OL Ch 12

Chapter 12

Mookyeong anticipated Hayun’s response and loudly kissed him on the lips as soon as he opened his mouth to speak. Startled, Hayun pulled away, forcing Mookyeong to retreat. He then took several deep breaths one after another.

Meanwhile, feeling awkward, Hayun feigned nonchalance but eventually couldn’t bear it any longer. He gently nudged Mookyeong’s fingers with his own, but quickly withdrew when he glanced at his hand. Mookyeong swiftly caught Hayun’s fleeing fingers, entwining their hands together. With a firm grip around his knuckles, he lifted them upward and intertwined their thumbs.

“Don’t allow anyone else what you wouldn’t let me have.”

“…..”

To emphasize his demand, Mookyeong shook their clasped hands, causing Hayun’s fingers to sway along.

“Answer me. This isn’t something I can overlook.”

“I know, I know. I promise.” He responded but hesitated to seal it with a thumbprint. What was this? It wasn’t about official seals; merely pressing their thumbs together felt too burdensome. After all, one couldn’t control matters of confession or love. Someone else could confess to Hayun today themself. If fate brought them together, wouldn’t Hayun momentarily forget Mookyeong and accept that person’s feelings?

Seeing Hayun lost in thought and unable to meet his eyes, Mookyeong sighed and took hold of Hayun’s hand. He forcefully pressed their thumbs together to seal the agreement.

“If you date someone else, just remember, I won’t let it go quietly.”

“You mean…?”

“The rival. Wherever they hit you, I’ll hit back twice as hard.”

“So if I date someone else, you’re going to beat them up?”

“…..”

Mookyeong silently stared at Hayun, his gaze conveying that it wouldn’t just be a simple beating if he broke his promise.

“What happens if I meet someone else while you’re in jail for beating me up?”

“If you’re curious, go ahead and try.”

Hayun grinned mischievously at Mookyeong. Initially taken aback, Mookyeong turned away but then glared back at him.

“I really mean it; don’t test me.”

As Hayun’s smile persisted, Mookyeong felt there might be more to it than meets the eye. He adjusted his position, pulling Hayun closer by gently placing his hands behind his knees and drawing them towards him. Sitting on his heels, he softly rubbed his pulled-in legs.

“You can be so annoying, Kim Hayun.”

Despite his words, his touch was tender. Though visibly frustrated yet unable to truly stay mad, loving him deeply yet struggling to express it openly. However, Hayun cherished this side of him.

“I really like you.”

“If only you could express it verbally; then I wouldn’t have to tease you so much.” Mookyeong reached out and gently caressed Hayun’s lips with his fingers. As Mookyeong’s thumb and index finger lightly pinched Hayun’s lower lip while his middle finger brushed against the upper lip, Hayun suddenly recalled Choi Seonghan’s words:

[Hey, what did you do to Baek Mookyeong that makes him run errands for you? Did you do something nice for him?]

Fueled by sudden anger, Hayun bit down on Mookyeong’s middle finger.

“Ow, oww!”

Mookyeong feigned pain despite it not being particularly intense. Hayun glared at the infuriating Mookyeong from head to toe.

“I’ll let this slide today.”

“But look at these bite marks…”

“That’s just a gentle nibble. Lately, whenever I leave you alone, you keep touching me.”

“Well, it’s because you always ignore me.”

“Huh?” Mookyeong chuckled softly as Hayun’s eyes flashed with irritation.

“I can’t help but touch you because I like you so much.”

As Hayun clenched his fists, ready to give Mookyeong’s arm another squeeze, the school bell signaling the end of class rang. Deflated, Hayun leaned against the wall and stretched languidly. Meanwhile, Mookyeong inserted a straw into a coffee milk carton and handed it to Hayun.

“Drink this while I clean up here. Don’t worry about me; I’ll just take a quick shower.”

Without waiting for a response, Mookyeong headed towards the narrow shower room located within the training facility.

The shower room was purposely made small to prevent any untoward incidents. For someone with Mookyeong’s build, all he could do was stand under the water. Hayun suddenly imagined Mookyeong standing beneath a small waterfall deep in a mountain valley, envisioning that he must look quite similar in the shower room.

However, perhaps he was the one who should have been drenched. He absentmindedly rubbed his flushed cheek and drank the coffee milk. The droplets of condensation on the milk carton fell onto his stomach and his front, leaving stains behind. Thankfully, he didn’t mind this time.

Still, Hayun decided not to stay alone with Mookyeong any longer. He cautiously stood up from his seat. To avoid making noise as the door opened, he chose another entrance. Upon stepping into the hallway, he felt the heat compared to the air-conditioned training room.

It was suffocating.

Hayun hurriedly made his way back to the classroom. As he descended the stairs, two students, presumably seniors, ascended above him. They were giggling uncontrollably, engrossed in their conversation. Suddenly, one of them, a girl with long hair, clutched her nose.

“Ah, I smell something burning.”

“A burnt smell? I don’t smell anything.”

The long-haired girl then clutched her throat and started coughing. Hayun had just turned the corner of the stairs but stopped on the lower steps out of sight. Strangely, the mention of a burnt smell resonated with his ears.

Hayun subtly glanced sideways through his glasses. An invisible door opened slightly before his eyes. Through it, he observed the long-haired third-year student.

‘Jeon Chiwoo.’ As soon as he silently uttered his name, a door plate labeled ‘Jeon Chiwoo’s Home’ appeared in front of him. A faint scent and tinkling sounds emanated from the narrow gap. Hayun blinked, then continued descending the stairs as if nothing happened.

It had been three days since news broke about the arrest of the Pinocchio gang involved in the serial kidnapping and murder case involving espers. However, Geppetto Kim Deukcheol remained at large. Despite deploying other espers to track him down, his whereabouts were still unknown.

When this news was reported, Baek Jinha and Seo Iju both clicked their tongues simultaneously. They knew which esper was deployed, so they found it puzzling that Kim Deukcheol’s location couldn’t be determined.

“It doesn’t make sense that he can evade detection like this.”

“Why not?”

“As long as he sets foot on this land, there’s no escaping Kim Seonjeong’s eyes.”

Hayun wasn’t familiar with Kim Seonjeong, but given that Seo Iju mentioned him, he must have been an exceptional esper.

“Do you think it’s because of when he was deployed? There should still be plenty of time left.”

In response to Baek Jinha’s question, Seo Iju shook her head.

“Even if Kim Seonjeong entered Korea after its establishment, there should at least be traces indicating his escape.”

“What if they’re keeping quiet due to embarrassment over losing track of him? It wouldn’t be unprecedented.”

“There’s no whispering behind the scenes, and we haven’t received any related intel either. If that were the case, it would be challenging for rumors to spread from our side to yours.”

Baek Jinha possessed exceptional physical abilities. His family had a long-standing martial tradition with their own unique martial arts lineage. By combining these inherited techniques with his innate prowess, Baek Jinha developed remarkable combat skills. Currently, he serves in a special forces unit dedicated to combating terrorist organizations.

As Baek Jinha awaited Seo Iju’s response, he rubbed her nose and crossed his legs, gently massaging his knee. Baek Jinha leaned back on the sofa, lifting his chin slightly. Observing them briefly, Hayun turned his attention back to the news broadcast. The couple was exchanging signals, indicating that their conversation couldn’t be taken at face value. While Hayun had witnessed such exchanges before, he could only decipher the ones related to bedtime matters.

Of course, he wasn’t keen on decoding their secret codes, but it became evident when security measures intensified around the house, particularly with a mischievous sign added to the door leading to their bedroom.

However, what was clear was their curiosity about Kim Deukcheol’s escape. On that night, as Hayun entered his room feeling puzzled, Mookyeong naturally rested his head on Hayun’s thigh and asked:

“Why are you curious about that?”

Three days ago, with the revelation of Pinocchio’s existence, students predicted their fate concerning reduced school hours. It was a kidnapping-murder case, but one suspect had already been apprehended, leaving only Kim Deukcheol as the remaining ringleader. Even if Kim Deukcheol surfaced, he was currently on the run.

Focusing on his escape, there was concern for potential harm to civilian witnesses, but it was unlikely he would target underage espers under surveillance protection. In fact, people were relieved when no further crimes occurred after their organization was exposed.

The belief was that only the city where they were discovered remained at risk, while Seoul, the capital, would be safe. Thus, the crucial question now revolved around whether these blissfully shortened school hours would continue until Kim Deukcheol’s capture or end abruptly from tomorrow onwards.

As everyone focused their attention during homeroom time, the teacher did not mention anything about reduced school hours. Unable to bear it any longer, one student bravely asked, and the response was that no official guidelines had been received from the government yet.

The situation remained unresolved. Security measures were slightly relaxed, but the commuting instructions remained strictly enforced as before. Hayun believed this would continue until Kim Deukcheol’s capture.

Adding fuel to his belief, one student from Hayun’s class didn’t attend school today. Rumors suggested family issues, but given the current climate, suspicions arose. The provisional conclusion was a simple runaway case, although nothing was certain yet.

“Aren’t you curious at all?”

“Not one bit.”

He really didn’t seem interested.

“Do you know that someone from our class wasn’t present today? You don’t even know their name?”

“Why should I care?”

“It might be related to this incident.”

“Do you know Kim Heewon?”

“Nope? Heard it today.”

As they were classmates, Hayun couldn’t fail to recognize his face. However, he only learned today that the kid’s name was Kim Heewon. Despite this, for some reason, the name ‘Kim Heewon’ didn’t feel unfamiliar. It could be because, being in the same class, he had unconsciously picked up on others mentioning the name before.

“Is the wanted Kim Deukcheol suspected of kidnapping Kim Heewon?”

“It is possible.”

“Kim Heewon…”

Mookyeong muttered Heewon’s name. Just like Hayun, he felt unfamiliar with the name Kim Heewon. Mookyeong narrowed his eyes as he thought, then seemed to remember something and spoke:

“Do you know Heewon?”

Mookyeong returned the question posed by Hayun. It strangely felt like betrayal when Mookyeong, who constantly told Hayun to focus on himself and not worry about others, now mentioned knowing someone else. Yet this wasn’t the time for such feelings.

“Not really knowing him, but I remember noticing him because he annoyed me a bit.”

“Huh?” Contrary to Hayun’s betrayed feeling, Mookyeong responded somewhat coldly.

“That bastard kept staring at you all the time. How dare he.”