Holy B-Class Life

#105

Although it was said that clothes wouldn’t get damp with sweat, the heat of the lava was steadily accumulating under the skin. Entering a space that felt like it had air conditioning turned on, there was a sense of fatigue instantly dissipating.

“It’s cool, isn’t it?”

“How is this possible?”

“Well, in extreme environments like volcanoes, secret spaces with opposite conditions sometimes form.”

“I see…”

Yoon Pa-ran tried to engrave this high-level information, which even the Gate Management Office might not know, in his mind. Such information might save his life later.

The two slowly entered deeper into the cave. A pleasant coolness gently caressed their entire bodies.

Surprisingly, the inside of the cave was entirely made of bluish ice walls.

To be precise, it was a strange mineral that seemed to be a mix of ice and stone. The whole cave emitted a faint light, as if fireflies were trapped inside the ice.

“Wow, this is ice.”

“…Yeah.”

Dan Joo-hyuk replied, lowering his gaze to the floor. His response was a bit odd, so when Yoon Pa-ran looked down too, he discovered that the floor they were standing on was also made of smooth ice.

“That’s interesting.”

The ice cave wasn’t very deep. Like the path the attack team had come up, there was a slightly curved passage that continued for a while, and the inside was completely empty without any monsters.

There were occasional rumors about finding good items in such secret spaces, but it seemed those were just unfounded stories.

“I have something to ask you.”

At that moment, Dan Joo-hyuk approached Yoon Pa-ran and began to speak.

Lost in sightseeing, they had already reached the innermost part of the cave. Yoon Pa-ran, who had been tapping the walls wondering if there might be another hidden passage, turned to face Dan Joo-hyuk.

“What is it?”

At the end of the cave, the entrance they had come through was no longer visible. The faint lava light from outside and the ice light seeping from the cave walls blended like a mirage as they hit Dan Joo-hyuk’s large body.

While Yoon Pa-ran unconsciously stared at his face, Dan Joo-hyuk had already come close enough for their toes to touch.

It was a bit too close just for conversation. Before Yoon Pa-ran could even feel puzzled by this fact, Dan Joo-hyuk naturally extended his arm.

Dan Joo-hyuk, who had lightly gripped one of his shoulders, slowly slid his hand down. Though they had only been here for a few minutes, Yoon Pa-ran felt his chilled skin rising in response to the warmth of Dan Joo-hyuk’s hand.

What on earth is he trying to say, taking so long?

Now Dan Joo-hyuk was gripping one of his forearms, gently rubbing the fabric with his thumb. The ticklish sensation felt like it would linger strangely long.

“Yoon Pa-ran.”

Dan Joo-hyuk suddenly spoke. Thinking he would finally hear the reason why they had to come to such a secluded place, Yoon Pa-ran tensed up.

However, making the tension seem pointless, what Dan Joo-hyuk said was an unexpected matter.

“Why do you keep talking so friendly with that Park Jung-hoon?”

“Huh?”

What is he talking about?

Yoon Pa-ran immediately showed a puzzled expression. It meant he didn’t quite understand the question, but Dan Joo-hyuk only continued to speak softly, as if interrogating.

“Hmm?”

“Uh… We’re not close.”

“…”

He fumbled for an answer in his confusion. The hand that had been gently stroking his forearm suddenly stopped, which was a bit concerning.

No matter how much he racked his brain, Yoon Pa-ran couldn’t understand why Dan Joo-hyuk was asking this. After all, today was the first time he had any real conversation with Park Jung-hoon. And that was only because he thought he might need to gather some information.

“Didn’t you tell me to try and get some information earlier?”

“…When did I say that?”

“You were looking at me, so I thought…”

“…”

Wasn’t that what you meant?

Unable to grasp Dan Joo-hyuk’s intentions, Yoon Pa-ran slightly furrowed his brow.

Then, after being silent for a while, Dan Joo-hyuk burst into laughter and said,

“That’s not what I meant. Anyway, he’s someone who might have a relapse of his injuries at any time, so be careful and don’t get too close.”

Finally, Yoon Pa-ran understood Dan Joo-hyuk’s concern. He had wondered why he was brought all the way here to be asked something so seriously, but that was the issue.

Perhaps he was worried that Yoon Pa-ran might get hurt by Park Jung-hoon’s violent outbursts. If that happened, they wouldn’t be able to properly experiment with the [Sacred Energy].

Having made his assessment, Yoon Pa-ran reassured Dan Joo-hyuk in a confident tone.

“That’s alright. I have shoes, so I should be able to dodge well.”

“…”

Dan Joo-hyuk was momentarily speechless.

Whatever he was thinking, Yoon Pa-ran suddenly had an extremely confident look. Even so, it just reminded Dan Joo-hyuk of the brave dog picture on the clothes Yoon Pa-ran had worn before.

Dan Joo-hyuk couldn’t understand why he suddenly felt so troubled.

“Anyway, you misunderstood my intentions and were deliberately engaging with Park Jung-hoon, right?”

“Well, that’s right.”

“…Before entering the gate, didn’t you say you were concerned about Park Jung-hoon?”

“Of course I’m concerned. We’re short on A-rank hunters. The gate clearance rate has been dropping bit by bit, so it’s worrying.”

“Is that so?”

Despite the continued questioning, Yoon Pa-ran didn’t sense anything unusual and just nodded.

In truth, Dan Joo-hyuk had come here on impulse, wanting to get Yoon Pa-ran away from there. It wasn’t a carefully thought-out action, but this cold space had cooled his head to some extent.

The faint light flowing from the cave walls continued to illuminate Yoon Pa-ran’s surroundings. His hair, which fluttered as he nodded to answer, sparkled as it caught that bluish light.

“…”

Dan Joo-hyuk stared blankly at that sight for a while.

Yoon Pa-ran in his sacred clothes suited this space quite well. When the faint glowing light happened to fall on his thick eyelashes, it strangely made Dan Joo-hyuk’s heart tighten. The same happened when he saw Yoon Pa-ran’s cheeks, which had turned slightly red due to the suddenly cold air.

“What?”

As he kept taking in Yoon Pa-ran’s appearance, curious eyes turned towards him. Somehow finding that gaze heavy, Dan Joo-hyuk’s eyes dropped to the floor.

This time, Yoon Pa-ran’s white ankles caught his eye. He had been quite displeased earlier when other guys were sneaking glances at that area.

And now, with this transparent ice floor…

“Do you have anything else to say? If not, let’s go out.”

The meaning was clear – if their business was done, there was no reason for them to stay here. Despite it being a natural thing to say, it still didn’t sit well with him.

Why did he keep wanting to possess Yoon Pa-ran like this? Even though he already had him firmly in his grasp.

“Yoon Pa-ran.”

“Yeah?”

As if he had some very secret matter left to discuss, Dan Joo-hyuk slightly lowered his head. He felt like a predator eyeing its prey as he leaned towards Yoon Pa-ran’s soft ear.

That’s not entirely wrong.

With a wry self-mockery, Dan Joo-hyuk whispered softly into the white ear.

“The floor… You can see through to the bottom.”

“What?”

Only then did Yoon Pa-ran realize that the transparent floor was reflecting everything above it, and he was startled. As if to confirm, he hurriedly looked down and moved his body around, but Dan Joo-hyuk didn’t let go of Yoon Pa-ran’s arm that he had been holding onto.

Instead, he pulled him back into his embrace.

“From now on, if another guy calls you to a place like this, just ignore them. It would be troublesome since everything is so visible here.”

“Damn it…”

Yoon Pa-ran, now with an angry face, backed away hesitantly. He looked like a penguin on ice as he tried to move without spreading his legs.

Dan Joo-hyuk still didn’t let Yoon Pa-ran out of his grasp. Not until he stumbled back and his back hit the wall.

Following him all the way there, Dan Joo-hyuk gazed down intently at Yoon Pa-ran in his arms. He couldn’t take his eyes off the expression that was full of anger, probably thinking he had been tricked again.

So, he lowered his head just like that.

“Hey.”

But right in front of the lips he was about to naturally claim, Yoon Pa-ran’s palm firmly blocked his mouth.

“What? Didn’t you say we wouldn’t fill up on skills in this gate?”

“…”

Like a dog whose leash had been pulled right in front of its prey, Dan Joo-hyuk just stared with dark eyes.

Yoon Pa-ran’s point was valid. They had previously agreed to try clearing this gate using only their own skills, without sharing. The problem lay elsewhere.

He didn’t want to do this for the skills; he just wanted to do it.

But it seemed Yoon Pa-ran still needed an excuse. Judging by his body’s reactions every time, it was clear he didn’t dislike it.

Couldn’t he make him more accustomed to mingling bodies with him? To the point where Yoon Pa-ran would initiate it himself.

If that happened, he would gladly comply.

“Why are you doing this?”

To the repeated question, he just smiled slightly. Feeling Dan Joo-hyuk’s lips move under his palm, Yoon Pa-ran startled and withdrew his hand.

“I changed my mind.”