And so, Ha Tae-heon and I finally managed to reconcile. For me, I couldn't have been happier.
I was constantly scared because I was stuck thinking that Ha Tae-heon might leave. So, this moment had given me some peace of mind.
Now I just need to explain the truth about the 'Abyss' book, return to Requiem, and let the team members know as soon as day breaks…
"Huu… Ah, ugh, wait...."
No matter how much I called out to Ha Tae-heon while panting, he showed no mercy.
"Gah, w- wait… just a moment, Ha… Tae-heon ssi."
He bit my lip, unhesitatingly swallowed my saliva, and kept tickling the inside of my mouth with his large tongue.
'This kiss won't end…!'
This was a truly unexpected situation. Well, of course, the kiss itself was unexpected, but... still, I had kissed Cheon Sa-yeon and Kim Woo-jin a few times before, and it wasn't my first time getting physical with Ha Tae-heon, so even though I was a bit surprised, I could handle it to some extent.
'It feels like we've been doing this for over 20 minutes by now! Please stop it already!'
It shouldn't go on this long, should it? After holding back for so long, I pushed Ha Tae-heon's chest with irritation, but as expected, he didn't budge an inch. I'm going crazy.
Slurp, slurp—wet sounds echoed. Struggling to accept Ha Tae-heon, who was kissing me incessantly as if he had completely lost his mind, I suddenly jerked my hips back reflexively at a strange sensation I felt there.
A hot palm wrapped around my waist. Since I was still shirtless after talking to him immediately after the treatment, I couldn't help but be taken aback by the raw, direct contact of warmth pressing against me.
"Ha- Ha Tae-heon ssi?"
The large hand on my waist began to slowly creep upward. I grabbed Ha Tae-heon's wrist in a panic, but his movements showed no sign of stopping.
I opened my eyes wide in shock, and Ha Tae-heon's handsome face, which had been right in front of me while we were kissing, filled my vision. Among his features, his dark eyes which stared directly at me, particularly captivated my attention.
'No, why on earth…'
Why does he look like someone who hasn't eaten for days? I was completely dumbfounded by the look on Ha Tae-heon's face, which seemed to have completely lost all reason. Even in the midst of this, his hand was still fondling my waist.
It was impossible to keep my wits about me with his hand constantly creeping up toward my chest and Ha Tae-heon pressing his lips against mine so eagerly.
"Ugh, uh...."
Ha Tae-heon bit my lower lip quite hard, as if he didn't like that I was fumbling around and unable to focus on the kiss. When I involuntarily let out a moan at the stinging pain, he then gently licked the bitten lip as if to soothe me.
The kiss, which I thought would end quickly, went on and on until I was breathless, and the slow, lingering touch on my waist sent shivers down my spine. My head was spinning, and I eventually reached my limit.
At this rate, I'm going to lose my mind. I resolved to shake off Ha Tae-heon and run away, but even though I struggled desperately, he didn't even bat an eyelid—as if my attempts had no effect on him. You damn SS-class bastard.
"Ugh… stop!"
Finally, I turned my head to the side and snapped at him with genuine frustration, and only then did Ha Tae-heon hesitate. At that very moment, something purely white flew at incredible speed and slammed hard into Ha Tae-heon's forehead.
Peeek! Peeeeek!
"Fox?"
Before I could even figure out what had flown in, I heard a very familiar crying sound. I instinctively hugged the fox that came clinging to me in surprise.
"How did you get here...."
Peeek! Peek!
Perhaps because the fox was not an ordinary monster, a red mark was left on Ha Tae-heon's forehead where it had rammed into him with all its might.
Ha Tae-heon glared coldly at the fox that was wailing pitifully. Having been interrupted by the fox twice, Ha Tae-heon seemed deeply annoyed.
"...."
Ha Tae-heon squinted his eyes and stared at me. Reading the suspicion in his gaze, I hurriedly shook my head.
"I didn't bring it here! I definitely left it in my room—I have no idea why it's here."
It was true that the situation called for suspicion, but since I really hadn't brought the fox here, a sense of injustice welled up inside me.
'Could it be that it secretly followed me from the moment I left my room?'
Since the fox was a being imbued with the power of Elohim and Elaha, it was difficult to sense its energy, and because it could also become invisible, I wouldn't have been able to notice even if it followed me. The fox itself was also very well aware of this fact.
When I lifted the fox up to examine it, the little creature narrowed its eyes and lowered its ears. It was difficult to scold it as it cried pitifully, as if it had done nothing wrong.
"Ha… I'll get your clothes ready, so wait here."
Perhaps feeling the same way, Ha Tae-heon stood up from his seat instead of scolding the fox. Watching the back of Ha Tae-heon as he entered the dressing room, I whispered quietly to the fox.
"Good job."
Peek.
When I praised it sincerely, the fox let out a short cry, as if it had expected me to say that.
***
My plan to talk with Ha Tae-heon and return to the Requiem Guild was changed to sleeping at Ha Tae-heon's house and leaving in the morning due to that unidentified attack from before.
Just like the last time, I put on the pajamas Ha Tae-heon had prepared, slept in the same bed, and woke up early in the morning. After eating the breakfast Ha Tae-heon had prepared, I hitched a ride back to Requiem, and it was around 10 a.m.
And now.
"Yi-gyeol ssi, do you think this makes sense?"
"Well...."
"It has only been a week since I repeatedly warned you not to go out because it's dangerous, and you snuck out? And in the middle of the night at that? Are you some kind of rebellious teenager, Yi-gyeol ssi?"
"...."
I am getting thoroughly scolded by the team members who gathered after being called in by Ha Tae-heon.
I hung my head, trembling with a sense of betrayal at the sight of Min Ah-rin scolding me with a stern look on her face. I never dreamed that Ha Tae-heon would tell the team members about what happened last night.
Thanks to Ha Tae-heon, who had provided them with every detail—what time I arrived home, where I was injured, the extent of my injuries, and what the weapon was presumed to be—I was immediately apprehended by the team members who were already waiting for me the moment I arrived at my 23rd-floor room.
How could someone do something like that? Just a few hours ago, he was rushing toward me to kiss me—how could he betray me so easily? It was even more absurd that the very person who threw me at the team members was now leisurely sipping his coffee.
"I guess we'll have to remove all the windows from the 23rd-floor room."
"It seems like a better idea to remove the windows and install glass walls instead. I'll look into companies that specialize in manufacturing bulletproof glass."
As Cheon Sa-yeon muttered while clutching her forehead with a heartbroken expression, Woo Seo-hyeok chimed in. Hearing their conversation, Park Geon-ho's eyes sparkled.
"Oh, Secretary Woo Seo-hyeok. That sounds like a pretty good idea to me?"
'Good' my ass.
I wasn't even seriously injured, but my teammates seemed to see this as an opportunity to try and suppress my freedom. Of course, going out at night was my fault, but this was an excessive reaction.
I raised my head, ready to protest, but then my eyes met with Kim Woo-jin, who was sitting beside me with a deep, sorrowful expression.
"...."
When I saw his chestnut-brown eyes, glistening with tears, the urge to retort slipped right back down my throat. Kim Woo-jin was extremely pale, perhaps shocked by the news that I had gone out alone and been attacked.
…I'd better save my complaints for Cheon Sa-yeon or Ha Tae-heon and find time to talk to them separately. At the very least, I should do it when Kim Woo-jin isn't around.
"There, all done."
The treatment finished quickly, perhaps because the wound wasn't deep and Ha Tae-heon had treated it earlier that morning. I checked the condition of my shoulder and face, which had been left spotless without a trace thanks to Min Ah-rin's ability, and gave an awkward smile.
"Thank you."
"If you come back hurt like this again, I won't let you leave with just a scolding."
"Yeah, yeah...."
"Hyung, what am I supposed to do if you keep going out without a bodyguard and coming back injured? It puts me in such a bind."
"Sorry...."
Kwon Jeong-han chimed in from beside Min Ah-rin, who was sternly adding one more remark. Seeing the two of them, who were usually kind and are now being so strict, I just broke out in a cold sweat.
"Se-hyun-ah."
Behind me, where I was flustered and being held back by Mina Rin and Kwon Jeong-han, Elohim—who had been talking to the fox—called out to me. Like the other team members, Elohim was also a guest who had come to the 23rd-floor room early in the morning.
"Yes?"
As I straightened my clothes and hurriedly approached Elohim, seizing my chance to escape, I felt Min Ah-rin's sharp gaze piercing the back of my head.
"I listened to what the fox had to say."
Next to Elohim, who gave me a gentle smile, the fox sat at the dining table.
The fox, which had been sitting with a sulky expression, suddenly raised both of its front paws toward me. I picked up the spoiled brat while listening to Elohim's explanation.
"I hear he did not intend to follow you to the very end."
"Huh? Really?"
Peeek! peek!
The fox swung its front paws while still in my arms and smacked my jaw. Ow.
"At first, he was worried so he followed you for a little while, but as he was watching to make sure you were going the right way, you ended up getting attacked."
"Ah."
"It seems he continued to follow you nervously from then on. But as soon as he arrived at where you were, of all things, what he saw was…"
"J-just telling me that much is enough."
I quickly cut Elohim off. I knew all too well what the scene the fox had seen was, without even needing to hear it.
It was obvious that if Elohim were to mention that I had kissed Ha Tae-heon right now, it would cause way more chaos. Elohim smiled broadly, as if he was well aware of this fact.
Peek! Peeek!
The fox, still not over its anger, slapped my face with its paw. To summarize the fox's position, it seems it followed me all the way to Ha Tae-heon's house out of fear after I went outside in the middle of the night and was attacked.
I got scolded by Ha Tae-heon, I got scolded by my teammates, and now I've been scolded by Fox too. I don't even know how many people I've ended up getting scolded by just for trying to make up with Ha Tae-heon. Elohim, who had been watching me sigh inwardly with a peculiar look, opened his mouth.
"Now that things have settled down a bit, I guess it's time to start talking about more important things."
Right, an important matter. I had to explain 'Abyss' to the team members and discuss with everyone about how we should deal with the Praus Cult going forward.
I nodded with a heavy heart.
"Yes. That's why we all gathered here."