Fatigue suddenly washed over Jung Bin’s face. He clearly had much to say but carefully chose the most moderate response he could find.
“A secret rendezvous? You’re going to give people the wrong idea.”
“If it’s not a rendezvous, then what?”
The hand around Uijae’s shoulder tightened slightly.
“What could two people possibly be doing alone this late at night….”
“……”
“Oh, wait, were you talking behind my back?”
From experience, Uijae knew exactly where this was heading. If left unchecked, Lee Sayoung would surely turn this situation upside down. No, he still had things to ask Jung Bin! Uijae hurriedly grabbed Sayoung’s hand, which was still draped over his shoulder. The black-gloved fingers flinched slightly. Struggling to maintain composure, Uijae forced out Sayoung’s na.
“Lee… Sayoung?”
‘Shit.’
His voice ca out more strained than expected. Uijae bit his tongue. Realizing that this playful and carefree person was the sa boy he had once known, the one who had kept their selfish promise through life and death, made it hard for him to act naturally. All the experiences Uijae had accumulated seed useless in front of Lee Sayoung.
However, as soon as Sayoung heard his na, he shifted his posture as if he had been waiting for it. With a cat-like smile, he tilted his head slightly.
“Hmm… why?”
When Uijae remained silent, the gloved fingers on his shoulder tapped playfully.
“If you call , you should say sothing, J.”
“I reached out first because I had questions. So stop talking nonsense—actually.”
Uijae had intended to respond sharply, but the image of a young, bandaged Sayoung lying helplessly flashed in his mind, causing him to trail off awkwardly. Instead, he adjusted his mask, which had been slightly nudged out of place by Sayoung’s fingers.
“Ohhh…”
Sayoung dragged the word out with a soft chuckle.
“Is there sothing you can’t ask ?”
Uijae had a lot to say to that. After all, every ti he had tried to ask Sayoung sothing, Sayoung had dodged the questions like a slippery eel. Uijae gripped Sayoung’s fingers tightly.
“You, damn it, never answer anything anyway. Do you think I don’t notice how you always change the subject?”
“That’s because it’s none of your business. And do you really think Jung Bin will give you better answers? He’s even better at dodging questions than I am.”
“He’s been pretty straightforward with so far. We used to be close. There was a sense of camaraderie, right?”
“Uh… yes, that’s right. We were comrades, after all.”
Jung Bin, who had been quietly observing their conversation, suddenly responded, flustered. Sayoung’s voice took on a nacing tone.
“Oh… is that so?”
Hurriedly, Jung Bin shifted the conversation.
“By the way, Lee Sayoung, you arrived much sooner than expected. Were you nearby?”
“……”
Instead of answering, Sayoung narrowed his eyes, wearing an expression that clearly said, *Do you really think I’d fall for that cheap trick?* At that mont, Uijae chid in.
“I was wondering the sa thing.”
“……”
“Are you going to dodge this question too?”
“……No.”
Finally responding, Sayoung jerked his head toward the entrance of the playground. A now-familiar wooden door was visible in the distance. Uijae hadn’t noticed it before, likely due to Sayoung’s overwhelming presence.
The owner of the door, Romance Opener, was sprawled across the seesaw like a soaked rag. Every now and then, his fingers twitched, perhaps signaling that he was still alive. Beside him, a creepy *creak, creak* sound echoed through the air.
“……”
The sound ca from a rusty pig-shaped spring rider, bouncing slightly under the weight of its rider. A pair of sunglasses glead in the flickering streetlight.
Perched on the tiny spring rider, balancing precariously, was the diminutive Minggijeok, bowing slightly.
“Hello, custor.”
“……”
“Hmm, it seems the spring is rusted. I’ll need to remove the rust and apply so lubricant. The streetlight also seems to be flickering. Not an ideal environnt for the future of our nation’s children.”
Minggijeok hopped off the spring rider and, after donning nitrile gloves, turned on his phone’s flashlight to inspect the spring. The spring rider moved diligently with a loud *creak, creak*.
Uijae looked down at his feet in disbelief. Sayoung’s shadow overlapped with his, but it remained still. Normally, a shadow didn’t move on its own, but whenever Minggijeok was inside, it seed to shift independently. Jung Bin murmured quietly,
“I knew he was in the shadows, but I didn’t expect you to bring everyone along.”
Both Jung Bin and Uijae had noticed, but they pretended not to. Minggijeok responded earnestly.
“I was just observing. The Guild Master is the one who dragged everyone here.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Sayoung chid in with his usual nonchalant tone.
“When I heard J and Jung Bin were having a secret eting without … and that they were talking about .”
*So he knew everything and was just playing dumb.*
“I couldn’t help but co along. In the middle of the night.”
Sayoung emphasized *in the middle of the night*. Uijae glanced sympathetically at the lifeless Romance Opener, who was still sprawled across the seesaw. The playground wasn’t far from the Wave Guild’s building—close enough for any normal person to walk here. But Sayoung had knocked soone out just to get here quickly.
‘What a waste of manpower….’
“Ugh.”
At that mont, Romance Opener groaned weakly before slumping even further. The wooden door he had created vanished with a soft *whoosh*. Amidst the eerie creaking of the rusty spring, Sayoung rested his head on Uijae’s, letting his hair brush against Uijae’s cheek. His voice dropped to a low whisper.
“So… did you hear everything you wanted?”
“……”
Uijae remained silent. Sayoung didn’t seem to expect an answer, turning his attention instead to Jung Bin.
“And you.”
“Yes, Lee Sayoung?”
“When I Awakened, wasn’t that supposed to be classified information? Since when did you start running your mouth so freely?”
“It’s still classified. But I decided it was appropriate to tell J.”
Jung Bin, standing tall, didn’t avoid Sayoung’s gaze, eting it head-on. His voice was gentle but firm as he said,
“I’m in a position where I can make such decisions.”
“……”
Sayoung tilted his head to the side in a show of defiance. Jung Bin smiled softly, watching both Uijae and Sayoung closely. His long, narrow eyes curved in a pleasant arc.
“Judging by how close you two seem, it appears I wasn’t wrong. You look quite intimate. I’m not sure when or where you t or how you beca close.”
“……”
Sayoung’s grip on Uijae’s shoulder tightened. Jung Bin continued, his tone relaxed.
“Well, I’m sure there’s sothing between you two that I don’t know about, just as there are plenty of secrets you’ve kept from J.”
“That’s enough.”
Sayoung growled lowly, cutting him off. Jung Bin shrugged.
“In my experience, keeping too many secrets doesn’t do much good. I recomnd opening up a bit.”
“Just leave already.”
“I was planning to. I assu all your questions are answered by now.”
*Buzz….* A long vibration interrupted them. Jung Bin took out his phone, glanced at the screen, and sighed softly.
“…You’ve created more work for , Lee Sayoung.”
Sayoung responded coldly.
“You’re a civil servant. It’s your job to work hard.”
“I was planning to handle this anyway… should I thank you?”
After a brief sigh, Jung Bin looked up and t Uijae’s eyes. Sayoung stepped forward, positioning himself between the two, as if shielding Uijae. Jung Bin chuckled bitterly but kept his voice kind as he addressed Uijae.
“J.”
“……”
“I’m truly glad that you’re back.”
“……”
“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’ll do everything I can to help.”
In that mont, their relationship shifted—from past comrades to current allies. Uijae opened his mouth to respond, but Sayoung cut him off coldly.
“That’s enough. Leave.”
“Yes, yes. I should get to the work you’ve created for , after all.”
Jung Bin politely bowed before saying his goodbyes to the unconscious Romance Opener and the still-busy Minggijeok, who was diligently repairing the spring rider. As he left the playground, his retreating figure seed much stronger and more resolute than the tired one Uijae rembered.
After Jung Bin had completely disappeared, Sayoung spoke with a sullen expression.
“You…”
“Hm?”
“You like a lot more than I thought.”
“What?”
Uijae blinked, confused, as Sayoung smirked and reached up to touch the edge of Uijae’s black mask.
“I didn’t expect you to call Jung Bin so quickly….”
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