IDSEGI Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Ihan and Yoon Geon stared at each other with eyes sharp enough to tear the other apart. The taut gaze between them was pulled tight, neither giving an inch. The tense standoff seemed like it could snap at any moment—until Yeoul suddenly cut through it.

“But Ihan, this isn’t chicken soup—it’s cheonggukjang. You must’ve grabbed the wrong one.”

TL/: Cheonggukjang (청국장) is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste that’s known for its very strong, pungent smell — even more intense than Japan’s natto. Main ingredient: Boiled soybeans

His harmless smile turned toward Ihan.

“Cheonggukjang? Eating that in a sealed cave would stink up the whole place. Amazing what you find these days. Let’s save this for when we get back.”

The clear, innocent smile was enough to make both of them lose their edge. In an instant, the hostility between them cooled to a lukewarm truce.

Yoon Geon gave a quiet chuckle and leaned back against the wall. Yeoul gestured to him.

“Hyung, you should eat some too.”

He then opened another can and handed it to Ihan.

“You too—eat.”

For the sake of Yeoul’s peaceful meal, Ihan and Yoon Geon silently agreed to a temporary ceasefire.

The three of them sat in a row, eating preserved rations with bread. It was edible enough, but far from delicious. Still, Yeoul chewed and swallowed each bite diligently.

From time to time, both Yoon Geon and Ihan found themselves glancing at him.

‘Our Yeoul’s cheeks are so round—like a chipmunk.’

‘If I tell him he looks like a chipmunk, Han Yeoul would probably hate it, huh?’

The two rivals had no idea that, at moments like this, they thought remarkably alike.

Just before tearing off another piece of bread, Yeoul suddenly turned to Ihan as if remembering something.

“Oh, Ihan—why’d you do that earlier?”

“Hm? Do what?”

The petting? Carrying him when he said not to? Or the glaring contest with Yoon Geon that Yeoul hadn’t noticed? Ihan had done so many things he wasn’t sure which one Yeoul meant.

Seeing Ihan’s puzzled expression, Yeoul clarified.

“Before we came into the cave, you were yelling and swearing at the others. You’re usually so kind and gentle, but you suddenly blew up and scared them. Their whole bodies were shaking.”

That had been more out of fear than surprise, but Yeoul clearly saw it differently. Ihan was grateful for his obliviousness and gave a faint smile.

“I figured that was the only way to make them go back. Even while I was cursing them out, my heart hurt. A leader sometimes has to say cruel things to precious comrades, and that’s not easy.”

Yeoul squeezed his hand firmly in sympathy.

“It’s okay. I’m sure they understood how you felt.”

“Yeah… I just hope they weren’t hurt by it.”

Watching the scene, Yoon Geon was overcome with an odd feeling. He couldn’t tell if it was about Han Yeoul, who seemed to have swallowed all sense of awareness, or Ihan, who was blatantly gaslighting him. Either way, it wasn’t pleasant.

When Yeoul offered him more soup, Yoon Geon’s face was still tight.

“Hyung, if the bread’s dry, have some more soup.”

‘…Was he always this clueless?’

On second thought, it wasn’t that Yeoul lacked awareness—he was usually good at reading the room and quietly looking out for others. The only time his sensitivity seemed to fail him was when it came to his own romantic life.

Back when he was Zone 5’s Guide, he had called himself close like brothers with Kim Eunha, even though anyone could see Eunha was full of ulterior motives.

He hadn’t even noticed Yoon Geon’s feelings.

Still, all of that was part of what made Han Yeoul endearing. Yoon Geon found himself smiling faintly at the thought that maybe he was the one wearing rose-colored glasses here.

“You should eat more. You’re too thin.”

“I just don’t put on muscle easily.”

“Then you should put on some fat first.”

The warm exchange made Ihan’s mood sour immediately. That bastard was blatantly flirting with Yeoul.

Back when Yeoul had been with Zone 5, no one had hit on him more than Yoo Ihan himself—yet now, Ihan ground his teeth at Yoon Geon without a hint of irony.

Smiling at Yoon Geon, Yeoul noticed his soup can was empty and muttered to himself.

“Ah… already finished.”

The smile on Yeoul’s lips slowly drooped. He scraped the empty can with his spoon, trying to stretch out mealtime just a little longer. But there wasn’t even a single spoonful of soup left.

Even while bickering with Ihan and trading jokes with Geon, he hadn’t forgotten why he was here. He was only desperately trying to smile—because this place could very well become their grave.

He didn’t care if he died, but Ihan and Yoon Geon had to live. They had promised the Espers of Zones 1 and 5 that they would return alive.

No… truthfully, he didn’t want to die either.

If he could, he wanted to survive—go back to the time before the Bonding, live happily with Ihan without wanting more…

Swallowing a bitter smile, Yeoul forced his lips into a grin and held out his hand to Yoon Geon.

“Hyung, give me your arm. I’ll guide you.”

“Han Yeoul, you—”

Before Yoon Geon could finish, Ihan grabbed Yeoul and rolled them both to the ground. Yeoul found himself pinned under Ihan’s body, who clamped a hand over his mouth and nose.

“Mmph!”

Before he could get angry and ask what he was doing, a hazy violet smoke filled the cave.

Before they could even use their abilities, all three of them lost consciousness.

—It’s another clear day today. The skies nationwide will remain sunny throughout the week, but some areas may see occasional showers, so be sure to take an umbrella.

The bright, pleasant voice of the weathercaster flowed from the TV speakers. Fresh out of the shower, Yeoul glanced at the screen and then walked past the living room toward the kitchen.

He opened a bag of bread on the table, took out two slices, and spread some strawberry jam over them. With a piece of bread in his mouth, he came back into the living room to find the weather segment still ongoing.

—If you don’t have an umbrella, the government-run “Beautiful Shop” offers free rentals, so please take advantage of that.
—Thank you. Now over to reporter Yoo Hamin…

As the screen switched from the weathercaster to the anchor, Yeoul plopped down on the sofa and changed the channel.

“Nothing worth watching these days.”

Flipping through channels with a click of his tongue, he eventually turned the TV off. It was only 7 a.m., still some time before work.

Brushing off the crumbs and getting up, he noticed the robot vacuum gliding across the floor. The freshly cleaned floor made him smile in satisfaction.

“Glad I bought one. Convenient and nice.”

It was freeing not to worry about making a mess while eating. Friends often teased him for being overly neat for someone living alone, but Yeoul couldn’t stand having a dirty room.

“Living alone, you’d think I could just do whatever I want.”

For some reason, it always felt like he was living with someone else. Or rather… like he had lived with someone else.

“I’ve been out of my parents’ house for so long—guess I’m still stuck in the habits from living with Mom?”

His kind and gentle mother had never scolded him for a few crumbs, yet the thought of her made him pick up his phone.

—Oh, my son. For you to call me first—what’s going on? The sun must be rising in the west tomorrow.

Her teasing made Yeoul wonder if he really hadn’t been calling that much lately. He’d always thought of himself as a good son, but maybe he’d been a neglectful one.

“Sorry, Mom. I’ve been busy with work.”

—If it’s work, I understand. So, how’s the office? Nobody giving you trouble?

“They’re not kids, Mom. Nobody’s bullying me. Everything’s fine.”

Relieved by his answer, her voice softened even more.

—Of course. Who would bother my Yeoul? You’re so sweet and handsome.

“Honestly, only you say stuff like that, Mom.”

…Or maybe not? For some reason, it felt like he’d heard “handsome” and “lovable” all the time. Almost like someone whispering it to him like a lover would—though he’d never had anyone like that.

—So, have you found yourself a nice partner yet?

Realizing she was about to launch into her usual scolding, Yeoul quickly changed the subject.

“Mom, I just remembered I’ve got an early meeting today! Gotta go—bye!”

She hung up with a disappointed tone. Feeling guilty for dodging her, he still didn’t want to hear the same nagging again.

“Why is everyone so obsessed with this?”

People were always surprised when he said that, at 28 years old, he’d never had a partner before.

“With that face, and never once?”

They’d all say it was a waste of his looks and tell him to just pick someone. Love changes how you see the world, apparently.

“As if that’s anything special.”

Love, my ass. After graduating college and starting work, he’d been too busy to care about such things. He’d never even met someone who sparked his interest.

Shaking off the pointless thoughts, Yeoul stretched. It was still too early to head to the office, so he turned the TV back on.

A drama featuring a famously handsome actor filled the screen. Yeoul stared at him indifferently, flipping through channels again, only to find nothing worth watching. Sighing, he switched back to the drama.

“I don’t get what’s so good-looking about him.”

Our XX is way better—

“Ugh!”

The moment he thought of someone, a sudden, stabbing headache hit him. It faded quickly, but whatever thought he’d been having was gone.

The scene changed, showing an actor with hair the color of light brown, almost blonde. His face was ordinary, but the hair color caught Yeoul’s eye.

“That color’s nice…”

But before he could dwell on it, another sharp headache made him wince.

Turning off the TV, he pressed his fingers to his temple and glanced at the clock. It was already 8 a.m.—time to get ready for work.

Dressed in a suit, he left the house. As always, the front door shut behind him without anyone there to see him off.