# Chapter 51
A distinct scent emanated from the slender nape of his neck. It seemed that the perfume fragrance, which had been gradually fading since entering the dungeon, had now changed to his natural skin scent. The body that was usually steeped in a languid floral fragrance mixed with fresh fruity notes now continuously emitted only a sweet smell. Face wash, perhaps? After briefly pondering this, Dohyuk lowered his eyes and then reopened them as if to clear his thoughts.
“…Isn’t this position a bit awkward?”
Though he hadn’t intended it as criticism, tension made him unconsciously blurt out words that sounded unnecessarily stiff. Surprised by his own statement, he looked into Junseo’s eyes, who responded with an ambiguous smile and a faint sigh.
“I’m sorry. I’m a bit tired right now… I got too comfortable, didn’t I?”
As Junseo slowly tried to raise himself up, Dohyuk hastily pushed down on his shoulder and made him lie back down. His body, which had been half-cradled against Junseo, was now upright, pressing Junseo down from above. Completely oblivious to how this new position was far more awkward, Dohyuk said:
“No, it’s fine. If you’re tired, you should rest first before guiding.”
It was just a yellow light. Since it wasn’t flashing, he could endure for the few hours needed for Junseo to rest. Dohyuk ignored the intense headache pressing in and comforted Junseo.
“What Guide would allow an Esper to walk around with this kind of light? I’ll do the guiding first and rest afterward.”
Junseo spoke affectionately, though he had lived his entire life without caring how other Espers might collapse. Meeting those gentle eyes up close, there was no way Dohyuk could refuse Junseo’s words.
“…Then stay lying down. I’ll give you my hand.”
“Can’t you hold me while guiding? That would be faster.”
“……”
Junseo smiled as if painted.
“Aren’t you tired too, hyung? Let’s lie down, receive guiding, rest together, and then go out for dinner.”
This was a suggestion that the normal Dohyuk would have flatly refused. Dohyuk wasn’t confident he could maintain a calm state of mind while lying next to Junseo and receiving guiding.
But the person before him was Yu Junseo, lying down with jet-black hair disheveled. Looking up blatantly from below, his gaze ensnared Dohyuk as if it were only natural. With deep blue light filtering through the tent and pouring over his face, it resembled a scene from a French film shot solely for aesthetic appreciation. Dohyuk felt wronged.
If he’d been just averagely attractive, I might have had some will to refuse.
Dohyuk forcibly averted his gaze. Looking past Junseo’s shoulder line, Dohyuk was about to lose his resolve and collapse according to Junseo’s wishes when—
Pak, pak, pak.
At the sound of small claws scratching at the tent, Dohyuk sat up. Junseo irritably glanced up at the disappearing weight of Dohyuk. The silhouette of a small animal was visible near the tent entrance. Again—pak, pak, pak, pak. The fierce scratching at the tent finally made Dohyuk break into a small laugh.
“Junseo, can I let it in?”
“……”
Though his expression clearly showed he was already halfway ready to rush out and welcome it, Dohyuk still pretended to ask. When Junseo didn’t answer, Dohyuk glanced at him cautiously and added:
“I’ll hold it safely so it won’t be dangerous.”
By now, his intentions were so transparent it was almost cute. Deflated, Junseo languidly lay there and muttered:
“Master, the stress from living together is too much.”
Despite the clearly playful tone, Dohyuk felt his neck heating up and quickly lowered his gaze.
“…What are you talking about? Besides, you’re not a cat.”
Junseo pursed his lips and then responded with a thin smile. His pinkish lips formed delicate sounds like a watercolor painting.
“Meow.”
Dohyuk hurriedly got up and rushed to open the tent flap.
It wasn’t to welcome the cat but to escape from Junseo. Watching the now crimson nape of Dohyuk’s neck with his eyes, Junseo smiled mischievously.
***
Despite recommending Jaesik as the caretaker, it didn’t yield much result. The cat continued to follow only Dohyuk even the next day. The creature was fickle enough to also follow Junseo around.
Junseo eyed the cat with an unfriendly gaze. The cat neither consumed food nor did anything except beg for Dohyuk’s energy. Eventually, leaving the cat and base protection to Dohyuk, Sangjun departed with Hansol and Jaesik for reconnaissance. Normally, support-type Espers would remain at the base to serve as beacons, but this decision was made under the assumption that the Changgwi affected the radios.
More than five hours had passed since they left the base. As Sangjun had predicted, the radios were useless.
Dohyuk sat quietly with the cat in his arms. Since the cat either licked him with its rough tongue or rubbed its head against him, Dohyuk couldn’t wear gloves even at the base. Though he made a troubled expression whenever the cat acted on its own, his eventual gesture of accepting the cat’s antics with a faint smile was affectionate. Jihun, sitting nearby, stared at the cat’s front paws with envious eyes. Though his expression was full of desire to touch it, he seemed to be holding back firmly, following Sangjun and Dohyuk’s warnings about potential dangers.
“Is it soft?”
The question had such a cute tone that Dohyuk smiled slightly.
“Yes, it’s soft. Guide Kwon Jihun really likes animals, doesn’t he?”
“My dream is to raise about two cats after retirement.”
Since ability users typically retire by their mid-thirties at the latest, it didn’t feel strange that Jihun was already imagining his life afterward.
The cat skillfully flipped onto its back in Dohyuk’s arms. Watching this silently, Junseo walked over to Dohyuk.
With a tap, feeling the familiar weight on his shoulder, Dohyuk who had been stroking the cat, startled.
“Are you going to keep it?”
Junseo asked while leaning on Dohyuk’s shoulder.
“No. According to Esper Ji Sangjun-nim, headquarters said it has enough research value to be captured alive. It will probably be sent to the lab.”
Dohyuk responded formally, mindful of Jihun. His voice was calm but strangely subdued.
“So that’s how it ends up. That’s unfortunate. I thought it would be nice if Esper Choi Dohyuk-nim kept it.”
Jihun reacted with a conflicted expression as he looked at the cat. Its scarlet eyes innocently met Jihun’s gaze, completely unaware of the future ahead.
If it’s sent to the lab…
The rest was too sad to imagine. It wasn’t an animal but a monster, so it couldn’t dare hope for any welfare. Would it even last a month? Dohyuk remained silent briefly, thinking similar thoughts to Jihun.
“You want to keep it, don’t you?”
Junseo, still leaning on Dohyuk, said monotonously. The cat in Dohyuk’s arms and Junseo leaning on him had identical expressions, causing Jihun to momentarily rub his eyes.
Only Dohyuk responded in a calm tone.
“Since it’s not a normal cat, I can’t decide. I’m just taking care of it while in the dungeon.”
“You’re not saying no.”
“…I’m not in a position to raise anything.”
Dohyuk’s expression stiffened, but feeling as if Junseo could hear his true feelings, Junseo gently rubbed his head against Dohyuk’s shoulder. It was similar to how the still-unnamed black cat twisted and whined.
“But it’s a familiar look.”
“Familiar look?”
“Eyes that want something but hold back. Esper Choi Dohyuk always has that look.”
“You had the same look when looking at me,” Junseo whispered softly into Dohyuk’s ear before straightening up. Dohyuk missed his chance to respond, too busy digesting the voice that clung thickly to his ear.
“……”
“I guess headquarters is the issue after all.”
His voice rolled out like a deliberately contrived soliloquy.
Dohyuk looked up. The eyes he met were nothing but innocent. They were the eyes of someone who had never noticed the darker parts of the world. It wasn’t entirely Junseo’s fault. He must have been born with everything in his grasp. His face resembled someone who swam carelessly in affection up to his neck, unaware of how frozen everything was outside.
They say attraction dwells in those similar to oneself. If so, why did his chest tighten at that sight? Dohyuk thought it must be longing for an innocence he could never possess.
“Just say what you want when you want it. It’s only words—there’s nothing to lose, right?”
Finally, Dohyuk lowered his gaze from Junseo to the cat in his arms. The black creature never stopped squirming.
“I said it needs to be sent to the lab… And didn’t Guide Yu Junseo-nim dislike cats?”
If there was anyone at the base who completely ignored the cat, it was Junseo and Jaesik. Especially Junseo, who seemed quite afraid of the cat. Whenever the cat approached, he would cling to Dohyuk. Gripping his wrist tightly and leaning his forehead against Dohyuk’s back, it was impossible not to notice.
By this point, Junseo should have realized that Dohyuk was deliberately changing the subject, but he still refused to back down. It was a stubbornness unimaginable from someone who usually fluttered like the tongue in Dohyuk’s mouth.
“I like it.”
Something dropped with a thud. Like a heart that bounces high after falling, Dohyuk suddenly raised his head. What appeared before him was the same languid expression as always.
