PV Ch.18 Part 2

“Lee Bomin, looking good.” 

Bomin’s eyes fluttered open. He turned his head towards the voice. 

“I was worried sick about you too, you know… even if I’m not as dramatic as—”

“I’m hungry.”

Bomin, ignoring him, grabbed Song Jaeho’s hand, shaking it insistently. Han Biseong’s eyes narrowed at being so blatantly ignored. 

“The stew’s gotten cold. I’ll reheat it, Bomin-ssi.”

“It’s okay.”

At the mention of food, Song Jaeho finally released Bomin. He followed Bomin to the dining table, his eyes never leaving him. 

Bomin ignored his clinginess, sitting down. 

“Am I being ignored right now?” 

“Hmm… Is this about what happened before?”

Han Biseong had never been ignored like this. He gaped at Bomin, his voice laced with disbelief. Yoon Bisam, passing him, leaned down towards Bomin. 

“Lee Bomin, at least acknowledge our presence.”

“Who are you? I don’t believe we’ve met…” 

Bomin met Yoon Bisam’s smile with a blank stare. 

“I see you’re still upset about what happened.” 

“What happened? You can’t seriously be ignoring us like this.”

Han Biseong, approaching Bomin, chimed in, his usual aloofness replaced by a whiny tone. 

“Let’s eat first, Yu-hyeon-ssi. I’ll pay for their meals.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve already got it covered.”

The ‘guests’ Bomin was referring to were Song Jaeho and Won Seongwoo. 

Won Seongwoo, who had been observing them silently, took a seat at the table.

“If you need anything from me, please wait in the living room. I’d like to eat.” 

Bomin, his eyes narrowed, addressed Han Biseong and Yoon Bisam. 

Shi Yu-hyeon had put a lot of effort into preparing this meal. Even the stew had gotten cold. 

He might have been acting normal, but he was feeling anything but. And a good meal was the best way to deal with stress. 

“You…!”

“Fine. Come out after you’re done eating. We’ll be waiting.” 

Yoon Bisam, seeing that Han Biseong was about to explode, pulled him away. Arguing with Bomin wouldn’t solve anything. 

“Here’s some water, Bomin-ah.”

“Thank you.”

Kim Seohun handed him a glass of water as Bomin took a large bite of rice. Bomin took the glass, emptying it in one gulp.

“It’s good to see you eating.”

Song Jaeho, who had no intention of eating, had turned his chair, his arm resting on the back as he watched Bomin eat.

“The stew is delicious, Yu-hyeon-ssi.” 

“Really? I’m glad you like it.” 

Song Jaeho’s brow furrowed as he watched them. 

“Yu-hyeon-ssi?”

Bomin’s formal tone was jarring. He usually spoke informally to everyone, regardless of age. 

And the way he was looking at Shi Yu-hyeon… it was… soft. 

“What’s with the sudden formality? Are you trying to be polite because you’re uncomfortable around him?”

Song Jaeho reached out, his hand gently stroking Bomin’s hair. 

His gaze, as it flickered towards Shi Yu-hyeon, was sharp. Shi Yu-hyeon, however, remained unfazed. His smile didn’t waver. 

He placed a piece of egg roll onto Bomin’s plate. 

“We’re still getting to know each other. Isn’t that right, Bomin-ssi?”

Bomin, chewing on the egg roll, looked back and forth between them, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

“It’s… cold in here… Did someone turn on the air conditioner?”

The temperature in the room seemed to have dropped. Kim Seohun shivered, pushing his food around his plate. 

“Yes, the egg roll is delicious.”

“Have as much as you like.” 

Shi Yu-hyeon’s smile widened, his expression as captivating as those in the original novel. 

Bomin glanced at Song Jaeho. But his expression was cold.

Shi Yu-hyeon was more than meets the eye.

His gaze, though not directed at him, was enough to make Kim Seohun pale.

But Shi Yu-hyeon remained composed, his smile unwavering as he continued to place food onto Bomin’s plate. 

Bomin was intrigued. 

He took another bite of rice, his cheeks flushed. The food was delicious, but the tension in the room was even more satisfying.

“Seohun-ah, chew your food properly. You’ll get indigestion.” 

“Okay…”

He even had the energy to worry about Kim Seohun. For now, at least, he could forget about everything else and enjoy the moment. 

* * *

“Was I really that wrong?”

Han Biseong slammed his empty coffee cup on the table, having practically inhaled the drink Shi Yu-hyeon had made for him. 

“I can’t help you if you don’t understand.” 

“Why are you using formal language…!”

Bomin’s eyes widened as he sipped his iced Americano. His exaggerated expression held a hint of pity for Han Biseong. 

“I’m sorry. It was wrong of me to do that without your consent.”

“Hmph…”

Unlike Han Biseong, who was blushing and fidgeting, Yoon Bisam apologized calmly. 

Bomin’s eyes gleamed with interest. Yoon Bisam, just like Han Biseong, had a strong sense of pride. He was manipulative, always in control, even during sex. 

It was surprising to hear a genuine apology from him.

“Can you promise me it won’t happen again?”

“Yes.”

Yoon Bisam’s reply was sincere. Bomin nodded, offering him his hand. 

“Are we good now?”

“Yes.” 

“You know… hearing you use formal language wasn’t so bad.”

A satisfied smile played on Yoon Bisam’s lips as he stroked Bomin’s hair. He glanced at Han Biseong, who was glaring at him, and smirked. 

Han Biseong’s childish pride was amusing. He was the oldest of the group, and yet he acted like a teenager.

“…I’ve applied for an exclusive guide contract.”

“He’s been quietly doing all the right things.” 

“When did you even do that?”

Won Seongwoo’s sudden announcement surprised both Yoon Bisam and Song Jaeho. Han Biseong, ignoring them, continued chewing on his ice.

“I hope you’ll accept.”

His silver-gray eyes turned towards Bomin. Won Seongwoo, usually sleepy, was now wide awake, his gaze fixated on Bomin.

“Okay.”

“…I’ll… go do that now.”

Song Jaeho, at Bomin’s easy acceptance, abruptly stood up, followed by Yoon Bisam. 

“So, you’re not going to guide anyone who doesn’t have an exclusive contract with you?” 

“No.”

“Haa… I’ll be back.” 

Han Biseong, frowning, left as well. Bomin stirred his watered-down coffee with a straw.

Shi Yu-hyeon took the empty seat beside him. His blue eyes were dark, his expression unreadable.

“You’re quite popular, Bomin-ssi.”

“Do I seem that way?”

“Yes.” 

Shi Yu-hyeon’s chest felt tight. He forced a smile, but his eyes betrayed his true feelings. 

“I have a plan… I want to build a huge mansion and live there with everyone.” 

“Will there be room for me?” 

“Of course. Seohun will be my first tenant, and you’ll be my second.”

“Thank you.”

Bomin raised his chin playfully. Shi Yu-hyeon smiled, this time a genuine one. 

He kissed Bomin’s cheek, his hand warming Bomin’s, which was cold from holding the iced coffee.

“…Can I move in too?”

Won Seongwoo, who had been lounging on the sofa, sat up. His voice, though soft, was deep and resonant.

“You too?”

“…Yes.”

His ears were red. He seemed embarrassed to be asking, but his gaze was fixed on Bomin.

Bomin wouldn’t refuse. There were so many things he hadn’t done with Won Seongwoo yet.

He hadn’t tried it while Won Seongwoo was in his beast form, or in his full wolf form. He remembered looking up images of wolf dicks once. 

“Sure. You’ll be my third tenant. You can choose your room in order.” 

“I can’t wait for the mansion.”

Kim Seohun, now with first dibs on choosing a room, nuzzled his cheek against Bomin’s chest. A determined glint flashed in Bomin’s eyes.

* * * 

“What do you mean Lee Bomin is missing?!” 

Song Jaeho grabbed Shi Yu-hyeon by the collar. Shi Yu-hyeon remained calm, his mind replaying Bomin’s recent actions and words. He had been fine just last night, smiling sweetly as he wished him goodnight. 

And now… he is gone. 

“Are you telling me you didn’t notice him disappearing?!”

“Song Jaeho, let him go. It seems like he left intentionally.”

“Why would he voluntarily disappear knowing that Non-K is after him?!”

Song Jaeho was enraged, his powers causing the furniture in the room to tremble. Yoon Bisam, who had been trying to calm him down, suddenly realized something. 

“Now that I think about it… The Non-K leader was definitely acting as if he knew something about Bomin.” 

“That night… It was strange. The shadow Esper took Bomin-ssi, then just left him on the rooftop.”

Yoon Bisam, listening to them, clenched his jaw. 

“We should have killed him when we had the chance.”

He had considered Non-K a necessary evil, a constant reminder of the need for heroes.

And the Espers within the Association weren’t all saints. 

There were protests outside the Association headquarters every now and then, people demanding justice for the wrongs inflicted upon them by Espers. The government and the citizens needed them, so they turned a blind eye to their misdeeds.

“Where’s Han Biseong?”

Song Jaeho looked around for Han Biseong, who was nowhere to be found. He might have been immature at times, but he was the first to awaken as an S-rank, and he had connections. 

Just then, Han Biseong walked into the room.

“Where else would I be? I was with the Association President.”

“Is the Association going to help?”

“To a certain extent. I just finished reviewing all the CCTV footage within the Association. Lee Bomin left on his own accord. And then, somehow, he managed to disable the cameras and escape the Association grounds.” 

“What the hell is going on… ”

Song Jaeho ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen through Bomin’s facade. 

“It seems like he had help. There’s no way I wouldn’t have sensed him leaving otherwise.” 

Shi Yu-hyeon’s senses were heightened after his awakening. 

He remembered the tea Bomin had given him last night. He had finished it all, enjoying the floral aroma. 

And then he fell into a deep sleep. S-rank Espers were resistant to most poisons. 

The fact that it had affected him meant it was likely a powerful sedative, something designed for S-rank Espers, something that wasn’t readily available.

“Bomin… He’ll be alright, right?”

Kim Seohun, tears welling up in his eyes, looked around the room, his voice trembling. He wished he hadn’t listened to Bomin when he said he wanted to sleep alone. 

“He has to be.”

Song Jaeho’s hand tightened around the armrest, crushing it.