How could I say no to that? That's literally cheating.
I looked down at Ilyas' hand on top of mine. There was a difference in size but that's unmistakably a hand of a man.
So how could a man like him make my heart beat so fast?
I was once again reminded of what genre this comic was.
'Isn't this literally an attempt to pursue someone romantically?'
This was definitely not a situation you would do with your coworker right? Right…?
'But isn't our role reversed? Am I not the one who's supposed to pursue him? So why is he making a move on me?'
My mind was twirling in a vortex of confusion. Maybe it was noticeable as Ilyas chuckled.
"Let's wash the dishes and go to my room."
I snapped out of my thoughts and nodded. Ilyas stood up and washed the dishes while I wiped the table.
We then went back to Ilyas' room and sat down on the bed. It's a bit cramped with two grown men together, so I was planning to sit down on the floor, but Ilyas insisted that I sit beside him.
"What's your hobby Ethan?"
Back in my previous life, I did have a hobby. I loved photography and bought a camera with the measly money I had left from my part-time jobs, but that's a separate hobby from me as Ethan in this life.
"If you consider collecting and brewing tea as a hobby, you could say that's my hobby. What's yours Ilyas?"
"As you can see, I joined a band because I love singing and music as a whole." Ilyas shyly glanced at me, "I tried to compose one myself. It might not be the best, but… do you want to hear it?"
When I nodded, Ilyas quickly rummaged through his drawer and pulled out an mp3 player. I plugged in the earphones and pressed the play button.
The instrument started, it's just a simple mash-up of guitar, drum and violin, but the beat was catchy. Then came the lyrics.
[You who come into my life.]
[Like an untainted star I couldn't reach.]
Though the lyrics contained some idioms, the theme was definitely love and Ilyas' clear, youthful voice breathed life into this love song.
'I guess he's already in this phase of life where romance enters his life.'
"How is it?" Ilyas asked, which I confidently replied.
"Have you considered joining an idol group Ilyas? I would definitely listen to your voice every day."
Ilyas chuckled at my words, "I already passed the required age. Moreover, I don't think I have the courage to stand in front of the camera." He then turned to me. "How about you Ethan? You must have been invited to several TV shows, given how popular you are."
"I don't attend that kind of event again after I join Team Zero. Because I applied to work as an esper under the government, most of the TV shows I attended in the past were a campaign to raise espers' image under the government's approval."
Espers might be considered celebrities in public eyes, but we were considered military weapons that were feared by the government.
Though there were celebrities that awakened as guide or esper and kept their job in their respective industry, the opposite was also possible, an esper or guide that pursued their dream career regardless of their awakening.
"Wow, the government really sucks, aren't they? They discriminate against guide and now they force their espers to attend these shows to create a fake image of their reliability."
I gave him a smile, "That's just how politics works."
He nudged me on the shoulder, giving me a pout, "You're just an easy target for them to use as marketing campaign."
I chuckled in resignation, "Perhaps."
Ilyas stared at me, which made me curiously ask, "What is it?"
"Nothing." He turned his head away, but I could still hear him mumble, "I guess it's the face."
We talked about various things throughout the night. True to his words, Ilyas kept on staying awake. His eyes were sleepy, and he kept yawning but whenever I told him to sleep, he insisted on talking with me.
A sudden thought entered my mind, it was something that Ilyas should be curious about, but he hadn't brought up the topic at all. I glanced at him, shoulder tense, and pulled out all my courage to ask him.
"Are you not going to ask me about what happened?"
Ilyas was silent for a while, seemingly in thought. I patiently wait, fully focusing my senses to not miss any of his answer.
Then he opened his mouth, "Of course I'm curious, but I know you have a lot of thoughts on your mind and a lot of secrets to keep – something you aren't ready to share with me."
Ilyas smiled, it was like a ray of hope in the turmoil of darkness.
"So I'll wait, until the day you can show your everything to me."
My breath hitched at his words, my tight chest felt liberated and my worries was slightly lifted when Ilyas said that. He said what I needed the most, time.
Time to collect myself, time to mentally prepare. And he'd be there at my side when that time came.
'He really is a nice person.'
A sigh that I'd unconsciously been holding on slipped out of my mouth and soon after, a smile appeared. Ilyas let out a groan, he rubbed his forehead with a tired voice.
"This must be how you feel not being able to sleep because of the impurities."
"It's nothing, it's my own decision to not use the available method. I'm just reaping what I sow."
He sighed as he fidgeted his fingers, "Sometimes your consideration of others worries me, I hope you could be more selfish in terms of your health. I don't want to find my esper suddenly going on rampage."
His tone felt like he's on verge of tears, which made me turn my head to him, to find Ilyas already gazing at my eyes – worry filled his eyes. Other than Wilson, Ilyas was the first outside of my family to worry so much about my health.
If I were being honest, it was certainly a reliable feeling.
"Don't worry, I know my limit."
Knowing that there were others who cared about my well-being meant I had to take care of myself better to not worry them.
The first time I transmigrated here, I had been mentally holding myself from releasing it all because of Wilson's presence, but now, with Ilyas here too, I felt like I could hold on a bit longer.
Even with the author's influence hanging over my head, I would still have the courage to move forward with the help of people around me.
I flashed Ilyas a smile, "If I ever go into a rampage, I'll be relying on you."
He sighed, "It would be better if you never went into one."
"Just in case."
'I put my trust in you.'
I swallowed the rest of the words I couldn't say. It's been so long since the last time Ethan could put his trust in someone else, with our memories mixed in, some part of me still couldn't say that word out loud. But as someone who had directly interacted with Ilyas, I knew I could trust him.
'Let's survive until the end of this story.'