Dirty Sweet Baby – Chapter 115

Author: nicotine

Of course, since there was a regulation that a dedicated guide must accompany their dedicated esper on missions, Heeheon would be dispatched as well, but it was nothing more than a formal accompaniment. The one actually guiding him would be the S-grade guide, and Baek Heeheon would merely be present.

‘In the end, I’ll have to watch another guide guide Cha Moogyul right in front of my eyes.’

Anyway. Since this was the situation, it was unavoidable that their timing for a conversation kept being off.

For now, Baek Heeheon’s nerves were on edge, he didn’t think any good would come of talking to him, and above all, it was a time to focus on the mission.

This mission was the last one.

The last chance to go out into the field.

Although he had no choice but to choose between two options on the board Cha Moogyul had set up, it was something Heeheon had decided on his own judgment. He had said it clearly with his own mouth. That this was the last and the end.

‘It would have been nice if the imprinting had succeeded right away.’

It would have been even better if he could have overcome the limitations caused by the grade difference and gone on the mission with him as his proud partner…

If that had been the case, he might have been able to accept the end with a truly clear heart and without any lingering regrets…

‘Hah…’

To think that Baek Heeheon himself couldn’t even guide, and it would end with him just filling a spot as a formal partner, it would be a lie to say he had no regrets.

Nevertheless, the α-Creature had to be captured, Cha Moogyul had to step up, and the people had to be protected. So, it was only natural for his mind to be complicated and his mood to be unsettled.

‘But, if the imprinting had succeeded, would that have been enough?’

If Heeheon had been in peak condition and his core had fully recovered, and the imprinting had been successful, would there have been no problems then?

Would it have been okay to finish the final mission with Cha Moogyul and end it there?

His voice from that day echoed in his head.

Cha Moogyul’s gaze. His expression. The man who was as cold, sharp, precise, and meticulous as metal, yet once he opened up, he would seethe and pour out like he was in a furnace…

<We’re just playing at dating now. Anyone can see we’re not at that stage.>

That stage. What is ‘that stage’?

What stage was Cha Moogyul judging their current relationship to be at.

What kind of distinction he was making on his own. What he was thinking. What the problem was. It was truly difficult for Heeheon too.

Because while Cha Moogyul could be the most dependable person on one hand, he could also be the most undependable on the other.

If he was determined to distrust and control Heeheon, or to oppress him, Heeheon had no way to respond immediately. There were no right answers to emotional problems. And above all, Heeheon… Baek Heeheon was new to dating too.

He was new to love too.

In the first place, he had never been prepared for these feelings to be reciprocated.

He had held Cha Moogyul in his heart for eight years, but he had only ever considered and contemplated NO, so now that he was contemplating YES, there was no way it would flow as naturally as water.

Besides, Cha Moogyul wasn’t just an ordinary person.

‘Yes. Actually, it’s Cha Moogyul’s fault too. Cha Moogyul is a source of the problem too.’

If he were just a person who fell into the general category, there wouldn’t have been a need for so many twists and turns, so many problems, and for things to get so tangled. It was because Cha Moogyul’s skills were so outstanding and extraordinary, his judgment and actions were on such a high level, and he was so strong and capable that he could do anything on his own.

So.

‘What do you want me to do…’

The conversation, the establishment of it, huh?

‘It might have been smoothly resolved if we had just approached it simply.’

But because Cha Moogyul was never simple, everything ended up becoming complicated.

And the difficult reality the two of them were in right now was also a factor.

‘First, the dispatch. And then, the imprinting.’

And…

‘…’

Winter is coming.

Heeheon slowly watched the scenery outside the window, then reached out and drew the curtains. The bare trees, the colorful autumn leaves blowing in the wind, and the faded grass were hidden behind the curtain.

<Hyung, your body temperature is too high.>

<It’s probably you who’s low.>

<It’s warm, so it’ll be nice to hug in the winter. It’s hot in the summer.>

A ring glinted on the left hand that was drawing the curtain.

It struck him anew how different a one-sided crush and a relationship really were.

At first, he thought dating Cha Moogyul would be nothing but sweet, but in reality, it was a mix of sweet and bitter. Moreover, as the scope of their relationship broadened, the number of problems to think about doubled as well. On one hand, it felt like he could overcome even those problems, but on the other hand, he would end up sighing like this.

<It’s short for winter.>

Why is it so hard even though we feel the same way? The Heeheon of the past used to always think that. Whenever he saw conflicts between lovers, common in dramas or movies, didn’t they eventually overcome them and become happy? Some people can’t even start. He thought that since they had worked things out and ended up together, it was all good.

Perhaps his mother’s influence played a part in this thinking.

There had been ups and downs, but in the end, their love had overcome the world, Groom Cha Kwonil, Bride Lee Eunhong, happily ever after after remarrying… because that’s how it was.

That’s why he thought that as long as they truly loved each other, minor practical problems or emotional anguish would be nothing. That it would be a happy ending in the end. Looking back now, he might have been complacent because he thought of it as someone else’s business, not his own.

<House?>

<Yeah. My house.>

But now, it was Baek Heeheon’s own business.

Whether he liked it or not, whether it was sweet or bitter, it was something Heeheon had to step up and swallow.

Heeheon, who had turned away from the window, took a seat at his desk. He rotated his wrist once to loosen it and took out a writing instrument from a low drawer. It was a common notebook and pen.

Bringing the pen tip to the top left corner, Heeheon slowly, with a scratch, scratch, began to write. Writing and erasing. Writing and erasing again. Without realizing how much time was passing, the day came to a close.

That day.

The scheduled dispatch day.

A large-scale evacuation order was issued for the 3rd General Residential District, and the residents had already moved safely to the neighboring 2nd and 4th Districts. It was a measure to minimize casualties.

First, a search party composed of high-grade tracking-type espers would be deployed, and once the search party specified the location coordinates of the α-Creature in question, the main force would be deployed.

The main force was composed of special mission unit members led by Cha Moogyul, but the capture of the α-Creature was a mission that only Cha Moogyul could carry out. The main mission of the other special mission unit members was to dispose of any remaining β-Creature remnants that might be near the α-Creature.

After the site was safely cleared, the transport unit would move the α-Creature to the Research and Development Center in the special residential district, and the researchers on standby there would immediately extract its core to complete the mission.

Since it was a mission where not a single thing could go wrong, they had to remain vigilant until the very end and exercise extreme caution.

‘The guiding too.’

The S-grade guide who would guide Cha Moogyul would of course also participate in the mission. He would guide him after his ability was depleted from use.

‘Hoo, right. So the day has finally come.’

Heeheon, who had boarded the military vehicle, took a deep breath.

Heeheon was dressed in a black combat suit from head to toe, with goggles on his forehead, wearing gloves, and holding a rifle as he fastened his seatbelt. He had been fully prepared, just waiting for the dispatch day.

Even though he couldn’t imprint with Cha Moogyul, and even the opportunity to guide for what would be the last time in his life had disappeared.

Heeheon slowly turned his head and looked at Cha Moogyul. He, too, was fully prepared and dressed in a combat suit, just like Heeheon. He no longer had any concerns about him being an esper right after his manifestation. He had been an excellent esper and Awakened from the beginning. He never trembled, was always cool-headed, and achieved his goals effectively.

So, just because things had turned out this way, there was no need to worry about Cha Moogyul. Even if Heeheon couldn’t guide him, no major problems would occur. He was naturally skilled at controlling his abilities, and even if an unforeseen situation arose, there would be an S-grade guide.

Rustle.

A neatly folded piece of paper in Heeheon’s chest pocket made a small sound. It was a letter.

In fact, Heeheon had been revising a letter to send to Cha Moogyul.

He thought talking might interfere with the mission, and he was worried that the conversation might get messy, swept up in emotions and the situation. So, the dispatch came first. And the moment the α-Creature was safely captured and the mission was over, he planned to give this letter to Cha Moogyul.

The letter contained everything Heeheon wanted to say to him.

It took a really long time to revise and revise and revise it. But he had managed to include everything.

‘What else can I do but this.’