Chapter 48: So... are we?

Zephyr placed his cutlery beside his plate, leaving everything neatly in its proper place.

The two Espers who had stayed behind to keep an eye on him quietly followed a few steps behind, exchanging uneasy glances.

Jake was supposed to lead them.

Their orders had been simple: once they found Zephyr, they were to interrogate him and immediately report their findings.

But instead, they had brought him all the way back to the Association. The most sensible thing to do now was to escort Zephyr straight to the interrogation room and avoid getting into even more trouble.

However, with both Jake and Lucien having left them alone with Zephyr, neither of them knew what they were supposed to do now.

So, they did the only thing they could think of.

They followed him.

The commotion outside the cafeteria gradually faded as Zephyr walked closer to the exit.

By the time he stepped through the doors, the loud noise had died down completely.

Silence greeted them.

Zephyr stared straight ahead, unaware of the several people standing across from him, each wearing a different expression.

They had been approaching his location, but the moment they saw Zephyr step out of the cafeteria, they all suddenly froze.

Still, he had heard their footsteps.

He was about to use his mana to get a clearer sense of his surroundings when someone suddenly rushed toward him.

Zephyr instinctively took a step back.

The presence approaching him felt unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar.

However, before he could retreat properly, the rushing figure was already upon him.

They were simply too fast.

The person threw their arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace as they let out a sigh, followed by words of concern.

"Thank gosh, you are okay. I thought... Never mind. It’s okay as long as you’re fine."

Zephyr froze, his hands hanging awkwardly at his sides.

The moment he heard the voice, he realized that the person hugging him was Erick.

But he couldn’t understand why.

Why was Erick so concerned about him?

They barely knew each other.

He frowned before tentatively patting Erick’s back. Seeing this scene, the two Espers behind him silently slipped back into the cafeteria.

Zephyr’s voice carried a hint of urgency.

"Let go first."

Erick heard him, yet instead of letting go, he tightened his hold for another second. His hand slipped to Zephyr’s neck, his fingers brushing lightly against his skin as a bitter ache settled in his chest. He couldn’t stop thinking about how, simply because he had been away, Zephyr had been sent by the Association to become an experimental subject. He shouldn’t have left him alone.

Zephyr was blind now.

He knew that.

Yet he had still put him in danger.

The guilt nearly overwhelmed him.

But fortunately, Zephyr was fine.

Nana nearly ground her teeth at the sight.

Zephyr and Erick were identical in height, and even their builds were quite similar.

With Erick suddenly hugging him, the two handsome men looked almost as though they had stepped straight out of a painting.

The only difference was their hair: one had silver hair, while the other had golden hair.

Yet even that difference somehow made them look even more suited to each other.

Jake’s eyebrow twitched at the scene.

He hurriedly glanced at Lucien from the corner of his eye, but unlike Nana, Lucien looked completely unaffected. If anything, he was actually smirking as he watched Nana clench her fingers around her dress.

Something told Jake this was very bad.

But he still smiled.

Because this was fun.

Erick’s hand moved up as he tried to brush Zephyr’s hair, but before he could, Zephyr grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back.

His voice came out louder than earlier.

"That’s enough."

Erick glanced down at the slender fingers gripping his shoulder. The hold was firm, almost painfully so, but he didn’t mind. His golden eyes softened with quiet fondness as he reached out to take Zephyr’s hand, but Zephyr immediately pulled away. Erick paused before letting his hand fall back to his side. His voice carried a quiet exhale.

"I just got back. I heard what happened to you. I’m sorry I brought you here and failed to protect you. I promise I’ll get an proper explanation from the Association, and I’ll make sure this never happens again—"

His words were cut short by Zephyr.

"It’s not your fault. And I’m not your responsibility. I can take care of myself."

Zephyr’s voice softened for a moment.

He knew Erick had done a lot for him.

And he was genuinely grateful.

"Still, thank you for everything."

Erick didn’t smile, but his eyes did.

"No worries. I wanted to do it. Before, you said we weren’t friends. Can we be now?"

Zephyr remained silent for a moment.

He still had to repay the money Lucien had borrowed from Erick on his behalf, along with everything else Erick had done for him.

He had never had a friend before, but that didn’t mean he disliked the idea of having one. He didn’t know what Erick’s intentions were, but if they became friends, perhaps repaying him in the future would be easier.

He gave Erick’s shoulder a pat.

"You don’t have to make it sound like such a big deal."

Erick glanced down at the hand resting on his shoulder. His heart remained calm, but only Erick knew how much effort it took to keep it that way. To Zephyr, it was merely a simple, casual gesture, yet it had caught Erick completely off guard. His otherwise steady hands betrayed the faintest tremor.

He managed to keep his composure, but a trace of nervousness still slipped into his voice, subtle enough that no one noticed.

"So... are we?"

Zephyr’s lips curved slightly in amusement. Why was this person so determined to be his friend? He shook his head, momentarily speechless, before finally responding.

"We are."

Erick’s golden eyes lit up.

A smile curved across his lips.

Jake and the others standing behind him, who rarely ever saw Erick smile so openly, were all caught off guard. In fact, they had never seen him smile like that before, not even around Nana Parker, the only woman he allowed to come close and guide him.