TS 058
by Aoi‘Our guild is on good terms with the arms manufacturer that developed that bomb. As you know, Team Leader, a guild isn’t affiliated with the state.’
He was soon reminded of the fact that Hernandez Inc. had a close relationship with Kasatka. So, it wasn’t strange for Han Suryeon to be here.
‘But I didn’t expect to see him here.’
Rather, the person who didn’t belong here was Yoon Taehwa himself.
At the unexpected encounter, Yoon Taehwa unknowingly narrowed his eyes. Thanks to half of his face being covered, the irritably drawn slash was not visible.
“..…”
It had been almost a week since he had seen his face, but instead of faltering in surprise, Yoon Taehwa continued to walk. The elegant, curved black leather shoes didn’t stop in front of Han Suryeon. It was near the hall that connected to the corridor.
He had no intention of acknowledging Han Suryeon in this place. Not only did he have nothing to say, but waiting for Christina was the priority. That was why he had come out to the hall area instead of loitering in the corridor.
‘I’ll finish talking and then go, so wait near the hall.’
Yoon Taehwa chewed over the last words she had left and scanned the hall.
The space, designed without any blind spots, allowed a clear view of the movements of not only the staff but also the people wandering inside the hall.
An employee who had been moving busily spotted a guest standing alone and approached.
“Would you like some champagne?”
A man in neat attire held out a silver tray, just as in the garden. Yoon Taehwa took a champagne flute with a faint golden hue and immediately brought it to his lips.
He had only scanned the inside of the hall for a moment. The focal point of his gaze was the man standing blankly. Yoon Taehwa tilted the glass just enough to wet his lips and stared at Han Suryeon.
“..…”
As if he had no intention of hiding his excessively flamboyant appearance, his mask was also excessively flamboyant. The white feathers that adorned the mask didn’t look like a bird’s. They had a soft texture, as if made in imitation of the warm, soft fur of an animal.
The gray eyes visible through it had an intense light. It was an expression where the corners of his eyes would have twitched, and the beauty mark situated beneath them would have risen shallowly.
‘Not a crow…’
He looks like a white peacock. Yoon Taehwa put down the glass and made a trivial assessment. The characteristic sweetness of champagne seeped into the tip of his tongue.
His jet-black eyes slowly rolled down, taking in the man in his view.
Han Suryeon was wearing a navy-blue suit. At a glance, it was close to a monochrome color, but the chandelier hanging over the vast hall revealed the indigo blue light perfectly. An employee, passing in front of him, briefly stopped.
Yoon Taehwa, drinking his champagne again, stared at him. He saw Han Suryeon accepting a glass just like him.
The suit creased slightly with the movement of his arm. It wasn’t a bright color that would stand out in the spacious hall, but perhaps because of the white mask, or perhaps because of the face revealed under the mask, his appearance stood out more than anyone else’s.
Since neither of them had looked away first, their entangled gazes didn’t break. Yoon Taehwa’s lips twitched into a smirk. It was a meaningless smile.
It was probably because he was dumbfounded, rather than pleased, to have unexpectedly met the man in a place like this.
‘Strangely…’
I’m annoyed. Yoon Taehwa bit the inside of his lip.
At the same time, Han Suryeon moved his lips. He had clearly uttered a word, but because the distance was quite far, no voice reached him. If there had been no people, he would have been able to hear it, but too many voices were mixed, making it almost impossible to hear a mutter.
‘I wouldn’t have understood it anyway since it’s Russian.’
Yoon Taehwa slowly moved his fingers and rubbed the bottom of the glass. The cold surface couldn’t calm his heightened nerves.
When he sipped the champagne again, the sweet-smelling liquid wrapped around his tongue and went down his throat. Yoon Taehwa leaned his back against the wall and met the gaze that was directed at him. While people were walking around and talking, Han Suryeon didn’t even stir.
“Ha.”
Soon, as if imitating Yoon Taehwa, he brought the glass to his lips. His gaze, which was fixed this way even as he swallowed the alcohol, did not change. His slowly parting lips swallowed the liquid pooled in the slender glass to the last drop.
Yoon Taehwa, without realizing it, let out a hollow laugh and bit his tongue inside his mouth. The sensation of the flesh being pressed by his sharp canines was vivid.
『Have you been waiting long?』
The one who broke the entangled gaze first was Yoon Taehwa. He lowered his head in the direction the voice had come from. Christina was fixing her disheveled hair.
『No.』
『Could you lower your head for a moment?』
She, who had glanced around, closed the distance and made a simple request. Yoon Taehwa bent his waist towards her.
『It’s not something you should keep on for long.』
She, who had made a subtle angle, removed the listening device attached behind Yoon Taehwa’s earlobe.
『I’m just saying this in case, but it’s harmless to the human body. Though ordinary people can’t use it.』
The paper-thin object soon disappeared into the champagne flute.
『It’s an interesting item.』
『Because I made it.』
Christina, with a coy expression, lifted her chin.
『Did you get what you wanted?』
『Thanks to someone’s help.』
『I have a lot of connections in Philadelphia, so contact me if you need help.』
As if all the secret talk was over, she stepped back without delay. She even caught a passing employee with a natural demeanor and asked them to collect the glass Yoon Taehwa was holding.
『Could you throw this away? A bug got in.』
『Oh dear, I’m sorry. I’ll take care of it right away.』
The employee smoothly replied in English. When he had collected the glass, Christina smiled brightly and picked up the two remaining champagne flutes from the silver tray. Yoon Taehwa accepted the glass that was held out in front of him.
『No one approached you, right?』
When he lowered his eyelids, as if to ask what she meant, Christina touched the corner of her own mouth. Only then did Yoon Taehwa remember that her lipstick was smeared on his lips.
“Ah.”
His lips parted long, and a faint laugh escaped. Yoon Taehwa, wiping off the lipstick with his finger, unconsciously turned his head. As if he had been looking this way the whole time, his eyes met with Han Suryeon’s again.
Yoon Taehwa, without realizing it, licked his lips.
『I know your business is over, but would you like to stay for about 10 minutes before leaving? Elijah is under the impression that you and I are in a very passionate relationship.』
『If we leave like that, everyone will misunderstand that we’re in a passionate relationship.』
『This is the best way to get him to lose interest in you. Not many younger brothers want to know about their older sister’s love life, do they?』
Christina, drinking her champagne, scanned the inside of the hall. Her earrings glittered under the chandelier light.
『I think you were talking about crystals earlier.』
『Are you interested too, Yoon?』
Yoon Taehwa just tilted his head askew. It wasn’t an interesting topic, but it was better to have a light conversation than to be silent. If only to not be conscious of the man who was staring at him.
Above all, it would be troublesome if Christina noticed Han Suryeon and found it strange.
‘Even if his identity isn’t known… It wouldn’t hurt to be careful.’
Since she was a Hernandez, she might know the face of a Kasatka Field Commander.
『Elijah is, what should I say… crazy about pretty things.』
『Aha. Pretty things.』
『And the minerals that come out of dungeons are closer to purer crystals than any other mineral that exists on Earth.』
Christina said, tapping her earring. He had thought it was a diamond, but it seemed to be a mineral from a dungeon.
『So he researches various things. You know, right? That there are many unknown uses for minerals.』
『It’s only known that they amplify abilities.』
『The Center must be researching it too.』
Yoon Taehwa nodded his head. He didn’t know the details of the research, but he had heard that they were investigating it from various angles.
『Do you know?』
When Christina fiddled with her earring, the chandelier light reflected again. Dazzled, Yoon Taehwa, instead of looking at her, turned his head to the front. Han Suryeon had disappeared.
『There are probably more ways to use minerals than you think.』
『Than I think?』
『Everyone knows but doesn’t share. It’s a bit of a different story from weapons, isn’t it? Since minerals are hard to obtain.』
『It sounds like you know something.』
『Well, I don’t know.』
Christina played dumb. She only continued to speak after taking a sip of champagne.
『Elijah knows.』
It somehow sounded like she was telling him to find out from Elijah, even if he had to beat it out of him. When he had heard their conversation, they hadn’t seemed on such bad terms, but it seemed there was a problem that wasn’t visible on the surface.
『By the way, that man. Isn’t he the person you were looking at earlier, Yoon?』
A reddish lipstick mark was left on the transparent glass. Yoon Taehwa threw his gaze in the direction the green eyes were pointing. As if he knew someone was looking, sure enough, as she said, Han Suryeon was standing there.
『He seems to be an Esper, from the feel of it. Is the one next to him a Guide?』
Next to him was a person who hadn’t been there until just before. It was a woman with curly blond hair that swayed at the end of her chin. He couldn’t see her face because of the mask, but it was clear she was a stranger.
“She seems to be a Guide.”
Espers instinctively recognized Guides. It was a matter unrelated to the matching rate. It was the same principle as a predator recognizing its prey in the ecosystem.
『Didn’t he stare daggers at you too? No, was it me and not you? He was glaring so hard I thought my face was going to be pierced.』
A Beastman was a Beastman. He hadn’t expected her to be able to read his presence from this distance, no matter how blatantly he had stared.
『Hmm, the woman looks familiar… But she’s far away so I can’t see well.』
So she is a Guide from Kasatka. The woman seemed to be in an intimate relationship with Han Suryeon. To be more precise, it looked like a private relationship. The hand that was wrapping around his waist was uninhibited.
At the subtle displeasure that washed over him, Yoon Taehwa smiled thinly.
“Ah, it’s been a while since I’ve felt this shitty…”