop out anytime, anywhere, I have to keep sticking to you.”
“I-is that so?”
“Of course. Now, what are you going to make? Hurry up.”
Unable to resist Doun’s strange persuasion and prodding, he started cooking. Doun watched Seoyul while maintaining that exact posture.
Since it was really just that, Seoyul started cooking with relief. Moreover, Doun moved so well to accommodate him.
When he tried to go right, Doun moved right; when he went left, Doun moved left. They followed so closely as if they were one body that it even felt wondrous.
*‘Is this also because he’s an S-grade Esper?’*
Because of his good motor skills?
Seoyul’s eyes sparkled. But to Doun, it was merely an automatic action born from wanting to stick to his Guide by any means.
He had finally gotten permission; what if he got told to go away because he was interfering with his movements!
*‘I can’t, I can’t.’*
Wanting to stick to him even a little longer, Doun carefully observed and watched him cook.
*‘He makes all sorts of things.’*
Perhaps because he had never properly seen him cook before, it was fascinating. Seoyul had said he couldn’t make anything amazing, but to his eyes, it looked amazing.
“Ooh.”
A humble yet fairly substantial meal was laid out clustered on a large table.
It was just bubbling doenjang-jjigae and an omelet, along with a few side dishes bought from outside, but it was a proper meal.
“So you could really make this kind of thing at home.”
Doun’s eyes sparkled with pure admiration. Wasn’t this the home-cooked meal he had only heard about! And Seoyul had made it for him!!
“I’m not sure if it will suit your taste. All I made was the stew and the omelet, but…….”
“It’s enough! Amazing! You’re really the best!”
Doun heaped praise without even tasting it. Partly for the Guide’s feelings, but it was truly amazing.
*‘What on earth can’t Seoyul do?’*
He was good at guiding and good at cooking. Seoyul might be a genius.
No, he was a genius.
“I’ll eat well.”
Doun scooped up a spoonful and put the doenjang-jjigae in his mouth. Seoyul waited for his evaluation, thinking various thoughts: would it suit his taste, had he been rash to volunteer to cook for him.
“H-how is it?”
When he asked anxiously while watching the silent man, Doun shouted with sparkling eyes.
“It’s the best! You must really be a genius!”
“Huh?”
“Wow! I’ve never eaten something this delicious before! Really!”
“I-is it that good? It…… shouldn’t be to that extent……?”
Seoyul knew his own cooking skills well. When his mother was alive, they had often cooked together. So he knew how to make things, but the taste was ordinary.
He had memories of being disappointed every time because he could never replicate the taste his mother made.
“No! Let’s keep eating at home from now on. Ah, if you’re okay with it.”
“I-I’m okay with it!”
Seoyul answered quickly. Then Doun, as if excited, smiled brightly unlike his usual self and scooped a full spoonful of rice into his mouth.
*‘So he…… can smile like that too.’*
Seoyul felt somehow proud and at the same time couldn’t take his eyes off that smile, staring intently. It was just that he didn’t smile often, but when he smiled like that, Doun was truly dazzling.
He was so dazzling that it felt like even his own dark and gloomy self was being brightly purified.
“What are you doing? You eat quickly too. If you don’t eat, I’ll eat it all?”
“Huh? Ah. Y-you can eat it all…….”
“What are you talking about. You have to eat too. Hurry up and eat.”
Urging him to eat quickly, Doun scooped up the tofu in the doenjang-jjigae and held it out. Seoyul pondered what on earth the meaning of the tofu filling his vision was, and inadvertently opened his mouth.
*‘Ah…….’*
The tofu that Doun fed him directly melted softly, melting his heart away. It was as if his heart was softening like tofu, swelling up, then melting and disappearing.
His face flushed.
His face reddened for no reason, and he covered his face while pretending to chew. But since he couldn’t completely cover it, that appearance was fully captured in Doun’s eyes.
*‘Ah…….’*
Doun also let out a small sigh and realized the action he had unconsciously committed.
*‘J-just now. Seoyul. With the spoon I ate from…….’*
His face flushed.
His face also burned bright red. An indirect kiss.
Once his thoughts reached that point, things he had never once considered began flooding into his head.
Seoyul’s lips looked unusually red and luscious, enough to make him want to bite into them. When he thought about what it would feel like to join their lips, to share deep breaths, he felt like his heart would burst.
……This was bad.
“I…… j-just a moment, bathroom.”
Doun hurriedly got up. It was because he was worried this sticky feeling would be discovered. Seoyul also finally checked on Doun, but he had already disappeared into the bathroom.
“Haa.”
He somehow felt relieved that Doun had left. Seoyul fanned his face needlessly to cool down the heat rising in him.
“Ah, why am I like this.”
But…… his reddened face couldn’t return to its original color for a long time.
* * *
Despite such a delicate situation, the two quickly returned to how they were before. They comfortably played games again, cooked, and sometimes watched movies.
Seoyul, who had never watched movies so comfortably before, experienced a new world once again.
*‘So there are such diverse worlds.’*
It was so, so fun. Of course, he was watching them in order of how interesting they were, but he had never dreamed that it could be this fun.
Seoyul steadily expanded his hobbies and continuously guided Doun, spending ordinary days.
But that was a story that applied only to Seoyul; Doun was entirely unable to do so.
*‘Crazy. Crazy. Crazy. You dirty bastard. You want to have thoughts like that at a time like this?’*
Once he became conscious of it, for several days he could see nothing but Seoyul’s lips. Wherever he looked, the lips were the first thing he saw, and if he let his guard down even slightly, he felt like he would press his lips against those softly moving ones.
Moreover, since he hugged him every time they came home, the impulse grew stronger and stronger. Seoyul was in his arms, and if he just lowered his head slightly, he could kiss him.
Because of that, he kept enduring, holding himself back again and again.
It was all something that would be resolved if he stayed away from Seoyul, but the foolish Esper had completely erased the option of being apart from his Guide.
He wanted to stick to him even if it was hard. Partly because of guiding, but also because being attached to him made it feel like Seoyul had become his, which was satisfying.
*‘Haa. I’m going crazy. Really.’*
In his arms, Seoyul was staring blankly at the screen, engrossed in the movie. His slightly parted lips caught his eye, and his gaze wouldn’t fall away.
What would it feel like to touch those soft lips? They must be soft, right? What if he put his finger in? It would surely be warm and soft.
Seoyul would look at him in surprise, and if he just kissed him like that…….
“Huu…….”
In the end, Doun failed to act nonchalant and let out a heavy sigh, burying his face in Seoyul’s shoulder.
“Uh…… is it. not fun?”
“No. It’s because of guiding.”
“Ah…….”
Guiding wasn’t happening right now, but he blamed it on guiding to excuse his crumbling state.
Fortunately, Seoyul believed him without suspicion and began watching the movie again.
After calming his fluttering heart a little, Doun turned his head.
A pure white nape appeared before his eyes. Then thoughts began connecting one after another again.
The nape looked so white and tender that he felt an urge to bite into it. If the lips weren’t allowed, wouldn’t the nape be okay?
While having such nonsensical thoughts, he constantly searched for possibilities. It felt like if he chewed up this cute creature bit by bit, it would taste sweet.
*‘Ah, I really want to chew him all up and devour him.’*
But it was impossible. Hiding his surging feelings as much as possible, Doun pretended not to know anything and pressed his lips to the nape.
At that, Seoyul’s body flinched and jumped. But Doun pretended not to notice and didn’t move.
Seoyul didn’t move either. Why wasn’t he moving? Did this mean he was allowed to do more? Or was he just being understanding because he thought it was guiding?
Kind Seoyul.
Good Seoyul.
Insanely cute Seoyul.
*‘Uaaaaah!’*
Doun trapped the overflowing scream inside his heart and raised his head.
“Shall we watch the next one?”
The ending credits were just rolling up.