VSP 89

[Sejun-nim.]

“If you say something weird, I’ll shut you off.”

At times like this, the system always said something that stabbed Sejun right in the gut, so Sejun growled to block it.

[You’re sulking because Hunter Cha Dogyeong didn’t contact you.]

Of course, as always, the system didn’t care about Sejun’s reaction. Sejun, whose feelings were hurt, was overcome with emotion.

“Damn it, why do you always draw that kind of conclusion?!”

Just as he was about to get angry, a loud notification sound made Sejun hurriedly check his phone.

[See? You were waiting.]

The system teased him to no end. But Sejun didn’t get angry at it.

“…Guess I’m not a gentleman.”

He would’ve been furious if it had been an advertisement message, but fortunately, it wasn’t. It was the message he had been waiting for.

‘Cha Dogyeong: Sejun-hyung.’

He just called Sejun, no actual message yet. Sejun looked at the screen with a strange expression.

[That’s true.]

The system agreed with his words about not being a gentleman, but Sejun didn’t reply and just stared at the message.

“…..”

Sejun-hyung. Sejun naturally imagined Cha Dogyeong’s voice calling his name.

That bastard’s voice sounds too damn good.

Sejun cursed Dogyeong for no reason. That ‘hyung’ didn’t sound bad, but it gave him a weird feeling.

Normally, he always called him Seo Sejun, but sometimes, whenever he felt like it, he’d suddenly call him hyung. Lately, that term had been coming out of Cha Dogyeong’s mouth more often.

And every time Sejun heard it, he felt uncomfortable in a way he couldn’t explain.

It wasn’t like he’d never been called hyung before, but it felt strange.

But the bigger problem wasn’t the word ‘hyung.’ It was the next message that arrived after that.

‘Cha Dogyeong: Are you free on Friday?’

Sejun stared at that message quietly, then, feeling confused, he scrolled up to reread the earlier part of their conversation, came back down, stared again, then fidgeted with the app, closing and reopening, unsure what to do.

If it was about time, he had plenty of it. Unlike other hunters who were busy, Sejun’s schedule was so empty that sometimes he wondered if it was okay to live this leisurely, except for when he was occasionally called to a dungeon.

Dogyeong knew that, so it was probably just a polite way to ask.

…But why? The real issue was why this guy was asking about his schedule.

In the end, Sejun typed a reply with quick taps.

‘Me: I don’t really have plans.’

Should I have played a little hard to get? But what do I know about flirting or dating.

While Sejun fidgeted nervously, the ‘1’ mark disappeared instantly, and a reply immediately arrived.

‘Cha Dogyeong: Then hang out with me.’

Sejun checked the message once, twice, three times. Just like when he’d checked the earlier one asking about Friday, he tilted his phone this way and that, wondering if it was real. His fingers twitched over the screen, but he couldn’t bring himself to type a reply, hesitating over and over.

[It sounds like Hunter Cha Dogyeong is asking Sejun-nim out on a date.]

Sejun hesitated, unable to reply, but the system threw a fastball at him.

“…Ha.”

Sejun scratched the back of his head.

Thinking about it now was ridiculous, but the truth was, Sejun had sulked because Dogyeong hadn’t contacted him, his heart had raced when he heard that Dogyeong fought Lee Dohun because of him, and even though he admitted that there was something between them, he still hadn’t fully accepted it.

Lately, Dogyeong said he wasn’t dating anyone, yet he kept giving Sejun signals, picking a doll for him, and now even asking him out.

But is this really okay?

That thought had tormented Sejun for days, filled his head again. Is this okay? Is this right? Is this real?

Everything that seemed like it should be good for the main mission only made his thoughts more complicated.

If someone asked whether he liked it, he would say no.

If all of this had been forced for the mission, Sejun, who had always believed himself to be straight, would’ve found it unbearable.

But now, being with Cha Dogyeong didn’t feel unpleasant.

But am I really turning gay? Just like this? No, more than that, Dogyeong, why are you doing this to me?

He likes women. Is he really fine with this?

…Are those feelings real?

[They are.]

While Sejun was inwardly groaning, the system tried to give him the red pill.

“Ah, shut up!”

Sejun shouted, interrupting the system. When he frowned, the system, having stopped what it was about to say, uttered a “hmm.”

[So what will you do?]

What would he do? That was the same question Sejun asked himself.

And he didn’t have an answer. Who could know? Even the original author wouldn’t know the right one at this point.

“I’ll just follow where my heart goes.”

Unlike before, when he claimed he hated it, Sejun had come to like Cha Dogyeong. But he still didn’t know if that feeling was strong enough to overturn the worldview he’d lived with for over twenty years. And every now and then, he still doubted whether all of this was the damn author’s fault.

So all Sejun could do was face it head-on.

[Do you even know where that heart is heading?]

“…..”

Sejun stared at the the message that asked him to hang out, which was no different from a date invitation, then he opened his mouth.

“I’ll know when I see him this time.”

Sejun sent the reply. His hand moved without hesitation, as if all his earlier doubts had been an illusion.

‘What are we going to do for fun?’

The read mark immediately disappeared. Cha Dogyeong replied very quickly.

‘Cha Dogyeong: Sejun-hyung.’

‘Cha Dogyeong: You said you don’t dislike amusement parks, right?’

•••

The land of dreams and hope.

No, the land of dreams and fantasy… or was it something else? Anyway, that was the slogan it had been advertised with for years.

When he was little, he went there for school field trips or occasionally on weekends, but after he grew older, he never went again because he had no one to go with, and it felt uncomfortable to visit alone since he was too well known.

On a bright Friday morning, Sejun stood there again.

And with him was Cha Dogyeong.

“Oh!”

“Huh?”

“Oh…!”

Most people who saw Cha Dogyeong reacted as if that was the only sound they could make, their mouths forming perfect circles as they pointed at him.

Of course, that wasn’t strange. Even if he weren’t famous, Cha Dogyeong had a face that would make anyone turn their head at least once. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and impossible to overlook.

And since he happened to be the most famous hunter in the world, his face was one everyone knew. So being recognized wasn’t anything special.

“It’s Seo Sejun!”

…Sometimes, there were strange people who ignored the famous one beside him and instead gawked at Sejun.

“Were they ever close? I don’t think so.”

“Is that what matters right now? Look at where they are.”

“To me, it looks like everything’s wrong with both of them…”

Having good hearing was uncomfortable at times like this. While people whispered endlessly as they looked at them, Sejun looked at Cha Dogyeong.

“What?”

The one who had dragged him here in the first place looked at him as if he didn’t see any problem.

“Seo Sejun, you said you don’t hate amusement parks.”

Then, misunderstanding Sejun’s look for something else, he asked that, and Sejun made a confused face.

“…I did say that.”

He didn’t have many memories of having fun at amusement parks as a kid, so he had longed for the place.

If asked whether he liked it, he couldn’t say he disliked it.

But that didn’t mean he ever wanted to come to one while getting this much attention.

Because they’d come right at opening time, crowds had already gathered at the gate. The moment people noticed them, their faces lit up like they’d been hit by dopamine, and they started chattering, grabbing their phones, filming, and spreading photos online.

By now, probably hundreds of group chats were already buzzing about the two of them.

For people, this pairing was guaranteed excitement. Even Sejun thought that Cha Dogyeong and Seo Sejun didn’t make a natural pair.

How could anyone resist talking about this? It was Cha Dogyeong and Seo Sejun.

Both of them stood out, and the two of them, who were known for not getting along, were now standing side by side.

At an amusement park, no less.

As the crowd stirred with noise about the park’s opening, and as countless eyes burned into them, Sejun quietly asked Dogyeong.

“Didn’t you hate standing out?”

“I don’t like it.”

That immediate answer was exactly what Sejun expected. He tilted his head slightly.

“Then why an amusement park?”

Of all popular date spots, most had crowds, but if he had to pick the one packed with the most people, it would be an amusement park. So among the possible choices, this was the worst one. Why this place, of all places?

Dogyeong, who caught the meaning behind his question, looked at him.

“I don’t know either.”

“…..?”

“I didn’t know where I should take you.”

“……”

“I didn’t know where to go so that you’d like it.”

He let out a small breath that sounded almost like a sigh and avoided Sejun’s gaze.

“This was the only place I could think of.”