Chapter 126: Chapter 126

“I want an equal relationship, J.”

Uijae frowned.

“An equal relationship?”

“Yeah.”

Sayoung nodded lightly, his thumb brushing under Uijae’s eye as if to smooth out the frown. Uijae bit the inside of his cheek.

There are words you understand the meaning of but can’t quite grasp emotionally. *Equal relationship* was one of those for Cha Uijae. It didn’t make sense to him. He felt responsible for Lee Sayoung. He had saved him, protected him, and then failed to save him again…

‘But why would Sayoung want this?’

His thoughts abruptly cut off. Sayoung, watching Uijae’s expression, spoke softly, as if trying to soothe him.

“No matter how much I explain it here... it probably won’t sink in.”

Though Sayoung’s tone was unfamiliar, it strangely felt familiar to Uijae. Even with his scattered thoughts, he quickly realized why—it was similar to how he spoke when he used to talk to the boy.

“You’ve spent half your life thinking that way, treating it as the norm, so it’s understandable.”

“...”

“So think about it. What kind of equal relationship I want, and why I want it.”

“...”

“When you come up with your own answer, I’ll explain.”

Sayoung emphasized his final words.

“I’ll tell you myself.”

With that, Sayoung held out his pinky finger. Uijae stared at the black-gloved finger in a daze. He remembered how the young Sayoung had stubbornly wrapped his pinky around Uijae’s, even with fingers that barely moved. Uijae hesitated, then tentatively hooked his pinky with Sayoung’s. The familiar, lukewarm feel of leather greeted him.

As soon as their fingers intertwined, Sayoung added in an irritated voice:

“Don’t even think about asking someone like Jung Bin for answers before you figure it out. Like you said, I’m the one who knows myself best.”

“...”

“You need to answer me.”

“...Alright.”

Uijae nodded slowly. Sayoung’s violet eyes narrowed slightly in satisfaction.

“Oh, by the way…”

“...Yeah?”

“You don’t know what an equal relationship is, do you? That’s understandable.”

“Wait a damn minute—”

Uijae instinctively let out a rough retort before catching himself. The moment Sayoung’s cheeky comment hit his ears, the frustration weighing down on him evaporated, replaced by a rising surge of irritation. This wasn’t a reflex; it was a conditioned response that had developed from interacting with Sayoung ever since escaping the Rift!

It’s terrifying how ingrained habits become. No matter how much Uijae consciously tried to be kind, his body functioned based on the database of interactions it had accumulated with Sayoung. And in his mind, the boy wrapped in bandages stood side by side with the smug, sarcastic man that Lee Sayoung had become.

Sayoung’s lips curled into a grin.

“Aha... *this* bastard?”

“...”

“Weird... I thought I was your only one?”

“...”

Uijae had no excuse. Was being nice really this difficult? He lowered his head, staring at the ground as if looking for an ant to focus on, but all he saw were a few sad weeds poking through the soft flooring, swaying forlornly.

Sayoung, enjoying the sight of Uijae’s bowed head, chuckled.

“Oh... is this a new nickname?”

“...Sayoung.”

“Yes?”

“Shut up for a second.”

Pfft. Sayoung covered his mouth to stifle a laugh, only to burst out in a full belly laugh, throwing his head back.

“Hahahaha!”

Hearing Sayoung laugh so openly, Minggijeok, who had disappeared into the shadows, peeked out with wide eyes behind his sunglasses, clearly surprised. It must’ve been rare to see Sayoung laugh like that. But Uijae didn’t care.

‘Mind your own business.’

Uijae tilted his head slightly in Minggijeok’s direction. Taking the hint, Minggijeok immediately turned his head away. Meanwhile, Sayoung continued to laugh heartily. Uijae gritted his teeth and whispered:

“Stop laughing.”

“Hahaha... Oh, are you trying to be nice right now?”

Uijae responded calmly but seriously.

“I’m trying my best here, so stop interrupting me. I’m trying to be nice.”

“Oh...”

Sayoung took a deep breath, trying to contain his laughter, but still chuckled softly. His voice was playful as he asked:

“Confusing, isn’t it?”

“...”

Uijae didn’t respond. Sayoung, as if he already knew everything, smiled mischievously.

The time he had spent with the boy he had saved was unforgettable—precious, even. He had endured for so long on those memories alone. But...

“Hyung.”

Cha Uijae’s life had been split in two by the wall of the West Sea Rift. Before the wall, his life had been with his aunt and that boy. After the wall, it was with his grandmother, Haeun, and now, Lee Sayoung.

Uijae opened his palm. A faint scar glimmered gold like a fine crack running across it. The moment he had slashed his hand with the dagger was still vivid in his mind.

Since escaping the Rift, he had spent a long time with Sayoung. So much time that it was impossible to explain his recent life without him.

He knew they were the same person. He was grateful Sayoung was alive, felt sorry for him, but now, after knowing the truth, it was hard to treat him the same as before. He wanted to be kind, but that didn’t come easily.

Sayoung’s plump lips curled into a smile. His lazy voice whispered:

“You understand that we’re the same person, you’re grateful I’m alive, you feel sorry for me, but knowing all of this, you can’t treat me the way you used to... So, you want to be nice to me, but it’s hard.”

Each word pierced through Uijae like a dagger.

“Well, I did play cute back then.”

Sayoung’s violet eyes stared at Uijae with a sharp, playful glint.

“But you’re still not ready to face it, are you, Hyung?”

“...”

“You don’t even know how to act towards me yet, so what are you going to do?”

Uijae sighed. Sayoung was right. Ever since realizing that Sayoung was the boy he had saved, Uijae hadn’t reflected on his own emotions. All he did was chase after the past, trying to learn what Sayoung had gone through, while ignoring the subtle disconnect between them.

Sayoung, holding Uijae’s mask in his hand, crossed his arms.

“If you’re acting out of guilt, stop.”

“...”

“You’d be better off thinking about the task I gave you instead.”

Uijae stood silently, absorbing Sayoung’s words. Then, he abruptly snatched the mask from Sayoung’s hand and put it back on. His slightly twisted expression disappeared behind the black mask, and his voice, now distorted, grumbled:

“You’re rude as hell.”

Sayoung tilted his head.

“So, do you hate it?”

“...”

Uijae didn’t answer. Instead, he suddenly reached out and tousled Sayoung’s hair. Sayoung let out a short, annoyed grunt and glared up at him.

“What are you doing?”

“I don’t hate you.”

“...”

“How could I hate you?”

Sayoung’s lips parted slightly, his violet eyes widening. Scratching his head, Uijae quickly turned on his heel.

“Damn it... I’m leaving.”

“...Wait, Hyung!”

Just as Sayoung reached out, a breeze swept by, carrying Uijae’s low voice with it.

“I’ll think about what you said.”

The wind died down. By the time it stilled, Uijae had already disappeared. Sayoung stood there, staring blankly at the empty playground, clenching his fist. A rustling sound came from behind him.

“Guild Master.”

Minggijeok approached, headphones hanging around his neck. Sayoung glanced back. Romantic Opener was still draped limply over the seesaw like a half-dried squid.

As Minggijeok stood a few steps behind Sayoung, the latter muttered in an irritated tone:

“I didn’t think Jung Bin would be so tight-lipped…”

“It seems the bond between you two runs deeper than we anticipated.”

“...”

“Perhaps it’s because of the time you spent together during those dark days. We didn’t account for that. I’ll be more careful moving forward.”

“Forget it.”

Minggijeok, sensing Sayoung’s mood, glanced at him over his sunglasses, then stood at attention with his hands behind his back. Sayoung coldly spat out:n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Report earlier next time.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

Minggijeok bowed his head. Sayoung, arms still crossed, tapped his foot against the ground. Minggijeok, watching cautiously, asked:

“Are you sure it’s alright to let him go like this? Based on past experience, I doubt he’ll stop just because you asked. I’m worried he might end up in another research facility…”

“No.”

Sayoung stopped in his tracks. The streetlight, which had been flickering, finally went out, casting everything into darkness. In the shadows, his lips curved into a faint smile.

“He won’t move for a while.”

“Pardon? Why not…”

“Because he made a promise.”

Sayoung slowly began to walk again. With a flick of Minggijeok’s fingers, the shadow beneath the

seesaw gathered into the shape of a small figure, which then dragged the limp Romantic Opener away.

“He’ll be too busy thinking about me.”

“Is there even an answer to this?”

“I wonder...”

Sayoung flicked his tongue slightly, biting the tip playfully.

“I think I’m allowed this level of mischief.”

“Well, I doubt he’d agree.”

Minggijeok sighed quietly. As they reached the playground’s exit, Sayoung suddenly spoke up.

“I do regret it.”

“...”

“If I had known he was J... I wouldn’t have let him get close.”

With a sigh, Sayoung’s voice faded into the wind. Soon, the three figures melted into the shadows, disappearing completely.