I Picked Up the Greatest Villain in the Story

41.

“Are you feeling a bit better?”

Jian laid Sehun down on the bed and sat on the floor. The room, once a closet but now filled with Sehun’s belongings, had a cozy and warm atmosphere that suited Jian’s taste.

Jian’s gentle hand brought a blanket from the chair, spreading it wide to cover Sehun’s stomach.

Sehun lay quietly, holding his breath as he watched Jian’s eyelashes flutter. It was his favorite time. The time when Jian focused solely on him.

Even the flow of air seemed to turn sweet, and he wished time would pass very slowly. It was always a happy moment, no matter when he experienced it.

“Nothing happened at the PC room, right?”

Jian’s eyes, tinged with affection and concern, were beautiful. How nice it would be if those round eyes always held only him.

Suppressing a sigh that rose to the tip of his throat, Sehun shook his head lightly. Then he took Jian’s hand resting on the bed and held it with both of his, his lips moving slightly.

“I tried to get along with friends as you said, maybe pushed myself a bit too hard.”

Sehun was satisfied with Jian’s wavering eyes. He deliberately provoked Jian’s guilt. The kind Jian probably wouldn’t tell him to mingle with other friends anymore.

One clingy presence like Hyunsu was enough. Sometimes he even felt the urge to quietly get rid of Hyunsu, so a daily life with new kids clinging to him was far from welcome.

“…I’m sorry. From now on, don’t hold it in until you’re this stressed. You can make friends naturally as time goes on. Well, I don’t have many friends either, but I’m living just fine.”

If the definition of friends was limited to those of the same age, Jian actually had no friends at all. Hyunwoo and the other close dark net members were all older than Jian.

Jian felt heavy-hearted, thinking Sehun had fallen ill because of his unreasonable request, just as Sehun had intended.

“It’s okay because I have you. And you have me.”

Sehun held Jian’s hand tightly and spoke sincerely. He genuinely thought it would be fine even if the world ended.

An ending where only Jian and himself survived, with no one else, would be an incomparable happy ending for Sehun.

Lately, he often thought about wanting to keep Jian locked up in a space only he knew about. After recognizing Seonjun’s existence, his sense of crisis intensified.

He was still not grown up enough, but Jian was already such an amazing person. His heart felt like it was crumbling every now and then, worried that Jian might fall in love with someone without him knowing.

“When did our Sehun grow up so much?”

Moved by Sehun’s words, Jian gently brushed back the hair that had fallen over Sehun’s forehead.

“Your hair has grown a lot. Isn’t your fringe uncomfortable?”

“No.”

Jian might not know, but Sehun always wanted to look mature to him. While shorter bangs might be more comfortable, they made him look younger, so he had been maintaining a longer style for some time now.

“You didn’t eat much either. Should I make you some porridge?”

“No. I’m not really hungry. I just want to stay like this with you.”

Sehun lay on his side and brought Jian’s hand to his cheek, rubbing against the palm. He much preferred this to Jian leaving him to go out.

Jian let out a soft sigh at the sight of Sehun’s childhood habit still intact.

Although he knew Sehun had grown into a fine young man, whenever Sehun acted like this, the image of his angelic younger self overlapped, making Jian treat him like a child.

“Alright. Then get some rest. I’ll stay here beside you.”

After all, he was still a high school student. Still a while before becoming an adult.

Even though he knew it was a selfish desire, Jian wished Sehun would grow up a little more slowly. The thought he’d had since the day he first met ten-year-old Sehun was still valid.

* * *

“Wow, what’s this? When did Jian hyung and Seonjun hyung get so close?”

Hyunsu, cupping his hands against the cafe’s glass wall like binoculars, exclaimed softly as he watched Jian and Seonjun laughing brightly.

“……”

Feeling a chill from beside him, he turned his head with a creak. Sehun was quietly observing the inside of the cafe with an expressionless face.

His face, devoid of anger, jealousy, envy, or any emotion, was so lacking in humanity it was chilling. His unrealistically handsome features made it even more frightening.

“Hey, are you okay?”

At this point, Hyunsu couldn’t help but ask. Unlike others Sehun had chased away by various methods, Seonjun belonged to the dark net, and after going on a few dungeon raids with Jian, he started dropping by the cafe whenever he had the chance.

Jian, who was a bit uncomfortable at first, opened his heart wide to Seonjun’s continuous efforts.

The fact that Seonjun was much younger than Jian also played a role. Though he might not realize it himself, Jian tended to be gentler with people younger than him.

There was a rustling sound from Sehun’s grip. Feeling like the surrounding temperature had dropped by a few degrees, Hyunsu stepped back, breaking out in a cold sweat.

The high school they both attended actively supported club activities. While Hyunsu joined one of the most popular clubs, the gaming club, Sehun signed up for the baking club, which had so few applicants that it didn’t even require an interview.

It was all because of his desire to make delicious food for Jian with his own hands. The bag full of cookies studded with chocolate chips was what Hyunsu had been eyeing for a while.

Despite Hyunsu’s repeated pleas to taste just one, Sehun had ignored him, and now he was gripping the bag so tightly that the edges were crumbling.

“Oh? Hyung saw us.”

While Hyunsu was contemplating whether to run away and leave Sehun behind, Jian spotted the two of them. With a bright smile that dimpled his cheeks, Jian approached the cafe door.

“Boys, why are you standing outside? You should have come in.”

His face was innocent as he tilted his head. Hyunsu glanced at Sehun with just his eyes. A small smile had already settled on Sehun’s lips.

Ah, so that’s why Jian hyung didn’t notice anything.

Hyunsu could only marvel at the remarkably quick change of expression. Jian stretched out his arms and led Sehun and Hyunsu into the cafe.

“Want something to drink?”

“I’ll have a strawberry latte.”

“Hyunsu, your taste hasn’t changed.”

Hyunsu quickly stated what he wanted to drink.

“…I’ll have whatever you want to make for me.”

A low voice flowed from Sehun’s lips.

“I was going to have an iced Americano. Is that okay?”

“Yeah.”

As if. He wouldn’t even touch cold drinks when Jian wasn’t around.

Hyunsu shook his head inwardly at the cringe-worthy pretense he never got used to seeing.

“Hello, Seonjun hyung.”

“Hi, it’s been a while.”

“We saw each other yesterday though.”

“Haha. Right, we did.”

They also greeted Seonjun, who was standing blankly next to Jian. When reminded that they had met yesterday, Seonjun scratched his head and laughed good-naturedly.

‘He does have a nice personality.’

Hyunsu quickly scanned Seonjun and Sehun. Unlike the dark-hearted Sehun, Seonjun was transparent as spring water. Even now, he was glancing at Jian, showing his attraction with his whole body.

‘I wonder what he’ll do this time.’

Hyunsu pulled out a chair from an empty table and sat down, watching the unfolding situation with interest. Meanwhile, Jian went behind the counter and started pulling espresso shots and making the strawberry latte.

“Wasn’t today a club activity day? How was it? Hyunsu, what club did you say you joined?”

“The gaming club. I thought I was going to die trying to get permission from Hyunwoo hyung. Can’t you talk to Hyunwoo hyung for me, Jian hyung? Tell him that gaming is a very beneficial hobby for growing teenagers. It makes us use our brains so much! It even improves our cognitive skills!”

Remembering all the nagging he had heard from Hyunwoo, Hyunsu grumbled to Jian, who smiled gently as if finding Hyunsu cute.

“Alright. I’ll try talking to him. Though I’m not sure if he’ll listen to me.”

“He always listens to you, hyung.”

Diligent, honest, endlessly giving to close friends, rarely getting angry.

To Hyunwoo, who could be prickly despite his seemingly gentle exterior, Jian was a kind younger brother with impeccable character.

Perhaps due to the time spent raising the rather troublesome Sehun and Hyunsu together, Hyunwoo now seemed to care for Jian even more than his own younger brother, Hyunsu.

“How about you, Sehun?”

Jian looked at Sehun, who had been quiet all this time, with eyes still holding traces of laughter. The lips that usually chattered away about everything that happened at school as soon as he got home were now set in a straight line.

“Here.”

Sehun stood up, approached Jian, and abruptly held out the bag he was holding.

The transparent plastic bag was full of appetizing cookies. Although they were slightly crumbled, they were originally quite large, so it wasn’t very noticeable.

“Did you make these yourself?”

“Yes. Eat them all by yourself, hyung.”

“Of course. How could I share something so precious?”

Sehun’s eyes softened a bit at the response that came out as if it were obvious.

“Jian hyung, I’m really envious……”

If only the tactless Seonjun hadn’t butted in from the side, they could have maintained the gentle atmosphere.