CHAPTER 86: YOU AND ME ARE ENOUGH

A few quick camera drones buzzed overhead, recording the groundbreaking spectacle from above. Just as Cheon Areum’s boots began to lift from the ground, his eyes fluttered open in surprise—only to meet the sight of Lee Nari stepping out of her car, her gaze fixed on them.

A smile tugged at his lips mid-kiss, his heart skipping as Yoon Seoyul’s arm wrapped around his waist. With effortless poise, Yoon Seoyul lifted him into the air and spun him obligingly in full view of the crowd. One hand gently cradled the back of Cheon Areum’s head as he drew him close once more, deepening the kiss just as a cascade of white camera flashes rained down upon them.

The crowd, caught between awe and confusion over whose name to cheer, erupted into a chaotic harmony—half chanting Cheon Areum, the other half Yoon Seoyul—until both names echoed equally loud through the blocked-off streets of Gangnam. Cheon Areum leaned forward, pressing his forehead to Yoon Seoyul’s, his breath uneven and shallow. Camera flashes flickered in Yoon Seoyul’s dark, obsidian eyes, setting them aglow like twin galaxies. Cheon Areum’s heart thundered in his chest as he gazed into them, utterly spellbound—longing, with every fiber of his being, to be consumed completely by that gaze.

"This will confirm that we are dating..."

"Hmm. No one will ask us if we’re dating anymore."

Yoon Seoyul muttered under his breath as his feet finally touched solid ground again. But before he could even turn to face the sea of screaming fans, he felt a firm tug at his hand. Yoon Seoyul clasped Cheon Areum’s fingers tightly and began walking away from the cheering crowd. Cheon Areum took the lead, just a step ahead of him, their joined hands swinging gently between them as they made their way to the gate. The noise behind them faded into the background as they moved forward.

"Did you bring any jackets or a coat?"

"No. It’s not that cold."

Cheon Areum replied when he felt a sudden weight settle across his shoulders. He blinked, glancing sideways, only to see Yoon Seoyul silently draping his own black trench coat over him. The heavy fabric settled, veiling the soft, fuzzy sweater Cheon Areum wore beneath. The coat still carried traces of Yoon Seoyul’s pheromones, so he didn’t complain, hoarding the coat for himself.

The gate loomed in the very heart of the intersection, a dark, swirling vortex that distorted the air around it. Lee Nari was already stationed nearby, standing a few feet from the gate with her arms crossed, her attention absorbed in her phone seemingly texting someone. As she looked up from the glowing screen, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. With a fluid motion, she slipped the phone into her inventory while staring at Cheon Areum. She didn’t say a word as she watched him get close. Every movement of his silver-laced figure, her eyes followed without blinking—creepily.

"I’ll be taking the lead. No objects, right?"

Cheon Areum asked Lee Nari specifically, who still didn’t speak a word to him. Taking the silence as an answer, they entered the gate. A vast, blinding white expanse unfolded before them—endless and untouched. The ground crunched beneath their feet, a thick blanket of snow stretching far into the horizon. The sky above was pale blue, serene yet sharp, mirroring the icy peaks of distant and nearby mountains. Large, lazy flakes drifted from above, falling gently like feathers from heaven. Despite the snowfall, the air was still—no wind, no sound—only the sound of breath and crunching snow beneath their boots.

"Let’s stop here."

Cheon Areum adjusted the black trench coat over his shoulders, slipping his arms through the sleeves with slow elegance.

"Wait a second," he said casually, his voice carrying through the quiet snowfield.

Yoon Seoyul and Lee Nari both halted mid-step, glancing back at him in silent synchronization.

"Yoon Seoyul, you go and stand on that side."

Yoon Seoyul silently stepped away, his boots crunching softly against the fresh layer of snow as he made his way toward the other side. Cheon Areum stood there for a moment as he observed the terrain beneath them. Without a word, he reached into his inventory and retrieved a red parachute flare, its metal casing cold and glinting under the overcast sky. Turning back, he extended it toward Lee Nari. She accepted it without hesitation, though her brow arched slightly in mild surprise. She gripped it in her hand.

"You only get one. Use it wisely. Now stay here, don’t move. It would be dangerous."

Cheon Areum instructed, his voice calm, before stepping toward Yoon Seoyul. He came to a stop beside him. Yoon Seoyul glanced sideways at him, while Lee Nari tilted her head ever so slightly, both trying to decipher what he was planning.

Then the ground beneath them began to tremble.

A deep, resonant rumble echoed through the mountains, growing stronger by the second until it felt as though the entire range was groaning under pressure. The snow cracked and tumbled as the ground violently split—an enormous crevasse tearing right between Yoon Seoyul and Lee Nari. The mountain seemed to pull itself apart, slowly but steadily widening the distance between the two while Cheon Areum flashed a smile at Lee Nari.

"....."

"....."

After the massive crevasse split the mountain in two, silence fell—broken only by the faint rumble echoing down the snowy cliffs. Cheon Areum pulled out a bright red megaphone from his inventory and brought it to his lips.

"Ah, ah... testing..."

Making sure his voice projected flawlessly, Cheon Areum angled the megaphone toward Lee Nari, speaking into the megaphone.

"The flare in your hand—use it if you are in serious, life-threatening danger. I’ll come running to save you. Also, the map is under my control, so don’t worry about getting crushed between the mountains. Just stay there until the gate appears."

"Oh, and if you make it to the end, use the parachute flare to notify us that the gate has reappeared."