Chapter 107 - 103. Undefined Relationship
After the chaotic birthday party, life was back to the usual routine. Bassena took Zein and Selena to the Mortix, following them to the lab and lounging there for a bit until lunch. Zein had to suffer Selena’s constant teasing remarks about his supposed relationship with the Serpent Lord.
Which was intriguing, since not even Zein knew how to define his relationship with Bassena.
They weren’t quite lovers yet, and they hadn’t gone as far as sex to be called fuck buddies. Zein wasn’t really rejecting or accepting Bassena, cruel as it might be. He enjoyed the esper’s company, and felt a certain level of affection toward the younger man.
But he, who was still shackled with uncertainty about his identity, who dragged around heavy baggage, who couldn’t even like himself enough, couldn’t give anyone the suffering of sheltering his heart.
He, who couldn’t even dare to think about what tomorrow might bring, shouldn’t shackle another person with a cruel future.
Still, he indulged the younger man, and Bassena indulged him. For now, that was the kind of relationship they had.
Anyway, he didn’t really mind--or more precisely, not really care--that people had been speculating about his relationship with the Serpent Lord. It was apparently a constant topic during lunch break among the workers, or so Abel told him.
Apparently, there was even a group chat that was made strictly to discuss the Serpent Lord and the Guide Captain.
Bits and pieces from guild members who witnessed their interaction were gathered inside the group chat. From guiding, outing, dungeon raid, or just them simply going down together to buy coffee. Stolen photos, videos, even theories about their meeting, and speculation about the progress of their relationship.
When Abel told him about that while laughing his ass off, Zein felt that it was absurd and made no sense. But he quickly factored it into the green-zone dwellers having too much free time on their hands, and that it was futile for him to try to understand them.
And so he let them be. Who was he to prevent people from having fun? Since it wasn’t really hurting him anywhere.