Chapter 43

“I’m not taking it off.”

“So you’re just gonna walk around with your whole back exposed to everyone?”

“The cloak covers it, so it’s not fully exposed. And I’m not showing it to anyone else anyway.”

“You think that’s up to you? What, is that cloak some kind of magic barrier?”

“Hyung only…”

“What?”

“You’re the only one who needs to see it!”

“…Huh?”

“Did you… not like my back?”

“Huh?”

Theo could only stutter like a broken wind-up doll, repeating “Huh?” over and over. In Blaine’s eyes, faint but undeniable certainty settled in.

‘The physical beauty worked.’

That was when Father and Holanghee sauntered up and teased Theo.

“Hey, did you hate it?”

“Did you hate it?”

They grinned slyly, twirling Blaine’s cloak right in front of Theo’s face. His beautiful back flashed in and out of sight, and Theo shook with a beet-red face before finally covering his eyes with both hands, screaming inwardly.

“Stop it, you maniacs!”

Caught between Blaine standing there shyly and the two gleefully tugging at his cloak, Theo hid his face but still peeked through his fingers, shouting.

“Take it off already, before I lose it!”

From the sidelines, Noquia muttered dryly.

“Why are you telling him to strip in the middle of the damn street?”

Blaine blushed even harder, while Theo’s face looked ready to explode. In the end, Theo spun on his heel, declaring they could all do whatever the hell they wanted, and bolted. Blaine blinked in confusion before rushing after him, stumbling in his panic.

Theo strode out of Lucilvania and onto a stagecoach that happened to be stopped just outside the village. Luckily, the inside was empty. He slumped into a seat by the window, heat flooding his face so intensely he could feel it. With a forced calm, he stared outside and fanned himself with his hand.

“Hurry up and go, hurry up already…”

He muttered under his breath, but of course, the gods weren’t on his side.

“Hyung!”

That familiar voice rang out as Blaine grabbed onto the doorframe and scrambled into the carriage. At that sight, Theo’s chest thudded hard, sinking heavily. It was just Blaine as usual—but today, he seemed so much bigger.

Blaine sat across from Theo, and only then did the carriage finally lurch forward as if it had been waiting for this moment.

For a long while, neither of them spoke. Theo stared out the window with tense shoulders, while Blaine only stared at Theo. As Theo kept avoiding his gaze, Blaine’s ears drooped lower and lower until his eyes fell to the floor.

“If you hate it that much, I’ll take it off…”

His voice was small and deflated. That was when Theo finally looked at him. Blaine’s head was bowed so low their eyes didn’t meet. Theo felt a quiet relief in that and instead focused on Blaine’s shirt hidden beneath the cloak.

A standing collar, the fabric fitted a bit snug. The pattern and stitching screamed Noquia’s handiwork. The cloak covered his back completely, so nothing showed. Theo’s eyes wandered restlessly. ‘Just making sure no bare skin slipped through the cloak,’ he told himself—but deep down, he couldn’t deny the truth: part of him wanted to see it again.

As if aware of how suspiciously he’d been staring, Theo shut his eyes tight for a moment, then leaned his chin against the window frame. Covering half his face with his palm, he muttered in a grumbling voice.

“…If you like it, then just wear it.”

The unexpected permission made Blaine’s head snap up. He stared at Theo, eyes wide with disbelief. Theo still kept his palm pressed over half his face, pretending to look out the window. His flushed cheeks might have been hidden, but his reddened neck and ears gave him away.

A rush of giddy emotion welled up in Blaine. His ears perked back up, his face flushed, and a shy smile spread across his lips.

“Yes. I’ll wear it carefully.”

“…Yeah.”

Before long, the carriage arrived at Ratteon, and the two of them set off walking toward Theo’s house.

“Oh, right. How was the inspection? You finished early, so I’m guessing there wasn’t a problem.”

“Yeah, no problems this time. Last time, the results were really bad, so my doctor and parents were really worried. But this time the results were so good they were all shocked.”

“The last time was bad?”

“Yes… My doctor said it was mostly psychological.”

“I see.”

Was it because of those Serengeti bastards?

“Actually, they told me that if the results turned out bad again, they’d stop me from playing the game.”

“For real?”

“Yes. Because the only external factor affecting my mental state is the game…”

“All those things you went through in the game… did you hide it from your parents too?”

“Rather than hiding it… I think I just assumed it was natural. That it was obvious, since all 4th Gens are like that. So I thought my parents already knew.”

It was harsh to think, but in a way it might have been a mercy for Blaine’s parents. If they knew their precious child—barely rescued from the brink of death—had been suffering two years of discrimination and rejection, their hearts would have shattered.

“Your parents, are they 2nd Gens?”

“No, both of them are 3rd Gens. That’s why they wanted me to get the 3rd Gen surgery too.”

If Blaine had gotten the 3rd Gen surgery, his life might have been completely different. Both 3rd and 4th Gens faced unfamiliar stares and some rejection, but unlike 4th Gens, 3rd Gens were often envied and admired.

And if both of Blaine’s parents were 3rd Gens… his family must have been quite wealthy.

“You an only child?”

“Yes.”

“…Then who carries on the line?”

“Eh?”

“I mean, you’re an only child, but you went through the 4th Gen surgery.”

“Ah, they froze my sperm before the surgery. My parents might use it if they ever need to.”

“…Doesn’t it feel weird, knowing you’d technically have kids like that?”

“Mm… I don’t think I’d see them as my kids. Besides, isn’t it more likely they’d just have another child if they needed an heir? They’re still young.”

Theo scratched his head at that.

“…Yeah, that makes sense.”

As usual, Blaine walked Theo all the way home. But unlike other times, he lingered outside, hesitating. Reading his intent, Theo invited him in, shared dinner, and spent the evening together until it was late enough to send him off.

Waving brightly from the gate, Blaine waited until Theo went inside. Then instead of going home, he slipped over to the flowerbed under Theo’s window, sat down, and popped something from a leather pouch into his mouth.

When he’d learned Theo had gone hunting with Aslan, his heart had nearly shattered. But now, he felt so good he could hum a tune. The long, lonely night ahead didn’t scare him anymore.

The next morning, Theo left the house only to find Blaine waiting for him again.

“You… just how early are you coming to wait for me?”

“I just come as soon as I wake up.”

Blaine scratched his neck awkwardly, embarrassed. As Theo came down the steps, he thought, ‘What time even is that?’ But another, more important question came first.

“Did you eat?”

Caught off guard, Blaine blinked, then shook his head with a smile. Theo started walking toward the stagecoach and offered.

“Then want to grab breakfast? I’ve been craving Sanaret Village’s omelet.”

“I’d love to!”

“Really? Then let’s go.”

They hopped on a stagecoach to Sanaret Village and returned to the same little shop they’d visited before—a small restaurant run by a user, with a signboard set outside.

Even though it was early, the owner greeted them warmly. Theo told Blaine to grab a seat, ordered two omelets and drinks, then brought them over.

The food was worth the trip—it was delicious. Both of them cleared their plates in no time and sat sipping drinks, chatting about all sorts of things—mostly about Theo’s Action.

Time passed quickly. By the time more customers began filing into the shop, Marco suddenly burst in, calling Theo urgently to the workshop.

Theo instantly knew it was about the arrows he’d commissioned. Judging by Marco’s tone, it wasn’t good news. Instinctively, Theo looked at Blaine. Blaine tilted his head back with a questioning “hm?” Theo didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Blaine’s hand and bolted from the shop.

They caught a stagecoach back to Lucilvania and rushed to Marco’s workshop. Marco was already waiting at the entrance.

As Theo ran up, Marco burst into tears.

“Hyung, what do we do?! Only one steel left!”

It was a thunderbolt from the blue. Theo knew removing the specs reduced the success rate, but he hadn’t expected to burn through so much Steel of Raia without a single success.

Marco stomped his feet, panicked. Without thinking, Theo shoved Blaine forward like a prize.

“Use him!”

The suggestion blindsided both Marco and Blaine, but after a brief moment, they both nodded solemnly.

Leaving Marco and Blaine inside, Theo stepped outside the village entirely. He worried his presence might jinx the attempt. His fingertips grew icy with nerves—clenching and unclenching, rubbing his hands together as he paced.

Then behind him, breathless, excited voices rang out.

“Hyuuuung!”

“Theo hyung!”

Startled, Theo whipped around. Charging out of the village toward him were Marco and Blaine. And in Marco’s hand gleamed a single small arrow.