Overlapping his hand over Cheon Areum's, Yoon Seoyul got up quietly, not sparing anyone any last words. He wrapped his arm around his waist to drag him out with him, but Cheon Areum undid the grip. Glancing up at him, he spoke in a low voice.
"Give me a second. Wait out the door for me."
"Don't take too long..."
Cheon Areum nodded slightly at Yoon Seoyul's response with diligence. As soon as Yoon Seoyul stepped out of the door, the room became cold with everyone frozen, pausing the discussion between them and staring at him for the reason he stayed. Turning to the ever hard-working executive director of the central bureau, Cheon Areum didn't beat around the bush at all.
"Who called the ESP team on Yoon Seoyul?"
Han Myunhjin hardened his expression and spoke a moment later in a steady tone.
"It was solely based on my judgement to keep everyone working in the building safe. I did what I had to."
"Sure, let's believe that crap. Yoon Seoyul, who would never harm an innocent person, went berserk on your people because he didn't want his pregnant partner to be in danger, and you decided to open fire at him despite knowing that you would be restricting his movements for days. Yoon Seoyul, who hasn't slept in days to clear out the S-Class gates to keep the likes of you safe, would be unable to do so because you had this divine judgement to not even inform me first and resorted to the more sensible decision that would clearly keep all of you safe and sound."
Finishing in a single breath, Cheon Areum openly mocked him until Han Myunhjin couldn't reply back to him.
"This will be the last time I will leave so peacefully. Touch him again, and I will make sure to do even worse to all of you involved, and yes, this is also a threat."
Cheon Areum flashed a bright smile to the onlookers.
"You can look forward to it if you plan to move like this in the future."
Making himself clear, Cheon Areum walked out of the meeting room by opening the door with his energy—a bad habit he should be getting rid of now to save his energy, to be honest.
"Did they make any more demands of you?"
"No. I just wanted to say a proper goodbye to them since it's our first time meeting each other."
They took the elevator back to the first floor, and as the doors of the elevator opened, Cheon Areum saw the ground full of debris and glass and then at his bare feet. Trying to preserve his energy, he decided to not use it this time and directly asked Yoon Seoyul.
"Pick me up."
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Yoon Seoyul leaned down to scoop him up in a single sweep, as if he had been waiting for it all this time. Cheon Areum smiled, gazing at Yoon Seoyul while swinging his legs happily, but then he remembered how he used the tissue to wipe his hands afterwards, ruining his mood all by himself.
"....."
Clutching the edge of Yoon Seoyul's coat, he suddenly lifted his body and licked the side of Yoon Seoyul's mouth seductively, locking eyes with him in the process.
"Wait till we get home."
Aware Yoon Seoyul disliked him acting like this in front of others—always eager to hide him from others' view—Cheon Areum still acted dumb.
"Why? What are you gonna do once we're home?"
Teasing Yoon Seoyul gleefully, Cheon Areum hugged him tightly, nuzzling into him excessively. No matter how much of Yoon Seoyul's pheromones he rubbed on himself, it was never enough. He wanted to stay buried in his hold, surrounded by this vanilla scent.
"Let go of me now."
Once again not satisfied, Cheon Areum called back his arms and sat in the passenger seat. Yoon Seoyul put on his seatbelt for him and rounded the car to slide into the driver's seat but didn't start the car. His hand on the steering wheel, he turned towards him.
"Areum... This pregnancy has been draining all your energy. Where will you get the energy to clear out gates and search the whole city too?"
He knew Yoon Seoyul wouldn't settle down this easily.
"Are you blaming our baby right now? Don't listen to him. You can have as much of my energy any time you want."
Cheon Areum patted his belly gently, speaking in his buttery tone. Yoon Seoyul glanced at him, becoming even more upset.
"The baby's ears are probably not even developed yet."
"What do you know when I'm the one carrying him?"
"..."
Not being able to rebuke that, Yoon Seoyul admitted defeat in this matter, though he was stuck on making him give up on his return as a hunter and following through this request.
"Areum. Why don't you reconsider?"
"There's nothing to reconsider... but I won't put myself in danger. If it happens that I can't win against this new awakener, I will back out on my own."
After a few seconds, Yoon Seoyul sighed and started the car.
"...Once you find this person, you tell me without acting out on your own. Fighting against other awakeners is easy for me. You know that."
"Alright. I will come running to you to tell you before anyone else. Happy now?"
"No..."
*
Since it was already time for Rian's school to be over, Cheon Areum wanted to surprise him by waiting outside the school's gate for him with Yoon Seoyul.
"Do you see him?"
"I'm looking..."
Peeking out from the car by the gate, Cheon Areum searched the grounds and the whole area with his energy, which he had been doing all this time in case he detected another S+ Class awakener by chance.
"You even called them to inform we will be picking him up today, so why is he not coming out?"
"Wait here. I will go and get him."
Just as Yoon Seoyul was about to step out of the car and had already unlocked the car door, Cheon Areum finally eyed Rian running out of the gate with his friends and laughing.
"Rian!"
At his shout, Rian immediately turned to him, recognizing him just by the voice alone.
"Hyung!"
Calling him out loudly, Rian waved his free hand at him with a rolled painting in the other hand. Quickly saying goodbye to his friends, he ran to the car, glancing up at him, waiting for a pat on his head. Cheon Areum patted his soft hair, chuckling at his cuteness. Gaining his pats, Rian obediently sat in the back seat of the car.
"What did you draw today?"
Cheon Areum asked because, unlike usual, Rian didn't show him his drawing the instant he could.
"It's not finished yet. I will show you once it's done."
"Okay..."
Confused, Cheon Areum spoke mindlessly, gathering enough energy to even identify the things in Rian's backpack, but he couldn't detect Rian at all.