18 – TDG 18

The ​firestorm ​raging ​in ​every direction carried ​a ​searing ​heat ​even ​to where I stood, ​which ​wasn’t even that ​close.

Song Hyun-ho’s words—that ​Ji-hyuk ​hadn’t ​been ​giving ​it ​his all—hit home ​with ​vivid ​clarity.

‘…Crazy.’

My provocation just ​got countered. Now what?

Soon, ​flames erupted ​in a ​long stream ​from Han ​Ji-hyuk’s ​hand.

I ​couldn’t help but ​be surprised ​as the blazing fire ​shifted its form into ​a fluid sword. When ​did he ​learn ​something like that? Han Ji-hyuk’s growth ​in such a short ​period ​was ​staggering.

Seeing ​this, ​a peak of ​ecstasy and ​fighting ​spirit ignited on ​Song ​Hyun-ho’s face.

He really is a ​lunatic, that ​bastard.

“Here ​I come.”

With that ​firm ​declaration, ​Song ​Hyun-ho ​vanished.

My eyes ​darted ​around frantically ​until I spotted him above Han Ji-hyuk’s ​head. He was ​shrouded [visit our site]in a ​translucent, yellowish visit our siteaura armor—his ​specialized skill. ​They said that ​when ​Song Hyun-ho exerted ​his maximum power, ​no one ​could ​track his ​movements. ​It seemed ​that ​moment had ​arrived.

With ​a ​single leap, Song ​Hyun-ho ​propelled himself ​upward, ​kicked ​off ​the ceiling, and plummeted downward.

K-boom!

The shockwave from their collision exploded in all directions, shaking the entire building.

It was beyond common sense for two humans colliding to produce a sound like an explosion. My eardrums rang, and I clamped my hands over my ears.

“Ugh!”

As I turned my head to avoid the dust scratching at my face, I saw Han Ji-hyuk fly backward and slam into the opposite wall. He had been thrown with such force that a circular crater formed at the point of impact, and the wall split wide open.

Seeing that, I gasped and bolted upright. I knew he wouldn’t be scratched by an ordinary hit, but it was so violent that I reacted instinctively.

Having sent Han Ji-hyuk flying with one hand, Song Hyun-ho began to chatter, sounding pleased.

“The hostage effect is great. No matter how worried you are about Guide Seo Joo-won, you can’t afford to let your guard down.”

Ji-hyuk staggered to his feet from amidst the rubble and then walked out as if nothing had happened.

Without giving me a moment to feel relieved, Song Hyun-ho lunged again, driving his knee into Ji-hyuk’s shoulder.

Thwack!

Pushed back a few steps by the impact, Han Ji-hyuk grabbed the knee pressed against his shoulder instead of falling. Simultaneously, a blade of flame swept out in a horizontal arc. When Song Hyun-ho leaned his upper body back to dodge, the flames of the blade swelled up like a tiger’s maw.

After that, it became a close-quarters battle.

A deep blue spirit that sparked like electromagnetic waves intertwined with fiercely blazing flames.

At a glance, they seemed evenly matched, but looking closer, Song Hyun-ho was unilaterally pressing Han Ji-hyuk. Song Hyun-ho continued to drive him back, breaking through Ji-hyuk’s flames several times.

If he couldn’t pierce through that damn aura armor, Han Ji-hyuk would only be at a greater disadvantage as time passed.

Watching Ji-hyuk struggle just to defend himself as he was pushed back helplessly, I stamped my feet in anxiety, not knowing what to do.

I mean, give him a break! Isn’t this too much for an S-rank who just awakened?

Perhaps sensing my desperate gaze, Ji-hyuk glanced at me.

Where are you looking! Focus on your opponent!

I was about to scream, terrified that he was about to take a massive hit, but strangely, Song Hyun-ho’s attacks were still failing to land a single effective blow.

…What’s going on?

Ah—. A dumbfounded exclamation escaped me.

I had been completely mistaken.

The moment I realized Ji-hyuk’s hidden intention, the battle between the two began to look entirely different.

Song Hyun-ho’s threatening offensive, pouring out punches like crazy, was nothing more than a struggle to catch someone who refused to be caught. And the reason Han Ji-hyuk kept retreating as if pushed into a pinch was part of a strategy to keep Song Hyun-ho as far away from me as possible. He was afraid I’d get caught in the crossfire and get hurt if they fought nearby.

From the start, Han Ji-hyuk hadn’t given a damn about someone like Song Hyun-ho. That glance just now was the proof. Far from being cornered, he was checking to see if I was okay.

“…….”

He’s just playing with the veteran Song Hyun-ho. Who would look at that and call him a rookie who awakened only two months ago?

I realized that the one who didn’t know Ji-hyuk wasn’t Song Hyun-ho, but me. I hadn’t trusted my Pair Esper, worrying about his waveform being off and treating him like a child by the water.

Han Ji-hyuk’s plan to lure Song Hyun-ho away worked brilliantly. Once the enemy boss moved beyond a certain distance, the closed hostage area opened. It was the same logic as a hostage getting a chance to escape once the guards moved away.

I’ll save the self-reflection for later and just run for now. Once my safety is secured, Han Ji-hyuk will start his counterattack. Just as I was awkwardly trying to stand up while keeping an eye on the door, a massive explosion suddenly erupted behind me.

The force of the violent blast sent me flying before I could even find my balance. The moment my floating body slammed into the floor, my consciousness vanished.

Beep—beep—beep.

As I squinted my eyes open, I saw a cream-colored ceiling with dark gray molding that I had never seen before. Where am I? Strangely, my [stolen content]body felt cold. I felt a strange, blurred [visit our site]sensation clinging to my fingertips Read on Read BL Novelsand toes, similar to how I felt when I first possessed this world.

Blinking my eyes as my focus wavered, I rolled my gaze around and discovered an IV bag hanging above my head. I frowned deeply, clearing the fog from my mind.

I’m in a hospital.

Groaning, I barely managed to roll my stiff body onto my side. My whole body ached as if I had been beaten, and it felt like my head was filled with wet cotton instead of a brain.

Muttering curses under my breath, I checked my body.

My limbs were attached, nothing was in a cast, and all ten fingers and toes moved fine. Just bruises and lacerations? Considering I had been rolled around like a basketball at the scene of a fight between two S-rank Espers, I had fared quite well.

As a sigh of relief washed over me, irritation surged to the top of my head.

I wasn’t even out in the field; I was just doing an aptitude evaluation, so how did it end up like this? And that explosion at the end. What on earth was that?

Enduring the dull pain, I forced myself up. I was searching near the bed for my glasses and watch when the sound of the door opening echoed.

“Hyung?”

Talk of the devil; Han Ji-hyuk was entering the hospital room. I was about to raise my hand and call his name in welcome when he approached me as if he had teleported and pulled me in.

“Hyung, are you okay? Did you just wake up? Does anything hurt?”

He hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe, then pulled back Read on Read BL Novelsto peer into my face with eyes full of anxiety. [Read on Read BL Novels]The unstable, [unauthorized copy]trembling voice pouring out questions and the grip of his arms were both alarming.

“Of course I’m okay. Were you that worried?”

Thanks to that, I had to soothe and stabilize him first, without even having the chance to complain about the stinging sensation of my nose colliding with his chest.

‘Did I have cardiac arrest while I was unconscious or something?’

I wondered because otherwise, his reaction wouldn’t be this urgent and affectionate. After hearing the whole story, it turned out I hadn’t woken up for a full day.

“I was anxious because you wouldn’t wake up no matter how long I waited. I kept, kept coming back to ask, but the doctor just kept repeating that there was nothing wrong…”

Ji-hyuk clenched his fists, his voice trailing off. Although he regained some stability upon seeing me, the color hadn’t returned to his face. It wasn’t just a feeling; the waveform emanating from Ji-hyuk was far too unstable.

This wasn’t simply a signal caused by an Esper’s fluctuating emotions. When I pulled his chin to make him look up, his pupils were blurred and half-open, and the vital signs on his watch were a mess.

I let out a sigh of lamentation internally.

‘This is a textbook case of guiding deficiency.’

Thinking about it, it was only natural.

With me, his dedicated guide, passed out cold, who would have given him guiding? The higher-ups must have offered another guide, but seeing his state, it seemed Ji-hyuk had refused.

His blood pressure and body temperature were rising [Read on Read BL Novels]abnormally. Realizing it was an emergency, I hurriedly pulled off my visit our sitepatient gown top. Right now, I needed a wider range of contact than just holding hands.

“Han Ji-hyuk, take off your shirt.”

I pushed my clothes aside and stepped closer, but Ji-hyuk just stood there, staring at me without moving.

“What are you doing, Han Ji-hyuk-ssi?”

Every second counts, so why are you just standing there?

Unable to wait, I reached for his clothes, but this time he slightly pulled his body away.

‘Huh?’

Since it was the first time I’d been rejected, I was unintentionally a bit shocked. As I looked up in bewilderment, he hurriedly made an excuse as if telling me not to misunderstand.

“…I can still hold out.”

This guy is saying things that will get him killed.

“Are you joking? Hold out for what! I told you to take it off, now!”

“But Hyung, you just woke up. You need to stabilize…”

Ha, he’s not listening. If things go south Read on Read BL NovelsRead on Read BL Novelsnow, it won’t be stabilization, [unauthorized copy]it’ll be an interment, you brat.

Cutting him off, I lunged forward and pinned Ji-hyuk to the bed. Seeing as he didn’t avoid it even though he could, and instead let himself be pinned as if he’d lost, it wasn’t that he was completely unwilling. You must be struggling too. Anyone can say they’re fine. What matters are the vitals.

“I’m telling you, we can really do this later.”

“Let go of me? Who told you to worry about that? Your blood pressure is in this state, and that’s what you’re saying right now?!”

When I glared and scolded him sharply, Ji-hyuk flinched, lowered his eyes, and slowly let go of what he was holding. His face was pale, his eyes were sunken, and he was trembling like an addict—and he expects me to believe those words?

I’ve only dealt with crazy bastards who would call me at three in the morning screaming for guiding because they had a nightmare, so hearing normal words is actually hard to adjust to, damn it.

Huffing, I stripped off the rest of his clothes. He hesitated but no longer resisted, obediently following my lead. As I placed both hands on his bare chest, the area beneath my palms instantly became scorching. Damn, he’s hot. No wonder his blood pressure is fluctuating. He only survived thanks to his superhuman physique; for a normal person, this was a high fever that would have caused brain damage and death long ago.

I lay on top of Ji-hyuk’s body, hugging his sides tightly and burying my cheek against his chest. Then, closing my eyes, I delicately traced his waveform, which was drawing a steep upward curve. As if he couldn’t take it anymore, Ji-hyuk lunged forward actively, pulling me into a tight embrace, his body heaving as if breathing through his skin. The muscles that had been stiff with heat and tension relaxed softly, and his frowning face gradually became peaceful.