Onyul entered Gu Baekyoung’s house without being caught by anyone. Gu Baekyoung went into the kitchen and prepared a meal as if he had never been agitated.
Sitting at the dining table, Onyul quietly gazed at Gu Baekyoung’s back as he busily moved around with his large frame. Soon, a delicious smell permeated his nose.
The hunger he had briefly forgotten because of Park Hanil was only now being felt. Come to think of it, dinner time had long passed.
Before he could feel hungry for long, various foods were laid out on the table. They were all foods Onyul liked.
‘Come to think of it, last time too, he only prepared things I liked, didn’t he?’
How does Gu Baekyoung know what foods I like?
A belated question arose.
In his previous life, he had eaten with Gu Baekyoung on several occasions, but he had never told him that he liked something. Back then, Gu Baekyoung had never personally prepared meals for him either.
It was somehow strange to call it a coincidence. Perhaps back then, Gu Baekyoung had been observing what he enjoyed eating while pretending otherwise.
If that were the case, it meant that he was cooking now still considering Onyul and Kang Ian to be the same person.
He had said he wasn’t Kang Ian, and he hadn’t particularly acted like his past self, yet was it still similar?
Onyul looked up at Gu Baekyoung, who was neatly placing down utensils.
“You didn’t forget our promise, right?”
“Mm. The promise where honey would love only me forever?”
Gu Baekyoung discussed the falsehood without changing his expression.
Hey, you bastard! When did I ever promise forever!
“No! Your promise that you’d make sure I don’t have to take a Guide examination.”
“……”
The face of Gu Baekyoung sitting across from him stiffened subtly. Just a moment ago, he had confidently declared he wouldn’t disrupt their fake lover relationship, but he still seemed anxious.
“Baekyoung, we’ll continue being lovers. But you need to grant my request to forget Kang Onyul.”
Right, it would be better to be more certain with Gu Baekyoung at this opportunity.
He didn’t know how much effort Gu Baekyoung would put in, but even now he listened to Onyul’s words better than Na Geonwoo’s. Even though he was a convenience store manager he’d only met a few days ago.
Since he was simple and quite honest, he would try to keep his promises. The Gu Baekyoung that Onyul knew was like that.
“Ah, that?”
Gu Baekyoung spoke plainly in a tone devoid of any emotion.
This is strange. Last time and this time too, he acts like it’s nothing.
Is forgetting a hyung he cherished enough to rampage over really that easy?
As soon as Onyul’s gaze became drowsy, Gu Baekyoung suddenly frowned.
“…It’ll be hard to forget, but a promise is a promise, so I’ll keep it.”
Thud, Gu Baekyoung’s head dropped. His voice was sunken, but since his face wasn’t visible, it was impossible to know what expression he was making.
‘He must be sad.’
Onyul brushed off the indifference he had shown as trivial. He was so sad and it was such an unrealistic matter that his emotions weren’t showing instead.
But he guessed that after some time passed, delayed sadness came rushing in, making him lower his head.
“I know it’s hard to forget, but I can’t help it since you’re mistaking me for that person.”
If it were up to his heart, he wanted to comfort Gu Baekyoung, who was like a puppy soaked in rain, but Onyul spoke calmly instead.
It was because he thought forgetting Kang Onyul was absolutely necessary for him.
For Gu Baekyoung, who should live a smooth life, having the phantom of the past who lived arduously and suddenly died clinging to him really didn’t suit him.
Gu Baekyoung was the most beloved Esper in South Korea. That’s why he hoped he would live with only lovely memories.
He wanted him to never rampage again over anything related to Kang Onyul.
“Okay.”
Gu Baekyoung, who answered briefly, couldn’t raise his head for a long while. Onyul didn’t press him and gave him time to compose his emotions.
***
Only after eating dinner did Gu Baekyoung return to normal. Without saying anything more about Kang Onyul, he asked about Onyul’s plan.
“So what method are you going to use against Park Hanil?”
“Do I seem like an S-rank Guide to you?”
“I’d have to measure to know for sure, but… since you were amazing enough to surprise all the Espers, I think there’s a high possibility you’re S-rank. Setting aside compatibility, your wavelength was really huge.”
Gu Baekyoung was quite serious, unlike himself.
Onyul didn’t deny what he felt.
“Right, that’s correct. I also feel that my wavelength is special.”
“Can you escape using that?”
At that question, Onyul nodded.
Of course, Onyul didn’t know whether he was really S-rank or not either.
But he had grasped the fact that his broadcast guiding was surprisingly unprecedented. He too had worked as an Esper for 10 years.
Moreover, since Park Hanil coveted him enough to foam at the mouth over just two broadcast guidings, he could no longer deny his ability. For reference, Park Hanil was an A-rank Guide.
In other words, Onyul was considered a very rare S-rank Guide.
If he lied about a rare S-rank Guide having rare abilities, there would be no one to doubt it.
The same went for Gu Baekyoung, who was an S-rank Esper.
“Actually, I…”
Onyul briefly explained the plan he had established. A plan that would allow him to avoid becoming a Guide even after taking the Guide examination, and thoroughly crush Park Hanil’s nose.
Of course, he didn’t add anything about being an Esper or whatnot to Gu Baekyoung.
If he found out that he was an Esper who used therapy abilities, his obsession with Kang Onyul, which had barely begun to fade, would grow.
“Is that possible?”
Gu Baekyoung, who had listened seriously to his explanation, asked back.
There was no doubt in his question. He was simply asking in a one-dimensional way whether that was really possible.
Gu Baekyoung seemed ready to believe whatever Onyul said. He would believe it even if he said the sun rose in the east.
At that clear faith, Onyul’s shoulders rose sharply. And then, he suddenly remembered Cha Hyeran, whom he had seen somewhere the other day.
She would show excessive confidence whenever she gave media interviews.
That’s why Na Geonwoo would often cut off Cha Hyeran’s interviews. He worried that her excessiveness might earn someone’s antipathy.
But right now, in front of Onyul, there was only Gu Baekyoung. There was only one audience member who was completely smitten with the convenience store owner.
He was someone who would accept positively whatever he said, even if his answer overflowed with excessiveness.
Onyul answered more confidently than anyone.
“Totally possible.”
At the flawless answer, Gu Baekyoung’s lips parted shallowly.
He couldn’t take his eyes off Onyul with a gaze full of admiration.
“…Cool.”
That’s right, worship me, you bastard!
How much more would he worship when he actually made Park Hanil submit?
Onyul giggled like a devil.
***
“Achoo! Who’s talking about me?”
Cha Hyeran, who belatedly covered her mouth, stared at Yoon Jihyuk with suspicious eyes.
“Noona, why would I talk about you? I’m someone who doesn’t do things like that.”
“Who said it was you? I just looked back and happened to see you. The person I really wanted to see was…”
Her gaze landed on Na Geonwoo with his expressionless face. Na Geonwoo just pushed up his glasses without making any particular excuse.
“Ha! Look at that. That guy who’s a team leader is talking about his team member…”
“Hyeran, be quiet for a bit. The target is right in front of us.”
Na Geonwoo hastily changed the subject. As if he had actually talked about Cha Hyeran.
“Well, it’s not even a monster, so would we fall behind?”
“Still, we have to be careful. Baekyoung isn’t here either.”
Na Geonwoo, including Yoon Jihyuk and Cha Hyeran, were near an abandoned warehouse hidden on the outskirts of Seoul.
It wasn’t because a gate had occurred, and they had come this far in relation to the gate rampage they experienced not long ago.
The Alpha Team performed most missions together, but this time they had specially excluded Gu Baekyoung.
This mission was to sweep one of the Anti-Management Bureau’s branches, and because Gu Baekyoung had a history of rampaging right after the fact that the Anti-Management Bureau was involved in the gate rampage was revealed.
Fortunately, Gu Baekyoung didn’t harbor any resentment about being excluded this time either. It seemed to be because he was completely smitten with Kang Ian and was focused on him.
“But lately, hasn’t Baekwon become much more stable? He eagerly grabs strangers’ hands and smiles well. At first, I thought he’d gone crazy.”
Yoon Jihyuk also seemed to have doubts about Gu Baekyoung, who had recently changed to become gentle.
“Right, I’ve been hearing strange rumors lately. What was it, if you give Baekwon…”
As Cha Hyeran trailed off as if she couldn’t remember anymore, Yoon Jihyuk raised his right hand high.
“Correct! The guy who smiles if you give him Baekwon!”
The head of Yoon Jihyuk, who answered, was floating.
He didn’t know why Gu Baekyoung had changed, but he seemed to enjoy the fact that he had become kind to everyone.
Yoon Jihyuk didn’t want his friend and colleague Gu Baekyoung to be alone anymore. It was because he knew there was nothing harder than digesting everything alone.
He too had digested his sadness alone after losing his pair Guide, until he met Kang Onyul. He didn’t want to return to those lonely times.
He had come to know that it was much better to endure with someone than to bear it alone.
“Whatever the reason, it’s nice to see. It’s much better than being alone.”
“I think so too.”
Na Geonwoo joined in the two people’s small talk.
“Now, small talk ends here. Everyone, stay alert.”
Na Geonwoo, who said that, seemed particularly full of enthusiasm today.
“Hey, Team Leader-nim. Let me ask one last time. Why are you so energetic today?”
For once, the clueless Cha Hyeran accurately pinpointed Na Geonwoo’s mood. As she said, he had his own reasons.
