“Hand.”
A low voice came from in front of him. Park Shinui, who had been entranced by the ring floating in the air, suddenly raised his head.
“What?”
“Hand, hold it out.”
Kang Taejun said once more in a dry tone. Park Shinui reflexively looked down at the hand extended before him. Long, firm fingers with calluses built up here and there like traces of crossing countless lines of death.
‘Don’t tell me I have to put the ring on here too?’
No matter that it was a dream he’d soon wake from, this was a bit much. To stand facing Kang Taejun and exchange rings. Just thinking about it was embarrassing enough to make the back of his neck burn.
— The ring must be received by Park Shinui-ssi’s will. Otherwise, the contract won’t be established. If you dislike it, refuse now.
The voice digging into his mind contained no coercion whatsoever, not even a hint of expectation. Rather, as if Park Shinui was the only one who gave it meaning, Kang Taejun’s attitude was painfully calm and dry.
“Why isn’t he accepting it?”
“Who knows.”
“Isn’t he shy?”
“Come on, it’s that Park Shinui though?”
“Right. He doesn’t seem like the type to act like that, so why is he doing that?”
The murmuring that started in the guest seats began to spread like waves. As if they thought he would naturally accept the ring, the reaction was one of incomprehension.
“Shinui-gun, please accept it quickly.”
Im Hasik, unable to watch any longer, clapped lightly and shouted as if managing the hall.
“Everyone, Guide Park Shinui seems to be very nervous since this is his first time at such an occasion. I ask for one more round of warm encouraging applause.”
While inducing applause from the guests, Im Hasik glared at Park Shinui as if asking why he still hadn’t extended his hand. Park Shinui slowly scanned the gazes of the crowd pressing in on him—Kang Taejun without even a twitch, Im Hasik, and the guests—and bit his lips tightly.
He knew from the atmosphere that he could no longer delay, but he wasn’t readily inclined. No matter that this novel was a plain fantasy story and this scene didn’t seem to have that much significance, he still had doubts about whether he should accept the ring in place of Park Shinui. Moreover, exchanging rings in front of people. Wasn’t that terribly embarrassing? When he woke from the dream, he would surely want to kick off his blanket.
However, there was also no way to escape this awkward stage. Since novel chapters usually break at the most dramatic moments, perhaps accepting the ring would increase the probability of being freed from this dream.
‘Right, it’s not really me doing it anyway, and it’ll work itself out……’
Park Shinui extended his hand while suppressing the embarrassment that made him want to twist his whole body. He regretted it after extending it, but it was already too late. Whatever, let it be what it will be—that was his state of mind.
Even in the novel, descriptions of when Espers and Guides with high matching rates bonded or imprinted frequently appeared. Espers instinctively become obsessed with Guides who wash away their body’s contamination, and Guides become strongly attracted to the Esper’s energy. In the end, falling in love wasn’t strange. Most were between men and women, but cases between men weren’t entirely absent either.
‘Then, were Park Shinui and Kang Taejun in the novel in that kind of relationship too? The atmosphere is too bleak to say that though.’
“……”
“……Ah.”
Kang Taejun, who snatched the ring floating in the air, grabbed Park Shinui’s hand. At that moment, a tingling thrill spread like lightning through the touching skin.
“……!”
Park Shinui, who reflexively curled his fingertips, looked up at Kang Taejun with questioning eyes. That reaction was the same for Kang Taejun too. His expressionless face, which had been hiding neither boredom nor annoyance throughout, cracked for the first time. The man frowned with a hardened face and re-gripped Park Shinui’s finger.
‘Ugh, this is strange. What is this? Why does it feel like this……’
— Park Shinui-ssi, I already understand well that your value is tremendous, so let’s stop this.
“?”
— Don’t guide at just any time.
‘Guiding? Me? I’ve never done it and I don’t even know how.’
For Park Shinui, it was an utterly unfair statement.
But without any time to refute, a sharp current jumped from his fingertips once again. Park Shinui couldn’t continue his thoughts any further. Ugh…… ah…… just suppressing the moans trying to burst out was overwhelming.
The strange sensation continued persistently the entire time Kang Taejun was putting on the ring. Every time their fingertips brushed, a thrill swept down his spine. Park Shinui endured while shrinking his shoulders. He only hoped this unfamiliar torture-like moment would pass quickly.
“I hereby declare that these two people have become perfectly one through covenant.”
With Im Hasik’s proclamation, the ring exchange ceremony finally ended.
“I hope you remember that the promise made at this place today is an eternal vow that even death cannot separate.”
Park Shinui released Kang Taejun’s hand as if shaking off a hot fireball. Looking down at his throbbing finger, the ring was fitted as if it had been part of him from the beginning. Though it was just a ring, he felt as if bound by invisible, solid chains.
‘But what was that just now? Why does a strange sensation continue every time I touch Kang Taejun?’
However, there was no time to fall into doubt. Because an even more cruel sentence flowed from Im Hasik’s mouth afterward.
“Now, we will conclude the pair bonding ceremony with a kiss to confirm each other’s hearts.”
……What?
Park Shinui’s head snapped up. He stared at Im Hasik while doubting whether the word he just heard was ‘kiss,’ but he only wore a calm smile as if stating an utterly natural sequence.
“Both of you, please face each other.”
“No……”
Really? The ring wasn’t enough, now they have to kiss too?
Park Shinui tried to shake his head at the instinctive rejection. This much was already more than enough. He had wanted to become a character in the novel, but not in this kind of role. He couldn’t do any more. He couldn’t.
But cruelly, his body once again betrayed his will and moved on its own. His chin was forcibly lifted, and a firm arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him strongly.
“……!”
The moment their bodies pressed together, a tremor incomparably greater than before bloomed. Park Shinui looked up at Kang Taejun with a crumpled expression. Kang Taejun’s face—precisely, the cool touch of the dark iron mask—approached right before his nose.
‘Wait, Kang Taejun…… Hey, what are you trying to do right now……’
The moment the mask tilted at an angle, he hurriedly reached out his hand, but the contact was much faster.
Touch. Their lips touched and separated. An indescribable sensation spread throughout his entire body. Park Shinui trembled with intense goosebumps that rang all the way to his toes.
The kiss with Kang Taejun was short. But as short as it was, the lingering effect was as intense as lightning. Even though he hadn’t closed his eyes, his vision went white for a moment. The hand around his waist fell away and control of his body finally returned, but Park Shinui remained frozen in place with his eyes wide open for a while.
His head burned white. His consciousness wouldn’t quite return. His heart beat as if it would burst. Even knowing it was a dream, at least in this moment, that fact wasn’t comforting at all.
“Now is the moment when these two people who have walked different paths take their first step, becoming one through their bond.”
Im Hasik’s declaration struck his eardrums.
“We hope that God’s blessing and peace will dwell in every step these two people take, and we ask that all the guests cheer them on with resounding applause.”
Bang, bang, bang—! Along with a grand march that resonated in the heart, splendid fireworks burst from the ceiling. Fragrant flower petals fluttered like snowflakes from somewhere, pouring over the two people’s heads.
Amid that splendid noise, Park Shinui was dragged out while being held by the hand by Kang Taejun. His body flinched repeatedly with every step forcibly moved without any time to collect himself. It wasn’t because of the ear-splitting music or the crowd’s cheers. The problem was that terribly intense sensation that had flowed through his brain when their lips touched just before.
As soon as Kang Taejun’s rough palm pressed against the back of his hand, Park Shinui’s consciousness became distant again from the thrill that seemed to cut through his entire body. Even if he tried hard to ignore it, the goosebumps traveling down his spine were impossible to control. All the cells in his body tingled, and strength naturally entered his toes. A primal sensation he had never even imagined in his life spread throughout his entire body.
‘This is driving me crazy. What the hell is this…… Kang Taejun, does this person go around with electricity wrapped around his body or what!’
Park Shinui was busy desperately holding onto his scattering consciousness while suppressing the strange heat rising within him. In doing so, even though the bonding ceremony had finally ended, he couldn’t spare even a single fragment of doubt about why this terrible dream wasn’t ending.
