There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 289

Chapter 289: Chapter 281. Leisure

Bassena was, in fact, could not forget about the fact that Zein had called Han Joon ’hot’.

"It’s such a long time ago," Zein explained, turning around from the patio of their hotel room. He wanted to have a nice leisure time watching the fishing on the pond of their private suite’s mini garden, but that had to be delayed, it seemed.

He approached the slightly sulking esper who was pretending to keenly read the alcoholic drink catalog. How funny--the man didn’t even like drinking that much.

"You still think he’s hot," the amber eyes narrowed.

"Well, you do too," Zein smirked, tilting Bassena’s chin toward him. "You’re the one who told me you don’t have much confidence contending with his looks."

"Uhh...well, I mean..."

Bassena pressed his lips, and Zein had to hold himself from laughing. Oh, he knew. He knew that a magician did not need to have a great physique or muscular body. The only reason Bassena developed a habit of training his body despite being an elemental magician was solely because of Han Joon.

Because he used to follow the older man around and wished he could be like Han Joon. It became his habit to train his body, and once Zein saw how the soldier looked when he was in the academy, Zein knew Bassena was copying the man down to the hairstyle. His whole detached persona in public was the remnant of his habit during his teen years that he built by copying Han Joon.

It was actually one of the reasons why Han Shin was always annoyed at Bassena despite them being best friends. Because the healer did not want someone else to claim his hyung as their older brother.

Of course, they didn’t look alike now; what with Bassena developing his own personality and Han Joom becoming a soldier. But the trace of that habit from his childhood still remained; including his submission to the older man.

"He’s...cool..." Bassena admitted reluctantly.

Even now, when he was already one of the strongest, and successfully taking down his abusive ’family’, Bassena still saw the soldier as his mentor; with respect and reverence. Probably a little bit of fear, the same kind he had toward Radia. It was the kind of respect and fear someone would have toward their caretakers, and Zein thought it was endearing.

"Yeah, exactly," Zein smiled and rubbed the esper’s lips. "He’s cool, not at all cute."

Slowly, Bassena shifted his gaze from the drink catalog, and Zein gave the younger man a soft, sweet kiss. "I’ve told you that you’re the only one for me, Bas. Besides..."

Zein paused and after two seconds, closed his mouth again. Haa...he wished he could just tell Bassena about Radia and Joon’s relationship, so his easily jealous boyfriend could stop feeling insecure.

But it wasn’t his secret to tell, so...

"What?" Bassena asked, fiddling with the guide’s fingers that suddenly stopped caressing his cheek.

"No," Zein shook his head, but added to avoid suspicion. "It’s just something he said during the auction, that probably had something to do with why he’s been off the radar."

"What thing?" Bassena frowned, straightening his back and finally looking more worried than jealous.

"I don’t know, some personal mission or something," Zein shrugged. Telling the esper this much shouldn’t be a problem, right? "Anyway, that’s the only reason why I asked Shin about him."

Bassena pursed his lips for a little while longer, before nodding adorably. "Okay..."

Zein laughed softly and pulled the lapel of the robe-like outfit that the esper wore; a traditional garb of some sort that the hotel provided. "This looks nice on you, I can see your chest more," he smirked, stroking the glistening bronze chest.

Bassena leaned back on his arms, prompting the lapel to slide slightly and exposing more of his sturdy chest. "You can always just ask you know," he smirked, enjoying the lusty gaze inside the blue eyes. "It’s a good choice to stay here, right?"