There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-Chapter 766: Side Story 4. Endless Journey - 49

"Einar, I’m going to drive by myself," Kar decided after staring at the commercial boards for a long time.

The bodyguard glanced at his young master through the rearview mirror. "Would you like to use this one, or should we take one from the clan’s warehouse?"

"This one is fine; I need to be inconspicuous," Kar replied while checking his commlink for an opening in the reservation at their usual restaurant.

But then he remembered it had been four years and Byul might have new favorites by then.

"We have better, newer inconspicuous-looking cars in the warehouse, Young Master," Einar smiled. "We are only preparing things based on the Patriarch’s taste."

And not coincidentally, Kar’s taste matched perfectly with the patriarch’s taste. He chuckled and nodded. "Very well. I’ll have that better and newer one."

Thankfully, the clan’s warehouse was just on the way to Byul’s school, so they wouldn’t have to waste more time. He did stop to take a proper shower while Einar made sure the car he would take was fine and fueled. When he was done, he felt like it was a good decision to take a new car; it looked cleaner and smelled nicer.

It was truly a good thing to get a driving license before he climbed the Tower. He didn’t have much chance to use it before isolating himself from the outside, but Uncle Joon was right. Driving around was fun. Maybe he could bring Byul for a drive sometime.

Around twenty minutes after midday, he arrived in front of the art school. As expected of an educational institute for celebrities and those aiming to be one, the security was strict. Not only to prevent criminals, but also to make sure no paparazzi could breach the students’ private life. It was almost as strict as Trinity.

Kar rolled the window down in front of the security box. "I’m here for Han Byul," he said, as Byul had instructed.

The guard turned toward the screen to check the system. When a visitor came, the student had to tell the guards about their identity, so the guards could crosscheck it through the identification camera mounted on top of the guard’s box. Of course, Byul had already done that, and the guard froze for a second when they saw the name listed as a visitor.

It wasn’t just the name Karna Ishtera, after all. The identification would also show what the others had yet to find out: his new rank.

"Oh...y-yes, please enter, Sir!" the guard pressed a button with one hand and saluted with another.

How weird. But Kar nodded while rolling the tinted window back, before driving to the underground parking lot. The school was already rather desolate, since it was graduation. Most students had left to party with their friends or celebrate with their families, and the underclassmen were enjoying their summer break already.

Kar wondered if Uncle Shin and Aunt Reina were there, but then, a glimpse at the extended family group chat told him that those two had already left the school and had a great time enjoying Althrea after a while. There was also an invitation for a celebration dinner that night in the restaurant he was about to reserve earlier.

"Good thing I held back on making one," Kar muttered while parking the car in a corner.

He was about to get out of the car before catching his reflection in the rearview mirror. He stopped and narrowed his eyes, automatically scrutinizing his attire. It had been four years since he had to wear something decent, so... freewёbnoνel.com

He rolled his sleeves and dusted nothing off his shoulder. He did not wear black this time--that should be decent enough, right? A deep red dress shirt and dark denim trousers were the most decent thing he had inside his storage ring.

After all, he left home to climb the tower, not attending formal events.

Should he shop for new clothes before coming here? But he only shopped in SavAsh, and if he did, they would know where he was. Ugh...

Wait. How weird--why did he have to hide that he was there, anyway?

As Kar had useless thoughts swirling in his head, his commlink suddenly buzzed by a call. [Hyung, are you in the parking lot?] A hurried question came the moment Kar accepted the call.

"Yes," he replied while alighted from the car. "I’m just going to go up."

[Stay there--I’m coming to get you!] Byul spoke urgently. [There’s still more people than I thought in the lobby, so I’ll take you through a quieter path]

Hmm...the change in his rank was probably updated a moment ago. The keen reporters would realize it and make articles right now, which meant people who knew him would know he was out already.

Damn. He should have thought about it better.

Kar sighed and returned to the call. "Where are you now?"

[I’m coming--just wait a bit more, Hyung]

Kar listened to the hurried steps and slight panting. There was a slight echo from the other side, and he immediately turned his head toward the bright neon sign of the emergency exit. Without closing the call, he walked toward the door and entered the emergency stairs, just in time as Byul turned in the corner and appeared at the top of the last flight of stairs.

"Oh!" the boy startled when he saw Kar and paused.

Indeed, the boy was not a boy anymore. He was taller and looked more mature now. Truly...Kar felt the passage of time clearer than any time at that moment. He felt his lips stretched before he knew it. "There you are."

Byul blinked once, twice, before running down and tackling Kar. "Hyung!"

Not ready for that reaction, Kar staggered back slightly, shoulder touching the closed emergency door. Oof...the boy got stronger too. Kar laughed and patted the boy’s back, still in his last uniform.

His hand traveled to the fluffy hair, higher than he remembered. "Look at you," Kar chuckled. "Last time you did this, you’re still on my stomach."

"I wasn’t that short!" Byul looked up from Kar’s chest and pursed his lips.

Still adorable--Kar thought, brushing the fringe of Byul’s forehead. Faint red blooming across the fair cheeks; this time, strangely enough, it didn’t bother Kar like before. Byul stared at his face wordlessly for a few seconds, before burying the adorable face in Kar’s chest again.

"Hyung..." the cheerful voice turned quieter. "I miss you..."

Kar frowned slightly; the vision overlapped with the boy’s crying face before he climbed the Tower, and again...with the pale, terrified face of the boy he had to save inside the illusion.

He held the boy too, just like the last time. "Yeah, I’ve missed you too."

Byul almost gasped, the grip on Kar’s back got slightly tighter. "Really?"

Kar chuckled and leaned down to whisper above the boy’s ear. "I haven’t even met Asa, you know."

This time, Byul truly gasped as he pulled back to look at Kar’s face better. "You mean...I’m the first?"

Kar looked up in contemplation. "Technically, the first one would be Einar--"

"You know what I mean!" Byul smacked the older’s arm, prompting Kar to laugh and ruffle Byul’s curls.

"Yes, yes--you’re the first one," Kar smiled, lightly flicking the pouting lips.

The pout turned into a grin, and Byul clutched the edge of Kar’s rolled sleeve. "Let’s go, Hyung--I’ll show you my school!"

"Isn’t this your last day?"

"That’s why!" Byul pursed his lips. "I’ll show you all the awards that I got."

Kar chuckled and obediently followed the boy up, out of the emergency stairs, getting dragged by his sleeve. Ah...he truly missed this. Things he naturally did before his mind was assaulted with confusion. Honestly, he still thought that Byul would already move on, just like the way his height was changing.

But the moment Kar heard the voice in the call, and then again, when the boy hugged him right away, he realized that Byul...was still the same, old Byul. The one he always knew; the baby who gripped his finger tightly the first time they met.

It was cute seeing Byul spying on the corridor to make sure there was no one, even though Kar could easily determine whether or not there would be people with his detection. But it was cute, so Kar kept it to himself and let Byul do his thing. He was brought to the acting department, to the theater stage, to the costume warehouse, and even to a dance room.

"You’re dancing too?"

"It’s good to train flexibility and fluidity in movement," Byul explained. "Oh, also stamina!"

"What a hard worker," Kar ruffled the boy’s hair again, making Byul blush in flusters. "Is that how you get all your awards?"

Byul scratched his hot neck. "It’s just...small awards," he said.

"Won’t your competitors cry if they hear you say that?"

Byul bit his lips and groaned into his palm. Ugh--he didn’t mean to say that! Of course, he was happy about any awards, it was just...he hadn’t reached his goal yet!

Kar chuckled and patted the younger’s head. "Okay, okay--I understand," he said, and Byul finally realized that he said all of that out loud.

"Oh..." Byul sighed into his palm. Even though he wanted to look cool in front of his Hyung...

"So, where will you take me next?" Kar asked, pulling Byul’s focus back on his current mission.

"Oh!" Byul glanced at the window, and perked up when he saw the park was finally empty. "Let’s go there, Hyung!"

Hurriedly, Byul took Kar to the park, perhaps worried someone else would come. After all, he didn’t want anyone to see them taking a picture together in front of that tree. If another student saw, it might create unnecessary gossip.

"Oh, this tree is something," Kar commented when they arrived in the corner.

"It’s pretty, right?" Byul grinned while skipping toward the tree, standing beneath the white and green canopy. "Let’s take a picture here, Hyung!"

Right. Kar almost forgot that Byul wanted to meet there because the boy wanted to take a picture at school. Kar thought the picture would be taken in front of the school or a classroom, maybe for nostalgia, but...the tree did look prettier.

He chuckled and joined the boy beneath the canopy. The white flowers tickled the top of his head, and the green leaves touched his shoulder. Byul laughed and said he was too tall, so he leaned down slightly before the shutter clicked.

"Hehe...this comes out so pretty!" Byul giggled to himself, feeling satisfied and proud. The gloomy mood he had this morning vanished like a lie.

"Prettier than this?"

Byul raised his head, and froze when he saw a necklace in Kar’s hand. The pendant was a pretty, iridescent-colored gem shaped like an eight-pointed star.

"...Hyung?"

"It’s a month early, but also three years late," Kar smiled regretfully, placing the necklace on Byul’s palm. "Happy birthday, Byul. I’m sorry I can’t keep my promise on time."