Chapter 19

"Don't get your hopes up," Jeongeun thought. He resolved not to act foolishly excited and make mistakes, nor to show any signs of depression that might burden Heero.

Thanks to this, even when the other team members left and it was just Heero and him, Jeongeun was able to maintain a poker face.

“What’s the matter?”

“I didn’t bring Jeongeun’s items because there were too many, so I’m sending them separately to the team lodging.”

“I see.”

“Yes, and...”

Heero stood up from his seat and walked over to sit next to Jeongeun. He sat down casually beside him. Jeongeun was surprised and almost jumped up but managed to hold himself back.

“Look at this, Jeongeun.”

Heero showed him his phone screen. There was a gift coupon for a ‘Starbucks Cafe Americano T + Strawberry Cream Cake Set.’

Despite having the financial power to buy several S-rank items worth billions, Heero proudly displayed the gift coupon as if he had received a great present.

“You were right, Jeongeun. I just said hello, and because I couldn’t make the appointment, I received this gift! This is the first time I’ve gotten something like this from Dasol.”

He happily chattered about how he had sent a message saying “Good morning” that morning. Surprisingly, Dasol had replied, making him feel good from the start of the day.

“What’s next, Teacher?”

Heero smiled brightly and leaned closer. Jeongeun held his breath for a moment and slowly exhaled. Then he answered as naturally as possible.

“I believe it’s customary to send a confirmation shot when you receive a gift coupon.”

“Should I ask Dasol to go together?”

“...”

Jeongeun admired and respected Heero for being capable of anything, but he had to admit that he didn’t know much about introverted people.

“Someone like Hunter Seo Dasol would probably dislike that.”

“Hmm? I don’t think so.”

Heero said cheerfully. He explained that among the people he had met so far, there were quite a few introverted types, and they actually liked it when Heero approached them first.

“Since he told me after we started dating, it probably isn’t a lie. They all said thank you.”

Jeongeun understood their feelings perfectly. If Heero had approached him first, smiled sweetly, showed interest, and whispered affection... Just imagining it made him feel like he would faint, but he barely managed to keep his composure and shook his head.

“But Hunter Seo Dasol has a 0 interest in you, unlike those people.”

Heero looked shocked at Jeongeun’s words. His long eyelashes trembled like the feathers of a pitiful baby bird.

“Ouch... that’s too much, Jeongeun.”

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you...! What I meant is, 0 is a blank state, neither minus nor plus, containing infinite possibilities—”

“Ugh...”

“0 is a circle, so it represents infinity, the greatest number on earth.”

“Ugh... Huh... Hahaha! Ahaha!”

Heero, who Jeongeun thought was going to cry with his head down, suddenly leaned back and started laughing loudly. Transparent tears gathered at the corners of his beautifully shaped eyes. A rosy glow spread across his lovely face, and his uninhibited laughter was both delightful and refreshing.

Have you ever seen a scene where diamonds scatter thousands of colors under the sunlight? Or the sight of a snowball made by a child hitting a tree and spreading white all around?

Jeongeun stared blankly at Heero’s laughing face, as if he had lost his words in front of an overwhelming spectacle. Strangely, he felt a peculiar sensation that made him want to cry.

Perhaps it was because he thought, ‘I’m glad I didn’t die a year ago.’ If he had died then, or if he had simply given up and closed his eyes in the grave, he wouldn’t have seen Heero’s face, laughing so joyfully.

“Ah... I didn’t know Jeongeun was such a funny person. I’m tearing up... Is 0 really the greatest number on earth, containing infinite possibilities?”

Heero asked teasingly with a voice full of laughter. Jeongeun, unable to even think of fixing his drooping lips, nodded foolishly. Heero laughed again, “Ahaha!”

He looked at Jeongeun with his eyes wide open. Even though it was just because Jeongeun was funny and Heero was looking at him while laughing, Jeongeun thought it resembled the gaze of someone in love.

So, he felt incredibly happy, without any pride.

“Anyway, I understand what you’re saying, Jeongeun. Dasol is at a different starting point from the people he’s met so far, so I need to be more cautious and adjust the distance to make Dasol comfortable, right?”

However, Jeongeun was brought back to reality by Heero’s brilliant and insightful summary. The person Heero liked, the person he wanted to impress, was ultimately Dasol.

Jeongeun nodded, lifting the corners of his mouth in agreement.

“That’s right.”

Did it look natural? I hope it doesn’t show that I briefly entertained foolish hopes.

It was a relief that Heero was not an S-rank telepath. He continued speaking without noticing Jeongeun’s inappropriate desires.

“Then I should just take a confirmation shot and send a thank you.”

If it weren’t for Jeongeun, I might have made a mistake. Thank you. Heero, who had learned to express gratitude from Jeongeun, stood up.

Jeongeun also got up. He wanted to stay close to Heero like this, but it was time to discreetly step aside.

“Well then, I’ll be going now.”

Jeongeun politely bowed to Heero and stepped aside to signal him to go first. Heero tilted his head in confusion.

“Jeongeun, weren’t we going to take a confirmation shot together?”

He added cutely, almost whining.

“I really dislike going to a restaurant or cafe alone. Let’s go together.”

Is this also my imagination?

Jeongeun stood still for a moment, examining Heero’s face. Finally realizing that it was not an illusion but reality, Jeongeun silently nodded.

Hallelujah. Thank you.

**

That day, Heero and Jeongeun went to a cafe together and used the gift coupon. After receiving the coffee and cake set, they sent a confirmation shot to Dasol. Dasol replied with a thumbs-up emoticon. It was the first time Heero had received an emoticon from Dasol.

Jeongeun’s advice had indeed been effective. Heero was certainly clumsy when it came to dealing with someone he had a 0 interest in. His innate beauty, kind demeanor, and eloquent speech had always easily won over others’ affections. For example, someone like Jeongeun.

Jeongeun clearly had feelings for Heero. Although his expression didn’t change much, Heero could immediately tell that Jeongeun liked him. Perhaps it was because he remembered how Jeongeun had stood up for him before the rift occurred, or maybe he was just the type to wag his tail with a little kindness.

No, it was probably the latter. Just look at how he followed Lim Semi, that annoying senior, calling her “noona” all the time.

Standing up for Jeongeun in front of Semi was merely a whim. Heero despised people who treated others like mere parts. Such people gnawed at the recognition of the gentle and soft-hearted while fattening themselves. And then they thought they had done well. They dismissed the kindness of others as foolishness.

You shouldn’t give those kinds of people any leverage. The moment they see you as easy prey, it’s in their nature to swarm like flies.

When Jeongeun first pretended to know about Heero’s unrequited love, Heero felt a familiar irritation.

How ridiculous. How presumptuous. Did I look easy to this fool just because I was nice to him?

However, when Heero was shocked to see Dasol with another woman at the department store, Jeongeun had grabbed him and fled with a pale face. Yes, that was a flight. He was more surprised than Heero, worried that Heero might get hurt, and ran away with him. At that moment, Heero realized he had misjudged.

This person isn’t helping me because he thinks I’m easy or funny. He genuinely... feels sorry for me. He’s anxious that I might get hurt.

That realization strangely filled him up. The heart that had never been filled, no matter how much water was poured into it, felt temporarily full.

So, Heero accepted Jeongeun’s proposal. The absurd suggestion to help the Guild Master’s unrequited love.

Honestly, who are you helping? You don’t even have a friend, and you’ve tried dating. You’ve been taken advantage of by people like Lim Semi, and before that, the Hunter Management Bureau, and before that, your family...

It was a well-known fact that Jeongeun had lived like a puppet of his A-rank word sorcerer parents. His parents were notorious criminals. Now they were locked away in a special prison for awakeners, wearing confinement suits with their tongues cut out.

So, Heero already knew that Jeongeun was not in a position to help anyone.

But...

‘No matter what kind of affection it is... it shouldn’t be treated as nothing... I think.’

He didn’t know why those words had struck Heero’s heart so deeply. Why the words of someone he had never expected, someone he had never hoped for, had saved his poor heart. He still didn’t understand.