“If you don’t want to receive my lifespan.”

Choi Gang-hu, who had been silently meeting his gaze for a while, whispered softly in a slightly hoarse voice.

“Do you plan to quietly die in three months?”

“…No. I should look for a way to live.”

“Can’t I do that for you instead?”

Despite his calm tone, his deep eyes held a desperate look.

“Why you, Choi Gang-hu? I know you’re busy with other things…”

“I told you. My priority.”

The confession that made his heart tremble was repeated in a plain tone. Instead of the chill he felt on the night train to Vienna, a lump hit his heart.

“I’d like Ryu Seo-ha to just live here receiving my love. Without even thinking about dangerous things.”

Ryu Seo-ha closed his eyes tightly at the sweet whisper wetting his ear. The seemingly sweet words were essentially no different from a demand to completely overturn the life attitude he had maintained his entire life.

It meant abandoning the proactivity and sense of responsibility that had driven him to bustle about solving problems on his own, and instead harboring only dependence, entrusting everything to Choi Gang-hu and relying on him. Considering what would happen after a breakup, it was an impossible choice.

But the survival instinct warning that he should prepare for the future was quickly suppressed by the small hope of wanting to change. He wanted to do it. What his lover, who had shown blind devotion so far, wanted and wished for most.

He had already received lifespan without knowing it. He should swallow alone the fear that Choi Gang-hu could leave his side at any time like his parents, the wariness of happiness that might disappear like bubbles.

“…I’ll try.”

Ryu Seo-ha slowly lifted his long eyelashes and released the now useless [Sanctification] as he embraced Choi Gang-hu fully with both arms. He felt his precious lover hesitate for a moment before supporting his back with his thick arms.

“Really?”

“Yes. I’ll wait for your help, Choi Gang-hu. Without taking a single step out of this island.”

Ryu Seo-ha smiled faintly as he fully leaned his half-raised upper body on those arms. It was a comfortable smile unlike someone who had given up on persuasion and escape and voluntarily confined himself.

“For life?”

Choi Gang-hu, who had been staring down at that face, asked abruptly. His expression was dubious, as if wondering if he was just pretending to comply while looking for a chance to get out somehow.

“Yes. Until you allow me to go out.”

But Ryu Seo-ha wasn’t lowering himself to look for a chance to leap.

“Why?”

He rested his cheek on the chest of his lover, who quietly asked back with persistent eyes, finding it hard to believe easily, and hung a bitter smile on his lips.

“…Because this is all I can give you.”

It was the only thing his lover, who had willingly shared even his own lifespan, wanted from him. Compromising the values of life he considered important and considering his precious person’s feelings first was nothing compared to betting his one and only life.

The past days of struggling while taking various risks to survive flashed through his mind. Now Choi Gang-hu is the person with the most massive influence on his survival. Even if he calculated as usual, living solely for that one person was right.

“Please find another way for me to survive, Choi Gang-hu.”

As he uttered the infinitely dependent request, a willing smile appeared on his lover’s handsome face.

“Alright.”

A voice clearly showing satisfaction settled by his ear along with a gentle kiss. Ryu Seo-ha quietly closed his eyes, trampling on and ignoring other options cluttering his mind.

Status: Remaining lifespan 94 days 19 hours 42 minutes

Beneath his obediently closed eyelids, the 3-month validity period seemed to be engraved.

“Of course, sharing bodily fluids is not allowed.”

But the part he couldn’t yield was still firm. No matter how much he wanted to live, he absolutely had no desire to extend his life by taking his beloved’s lifespan.

❖ ❖ ❖

A field where bright yellow canola flowers bloomed extravagantly to the horizon.

“Peeyuu─!”

Ruby, the red bird, flapped its wings vigorously and flew into Ryu Seo-ha’s arms.

“Pyu─! Pyu─!”

Chirping while rubbing its head against his collar, it held a light green four-leaf clover in its beak. Ruby flapped its flame-like wings as if showing off its achievement. Its innocent eyes shone brightly as if seeking his praise.

“That’s great. Well done.”

As he awkwardly patted its head, Ruby let out a high-pitched cry of “peeyuu”, seemingly overjoyed. Then its small beak moved cutely to tuck the four-leaf clover into one of his ears. It was almost human-like behavior.

“…Thank you.”

He hesitated for a moment, reminded of the Four Apostles who had hidden using shapeshifting abilities, but soon shook his head and smiled at it. Thanks to his belief that Choi Gang-hu wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice, he felt no anxiety. Even Secretary Jang couldn’t enter this island carelessly.

As he gently stroked along the feathered texture with the small creature on one hand, Ruby made an amusingly dazed expression. A laugh escaped at the new discovery that even birds could have such diverse expressions.

It was a peaceful time. Besides his childhood in this life, he had never spent such leisurely time. But “doing nothing” was harder than he thought. Even the flower viewing he had wanted to do so much became insensitive after a day or two.

The same was true for various beautiful sceneries. The price of letting go of his lifelong struggle was more bitter than expected. If he hadn’t been working on building his own mana circuit, he might have suffered from depression due to the sudden sense of powerlessness.

“Peeeyuuu…”

After receiving Ryu Seo-ha’s affectionate peck on its forehead, Ruby made a sound like melting and rubbed its face against his hand. And the very next moment, it floated up into the air with a “beep─!” sound. As always, he felt the strength of arms pulling at his waist.

A low chuckle escaped at the familiar sight. The ticklish contact of a nose buried in his nape, inhaling deeply, was also familiar. Without realizing it, he found himself gently stroking the other’s head, as if to compensate for the brief time apart.

“Welcome back.”

Reaching out awkwardly to caress his lover’s back of the head, Ryu Seo-ha gave the greeting that had somehow become habitual. Choi Gang-hu made a sound that could have been either an answer or a groan, and nibbled on the tender skin along his neckline with hot lips. His shoulders involuntarily hunched.

“Ppyuu─!”

Ruby, who had been pushed away, flapped its wings angrily and circled around him. It used to be wary of Choi Gang-hu, but now seemed to realize it wouldn’t be seriously harmed as long as Ryu Seo-ha was fond of it.

Choi Gang-hu waved his large hand slightly, as if annoyed by the bird flying around making “ppyu ppyu” sounds. It was pushed back slowly again, as if in slow motion. It made a “peeyuut─!” sound as if protesting the injustice, which was pitiful.

“Stop being mean to Ruby.”

“Mean?”

When he quietly remonstrated, unable to watch anymore, Choi Gang-hu, who had been licking his earlobe by now, feigned ignorance as if hearing the word for the first time. Then the arms that had been tightly wound around him like a thousand-year-old snake lifted Ryu Seo-ha up and gently laid him down on the flower field.

“Shall I show you what being mean really is?”

Only then did he notice his lover’s dissatisfied expression, faintly smelling of monster blood. When he gently cupped that face with both hands, the highly raised eyebrows softened a little, but that was all. The look in his eyes was still clearly displeased.

“What shall I do for you?”

When he whispered in a gentle voice, the corners of Choi Gang-hu’s mouth curled up slightly. Ryu Seo-ha also smiled brightly, crinkling his eyes. What couldn’t he do for him who had returned after doing a lot of troublesome… well, not exactly hard work outside, but still.

“A kiss.”

Except for skinship involving the exchange of bodily fluids.

“You know very well it’s not allowed…”

Ryu Seo-ha immediately shook his head and half-raised his upper body to give a light kiss on the handsome forehead. Choi Gang-hu, who had been narrowing his eyes, squeezed them shut and let out a long, shallow sigh. With the expression of someone deeply enduring something.

“…This is torture.”

He roughly brushed up his neatly arranged bangs and muttered as if lamenting as he sat up.

“Is this perhaps revenge for the confinement?”

“Of course not.”

Ryu Seo-ha, who had stood up together holding the naturally extended hand, shook his head again at the absurd misunderstanding.

“Or are you looking for an opportunity to run away from me again?”

“Where would I go without you, Choi Gang-hu?”

And he tightly hugged his lover’s large body that was revealing anxiety. Because he could feel that he wasn’t truly suspicious, but just wanted to reconfirm his affection.

“You’re not even saying you want to see your sister.”

Choi Gang-hu lifted Ryu Seo-ha’s chin with his fingertips as they stood face to face and slowly rubbed his lips with his thumb.

“…It feels like I’m deceiving my sister somehow.”

He answered quietly, averting his eyes from the gaze that looked like it would pounce on his lips at any moment. But if he were to confess the lifespan issue to his sister, he could vividly imagine her clutching her chest in pain behind a pretend cheerful face.

In fact, it was better not to see her often for her own safety too. Choi Gang-hu, who had let out a short sigh, shook a transparent glass bottle he had taken out at some point. The golden, shimmering color immediately caught the eye.

“Then let’s get better quickly and go see her together.”

It was the elixir, the potion that had previously resurrected Ryu Jeong-ah.