Chapter 134

Unlike the quiet outside, the village was bustling with players. Most of them seemed to have come for the movie. Near the amphitheater, shops and street stalls selling snacks were scattered everywhere.

Blaine was preoccupied, his head swiveling back and forth as if everything he saw was a marvel. Theo kept a firm hold on him as they scouted through the shops and stalls.

Eventually, Theo stopped in front of one shop and tugged on Blaine’s arm.

“Want some popcorn?”

Only then did Blaine look at Theo.

“Popcorn?”

When he asked with a puzzled face, Theo pointed to the shop in front of them.

“Yeah. This place has a lot of varieties, so it’s good.”

Theo gestured for him to take a look, and Blaine opened the trade window. Dozens of popcorn types were listed. Starting with the basics—original, onion, garlic, cheese, caramel, and chocolate—there were different sizes, and even some with two or three flavors mixed together. There were so many he didn’t even know what to buy. After staring at the trade window for a long while, Blaine looked at Theo helplessly.

“There are too many, I can’t choose….”

“Then should I just get whatever?”

“Yes, please.”

As Blaine nodded in relief, Theo unhesitatingly purchased the largest size of a mix of original and caramel.

“Next, let’s get drinks.”

Theo quickly led Blaine toward another shop. Standing in front of a soda stall, he asked once more.

“What flavor do you want?”

“What about you, Hyung?”

“I’m going with grape.”

“Then I’ll have that too.”

Theo nodded and bought two of the largest grape sodas, handing one to Blaine. Blaine didn’t just take his drink; he reached out to take the giant popcorn bucket Theo was clutching as well.

“Do you usually buy this much to watch a movie?”

“Usually…? Don’t you?”

Theo was the type to always have snacks when watching a movie, but he knew there were people who didn’t eat or drink anything. Wondering if Blaine was one of those, he asked, but Blaine shook his head with a bright face.

“This is my first time actually coming to see a movie.”

“…What?”

“I’ve watched them lying down in a hospital bed, but I’ve never actually been to a theater or a place like this in person.”

Blaine looked around the area once more. His face, full of anticipation, was visibly flushed with excitement. Theo, who had been staring blankly at Blaine, slowly looked around at their surroundings as well. Other players were buying snacks and heading toward the theater as if this street were second nature to them. Even if it wasn’t a real-world cinema, everyone was enjoying it with ease and familiarity.

To him, and to the other players here, these were mundane experiences and sights, yet for Blaine, they were alien and brand new. The thought left a bitter, heavy feeling in Theo’s chest. It made him want to give Blaine more—to let him experience everything.

Theo tugged on the arm of the distracted Blaine. As if he had never been distracted in the first place, Blaine instantly looked back at Theo. Swallowing hard at that singular, blind gaze, Theo pointed toward a nearby street stall.

“Uh… let’s get some nachos and butter-grilled squid too. Do you want a hot dog or a pretzel?”

If Theo was recommending it, how could he refuse? Blaine simply kept nodding with a beaming smile.

With their arms full of snacks, the two headed toward the theater. Since it was called an amphitheater and could hold over 10,000 people, there was no need to reserve seats; they just bought tickets and sat wherever they liked.

Theo climbed the dizzyingly high stairs and settled into a spot near the center of the spectator section. Although quite a few people had entered, the area around the two of them remained empty.

Blaine looked at the interior of the theater in awe.

“Does this whole place actually fill up?”

“Huh? No. I doubt it’s ever been even half full. It’s just too big.”

An ‘Ooh’ expression crossed Blaine’s face. At a guess, several hundred people had come in, but they looked sparse and distant in the vast space. It felt as if only he and Theo existed in this wide expanse.

Whether he noticed Blaine’s inner satisfaction or not, Theo began preparing for the movie by pulling out the snacks they had bought. Normally, popcorn and a drink would have been enough, but since they had bought so much, they had to spread the food out between them, which forced them to sit a little further apart.

As they waited, sampling the snacks one by one, the area around the amphitheater dimmed, and a massive screen flickered to life on the central stage. The movie began.

It was an action film dominated by scenes of things exploding, breaking, and shattering. Every time something blew up or a sound so loud it made the heart vibrate roared out, Theo’s face lit up with more energy. Unable to take his eyes off Theo’s constantly changing expressions, Blaine spent more time watching Theo’s face than the screen.

It seemed that, despite his stoic personality, Theo enjoyed violent movies.

“Was it worth watching?”

Theo asked as they left the amphitheater after the movie ended. Blaine, who had focused more on Theo than the film, felt a pang of guilt but maintained a calm front, nodding with a smile.

“Yes, it was really fun.”

“Next time, let’s come watch a movie you like.”

“Next time…?”

“Even if it’s not a movie, you can tell me if there’s anything you want to do or anywhere you want to go.”

Blaine stopped in his tracks and stared intently at Theo. Theo stopped as well, looking puzzled.

“Why?”

“If I tell you… will you do it with me?”

“Within reason?”

“…Don’t say ‘within reason.’”

“Huh?”

“Can’t you just answer ‘anything’?”

Theo made a suspicious face, turning his body to face Blaine head-on before asking, “Just what is it you want to do?”

“Just… everything.”

Doe-like eyes gazed up at Theo. It looked like he was testing the waters, yet his stare was unwavering. Theo couldn’t tell when it had become so difficult to say no to him. Swallowing a sigh, Theo closed and opened his eyes as if resigned to his fate.

“…I’m not helping you with any crimes.”

Blaine’s eyes rounded in surprise. But soon, they curved into a gentle, radiant smile.

“I’ll live a life of integrity, if only for your sake, Hyung.”

“Hello.”

The quiet Guild House began to fill with people as the clock ticked past noon. Daize entered, offering a familiar greeting as he walked up to the central hall.

The usual faces were about to return the greeting when they faltered at the sight of him. He had been mimicking Theo like a twin, but at some point, he had started reverting his appearance bit by bit. Today, his honey-blonde hair had returned to its original smoky-red hue.

The color, like a rainbow shimmering on transparent petals, sparkled as it reflected the brilliant sunlight.

His height, build, features, and even hair color had returned to normal, but one thing remained unchanged: his clothes. He wore an outfit strikingly similar to Theo’s, like a couple’s look.

As Daize took a seat at the center table, Noquia approached and perched on the armrest of the next chair. She asked with an intrigued expression, “What’s this? Have you finally given up on wooing Blaine?”

“Huh? Ah….”

Daize looked at Noquia as he asked back, then rested his chin on the table and pouted.

“Honestly… it was less fun than I thought it would be.”

“What?”

“His personality, I guess? It’s a bit boring. He’s old-fashioned and dull. I don’t think we’re a good match.”

Noquia looked flabbergasted as Daize grumbled, listing his complaints about Blaine’s personality without hesitation. He approached someone with his own selfish expectations, then got disappointed and slandered their character? Noquia stood up from the armrest, miming the action of rolling up her sleeves as she asked casually.

“Hey, can I just hit you once?”

Startled by the chilling question, Daize scrambled out of his seat and stepped back, raising his arms in a guard.

“What?! Why?!”

“Just because. You’re annoying.”

“V-Violence is wrong! Violence is wrong!”

Daize began to flee, shouting desperately. However, Noquia snatched him by the scruff of the neck like a lightning bolt and tripped him. She climbed on top of his fallen body, raised a fist, and smiled brightly. Daize, terrified by the pleasant yet manic grin, yelled out, “L-Let’s talk this out!”

“For women, fists speak louder than words!”

There was no way Noquia would listen, and in the end, he took a few hits.

After narrowly escaping Noquia, Daize groaned as he headed toward the entrance. He figured if he loitered inside, he’d just get beaten again. As he approached the door, he heard a familiar voice. Daize snapped his head up toward the entrance.

It was Theo. Theo, Blaine, and Aslan were standing at the Guild House entrance.

After watching the movie with Blaine and returning to Lucilvania, Theo had run into Aslan near the Guild House. Aslan had also been on his way to the Father and the Guest Guild’s house and was delighted to see them.

As they headed toward the Guild House sharing small talk, they encountered Daize on his way out. Naturally, the eyes of the three landed on him.

Or, more accurately, not on Daize himself, but on his hair. The honey-blonde color had changed back to smoky-red.

Normally, Theo would have just offered a passing glance and a greeting, but the hair color kept his gaze fixed. Perhaps because of that, Daize beamed, clearly pleased by Theo’s attention. Though all three were looking at him, Daize only reacted to Theo.

“Wow, Theo! It’s been a while! Since the Reinforcement State ended, it’s been so hard to see your face.”

Acting as if Blaine and Aslan were invisible, Daize made a fuss and welcomed Theo as he hurried toward him. But the moment he crossed the threshold of the Guild House, his feet got tangled, and he tripped forward.

In the blink of an eye, Daize’s body lurched forward. He missed his chance to grab the doorframe. He flailed his hands to resist the inevitable fall, but there was nothing to catch or support him.

That was when Theo entered Daize’s line of sight. They were standing face-to-face; Theo had plenty of room to dodge, but he seemed too surprised by the sudden situation to move. The only thing Daize could grab onto now was ‘Theo.’ Instinctively, Daize reached out and pulled Theo into a tight embrace, as if shielding him.