Gu Baekyoung was jumping into a place pervaded with red light without a moment’s hesitation. It was as if he had forgotten the rampage he had experienced not long ago.
‘What are you going to do if you rampage again going there…’
Onyul unconsciously ground his lower lip.
Sure enough. Words of the same kind as the worries Onyul had were flowing from the news as well.
[“While knowing that Alpha Team is the only team that can stop the Gate rampage, there is a debate over whether it’s right to deploy Esper Gu Baekyoung, who almost rampaged, to the same scene again.”]
The sound that followed was unexpected words.
[“However, in a situation where the survival of the Espers trapped in the Gate is important and they can’t readily stop him, attention is focused on the reappearance of the cat helmet that Esper Gu Baekyoung claimed was his lover.”]
…Kek, looking for the cat helmet in this situation?
The camera filmed Alpha Team entering the Gate while maintaining a safe distance.
[“Please save the people trapped inside the Gate!”
“My Esper is in there…”]
The voices of people shouting near the Gate flowed out.
Near the pandemonium at the Gate, it was the sound made by Guides and people hoping for the survival of the dispatched Espers.
Alpha Team safely entered the Gate that seemed about to explode at any moment, and now time was the key.
If they couldn’t close the rampaging Gate quickly, not only the Espers trapped in the Gate but even Alpha Team might not survive.
‘Team Leader Na Geonwoo said he closed the rampaging Gate before… so won’t he do the same this time?’
Unlike Gu Baekyoung, if it was the thorough Na Geonwoo, he wouldn’t repeat the same mistake.
In other words, it was clear he would close the Gate so that Gu Baekyoung wouldn’t rampage or before he rampaged.
But the thought of ‘what if’ didn’t leave his head.
What if everything went wrong and an irreversible situation occurred?
His heart was half and half. Half wanting to go to Gu Baekyoung, half wanting to watch their activity as it was.
It was then that warm heat was felt on his lips. Ji Sanghyeon’s fingertips, which had been tapping his brow, were now tapping his lips.
“Your lips will get hurt.”
“…”
“Are you an Alpha Team fan, Manager? You’re especially restless about Alpha Team talk.”
“…Are there people among the citizens of the Republic of Korea who don’t like Alpha Team?”
Onyul twisted his head to avoid Ji Sanghyeon’s gesture.
“That’s quite a dangerous generalization. There could be people who dislike them.”
“I guess Mr. Ji Sanghyeon dislikes them.”
“Haha, no way. I neither dislike nor like them. I’m also one of the ordinary citizens receiving their protection, so is there a reason to dislike them?”
Listening to it, there was nothing wrong with what he said. Perhaps he had reacted sensitively to Ji Sanghyeon.
The conversation between the two didn’t continue further. It was because red breaking news appeared in the news video being reflected in real-time.
The announcer, who seemed to have received something, let out an excited voice.
[“Br-breaking news! The vehicle carrying Alpha Team’s Guides dispatched from the Management Bureau was attacked by an assailant…”]
“…What?”
It was adding insult to injury. Should he say it was just like someone, for instance some huge organization, was trying to torment the Management Bureau?
It could be the work of the Anti-Management Bureau, just as Gu Baekyoung suspected.
But what was important now wasn’t the culprit of the incident, but what would happen to Alpha Team afterward.
“Oh dear… Without Guides, something big could happen.”
Ji Sanghyeon spoke worriedly, but it seemed like laughter was seeping into his tone.
However, Onyul, wrapped in worry, didn’t pay any attention to Ji Sanghyeon at all. He had simply made his decision.
“Mr. Ji Sanghyeon, please watch the convenience store for a moment.”
This won’t do. He couldn’t just leave Gu Baekyoung when even the Guides were highly likely not to arrive on time.
“Where are you going? Don’t tell me where the rampaging Gate is?”
Onyul shook his head vigorously.
“I’m an ordinary person like you too. What help would it be even if I went?”
“Then?”
“My stomach… my stomach hurts! After watching tense news, my intestines suddenly got twisted. When I go to the bathroom once, it takes a long time, so you have to guard the convenience store well.”
Damn it, to think only this kind of excuse came to mind.
Ji Sanghyeon put strength into his lips as if laughter was about to come out.
“Hurry and go! Have a good bowel movement!”
Onyul glared at him primly and left the convenience store.
“I didn’t think I’d be taking this again.”
Onyul took out the cat helmet hidden in the warehouse behind the convenience store with a troubled face. He had kept it because there was no proper place to throw it away, but he didn’t know he’d use it again.
He got into a taxi while hiding the helmet as much as possible.
“Please go to XX-dong, near there!”
“Isn’t that where a danger warning is up right now?”
“It’s okay, so please just go nearby. My lov… er is there. But I can’t reach them.”
Gu Baekyoung was a limited-time lover, so it wasn’t wrong.
“Oh my, I’ll go quickly!”
At Onyul’s earnest words, the taxi driver increased speed.
Eventually, he got off at a place a little away from where the rampage occurred.
After confirming there were no people, he put on the helmet and even took off his coat so that Ji Sanghyeon wouldn’t recognize him.
Whew, Onyul, who calmed his heart with a deep breath, walked solemnly to the scene.
When Alpha Team including Gu Baekyoung came out of the Gate, the moment he was looking for a secluded place thinking of running to him…
“…Wha, what’s that?”
He faced an unexpected situation.
Beyond the access control line blocking people’s approach, people who looked the same as Onyul were lined up.
People of all ages and genders were wearing helmets customized with cat characters.
Onyul didn’t know well, but after Gu Baekyoung declared Onyul was his lover, a cat helmet craze had blown up.
People who liked Gu Baekyoung all procured helmets with cats drawn on them and indirectly felt the feeling of becoming his Guide and lover.
And now, when Gu Baekyoung jumped into the rampaging Gate, they had gathered despite the danger to cheer for him.
He was flustered at first, but Onyul felt this situation was an opportunity. An opportunity to be at the scene without standing out.
Onyul’s gaze stayed at the entrance of the red Gate that seemed about to burst at any moment. Even though heat wasn’t pouring out, it felt suffocating.
His tightly clenched palm was drenched in sweat. Past memories of losing his life in a rampaging Gate flashed before his eyes and passed by.
The cold sweat forming on his forehead made the inside of the helmet muggy.
‘It’s okay… Since it was okay last time, it’ll be okay this time too.’
Onyul put strength into his trembling legs.
He wanted to leave this place right away, but he couldn’t move because he was concerned about Gu Baekyoung who wasn’t coming out of the Gate.
‘Hurry and come out and show me you’re okay, Baekyoung.’
How many minutes had passed while standing holding the access control line?
“Oh, ooh! They’re coming out!”
People’s murmuring was heard. The sight of familiar people escaping from the Gate that seemed like it would burst if touched could be seen.
It was Alpha Team that Onyul had been anxiously waiting for.
As soon as Alpha Team escaped, the Gate entrance turned to smoke and disappeared. It was proof that they had succeeded in suppressing and closing the rampaging Gate.
Alpha Team’s condition looked fairly okay. It was completely different from a few days ago when they came out of the rampaging Gate looking close to rags.
Onyul naturally looked for Gu Baekyoung first.
Gu Baekyoung, wearing pitch-black clothes, was standing perfectly fine. The eyes revealed above the mask were also normal.
He only swept back his sweat-soaked bangs with a peaceful face.
‘I’m glad he looks okay.’
Perhaps because he had been so tense and then relieved, all strength drained from his body.
The moment Onyul was putting strength into his legs again, his eyes met with Gu Baekyoung’s, who was looking around as if searching for someone.
Gu Baekyoung looked only at Onyul without taking his eyes off. As if he recognized Onyul even among the numerous cat helmets.
‘He really recognized me…’
“…!”
His thoughts didn’t continue further. It was because Gu Baekyoung, who had looked fine, knelt on one knee.
He even lowered his head deeply as if something wasn’t good.
“Baekyoung!”
Onyul jumped over the access control line as if his legs had never been trembling.
“Wha, what! You can’t come in!”
He was immediately caught by Management Bureau staff, but Na Geonwoo, who had been watching them from the moment Gu Baekyoung looked at Onyul, stepped forward.
“That person is fine. Please let them go.”
That one quiet statement caused a big ripple.
Everyone around began to pay attention to Onyul.
“The real cat helmet?”
“Gu, Gu Baekyoung’s Guide?”
“Is it real?”
Onyul felt burdened by people’s attention. Especially the gaze of Guide Center Director Park Hanil, who wasn’t far from Alpha Team, was the most uncomfortable.
He seemed to be convinced that he was an S-rank Guide and was staring stickily.
The worry about Park Hanil was brief, as Onyul focused on Gu Baekyoung again.
Even while receiving attention he terribly hated, he couldn’t stop the steps approaching him. Onyul had to check if he was safe first.
Onyul, who finally reached in front of Gu Baekyoung, lowered his posture and tilted his head.
“Gu Baekyoung, are you okay?”
“…Ugh.”
Gu Baekyoung made a groaning sound instead of answering. His tightly grasped shoulder was somehow hot.
Hey, are you really not in good condition?
Rather than asking where he wasn’t feeling well, Gu Baekyoung reaching out his white hand was faster.
“…”
It was a moment that felt like déjà vu for some reason.
Gu Baekyoung was always like that.
Even when he first met him as Kang Onyul, he had held out his hand to him. With emotionless eyes, solely to survive.
After that, when he became Kang Ian and met him for the first time at the convenience store, he had reached out his hand first too.
<…Hand.>
And now, he was desperately hoping for his hand once again.
Onyul grasped Gu Baekyoung’s hand as if forgetting the past when he had said coldly that he didn’t sell hands. Without a moment’s hesitation.
As soon as he thought he wanted to soothe him whose mind and body were exhausted, him who had no place to lean on, he felt gentle energy blooming from near his heart and below his abdomen.
Clearly two different energies were flowing out simultaneously.
They spread from Onyul’s hand, and further from his entire body, without even mixing.
