There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-Chapter 80 - 78. What’s a Date?

"A what?" Zein lifted his face from the document he just read. He had never faced the ordeal of a desk job before, but now he was drowning in it.

"A party!" Han Shin invited himself inside Zein’s office and gave the guide the news while laying on a leg press machine. "A summer party--well, it’s more like a welcoming party for the new recruits, but whatever..."

"Do I really need to--"

"Of course!" the healer didn’t even give Zein time to avoid it. "It’s for new recruits. You’re a new recruit, so it’s for you too."

Han Shin pointed at Zein with narrowed eyes, staring seriously at the guide as if he was going to be really mad if Zein didn’t come. Zein wasn’t afraid of mad Han Shin, but mad Han Shin seemed like he would act annoyingly naggy and kept sending him spam messages--and it was honestly worse than getting yelled at.

Finishing his drafting personnel with a sigh, Zein got up from his chair and beckoned at the healer. "Fine. Let’s get you cleansed."

With a wide, satisfied grin, Han Shin jumped off the machine and joined the guide on the couch, giving his hand obediently. He started to talk about everything that happened lately, and whining about how Reina had been so busy lately that they couldn’t go on a date, and whining again about how Zein was also busy so he couldn’t ask to play around with the guide.

"Play where?"

"Oh, I wanna go to the arcade with you, the classic one!" the healer answered enthusiastically. "Bas is too good at it so I don’t like playing with him."

"What about your brother?"

"Hyung doesn’t play games," Han Shin pursed his lips. "You’ve been awfully interested in my brother lately," he looked at Zein with narrowed eyes. "How suspicious..."

Zein flicked the healer’s forehead lightly, earning a huge grin. "I’ve never gone to an arcade," he said, shifting the topic back. He did hear of it, from the mercenary and the twins after they came back from the school tour in the orange-zone.

"Nice--let’s go sometimes!" Han Shin responded swiftly. "The aquarium is nice too, oh--" he paused for a bit, before continuing while tapping his chin in ponder. "But I think you should ask Bas to go with you for that one..."

"Why?"

"It’s a nice place for a date," the healer replied with a grin, giggling like a kid.

A date...Zein suddenly remembered that he still owed Bassena a date. A lover’s date, the esper said.

"Hmm..." Zein tilted his head, staring at the empty air. "What does one supposed to do on a date?"

Han Shin didn’t really expect such a question to come out of the guide’s mouth, so he was quite taken aback.

"What’s a date anyway? What’s the difference with just...hanging out?"

"Umm..." Han Shin was quite confused now. He never thought he would have to explain the concept of ’date’ to someone. And now that he had to, he was at a loss for words. "The difference is...in the feelings, I guess?"

"Hmm..."

"Well...you know... on a date, you’re supposed to look at your partner as a romantic interest, so umm...it’s different with just hanging out, right?"

"I see..."

Han Shin stared at the guide who kept replying nonchalantly, wondering if the man really understood it. Eh, well...that was for Bassena to figure out. What was the use of his popularity if he couldn’t make one guide’s heart thump on a date?

"Oh, wait--but did you guys really make out in the training hall?"

Instead of answering, Zein leaned back, closed his eyes, and sighed. So it’s already spread outside the guides. Even the guides who were getting closer to him like those living in the dorm started to ask him about it.

But unlike those guides, who stopped asking when Zein kept mummed, Han Shin didn’t stop pestering him, poking at his side while whining like a child. "Heeey heeey answeer meee~"

"Mm," Zein just answered with a mumble.

"Huh? Why?" the healer put his chin on Zein’s shoulder, staring at the guide curiously. "I thought you reject him already."

"I did," Zein replied without opening his eyes. "He’s persistent."

"Hngg..." leaning his head on the guide’s shoulder, Han Shin tapped on his chin in contemplation. "So you get seduced," he concluded, which got Zein to chuckle quietly. "Oh, here comes the persistent seducer,"

Han Shin grinned as he saw Bassena leaning on the doorframe, looking totally unamused at the way the healer latched himself to Zein. Still totally leaning toward the guide, the younger man waved his hand mischievously at the annoyed esper.

"Is this a new 5-star lounge or something?" Zein finally opened his eyes, looking back and forth between the healer and Bassena who took a seat across the couch.

"I’m here for guiding!" Han Shin defended himself, raising his brow at Bassena.

Crossing his arms and rolling his eyes, Bassena replied in annoyance. "I’m looking for this brat," he pointed toward the healer with his chin. "What’s this about a party?"

Feigning ignorance, Han Shin shrugged and scrunched his face. "Why are you asking me? It’s held by HR!"

"Minho said it’s your idea,"

"Wow--that traitor..."

"So that’s why you told me I have to come?"

Han Shin grinned and latched even more at the guide, acting like an adorable younger brother, which helped a lot by his cute, babyface feature. "It’s alright, isn’t it? I want to make a welcoming party for you,"

"I don’t need a welcoming party..."

"He doesn’t need a welcoming party," Bassena parroted with pursed lips.

Han Shin straightened his back then, pouting with furrowed brows. "It’s not that you don’t want a welcoming party, you just don’t want other people looking at Zein!"

"So what if I do?" Bassena replied haughtily.

"Zein, did you hear this--"

"Hey," Zein cut them sternly with a cold voice, eyes already closed again. "If you guys want to stay here, you better shut up."

With that single sentence, the two 5-star espers pressed their lips and kept silent, just glaring daggers at each other like usual.

* * *

Didn’t matter if Bassena hated the idea, he couldn’t just cancel an event that had been approved by the Guildmaster just because he didn’t want Zein to attend a party where a lot of people would gawk at him in curiosity.

Not to mention, it was supposed to be an event for all the new recruits, including espers and civilian workers. Sabotaging the event would mean misusing his authority, and he could already imagine Zein’s disapproval look for it.

So what? It’s just a guild event.

Han Shin told him with pursed lips. He’s a part of Trinity now, other members should know him better too.

Haa...if that brat wasn’t his friend...

He didn’t want others to know Zein better. That man had enough charm with his bewitching voice and aura that even with his face covered with a mask, people could still fall for him left and right. He stood up so much in a crowd that people couldn’t help but stop and stare.

What more could happen in a casual setting then? And a party with food and drink? Where Zein would have to take off his mask for the whole building to see?

Just thinking about it made Bassena spend a whole day inside a private training chamber to calm himself.

He’s not yours. He remembered what Radia said. Even if you want him, he’s not yours.

Bassena understood that, he really did.

Don’t act like you own him, or he’ll reject you even more.

Bassena had been heeding that advice all this while. He told himself to hold back, to be patient. Even though it was hard. Even though every time he saw Zein, all he wanted to do was to hold the man tight, telling him how precious he was...

But he shouldn’t. He promised himself he would be more patient this time. The last time he act impatient, he almost lost Zein, almost made himself into something that Zein hated.

So he told himself he wouldn’t do anything without the guide’s permission again. He would hold back. He would be patient.

But Goddess and Celestia above, patience was not a virtue--it was an ordeal.

At least, that was what Bassena felt as he saw Zein getting surrounded by the new division guides, who seemed to be getting friendlier with the man with every passing training session. Those cute, adorable-looking guides...

And then, probably because it was a casual setting--where instead of the menacing black uniform and black training suit, Zein wore a plain white shirt and a denim jacket that Reina gave him--and Zein didn’t look as menacing as usual, the civilian staff who got curious about the new guide also braved themselves to strike a conversation.

And Zein was particularly good toward civilians.

And so, not only he looked pleasant, he even appeared more friendly than the rumor suggested, which called for more flies--the espers.

Since Zein only had business with the 5-stars, other espers had no chance to meet him, and this event came as a way for them to satiate their curiosity. Whether it was their curiosity about the guide’s combat prowess or something more.

True to Han Shin’s desire to make it a welcoming party, the new guide never found himself lacking in conversation partners. Even while he only responded in a short word or a humm, people seemed too keen on talking with him. And every time he tried to get away, someone would find him and take him back--whether it was Han Shin, or Rina, or Abel.

And where was Bassena during all that?

Like a conspiracy, someone always found Bassena to talk about business and guild matters every time he tried to find Zein. Between his resolution to be patient and not acted like Zein was his, and the strange coincidence that all the guild business talk was legit, Bassena found himself to be far away from the guide. He couldn’t even be in Zein’s vicinity all night.

But all patience had limits, and Bassena’s limit was being tested when he saw Zein in danger of getting drunk.