EDEN — Chapter 6 (Part 2)

With his lips pressed together, I-eon glared only at the edge of the table. He couldn’t remember how he usually acted or spoke when he was alone with Raham. When Raham stared at him silently like this, he would normally just toss out a “What are you staring at” and move on, but now he couldn’t even get the words out.

“I-eon.”

“H-Huh?”

His body jolted at the soft voice calling his name. Suddenly, an irrational sense of injustice flared in his chest. Raham was the one who said he liked him, why was he the one acting all self-conscious? Fueled by that frustration, he raised his head, but the moment their eyes met, he immediately looked away again. Pretending to be busy, he pulled up the chat window. Just in time, Iraine’s spam filled the screen.

[Iraine: Recruiting people to watch the new random-box doom run at the guild hall~ (11/n)]

[Debbie: Again??]

[Valror: Didn’t you say you’d quit gambling or smth ;]

[Iraine: Starting today, call me Kim-Raine lol]

[Iraine: Lysiancius,,, I… will… make you mine,,,,]

[Iraine: Recruiting people to watch the new random-box doom run at the guild hall~ (13/n)]

[Iraine: Recruiting people to watch the new random-box doom run at the guild hall~ (15/n)]

“I should go watch that.”

The day had come when Iraine was actually useful. I-eon, sounding stiff even to his own ears, jumped to his feet. When he glanced back, he saw Raham naturally standing up as if it was the obvious thing to do. Startled, I-eon darted toward the guild hall like someone being chased.

The guild hall, always empty and quiet, was now packed with Iraine’s acquaintances. True to her social-butterfly nature, she gathered people of all ages like she was hosting an event. Standing in front of the crowd as if about to perform, Iraine flashed a mischievous grin. Her smile was already half-crazed.

“Welcome to round two of a broke college student throwing in three months’ living expenses~ Oh! Our guild master even came?”

At her comment, everyone murmured and looked around. No one had been told who the guild master was, yet countless eyes automatically turned to Raham. Wanting only to avoid being alone with him, I-eon slipped into a corner, only for Raham to follow like a loyal puppy. Because of that, even I-eon caught glimpses of excited faces among the female players.

“He’s seriously handsome…”

“And so tall.”

A man muttered, “Height’s probably customized,” but it was too late, everyone’s attention was already on Raham. Feeling the pressure, Raham tried to step back, which only made him stand out more. Then attention spread to I-eon as well. Whispering voices leaked through clearly.

“So that person next to him must be…”

“Their lover?”

“He’s good-looking too.”

“I wanna join Nox too… Iraine is so lucky.”

Lover? Lover?!

The shock of that word drowned out everything else. With a stiff expression, I-eon tried to create distance between them, but Raham stuck to him like a magnet. The staring increased.

“Stop gawking and focus on me!”

Most people turned back at Iraine’s shout, but there were still plenty watching the official Nox couple. Becoming a spectacle, I-eon instantly regretted coming and jabbed Raham’s waist with his elbow.

“Hey, don’t stand so close.”

“Why?”

“People keep staring at us.”

“Then stop avoiding my eyes.”

“I wasn’t avoiding anything.”

He snapped back defensively, but his wavering gaze dropped straight to the floor, nowhere near Raham. The perfect picture of words not matching actions.

“……”

“……”

Silence filled the tiny space between them, two people standing far too close. With Raham staring holes into him, I-eon’s heartbeat felt loud enough to echo in his ears. Their tense little standoff continued: I-eon’s stiff posture and darting eyes, Raham’s steady gaze.

Then, after opening one random box and getting everything C- and D-rank except two B-ranks, Iraine’s frustration finally burst, and spilled over at them.

“If you’re gonna flirt and steal all my spotlight, get out!”

…And just like that, they were kicked out, punished for stealing attention from the proud attention-seeker herself.

Outside the guild hall, the tension between the two men still lingered. I-eon tried his best to avoid looking at Raham, but Raham didn’t give up and continued staring. Then suddenly, he handed something over.

[Raham has sent you an avatar as a gift. Accept / Decline]

Below the notification was the item description. A men’s outfit: pure white soft fabric adorned with gold trim and thread. It was the S-rank avatar from the new random box, the one Iraine desperately wanted.

When I-eon looked up, Raham was calmly waiting, as if wondering why he wasn’t accepting it already.

“Uh… what’s this?”

“A present.”

“Yeah, but why are you giving it to me…?”

[Raham has forcibly given you the item ‘Lysiancius Priest Robe.’ Please check your inventory.]

He hadn’t accepted it because he hesitated, so this time Raham simply shoved it into his inventory by force. As I-eon flinched and tried to check his inventory, Raham wrapped an arm around his shoulder and leaned close with a gentle smile.

“Wanna go hunting?”

“Hey, wait, do you even know how much this goes for in the auction hou…”

“Let’s go.”

As always, the guy did whatever he wanted and dragged I-eon off to the hunting grounds without hearing a single protest.

From that day forward, Raham made no attempt to hide his newly awakened feelings. He threw himself into all sorts of outrageous behavior. Whenever I-eon got swept up by his momentum, as if caught in a raging current, something expensive somehow ended up in I-eon’s hands. Realistically, there was nothing to call their relationship but “friends,” yet somehow even the people around them had begun treating the two as naturally attached.

Like now.

“I-eon! Huh? Why are you alone, where’s your husband?”

“……”

He had been sorting the neglected items in his inventory alone in the guild hall for the first time in a while. Iraine barged in out of nowhere, looked around in confusion, clearly expecting Raham to be nearby. To have people’s perception change this much in just a few days… Raham really was something.

“He said he’s doing a quest for a bit.”

“He went to do a quest alone? Suspicious.”

“Well… anyway, what’s up?”

If she’d come all the way here, she clearly needed something. Only then did Iraine recall her reason for coming. She waved someone in from the guild hall entrance. Following her, nervously stepping inside, was a female player wearing a beret with an unusual design. Iraine had a lot of acquaintances, but this was someone I-eon had never seen before. Not sure what was going on but knowing she was a guest, he bowed politely. She bowed back, though she kept trying to hide behind Iraine. She seemed shy, or perhaps it was I-eon’s imagination, but he felt a gaze travel up and down his whole body.

“She’s my friend. She’s working on an outfit for the upcoming design contest. But she’s always made women’s clothes before, so this is her first time trying men’s wear. She needs someone to model it.”

“P-please help me!”

I-eon stared at them, stunned. A model? He never expected something like that.

“…A model?”

His voice came out automatically hesitant. Understandable, he was completely inexperienced and wasn’t confident in doing a decent job. Reading the reluctance in his expression, Iraine’s friend hurried to clarify.

“Oh! You don’t need to walk a runway or take photos or anything! I just need you to try on the outfits I’ve drafted so I can check what needs adjusting. I’ll pay you as much as I can. Could you help me?”

If that was all, it was far less intimidating, but one thing still didn’t make sense. I-eon gave the pleading girl an awkward smile.

“Wouldn’t it be better to ask real models…? Their body shapes would fit better too.”

“I…”

Her shy demeanor vanished instantly as she declared with great conviction:

“Even if the body is ideal, I can’t get inspiration unless the model is handsome or beautiful!”

“……”

“You’re the best-looking among my acquaintances. Ah, not counting the guild master.”

He didn’t know whether to say thank you or what. Two pairs of overly sparkling eyes stabbed into him. Iraine’s friend, apparently named Genie, suddenly lost all trace of shyness and stared at him with blazing enthusiasm. Compliments were nice, but modeling still felt daunting. Seeing his hesitation, she clasped her hands and leaned in even closer.

“It’s really, really not hard at all! I won’t take any photos. Just act naturally and I’ll sketch ideas right there on the spot. Okay?”

“When Genie gets like this, it means she really likes someone’s look.”

“I’m desperate. I’ve already thought of three adjustments just from looking at him.”

“She’s loaded, by the way. Coco did modeling for her a few times and her bank balance jumped digits.”

Iraine sidled up and added exaggerated hype. After thinking it over, I-eon finally asked the player called Genie,

“How long will it take?”

“Less than thirty minutes!”

“Then… alright. You don’t need to pay me.”

“No, I absolutely will!”

He felt bad refusing when it wasn’t actually a difficult task. Genie beamed at his acceptance and immediately pulled out the outfits she’d brought. The first was an ambiguous jumpsuit, hard to tell if it was meant to be pants or a skirt. To I-eon, it looked… challenging.

—‘Genius’ has requested you try on an unfinished outfit. Accept / Decline.

He pressed Accept, and his armor transformed into the khaki jumpsuit. He wasn’t sure he could pull it off, so he wondered if this would help at all, yet Genie was already sketching furiously. Feeling self-conscious under her sparkling eyes and Iraine’s interested gaze, I-eon asked quietly,

“I was in the middle of organizing my inventory… Can I keep doing that?”

“Yes! Just act naturally.”

At least that was a relief. As he resumed reorganizing his inventory, the two women whispered back and forth, exchanging opinions on the outfit. He wasn’t sure if idea sketching was always this fast, but Genie flipped to the next page in just five minutes and pulled out the second outfit.

This one was completely different, a fitted uniform-style coat that hugged the lines of the body, very fantasy-like in design.

Iraine clapped her hands.

“That looks great!”

“You can go heavier on the epaulettes and decorations. But wow, your body balance is amazing.”

“Even Valror the gym maniac admitted he has a beautiful body.”

“Oh, Valror?”

“Yep. Come to think of it, he also wanted to model before.”

“I like delicate pretty boys… His lines are too bold for me.”

“True. He’s more ‘handsome by male standards.’”

They weren’t talking for him to hear, just chatting and forgetting he was even there. So I-eon focused on his inventory and tried to tune them out.

This sketch took longer, and by the time Genie brought out the next outfit, I-eon had completely finished organizing. Fortunately, she said the third one was the last.

“…This one is a bit revealing.”

“Right? But it looks amazing on you.”

“It’s like it was made for you.”

The third outfit was also form-fitting, a male adaptation of a cheongsam. It had the most satisfied reactions from the two women. For I-eon, the diamond-shaped cutout on the chest, revealing bare skin, felt a bit embarrassing. Still, with its ankle-length hem, pants underneath, high-quality silk, and elegant embroidery, it wasn’t exactly indecent.

Overall, the design was good. Smiling lightly, I-eon asked,

“Is it okay?”

“It looks like you were born wearing it.”

“Haha….”

Genie answered with sparkling eyes, her expression nothing but serious. Iraine nodded along.

“Armor suits you too, but this outfit is just perfect.”

“Seriously. There’s nothing to fix. Maybe just make the collar a little higher.”

“But then it won’t look good on people with short necks.”

Watching the two discussing earnestly, I-eon touched the collar. It had already been twenty minutes since he started trying on clothes, which meant Raham would probably return soon. And right then, the portal to the guild hall flashed. Raham stepped out and immediately looked around, clearly searching for I-eon. When I-eon waved his hand, both Iraine and Genie turned to look too. Perhaps noticing there were three people instead of one, Raham paused briefly before striding right over in big steps. A whisper of awe came from the front.

“That’s your guild master?”

“Yep. I-eon’s husband.”

At the teasing remark, I-eon glared at Iraine, when suddenly his view went dark. Raham had stepped in front of him, blocking everything with his broad frame. Looking down at I-eon, he asked,

“What were you doing?”

“Oh, they… asked me to model some outfits.”

Genie, completely hidden behind Raham, quickly leaned out from the side.

“That one—I’ll give it to you when it’s finished, I-eon!”

“I don’t need it.”

“Ah, y-yes, sir.”

“Why are you…”

Without even giving I-eon a chance to respond, Raham cut her off. His cold gaze swept down at Genie. Under normal circumstances, anyone would feel embarrassed by such a sharp rejection, but she didn’t seem bothered at all. Must be because she was Iraine’s friend, unusual people tended to group together.

After that flat dismissal, Raham ignored the two entirely and tilted his head at I-eon.

“I-eon. You’re not wearing the outfit I gave you.”

“This isn’t me wearing it. It’s just a fitting sample.”

“If it touched your body, then you wore it.”

“…Even so, what I wear is up to me, right?”

Feeling embarrassed to be bickering like children in front of strangers, his voice came out colder than usual. But to his surprise, Raham actually nodded like he accepted that answer, then suddenly held something out. It was a rose, full, layered petals like a real one. A single flower shouldn’t have been special, but the problem was…

[Eternal Rose
A masterpiece left behind by a legendary artisan. Created entirely from diamonds using the artisan’s unique ability. Its eternal shine symbolizes everlasting love.
Can be sold in shops for a very high price.]

Forced to accept the item, I-eon stared at it in disbelief.

“What is this?”

“A gift.”

“Where did you even get…”

“I wanted to give it to you.”

Raham smiled softly as he said it. It was basically an open declaration of romantic pursuit. Unsure how he was supposed to react, I-eon hesitated, only to hear someone clicking their tongue.

“Ugh, here he goes again. Let’s go.”

“Wait! My inspiration is overflowing right now!”

“Let’s go!”

Iraine grabbed Genie by the back of her collar and dragged her out. Thinking of the teasing he’d get later made I-eon sigh, but for now he was grateful they left at the right moment. With the others gone, I-eon scowled and poked Raham with the diamond rose.

“I told you it’s fine, so why do you keep giving me stuff? Huh?”

“To earn points.”

The instant, unhesitating reply left I-eon speechless. And Raham didn’t stop there, his eyes curved as he smiled.

“I like you.”

“…What…”

“I just wanted you to know.”

They had somehow ended up kissing once, but he never imagined Raham was the type to act this sweet. And, just like a patient hunter, Raham had a way of pushing forward only to pull back at the perfect moment, leaving an opening just when I-eon felt the urge to shove him away.

I-eon twirled the rose stem in his hand with a mixed expression. Diamonds weren’t as expensive here as in reality, but a piece of this size, crafted by a master, was a different story. Raham probably didn’t expect him to sell it at a shop, but even if he did, he’d probably shrug it off.

Glancing between the shimmering rose and Raham, I-eon let out a small sigh.

Even if Raham paused briefly, his relentless attempts didn’t stop there.

[Kwon Do-jin: Did you eat dinner?]

He’d gotten the message as he was finishing his tutoring session and nearing home. Ever since seeing it, he’d been unconsciously staring at his phone while walking. After going back and forth in his head, he finally replied briefly:

[No]

[Kwon Do-jin: Wanna eat together?]

The answer came immediately, he must’ve been waiting. I-eon read it before he could even exit the chat room and let out a faint groan as he lifted his head. And just then, he saw a familiar license plate on a car.

“…Huh?”

He’d ridden in that car several times, so the familiar model caught his eye first. Only a moment later did he notice the tall man standing beside it. I-eon’s steps gradually slowed. Then Kwon Do-jin, who had parked in front of someone else’s apartment building and was leaning against the car, walked toward him.

“Wanna eat dinner together?”

It was the same invitation as the message he’d just received. But lately, because he’d been hyper-aware of Do-jin the entire time and feeling awkward on his own, I-eon avoided his gaze.

“Not today…”

Back when things weren’t strange between them, Kwon Do-jin would suddenly message him out of the blue, demand they eat together, and drive over on his own to pick him up. But today, when I-eon refused, Do-jin backed off unusually easily.

“Alright.”

Then he turned away without hesitation and walked back to the car. I-eon thought he would leave immediately. But instead of getting into the driver’s seat, Do-jin opened the passenger door and pulled out a large paper bag, then walked it over to him. When I-eon accepted it, the way someone might hand over something precious, a warm, savory smell faintly drifted out. Realizing what it was, I-eon tried to return the bag, but Do-jin shoved both hands into his pockets and smiled gently.

“Enjoy it.”

“Hey, wait…”

He hadn’t expected him to bring takeout. But he also couldn’t invite him inside to eat together, so he stood there awkwardly. Do-jin stared at him quietly for a moment, then said calmly,

“Go on in.”

“……”

“I’ll go now.”

“…Thanks.”

After hesitating, I-eon finally entered the shared entrance by punching in the passcode, and Do-jin actually got into the car and drove off. Instead of going upstairs, I-eon watched from the entrance as the car disappeared down the street, feeling strangely conflicted.

Once inside, he checked the restaurant name printed on the bag, it was the place they had gone to together the very first time. Inside the containers were many side dishes, but only a single-person serving. Which meant… he had expected the refusal and had brought it pre-packed.

A helpless laugh escaped him.

“He really is a hit-and-run specialist.”

Whether it was because of Kwon Do-jin’s attractive looks, his gentle way of treating him, or his barrage of expensive gifts, whatever the reason, I-eon admitted that he liked him quite a bit. But unlike someone who charged forward like a bulldozer, I-eon couldn’t make decisions lightly because of realistic worries.

Even when he tried to clear his head by going to a PC café with a friend for the first time in a while, his thoughts kept drifting somewhere else. Leaning back in the chair, he mindlessly fired shots with a blank expression. Thanks to his natural talent for FPS games, he still managed to hold his own, but mentally he felt totally unfocused.

He had repeated round after round without feeling anything and was waiting for a new match when his friend, Kim Seong-hoon, the one who invited him out, suddenly asked,

“Hey, when did you say you’re going back to school?”

“Next spring semester.”

“Hm…”

Seong-hoon fiddled with the mouse as if thinking about something, then muttered to himself,

“Maybe I’ll take a leave next year too.”

“Why?”

“I dunno… I don’t wanna just apply anywhere randomly, but it also feels weird to graduate like this. Kinda wanna travel abroad a bit before graduating too.”

“……”

After finishing freshman year, I-eon enlisted, served, and by twenty-three he had finished his second year. Many people around him loved traveling, so after being brainwashed by their recommendations, he started planning trips whenever he could. During the semester he saved money bit by bit, and when he took another leave of absence, he worked part-time jobs nonstop to make up for the travel costs.

But then he fell completely into Eden, the VR game he’d only played occasionally before… and after that, travel plans evaporated and he did nothing but game. Before he knew it, summer was nearly over. A wave of self-disgust he had been avoiding finally surfaced.

Aren’t I living way too comfortably? It’s not like I’m rich like Kwon Do-jin.

“Ah…”

“The game started.”

Game or not, just a moment of lowered guard, and the name Kwon Do-jin bulldozed straight into his mind, tangling everything instantly. He stood there with a gun in hand, not moving, until the enemy team rushed him and killed his character. His friend swore loudly beside him.

“Dude, what the hell are you doing!”

“I’m gonna get some air.”

“Huh? What bullshit, we just started! Hey! It’s boiling outside, what air!”

Ignoring the yelling, since Seong-hoon was tied to the keyboard and couldn’t follow him, I-eon left the PC café. And yes, it was way too hot outside to use “getting air” as an excuse. He crouched in the shade of the building, pulled out his phone without thinking, and saw a message that had arrived a while ago. The sender was the same person who had been messaging him nonstop from morning to night lately, Kwon Do-jin. The number “1” that never disappeared in the guild chat was still there, but replies between the two of them came instantly.

[Kwon Do-jin: Who’s your friend?]

“Like you’d know even if I tell you…”

Muttering sarcasm into empty air, I-eon shoved the phone back into his pocket instead of replying. Suddenly, he craved something cold and bitter, an iced coffee. Maybe caffeine would help his foggy mind start working again. He got up, headed toward a nearby café, and texted Seong-hoon that he was going inside. As expected, no reply came, Seong-hoon was too busy gaming.

Inside the café, blessedly cold with heavy air-conditioning, I-eon picked up his drink and sat down. He checked his messages again. There were no new ones, maybe Do-jin was waiting for his reply.

Staring at the screen as if it were Do-jin’s face, he typed a short message.

[Not logging into Eden?]

Considering he’d been in the PC café for at least an hour, a fair amount of time had passed. But the reply came back quicker than I-eon could turn off his screen.

[Kwon Do-jin: You’re not there]

“……”

He’d gotten used to the sudden attention over the past few days, the constant messages, the flirting, but it still never felt normal.

How was he supposed to respond to that?

While he stared at the screen, eyes trembling slightly, someone plopped roughly into the seat across from him.

“Hot as hell.”

I-eon glanced up and weakly responded, “You’re here…”

Seong-hoon wiped sweat beading across his forehead and slumped down, every bit as wilted as I-eon. In this kind of summer heat, mid-August, the stamina of a twenty-something didn’t matter. He pressed his face against the cold table, mumbling something to himself, probably cursing the weather.

Snapped out of his spiraling thoughts, I-eon straightened up. Once Seong-hoon cooled down, he picked up the vibrating pager and fetched his drink. After gulping down his smoothie in one go, he finally looked alive again, and immediately started scolding I-eon.

“You rude bastard, I had to listen to your parents being insulted by the enemy team. Why’d you bail, huh?”

“You lost?”

“I fucking carried and won!”

“Then it’s fine…”

His half-hearted tone irritated Seong-hoon even more, but I-eon wasn’t in the state of mind to entertain him. While ignoring his friend’s grumbling and staring at his phone, trying to figure out what to reply, he felt Seong-hoon’s eyes studying him.

“You seriously have something going on? You didn’t even come to the PC café for months because of Eden, and now suddenly you’re outside?”

“……”

I-eon turned off his screen and looked him up and down. Despite his rough, punk-ish appearance, Seong-hoon wasn’t objectively unattractive. For a moment, I-eon wondered if maybe he was only now discovering something about his own preferences. But the more he thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. Just imagining having the same soft, sweet atmosphere with Seong-hoon the way he did with Kwon Do-jin, he felt like he’d throw up on the spot.

Not because they were friends, but because…

The more he thought, the more certain he felt. He wasn’t gay.

So why was he giving Kwon Do-jin some kind of emotional grace period?

His stomach twisted from the unpleasant line of thought. He washed it away with a sip of coffee and called out to his friend.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“What would you do if a guy said he liked you?”

His expression crumpled instantly. I-eon didn’t even need to hear the words, the answer was written all over his face.

“To me? I’d fucking hate it.”

“Yeah… probably.”

“Why are you even asking that? Did some dude confess to you?”

“……”

Yeah, he confessed. As I-eon shut his mouth, Kim Seong-hoon’s eyes and lips dropped open.

“What the… really? Who? Do I know him?”

“No.”

“Holy shit. Holy… but what’s with your face? Don’t tell me you didn’t reject him.”