TNAAS Ch 20

Episode 20

“No, my mom told me not to follow strangers.”

He instinctively refused. Working for the Ivant Guild certainly came with excellent conditions, but judging from the state of the office staff and the guild members he had seen during subjugation raids, this man was definitely not a good boss.

Even if he had to beg Helleo to be sent back, Yeonwoo had no intention of returning to that hell. He had suffered so severely that he was left traumatized in the real world, and he shook his head vehemently in disgust.

“Hmm, didn’t you say you’d do anything?”

“Well, yes, but I’ve never really had a proper job before. I’m really good at other things, though.”

“I remember you wrote that you’re 26 years old on your mercenary registration form. So, you’ve never worked in that world either?”

Faced with Rai’s genuinely curious expression, Yeonwoo hesitated to answer and eventually averted his gaze. He couldn’t say it. He knew it was shameless to keep secrets when he was the one asking for favors, but this was a wound he would take to his grave, a secret too deep to share with anyone.

When Yeonwoo clamped his lips shut and turned his head away, Rai didn’t press further. Instead, he handed the documents to Yeonwoo.

“I’m not asking you to decide right now. Take your time to think about it. And if it’s because of my employees’ expressions, you don’t need to worry about that.”

Yeonwoo, who had his reasons for being concerned, gave a small shrug. Rai, who had been quietly watching Yeonwoo’s every move, smiled softly and took his hand firmly in his own.  

“As I said earlier, you’re a valuable talent, Yeonwoo. I have no intention of giving harsh orders to the last remaining Spirit Master in this world. It would be a disaster if you ran away.”

His calm, coaxing tone was like that of someone soothing a child, and Yeonwoo’s heart softened a little. He quietly lifted his head and met Rai’s eyes. He wanted to read the emotions of this man whose thoughts were always impossible to discern.

He knew Rai wasn’t one to speak empty words, yet he wanted to know what was truly behind them. Was he simply trying to comfort him, or did he genuinely need him and was speaking from sincerity?

He found out soon enough; it was impossible not to. The red eyes staring straight at Yeonwoo had turned crimson, burning like a fervent flame, so bright and fierce that they seemed untouchable.

Without realizing it, Yeonwoo raised a hand and brushed the corner of Rai’s eye. His lashes curved gently under the touch, beautiful in their subtlety. Mesmerized, Yeonwoo’s lips parted slightly.

“Even if I’m a Spirit Master, why are you trying so hard to persuade me? You could just lock me up like Helleo did and use me whenever you need.”

It wasn’t sincere. Though it had only been a few days since they met, somehow the thought of hearing such words from Rai made something stir deep inside his chest.

“If I lock you up, I’ll be the only one who can see you. But a bird that loses its freedom slowly withers away and dies. I’d rather not have one at all than see that happen.”

Rai took Yeonwoo’s hand, still lingering near his face, and lowered it gently. He then stroked the back of Yeonwoo’s hand before pressing his lips against it, his movements slow and deliberate. The gesture felt strangely sensual, and Yeonwoo’s face flushed red.

“Th-then… I’ll think about it a little more. I’m just not ready yet…”

“As you wish.”

Rai, his lips still pressed against the back of Yeonwoo’s hand, looked at him with eyes brimming with desire. Slowly, he lifted his lips away and moved toward him. His movements were unhurried yet deliberate, drawing ever closer to a single point. Yeonwoo’s heart pounded so fiercely it felt as if it might burst out of his chest, and he stopped breathing altogether, unable to tear his eyes away from Rai.

Rai halted at a distance where the slightest movement would make their lips touch. He met Yeonwoo’s eyes and paused for a brief moment.

Just as Yeonwoo, who had been somewhat expectant, gazed longingly into Rai’s crimson eyes when he suddenly stopped moving.

Black mana began to flow from Rai’s eyes and seep into Yeonwoo’s.

Yeonwoo, caught off guard and unable to react, was startled by what was happening. Soon after, his consciousness began to fade.

“Wha…”

He couldn’t finish the sentence. It was as if a deep drowsiness dragged his mind into the abyss, and he fell asleep in an instant.

After confirming that Yeonwoo had fallen asleep, Rai gently lay him down on the sofa and whispered softly in his ear.

“Not yet, Yeonwoo.”

* * *

Chirp, chirp—

Chirp—

The sound of birds chattering announced the morning. Yeonwoo stirred slightly, then suddenly opened his eyes at the soft, warm feeling surrounding him. He sat up and looked around.

“Where…”

It was Rai’s room, the same one he had entered last night while being held in Rai’s arms. Yet, though he clearly remembered falling asleep on the sofa, he now found himself sitting alone on a spacious bed.

As he tried to make sense of the situation, Yeonwoo suddenly buried his face into the fluffy blanket.

“I’m insane. Completely crazy. I’ve lost it so badly my sanity must’ve run away.”

As memories of last night resurfaced one by one, Yeonwoo squirmed in embarrassment. The way he had acted yesterday was bold—so bold that he would never live it down if anyone ever found out.

He had touched someone else’s face without hesitation and even expected a kiss. Things that the usual Yeonwoo would never have done. Then, as if struck by a thought, he lifted his head and frowned.

“But why did he stop? And why did he put me to sleep? People hate that kind of thing!”

He had no idea which “people” he was talking about, but Yeonwoo vented his frustration by repeatedly smacking the blanket. Flustered and mortified by his own overexcitement, he alternated between embarrassment at his own behavior and anger at Rai for putting him to sleep. His emotions were in complete chaos from the moment he woke up.

After fussing over it by himself for a while, Yeonwoo hurriedly climbed out of bed, afraid he might run into Rai, the last person he wanted to see right now. Before leaving the room, he glanced down at his clothes and let out a sigh.

“Nothing happened. Really.”

Feeling both relieved and disappointed, Yeonwoo stepped out of Rai’s room and reached the entrance, where he noticed a note stuck to the door.

「 Calm down and don’t be angry. Change into the clothes on the sofa and come to the examination room on the second floor. We need to talk. 」

Ha, this is ridiculous. Knowing full well he’d get angry, Rai had still let the previous night pass without saying anything, and that alone made Yeonwoo furious all over again. Then, at the mention of “clothes,” he turned his head and saw neatly folded garments on the sofa: a simple green knit sweater and beige cotton pants.  

He might resent the man who had left them, but the clothes themselves had done nothing wrong. With that little bit of self-justification, Yeonwoo slowly turned around and began changing into the outfit that had been prepared for him.

* * *

Still wearing a sulky expression, Yeonwoo arrived on the second floor and stepped out of the elevator. Having been there once before, he found the examination room without difficulty and strode toward it.

He reached the door and, deliberately showing how upset he still was, flung it open. Rai was seated leisurely on a sofa that had not been there before.

Feeling even more annoyed, Yeonwoo walked into the room, slammed the door so it made a loud sound, and flopped arrogantly onto the sofa opposite Rai.

“What do you need?”

Rai, who should have noticed Yeonwoo’s mood, showed no particular reaction. He picked up the coffee cup on the table, took a sip, and then answered.

“It’s nothing major. It’s about my brother, Helleo.”

“Oh, that.”

Yeonwoo replied indifferently and crossed his legs. If subtlety did not work, he would have to be more defiant.

“What do you plan to do? Your brother has his eyes blazing, ready to kill you. Are you just going to sit back and watch?”

“I won’t just watch, but for now, I’ll observe how far he goes while I slowly regain my strength.”

Leaning back leisurely against the sofa, Rai rested his hands on his stomach and looked completely at ease. While Yeonwoo was struggling with all his might, Rai behaved as if nothing were wrong.  

Gritting his teeth, Yeonwoo forced a polite smile that looked like it might twitch into a grimace and said sarcastically, “Are you not worried that he could kill you as early as tomorrow?”

“I’m fine. As long as he cannot take you, he cannot kill me.”

Gritting his teeth, he thought, Isn’t he being a bit too laid-back? Yeonwoo could not understand why Rai was so confident that he wouldn’t take Helleo’s side. For a moment, Yeonwoo considered changing tactics, then chose to launch a wide-area taunt.

“Why do you think I would not go?”

“Would you go?”

“You never know. Ordinary people like me tend to side with the stronger party because it improves their chances of survival.”

He was essentially provoking Rai by implying he might side with Helleo since Rai seemed weaker. Whether the provocation worked or not, Rai remained slouched on the sofa.

Yeonwoo, who had never properly rebelled in his life, ran out of countermoves and gave up. What could he possibly do to crack someone so impenetrable?

He let out a sigh, loosened his crossed legs, and relaxed. The moment Yeonwoo’s tension eased, Rai straightened, handed over a document and a card, and said, “I have the black card you wanted and a clue to capture Helleo. Even so, will you go?”

He was nothing if not a meticulous person. When Yeonwoo came at him with all he had, Rai ignored him; when Yeonwoo yielded, Rai offered a treat. The man’s behavior was practically like a zookeeper managing a trained animal. Clicking his tongue in exasperation, Yeonwoo, who no longer had the strength to keep pushing, obediently picked up the papers Rai handed him and began to read through them.  

They listed locations where Rai’s fragments were presumed to be scattered. Yeonwoo’s eyes widened, and he looked up at Rai, who sat with his legs crossed and an air of arrogance.

“What does this mean? I never said I was joining the guild.”

“You need my power, and I cannot afford to lose you. If you do not want to join the guild, then we have no choice but to form an alliance for the time being, don’t you think?”