Cheon Areum straightened his back, pressing the phone to his ear.
"Today? When?"
"...It was supposed to be at 6 a.m. I'll reschedule it so you can sleep a bit more."
"No! There's no need for that. Come pick me up on time—I'll be ready."
Cheon Areum, tired of living the life of a beggar, couldn't wait to get more money in his hands. He could sleep more peacefully after he got paid for the S-Class gate.
"...Hello?"
"It's late. Sleep more."
"Like you've been sleeping all this time. You're still in your office, aren't you?"
No response came from the speaker. Honestly, it was impressive how Yoon Seoyul managed to be the strongest S-Class in South Korea with such a problem. Shouldn't he be getting treatment for it? Or had he tried, and nothing worked?
"Yoon Seoyul?"
"Hearing your voice... I'm getting sleepy..."
"So you can fall asleep on call too? Fine. Sleep. I won't hang up."
Only the sound of steady breathing followed. Yoon Seoyul had already fallen asleep.
He had taken advantage of Rian being a deep sleeper to slip out, so when he returned, he wasn't expecting him to be waiting at the entrance.
"Where would you go in the middle of the night?"
Rian muttered sleepily, walking up to him and snuggling against his legs. Cheon Areum patted his head with his free hand.
"Why would you wake up? Can't sleep without Hyung?"
Just as he spoke, another voice chimed in through the phone, and Rian shook his head.
"You were outside? Why?"
"Weren't you supposed to be asleep??"
"Hyung, who is it?"
Rian mumbled innocently, lifting himself on his toes to hear the peep from the phone. Cheon Areum rubbed his forehead, already exhausted as they bombarded him with questions one after the other. In his younger brother's case, he could understand the clinginess. But why was the protagonist of the story acting the same?
Had his transmigration into the book caused the main character to lose some screws?
Cheon Areum glanced at the lock screen. It was already 4 a.m. There really wasn't much time left.
"If you're awake, I'm hanging up now. Make sure to come pick me up on time."
With that, he cut the call and placed the phone on the dining table next to his crossbody bag. Rian eyed the phone while standing on the chair.
"It was him again."
"How'd you know?"
Cheon Areum chuckled as he unscrewed the water bottle and drank half of it in one go.
"I don't like him. Don't talk to him."
Rian spoke solemnly, fists clenched on the table.
"Hmm... I can't do that for now."
"Go to sleep now. I'll join you after a shower."
Nodding grimly, Rian jumped down from the chair and obediently went back to bed.
*
Cheon Areum had made a grave mistake.
Out of the three outfits he owned, the only decent one had already been worn out. The options left were the one he was currently wearing—wrinkled from a nap—and the flashy dark purple suit collecting dust in the closet.
Sighing, he pulled out the suit. It looked untouched, and when he put it on, it fit him perfectly. It even complimented his complexion and eyes—as if it had been made just for him.
He thought about waking Rian to do his hair but belatedly remembered he had lost the hair tie (and still hadn't told Rian). Pushing his hair back with a hand, he let it softly frame his face.
Yoon Seoyul had been waiting downstairs for ten minutes already. Cheon Areum wrote a quick sticky note and stuck it to Rian's hand. The refrigerator was full—food and water enough for days—but it still worried him every time he had to leave him alone. Entering a gate and leaving him in the outside world without any way to contact Rian always made him anxious.
"You're late..."
Yawning and covering his mouth with a hand, Yoon Seoyul stood at the building entrance. His eyes scanned Cheon Areum from head to toe but didn't say anything more. Cheon Areum wore the suit confidently—if he had to wear it, he might as well wear it with pride. His appearance could make anything look good.
"Let's go."
Walking ahead of the still-spaced-out Yoon Seoyul, he saw the only car parked in front of the building—a normal White Kia Sportage. Just as his hand reached for the handle, another hand moved in from behind and beat him to it. Yoon Seoyul opened the door for him, letting him sit inside first. Then he circled the car and slid into the driver's seat. The interior was freshly aired, carrying a faint scent—like a refreshing, rainy forest.
Is this smell...his pheromones?
The thought popped into his head. The book never mentioned what kind of smell Yoon Seoyul's pheromones had. Staring curiously at the man next to him, Cheon Areum mumbled unconsciously:
"This is better."
"What's better?"
"You."
The car fell into silence at that single word.
Cheon Areum pursed his lips, avoiding eye contact. His habit of flirting randomly seemed to be returning. He didn't know when it started, but for as long as he could remember, he flirted with people he was familiar with. Having read an entire book about Yoon Seoyul, he must've felt familiar enough to do it unintentionally. But it was fine. Just a fleeting word.
"How many people are going to enter the gate?"
He shifted the topic naturally.
"There are eight people in total."
"Is Kim Ryung joining us?"
"Yes. Including him, Inho and Hwan. Two A-Class healers and another long-ranger."
"Why not just get the only S-Class healer?"
Cheon Areum had been joking, but the reply left him dumbfounded.
"I did contact him, but he's in another gate right now."
Yoon Seoyul said it casually.
Was he serious? He'd actually considered calling in an S-Class healer? Two A-Class healers weren't enough? Well... Cheon Areum was technically an S-Class healer too. But he couldn't tell him that yet.
"Why aren't you starting the car?"
Yoon Seoyul glanced at him silently.
What?
Cheon Areum glared back just as intensely. What was his problem?
Suddenly, Yoon Seoyul leaned closer. His face came too close for comfort, making Cheon Areum twitch and slither back against the seat.