Normally, Hong Seoyoon would have entered whether Choi Jaeheon gave permission or not, but today the situation was a bit different. Since the family had reunited after so long, he intended to show some consideration.
“See you next time.”
Unaware of such a noble heart from his friend, Choi Jaeheon slammed the gate shut right in his face with a bang.
“Ha, look at that bastard.”
He was annoyed, but he was the one who brought it up first every single day. Just endure it this time, endure. Repeating this to himself internally, Hong Seoyoon soothed himself and turned around with a spin. Yoon Taegyeom should have almost finished his work by now, so he was thinking of going to him.
He was very happy to meet Ian, but as happy as he was, he needed to prepare thoroughly. Why Ian, who hadn’t been seen for five years, appeared at a gate where the rank had changed. Whether there was a reason boss monsters that spoke human language began appearing. There were mountains of things to find out.
“I’m not that stupid, you know~.”
The water brat always said he was like a beast without intelligence, but if he were really a beast, he couldn’t live like this. Hong Seoyoon walked while spinning the car key in his hand round and round. Maybe he’d have to work overtime today.
***
After opening the door, Choi Jaeheon waited for Ian to enter. The house he returned to after five years hadn’t changed at all from before, which made him tear up a little.
“I’m home!”
Ian shouted energetically and entered the house. Like the outside, the interior was similar to the past, but there was exactly one thing that had changed. The trophies inside the glass display cabinet in the living room had increased.
Most were awards related to awakeners and the Bureau. ‘Thank you for saving citizens in danger, the city, the country.’ Looking at the phrases engraved on the trophies made him feel proud for no reason. Choi Jaeheon was still righteous and excellent even as time passed.
Unlike a certain crazy bastard.
Ian smiled prettily and looked at Choi Jaeheon.
“Want to wash up first? Or eat first?”
“I want to wash up!”
When he raised his hand high and shouted, Choi Jaeheon naturally entered the bathroom. Although the house was old, the bathroom was fairly spacious, and there was even a bathtub. It was a bathtub that showed its age, but it was sufficient for an adult man to soak in.
“Wait a moment.”
When the bathtub was filled halfway with water, Choi Jaeheon approached Ian and helped him undress.
“I can do it myself!”
“But it’ll be faster if we do it together, right?”
Ian hesitated and stepped back. That was because there was something he didn’t want to show Choi Jaeheon.
Damn Regnasia! When she appointed Ian as the Saint, she engraved her symbol on his body. That symbol was carved right above his heart, and unlike a simple tattoo, it always sparkled.
The closer to the heart, the more excellent the clergyman, or so the saying went. Of course, rather than Ian believing in Regnasia that much, it was because the goddess forcibly thrust the position of Saint upon him and engraved it, but still.
Even though Ian showed such reluctance, Choi Jaeheon didn’t back down with his gentle face.
“Ian. We’re each other’s only family in the world. I wish you wouldn’t hide anything from me. You promised before, didn’t you?”
They definitely made such a promise by linking their pinky fingers. Even so, he couldn’t tell him everything that had happened until now. For the time being, there was much to hide. Still, as long as they lived together, he couldn’t hide the tattoo forever.
In the end, Ian undressed in front of Choi Jaeheon. The small, soft body had grown quite a bit in five years and had now become the body of a proper adult. However, it wasn’t just the body that had grown.
No matter how protected he had been, fighting against the demon race meant there were times when Ian had to go to the battlefield. The problem was that the Saint wasn’t affected by other clergy’s divine power. Moreover, since he couldn’t heal himself either, scars remained all over his body. Ian’s eyes rolled around.
“Ian.”
Choi Jaeheon’s voice calling his name became much lower. His finger touched Ian’s shoulder, then came down to his chest and traced the goddess’s symbol engraved above his heart.
“…What is this.”
A frozen voice rang in Ian’s ears. He needed to explain, and even if he only told the bare minimum, it seemed like it would be quite long. Ian, who had been agonizing over how much to say, closed his eyes tightly then opened them. Just as he, having finished organizing his thoughts, was about to speak.
“First, you’ll be cold, so let’s warm up your body.”
Hyung’s voice had become gentle again like at the beginning. Choi Jaeheon pushed Ian’s back, put him in the bathtub, and poured warm water on his cold nape.
Thinking about what was to come didn’t put his mind at ease. But being like this with Choi Jaeheon after so long reminded him of the old days. Whenever Choi Jaeheon had time, he tried to wash Ian himself. To Ian, who protested that he had grown up, he always said this.
“To me, you’re still a child.”
No, hyung. Where is there such a big child? He grumbled, but Ian also didn’t actually dislike Choi Jaeheon’s doting side. Because being with him put his mind at ease.
“Do I still seem like a child to hyung?”
When he asked while leaning his head against the towel Choi Jaeheon placed behind his neck, a small laugh came back.
“Of course.”
“Well, hyung is older than me!”
“Later, when I’m too old to move, you wash me then.”
“You had it all planned out!”
Exchanging silly words while warming their bodies in hot water was quite nice. When Ian’s body had loosened up to some degree, Choi Jaeheon took him out of the bathtub and washed his hair. When he was younger, hyung washed his body too, but after he entered middle school, he let him do it himself.
After finishing the bath, Choi Jaeheon handed Ian pajamas. They were pink pajamas with a cute rabbit drawn on them. Choi Jaeheon himself dressed quite well, but he always picked strange clothes specifically for Ian. As if these would suit a fully grown adult man.
“Let’s dry your hair.”
Choi Jaeheon, who sat on the sofa, patted between his legs. When Ian sat down between them, he dried his hair with a hairdryer.
“Food? What do you want to eat?”
“The tuna kimchi stew hyung makes.”
It was food he could absolutely never eat in the other world. Since Ian was the Saint, they did take care of his meals properly, but it absolutely didn’t suit his taste. A true Korean doesn’t even feel spiciness at the level of buldak ramen as spicy.
“With cheongyang chili peppers too?”
“Of course you have to add them!”
“Tuna?”
“A lot!”
“Alright, wait.”
Even though he turned on the heating, just in case he’d be cold, Choi Jaeheon handed Ian a cardigan. While Ian was washing up, it seemed he had already started cooking, and before long, the spicy smell of kimchi stew wafted over.
“Wow.”
The smell alone was so good.
“Hyung, I think I’m so happy to be hyung’s younger brother.”
When he said that, Choi Jaeheon, who was making rolled omelet, chuckled.
“Me too, I’m happy you’re my younger brother.”
Both Ian and Choi Jaeheon were humans who had reached the extreme of brother complex. The meal Choi Jaeheon made was so delicious that he ate three bowls of rice. When his body was warm and his stomach was full, drowsiness immediately rushed over him.
“You should go to your room and sleep.”
But he didn’t want to sleep. What if he woke up and opened his eyes, and what he saw was that crazy bastard’s face again? What if escaping from the other world was a dream? Ian couldn’t easily fall asleep.
“I don’t want to sleep.”
When he voiced his thoughts out loud, Choi Jaeheon held Ian’s hand.
“Then should we sleep together?”
Good. The bed in hyung’s room was a whole queen size. So sometimes on nights when sleep wouldn’t come, he would lie on hyung’s bed and look at webtoons or play games. When Ian nodded like a whale, Choi Jaeheon took him to his room.
The room had a familiar scent.
Yes, Choi Ian had really returned to his home on Earth. So there was nothing more to fear. Ian lay down on the bed side by side with Choi Jaeheon and fell into a deep sleep.
***
As soon as Vermouth exited the gate, he ran. Then, only after standing on top of some tall building did he stop walking. Even though darkness had fallen, the world was covered with lights of various colors.
A night where light didn’t disappear. Even though it was late, people still wandered the streets. On the roads, chunks of metal carrying people ran, and something flew past through the sky. However, no sign of fear could be felt on the faces of the people walking the streets.
“Hmm.”
Is this Ian’s world? It sparkles, is beautiful, and is more vibrant than I imagined. Somewhere here must be Ian’s family. It would have been nice if he had heard where they lived. Ian didn’t tell him that much.
Then how could he find Ian? Normally, if he used divine power, he could find him, the Saint.
“But there’s a minor problem.”
Vermouth recalled the gate he had escaped from earlier. Gates existed in their world too. The demon race procured monsters through gates, and because of that, the world rushed toward destruction. But such things existed here too.
Usually, if you use divine power inside a dungeon, it can’t be detected from outside. Would this other world be the same?
‘But this place is excessively peaceful.’
So occasions to use power from the outside would be extremely rare. He couldn’t know when Ian would use his power either.
