There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-Chapter 769: Side Story 4. Endless Journey - 52

It came very slowly for Kar.

Byul had always been pretty and adorable, a cute little thing. Something precious, but just as his twin was precious, and Lucy, and his parents. He had never thought of putting a hierarchy on who he considered as the most precious.

The most precious never occurred to him until he realized who his priority was in that trial he had to face in the Tower. Even back then, he still reasoned things with the fact that Byul was objectively the weakest, or that everyone else was strong enough to protect themselves.

But at the same time, he knew that his father would always prioritize saving them, his stronger, younger children. It had nothing to do with strength, even though he knew his father was a rational person. Then...wasn’t it weird that Kar would immediately think of Byul instead of his family? It wasn’t like Byul didn’t have his own family--or an esper sister who would be more than willing to protect him.

He thought about it a lot when he was resting after finishing the last trial, and changed his perspective. What if Byul was an awakened? What if he was as strong as Asa or Lucy? Would Kar still come to save him first?

The answer that he found after that long train of thought brought him to the meaning of the most precious.

He was feeling a bit dumb then. Well, maybe a lot. What was he supposed to do with that newfound realization when he was going away in order for Byul to forget him?

But, well...he was Karna Ishtera. To know the answer, he had to see the boy with his own eyes, meeting face-to-face. That was how the vague, but also direct [Are you at school?] was born.

Who knew the boy who Kar thought would be in the graduation ceremony would immediately call instead of replying through a text?

But it was good that he did, because the first thing Kar thought as he talked to the boy was...ah, nothing changed. It was comfortable and nice, just with a sprinkle of more consciousness toward each other.

Kar thought things would just happen naturally after that. Moreover, his mischievous sister made a suggestion that basically nudged their relationship forward. Well, it meant both of their sisters gave them blessings, so...that felt good.

At least, at first.

Kar was faced with confusion afterward. How should he proceed? Honestly, he had no idea how to flirt. His parents seemed to do it often, but it was weird to ask his parents about that. His twin...was in a weird situation with the girl he might or might not fancy. His sister? No real-life experience.

"Haa...it’s not like I can go to him and say, ’Hey, I know you like me, let’s stop being friends’," Kar said.

Asa stared at him with unimpressed, narrowed eyes. "Of course you can’t if you’re saying it like that. He’ll think you want to cease any relationship with him," the young guide rolled his eyes. "You should at least say ’Let’s be more than friends’."

"Ah..."

Asa slapped the hand he had been guiding for the past hour. Who knew he would also have to listen to his twin talking about his love problem when he mentioned Kar’s mana core being a bit restless?

"Besides, why mention anything about him liking you? You should just say you have feelings for him instead," Asa sighed. "This is why people should live among humans."

Kar smiled sweetly and flicked his twin’s forehead. "I’m not going to make you coconut pudding anymore."

"Forgive me, my Lord. This humble one hath crossed the line," Asa politely bowed. "Your lowly servant shan’t live without your magnificent dessert."

Kar scoffed and stood up, dropping a small cooler box onto his twin’s lap. "Anyway, isn’t it weird if I just suddenly say I have feelings for him?" he tilted his head. "Wouldn’t it feel insincere?"

"Then ask him for a couple of dates?" Asa shrugged, already too preoccupied with the pudding inside the cooler box.

"Have you?" Kar arched his brow. "Ask her for a date, I mean."

Asa looked up and snarled at his twin, only to be reminded that his favorite dessert depended on Kar. "I’ll take care of my own business, thank you very much."

Kar scoffed and left the spaceship’s research institute, returning to Althrea. Well, at least he knew that bringing up stuff about feelings and whatnot directly with a shy person like Byul might make the person step back. Kar also felt that just telling Byul he was the most precious after leaving for four years was rather...shameless? Lacking effort?

Asa was right: he should start with a few dates. Not just some hanging out, but something that could make Byul feel ah, this is special.

Unfortunately, Kar was naive. Or unlucky. Or both.

He couldn’t just ask an actor for a date.

There was a problem of caution against reporters, but also...an actor in the middle of drama production was very busy. Byul did not lie when he said he would return late at night often. Sometimes, he would be sleeping in late, sometimes he would already move at dawn.

Despite living under the same roof, they rarely saw each other. After all, Kar had started to be active as an esper. Since he didn’t have many records, Trinity had been taking in all the high-rank dungeons around Area 13 to feed Kar’s rank, and he had to go back and forth between Althrea and Projo for guiding.

In the end, his plan for dates wasn’t possible. Even if their day off finally aligned, how could he take someone who looked like they just wanted to lie around out? Chuckling wryly, Kar would just cook something to energize the actor who had been working hard all months.

"Do you still have a lot to shoot?" Kar asked one afternoon when Byul finally had a chance to rest after the shoot ended early.

"Hmm...just a bit more, I guess..." Byul tapped his lips with the dessert spoon while lying down beside the cool pool. "This one is a bit hard because there’s a bit of action, but I take it because it might open a door for more action roles."

Kar chuckled, remembering how the spark to act came from the desire to play as a cool esper. He patted the curly hair. "Is it hard?"

Byul glanced at Kar briefly before looking down again, hiding his smile behind the spoon. Usually, he would act tough and say it was nothing, but...was it because Kar had been spoiling him since earlier with the parfait and everything? He wanted to act spoiled a little bit.

"Nggh...the action isn’t hard, but..." he leaned slightly at the patting hand, whining. "We have to shoot in winter clothing!"

"In this heat?" Kar arched his brow.

"I know, right?!" Byul pursed his lips. "It was a bit bearable if we did it indoors because we can use air conditioning, but we have outdoors shoot too!"

"Whoa..." Kar stroked the back of Byul’s head in consolation. "I think being an actor is harder than an esper, Byul."

Byul gasped and pressed his spoon against Kar’s lips. "Sush, Hyung--you can’t say that! At least we actors don’t have to risk our lives like espers!"

"Is that so?" Kar tilted his head. "Well..."

Byul narrowed his eyes. "You’re about to say that you’ve never risked your life before, aren’t you?"

Kar arched his brow, smirking behind the cold spoon. "Oh, how do you know?"

"Seesh--you can’t say things like that outside, okay? You’ll get hated, Hyung!" Byul took his spoon back, shooting a warning look at the esper.

"Oh, now that I think about it, Uncles always said my Dad used to have a lot of haters..."

"And you’re trying to follow his path?" Byul puffed his cheeks. "I know Uncle Bas stopped aggravating people in his twenties."

"Late twenties," Kar corrected. "And only because he met father. I still have a few years left to make mischief, no?"

"Hyung!"

Kar laughed and raised his hands to catch the smacking coming from Byul. "Okay, okay--as expected of someone trained in PR, huh?"

"Ugh..." Byul pulled his hands and pouted again. "You just don’t know how scary haters could be nowadays..."

At a grumble that was mixed with dejection, Kar couldn’t help but frown. He reached out and held the younger’s chin, making Byul look up to face him. "Do you receive it a lot?" he asked coldly. "Hate comments?"

"H-huh?" the black eyes fluttered in surprise. "Uhh...umm, well...all actors experience that, Hyung. Anyone in the entertainment industry."

The frown did not wane between Kar’s sharp eyebrows, and Byul quickly shook his head to calm the esper. "It...it’s fine, Hyung. I’m used to that already--and...and it’s not like I receive it the worst. I know other people who even receive death threats, you know--"

"Death threats?"

"I have none!" Byul shook his head quickly. Maybe. He thought so. "Also, I’m no longer reading those comments about me anymore. I just heard about other people’s really, really bad case--truly!"

Kar clenched his jaw for a second as his mind couldn’t help but conjure up a vision of younger Byul reading people cursing about him with a sad face. It really, really made his blood boil.

"But, Hyung..." Byul grabbed the esper’s shirt, just like how he used to do when they were kids. The clear black eyes stared at Kar’s, filled with determination. "If I want to become a top-class actor, I have to be ready for that, you know. There’s always a lot of criticism for a non-awakened playing an esper role, after all."

Kar blinked as he, once again, was reminded of how stubborn this soft-spoken guy could be. He took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, stroking the curly hair. "As usual, you’re very strong," he said, prompting Byul to look at him in confusion.

"Mm," Kar smiled softly, leaning down to kiss the top of the curly hair, before ruffling it with a laugh. "Very strong indeed."

Byul, who wanted to melt into a puddle and join the pool’s water, didn’t think his heart was strong at all.