The moment his neck became stiff, something entered Onyul’s field of vision.
It was a bird flapping its wings cutely with its small wings.
“Kiki!”
It was Kiki that Na Geonwoo had sent. The little one flew over at once and sat on Onyul’s shoulder. As if that had been its place all along.
‘Did the Esper Center send it?’
He didn’t know what words Gu Baekyoung had used to persuade Na Geonwoo, but it seemed he’d succeeded in summoning the bird.
Onyul recalled Gu Baekyoung, who had come out together in the early morning. He too had gone to work at the Esper Center to prepare for the event.
Gu Baekyoung this morning had looked like he was in a good mood. He seemed excited with anticipation about doing the MVP.
Whether he knew or not that today was the last day of their contract relationship…
He thought about telling him that today was the day their fake relationship would end, but he couldn’t say a word for fear that his enthusiasm to do the MVP would break.
Onyul thought he should tell Gu Baekyoung the truth after today’s event ended safely.
Oh, come to think of it, it seemed like a lot of time had passed.
He’d agonized about how to live after becoming Kang Ian, but when he realized it, he’d adapted too much to his life. Hadn’t he acted well like a real convenience store owner today too?
Especially, he’d gotten tangled up with Gu Baekyoung in many ways during that time. He’d even awakened as an ability user he hadn’t wanted because of that.
‘But since there were many enjoyable days, is it okay?’
He couldn’t go on dates outside for fear his identity would be discovered, but instead they spent time together at his house and built small memories.
Eating together, laughing and chatting over trivial things, exchanging pranks, and nights falling asleep within arm’s reach.
That was a not-bad memory in its own way.
If this relationship ended, would it be something he’d never experience again?
Rather than feeling relieved, his regret was great. Enough that his mood sank in an instant.
Thanks to his special ability, Onyul had always been among people, but there was no one he’d been as close to as Gu Baekyoung.
Because he’d drawn a line himself and not let anyone cross it. That was also why he hadn’t made a lover.
Perhaps because of that, even while mixed among people, he’d always felt somehow empty somewhere.
But when he suddenly realized it, he was no longer feeling that emptiness.
It was all thanks to Gu Baekyoung.
He treated him like a friend, lover, and family.
He poured excessive affection on him who had lost his parents early and had neither friends nor lovers to share his heart with.
‘…I want to be together just a little longer.’
It was a wish he couldn’t believe he’d thought himself.
The moment he was pondering how to handle his regret, the conversation he’d had with Gu Baekyoung came to mind.
<You can live here for a lifetime.>
<Even after the contract relationship ends?>
<Of course. Were you planning to ignore me once the contract relationship ends, honey?>
He’d said it was okay to stay in this house even after the contract ended. As if nothing would change.
They were only lovers in name anyway, and they’d never properly done lover-like things.
Perhaps that was why. It seemed like it wouldn’t be much different from now even after the contract ended.
Just a plain relationship without intense skinship.
Could it be… he wasn’t aiming for that from the beginning?
Earning a month’s time to make them get used to being by each other’s side, and to hold on so he couldn’t easily leave…
Maybe what Gu Baekyoung had wanted right away wasn’t a lover. Did he see through the fact that he was weak to affection?
“Oh my.”
Onyul burst into a hollow laugh.
It was because he thought that Gu Baekyoung, whom he’d only thought was innocent, might actually be a much smarter person than he thought.
Well, Onyul also had no intention of leaving Gu Baekyoung’s house right away. At least until he escaped from the small room, he only wanted to fall asleep in Gu Baekyoung’s bed.
Of course, the possibility of Gu Baekyoung kicking him out was close to zero.
After a little more time passed, Management Bureau staff and Espers appeared. Before the event started, they seemed to be preparing for it.
The people following behind Na Geonwoo as the leader were magician-type Espers. They had come out to the Management Bureau’s front yard to create the fake Gates.
As soon as they appeared, authorized reporters pointed their cameras at them.
‘It’s not the start of the event yet, but they used to broadcast creating the fake Gates in advance too.’
Onyul also focused on Na Geonwoo.
-Beep beep!
Kiki, perched on his shoulder, also chirped cutely, seeming to recognize its creator.
When Na Geonwoo stepped forward and raised his hand, there was a feeling as if the surrounding air was being pressed down.
“Coordinate lock.”
At his single word dropped low, two Espers reached out their hands.
They must be Espers who handle spatial magic.
Sure enough. As soon as they reached out their hands, the air distorted and an opaque membrane formed. Na Geonwoo leaped up brilliantly and spread it open as if tearing it apart.
Crackle. With a splitting sound, an oval-shaped vortex formed in the air. It was the entrance to the fake Gate.
“Ooh, powerful!”
When he turned his head toward where the strange cheer came from, he saw Cha Hyeran holding a bright red spear. He was cheering as if teasing Na Geonwoo performing.
“Hello, Manager!”
Yoon Jihyuk, who seemed to have come out together, naturally stopped by the mini convenience store.
“Hello, Yoon Jihyuk-ssi. Will you have chocolate milk today too?”
“No, do you have that thing you gave me last time today too?”
He seemed to covet the energy drink.
“After drinking it once, I keep thinking about it. Hehe.”
Onyul handed him an appropriate amount of energy drink, not the highly concentrated one. It was tomato juice as expected.
“Share it with the team members. And absolutely don’t spread the word.”
“Yes. Thank you!”
While Yoon Jihyuk bought the energy drink, Na Geonwoo and other magician Espers entered the fake Gate.
What they were doing was broadcast in real-time through a large screen installed in the Management Bureau’s main building. That too was being transmitted in real-time through various media.
Onyul also stared at the screen together with Yoon Jihyuk, who was gulping down the energy drink.
The empty interior was being filled in an instant.
Someone waved their hand to pile up rough rocks, and someone condensed darkness to create a form that looked like a forest.
Finally, fake monsters created by magic appeared one by one.
Looking only at their outward appearance, they were no different from monsters that popped out of real Gates.
They let out low cries and roamed inside the Gate.
They seemed to breathe, move, and be wary of each other, but what was contained inside was ultimately just a shell.
Should it be called a model with almost no destructive power?
Nevertheless, the scene unfolding before his eyes was so perfect that it was difficult to distinguish from the real thing. Enough that his Gate trauma manifested a little.
‘Oh, as expected of Kiki’s creator.’
-Beeee!
Kiki also seemed to know that the monsters roaming the Gate were its friends. Flapping its small wings and hopping, it seemed like it was saying it would go meet them.
“Kiki, you can’t play with ugly things.”
When Onyul spoke while stroking Kiki’s fluffy head, Yoon Jihyuk giggled.
“Pfft.”
Onyul spoke as if making an excuse.
“How can I send a small bird in there?”
“Right. But it’s really amazing. When I heard it from Gu Baekyoung, I was skeptical, but Kiki really does follow you well, Manager…”
The smile slowly faded from Yoon Jihyuk’s face, which had been giggling.
He couldn’t continue his words, but Onyul seemed to know what he was trying to say. He must have wanted to talk about Kang Onyul.
Onyul turned the conversation before he became more immersed in the past and depressed.
“Kiki says it only gets along well with handsome people.”
“Huh? Then why isn’t it friendly with me?”
“Only Kiki would know that, right?”
“Manager, that’s too much!”
“Haha.”
He lightened the mood with a light joke. It was fortunate that a smile hung on Yoon Jihyuk’s face again.
It was the moment he turned his gaze back to the screen.
‘…Hm?’
The eyes of one of Kiki’s ugly friends, that is, the monsters he’d been looking at curiously, were strange. Should he say he felt… killing intent?
But it was such a fleeting moment that even Onyul couldn’t be certain.
He tried to find that monster again, but the drone camera inside the Gate was already showing somewhere else.
‘Did I see wrong?’
Still, just in case, it seemed good to tell Na Geonwoo when he got a chance.
The anti-Management Bureau had been completely quiet lately, and they’d even discovered the emblem signifying Genesis. There was no harm in being careful.
Once about three fake Gates were created, the event started in the plaza in front of the Management Bureau building.
A hundred selected audience members invited through lottery and invitation entered first. They were positioned somewhat away from the fake Gates.
Espers were scheduled to be positioned by team in the temporary tent installed right below the fake Gates.
Soon after, Esper teams appeared one by one.
Support Team, Mobile Team, Control Team, Magic Team… The last team to appear was Alpha Team, to which Gu Baekyoung belonged.
“Wahhh!”
A huge cheer poured out as if it had been waiting.
“It’s Alpha Team!”
“Isn’t that Gu Baekyoung?”
Everyone craned their necks to see Gu Baekyoung and Alpha Team more closely. It was a clearly different reaction from the other teams.
Gazes mixed with respect, expectation, and enthusiasm were focused on them.
As if the reason everyone gathered here was only to see them.
Onyul felt a pride he didn’t know why.
‘My lover is such an amazing person.’
No, wait. Without realizing it, I naturally thought of him as my lover.
When the embarrassed Onyul was scratching his cheek, their eyes suddenly met with Gu Baekyoung’s.
Almost simultaneously, Gu Baekyoung’s right eye scrunched up.
…A wink?
