"I still don't want you to go, even as a backup..."
Kneeling on Yoon Seoyul's lap, Cheon Areum faced him directly, gazing up at him with an unabashed, radiant smile. His arms were loosely draped around Seoyul's neck, fingers resting there as if they belonged, drawing them close in an intimate, unguarded embrace.
"Too bad I'm a sucker for my husband. I'm not letting you go anywhere where I haven't been."
"....."
Rendering him speechless again for the second time today alone, Yoon Seoyul offered no reply. His thoughts scattered the moment Cheon Areum leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips while his hand caught Yoon Seoyul's at his own waist and guided it beneath his jacket, pressing it against the warm, bare skin there instead.
"What are you wearing?"
Startled by the feel of bare skin beneath the jacket, Yoon Seoyul paused and asked, genuine curiosity slipping into his voice. In response, Cheon Areum hooked his fingers into the zipper and slowly drew it down, revealing a fitted crop top underneath—clearly new, clearly chosen with intention.
"I chose something less shocking. Since my abs are still visible, I wanted to show them off."
Yoon Seoyul stared hard at him before quickly zipping up his jacket.
"Keep the jacket on. There will be a lot of people there."
"I knew it; that's why I put it on in the first place. You should brag about me, Yoon Seoyul, instead of hiding me away from the world. It's such a waste of my beauty."
"They don't need to see it."
"And you do?"
Cheon Areum laughed at Yoon Seoyul's statement.
"You really couldn't come up with a better excuse."
Still caught in the remnants of his laughter, Yoon Seoyul suddenly cupped the back of Cheon Areum's head and pulled him in, sealing their lips in a tight, unrestrained kiss. The contact was abrupt and heated, snuffing out the sound of amusement. The kiss only fed the embers Cheon Areum had been struggling to keep under control—desire that had been simmering for an entire week, ever since Yoon Seoyul had been too busy to come home, too busy even to sleep beside him. What little restraint he had left cracked, the fire flaring back to life all at once. Right at that moment, noticing his fervor, Yoon Seoyul put a full stop to the kiss and trapped his hands that were about to get in his pants.
"Later."
Yoon Seoyul spoke a single word, dousing Cheon Areum with cold water.
"...."
*
The Hangang Bridge—the first permanent bridge ever built over the Han River—had become the epicenter of the newly emerged S+ Class gate. The area had already been thoroughly evacuated, the once-bustling surroundings reduced to emptiness. Only verified vehicles were permitted entry now, and even then, under strict surveillance.
Despite taking their time on the way, Yoon Seoyul's car arrived before anyone else, cutting cleanly through the controlled perimeter. Agents from the Central Bureau had the entire zone locked down, equipment set up and running as they monitored the gate's energy in real time. Streams of data flickered across their screens, every fluctuation analyzed with precision, alert for even the slightest abnormality that could signal something going wrong.
The gate was still encircled by a rope-like wire that emitted a steady, sharp beeping as it pulsed with warning signals. The barrier formed a wide perimeter around the gate, clearly marking it as restricted territory, and it had yet to be removed—an unmistakable sign that hunters had not been granted permission to enter. Until that wire came down, the gate remained sealed off. The device had been set up to contain any potential explosion from the gate. While it wasn't powerful enough to completely neutralize a full-scale detonation, it provided a layer of precaution—far from perfect, but infinitely better than leaving the threat entirely unchecked.
"They're sure taking their sweet time."
Sitting on the hood of the car, Cheon Areum spoke as they waited for the other hunters. All the S-Class hunters that weren't in a dungeon already were called for the S+ Class gate, excluding one who had refused to come. Everyone else who had agreed was from the top three guilds of the country.
The top-ranking guild was, unsurprisingly, Brutavernum, a powerhouse bolstered by Cheon Areum—the only guild in the country boasting an S+ Class hunter. Following them was the Aurora Guild, ranked second, distinguished by housing the nation's sole S-Class healer and counting Lee Nari among its members.
The three cars that arrived shortly after belonged to the Aurora Guild, who had dispatched three of their S-Class awakeners. The first was the guild master, a male beta who functioned as a living energy reservoir, storing and channeling the stolen energy harvested from dungeon monsters. The second was Jihyeon, the S-Class omega healer, renowned for his unparalleled restorative abilities. The third was a beta female whose very energy was poisonous to everything except herself.
Cheon Areum leapt down from the car hood as the Aurora Guild's awakeners approached. Their attention immediately fell on him, and they moved to greet him. Among them, the one who drew his interest first was Jihyeon. He stepped forward, extending his hand toward him, and Jihyeon met it, their fingers clasping in a firm, unshakable handshake.
"I would totally fuc—"
Fuck you.
Before he could finish speaking, Yoon Seoyul slammed a hand over his mouth, cutting off the words. His mind, however, betrayed him, still captivated by Jihyeon's undeniably alluring presence. Never one to ignore an attractive person, Cheon Areum's gaze lingered intently on him, sharp and assessing, until Jihyeon, clearly uncomfortable under the scrutiny, hesitated and withdrew his hand from the handshake.
"Han Kakta. I came specifically for you, Mr. Cheon Areum."
The guild master of the Aurora Guild greeted him with a confident side smile, his tone carrying both respect and a subtle edge of amusement.