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It was exactly the same spot where Yoojin had used the drawer. That is, a spot slightly suspended in the air. It wasn't too high. Since he was prepared, he landed lightly on the floor. At the same time, he turned off my Curse Resistance. His socks, still soaking wet, were now covered in flower petals. White, pink, yellow, light purple, and various other colors—they were scattered all over.
Not whole flowers, just petals.
He swallowed back the words, 'I'm sorry for being late. Did you wait long?'
The hall was just as dark as it had been before he entered the drawer. But something about the atmosphere was strangely different. He blinked slowly to get a better view of his surroundings.
Sung Hyunjae was sitting in a chair, leaning back against it. Flower petals were scattered all over his body, and beneath his long, stretched-out legs lay piles of bright green stems stripped bare of all their petals.
It looked like a graveyard of bones. That thought suddenly crossed his mind. The soft, vibrant petals were dispersed in all directions, with only the long stems overlapping here and there. He must have gathered all the flowers that had been decorating the room, as there were more than enough to bury the chair's legs.
"You… must have been very bored." he said slowly.
If Hyunjae had burned the flowers or smashed the table, that would have been less surprising. Even if the entire hotel had been blown away, revealing the blue sky, Yoojin might have just rubbed his forehead. Someone suddenly disappearing without a word was more than enough reason to get angry. Maybe even to break some of the surroundings in frustration. But this… this felt like a calm, quiet madness, which felt unsettling. Something Yoojin couldn't really think of how to get around.
He swallowed dryly.
After a brief silence, Sung Hyunjae spoke.
"1 hour, 29 minutes, and 51 seconds have passed since Han Yoojin-gun disappeared. And now, precisely an hour and a half."
Click . The cover of the pocket watch in Sung Hyunjae's hand snapped shut. For some reason it sounded menacingly calm.
He was sitting slightly outside the hall's illuminated area, so Yoojin couldn't see his expression clearly. There was a deep shadow over his face. His voice clearly indicated he wasn't very pleased.
"Out of sheer boredom, I decided to try flower divination. Fortunately, there were plenty of flowers." He added in a lighter tone, but it didn't sound very ‘light’ to Yoojin's ears.
He must have sat there, picking the petals one by one. His chains must have quietly wrapped around the piles of flowers and stacked them at his feet, Yoojin thought. It would have been better if he'd just destroyed everything. Without fear resistance, he’d probably have goosebumps by now.
"I didn't mean to be late, but an hour and a half isn't that long, is it? And we were playing tag, so you must have guessed that I was hiding on purpose." Yoojin said dryly, gulping down the stuck feeling in his throat.
He didn't think Hyunjae would have been worried. When he first disappeared, Hyunjae must have been surprised, but also found it amusing. But as time dragged on, he must have gotten a bit annoyed.
"Of course."
Sung Hyunjae crossed one leg over the other and continued.
"I figured you'd gained something new that I wasn't aware of. But the human mind… this brain." He lightly touched his temple with his fingertips. "It likes to imagine things. What if, maybe, perhaps, surely not… and so on. I was once human, after all, so it wasn't an entirely pleasant time."
…
Yoojin didn't really know how answer to that. So Hyunjae was worried for him?
"I… apologize for that."
"I believe I've told you before—I'm neither accustomed to nor fond of having anything taken from me."
"But it's not even yours." Yoojin said.
"Not just objects, but people and relationships can be taken as well. Didn't you once mistakenly think you'd lost your position as your little brother's guardian?" Hyunjae replied.
People.. And relationships, huh?
"…That wasn't a misunderstanding. I did lose it."
"Well. From my perspective, you never lost it once." His eyes were the same pale color as always, but the corners of his mouth lifted faintly. "And waiting, as it turns out, really doesn't suit my temperament."
Waiting, knowing nothing, unable to do anything—that was something Hyunjae really didn't like. Although Sung Hyunjae's voice was still relatively light, Yoojin had a feeling that he was more displeased than he'd ever been before.
"I've spent years like that. But no matter how much time passes, I've never gotten used to it. It's always infuriating." Hyunjae added quietly.
Yoojin had just assumed that Hyunjae hated waiting a long time. But, thinking about it that way made him feel even more guilt. In any case, they are supposed to be partners now, it wouldn't do to just suddenly go missing…
Anyway, he had won, right? But the atmosphere didn't seem right to say that yet.
Oh, fuck it. Yoojin thought. He walked towards Sung Hyunjae. Hyunjae only looked up at him when he was one hand away from him. Hyunjae's golden eyes shone even in the shadow. Neither his annoyingly handsome face, nor his eyes had a glimpse of joking. They were serious.
Yoojin also looked serious and stared back right into those golden eyes and stepped closer to see Hyunjae's face better. His shadow also fell on Hyunjae. There was only a few inches between them.
“You are wet.” Hyunjae noted.
“Well, I fell into water.”
“Oh my, in this cold weather?”
“It was quite warm back there.” Yoojin said as his right hand touched Hyunjae's face.
“Oh”
What was he doing? He doesn't really know. But he did what he felt like doing.
Sung Hyunjae's expression changed slightly, in a very incomprehensible way.
“Don’t give me that look, Hyunjae-ssi.”
“What look?”
Hyunjae's eyes were on lower level but somehow it felt like this man was still looking down at him.
Yoojin lifted Hyunjae's face up with his fingers as he leaned his other hand against the chairs hand rest.
“I won.”
“I see.”
“I didn’t mean make you wait like this.” He said after a brief silence.
“Ok.”
Yoojin’s eyes thinned.
“Ok? Are you not going to say anything else?”
“…”
“Are you mad?”
“I don’t like being in the dark.”
With his personality… yes he wouldn’t like waiting, not knowing anything. This man once placed his arm and eye just to get information and not be ignorant about what's going on. Of course…
“Well, you could’ve turned on some lights.” Yoojin said glancing around the dark hall.
Their eyes met once again. Yoojin would've preferred Hyunjae laughed. Or at least smiled, or even grinned menacingly like he usually does. But he didn't. He just stared right into Yoojin's soul. He was really serious.
“I get that. You can be mad. But I didn’t intentionally leave you in the dark.” Yoojin said after some moments… “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t like it.” Hyunjae mumbled.
“You know I would’ve found a way to send to you if there was any trouble.”
Hyunjae sighed lightly. “Yes.”
But, the human brain's ‘but, maybe, perhaps' bothered you? Yoojin thought. He understood that feeling. No matter how strong a person is, sometimes you can not stop worrying. After all, he himself tried to stop Yoohyun, an s-class from going inside dungeons. He is a mere f-class in comparison. Being worried is pretty normal. Though it didn't really suit Sung Hyunjae.
“Hyunjae-ssi”
Hyunjae again looked up at him again.
“Are you done being mad?” Yoojin asked.
Hyunjae's head tilted, “Perhap… no.”
“Huh?” Yoojin looked displeased, “What do you expect me to do? Kiss you a sorry?”
“Well… perhaps yes?” Hyunjae's lips faintly curved.
“You are insufferable .” Yoojin said as a grin spread in Hyunjae's lips.
“If you are done being childish then get some work done.” Yoojin gave a slap on Hyunjae's shoulder and was about to step back when Hyunjae's right hand reached out to his face and cupped it in his index and thumb and pulled his face closer.
“I didn’t say I was done.” Hyunjae whispered as their faces were just couples of centimeters apart.
“You really are insufferable.” Yoojin said as their faces drew closer. He could feel Hyunjae's breath just like Hyunjae could feel his. His eyes closed slowly as other's lips were drawing closer. Hyunjae was still leaning against the chair. As if he wanted Yoojin to make the move.
Oh, well. Whatever.
Their lips touched. The s-class's lips felt hot against his drenched in water ones. He felt Hyunjae hand, which was cupping his face, reach for the back of his neck. His hand also moved from Hyunjae shoulder to his face. Maybe some minutes, maybe less, maybe more, later their lips broke apart.
“Do you think you could kiss me, and everything would be just- ok ?”
“Well you were basically saying that.” Yoojin's lips twisted into a smirk.
Hyunjae grinned. Yoojin was going to stand back up, but Hyunjae's other hand warped around his waist and pulled his whole body closer. Yoojin's right hand pressed against Hyunjae's shoulder and left against the chair's hand rest. He had to bend one leg and put on Hyunjae's to support his weight.
“Hey!”
“What, Yoojin-gun?” Hyunjae spoke with their lips almost touching. Yoojin could feel Hyunjae's heartbeat. Hyunjae could probably feel his too. He gulped. The taste left behind by the previous kiss… it was not enough- he had to acknowledge.
Under the heavy breathing their lips locked together once again. In a hot passionate kiss. It felt natural. Something both of them wanted. The moment passing- they savored every bit of it. Messy breathing and dim lights, everything else felt distant and hazy. Nothing mattered. Not at this moment. Their breath mingles together. Heart racing. Hands clutched onto each others cloths.
Time felt as if it had slowed down. Felt like they had lost themselves on each other. Their lips broke apart for a small time to catch their breath and then slammed against each other's again.
The other's hand against their own skin felt like it was burning. Something neither of them had felt this strongly.
Yoojin felt Hyunjae's hand on his face. Hyunjae used his thumb to part Yoojin's lips slightly more. Yoojin felt Hyunjae’s tongue against his.
Fuck you, bastard. He thought in his mind as he leaned further into the kiss.
These moments- it should never end. They were messily kissing each other back and forth. Their body pressed against each other's as none seemed to back down. It was insufficient.
I want more.
A thought that can drive you crazy.
This is not enough.
It should be.
Or maybe not.
After several more intimate minutes their lips finally parted. Both were breathing heavily. The heat of other's body could be felt even over the clothing. Their eyes locked together.
“Han Yoojin”
“What?” Yoojin demanded.
“Nothing.. I just wanted to call your name, Yoojin-gun.” Hyunjae smilled.
“You fucking bastard.”
“Why would say that?” Hyunjae feigned being hurt.
“You should know that.” Yoojin said as he stood up. Then looked up and down at Sung Hyunjae's appearance. “Nice, now you have dam coat, guildmaster.”
The said guildmaster grinned. He threw a towel over Yoojin's head. He must've sent his chains to grab one, huh?
“And you have a drenched head, Mr. Director. You should dry it up. I’m afraid of what might become of Sheol if young master saw you back like this.” Hyunaje said lightly. “But, of course, concern about your health comes even before that.”
Yoojin wiped his hair with the towel while Hyunjae sent word for a change of clothing for him.
“Oh, right you might want to call young miss. She called a few minutes before you came back asking if I had fried your phone again.”
“Yerim called?” Yoojin said, surprised.
“Yes.”
“And what did you say?”
“I said, you weren’t here.”
“What the FUCK??”
“I only said the truth.” Hyunjae shrugged.
YOU- really are a fucking unreliable bastard. Yoojin cursed him in his mind as he quickly grabbed his phone to call Yoohyun and Yerim.