“Personally, I think you’re being reckless,” Hakyun noted as he lounged zily in the sitting room, scrolling through a webtoon on his phone’s screen. “If you colpse while on your date, don’t call my line, understand? Because I kept warning you all through the night.”

  “If you have the time to yap, how about you get up and finally get to making the kimchi already?” Chima growled. “It’s been a week since you lost the bet.”

  Hakyun snorted and waved the back of his hand at Chima. “I’ll make it tomorrow, so stop rambling in my ears.”

  Chima’s neck stiffened. He was on the verge of losing his cool, but Merlin couldn’t have that. He was trying to look perfect here, and if Chima and Hakyun began to bicker, he would lose the only third party he had to give him a thumbs up regarding his outfit.

  He quickly stepped in.

  “How do I look?” said Merlin, pulling Chima’s attention his way as swiftly as possible. However, it did not work as effectively as he had been expecting of it.

  Chima eyed him from head to toe. “You look like good ol’ Mel.” Merlin winced. “Just go on your date already. There’s really no need for you to be fidgety about it. What will be will be.”

  Well, Merlin wouldn’t cim that Chima’s dry reply to his question was rude of the d, because, after all, it was not like he was actually dressed in an extravagant manner. He wore a simple white shirt, with rolled up sleeves, which he tucked into pin bck pants. And to complete his attire was a set of bck formal shoes. It was a simple date, and he felt like if he did too much, it could potentially turn Janeth off.

  At the end of the day, Chima was right. It didn’t matter what he did now or during the date. What would be, would be.

  “Where exactly are you having this date, by the way?” Hakyun asked, rolling over on the couch. “You never told us.”

  “It’s at Yeouido Hangang park,” Merlin replied, smoothening his trousers with his palms. “I searched for perfect date spots online and it came up.”

  Hakyun stole a gnce at him. “You know you could have just asked the resident Korean you’ve got as a roommate, right?”

  Merlin chuckled stiffly. “Right? It skipped my mind.”

  Like hell he would have. Hakyun knew nothing about women, talk less of perfect date spots. He trusted the internet on that topic more than he trusted the boy.

  “By the way, what about Sofia?” Chima asked, reminding Merlin of what he would have to do very soon, and leaving a certain fvor of bad taste on his tongue. “You said you pnned on meeting and telling her of your stand in person, right?”

  “Yeah,” Merlin replied with a heavy sigh. “We’re to meet tomorrow.”

  “Two dates in two days,” Hakyun scoffed. “Someone's popur.”

  “Anyway, guys,” Merlin strode to the door. “I’ll be off now. You know what to do if Professor Jung sends the dorm master to ask for my whereabouts.”

  “We’ll say you’re sound asleep,” Hakyun replied in a chorus. “Just hope he doesn’t get you on your way out.”

  Merlin scoffed. “Don’t worry about that. I noticed that he’s usually not at his desk by this time of the day. I have no idea what he’s always doing, but it's none of my business.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “Wish me luck.”

  “Good luck.” Hakyun waved him off nguidly. Jealous brat.

  Chima smiled. “Break a leg.”

  Merlin left.

  Yeouido Hangang park was a breathtaking sight to behold. It was spring, so the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, just like at the Academy, which brought in a blend of tourists and locals in the area all seeking to rex on the weekend. It had taken him longer to get to the park due to its distance from Prestige Academy, and, as such, Janeth had been waiting for him when he’d gotten there, seated on a bench in an area between trees.

  The sight of her had left Merlin weak in the knees and his heart banging in his chest. She was dressed in a casual light mauve spaghetti-strap maxi dress, a white long-sleeved crochet shirt worn loosely over, giving her attire a breezy touch, and bck open-toe sandals that complemented her simple yet elegant fit. And, finally, a white bag was strapped across her shoulder.

  Merlin had never seen Janeth in anything other than her gym clothes or baggy jeans and shirts, so he had frozen at once at the sight. And, to top it all off, her hair was not packed in the usual ponytail, but let down and coiled at the edges to produce fringes.

  She was beautiful.

  Merlin had made a mental list of things to do to bring life to his and Janeth’s date, but he had never been more determined to get through every single one than after he had seen her.

  However, it was one thing to make a list, and it was another to actually partake in the activities.

  …Merlin fell from his bike for the fourth time, and he internally gave up.

  “You really can’t ride a bike?” Janeth ughed softly as Merlin picked himself back up.

  “I was more of the lego guy,” he said, throwing sideways gnces at those who passed by, hoping they had missed his embarrassing moment. But, of course, he was not so lucky. He sighed. “Never really participated in outdoor events.”

  “I can see that,” noted Janeth as she hopped down from her bike. “I can teach you if you want?”

  It was already embarrassing enough that she’d had to walk him through his work out sessions a few months back, and now she would have to teach him how to ride a bike too? Was there anything he could do right before her?

  It sucked.

  But…

  “We should probably save that for another day,” he said. “I’ll just eat up most of your time, and suck the fun out of the whole cycling thingy.”

  “What are you talking about? No, you won’t,” Janeth snorted, pushing him gently at the shoulder. “That’s where the fun is, to be honest.”

  Merlin raised a brow and pced his hands on his hips. “Ah. I get it now. My embarrassing dispy makes for a good ugh. Didn’t think you were that sly.”

  Janeth recoiled. “And I didn’t think you were so outspoken.” Merlin blinked rapidly for a brief second. “You’ve always been so silent. What has Prestige Academy done to our dear Merlin?” She gave a half smile.

  Merlin wouldn’t lie, he was just as surprised. Usually, he wasn’t able to say much of anything when he was with Janeth, either always not having the right words to say, or not just having anything at all. He had not even noticed that he had just been rambling on and on. Was this as an effect of sharing a room with someone like Chima? Or was it just because this was the first time he’d had a casual moment alone with Janeth in Nora’s and Sunny’s absence, and he instinctively knew no one would come to his rescue if he didn’t open up his mouth?

  Whatever the case, he was liking this version of himself. And it seemed Janeth was too, which made things even better. And, as such, he ended up agreeing to her request to help him with bike riding. But, like he’d said, it ate up a bit of their time. Despite it being fun, a date wasn’t exactly the best of times to learn how to ride a bike.

  Merlin decided that they’d stayed in one spot far too long, and moved on to the next agendas, which was mostly a culmination of sight seeing and trying out the various foods being sold in the bamdokkaebi market, which ranged from common ones like ramen, to more Janeth-recommended ones like tteokbokki and hotteok.

  However, the highlight of Merlin’s list began at sunset, and as it neared, he and Janeth secluded themselves from the chaotic crowd in the market and found a railing that overlooked the Han river.

  “So, how did you manage to get out of the Academy?” Janeth asked, leaning on the railings. “I don’t think they’d just let you guys waltz out whenever, right?”

  As much as Merlin would have liked to say that he had sneaked out of the Academy—which would, perhaps, make the date more romantic—sadly, the gateman had just let him walk out. Prestige Academy wasn’t strict on such things, and luckily Professor Jung had not been expecting him to head for an outing, so she had not sunk her cws into the gateman.

  “They do, actually,” Merlin replied, startling Janeth. “We just have to put our names down, the time we left, and the time we estimate to return, as well as our location and our contact info. That way they know where to look if anything goes awry.”

  “Ah…” Janeth nodded. “Surprising.”

  Merlin raised a brow. “Why?”

  “Nothing, really. I’d just thought an Academy housing budding Mages would be a lot stricter.”

  Merlin paused. It was not like they were prisoners.

  He then thought of telling her about his exploits with Choi Sangook, and how he’d technically snuck out, but realized that such would only make her worry, and held off on that. Instead, he asked about something else he had been curious about…

  “If you don’t mind,” Merlin started. “I was wondering why you answer an English name despite being Korean.”

  Janeth gnced at him and smiled. “How long has that been eating into you?”

  Merlin flushed. “Well… A while, I guess?”

  She chuckled. “You need to learn how to just say what’s on your mind more. Holding things back isn’t good for the heart and brain.”

  He wondered if she was saying that because she had realized that he harbored feelings for her, and this was her way of telling him to take the shot instead of holding himself back. But, at the end of the day, it didn’t matter. He had made up his mind to tell her, and whether what she had said was reted to that or not, he would.

  “I’m half Korean,” she answered. “My father was Korean, and my mother was Canadian. I lived in Korea most of my life, though.”

  Was? They’re dead? Merlin fell silent.

  Perhaps Janeth noticed this, because she added, “My father died during the Cataclysm, while my mother died two years ago.” She smiled and tapped Merlin lightly on the shoulder. “I’m well over it now, so there’s no need to look all glum.”

  Merlin pinched his eyes shut for a moment and sighed. “I’m sorry.”

  “Why? It’s not your fault.” She stood straight and stretched with a groan. Then she pointed across the river. “Look. It’s setting.”

  Along with excited gasps and murmurs from the people around, as well as the songs from the street performers strumming their guitars, Merlin fshed his gaze towards the edge of the Han river where the sun could be seen setting over its horizon, casting a warm, golden glow that blended in with the reflecting city lights on the water. It was a sight so captivating he felt all his worries being taken away from him.

  He could do it now. He had to do it now.

  Merlin clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and turned to Janeth who was smiling as she took in the ambience of the scene. And before the sun completely vanished, he said, “I like you.”

  She turned. His pulse raced and he froze where he stood, a disorienting feeling hitting straight at his core, making him feel even more dizzy than when he had lost his body heat. This time, though, it was as a result of overwhelming emotions crashing against his rib cage. He felt nauseous. Only a couple of seconds had passed, but it felt like a whole year had gone by.

  Why was it taking her so long to say something? She’d been staring at him bnkly for a while now. It was killing him.

  “Why?” Janeth finally said. “Why do you like me?”

  Why? Well, that was simple. He liked her because… Merlin paused, unsure what answer to give here. What could he say? Now that he thought about it, there was really no specific reason as to why he liked her. He had liked her from the first time he’d seen her, and he had liked her ever since. He liked her hair, her eyes, her smile, the way she talked, the way she ughed. He liked everything about her. He liked her because she was her.

  But would that be the right thing to say at this moment? What if that just made her think his feelings for her were shallow?

  What could he say?

  Merlin took too long. The sun vanished, leaving the sky devoid of its presence, and the Han river of its orange glow. Instinctively, he knew he had messed up.

  Janeth sighed softly. “I’m sorry, Merlin,” she began, throwing his entire world into turmoil. “I won’t be able to return your feelings. I’m a mess, and unready for something like a retionship. I’m really sorry.”

  Merlin realized that this was most likely the point where he gave up—moved on. But he still reached for a lifeline. A single rejection didn’t mean all hope was lost, right? And it was not like she had actually rejected him, right? It was just the situation. Something was going on with her. She’d said she was a mess. If he could just find out what that was, and help her get through it, then maybe, one day, she would be able to look at him the way he looked at her.

  All hope was not lost.

  “Is something going on?” he asked, a bit too timidly than he would have liked, but he was more than happy that he had regained control of his lips.

  Janeth stared at him for a brief second then turned away. “We should head back now. It’s getting te. You don’t want your school staff to throw out a search party now, do you?” She chuckled, but it was merely a shadow of her usual chuckles.

  Merlin intuitively felt like he should reach for her arm, grab onto her, and pour out all he had in his mind and heart, but he decided against it. Things never turned out well when one was too pushy and didn’t know when to take a step back. What she needed now was space, not him sandwiching her with his emotions.

  He nodded. “Yeah, we should.”

  As they turned away from the railings, a loud boom resonated from below. Merlin’s gaze fshed towards the river bank, and he saw a coalescence of blue and purple ethereal threads forming a circle hovering slightly above the ground, close to the edge of the river. His eyebrows jumped up.

  A Dungeon portal? How come? There were no signs.

  His confusion was further intensified a quick second ter as a crackle split the portal in half and a rift appeared in its center. His eyes widened. A portal appearing suddenly was already weird enough, but it usually took at least thirty minutes to an hour before it ripped apart. This was impossible. No way this was happening here and now.

  A Dungeon Break!