"Un... Uncle??"
That single word nearly caused Valen to lose his composure entirely. His eyes widened slightly as he slowly turned his gaze toward Reting, but all he could see was the young man’s tall, straight back clad in his uniform.
That back now appeared sturdy, powerful, steady, and reliable—a world of difference from when they had first met.
From the moment Reting stepped in front of Valen to shield him, the latter suddenly realized that this boy had truly grown up. Judging by his current stature alone, he could already be called a 'young man.' Moreover, he was a young man whom Valen had teased several times, and who had once nearly triggered his heat.
And now, this young man was calling him 'Uncle.'
...
*Fuck.*
And not the grassy kind.
Valen straightened his posture, clutching his work data pad. He slowly closed his eyes, tilted his head away, and let out a long, heavy sigh.
For some reason, he felt as though the stability of his blood pressure was constantly being tested by this fellow.
*[Patience.jpg]*
"Of course, we aren't related by blood," Reting added, a kind smile on his face.
Fearing what else might come out of the boy's mouth, Valen quickly cut in to seize control of the conversation. "...Yes, no blood relation."
He then exchanged a few words with the questioning merchant, ushering the man—who wore an expression of sudden realization—away from the shop entrance. Watching the merchant return to a small group of gossiping peers waiting nearby, Valen felt a surge of suppressed frustration. He grabbed Reting's arm and pulled. "Inside. Now."
Though an ordinary person's strength could never move the current Reting, the youth submissively followed the pull into the shop. The doors of 'Far-Light Quality Materials' slid shut, momentarily cutting off all sound from the outside world.
...
Reting, having been dragged all the way into the VIP reception room, was released the moment they stepped inside.
Valen immediately strode forward to put some distance between them, going straight to pour himself a glass of water without sparing the young man behind him a single glance.
Reting raised an eyebrow and began fastidiously straightening his sleeves, allowing the metal armor layer he had deliberately softened beneath the fabric to return to its original state.
At that moment, Valen stood with his back partially turned, drinking water. Reting could faintly see the line of his jaw as he tilted his head back and the movement of his Adam's apple as he swallowed. Presumably, anyone shorter than this man would be treated to this... wonderful sight.
It had to be admitted: Enan Valen was truly 'beautiful.'
In this interstellar society, he wasn't the type to be stunning at first glance, but the tempering of time, life, work, and sudden crises had settled upon him, forming a strange, compelling strength.
And Reting liked that strength.
"Could you pour one for me as well, Manager Valen?" the young man asked without approaching, a gentle and clear smile on his face. "If it's not too much trouble."
"..." Valen held his empty glass and turned to look at him in silence.
He then pulled out a standard disposable compressed cup, expanded it, poured a glass of water for Reting, and set it on the table before sitting down opposite him.
Understanding the gesture, Reting obediently sat where the glass had been placed. He remained as he always was—back straight, hands resting formally on his knees—looking like a well-behaved star student or a model soldier.
Valen watched him silently.
After a moment, he suddenly let out a cold snort, crossed his arms, and leaned back into the sofa.
"What exactly are you trying to do... our 'Great Double S'?" His tone carried a hint of irony. "Are you so bored that you've come to see how the man who failed to manipulate you is faring?"
Upon hearing this, the gentle smile on Reting's face vanished, replaced by a serious expression.
He pressed his hands to his knees and said solemnly, "No. Please do not speak of yourself that way, Manager Valen. You are my friend."
"You use the formal 'You' for a 'friend'?"
"Fine, *you*—" Reting said softly. "You are my friend. I cherish you, Enan."
"..." Valen hadn't expected him to suddenly change his manner of address so completely, let alone say something like that. It stunned him for a moment; neither his feigned 'sore loser' anger nor his genuine adult composure could be maintained. "...What do you mean?"
"I mean, regardless of what you want to say to me, or what you want me to become to you, let us start as friends, Enan."
Reting leaned forward, placing his hands on the table. His deep black eyes met the man's sea-blue eyes with sincere intensity.
"The truth is, I don't know you, and you..." He paused to organize his thoughts, that gentle, comforting smile returning to his face. "I don't know why you wanted to embrace me. You are a mystery to me, and that makes it difficult for me to convince myself. So, Enan, let us start from a foundation of friendship, of mutual understanding and sharing, alright?
"Please give me a chance to know you. The real you. I mean, your inner self—and in return, I will hide nothing about myself from you, unless it concerns confidentiality regulations."
...
...Ah.
'Enan Valen' froze. His lips parted slightly, unable to believe he was hearing such words. Although he had never been in a romantic or sexual relationship with anyone, in this open interstellar society where most infectious diseases had been conquered, wasn't it common for young people to simply get close to whoever they took a fancy to?
Yet here was this young man, universally recognized as having a brilliant future, clearly holding feelings for him, yet asking with total sincerity for a chance to get to know each other.
'Give him a chance.'
The phrase was almost laughable.
He, Reting, was currently the only public 'Double S' in interstellar society, the top student of the Federal Military Academy, a hardworking genius who reportedly took twice as many electives as anyone else—a man whose only free time between classes, training, and consuming nutrients was likely spent sleeping or showering. He was the rising star of Upton Onye's faction, a future pillar of the Federation... If he wanted, what kind of lover could he not have?
Valen had every reason to believe that in this vast starry sky, never mind Betas or Omegas, even Alphas would be willing to humble themselves for him.
If he were to break the tacit balance currently maintained by the interstellar nations and announce to the galaxy that he needed a lover, many countries would immediately send their princes and princesses to the Federation just for the chance to inherit the high-intensity superpower genes of a 'Double S.'
Was 'Prince Yalin's' behavior truly an isolated case? Did that alien disguised as a human truly love Reting?
Of course not. He simply needed, wanted, and decided to try and take the power and genetic fragments Reting possessed.
As long as Reting was willing, he could have the most decadent life imaginable at any moment. It was only because he was a man of recognized integrity and seriousness that he chose not to.
And now, this upright, serious, kind, powerful young man—with self-control stronger than a starship's docking clamps—sat across from Valen with a face full of sincerity, asking if he could first have a chance for them to understand each other.
Even though both of them knew perfectly well that Enan Valen had indeed taken the initiative to attempt direct physical contact—regardless of whether he had been prepared to go all the way, the act of 'throwing himself into Reting's arms' had objectively occurred.
...
A complex, strange emotion surged in his heart. The handsome, mature man stood up abruptly, the strength in his long legs so great that the soft fabric of the sofa made a thumping sound as he bumped against it. He retreated a few steps, almost stumbling, finally realizing what he was doing—and what the young man before him was doing.
Evenheiler Kang, no matter how he tried to change, was indeed born in the decadent, high-and-mighty Capital Star System, from a family and a class that viewed privilege as an inevitability.
But when he had taken the initiative to include his own disguised identity as a benefit his target might obtain through 'privilege' or 'hedonistic instinct' to achieve his goals, his target instead asked him...
—*"My cherished friend, we are both people with different pasts and journeys, aren't we?"*
—*"In that case, can I have a chance to communicate with you as an equal?"*
"..."
Valen took a deep breath. His heart was racing, and he didn't know why... No, he knew. He knew all too well. He had seen someone truly unique, hadn't he? Yes... he had. And he knew perfectly well that the other party wasn't hiding anything. That young man was telling the truth.
But it was stupid. So incredibly stupid. Had no one seen this fellow's stupidity before? Had no one tried to use this shortcut to hurt him? Even if no one had before, someone certainly would in the future. He knew the current rules of this world would not allow such integrity to exist indefinitely, for he himself lived to break such rules.
That power to manipulate metal was nearly invincible in the technological age—or rather, in the physical universe. And this person, when 'Valen' first met him, had used that power to nearly kill a veteran Enhancement-type esper. This proved he wasn't some pedantic fool...
But they say the human body is 70% water, and like water, people only get dirtier over time.
Reting himself had been a victim of criminal acts; why did he behave like this now?
'Valen' found it hard to understand why this young man, possessing such immense power and cold methods, could maintain such a high level of morality and self-control that felt out of place in this era—even though it was entirely to the advantage of someone like him, who had ulterior motives...
...
"...Why?"
"Why what?" Reting was slightly taken aback.
"Why do you feel you should first consider 'understanding me'?" Valen asked, his back almost turned to him. "Don't you know I might have designs on you? Don't you know that if you wanted to, you could obtain everything within the limits allowed by the Federation without the other party's consent? Don't you know exactly how much privilege you possess here?"
"To the first question, the answer is that I don't care. To the following questions... I know. Onye told me." Reting laughed.
He stood up, walked to Valen's side, and placed a hand reassuringly on the man's shoulder. He leaned in to look at the blue eyes nearly buried under black hair as Valen lowered his head.
"But—just because this so-called 'privilege' exists, does that mean I must always use it? I have my own considerations, Enan... You don't need to worry about anything. If it's not a good fit, we can just stop at the friendship stage.
"Now, consider my words, won't you? Enan?"
