Honey-Coated S-Class Guide — Chapter 14
Ahn Dante was neither affectionate nor playful as he usually was.
His voice rang coldly through the cramped car.
“There’s no need to go doing things I haven’t asked you to do.”
In the end, Jin Hyoseop lowered his head and apologized.
“I’m… sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize.”
Ahn Dante loosened his grip on Jin Hyoseop’s wrist. Then, smiling gently again, he lightly stroked his hair.
He was back to his usual self.
“Thank you for waiting so late tonight. I’ll count it as overtime, so go on inside.”
“…Yes. Have a safe drive.”
Jin Hyoseop hesitantly stepped out of the car.
It felt as though he had been dismissed.
The car sped off the moment he got out. For some reason, he felt bitter. He stood blankly until it disappeared from view, then looked down at his wrist.
It had been aching, and sure enough, a vivid red handprint remained.
When he had tried to guide Ahn Dante, their hands had touched.
The fiercely rejecting look in the man’s eyes had stopped him from providing any guiding, but he had felt the tremendous power churning within him.
It was something he would only expect from a dangerous esper on the verge of going berserk.
Even after a dungeon raid, that much toxin buildup couldn’t happen in a single day.
“…Surely not. That can’t be.”
Jin Hyoseop forced himself to shake his head.
Ahn Dante had talked with him, eaten meals, and spent his days with the other guild members as though nothing were wrong.
The idea that he was on the verge of going berserk was unbelievable. It shouldn’t even have been possible.
Right. There’s no way.
Jin Hyoseop ran a hand through his hair, then rubbed the ends.
Despite his attempts to deny it, the concern on his face didn’t fade.
“Shall we take a trip?”
After returning from the A-class dungeon, Ahn Dante hadn’t shown his face at the office.
Then, on the fifth day, he appeared as though nothing had happened and made that suggestion.
“We got some pretty valuable items from the dungeon. We can afford to take a break for a while, so I thought we could go on a trip and make it a welcome celebration for Mr. Jin Hyoseop.”
Smiling, he turned toward Jin Hyoseop.
“What do you think?”
“I’m fine either way.”
“But it should be something you enjoy. It’s your welcome celebration.”
His welcome celebration.
Uncomfortable with the unfamiliar phrase, Jin Hyoseop rubbed the short hair at the back of his head.
“I’m in! Hyoseop hyung, let’s go!”
Czerny beamed and tugged on his arm, as uninhibited about physical contact as ever.
“…All right.”
“Yes!”
Czerny threw both hands up in delight.
Ahn Dante smiled too, telling him he had made a good choice.
“The rest of you are coming too, right?”
He looked around at the remaining guild members.
They all seemed indifferent, but no one objected.
“Great. Since we’re all here, shall we leave today?”
“Pardon? But we haven’t prepared…”
“I’ve already taken care of everything.”
Saying Jin Hyoseop only needed to bring himself, Ahn Dante ushered him along.
Jin Hyoseop followed him outside.
And just like that, their trip began.
They arrived at a quiet-looking stretch of coast.
Having traveled through a teleportation portal, they had reached the South Gyeongsang region in less than a minute.
Discovered in an S-class dungeon a hundred years earlier, teleportation portals were revolutionary gates that connected distant places, allowing people to cross vast distances in an instant.
Of course, only the wealthy could afford to use them.
Feeling rather amazed, Jin Hyoseop looked around.
Before him stood a peaceful resort. It wasn’t ostentatious, but it had a tranquil charm.
“I’ve already checked us in, so let’s head straight up.”
Ahn Dante went to the resort’s top floor and opened the door to their suite.
A spacious living room and the sea stretching beyond the windows came into view all at once.
Jin Hyoseop let out an exclamation at the beautiful sight.
The other guild members, however, looked unimpressed.
“Why the sea?”
Flat agreed with Czerny’s complaint.
“Exactly. I’m sick to death of it.”
Everyone nodded, apparently sharing the sentiment.
Only Ahn Dante seemed pleased with the view, gazing out the window.
As Jin Hyoseop stepped inside, he cautiously addressed Coda beside him.
“Does everyone dislike the sea?”
Coda gave a small nod.
“Yes. Our old guild office was beside the sea.”
“That’s unexpected.”
Coda blinked slowly, as though asking why he thought so.
“It’s just… I thought you all suited the city more than the seaside.”
With his healthy tan and free-spirited air, Flat suited the coast.
The others didn’t.
Pale and slender, Coda seemed more at home in a city. The same was true of the strikingly handsome Czerny and Ahn Dante. A city at night suited them better than the sea.
He had never spoken to the other three, but it was difficult to imagine them running around on a beach either.
Hearing his remark, Czerny approached with his eyes curved into crescents.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing in particular. I only meant that you have a sophisticated air.”
“That’s a compliment, right?”
“Yes.”
Czerny’s eyes curved even further as he smiled sweetly.
“Our guide is always complimenting us. Do you like the sea, Hyoseop hyung?”
“Yes, I do.”
Jin Hyoseop gazed through the window.
The open sky and sea felt so refreshing that he couldn’t understand how anyone could grow tired of them.
Just looking at them made him feel free.
“You haven’t seen the sea very often, have you?”
“No. I used to live deep in the mountains. I’m a little envious.”
“Oh, there’s nothing to envy. The sea isn’t as nice as you think. It’s damp, it smells of salt, electronics keep breaking, it’s noisy, and…”
As he listed the drawbacks, Czerny cast an irritated glance toward the water.
“Annoying things keep showing up.”
“Annoying… things?”
Did he mean jellyfish?
Having never lived by the sea, Jin Hyoseop had no idea what he was referring to.
“Anyway, Hyoseop hyung. There’s a hot spring on the floor below. Want to go bathe together?”
“…Bathe?”
Czerny nodded, his eyes sparkling.
“You don’t find many in the city. And this one’s reserved for the royal suite on the top floor, so there won’t be anyone else there. A soak in warm water would feel so nice…”
His golden eyes gazed pleadingly up at Jin Hyoseop.
Normally, Jin Hyoseop would have given in to that look and nodded.
This time, however, he couldn’t.
Flustered, his eyes darted around before he finally shook his head.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why? Do I make you uncomfortable?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Then are you embarrassed? You’re not worried I’ll do something bad, are you? What would I ever do to you, hyung? Hmm?”
“That’s absolutely not it.”
Jin Hyoseop waved both hands in emphatic denial.
Czerny wasn’t the problem.
“I’ve just never particularly liked baths.”
“But it’s a hot spring…”
“I’m sorry.”
He was unusually firm.
As Czerny stuck out his lower lip, Flat, sprawled on the sofa, scoffed at him.
“Hey. Even if I were a guide, I wouldn’t go with you. Would I have to be insane? Who knows what you’d do?”
Czerny immediately snorted back.
“Yeah, right. If you were a guide, I wouldn’t invite you.”
“Don’t say creepy shit like that.”
“You started it.”
Sparks flew between them.
It was difficult to tell whether they were close or couldn’t stand each other.
Caught in the middle, Jin Hyoseop fidgeted awkwardly with his nails.
Beside him, Coda gently took his hand.
“You’re damaging your fingertips.”
Jin Hyoseop looked down and realized that his unconscious picking and scratching had left little strips of skin sticking up around his nails.
Coda led him by the hand, then rummaged through a drawer and took out a nail clipper.
Before he knew it, Jin Hyoseop was seated on the sofa, his hand entrusted to Coda.
Long, slender fingers carefully clipped away the hangnails.
His touch was delicate.
Watching them, Flat propped his chin on his hand and remarked in surprise, “It’s rare for Coda to like someone that much.”
Czerny agreed.
“Right? When he first met you, Flat, he didn’t speak to you for an entire year.”
“That’s because that bastard and I don’t get along.”
“No. It’s because you don’t get along with people.”
“You little shit…”
Just as another argument seemed about to begin, Ahn Dante interrupted at precisely the right moment.
“How about swimming instead of a bath? The outdoor pool is what this place is famous for.”
He pointed below the window.
Jin Hyoseop had been so captivated by the sea that he hadn’t noticed the enormous outdoor pool below.
It wasn’t the plain rectangular pool divided into lanes that he had imagined.
Elegant statues stood here and there, lounge chairs were neatly arranged, and there were even unusually shaped water attractions.
He had never seen a pool like it.
“You’re coming, aren’t you, Mr. Jin Hyoseop?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Jin Hyoseop cautiously nodded.
“Yes. I’d like to.”
“Good. Let’s change into our swimsuits, then.”
Apparently, Ahn Dante had prepared those in advance too. He opened the built-in wardrobe and took out everything hanging inside.
Brightly colored swimsuits were laid out across the low table.
“They’re all new, so take your pick. I specially picked these up for you.”
Ahn Dante smiled brightly.
“For me?”
“Yes. So feel free to try on as many as you like.”
