Chapter 133

Theo stared blankly at Blaine, his lips parted slightly. Blaine looked natural with his Customization deactivated, his hair messy as if he had just rolled out of bed. He clearly looked like someone who had been trying to rest.

To think that while Theo thought he was resting comfortably, Blaine had actually been trembling with fear and struggling alone… it was strangely comforting. So I wasn’t the only one who was scared.

Theo turned around and scanned his own room. The eerie atmosphere that had overlapped with the Unreturning Guest dungeon flashed through his mind. He reflexively shuddered and looked back at Blaine.

“My bed is a bit too small for two people to sleep in…. Can I go to your room instead?”

Blaine, who had been looking down anxiously while fidgeting with his clasped hands, snapped his head up. His eyes widened in disbelief, and his cheeks instantly flushed a deep red. His eyes shimmered with a swirling, joyful light as he broke into an impossibly happy smile.

He nodded his head rapidly, as if he had a motor attached.

“Yes! My room is fine!”

Seeing him as happy as a puppy, Theo couldn’t help but chuckle. If his younger brother was scared, what else could he do? As the older one, he had to sleep by his side.

Theo grabbed his pillow and blanket and headed over to Blaine’s room, settling onto one side of the bed. Fortunately, the bed was spacious enough for two adult men to lie down comfortably. Since they were living together now and there was no guarantee this wouldn’t happen again, Theo stared at the ceiling and wondered if he should take this opportunity to upgrade his own bed to a larger size.

Blaine sat on the edge of the bed beside him and spoke.

“I’ll turn off the lights.”

Theo rolled his eyes toward Blaine. Blaine was watching him, waiting for permission. Theo gave a short nod, and the room was soon plunged into darkness.

He heard the rustle of sheets as Blaine lay down. Theo stared at the ceiling again. Although it was a dark room with only moonlight seeping in, he wasn’t scared at all now that Blaine was lying next to him. He felt nothing but comfort and a sense of security.

He didn’t know when he had fallen asleep, but when he opened his eyes, it was morning. He remembered feeling relieved that Blaine was there, but everything after that was a total blackout—it seemed he had enjoyed an incredible night of deep sleep.

Theo stretched while lying down, and as he turned his head, he found Blaine sleeping on his side, facing him.

“…….”

He felt it once again—Blaine was truly neat and classically handsome. As Theo meticulously studied the sleeping face, he slightly furrowed his brow. It was a shame those eyes were hidden behind his messy bangs. Without thinking, Theo reached out. He was about to brush the hair aside when he suddenly snapped to his senses and pulled his hand back.

Theo stared at his own hand in silence. He wondered what was wrong with him, his body moving before his thoughts. Yet, rather than being confused by his own behavior, he felt a lingering regret that his fingertips hadn’t made contact. Tsk. Smacking his lips, Theo quietly got up to check the time, careful not to wake Blaine.

“Ah.”

It looked like he needed to start getting ready to go. He had waited months for this; he couldn’t afford to be late. Theo looked at Blaine hesitantly. He was sleeping so soundly that Theo debated whether he should wake him or not.

It won’t take that long, so should I just let him sleep and go alone? After a brief deliberation, Theo came to a simple conclusion and nodded to himself as he began to stand up.

“Hyung…”

Perhaps it was the sound of him moving, but a low, sleep-laden voice called out from behind him. Startled, Theo turned to see Blaine propping himself up with one arm and rubbing his eyes.

Flustered, Theo’s mouth bobbed open and shut before he sat back down on the bed.

“Are you awake?”

“Yes.”

He said he was awake, but his eyes were still clouded with drowsiness. Theo found the sight clumsy and cute, so he chuckled and patted the bed.

“Go back to sleep.”

It was the kind of gesture one would use with a young child. Blaine stared at Theo for a moment before smiling and shaking his head.

“It’s okay. I should get up.”

Blaine stood up and stretched. Theo looked up at him quietly for a moment before asking.

“What are you doing today?”

“Pardon?”

“I have a scheduled appointment this morning.”

At Theo’s words, Blaine froze. A morning schedule? It was something he knew nothing about. Blaine hurriedly looked at Theo.

What is it? Where are you going? Who are you going with? He had a mountain of questions he wanted to ask. Since Theo was making an announcement, it felt like he was about to say he’d go without him, which made Blaine even more anxious. The swarm of questions rising to his throat actually made him choke up, leaving his lips merely trembling. Then, Theo stood up from the bed and asked.

“…Do you want to come with me, if it’s okay?”

Blaine’s eyes went wide. He blinked several times before slowly asking back.

“Who… are you going with?”

Theo tilted his head, then pointed his finger back and forth between Blaine and himself.

“You and me.”

“The two of us?”

“Yeah. I was originally going to go alone, but do you not want to? Then I’ll just go by my—”

“No, wait! I’ll go!”

Blaine shouted reflexively, waving his hands in a frantic gesture. Theo stared at him, seemingly taken aback, before breaking into a smile.

“Then let’s go together.”

A short while later, the two of them boarded a regular carriage at the station. Their destination was Milton Village in the Niro region.

“But what exactly is the occasion?”

Having hurried out of the house and onto the carriage without any proper explanation, Blaine tentatively asked Theo, who was sitting across from him staring intently at a system window. Despite the rattling of the carriage, Theo remained focused on his screen until he finally looked up to meet Blaine’s eyes.

“Oh, to watch a movie.”

“…Pardon?”

“There’s a movie I’ve really wanted to see. I set an alarm for it months ago and have been waiting ever since.”

“So… we’re going to see a movie?”

Blaine asked back, sounding as if he couldn’t believe his ears. Theo simply replied, “Yeah.” At this unexpected turn of events, Blaine’s face brightened, blooming like a flower. Come to think of it, Milton Village was known for its Roman-style amphitheater. Within the game, they screened movies and hosted performances like musicals and operas.

A movie! A movie with Theo! Blaine couldn’t hide his excitement. He shifted restlessly in his seat, his hips practically bouncing with anticipation. Theo watched Blaine’s scattered, fidgety behavior for a moment before casually adding a comment as a familiar town began to appear outside the window.

“But this carriage passes through Lucilvania, so if you’re not really up for it, you can hop off there. Like I said, I was planning on going alone anyway.”

The excitement that had Blaine bouncing in his seat came to a grinding halt. He looked at Theo with furrowed, drooping brows.

The suggestion that he could get off at Lucilvania if he wasn’t interested was likely meant as a consideration, but hearing that Theo had intended to go alone stung. Blaine wanted to do everything with Theo, but it felt like Theo didn’t feel the same way.

Whether it was a favor, a suggestion, or an order—if Theo just said “Let’s go,” Blaine would follow him anywhere.

Staring at Theo with a face that couldn’t hide his hurt, Blaine slowly lowered his gaze. He clasped his hands together, fidgeting as he muttered in a tiny, receding voice.

“Why alone…?”

Theo didn’t seem to catch it clearly and asked, “Hm?” Blaine repeated himself, “Why were you going alone…?” Theo tilted his head, and after a delayed realization, let out an “Ah.”

“I first heard the news about this movie coming out not long after I met you. We weren’t close back then, and I’ve always preferred going to see things by myself anyway.”

Blaine lifted his head slightly from its slumped position to look at Theo.

“I’d actually forgotten about the alarm and the release date, but it went off last night. The moment I checked the alarm, though, I thought of you. I figured if you liked movies, it might be nice to go together.”

Blaine lifted his head completely, staring blankly at Theo. It was a movie Theo had set an alarm for with the full intention of seeing it alone, yet the moment that alarm rang, he said he thought of Blaine. He began to wonder if maybe, just as he wanted to do everything with Theo, Theo also had even a small desire to be with him. It was a faint hope, but perhaps it was okay to expect something more.

Blaine continued to stare blankly, so Theo, as if having nothing more to say, rested his chin on the window frame and turned his gaze outside. It almost felt like he was intentionally avoiding eye contact. Outside the moving carriage, the sun was setting. The vivid glow of the sunset painted the sky and the earth, leaking through the small carriage window and tinting Theo’s cheeks as well.

It was nearly midnight by the time they arrived at Milton Village. Since it was far from the center of the Niro region, the village wasn’t one of those places where the night was as bright as day. Instead, it was quiet and serene.

As they stepped off the carriage, the cold night air greeted them along with streetlights that stretched at intervals from the station to the village. Theo moved forward as if the path were familiar even without the lights as landmarks. Blaine hurried to catch up, staring intently at Theo’s back before speaking up tentatively.

“Hyung, you said earlier that you wanted to see the movie alone because we weren’t close back then.”

“Huh?”

At the sudden question, Theo turned around, and Blaine stopped walking. Consequently, Theo had to come to a clunky halt as well.

“Then… are we… close now? You and me?”

At Blaine’s question, Theo blinked his eyes and looked at him. He knit his brows in thought for a moment as if contemplating something, then finally looked up and asked back, as if he were the one who wanted to know.

“Aren’t we?”

At the answer—which was full of doubt as if giving the final decision to him—Blaine burst into an uncontrollable laugh. Seeing that radiant face smiling so happily, it felt as though Theo’s heart was glowing brightly, like day instead of night.