There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-Chapter 791: Side Story 4. Endless Journey - 72

Byul’s new movie, despite him trying to break out from his teenage role, was actually centered around an esper academy. The protagonist was a student who had lost his spirit and motivation because of a certain trauma. Of course, Byul would play as this student.

The plot itself wasn’t very complicated, but the characters had depth and overall, it was a fun movie for all ages. The focus would be on how the protagonist found his way back to his brilliant self through interaction with people around him and working through his trauma.

The most important event, taking more than half of the movie, was the dungeon break happening inside the academy. It was the source of the protagonist’s trauma, as well as his way to regain his old self.

Byul...just never thought that a real dungeon break would happen right in front of the rest area beside the filming location. freewebnøvel.com

Naturally, it was chaos. The dungeon seemed to be an anomaly that immediately broke after manifesting. Thankfully, the damage only happened to buildings, vehicles, and equipment. Perhaps because they had been training as an esper, most of the actors could act immediately and flee from the location instead of standing still in panic.

Byul, who had spent all his life around espers, was one of the early escapees. He immediately pressed the emergency button on his commlink and pulled the manager toward the building.

But then, he realized that some people--filming crews, some young actors, and several passersby--were stuck in fear from the blasting mana and miasma swirling around the breaking gate. Soon, the beasts from the gate would pour out and get those people.

Before thinking about it thoroughly, Byul already moved his body.

Securities tried their best to pull the frozen people to their feet and into the safety of the building across the yard behind them, but there were too many people and only four security. What bad luck it was, for this to happen when there was no action scene--which meant the esper supervising their movement wasn’t there.

As he ran toward the stuck people, Byul thought about his hyung. His emergency alert would go straight to Kar, but Byul also knew that the esper was in the middle of a dungeon raid. Even if he wasn’t, it would take time to get to this place.

Let’s...just do what I can for now.

With that conviction, Byul pulled a crew and shook her until her eyes focused again, pushing her to run toward the building. He immediately went to another person, but at that time, the gate was fully breaking and a storm of miasma belted around, throwing the poor people and two security flying back.

Byul groaned as the storm struck him--or rather, struck a barrier enveloping him. With widened eyes, Byul looked down at the glowing star pendant he never took off. Thanks to the barrier, the storm did not affect him much. But that wasn’t the case with the others.

Gritting his teeth, Byul hurriedly grabbed the groaning people on the ground and helped them stand up as the land shook from the pouring beasts. "Come on!" he yelled at them, pushing them away from the incoming beast. "Just run and don’t look back!"

With screams and rumbles, Byul started to run after getting everyone up with the securities. They only needed to cross a yard used as a parking lot, but it felt so, so far away at that moment. He could hear the scream and shriek of the people who had already running since earlier, as well as the sound of emergency sirens blaring from the buildings and the street.

Amidst all of those sounds, Byul caught something like a whistle and turned his head in reflex just as an axe was flying toward the group. Gasping, he slapped his finger while jumping at the route of the axe--a light but sturdy shield immediately spread out from his outstretched hand.

"Kyaah!"

"Don’t stop--go!" Byul winced at the vibration from the clash, pushing the frozen people. "Let’s go! Let’s go!"

Being stopped, the bull-headed giant who threw the axe roared in anger, and it was enough motivation for everyone to put all of their energy and willpower onto their legs to rush toward the building.

The gate--at least we have to hide behind the gate!

Byul gritted his teeth and ran backward, holding the shield in front of him to make sure the attacks wouldn’t reach the people behind him. The pouring beasts, fortunately, didn’t seem to target anything in particular. Some of them immediately roamed in other directions, and some were still bewildered around where the gate previously was.

But the owner of the failed axe was staring at them--or rather, staring at him--with glaring red eyes.

"Shit!"

Byul cursed and moved quickly, ducked behind his shield as the giant threw a ruble at him again. It felt harder than before, and he almost fell from the impact. Thankfully, he wasn’t injured and still able to move. But as he did, the bullhead grabbed the axe on the ground and proceeded to chase him like a freight train.

"Byul!"

"Mr. Actor!"

Screams came from behind him, and Byul wasn’t sure the shield would be able to withstand much hit from a high-ranking mob. Should he run? Should he try to hold his stance?

Byul had no chance to decide because another storm hit the field of the dungeon break. It wasn’t black like the storm of miasma before, however, but bright like a blinding sun. Dozens of colorful arrows spread from the storm of mana and struck every single one of the beasts pouring out from the broken gate.

Blinking, Byul peeked out of his shield and saw a familiar back; broad and radiating strength. In just one move, the dungeon break was cleared.

Byul bit his trembling lips and returned the shield into a ring, staring at the esper in front of him. "H-Hyung--"

"What are you doing?!" Kar turned around and glared at the actor as he rushed forward, brows knitting deep.

Byul blinked in surprise. He had never seen Kar angry before--at least not at him. But the problem was...he didn’t know why the esper was so angry. "...Hyung?"

"What are you doing staying here protecting other people? Do you have a lot of lives?!"

The black eyes widened. His bewilderment shifted to annoyance as he didn’t think he was in the wrong. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, but Byul found himself frowning and raising his voice in response. "Then should I let them die?! I have a shield--shields! From you too! What’s wrong with using it?!"

"It’s wrong to stay at the front line!"

"Why are you talking as if I was actively trying to fight?" Byul argued. "All I did was provide cover so people could get to a safer place!"

Kar took a sharp, exasperated breath. "And what about you?"

"I had more protection than--"

"You almost die!"

Byul flinched at the shout, and that made Kar stiffened. The esper paced back and took rapid deep breaths, swiping his hands over dark hairs. It was clear from the bulging veins on his hand and neck that he was trying hard to hold back his emotions.

"I’m sorry..." he said with a shaky voice and a stuttered breath, before lowering his hands to look at Byul again. "I’m sorry for yelling, okay? I didn’t mean to--"

The deep scowling eyes had softened, and Byul could finally see something else that was shaded by the anger earlier: fear.

"You...did something admirable, I know, but Gods!" Kar took a deep breath again to control his voice. "Byul..."

His steps as he came forward were wobbly, and when his hands held Byul’s shoulder, it almost felt like he was reaching for support instead. Byul could feel it from the weight as he staggered back slightly.

The voice that came after contained the same tremble those hands had. "If something were to happen to you, I..."

"Hyung..."

"I was so scared--Gods...I was so scared..."

"Hyung, I’m sorry!" Byul felt his throat choke as those eyes looked at him with so much fear and sorrow, as if they had seen the same scenery somewhere. He hugged the esper who seemed so close to crumbling like the falling leaves around them. "I’m wrong--I’m sorry..."

Kar embraced the warmth tightly. It was warm. It wasn’t bloody. It was nothing like what he saw inside his trial. He kissed the sweaty temple, kissed the dusty curls, and cupped the teary face. "Don’t...don’t do that again," leaning down, he kissed the drying lips with his trembling own. "Please?"

"Yeah..." Byul nodded quickly, pressing their foreheads together as his shoulder shook from the pouring emotions. "Yeah, okay..."

Their relieved breath mingled with each other, oblivious to the leftover chaos around them, or the eyes of many cameras and news drones still broadcasting the outbreak live.

* * *

"I saw that," Asa pointed at the screen where the news regarding his twin’s relationship was on again. "Thought you were shooting a romance movie or something."

Indeed; there were various angles recorded by various broadcasting drones--which were actually there to broadcast the condition of the dungeon break--and people’s commlinks. Some people went out of their way to make a compilation and edited it so it looked even more like an ending to a romance drama...or something.

"Very entertaining, I must say," even Julia admitted that, having watched those edits that Lucy kept sending her with all kinds of laughing emojis.

"Seems like a lot of people think so," Kar shook his head. "I can’t understand."

Since it was shown in various live broadcasts, there was nothing they could do to hide it. Even Uncle Dia couldn’t erase people’s memory. The agency had no choice but to confirm Byul’s relationship with Kar.

What they were worried about, however, did not happen. Perhaps because it looked like a drama, people thought it was romantic. Byul’s fans couldn’t decide if they were more envious of Kar or their idol. After all, Karna Ishtera was the nation’s number-one son-in-law material--or so Nari said.

Byul’s identity was also found out, but that actually made people see their relationship as something natural, what with their childhood pictures coming out--Kar had a suspicion that his sister was involved in this. As for the movie...

Byul’s courageous act to protect the people there had a positive impact on his and the movie’s popularity. Some people even say the dungeon break was a sign that the movie would be a success--an audacious superstition that could only be made because there was no fatality.

Kar truly had no idea how people’s brains worked.

"You still have a long way to study our society, Kar."

"Yeah, yeah," Kar waved his hand dismissively, before tapping the paper in front of him with a pen, where a rough sketch of the wedding cake could be seen. "Are you sure you only want three tiers?"

"There’s a lot of wind up here," Asa turned toward the window, where they could see the garden the wedding would be. "I don’t want our wedding cake toppled in the middle of the ceremony."

"It’ll be interesting though," Lucy giggled.

"And let Kar’s delish wasted? No way!"

"Thanks?" Kar arched his brow. He just started baking in the past because Asa kept sneaking out of the dorm to get unhealthy snacks--who would have thought he would end up making a wedding cake for his twin? He chuckled and made a note on his paper. "Any request for the decoration? Don’t say spaceship."

"Why?!" Asa slammed the table.

"Because I’ll need to use fondant then," Kar shrugged. "I don’t like the taste."

Neither did Asa, who nodded. "Fair enough."

"Why? It’s chewy and tasty," Lucy argued, pursing her lips in protest.

"I trust you in a lot of things, dear sister, but not in food," Asa pressed his hand over his chest, shaking his head solemnly.

"Tsk!"

"Then...what about the space itself?" Julia tapped her chin, looking up at the ceiling with a smile. There were glow-in-the-dark stars all over the ceiling, clearly the work of children years and years ago. "Stars? Galaxy?"

"The star garden..." Kar muttered while scratching the paper with his pen. He closed his eyes to imagine the shape in his mind and nodded. "I’ll ask Father what it looks like."

"Yaaay--huh?"

Asa lowered his arms as his commlink vibrated--and so did Julia. They looked at each other and checked the message together.

And together, they gasped.

"What? What happened?" Lucy asked in surprise.

Asa took a deep breath and raised his head. "The spaceship...is done."