BCGWR Chapter 43 Part 2

Wearing pajamas, as he went out to the living room, Jung Ha-jin blatantly scrutinized Han Ji-su. To show that he was perfectly fine, Han Ji-su walked with a more confident stride than usual, pulled out a dining chair, and sat down.

Jung Ha-jin handed him a bowl full of gruel, saying he had just warmed it up, but instead of picking up his spoon, Han Ji-su raised his head and looked up at Jung Ha-jin.

“Jung Ha-jin Esper.”

“Yes.”

“I have something I want to ask.”

At that question, Jung Ha-jin tilted his head slightly, then pulled out the chair opposite Han Ji-su and sat down. Han Ji-su looked straight into his eyes and, in a low voice, asked what he had been thinking about all along.

“My question might sound a little strange, but… are you… Jung Ha-jin Esper?”

“……”

“……”

The silence that settled between them lasted quite a while.

Han Ji-su observed Jung Ha-jin, who had tightly sealed his lips in front of him. As he had been from the start, he was always an expressionless person, so it was difficult to gauge his feelings from his outward appearance alone. However, now he seemed a little surprised. Even though he tried not to show it, Han Ji-su saw his pupils tremble slightly.

In fact, even if he hadn’t seen the slight tremor in his pupils, he would have known. Even though it had only been a few days since he met Jung Ha-jin, he had already figured out that Jung Ha-jin was someone who immediately and promptly answered questions he could answer.

It might have been because of his long military service before he Awakened, but he always answered Han Ji-su’s questions immediately. For such a Jung Ha-jin to remain silent when asked about his identity was, in fact, as good as hearing an answer.

“…Well, if it’s difficult to say, you don’t necessarily have to answer.”

As he said it, he felt a bit embarrassed, as it sounded ridiculous. How could a simple question, which could only be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ be difficult to answer? Han Ji-su was slightly worried that what he had just said might sound to Jung Ha-jin like, ‘I know what you’re hiding, even if you don’t say it.’ Just as he was about to add that it meant he didn’t have to speak if there was an unspoken reason, the appearance of Jung Ha-jin in front of him began to change little by little.

“……!!”

His short-cropped sports haircut gradually lengthened, and his solidly chiseled jaw became slender. His nose bridge sharpened further, and his rather thick eyebrows and lips thinned. His obsidian-like eyes, which Han Ji-su had always felt were incredibly dark whenever they met, changed to a clear blue.

His overall physique—broad shoulders, large chest, and firm arms—remained the same, but with his face changed, he truly became a completely different person. The moment Han Ji-su saw Jung Ha-jin sitting in front of him in his true form, he unconsciously opened his lips and let out an exclamation.

“…Ah…”

He certainly knew that the man, Jung Ha-jin, was handsome. It was so much so that when he encountered him at an Awakened event, he had once remarked on how truly handsome he was, only to be persistently teased by Kang Jae-yoon all night long.

But now, he looked strangely much more handsome than he had back then.

Is this what maturity looks like?

If the God of Beauty were to descend, would it feel like this?

He had never had such thoughts before, but they came to him now. Han Ji-su, who had been unconsciously scrutinizing his face as if enchanted, was startled and quickly averted his gaze.

“…!! No, it’s… because you suddenly changed, I was surprised…”

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