Chapter Text
Every day was a bleak, monotone gray. At least, it felt that way to Han Yoojin despite how many different people he surrounded himself with. So many loud personalities greeted him every day. Yet Moon Hyuna, with her boisterous laughs and strong presence, sometimes felt faint. Not even Han Yoohyun's soft smile could completely obstruct Han Yoojin's dark thoughts.
Han Yoojin didn't understand why he was like this. Shouldn't he be the happiest he's ever been? His dongaseng was alive, he had more than a few kids to watch over with a smile, and his future was completely overwritten.
He supposed that the empty feeling in his chest was just a side effect of traveling back in time with the Wish Stone. What else could it be? Han Yoojin tried his best to live his life with hope, but lately, he had been slipping. He was falling through the cracks of reality. Was he really 25-years-old again, or was this all an illusion?
Han Yoojin didn't want to know, in truth. He would rather stay near his dongsaeng, who seemed to love him openly, than be shown a possible harsh reality. It would probably be more likely that Han Yooin was in a bizarre dream than it was for his current life to be true, but he was content enough as it was.
A part of him knew that he would break down if his current life was a sham. Han Yoohyun was alive and well, Park Yerim smiled every time Han Yoojin offered to watch a movie with her, and Noah slowly gained confidence with each passing week. Han Yoojin managed to save himself and others in the process of repairing the past.
However, he felt like he cheated due to how he manipulated those around him. Did he deserve their love and affection? What would they do if they discovered that he twisted their emotions? He expected to be despised and ridiculed. He betrayed the trust that he was given. It was quite disgusting, wasn't it?
Han Yoojin sighed into his hands, stuffing his face into his palms.
He was sitting at the kitchen counter, in the place he shared with his dongsaeng, yet he still felt false. He couldn't determine if he was the falsity or if the others around him were. He knew that Park Yerim would laugh at him for his thoughts, calling him silly, so he exhaled shakily to get rid of any insecurity and fear.
When his hands dropped from his face, a coffee mug was awaiting him. It sat there, a soft stream of steam rising in the air showing how fresh it was. Han Yoojin's breath sharpened at the mysterious cup of warmth. He didn't know where it came from. He was supposed to be alone for the first time in a long while.
Before Han Yoojin could spiral, he was met with a familiar face standing across the counter. Han Yoojin didn't notice the man's presence until he looked at him. Was the hunter obstructing his presence or did Han Yoojin simply get too caught up in his head?
Sung Hyunje was standing there in his dapper natural-toned suit. His platinum blond hair was extra shiny in the light, so naturally, Han Yoojin wished hair loss upon the bastard immediately. Knowing him, though, Sung Hyunje would still somehow look handsome. Some rotten scoundrels of the earth got all of the luck while people like Han Yoojin were left behind with scraps.
"Yoojin-gun," greeted Sung Hyunje, as if he didn't break into the Haeyeon Guild.
Han Yoojin grimaced at the man, who dragged a chair in so that he could sit across the counter and face Han Yoojin. Sung Hyunje batted his eyelashes innocently. Han Yoojin wished he had a skill not unlike lightning so he could electrocute Sung Hyunje where he sat. Wouldn't it be ironic if Sung Hyunje died from electrocution?
Sung Hyunje tilted his head and asked, "What are you smiling about?"
Han Yoojin quickly averted his eyes and leaped out of his daydream. It was not a good thing to fantasize about another person's death, or so he was told.
He coughed into his fist fakely and replied, "Nothing."
Sung Hyunje didn't believe him, not that he should.
Han Yoojin was aware enough that he had been too giddy about the idea of Sung Hyunje's death. Look, the man was annoying. Sure, he was strong and all, but he caused Han Yoohyun problems in the future. Plus he killed Song Taewon! Han Yoojin wanted nothing to do with this man, yet that same man always found a reason to involve Han Yoojin in his schemes.
Although, as Han Yoojin thought about it, he also got Sung Hyunje mixed up with his own events as well. Han Yoojin's expression soured as he recalled how easy it was to call upon the Sesung Guild Leader. The man was seen as the strongest hunter in the world, so Han Yoojin didn't need to worry about his health. It made sense for Han Yoojin to call upon him... didn't it?
He shook his head and looked at Sung Hyunje, the man who clogged Han Yoojin's mind with useless thoughts. Why did this man show up at inopportune times? Han Yoojin wanted to live his life in peace. Sure, he had all sorts of people after him, but he had set up a system of strong S-class hunters to deal with that problem. Shouldn't raising baby monsters be drama-free?
Sung Hyunje paused for a few moments, blinking at Han Yoojin with a blank face.
Han Yoojin pursed his lips at the stare he received. What? he wanted to ask. What are you going to do about it, huh? Sung Hyunje couldn't harm Han Yoojin in any way due to the skills and value that he brought to the world.
Han Yoojin may have lied about not smiling about anything, but he wouldn't admit that he was fantasizing about Sung Hyunje's death. It wasn't because he thought Sung Hyunje wouldn't like it, but rather the opposite. Sung Hyunje was a very strange and peculiar man. He may even prefer that Han Yoojin admit to wishing him dead. Han Yoojin didn't want more attention than he had already bestowed, so he waited in awkward silence for Sung Hyunje to move on.
Right on cue, Sung Hyunje gestured to the coffee mug that was in front of Han Yoojin. "Are you going to drink it before it goes cold?"
Han Yoojin turned his gaze down to the cup. It was mocking him with its enticingly warm content and its mouth-watering smell. He wanted to deny Sung Hyunje the pleasure of preparing a nice-looking cup of coffee, but Han Yoojin was a weak man when it came to bitter things.
With a put-out expression, Han Yoojin lifted the mug with both hands. His fingers hit the ceramic, almost frightened by the heat. As he raised it to his lips, he blew on the contents as he met Sung Hyunje's piercing gaze.
Why do you care? He wanted to ask the question but it never escaped his mouth.
He sipped on the coffee slowly. It was nice and quaint at the beginning. The rich flavor of coffee beans and toned-down vanilla hit his tongue, but it was soon overpowered by a bright sweetness.
Han Yoojin set the mug down and hoped that he didn't express his displeasure overly so. When he looked up to Sung Hyunje, he knew he failed. Sung Hyunje looked upset, his eyes narrowed and his lips set in a thin frown. His handsome face was clouded over, and Han Yoojin really detested that.
"Is it not to your taste...?" The words were nearly strangled as they exited Sung Hyunje's throat.
Han Yoojin felt the need to reconcile and comfort Sung Hyunje. He pushed that thought away with a wave of his hand. Sung Hyunje wasn't a little kid, he was a grown man. An old one, at that.
Han Yoojin confirmed hesitantly, "It's too sweet."
Sung Hyunje's eyebrows raised and he echoed, "Too sweet?"
"Mn." Han Yoojin fiddled with the handle on the mug. "I drink black coffee. Plain coffee."
The blond nodded once, accepting the answer easily. His expression returned to normal, though he still had a slightly off aura. Was he still upset about the coffee? Han Yoojin couldn't help the fact that he couldn't afford over-priced fancy drinks with additives. He grew up on black coffee and learned to enjoy the bitterness as it was.
He asked with curiosity, "What did you put into the coffee?"
Sung Hyunje replied smoothly, listing off the items one at a time, "Creamer. Sugar. Whipped cream."
"Ah." That made sense, mostly.
Han Yoojin was tempted to ask, do you put whipped cream on your coffee? That didn't seem like a normal thing, especially concerning hot coffee, but he didn't keep up with the times. Park Yerim was still helping Han Yoojin figure out the new smartphone that Han Yoohyun bought for him.
Sung Hyunje nodded graciously, agreeing with Han Yoojin’s reply that consisted of no substantial words.
He still seemed a bit peeved at Han Yoojin not liking the coffee. Han Yoojin wanted this entire situation to disappear and be erased from his mind. Why was it so awkward in the room when Sung Hyunje was there too? Han Yoojin wished that Chirpie or Peace would appear but he was left alone on purpose.
Park Yerim said that Han Yoojin was being overworked. She was sort of correct in her assumptions, as the breeding facility was taking a lot of energy out of him, and that was on top of daily interactions with high-ranked hunters and dealing with the backlash of time travel. Han Yoojin would have loved a few hours of rest and peacefulness. That's all he wanted, really. A couple of hours of extra sleep time. He didn't need much more than that.
However, Park Yerim was very vocal that it was Han Yoohyun's fault that her poor, innocent, and weak ahjussi was being overworked. Han Yoohyun took the words to heart. Within the hour, he canceled Han Yoojin's meetings and reworked his hyung's schedule so that Han Yoojin would be alone for 3 days. Han Yoohyun then promptly took Peace and Chirpie with him into a dungeon raid. Kim Sunghan and Park Yerim were left behind, but Park Yerim was training under Moon Hyuna's supervision.
It left it so that Han Yoojin had been alone in their shared home for 32 hours. Kim Sunghan, and even Suk Simyung, checked in with him every few hours, but that was it. Han Yoojin had done nothing but be alone with his thoughts, and sleep.
It appeared that sleeping wasn't his issue, though. It was his thoughts that were causing him problems. He felt disconnected from reality each time he wasn't overwhelmed with things to do or issues to solve. Was it a bad thing that Han Yoojin felt that way? He thought it was. It only got aggravating as he went on and on. Why did he do this to himself?
He truly wished that Park Yerim or Noah would show up and drag him off somewhere. Didn't Noah want to go shopping the last time he visited? Han Yoojin wanted to go shopping as well if it meant that he would be assaulted with too many things to be wary of. It was time to go desperately. He sucked in a breath and looked at Sung Hyunje.
The blond was impassive as ever. He met Han Yoojin's gaze with ease, and then said, "Do you truly prefer your coffee to be bitter?"
What kind of question was that? Han Yoojin just told this guy that he wanted nothing to do with sweet coffee. He wasn’t used to such fancy drinks. It was too much for him.
Sung Hyunje continued, rather ignorant for a man of his age, "You seemed like the type to like sweet things."
It was said in a murmur. It was so soft that Han Yoojin had to replay it in his mind until he connected the words together to form a sentence. Was he being made fun of? Mocked? Han Yoojin's first thought would have been that Sung Hyunje was purposely obtuse, but that wasn't the correct word to describe the Sesing Guild Leader.
"Why do I seem like the type to prefer sweets?" asked Han Yoojin.
Sung Hyunje's eyes lit up. A smile crept onto his face. It was like he knew something that Han Yoojin didn't. It irked the F-stat. He frowned at Sung Hyunje, cursing the man in his mind.
Han Yoojin said promptly, "I don't like it when you smile at me like that."
"Yoojin-gun shouldn't be so worried," Sung Hyunje said off-handedly.
That fast reply only made Han Yoojin's stomach churn more. He swallowed roughly, turning his eyes to the cooling coffee mug. His fingers tapped the mug handle. The warmth continued to linger. Han Yoojin liked the warmth, and the smell was nice too. The only bad thing was that the taste was simply too sweet.
"You worry me constantly," Han Yoojin bit out, telling the truth to the horrid man in front of him.
Sung Hyunje's smile almost seemed soft, if not morose. He admitted after a moment of contemplation, "Yoojin-gun is important to me as well."
What? Han Yoojin picked up the mug in defiance. This man was all nonsense. Han Yoojin sipped the coffee slowly, feeling lethargic as Sung Hyunje stared at him. The taste continued to be overwhelmingly sweet but the base flavor wasn't bad. Coffee was a familiar thing, but the sweetness got rid of the repertoire that Han Yoojin had with it.
Han Yoojin set the mug down, hiding his disapproval of sweetness. He looked at the still-warm mug and wondered what caused Sung Hyunje to come over. Was it to make coffee or was there something else at play?
"Why did you come over?" he asked, tired of not knowing.
Sung Hyunje grinned, his eyes forming crescents. He looked much too innocent and childish for such an old man. Han Yoojin wanted to pry Sung Hyunje's eyelids off and watch the man waste away in despair. Yet, even in Han Yoojin's daydreams, Sung Hyunje was incapable of looking ugly.
"I wanted to see you," was the reply that Sung Hyunje gave.
It sounded too good to be true. Han Yoojin was merely an object to him, wasn't he? They were both using each other to suit their purposes. Han Yoojin had amazing skills that would benefit Sung Hyunje, while Sung Hyunje was a reliable tool that Han Yoojin had in his inventory. Nothing else mattered in the end, did it? Their relationship was all business.
Yet.
Sung Hyunje was here, in the kitchen, sitting across from Han Yoojin on a day when Han Yoojin was dying from loneliness. Did Sung Hyunje appear on purpose or did Han Yoojin get lucky?
"You are quite an annoying guy," said Han Yoojin.
He denied the fact that his hands were wrapped around the mug of coffee, seeking its warmth despite his hate for the drink inside.
Maybe the warmth came from more than just the coffee. Sung Hyunje prepared the coffee all the while Han Yoojin was oblivious to the world. A person went out of their way to make Han Yoojin something as simple as coffee yet it felt very nice to be looked after. It was messed up, since Han Yoojin only drank black coffee, but the intent was there. Someone was trying to look after him. It was a bizarre feeling, especially so because it came from someone he didn't view as a friend.
Sung Hyunje hid a sweet side of himself. He cared for Han Yoojin in the most bizarre ways. Han Yoojin wrapped his fingers more so along the side of the mug. It was cooling down greatly now but the warmth lingered somehow.
It was so strange to be here, as it was. Did no one else think it was strange or peculiar? Han Yoojin was overthinking it, in truth. Perhaps since Sung Hyunje was a strange man, it didn't matter. He looked on as Han Yoojin clutched the mug, clutching the warmth that was dissipating with each passing moment.
"I didn't invite you here," said Han Yoojin.
"You didn't," confirmed Sung Hyunje. "I came over of my own volition." He looked down to the mug that Han Yoojin held, then slowly lifted his gaze back up. "I was concerned for Yoojin-gun."
Han Yoojin felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Sung Hyunje's false words of kindness were very irritating. He wanted to clean his mouth of such things. Didn't Sung Hyunje cringe inwardly because of the sentence he said? It was so cheesy and television drama-like. How dare a man in the real world, who interacted with Han Yoojin, say such lines.
"You are not someone I care for," said Han Yoojin.
Sung Hyunje didn't react angrily. He continued to smile. In fact, Han Yoojin noticed that his smile didn't wane, but rather increased. He was such a deceptive and irritating bastard. Han Yoojin wanted to slap him, even if the S-class would receive no damage from it. Surely it would be worth it to see his shocked expression.
Han Yoojin practically hummed as he thought about Sung Hyunje's stupid face of shock. Sung Hyunje would be shocked if Han Yoojin slapped him, wouldn't he? Han Yoojin could practically see the way that Sung Hyunje's golden eyes widened, completely startled by the events. Han Yoojin wanted to turn that into reality. It would be a cherished memory for sure. It would be something he wished he could carve out and immortalize for years to come.
He realized belatedly that he wished to harm Sung Hyunje a lot. It wasn't the best thing to have a tendency for violence, but since it was Sung Hyunje, it was fine. Sung Hyunje may put on the appearance of a proper man with elegance and propriety, but Han Yoojin knew the truth. Sung Hyunje was just as human as the rest of them, unable to do everything he craved or fought for.
Sung Hyunje said nonchalantly, "I am hurt by those words." He didn’t sound hurt at all.
"You weren't invited," reminded Han Yoojin. He lifted his hand from the mug and gestured to Sung Hyunje. "You came over with no warning. We aren't friends. Friends would make plans to go out somewhere. They wouldn't show up abruptly with no explanation."
"I already explained that I wanted to see you," intervened Sung Hyunje, his tone actually sounding hurt this time. He was still quite peeved about the disliked coffee, it appeared.
Han Yoojin bit back an exhausted sigh. "You say too many things you don't mean."
"Are you calling me a liar?" Sung Hyunje wasn't upset, and wasn't that unsettling? He sat up straight with curiosity and interest radiating from his aura.
Han Yoojin gulped. He hated it when Sung Hyunje got excited. It always meant that Han Yoojin was going to deal with a weird interaction.
"You came over here for a reason other than to keep me company." Han Yoojin knew this to be the truth.
They weren't close enough to be called friends. They were business partners, and nothing else. So what if Han Yoojin and Sung Hyunje had to work together often? So what if others thought that they got along well? It didn't matter in the end since Han Yoojin detested Sung Hyunje's smarmy attitude. And his face. His face caused too much trouble.
"You're right." Sung Hyunje admitted it.
Han Yoojin was a bit shocked. Sung Hyunje surely should have pretended to keep the pretense up and deny, deny, deny. Didn't he know how these things worked? You had to keep denying any claims.
Sung Hyunje leaned forward. Han Yoojin leaned back, unwinding his fingers from around the mug. Sung Hyunje's eyelashes were long and delicate, and his eyes were as vibrant as lightning in a storm. Han Yoojin wanted to take a closer look but to keep sane he crept back and away.
Sung Hyunje continued speaking in a tone almost as if he was lecturing Han Yoojin, "I wanted to invite you to lunch. I figured we could have a nice time."
"Lunch?"
Han Yoojin was instantly skeptical. Was Sung Hyunje only offering this because Han Yoojin talked about how friendship was supposed to work? Han Yoojin couldn't fall for whatever Sung Hyunje was putting together. With no Han Yoohyun or Park Yerim as backup, Han Yoojin had to stay focused and be ultra-aware of his surroundings.
"Yes," said Sung Hyunje. "I would like to have lunch with you." His hands were intertwined in front of his chest on the counter.
Han Yoojin thought that it looked a bit like a business deal. Wasn't Sung Hyunje such a strange man? He spoke of friendship but encountered such events with a business mindset and appearance. Han Yoojin almost pitied the man. Was he not very social? He mustn't be, since he was worse than Yoohyun-ie at these types of things.
He needed to be vigilant, yet—
"I won't be adverse if you pay."
Han Yoojin was weak when it came to free food. Park Yerim was weak to food as well. Han Yoojin wondered if it was an orphan thing. He laughed a bit at the thought. He used to worry so much about being abel to feed Han Yoohyun dinner, and now such thoughts don't even come to mind anymore. The Haeyeon Guild was very well off and there was no fear of food shortages or bills that would stack up.
Sung Hyunje accepted the terms. "Naturally."
The blond then stood up. He picked up the mug that had been discarded and rinsed it in the sink. Han Yoojin wanted to tell Sung Hyunje that it was a waste to throw it out. Han Yoojin would have finished the drink if he had been given time. There was no need to pitch it when it was edible. But Han Yoojin couldn't say anything as Sung Hyunje then turned around to face him.
"Yoojin-gun shouldn't force himself to drink things he doesn't like."
Han Yoojin's eyes widened at the casualness of the statement. It was such an obvious thing but Han Yoojin was having a hard time coming to terms with it. Didn't he know it was wasteful? He knew that it was. It was obvious. How much money went into making that coffee? How much time and effort did Sung Hyunje put into it? What sort of emotion did Sung Hyunje bestow on it?
Han Yoojin didn't want any of it to be discarded. He would accept it readily. There was nothing that Han Yoojin wouldn't do to preserve the feeling of warmth in his chest that was created when he realized that Sung Hyunje had to prepare the coffee for him.
Yet Sung Hyunje threw the coffee out like it didn't matter. It was such a cruel thing to do. Not to Han Yoojin, but to himself. Did Sung Hyunje not care that his efforts were wasted? Han Yoojin was confused, and a bit broken, as he looked at Sung Hyunje.
The S-class was still smiling. He appeared nonchalant with nothing wrong at all. It was upsetting. Han Yoojin wanted to call him out on it. Surely it hurts to be discarded. Han Yoojin knew that it did. There must have been another way to solve the issue of too-sweet coffee.
As if reading Han Yoojin's mind, Sung Hyunje walked forward. He bypassed the counter to stand by Han Yoojin's side.
He straightened out his coat, and then said, "I'll take you out to eat somewhere nice. Let's go."
Han Yoojin stood up and discovered that the warmth in his chest didn't disappear. It was still there because the care that Sung Hyunje felt for him continued on as well. It didn't fade even if the coffee was no-good. The effort still existed, alongside the caring aptitude that Sung Hyunaje showed.
Han Yoojin was unused to this feeling. He felt Sung Hyunje take his arm. It slotted into place easily with his. Han Yoojin was deeply underdressed for whatever restaurant Sung Hyunje had in mind, but he wasn't told to change. Sung Hyunje just looked down at him with a relaxed expression.
Han Yoojin was beginning to think that it was incorrect to say that they weren’t friends.