Unlike Ian, who had become gloomy, Vermouth was riding high. The more gates he cleared, the higher his fame rose. It wasn’t uncommon for Awakeners to have fans, and Vermouth even had a fan club.
The name of the fan club was [Berguard].
They were completely smitten with the strong and beautiful Vermouth and constantly talked about him.
#HolyKnightVermouth
#PositiveInfluence
#HealingVermouth
Ian was looking at SNS when he put down his phone.
“Hypocritical bastard.”
He said that in a disgusted voice and then threw himself onto the bed. They say even hypocrisy is still virtue. Even if his purpose was elsewhere, many people had their lives saved by Vermouth. And they were sincerely grateful to Vermouth.
He understood, but it was troublesome in many ways.
“…Hyung.”
And the biggest problem among them was that things had become awkward with his hyung.
***
Hong Seoyoon’s house wasn’t ordinary. He focused more on entertainment than the function of a home, and as a result, his house had become like a playground.
Today, three friends had gathered there for the first time in a while. They’d gathered, but…
“Hey, is something wrong?”
Hong Seoyoon made a shocked expression seeing Jaeheon pour down alcohol. He’d said he wouldn’t drink until he found his younger sibling, but it seemed he was breaking that seal today.
“Don’t you have more alcohol?”
“I do. I do, but.”
“Bring it.”
Hong Seoyoon glanced around and then raided his liquor storage. Yoon Taegyeom shook his head at the liquor bottles lined up on the bar.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but drinking won’t solve it.”
So they were saying to open up to them. Jaeheon hesitated. Should he tell his friends about the feelings he’d realized? How would they view him for harboring such feelings for his younger sibling? But his worries didn’t continue for long.
“It’s about Ian, right? Should I guess?”
Hong Seoyoon said in a sly voice. He drank an entire bottle of whiskey without ice and shouted.
“Choi Jaeheon likes Choi Ian!”
“So what?”
Yoon Taegyeom sent a pitying look, but Hong Seoyoon continued.
“Not as a sibling, but as a romantic interest!”
Yoon Taegyeom, who had been drinking water instead of alcohol next to them, spat out his water.
“Am I wrong?”
Jaeheon felt annoyance along with gratitude toward Hong Seoyoon, who spoke while looking straight at him. Thanks to Hong Seoyoon, the secret had disappeared. It seemed his heart felt lighter.
“…You’re right.”
Choi Jaeheon loves Choi Ian. At his affirmation, Yoon Taegyeom sighed. Actually, even without Hong Seoyoon’s words, Yoon Taegyeom had predicted this to some degree. No matter how much a hyung cherished his younger sibling, his actions were outside the scope of normal siblings.
“So what are you going to do?”
Even in this situation, Hong Seoyoon’s voice was still cheerful.
“I have no intention of expressing it.”
He didn’t want to ruin Ian’s peace.
“I can’t take family away from that child.”
“That’s so like you.”
Jaeheon always put Ian’s feelings first. To Hong Seoyoon it was frustrating, but that was the kind of person Jaeheon was.
“Drink!”
Hong Seoyoon offered new alcohol to his downhearted friend. It was to give him a push. Just once, before Ian disappeared, he’d gotten him drunk. At that time, Jaeheon had opened up to him about everything.
Awakeners don’t usually get drunk easily, but it’s not that there’s no way to get drunk. Hong Seoyoon had brought alcohol specially manufactured for Awakeners for today.
“Let’s drink ourselves to death!”
It was the start of a long night.
Late at night, Vermouth came again. By now, Ian didn’t even ask why his power had run out. He just kissed him like a duty and sent him away.
Today would be another day like any other.
If only it weren’t for the reporter hiding in the corner.
Ian didn’t notice the reporter’s presence. Vermouth noticed but had no intention of stopping them.
“My goodness. Vermouth’s love interest is a man!”
This is a scoop. If he posted this, the view count would skyrocket. That’s how much Vermouth monopolized the public’s attention. The reporter rejoiced at catching a scoop and took photos from various angles.
***
S-rank Awakener Mr. B X Mr. K! Too close to be a coincidence
“The Two Faces of the National Hero?”
S-rank Awakener Mr. B, who has stood at the forefront during every national disaster and been called a ‘flawless hero’, has been caught up in unexpected private life controversy. According to our coverage, a witness revealed that recently emerged S-rank Awakener Mr. B was spotted at Mr. K’s residence.
[Photo of Vermouth kissing an unfamiliar person]
[Photo of Vermouth smiling affectionately]
The released photos appear to have been taken late at night in a deserted alley. The two were naturally exchanging physical contact at close range, and the witness told this newspaper, “They looked like lovers. It didn’t look like a simple greeting.”
The reason this controversy is receiving even more attention is because of the identity of the person in the photo. The individual is known to be family of another S-rank Awakener, Mr. K, and is reported to be living together with him.
As the controversy spreads, the guild has not yet presented a clear position, and the parties involved are also maintaining silence.
Among fans, the opinions “Heroes are human too” and “This could be a major blow to his public image” are sharply divided.
Attention is focused on what impact this incident will have on Awakener society going forward.
-Wait, our country only has 5 Awakeners total. If it’s Mr. B and Mr. K, doesn’t everyone know who they are?
-So the conclusion is Vermouth and Choi Jaeheon are dating?
-Do you not have a brain? Look at the photo, the photo!
-More dangerous than a dungeon relationship.
-If they kissed, aren’t they already in that kind of relationship?
-Looking at the photo, I’m curious who made the first move.
The internet article reporting the dating rumor was copied and spread to communities. Vermouth’s name rose again in SNS search terms, and everyone was curious about his partner.
-So it’s Choi Jaeheon’s family, right?
-But didn’t Choi Jaeheon lose his sibling? Did he find them?
-What happened for the two of them to be dating?
Korea was instantly in an uproar. Jaeheon noticed the commotion thanks to Hong Seoyoon’s secretary who burst in while he was collapsed after drinking all night.
“This is terrible!”
“Ugh, what. What’s so terrible?”
Hong Seoyoon, who had been face-down on the floor carpet, barely lifted his head and asked.
“First, please look at this.”
The secretary handed Hong Seoyoon a tablet. Hong Seoyoon looked at the tablet with flickering eyes, then immediately set himself on fire. Most of his clothes burned away, but the alcohol also evaporated, making his mind much clearer.
“What is this?”
Hong Seoyoon looked at the photo on the tablet with an astounded expression. There, his precious baby, Ian, was kissing Vermouth. Due to the clever angle, Ian’s face wasn’t revealed, but he could tell just from the body.
‘Above all, the background is Choi Jaeheon’s house!’
Hong Seoyoon urgently smacked the forehead of Jaeheon, who was lying on the sofa.
“Wake up!”
At the urgent voice, Yoon Taegyeom, who had been sprawled out behind the sofa, also opened his eyes with a start. That bastard barely drank any alcohol, so why is he like that?
“Why?”
Jaeheon rubbed his forehead and opened his eyes.
“Look at this.”
When the tablet was thrust in front of him, Jaeheon calmly examined the contents. Then gradually his expression began to contort viciously.
Creak.
Power burst out uncontrollably from his quietly burning anger. Before he destroyed the house, Hong Seoyoon urgently patted Jaeheon’s shoulder.
“First, first go home quickly!”
They couldn’t leave Ian alone in this situation. That area had all been bought up so outsiders couldn’t intrude carelessly, but it didn’t seem like those reporter bastards would follow that well. Jaeheon quickly got up and rushed out.
Yoon Taegyeom, who had also come to his senses, grasped the situation and called the Management Bureau. Hong Seoyoon also began moving, thinking he couldn’t just sit still.
“No, which fucking bastard did this!”
Curses burst out involuntarily.
***
Currently, reporters were swarming in front of Jaeheon’s house. There was once a time when, with the awareness that invading personal privacy was wrong, reporters rarely gathered like this. But after gates opened and the times changed, reporters also became more aggressive.
To get articles, they had to run everywhere. And to not fall behind, they couldn’t be choosy about methods. For that reason, Ian couldn’t leave the house.
“They’re noisy.”
Of all times, why did they have to take a photo when he was kissing Vermouth? No, maybe that bastard Vermouth had planned this. Like the story of Seodongyo from long ago. Since Ian was refusing to become Vermouth’s lover, maybe he’d just gone ahead and done it.
Ian turned off his phone completely and threw it somewhere.
It wasn’t that there were only people cursing indiscriminately, but it was hard to look at. He just wanted to return to Earth and rest peacefully.
Grind.
His teeth ground involuntarily. That son of a bitch Vermouth!
