Chapter 181 - Wavelength
With just the strength of his thighs, his body was lifted high into the air. The feet that had been firmly planted on the ground were now hovering. He was used to looking down at people, but never quite like this. Surprised, Cha Eui-jae pressed his hand over Lee Sa-young's face, trying to push it away.
"A confession? What are you talking about? Hey! Are you crazy? get off me!"
However,
As if waiting for it, something wet licked between his palm and fingers. Through the gaps of his parted fingers, he caught a glimpse of violet eyes. Thinly curved, as if laughing in amusement. His fingertips instinctively recoiled. A strange tickling sensation fluttered around his heart.
"Don't just call me 'hey.'"
"Move your tongue!"
"You're the one who put your hand on my face first."
"You shoved your face in first. Let me go, now."
"If you don't move your hand like this..."
Lee Sa-young tilted his head slightly and began to lightly bite the tip of Cha Eui-jae's thumb. Damn it. Cha Eui-jae squeezed his eyes shut and quickly withdrew his hand. A low chuckle escaped. Every time he heard that laughter, his whole body tingled. It was fortunate he was wearing a mask. He couldn't even imagine how his bare face might look right now.
Cha Eui-jae scolded sharply, for no reason.
"You go through all this acting just to hear me say something..."
But he couldn't finish his sentence. Even if the teary eyes were an act, the sight of Lee Sa-young pierced through Cha Eui-jae's heart like an arrow.
"Guessing and assuming only goes so far. How long do you expect me to wait?"
Unintentionally or not, it was true that he'd kept Lee Sa-young waiting. The sharp energy quickly disappeared, replaced by softer, more subdued words.
"...saying something like that."
"It's only because I have to go this far just to make you speak."
Lee Sa-young's reply came in a casual tone. He moved forward a few steps, still holding Cha Eui-jae slightly aloft. Cha Eui-jae's hips bumped into a cold railing. Trying to avoid the overwhelming gaze, he leaned back a little, and the distance beneath him opened up. A cold breeze brushed against his cheek. His ash-gray hair fluttered.
"It's hard to get you to answer, and even harder to hear what you're really thinking."
Without Lee Sa-young's arms holding him, it felt as though he might fall at any moment.
"You're used to enduring right up to your limit, for no reason..."
The hand gripping his waist tickled his side.
"To get someone so tight-lipped to talk... it takes at least a few tears."
"...I don't need that."
Cha Eui-jae barely managed to get the words out. Lee Sa-young bent forward. Their bodies pressed against each other. Lee Sa-young rested his cheek against Cha Eui-jae's chest, looking up at him. The wind tousled his dark hair.
"Were you happy?"
"..."
Instead of answering, Cha Eui-jae squeezed his eyes shut, desperately wishing for his heart to stop. He was sure Lee Sa-young could hear every loud thump of his heartbeat.
"Come on, answer."
"..."
"So that I know... it was worth waiting."
Each time Cha Eui-jae breathed, his chest subtly rose and fell, and Lee Sa-young could feel it all. It was so unfair. He was collecting undeniable evidence.
Cha Eui-jae hesitated for a long moment before finally opening his mouth.
"...I was happy."
Why were those three words so difficult to say?
His head felt hot. The inside of his mask was burning. The sound of his heartbeat was so loud it was driving him insane.
He didn't want to be caught, but at the same time, he did. He wanted Lee Sa-young to not know, but also to notice. He wanted the warmth to go away, but also for it to stay. Ironically, even Cha Eui-jae couldn't fully understand his own feelings.
Ah, this is a mess.
Cha Eui-jae raised his arms and covered the eye holes of his mask. Lee Sa-young chuckled softly, his cheek still pressed against Cha Eui-jae's chest. He looked up and gently pressed a hand to Cha Eui-jae's sternum, his voice filled with laughter.
"Why are you so loud? Even a sleeping person would wake up."
Damn it, he never lets anything go. Cha Eui-jae gritted his teeth and snapped back.
"Shut up..."
"Should I pretend I didn't notice? But I just can't..."
"Pretend you didn't."
"You know your neck is completely red, right?"
"I don't care, just shut up!"
"Shall I?"
His response was surprisingly compliant. The warmth that had been heating up Cha Eui-jae's body also began to dissipate. Cold air filled the empty space. He thought Lee Sa-young would push further, but... What was this? What was he planning? Cha Eui-jae cautiously lowered the hand that had been covering his eyes. Lee Sa-young was smiling.
"I've waited 8 years. I can wait a bit longer."
"..."
"But still."
At that moment, fingers slipped beneath the mask. With a click, it was lifted and removed. Cold air blasted against his flushed, overheated face, but only for a moment—
"Mmph—!"
The flood of words that had been waiting to spill from his lips were swallowed up. A thick tongue invaded his mouth, rubbing against his own. It felt like he was being devoured. Of all the kisses they'd shared, this one was the roughest. His lips were crushed. Somewhere between the sweetness, he tasted the metallic flavor of blood, probably from biting his lip in the moment they had briefly parted.
Even the small whimper he let out between gasps was drowned in the wet sound. Cha Eui-jae tried to push Lee Sa-young's shoulders away but slowly gave up, letting his hands fall limp. As if in praise, Lee Sa-young's tongue gently caressed the tender flesh. Cha Eui-jae's body trembled. His eyes filled with heat. The kiss finally broke when he was on the verge of suffocation.
His legs gave way, and his feet touched the ground. Cha Eui-jae clutched the railing and leaned forward, coughing harshly. Cough, cough. He looked up sharply to glare at Lee Sa-young.
But,
"You..."
"Hmm... was it too rough?"
Lee Sa-young wiped his lips with his thumb. Dark blood dripped from his swollen lips. Not mine— had I bitten him? When? I wasn't even thinking clearly enough to realize I had. A black tongue flicked out to lick away the blood.
"No matter how good it felt."
"There you go, making things up again. 'Good,' my ass..."
"Then, did you hate it?"
"..."
"You're a terrible liar."
Once Cha Eui-jae finally managed to stand straight, clutching the railing for support, Lee Sa-young snickered. His body was still overheated, but seeing blood helped clear his head a bit. Cha Eui-jae cleared his throat unnecessarily.
Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.
"Do you have a potion? Hurry up and heal."
"Hm? Wouldn't that be a waste?"
"What? The potion? You're rich. You've spent tons of magic crystals on strange machines..."
"It's not the potion I'd be wasting."
Lee Sa-young raised an eyebrow. Then, with the thumb that had been wiping his lips, he pressed down on the wound. More blood began to flow. Cha Eui-jae was shocked. Had he lost his mind? He hadn't even recovered from the nightmare where Lee Sa-young had begged to be strangled harder! Cha Eui-jae hurried over and grabbed his wrist.
"Are you insane? What are you doing!"
"Hm? It'll heal soon anyway. Why waste it?"
"Waste, my ass! You have to heal injuries immediately..."
With a shout, Cha Eui-jae rummaged through his inventory. But all he grabbed was the artisan's spear, a basilisk fang, and... ah, there it was. He held up a bottle.
What he boldly pulled out was;
[Standard Healing Potion (C)]
[Restores 10% of health when used.]
It was...
"..."
"...huh?"
What is this? Cha Eui-jae stared at the small potion, barely the size of a finger, with a bewildered expression, then let out an "ah" as he remembered.
Right, he got this as a gift back when he worked part-time at the hangover soup restaurant, after people found out he was an Awakener. It was one of those items from the "A gift box for the newly Awakened ♥" or something. Probably from that hunter who looked like a Russian bear...
Hope he's doing well.
"..."
Anyway, Cha Eui-jae glanced between the small red potion and the towering, pitch-black Lee Sa-young. A C-grade potion and an S-grade Awakened. The finger-sized potion and the huge, statue-like Lee Sa-young. Watching his actions, Lee Sa-young chuckled.
"How cute."
Damn it. Cha Eui-jae grimaced. Lee Sa-young chuckled softly again and asked, amused,
"Oh. Is that actually a real potion, not some mini accessory? You're really carrying that around?"
Annoying. Memories of the nightmare at the hangover soup restaurant resurfaced. Lee Sa-young sitting in the middle of the shop with a gas mask, disrupting business. Coming late at night just to pester him. Lee Sa-young. Lee Sa-young. Cha Eui-jae's shoulders shook with frustration.
"...It was a gift."
"Ah... from who?"
"...A customer at the hangover soup restaurant."
"That's a precious gift. So... you're going to use that on me?"
"..."
Without a word, Cha Eui-jae opened the potion. With a pop, the lid came off, and he poured the red, transparent liquid into his palm, letting it pool in the cup of his hand. Then he...
Splat!
"Ugh!"
...splashed it onto Lee Sa-young's mouth and rubbed it roughly. His rough hands scraped against the injured lips, making Lee Sa-young grimace as he tried to turn his head away, but Cha Eui-jae's hands were quick to follow.
"Stay still. This is part of the treatment."
"Who uses a potion like this, ugh, so recklessly?!"
"This is how we did it back in the day!"
"Oh, really? Go ahead, then! Like that'll heal anything!"
After wiping Lee Sa-young's lips with his jacket sleeve, Cha Eui-jae frowned. The bite wound was still there, showing no signs of healing. Lee Sa-young, still grimacing, turned his head with a sigh.
"With a potion like that, it's not going to heal."
"Then what are you supposed to use for a wound like this?"
"A special concoction..."
Just then, both of them turned their heads sharply. A distant scream echoed faintly, followed by the clash of sharp objects.
Quickly, Cha Eui-jae extended his hand. Lee Sa-young clicked his tongue but handed him the mask. Cha Eui-jae's flushed face disappeared behind the black mask. He tapped the toe of his boot against the ground and looked at Lee Sa-young.
"Can you keep up?"
"Try me. I'll follow you to hell if I have to."
Always with the remarks. Cha Eui-jae reached into his inventory again and pulled out a spear. Gripping the massive weapon in one hand, he gave a few light jumps on the spot.
Bang!
Then he kicked off the ground, leaping high. Whoosh! Cutting through the air, he soared higher.
In the brief moment he was airborne, his eyes beneath the mask turned a bright, piercing blue.
The sound had come from the north. Cha Eui-jae held his breath and landed lightly on a nearby rooftop before jumping again. The screams were getting closer. And finally, he spotted something in his vision. Cha Eui-jae took a deep breath, rotated his upper body mid-air—
Swoosh—
Thud! Thunk!
He impaled the target through the neck as he landed.
Dust billowed up in a thick cloud.
As he yanked out the spear, the mangled head rolled away, tumbling awkwardly because of the spikes protruding from its face. Cha Eui-jae picked up the head with the spear to examine it, and...
He recognized the face. His hand trembled.
"Why..."
Though its face was warped and spikes jutted out everywhere, it was still recognizable. After all...
"I heard you awakened, part-timer. Here's a gift for you."
It was the face of the Russian bear hunter who had shyly handed him the potion back then.
Once a customer at the hangover soup restaurant.