FTE 030

The instructor was undoubtedly talented in devising cooperative combat strategies but seemed to struggle with explaining them clearly. Indeed, without his drawings, we would’ve only understood about 70% of his tactics at best.

As the instructor moved away and blew a whistle, our break ended abruptly, leaving no time to fully grasp his complex explanations. Stretching my neck, I noticed Chae Won-u within my field of vision.

“…I think he’s jealous.”

His gaze towards me was blatantly obvious, making it hard not to notice. His sulky expression was quite adorable, though. Since he had left earlier, his pride wouldn’t allow him to say anything upon returning. Legally speaking, there were no claims like “he is mine,” which felt somewhat empty.

“It could be bothersome if he stays that grumpy for too long.”

Maybe I should try to smooth things over…?

***

“Do you like movies?”

Chae Won-u had just come out of the shower and looked down at me with confusion… Wait, look down? Flustered, I spun Chae Won-u around and stood behind him.

“What are you doing?”

“Just wait.”

By simply not touching the roundest part of his nape, I could tell that Chae Won-u had grown slightly taller, albeit subtly.

“You’ve gotten taller, haven’t you?”

“Really?”

Despite it being about himself, he seemed uninterested. I couldn’t help but chuckle, finding it both obvious yet unbelievable that Chae Won-u was still in his growth phase. As he twisted his towel into a knot, Chae Won-u responded to my amusement:

“I do enjoy them.”

“Huh?”

“Movies. Didn’t you ask if I liked them?”

“Oh right, I did ask…”

I had completely forgotten about his height issue, so Chae Won-u’s words sounded like a sudden confession. It was an absurd misunderstanding. Feeling embarrassed, I rubbed my face with both hands. Ah, this misconception made me feel utterly ashamed.

“If you have nothing to say, I’ll be going now.”

“Ah. What’s wrong? Are you upset?”

“Do you think I’m upset because hyung is sticking close to the instructor? No, not at all.”

“…..”

I almost protested that I never said such a thing but stopped myself. Why does he like me so much? Is it because I’m his type? Or did he grow attached as we spent more time together? However, considering our limited interactions, it seemed unlikely that his feelings developed gradually. From the moment he first saw me, he pursued me relentlessly, as if his brakes were broken.

“First… about that movie. If you don’t like it, then there is nothing I can do, but would you like to go with me next time?”

“…The instructor is also going?”

“Are you crazy?!”

Just imagining sitting between the instructor and Chae Won-u while watching a movie was enough to make me shudder. It sounded absolutely dreadful. I emphasized, “It will just be the two of us. Only us!”

Honestly, from the slight lift at the corners of Chae Won-u’s mouth, I could tell my words were having an effect. Even when he appeared expressionless, his naturally smiling lips had a subtle upward curve, which had momentarily flattened out before now gradually lifting again. Without realizing, I gently traced his beautiful lips with my thumb, something I’ve admired since our first meeting…

“T-Then let’s go out together.”

Inside, I screamed at what I was doing. Nevertheless, outwardly, I calmly made plans with him. Chae Won-u nodded his head. With awkward steps, I moved past Chae Won-u.

“Then I will be going first.”

Chae Won-u stared blankly at me. Seeing his expression, I realized something. That’s right. We were living together now. It was really good that I diffused the tension beforehand. I nodded slightly towards Chae Won-u.

“Let’s go. Since we only filled up on juice earlier, I’m hungry now. Let’s eat something.”

“This time, I’ll cook. I’ve learned some recipes.”

“Really? What can you make?”

“Bibimbap with kimchi. I want to try it.”

His overly determined tone made me feel uneasy.

“It sounds a bit concerning when you say ‘try’ instead of ‘knowing how to make’… But okay.”

Before entering his room, Chae Won-u reconciled with me and started chattering as usual again. Initially, I was startled to hear that this was Chae Won-u’s first time participating in cooperative combat training, but then I quickly calmed down. Upon reflection, it made perfect sense—Chae Won-u had never had a partner before.

It also belatedly dawned on me why his fighting style during our initial dungeon raid had been so shocking. It was inevitable, given that he hadn’t learned or experienced any other methods due to his lack of knowledge.

Suddenly, I felt remorseful. Chae Won-u had more gaps than I realized, leading to misunderstandings based solely on those voids. Unlike the cube puzzle where colors could be inferred, Chae Won-u was like a Rubik’s Cube consisting entirely of empty spaces. Perhaps, contrary to my assumptions, he might actually be a much better person than I thought.

***

Contrary to my fears, there was a glimmer of hope that things might turn out well after all, but those expectations were utterly crushed. Unfortunately, Chae Won-u’s cooking skills were abysmal. We almost spent our day off dealing with stomach issues due to his excessively spicy and salty meal. Despite not being able to handle much spice, he managed to make it unbearably hot and salty.

Luckily, perhaps because our internal organs were tougher than average humans’, we only suffered briefly during dinner before returning to normal afterward.

Some time passed, and this incident became just another minor mishap in our lives. As I prepared for an outing, I was selecting clothes from my limited wardrobe. On my bed lay three hoodies and one sweatshirt. I had already put on black jeans. There wasn’t much variety; people like us simply endured spring and autumn with whatever garments we owned.

It couldn’t be helped. When not working with the Hunter Association, I often had to evacuate due to alarms sounding even while sleeping. Upon returning home, there was no guarantee my place would still be standing, so buying expensive clothes held no meaning for me. Even if no dungeon appeared nearby, I frequently moved since having a stable residence wasn’t possible. Thus, keeping things light was paramount.

“Well, at least you could’ve bought clothing in various colors,” I muttered to my past self.

The selection consisted of gray, black, navy (which looked almost indistinguishable from black), and a murky shade somewhere between gray and white hoodies and sweatshirts. The murky color was undoubtedly the result of improper laundry sorting.

In the end, I opted for a navy blue hoodie over a white short-sleeved T-shirt.

“It’s funny that I’m even worrying about this.”

I put my wallet and phone in my back pocket and exited the room, noticing Chae Won-u putting on his watch. Based on his pose, it seemed like he was aiming for a classic look, but it turned out to be an ordinary smartwatch, not mission-related.

“You wear that outside too? Personally, I can’t stand wearing smartwatches due to their association with missions.”

Chae Won-u shrugged, clad in a plain white shirt. The fitted attire accentuated his well-defined physique, which usually went unnoticed beneath his oversized T-shirts. His frame appeared remarkably elegant—straight, broad, and flawlessly proportioned. Despite the black slacks not being high-waisted, they emphasized his long legs perfectly.

I was staring excessively at Chae Won-u. This unfamiliar and somewhat amusing behavior made me scratch my head. Ah, did I come out too hastily?

Yet another part of me slapped my cheek, shouting internally: No, do you think we’re going somewhere special? It’s just a simple outing!

“You look cute, hyung.”

“Uh, stop it.” Chae Won-u paused as he approached, flustered by the compliment. Feeling embarrassed, I stumbled over my words.

“That… That sounded like a generic compliment to ease awkwardness during our first meeting, right?”

“Really? Then should we pretend someone introduced us?”

“What kind of introduction is needed between acquaintances… And who would’ve introduced us anyway?”

“Well, there’s the Hunter Association.”

“…..”

“Should I say that the president introduced us?”

I slowly headed towards the shoe rack. The brief moment of tension felt like it belonged to a distant past. Behind me, Chae Won-u spoke earnestly with his slightly slow speech pattern:

“But let’s do something else instead. Instead of saying who introduced us…”

I finished tying my shoelaces, stood up, and turned around. Grabbing Chae Won-u by the shoulders, I pulled him closer and kissed him. Our lips fit together remarkably well, almost as if they were designed specifically for each other from the start. I firmly inserted my tongue between Chae Won-u’s lips. Naturally, he parted them more, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer.

“Your breathing is getting faster. Hunter Chae Won-u, who didn’t break a sweat even after running until almost vomiting, shouldn’t be like this just from talking for a few minutes.”

“I feel hot.”

“Yes, you do. Still, we’re going to watch the movie, right? I have two tickets, and there’s less than an hour left before it starts. We can’t cancel now.”

“We’ll go. Yes, let’s go. Even if it kills me, I’m going.”

“Wah. If that’s how you feel, then I won’t hold back.”

This time, Chae Won-u rushed towards me. As he slightly tilted his head, I relaxed my lips. Chae Won-u’s tongue entered between my slightly parted lips.

His kiss was hot, as if reflecting his passion. It remained clumsy and hasty. Nonetheless, I had to admit it felt better than kisses filled with excessive technique and pretentious flair.

Before this moment, rumors circulated that my previous partner’s kisses were so intense they could kill someone. Yet back then, I found myself checking the time over their shoulder, disengaged. But now? Now, missing the movie seemed inconsequential, despite how challenging it had been to secure tickets.

I couldn’t deny it any longer. Chae Won-u was stirring excitement within me. This blurring of boundaries between guide and hunter is perilous. If such chemistry occurred between Chae Won-u and Yang Baekgyeom, it would undoubtedly be risky. Based on this theory, we were indeed treading dangerous waters.