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It seems like just yesterday Isu was just shoving both Khun and Bam into a room, arming both of them with a recording of each other’s confessions.
Well, it was two days ago, but that’s not the point.
Isu ducks down as Khun stalks past him, a note of false cheer in his voice that makes him shudder. “Isu! Where are you?”
Seriously, after all he’s done for the grumpy Light Bearer, Khun still insists on trying to murder Isu for getting him and Bam together. It’s probably more about the principle of keeping his reputation than anything else, but Isu isn’t taking his chances. He’s gotten pretty good at going undetected, and while Khun has powerful Lighthouses, Isu knows how to manipulate the Shinsu just enough to conceal himself.
Of course, if Bam was trying to kill him, he could probably crush Isu without even moving. But he’s not; Khun’s the only one on a manhunt. Bam had found Isu while he was in hiding, pinpointing the Scout’s location immediately, and, through an embarrassed flush, mumbled a thank you before Isu had to bolt.
It’s amazing how different they could be sometimes. And, speaking of which—
“Found you,” Khun’s voice echoes in his ear.
Isu definitely does not scream. He reflexively summons his Observer and activates the teleportation that sends him to his other Observer—a trick he learned from Khun himself. He’s a bit proud of that one.
It’s not far from Khun, though, who turns in his direction, eyes narrowing.
“Endorsi and Hatz are the better couple!” Isu cackles as he races off, the Observer hiding his movements.
Okay, so maybe he’s also goading Khun at the same time.
Although it does seem like everyone’s been getting together around him. He knows the two from Wangnan’s team—Goseng and Horyang?—had been together for quite some time, but surprisingly, out of everyone in his team, Anak had been the first to get into a relationship with Ran. Apparently, enemies to lovers was a thing that could happen in real life. Anak has always been cagey about it, though, and Isu’s pretty sure he saw Ran chewing Khun out for prying. It was an odd sight. He’d never seen Khun look so chastised.
And then it was Endorsi and Hatz, which was even more shocking. Anak had always turned her back to the Princess system, but for Endorsi to as well…and then Hatz reciprocating the feelings…definitely something special. He’s pretty sure they had hashed out their relationship on their own before revealing it, rather than dealing with all the roundabout pining like another couple.
Because seriously, he’s pretty sure Khun and Bam had been in love since the Second Floor. The Second Floor! Why did it take Isu’s interference for them to finally get their act together?! They had hugged in the middle of a battlefield. That was like, one of the most cliche romance acts Isu had ever seen.
He shakes his head. He was almost sure Khun and Bam had just not-communicated their way into a relationship before Bam had mentioned, wistfully, how amazing Khun was. And Isu had to pry the truth from him.
It’s astonishing how long it took for them to finally start dating. But they got there in the end, he supposes, which is what matters.
Sometimes, he wonders what it would be like, being in a dedicated relationship like that. He’s crushed on plenty of people in his life, and he’s rejected and been rejected multiple times. But his relationships have never lasted for long. Sometimes he was the one that broke up with his partner, and sometimes it was the other way around. He doesn’t mind too much, he thinks. He’ll find the right person eventually. Before he started climbing the Tower, he was still friends with most of his exes, anyway—he’s lucky that most of his relationships simply hadn’t worked out. There had only been one time where a girlfriend had been cheating on him, and another where the guy had just been a jerk. And those relationships had ended fast.
But while he does feel the loneliness sometimes, it’s easier overshadowed by the happiness he sees in all his friends. After everything, experiencing love is the least they deserve.
Anyway… Isu glances over his shoulder, making sure Khun is out of sight. Then he pulls out his Pocket, sending a message to their team shared group chat.
Hey! 7:00 PM tonight, don’t forget!
He’s not sure whether to be surprised or not when Khun’s the one that responds first.
Are you paying?
Isu doesn’t deign to answer that, focusing instead on the numerous thumbs up from the others.
It’s been a tradition of his to treat all the couples he knows to dinner, ever since he, Endorsi, and Hatz had gone out for dinner together, and the latter two had revealed their relationship to Isu first. Technically, Anak and Ran had gotten together before then, but they didn’t say anything until Endorsi and Hatz had formally announced that they were dating to the rest of the group.
Anak had seemed vindictively gleeful as she crowed that she had gotten into a relationship first. Endorsi, naturally, had snapped back, asking who she was even dating, and then she mentioned Ran, and then Khun had looked scandalized, staring at his brother sitting next to him, who decided the best thing to do was mock his not-yet-a-relationship with Bam, and things had quickly devolved from there. Isu slipped out of the chaos, meeting Hatz in the kitchen, and they silently clinked glasses of soju between them.
But then Endorsi, Hatz, and Anak had been out on a shopping trip the next day, met Ran in the supermarket, and Isu had invited them all out to lunch in an effort to stop a fight from breaking out in the ice cream aisle. Apparently, dating does not stop Ran and Anak from taking every opportunity to fight each other. It must be some sort of weird love language.
He might have been…third wheeling? Fifth wheeling?…a sort of double date, but it was an impromptu outing, and it had been fun, in the end.
Now, since Khun and Bam are together, Isu’s planning on seventh wheeling a triple date. He hopes next time he’ll be able to invite Goseng and Horyang too, and maybe Ehwa and Hwaryun? He’s like…seventy percent sure there might be something going on between them, although it’s hard to tell with the Guide, and he doesn’t see Ehwa often. But eleventh wheeling must be some kind of record. He should look into that.
Would thirteenth-wheeling be bad, with the entire unlucky number thirteen thing? Hm.
But it’s always nice to go out with everyone, especially since most of them are busier these days. Things may have started to settle, but it’s rare for them all to be free for one night. It took Isu a while to find a day all of them were free, no thanks to the blue-haired Light Bearer still on his tail. It took a combined effort of him, Bam, and Rak to drag Khun away from his Lighthouse and force him to take a break for one evening.
And Khun has still been trying to hunt him down! Isu’s pretty sure he deserves some sort of award for getting Khun to rest, but he isn’t going to push his luck.
Khun wouldn’t murder him at dinner, right? Isu hopes not.
He decides to make an escape route anyway, just in case.
They meet at the restaurant, where Isu has already made a reservation. He does feel a bit miffed sometimes, paying for everything when the others clearly have more money than they know what to do with, but Isu isn’t short on it either. And his team does pay for groceries, so it’s not like it’s all on him.
Isu waves as Bam and Khun finally arrive. Bam is clinging to Khun’s arm, and Isu would call it wholesome if not for the fact that Khun is giving him a death glare, and Bam is clearly restraining him.
Still, he takes a sneaky picture with his Observer. Another benefit of these group dinners: plenty of opportunities for blackmail. Not that he would ever admit it out loud.
After ordering, light banter breaks across the group, and Isu joins in happily. Relationships or not, they’re all still friends, and it seems that living in different apartments across the same complex does ease some of the tension that tends to build up when they live too close to each other for too long.
It would be nice if Rak were here, he muses to himself. The gator had wanted to come, but there had been reports of Native Ones in a distant area on the Outer Tower of a much higher Floor, and Rak had gone to investigate, leaving Isu here.
He tunes back into the conversation just in time to hear the trailing end of Khun’s wary question, “…much did you bet on us?”
“A lot,” Isu interjects with a big grin. “We actually used to have a spreadsheet for it, but then you guys dragged it out for so long we started doing it in intervals of time instead. I might have the old document somewhere here…” He looks through the notes on his Pocket, ignoring the glare from Khun and the flustered look from Bam. “Oh! Here we go!”
He waves his Pocket over to Khun, who scans the notes, scrolling with one hand. “This is…from the Second Floor?”
“Yeah, that’s where it started,” Isu says casually. “We originally tried to predict by week, but then uh…” He waves vaguely in a Bam-was-kidnapped-by-FUG gesture and continues, “Yeah. So it broke off there, and then we started again…after the Workshop Battle, I think.” The others nod. “It got kind of hard to track during the Hell Train, but we gave it up after the Name Hunt Station. You guys kept dragging it out. I lost so much money!”
“Serves you right,” Khun retorts.
“Hey, I lost way more,” Endorsi interjects. “You cheated on that last bet!”
“I did not!” Isu fires back. Hatz frowns. Both Endorsi and Hatz had bet on Bam confessing first, though at different times. Anak bet on Khun, just to disagree with Endorsi. Ran said that they would never confess, since both of them were hopeless idiots. Isu said they would only confess if a circumstance forced them into it.
And yes, Isu was the circumstance. But no one pointed out the loophole, so he still considers it fair game. He did split a bit of his prize with Ran, though, since Khun and Bam probably wouldn’t have confessed if not for Isu. And Ran was scary.
“You guys bet…thousands on us,” Khun says slowly.
“It’s not gambling without stakes,” Isu points out.
Khun raises an eyebrow. “I only gamble to win.”
For a moment, Isu is tempted to point out the Workshop Battle bets, but instead he says, “I bet 500 points that you’re holding Bam’s hand under the table.”
Khun jolts, jerking his hand out from under the table. Unfortunately for him, Bam doesn’t let go in time, and their intertwined fingers prove Isu correct.
Endorsi scoffs. Even Hatz cracks a smirk. Anak and Ran both roll their eyes.
“…I hate you,” Khun mutters. Three seconds later, Isu’s Pocket pings as 500 points are received.
“Wait, you’re actually giving it to me?” Isu lights up. “I should do this more often—”
“You are very lucky we’re in public right now.” Khun points a butterknife at him.
Bam carefully takes his wrist and lowers his hand. “Khun.”
Khun sighs, but he slackens, leaning slightly against Bam.
“Pathetic,” Ran mutters.
Endorsi and Hatz both summon their Pockets, Hatz looking disgruntled as he transfers points to Endorsi.
“We made this bet before the dinner started,” Endorsi says, when Khun turns his glare towards him.
Luckily, their food comes before they start to fight, and even more luckily, both Endorsi and Khun are too particular about their looks to start a brawl when food might be in the way. Isu silently pats himself on the back for deciding to go with a dinner.
It’s not until after they’re leaving the restaurant, when Khun walks up to Isu with a grimace. They stand silently in front of each other for a moment, one brooding and one confused. Isu starts to wonder if he should escape before Khun decides to freeze him to the ground. But Khun glances behind him, where Bam gives him a Look, and he mumbles, “Bam said I needed to say thank you to you.”
Isu tilts his head. “For the dinner? It was no problem—”
“No, not that,” Khun looks very irritated at having to be here. “Thanks for…getting Bam and I together.”
“Oh.” Isu grins. “Of course! Your pining was getting on all of our nerves, so it was a benefit to all of us, really.”
“…Right,” Khun mutters, before the edge of his lips curl up, ever so slightly. “I’ll give you a whole one minute head start.”
“For what—”
A silver knife appears in Khun’s hand. “One, two, three—”
Isu flashes him one more grin, “No regrets!” and bolts.