VSP 97

By the time Sejun finally realized that he couldn’t change the past that had passed and had finally come to terms with it, quite some time had passed.

Sejun, who had been calming his mind and body thanks to Cha Dogyeong, who d idn’t come back in to see whether Sejun screamed or not, sighed for the umpteenth time since morning.

For some reason, he felt awkward leaving like this. He sat on the bed where he had been lying and swung his legs. Looking around, he saw the room was clean and tidy, with no furniture other than a bed, a side table, and a built-in closet. It was a typical guest room.

“How did I get here?”

[Hunter Cha Dogyeong drove here.]

“That’s not what I’m asking!”

[If you hear the answer, you’ll hate it and get annoyed with me.]

What on earth did he do? Sejun trembled in fear for a moment.

“I won’t get annoyed.”

He made the offer as if he were opening Pandora’s box. After a short pause, the system answered.

[He carried you in princess-style.]

Ah, shit.

Before he could even begin to think about regretting not listening, the system continued speaking.

[He washed you himself, changed your clothes, and even cleaned between your legs carefully…]

“Stop. Please. Stop.”

The price for opening Pandora’s box was harsh. Unlike Pandora’s, Sejun’s box held no hope. His clean body had given him some idea of what happened, but reality proved even crueler than he’d imagined.

Damn it, isn’t Cha Dogyeong out of his mind? He doesn’t even look like that kind of guy, so why is he so meticulous?

Not only had he carried Sejun home when he was barely conscious, but he had even washed him, changed his clothes, and laid him down in the guest room.

It was unbelievable that he hadn’t woken up once while all that was happening, no matter how exhausted he had been.

“Haa…”

As Sejun rubbed his face, he suddenly froze when he felt an unfamiliar sensation under his fingers.

“What is this?”

He lowered his hand from his face and finally noticed what he hadn’t realized since waking up because it felt so natural.

A ring.

It was a ring with a polished finish and a sparkling jewel, the kind of elegant design that could easily be mistaken for a couple ring. But as a Hunter, he could tell it was an item.

[Oath of Destiny

Category: Special Item

Grade: S-rank

Effect: Reduces total mana consumption of all skills by 50%. Allows activation of one S-rank shield skill once per day.]

Sejun stared at the item information, his mouth hanging open for a long time.

[That’s amazing.]

The system read the information and exclaimed in awe.

[It looks like an ordinary couple ring, but a 50% reduction in mana consumption? I’ve never seen anything like that.]

Sejun felt the same. S-rank? That was a rarity even among the rarest. Even clearing an S-rank dungeon hardly guaranteed an S-rank item. There were barely any countries in the world that owned such items, and yet here it was.

Not only was the rank absurdly high, but its ability to halve mana usage and activate an S-rank shield skill made it ridiculously overpowered.

It also happened to provide exactly the abilities Sejun needed most, but the generosity went beyond reason.

He stared at the item for a moment, then suddenly jumped up from the bed, no longer blushing or flustered. He walked out to the living room.

Cha Dogyeong was sitting on the sofa, staring at his phone. The delivery he had mentioned was already ordered. Sejun walked up to him and thrust his hand forward, the ring shining on his finger.

“Cha Dogyeong, what is this?”

Before yesterday, before things got that way between them in the car, there had been nothing on Sejun’s hand. That meant the only person who could have put the ring on him was Cha Dogyeong.

Looking at Sejun, who questioned him with certainty, Cha Dogyeong didn’t bother denying it, he just smiled.

“So you finally saw it?”

His calm voice, as if he had expected it, was exactly what a culprit would sound like.

“I asked someone I know to make it. How is it? Do you like it?”

“Whether I like it or not isn’t the issue. Are you crazy? Why did you put this on me?”

“Because it’s yours.”

That answer left Sejun speechless.

“Why… this?”

“Because you need it.”

The single line cooled his chest instantly.

But in the next moment, his insides boiled up again. The mess of emotions made Sejun close his eyes.

If he thought about it simply, it should have been something to be happy about.

Cha Dogyeong had thought of him enough to ask someone to craft something special, and it was something Sejun desperately needed.

But did Sejun deserve to receive such a precious item?If anyone asked, Sejun would certainly answer that he did not.

He did not deserve it.

Did Cha Dogyeong know?

Did he know that the man he had kissed, slept with, and even made such a valuable item for was someone bound to him only because of a mission?

Of course he did not know. That was the only reason he acted like this.

Even if this item was something Sejun desperately needed, and even if Sejun was drawn to Cha Dogyeong, he could not accept it. He must not.

“I can’t take this.”

“Why?”

“You can’t even buy something like this with money. Isn’t it incredible? It’d be better off in someone else’s hands than with someone like me.”

Of course, this was an item anyone could expect dramatic results from. Especially for Sejun, who constantly struggled with mana shortage and who, when his mana ran out, could rely only on his relatively sturdy body for defense, it was an essential item.

But even if it wasn’t him, it would benefit anyone who used it.

“Someone like you?”

Since Sejun couldn’t accept it anyway, he had spoken carelessly, but something about those words made Cha Dogyeong frown.

“What do you mean by someone like you?”

“Do I really have to explain it myself?”

This time, it was Sejun who frowned. He was good at pretending to be confident, but no one knew his own weaknesses better than he did.

He sighed and ran a rough hand through his hair.

“It’d be better for you to use it than me.”

“I made it for you. And I’ve never once felt short on mana. If it’s with me, it won’t even see the light of day.”

Since Cha Dogyeong was the world’s most famous hunter, his basic stats were already well-known. His mana capacity alone was at least ten times greater than Sejun’s.

And he was an awakened EX-rank hunter, the true overpowered type, it was true that he had no need for such an item.

“Then sell it.”

As Sejun stretched out his hand, determined not to keep it, Cha Dogyeong frowned harder.

“Sell it? If you won’t take it, then I’ll just throw it away.”

“What?”

“I’ll throw it away.”

Sejun shut his mouth.

Others might laugh at such a ridiculous threat, but Cha Dogyeong was the type who did what he said. Even if it were an EX-rank item, he would actually throw it away if he felt like it.

When Sejun remained silent even after that, Cha Dogyeong sighed.

“What’s wrong, Seo Sejun? You were fine just yesterday. What changed all of a sudden?”

He knelt in front of Sejun, who was sitting with his head down, and brushed aside the hair that fell over his forehead.

That overly gentle touch made Sejun’s conscience ache even more. He had felt guilty ever since he saw the ring.

“You don’t want to talk?”

“……”

His mind and his heart were both complicated. Sejun kept silent because it was hard even to define what he was feeling. Cha Dogyeong sighed again.

“I didn’t expect you to thank me, but I didn’t expect a reaction like this either.”

Those words filled him with guilt.

Whatever the case, Cha Dogyeong had made this item purely out of goodwill and had given it as a gift, while Sejun was acting like he could neither take nor reject it.

“It’s not because I hate it…”

Sejun finally muttered, and Cha Dogyeong nodded.

“I know. I really made it for you. You don’t have to use it. Just keep it.”

The moment he finished speaking, the doorbell rang.

Through the video intercom, a delivery man could be seen waiting for the door to open.

Cha Dogyeong patted the back of Sejun’s hand and stood up.

“Let’s eat breakfast.”

In the end, Sejun could not return that crazy item. Maybe it was his imagination, but his finger felt heavy. He fiddled with the ring, then stood and walked toward the bathroom.

When he washed his face with cold water, his head cleared a little.

Through the view blurred by water, he could still see his own sunken face in the mirror.

[That’s the item Sejun-nim needs most.]

The system, which had stayed quiet, finally spoke.

[Why did you refuse it?]

That was a question Sejun could not answer.