The Mist Vol 3 Chapter 46

Vol 3 Chapter 46

Kapros spoke while glaring at Yu-wan, of whom only the crown of his head was visible. Yu-wan remained silent.

"Forget everything else... Just answer this one thing."

As Kapros extinguished the Lightning Bolt wrapped around his hand and touched his forehead, Yu-wan slowly raised his head.

"Did you abandon traveling together as companions because you thought I was a joke?"

"I've never once thought you were a joke."

Yu-wan shook his head without hesitation to that question, which also encompassed Kran's anger of 'Did you ever think of us as companions?' Hearing a negative answer to the question that had made Kapros most angry and confused, he felt some of his confusion dissipate instantly.

"Then why?"

"I had my reasons."

Yu-wan answered, lowering his eyes, to Kapros's slightly calmer question.

"Where have you been all this time?"

"I had... my reasons."

"You still can't come back?"

"..."

Yu-wan's furrowed brow tightened as he pressed his lips together, seemingly pained to give the same answer for the third time. Kapros exhaled softly and slowly opened his mouth.

"...If you can't talk about what kind of reasons, fine. Let's say that's the case."

For a moment, Yu-wan's gloomy eyes flickered open to look at Kapros. Kapros approached Yu-wan, feeling somewhat relieved.

"I won't ask if you don't want to talk about it."

"..."

"I just thought that if you left because you disliked me, you should have at least said something before going."

"I told you that wasn't the case."

"I'm just giving an example."

"Don't use that kind of example."

"..."

Is this the time for you to argue? Kapros frowned, conveying that this wasn't the point, and Yu-wan fell silent.

"Will you... come back later?"

To Kapros's final, slowly delivered question, Yu-wan's answer was a firm single sentence, spoken with arms that embraced him tightly and a voice that could only be understood as sincere.

"I'll come back. Without fail."

Although Kapros had asked, he thought it was a cringeworthy question, but Yu-wan, with an unusually happy face, refused to let go of his arms even as time passed.

After finally prying Yu-wan off and stepping back, Kapros felt an intense gaze following him. Yu-wan's handsome but usually expressionless face now clearly showed disappointment.

"If you're going to come back, I'll think of this as you being away for a quest for now. Kion-hyung did that before too."

"..."

Whether he heard or not, Yu-wan kept staring at Kapros. Thinking he should say something, Kapros was about to open his mouth when Yu-wan suddenly reached out towards his forehead.

"Your hair color..."

"That's a disguise."

As Kapros pushed away the fingers touching the hair near his forehead, Yu-wan's eyebrows slightly raised.

"Seeing as the guy I didn't want to run into recognized me right away, it seems it was useless, so I'm going to change it back... Come to think of it, did you recognize me right away too?"

As he was speaking, Kapros remembered that Yu-wan had also stopped fighting as soon as he saw him, and asked. Yu-wan looked like he had something to say but soon closed his mouth and nodded.

'It really was completely useless.'

In that moment, feeling a surge of frustration not just about the dye but wondering why he had worn this kind of mask, Kapros ripped it off. Yu-wan, now looking a bit more at ease, opened his mouth.

"Black hair suits you better."

"Yeah."

"And not wearing that is even better."

"..."

"I want to see your eyes."

Kapros looked at Yu-wan anew. Seeing his innocent expression as if asking 'why?', Kapros felt at a loss for words. Yes. Now he truly felt like he had reunited with the Yu-wan he knew. Just like now, the guy who looked like a movie star would occasionally talk a lot in strange ways.

"Well... Then."

"...Wait."

It was just as Kapros was about to speak again, feeling somewhat relieved. Suddenly, Yu-wan's face, which had looked calm, contorted dramatically.

"Why..."

As Kapros closed his mouth at this change, Yu-wan's body was enveloped in a hazy silver light as if becoming translucent.

'...What is that?'

Surprised at seeing such a sight for the first time, Kapros stared. Yu-wan raised one hand as if to stop Kapros from speaking and said something with a deeply furrowed brow. But perhaps because he was wrapped in light, those words couldn't be heard.

When Kapros shook his head to indicate he couldn't hear, Yu-wan's expression hardened even more as he lowered his gaze and began moving his lips, speaking to the air. Along with this, he tapped his hand in the air a few times, suggesting that some kind of notification window invisible to Kapros had appeared.

Each time this happened, Yu-wan's body would return to normal, then become translucent again, repeating the cycle. It looked like someone about to log out but failing to do so. After this happened several times, Yu-wan's body finally returned from translucency to its original state.

-Whoosh...

Upon returning, Yu-wan shook his head a few times and seemed to be thinking about something with a deeply furrowed expression, then suddenly turned his head towards Kapros.

"What was that just now...?"

Kapros asked, unable to completely hide his surprise, but Yu-wan, seemingly not hearing him, shouted with an urgent expression.

"Give me your number."

"What?"

"Give me a number I can contact you with."

For a moment, Kapros wondered if he had misheard, but Yu-wan just repeated the same words, his brow even more furrowed.

"Why?"

When Kapros asked in confusion, Yu-wan, who had been looking around as if on guard right after escaping from the flickering state, quickly spoke in a lowered voice.

"There's no time. I know you don't want this, but it can't be done here... Give it to me."

This guy seemed to lack the common sense that he should answer questions first when asked. As Kapros's confused mind cooled down in the face of Yu-wan's desperate inquiries, he began to consider whether he should give the number or not. It seemed clear that Yu-wan had also had thoughts similar to Kran and Kapros after that time.