“‘You’ suits best, doesn’t it?”
“…I can do it.”
“Do what?”
“Seo…”
The curious gaze clung to him. He opened his mouth, closed it, hesitated, and finally shut it again. Watching him, Cheong-o laughed silently and jiggled his foot.
Cheong-o knew him far too well, and it was infuriating. Just as he pressed his lips together, something flashed outside.
Rain began pouring without warning, battering the building. Se-hyeon looked outside with wide, startled eyes.
Thick drops that looked like they’d hurt to be hit by fell from a sky flashing and roaring with thunder and lightning.
“Let’s stay here until it lets up a bit.”
“There are plenty of books you like. Read.”
“Where are you going?”
“To see if there’s a spare umbrella around. I’m not going anywhere without you, so read.”
Scrrrape. The sound of a chair dragging echoed through the quiet library. Watching the retreating back of Cheong-o as he sauntered off to find an umbrella, Se-hyeon anxiously got up to find a book, as he’d been told.
There was a book he’d wanted to read. He dusted off the thin layer of dust as best he could, though it bothered him, then returned to his seat, wiped it with a wet wipe, and squeezed out some hand sanitizer. Se-hyeon turned pages to the rain drumming on the windows as background music.
Hiding his anxiety as best he could while Cheong-o was gone, Se-hyeon was quickly swallowed by the book.
Meanwhile, Cheong-o, searching the interior for an abandoned umbrella, found a pile of broken ones and clicked his tongue. It looked like they’d be stuck in the library until the rain stopped.
At least the library had everything it needed, even if no one used it. More than anything, it was one of the rare places where the ever-prickly Se-hyeon looked at ease. Returning empty-handed the way he’d come, Cheong-o looked at Se-hyeon, alone at the long table, absorbed in his book.
For Se-hyeon’s sake—so absorbed he looked like he’d be sucked into the pages—Cheong-o silenced his footsteps, and the quiet pressed in all around.
Swish, swish. The sound of turning pages was peaceful. So this is why people come to libraries… Just hearing the pages turn settled his heart.
Pulling out a chair as quietly as he could and sitting down, a clear face met his gaze. He made a face and pointed at the book, and Se-hyeon, who shyly hadn’t avoided his eyes, returned to his book.
From then on, Cheong-o sat with his chin propped on his hand, watching Se-hyeon across from him. The heavy raindrops showed no sign of easing, falling with dull thuds.
The world was always one disaster after another, but this rain looked ready to end the world right now.
And in the middle of it, Se-hyeon sat peacefully reading a book, like someone living in a different world. How long did he watch Se-hyeon, who felt so utterly alien to the outside? A white, pretty hand, without a single scar, closed the book.
Setting the book in the middle and stroking its cover, Se-hyeon spoke.
“Is there something on my face?”
“No way.”
“Then why do you keep…?”
“It’s fascinating.”
“What is?”
“Looking at you makes me feel like I live in a normal world.”
What does that mean? Eyes lost in thought looked at Cheong-o.
“It means it’s good.”
Smiling, Cheong-o watched Se-hyeon’s face redden, and Se-hyeon shot to his feet. Cheong-o lifted his head at the suddenly distant eye level.
“I’ll go to the restroom.”
“Want me to come? In case you’re scared?”
“I’m not a kid.”
“You can be scared even if you’re not a kid.”
“…Are you scared?”
“Of course. The thought of being here alone right now terrifies me, so hurry back.” “Liar…” Se-hyeon glared at Cheong-o, who answered with shameless ease, not batting an eye, and strode to the restroom.
After doing his business, Se-hyeon dried his cleanly washed hands and left the restroom, his attention caught by a door rattling in the wind. In a world without a single person walking around, trees bent as if they’d topple. Every time the door opened a crack, it went whoooosh.
Se-hyeon looked at the puddles forming here and there, then flinched at the flashing sky. The drops showed no sign of easing—if anything they were getting heavier. From the fact that Cheong-o had returned empty-handed, there was clearly no spare umbrella inside.
Every time lightning struck, the rain poured harder.
“Why are you so late? I was scared out of my wits.”
“Doesn’t look like it’s going to stop.”
“Doesn’t look like a rain that stops easily, no.”
“Let’s stay a little longer, and if it still doesn’t stop, we’ll just go.”
“In this weather? What if you get blown away?”
“I’m not weak enough to get blown away.”
Cheong-o’s look said he didn’t believe a word of it. Stretching with a look of doing someone a favor, he cracked his bones with every twist of his body. Se-hyeon, sitting, discreetly twisted his own waist. No bone-cracking like that, but the stiffness eased a little.
One of them no longer read, and the other leisurely observed the person in front of him. The persistent gaze grew burdensome, and Se-hyeon rubbed his cheek.
“Why do you work as a guide?”
“Is that a question I’m not supposed to ask?”
“…I need the money.”
“Ah. Money’s good.”
If it weren’t for money, he wouldn’t be working as a guide. He needed money to keep up the donations, and money to keep living even a little comfortably. And the hospital bills for his frequently ailing body couldn’t be ignored.
“…Why do you keep working as an esper?”
“Well. Boredom?”
“You risk your life every time because you’re bored?”
“So that if I die fighting, maybe I’ll go to heaven.”
“Why… would you think that?”
“I already live in hell. If it’s the same after I die, that’d be unfair.” Hell… Se-hyeon gently rubbed his clean nails.
“What do you spend your salary on, mostly? I notice you barely go out on your days off, and you don’t spend much normally.”
“Just…”
The fingers tormenting the corner of an innocent book—pressing and rubbing it—caught Cheong-o’s eye. Seeing through the intent to dodge the answer with vague words, Cheong-o pulled the book to himself without moving a single finger.
Se-hyeon blinked rapidly at the sudden theft of his book. Cheong-o, who had taken the book using telekinesis—one of the abilities most espers had—lifted his eyebrows.
“Saving?”
“Yes. Give me back my book.”
“Frugal. Saving up for what?”
“Why are you curious about that?”
“My studying isn’t progressing, that’s all.”
“Then stop studying.”
“They say meeting a good teacher is its own luck. I have no luck.” The book that had been in front of Cheong-o was pushed to the end of the table this time. Se-hyeon gave a small sigh.
“I need it for something.”
“Eighty percent of your salary?”
The face that had been dripping with boredom hardened. The gray eye, looking darker than usual, fixed on Se-hyeon.
“How do you know that?”
“Why ask when you already know.” “Stop investigating me. It creeps me out.”
“I’ll try.”
Not knowing how much he knew or what he was probing for, Se-hyeon tensely chewed his lip. Cheong-o, finding the bristling Se-hyeon cute, changed the subject.
“It looks lighter than before. Shall we get up?”
While Se-hyeon tidied up, keeping a strange distance, Cheong-o put the book back on the shelf and returned. The rain had definitely eased from the earlier downpour that had blocked out the sky.
Cheong-o held the door open as usual, and Se-hyeon, taking a handkerchief from his bag and draping it over his head, slipped through the gap and looked up at the falling rain.
“The parking lot’s close, so stay here.”
“What? You’re not coming with me?”
“Don’t catch a cold in the rain for nothing. Wait.”
“But, I—!”
Before he could be stopped, Cheong-o dashed into the rain and vanished from sight. His shoulders ached from being tensed the whole time. Se-hyeon let out a deep sigh and pulled the handkerchief down.
When they met again a little later, he was soaked through. His wet hair and visibly drenched shoulders proved it. Cheong-o, soaked from head to toe himself, moved to get out of the car for Se-hyeon, but Se-hyeon stopped him and hurried into the car.
He’d run with the handkerchief over his head, so fortunately he wasn’t as wet as he’d feared. Fastening his seatbelt, Se-hyeon glanced sideways and held out the handkerchief.
“It’s a little damp, but… use it to dry your hair at least.”
“It’ll dry on its own.”
“Still.”
“But my hands are a bit full right now.”
“Oh…?”
His slightly parted lips twitched. Se-hyeon gripped the handkerchief and eyed the wet hair. The car was just pulling out of the library.
“If it bothers you, dry it for me.”
“…”
They weren’t far apart, so deliberating was a luxury. Se-hyeon rubbed the handkerchief and carefully reached out his arm.
He’d said it as a joke, but Cheong-o was inwardly surprised at the hand that really did dry his hair, and tapped the steering wheel.
Se-hyeon gently rubbed the hair dry, just enough that the droplets wouldn’t fall on his shoulders. A strange feeling made Cheong-o scrape the roof of his mouth with his tongue.
The other side was out of sight and out of reach, so Se-hyeon dried only one side and tidied the soggy handkerchief. By then they had arrived at the residence, and Cheong-o checked his reflection in the mirror.
Half wet and half dry—it was ridiculous.
“Is this right?”
“Huh?”
“Your hair-drying skills need work…”
“You were driving, so it can’t be helped.”
“I’ll have to think about revisiting this salon.” Teasing again, after all his trouble drying it. Se-hyeon gave him a disapproving look.
“Go inside and wash up right away.”
“I’ll handle it.”
“Get inside while the rain’s stopped.”
“…Thank you for today.”
“Thank you more—you showed me the library.”
“Drive safe.”
Unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the door, thin streams of rain slid down his skin. Se-hyeon closed the door and gave a small bow. Cheong-o, who had opened the window intending to watch until Se-hyeon went inside, looked puzzled at the back that lingered, clutching the door.
Not going in, hesitating for a long time, Se-hyeon let go of the handle and came back the way he’d come. Cheong-o lowered himself slightly and bent to meet his eyes. Se-hyeon, covering his forehead with his hand, opened and closed his mouth.
“Did you leave something?”
“W-would you come up for a bit and dry your clothes and hair…”
Cheong-o blinked, rare for him to be at a loss for words. Se-hyeon’s face had already reddened, and he wet his lips with his tongue.
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