FLIA 180

“It is already late. How and where would you like to sleep, Hyunmook-ssi? We do have a guest room, but if you would be more comfortable staying in Yohan’s room…”

Yang Hwapyeong, his face red from a couple of drinks, trailed off as he asked the question. His demeanor remained so polite that it felt as if a wall had been built between them. Lee Hyunmook also answered politely.

“No. It would be uncomfortable for Yohan, so I will stay in the guest room.”

It was only after hearing this conversation that Yohan put down the fork holding the fruit. Why would they insist on asking if he wanted to stay in the guest room or his own? Of course he would sleep in the guest room… ah! Mom and Dad must have seen that article!

“Mom! Did you see the thing about me getting laser-attacked in Shanghai?”

“What? You were attacked?”

Yang Hwapyeong and Kim Yejoo were startled by the bold remark Yohan made. When he showed them the follow-up article released by the Taeyang Guild today, a look of relief flashed across their faces, as if they had guessed the situation based solely on the morning’s paparazzi photos.

“I almost hurt my eyes. Isn’t it a relief that I’m a high-level awakener?”

“Good heavens! I can’t believe such lunatics exist. Why would they do something like this!”

“Right? It turns out there were groups hating on awakeners there too. Fortunately, we managed to catch him and make sure he was punished.”

When Yohan deliberately acted childish and spoiled, the two of them fell for it completely. Although they had managed to get through the crisis, unlike Yang Hwapyeong, who was completely relieved, Kim Yejoo seemed to sense something suspicious. Because she kept watching him subtly whenever he was nearby, Yohan couldn’t even get close to Lee Hyunmook for the entire few days they stayed at the house.

He had no intention of doing anything unwholesome with Lee Hyunmook at home. If his somewhat conservative parents were to find out that he had a same-sex lover, they would lose their minds. Nevertheless, the reason he felt wronged was undoubtedly because of that paparazzi shot.

After spending his days feeling down, Yohan was finally able to seize an opportunity. Lee Hyunmook, who had gone out for breakfast in the morning and returned after finishing a phone call, spoke up.

“Something happened at the guild today, so I have to head to Gangneung. I hear that an urgent purification is needed during the research on high-grade monsters byproducts.”

“Really? Go check it out right away! You mean the Daegwallyeong Research Institute, right?”

Startled, Yohan jumped up from the sofa where he had been lying lazily. He was particularly concerned because there had previously been an incident where cockroach-like creatures from a certain byproduct research lab escaped and formed a colony in an area managed by the guild. Fortunately, Yoon Seungryong had cleaned it up completely without leaving a trace, but he felt it was better to set things right before they happened.

As Yohan quickly retrieved the weapon he had left in the room, Yang Hwapyeong and Kim Yejoo saw him off with concern.

“You must go carefully and come back safely!”

“Of course! Don’t worry! I was fine even in much more dangerous places.”

After reassuring the two of them, they set off in Lee Hyunmook’s car, which was parked nearby. Yohan only learned the truth when Lee Hyunmook suggested stopping at a rest area to buy snacks in case he got hungry.

“Is it okay to stop by a rest area?”

“Actually, nothing really happened.”

“What?!”

Yohan, who had been diligently maintaining his weapon while riding in the car, looked at Lee Hyunmook. Lee Hyunmook lowered his eyebrows apologetically and spoke.

“I made up an excuse because I wanted to be alone with you. …Was that inconvenient? But I built a nice villa over there.”

Yohan gaped wide, then grinned, before slowly lowering his weapon and fiddling with his hand. He then tried hard to keep the corners of his mouth from rising and answered politely. It had little effect, though, so he ended up grinning.

“No, not really… it wasn’t inconvenient….”

“Let’s go look around the ranch and then rest at the villa. It just so happens there was something I’d wanted to show you for a while.”

“Yes! Great!”

What could it possibly be that his lover wanted to show him to bring him all the way to the Daegwallyeong research institute?  Yohan harbored expectations. Upon arriving in Daegwallyeong, Lee Hyunmook headed elsewhere instead of to the institute. The car stopped in front of a ranch. After getting out, Yohan looked curiously at the sturdy 10-meter metal fence surrounding the ranch in layers.

“What are you raising here that you’ve set up such security measures?”

Traveling around the world, Yohan had seen many countries raising corrupted creatures. The purpose was to supplement insufficient food supplies by breeding animals and plants that had grown unusually big or possessed stronger vitality due to the effects of corruption. Korea managed to weather the food shortage, but it was a serious problem as starvation deaths were occurring one after another in many countries.

“Go inside and see for yourself.”

As Lee Hyunmook opened the fence gate and urged him on with a smile, Yohan stepped inside in a daze. The green pastures were filled with the cool air characteristic of Daegwallyeong. As Yohan looked around, an animal running toward him came into his field of vision.

Meeeee~

At the familiar bleating sound, Yohan gasped and covered his mouth.

“No way…!”

A huge sheep came running toward them, bleating happily. Yohan ran to meet it and hugged the sheep. It had grown much bigger than when he last saw it. It had become a fully grown sheep.

“Oh, Cloud!”

As if the reunion was just as welcome, the sheep stomped its legs repeatedly. After hearing the sheep’s name, which he had never heard in the Abyss, Lee Hyunmook couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“I didn’t know you even gave it a name.”

“Because if we are going to raise it properly, we would need a name to call it! I thought it had returned to its own family while I was sleeping.”

In those few days, Yohan had grown attached to the lamb. He vividly remembered how heartbroken he had been when it disappeared after he woke up, especially since he had even pondered in the Abyss how best to raise it. As Yohan looked at him with a gaze asking what had happened, Lee Hyunmook apologized.

“I brought it here because I thought it would just die if I left it there. I’m sorry for hiding it from you all this time, Yohan-ah.”

“No, it’s fine! I’m just happy to see it again…. Have you been doing well here?”

Yohan didn’t care that Lee Hyunmook had deceived him. It was because of the Abyss’s environment that could hardly be described as peaceful. It was difficult to take a sheep around, and even if he had, he wouldn’t have been able to protect it while traveling. He was simply happy that this sheep had managed to escape with him from that terrible place. Holding the sheep, which was big but docile, in a soft embrace, Yohan suddenly lifted his head.

“I’ve been thinking, I’ll call it Taeyang instead of Cloud. It’s really big now. It must be the biggest sheep on Earth, right?”

Now that he said it out loud, it sounded really plausible. Tae (big), Yang (sheep). It felt like the perfect name for this sheep.

“Taeyang… Right, it’s a good name.”

However, it was a mystery why Lee Hyunmook was smiling at Yohan himself rather than at the sheep. Feeling unnecessarily shy, Yohan chattered on, suggesting they make it their guild mascot. After doting on the sheep for a while, they fed it fodder and looked around the nearby crops with the help of the sheep caretaker, who was excited about the celebrities’ visit. Surprisingly, the vegetables and fruits were the ones Yoon Seungryong had secretly raised at home but had been confiscated after being caught.

“It’s grown so much…?!”

A fairly large field was being operated here. The accompanying researcher explained with a proud and pleased expression.

“These guys grow vigorously just by planting them. It doesn’t matter what kind of fertilizer you use, to the extent that all of Daegwallyeong’s waste ends up here. If their aggressive nature and excessive reproductive capacity can be further improved, they will become a valuable food source in the future.

Listening to the researcher’s explanation, Yohan picked and ate these extraordinary fruits and vegetables for the first time in a long while. They were sweet and delicious in the Abyss, but here they tasted rather ordinary. He couldn’t tell if the taste was idealized because he ate them in such a harsh and grueling place, or if they had been modified. In any case, it was nice to see them again. They also were memories of the Abyss.

Since he was already at the research institute, Yohan purified the byproducts that were difficult to dispose of due to their high corruption levels. Spending time peacefully with the sheep made it feel like a proper ranch date. However, not entirely satisfied, Yohan glanced around and spoke bravely.

“I want to see that villa.”

Anyone could have heard him, but since he had ulterior motives, his voice was almost a whisper. Lee Hyunmook leaned toward Yohan without even looking around. And he answered in an equally low voice.

“Actually, I wanted to take you to the villa too.”

“……!”

Was it really something to be this embarrassed about? Yohan’s cheeks flushed. The sunlight must have been unusually strong today. Without saying a word, he shyly followed Lee Hyunmook.

The villa was located not far from the Daegwallyeong Research Institute. It was modest in size, but it looked more than enough for just the two of them. It appeared to be well-maintained, as there wasn’t a single speck of dust anywhere. As soon as they entered the villa, Yohan checked for any signs of life; upon confirming that no one was there, he suddenly hugged Lee Hyunmook tightly. Lee Hyunmook returned the hug and simply lingered there with him. Yohan smiled softly.

“I love being alone with just the two of us.”

“Until now we were always with the team members.”

Lee Hyunmook placed his hands under Yohan’s buttocks and lifted him up gently. He walked forward, laid him down on the soft bed, and showered him with tickling kisses on his cheeks, his neck, and his ears.

“My Yangyang.”

Lee Hyunmook called out gently, casting a warm shadow over Yohan.

“I really like it when you call me that, hyung….”

Yohan, who had been severely lacking physical intimacy with his lover, was already panting.

“…Hmm, should I make a nickname too?”