Kwon Taehyuk and Ryu Sunghyun both had the sa expression—like they couldn't quite believe what they’d just heard. Maybe he needed to explain it more?
"When I only hold hands, the buff lasts about five minutes. But if I increase the amount of physical contact, the duration extends accordingly. I don’t think I’ll be able to keep casting buffs every five minutes in the Great Dungeon. Last ti, when I gave you a buff on the snowy mountain, Vice-Guildmaster, it lasted about two hours. If I rember correctly, I put my hand inside your clothes and hugged you. Right?"
"What? You did what?"
"Hunter Cha Seohu, that’s—!"
"Should we try that again in the Great Dungeon? It’s a bit more hassle than a handshake, but it’s a two-hour buff, so I think it’s worth—are you two listening?"
Chirping away cheerfully, Seohu finally blinked as he realized the atmosphere had turned strange.
Kwon Taehyuk’s mouth was hanging open in pure shock, and Ryu Sunghyun had lowered his head with one hand covering his face. The blush on his cheek peeked out beneath his fingers.
‘What’s with them?’
Seohu furrowed his brow in disbelief as he looked at the two.
It wasn’t like he’d said anything outrageous. He was just suggesting a hug. Anyone listening would think he’d proposed rolling around in bed or sothing.
"If you don’t like it, then forget it. Just keep shaking hands and take your five-minute buff like before."
Neither of them looked particularly thrilled. Feeling a little offended, Seohu pouted slightly—at which point, both Kwon Taehyuk and Ryu Sunghyun suddenly jumped to their feet.
"No, that’s not it!"
"I-I don’t dislike it."
"It’s just that last ti was kind of an ergency, so I assud you’d go back to just handshakes. That’s why I was surprised."
The two scrambled to explain themselves, but Seohu just stared at them dryly.
CHANG!
A sharp shattering sound rang out from right beside them.
Startled, they turned to see a broken glass on the floor, juice spilled everywhere, and Cha Sahyeon sitting there expressionless, glaring at the shattered cup.
"What the hell, why’d you suddenly break the glass? Are you hurt?"
Startled, Seohu quickly swept the glass shards aside and checked Sahyeon’s hand. Of course, Sahyeon’s hand was perfectly fine. If an L-rank got hurt from sothing like this, that’d be even more ridiculous.
The tension that had been tightening the air in the living room loosened in an instant.
Kwon Taehyuk and Ryu Sunghyun, now pushed to the background by Sahyeon, both let out defeated sighs.
While Seohu was tending to his brother, the two n continued to replay his proposal in their minds over and over—and their gazes finally t in the air.
"......"
"......"
No words were needed.
They wouldn’t have said no in the first place, but now that the other was involved, backing down was no longer an option.
***
The conversation about the buff fizzled out as they cleaned up the broken glass and spilled drink.
‘Well, if they said they didn’t dislike it, that’s basically agreent, right?’
Interpreting things however he pleased, Seohu followed Ryu Sunghyun to the front door as he finished getting ready to leave. It was the least he could do to see him off, since he couldn’t go outside.
"Hunter Cha Seohu."
Ryu Sunghyun, watching Seohu with a sowhat complicated expression, cautiously opened his mouth.
"Actually... the real reason I ca was to ask you to reconsider entering the Great Dungeon."
"Oh, really?"
He had thought it was strange that Sunghyun had co all the way here—after all, they could have handled the hotel incident over the phone.
When Seohu didn’t look offended, Ryu Sunghyun gave a bitter smile and continued.
"But after hearing everything today, I realized it wasn’t the right ti to say sothing like that. Hunter Cha Seohu really is an excellent supporter, and it wouldn’t be right for to try and stop you for no reason. So... I hope you can just take it as being worried about you."
The calm tone, so familiar from before the regression, made Seohu’s heart skip a little.
That Ryu Sunghyun had been worried about him—he already knew they’d grown close, but hearing it still made him happy, like it was the first ti.
"Just the fact that you worried about is more than enough. I’m also grateful you ca to see ."
Even though he tried to keep his feelings in check, the sparkle in his eyes betrayed him.
Ryu Sunghyun, watching those shining eyes with a satisfied smile, lightly took Seohu’s wrist, then let go and walked away.
A warm sensation lingered on his skin.
Before the regression, Ryu would’ve patted him on the head. It made Seohu think that maybe they were still a long way from having that kind of relationship again.
"Hunter Cha Seohu."
Kwon Taehyuk, who had been observing the farewell from behind, jumped in the mont Ryu Sunghyun was out the door.
"About that buff you ntioned earlier."
"Yes?"
"You said... you put your hand inside the clothes... and hugged him. What exactly did you an by that?"
Cha Sahyeon, who had been clinging closely to Seohu, now looked up at him with the sa intense curiosity in his eyes.
Seohu, who saw no real problem with it, shrugged casually.
"I ant it literally. It’s just a position that allows maximum physical contact for giving a buff."
"What in the world..."
"A handshake only touches the hand, but a hug makes contact with the cheek or the back of the neck, depending on how it's done. And if you slide a bare hand under the clothes, that’s even more contact."
"......"
"I’ll explain again once we’re in the Great Dungeon, but if possible, please roll up your sleeves above the elbow. It works better when I can touch the entire forearm—"
"Th-that’s enough! You don’t need to explain any further!"
Kwon Taehyuk, face completely red, cut him off in a panic. Seohu crossed his arms in displeasure at the more intense reaction than before.
"Guildmaster, just so you know, I’m not doing this on purpose. It’s not like I’m insisting because I want to rub up against you or sothing."
"Rub up—! No, no, of course not! I absolutely understand!"
"If you get that embarrassed, it just makes uncomfortable. This isn’t that kind of physical contact, is it?"
Honestly, he didn’t understand why n got so flustered about this. If soone said it made them uncomfortable, that # Nоvеlight # would at least make sense.
"If you really don’t want to, just say so. We can stick to handshakes more frequently."
"That’s not it at all. I just..."
Snapped out of it by Seohu’s cold tone, Kwon Taehyuk finally responded in a calr voice.
"It’s just that this kind of situation is new to ... I was a little surprised. But if you’re offering a buff, I’ll gladly accept it."
"Alright, then."
New to him. That made sense.
Considering Kwon Taehyuk’s personality, he definitely didn’t seem like the type to go around rubbing skin for buffs.
‘I just hope he does okay in the Great Dungeon. I’ll have to hug him quickly before anyone notices.’
Now that he’d given the explanation, he could help guide him through it. Even if he fumbled at first, he’d get used to it soon enough.
As Seohu thought ahead, he casually looked over Kwon Taehyuk’s body.
Muscles visible even under the suit jacket, big hands peeking out from beneath the sleeves, and long legs stretching downward.
"...Hunter Cha Seohu?"
Kwon Taehyuk turned red again as he realized Seohu’s gaze was running down his body. It was obvious—Seohu wasn’t even trying to hide it.
When Seohu’s eyes landed on his thighs, Kwon couldn’t take it anymore and practically shouted,
"I-I have urgent matters to attend to, so I’ll be going now...!"
"Huh? Oh. Okay."
Seohu blinked in confusion as Kwon bolted out the door. What the hell was that?
With the two large n gone, the already spacious living room felt even emptier. Seohu moved to clean up the remaining glasses on the table, but Sahyeon tugged on his clothes.
"Hyung, too."
"Huh?"
"I want a buff too."
"......"
You now, huh? Exhausted, Seohu turned his head away as if he hadn’t heard, but Sahyeon imdiately latched on and started whining.
"I want a buff too! I want one!"
"You’re supposed to be hiding your power, and now you want a buff? Are you serious?"
"You gave those bastards one! I want one too!"
"Those bastards? Watch your mouth."
Seohu might let it slide with Kwon, but calling Ryu Sunghyun a bastard was crossing a line.
His expression imdiately darkened, but this ti, Sahyeon didn’t back down easily.
"You don’t have to give a buff. Just let touch. I want to touch you too."
"What kind of bullshit is this..."
A headache surged through Seohu as he pressed a hand to his forehead.
Sahyeon, unfazed, wrapped both arms tightly around Seohu’s waist and declared boldly,
"I’m your brother. If they get to do it, I should be allowed to, too."
He looked like he’d even rip off the choker if it ant getting his way. After getting pushed around by both Ryu and Kwon, now even Sahyeon was driving him nuts. Seohu let out a deep sigh.
"Fine, touch , whatever. Do whatever the hell you want. You already cling to constantly anyway, what’s with this sudden need for permission?"
Even just this morning, Sahyeon had woken up in Seohu’s bed, not his own. Seohu had no idea when he’d snuck in, but he’d woken up to find him clinging tightly to his back.
Now asking if he could touch him—was beyond ridiculous to Seohu.
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