Chapter 74

Eventually, Haon decided to go with Cha Yugeon. While waiting for him at the main gate, a white foreign car smoothly pulled up in front of Haon.

Not expecting the owner to be Cha Yugeon, Haon just looked around.

“Wait a second, I’ll open the door.”

A familiar voice called out as Cha Yugeon stepped out of the driver’s seat and opened the passenger door.

“Is this your car?”

“Yeah. Get in.”

“You have a car?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Haon, looking back and forth between the incredibly expensive-looking foreign car and Cha Yugeon. Thinking about it, Cha Yugeon was an S-rank Esper and must earn a lot of money.

He could easily afford several foreign cars.

When Haon was an A-rank Esper, he also lived a comfortable life. But at that time, he was too young to think about buying a car. Even now, he earned enough to buy and maintain a car, but since he didn’t really need one, he never felt the necessity.

Now, knowing that Cha Yugeon had such a nice car, Haon felt a sudden surge of material desire. Considering whether to buy a car himself, he leaned back into the seat and relaxed.

“It’s a long drive, so you can sleep if you want.”

“Where are we going?”

“Gyeongju.”

“Wow… that’s really far. Is your hometown Gyeongju?”

“No, it was Seoul, but my family moved a few years ago.”

Nodding at Cha Yugeon’s words, Haon reached to fasten his seatbelt, but Cha Yugeon stopped him.

“Why?”

“These things are my responsibility.”

“What the…”

Ignoring Haon’s sarcastic remark, Cha Yugeon fastened Haon’s seatbelt for him. Haon’s expression turned sour at the unexpected kindness.

“We’re leaving. If you need to stop at any rest areas, just let me know.”

“Okay.”

As soon as Haon responded, Cha Yugeon started the car. Contrary to Haon’s expectation of aggressive driving, Cha Yugeon drove smoothly. He courteously let other cars merge and didn’t speed at all.

“You’re surprising.”

“What?”

“I thought you’d drive like a maniac.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean, you drive really nicely.”

“Did you think I’d drive recklessly or get into road rage?”

“No comment.”

“Hey, how do you even see me?”

Cha Yugeon grumbled with annoyance.

Haon held back from saying, “Look at all the things you’ve done,” and quietly stared out the window.

“People outside are civilians. Even if I could survive an accident, others might not, so I have to be careful. Besides, you’re in the car right now.”

Surprised by the unexpected words, Haon turned his gaze from the window to Cha Yugeon. Though only half of Cha Yugeon’s face was visible as he focused on driving, the sincerity in his seriousness was evident.

Haon once again saw an unexpected side of Cha Yugeon. He had thought Cha Yugeon was just childish and self-centered, but he actually had a depth of character.

Having witnessed several new sides of Cha Yugeon already, Haon felt it was still a fresh discovery. He also felt a bit guilty for always thinking of Cha Yugeon in a negative light.

“Sorry.”

“For what?”

“Just… wanted to say it.”

“Next time, if you want to say sorry, just say you like me instead. Or say you want to kiss. Or even-”

“Stop. That’s enough.”

“Alright. Just don’t say sorry. Even if you feel you need to, try not to. Say something else instead. I don’t want to hear you say sorry.”

“…Okay.”

Respecting Cha Yugeon’s serious tone, Haon agreed without much resistance. He believed in apologizing when necessary, but he could acknowledge that people like Cha Yugeon had different perspectives.

Even though the suggestion to replace apologies with… other things was a bit much.

After driving for a while, they reached the first rest area. As soon as he got out, Haon stretched his body. While he was in the restroom, Cha Yugeon bought a variety of snacks from the rest area, surprising Haon.

At Cha Yugeon’s suggestion, Haon tasted a small bite of each snack and then dozed off in his seat during the long drive.

Finally, they arrived in Gyeongju in the late evening. Haon thought they might go straight to the accommodation, but Cha Yugeon insisted they eat dinner first.

Haon initially didn’t plan to visit Cha Yugeon’s house, but since they had come this far and had nowhere else to go, he ended up going there. He didn’t expect the meal to be so lavish.

For Haon, who couldn’t eat much, the table laden with food seemed overwhelming.

The elders, unaware of Haon’s feelings, looked at him with expectant faces. Haon tried his best to eat as much as he could to meet their expectations.

“You eat well. Does it suit your taste?”

“Yes, yes. It’s delicious.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

His answer brightened the somewhat worried expression of Cha Yugeon’s mother. It didn’t seem like her happiness was solely because the food tasted good. Haon wondered if there was another reason he had missed, seeing how excited the elders seemed.

“It’s hard to believe this is the first time Cha Yugeon has brought a friend home. You said you were on the same team?”

“Not just a team, we’re partners. Dedicated partners.”

“Is there a difference?”

“There’s a huge difference.”

Cha Yugeon interrupted his mother’s question. Haon quietly sipped his soup, not wanting to join the conversation. Since he was full, he avoided the solids and only drank the clear broth.

“What’s the difference?”

“It means no other Esper can touch him. He’s completely mine.”

“You shouldn’t refer to people as possessions. Goodness, you’re still such a child.”

Cha Yugeon’s mother clicked her tongue lightly.

Haon found it fascinating. How could Cha Yugeon turn out the way he did with such sensible parents?

Though he didn’t show it, he was quite shocked.

“Espers are like that. Compared to others, I’m rather tame.”

Cha Yugeon shamelessly defended himself. Haon nearly laughed in disbelief but managed to hold it back.

He glared at Cha Yugeon instead.

Feeling Haon’s gaze, Cha Yugeon turned to look at him, shrugging as if to ask what was wrong.

Though Haon was exasperated, he held back in front of the elders and continued sipping his soup.

“Espers are all like that? Are they not human? What makes them so special that they act however they please?”

Haon inwardly cheered at Cha Yugeon’s father’s pointed comment. Though he had once been an Esper himself, he was tired of their arrogance.

“Like I said, I’m not that bad compared to others.”

“Right. Just because you’re an Esper doesn’t mean you should look down on or disregard others.”

“I don’t.”

Cha Yugeon was more shameless than Haon had imagined. It was as if he had forgotten all the things he had done. Haon pouted in dissatisfaction.

“Is something wrong? Don’t you like the soup?”

“No, it’s delicious.”

When Cha Yugeon’s mother asked, Haon quickly waved his hand and replied. She must have seen him pouting. Feeling embarrassed, Haon scratched the back of his neck.

This was all Cha Yugeon’s fault. Though he felt a sharp surge of resentment, Haon kept it to himself, not wanting to show it.

“It’s amazing that Cha Yugeon brought a friend. I was worried because he didn’t seem to have any friends due to his personality.”

“Oh, no, that’s not true.”

Haon awkwardly shook his head at her words. Despite liking Cha Yugeon, he couldn’t defend his personality.

Instead, he felt the need to tell a white lie in front of his parents.