DB Vol 3 Part 2
His words were so precise that Seo-na didn’t need to explain further. Because of that, even the staff realized Hong Eun-tae had woken up, and the news spread quickly.
“But it seems her physical strength has weakened significantly. There are reports that she collapsed again after waking up.”
Weakened, my foot. She probably overexerted herself trying to use the speck of power remaining in her body. Every single Esper with a shattered Core refuses to accept reality and struggles to revive their abilities with whatever strength they have left. Won-woo guessed why Hong Eun-tae had collapsed again, but he didn’t say it.
“She’ll open her eyes again. The Hong family needs to find the cause, so they’ll wake her up by any means necessary. Whether they use drugs or torture.”
Seo-na stared at Won-woo as if she had something to say. Is she worried I’ll be caught as the culprit? While Won-woo was doubting alone, Seo-na made an unexpected request.
“If you eventually become unable to guide me anymore, could you make me like Hong Eun-tae?”
“…You want me to remove your abilities?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not just the abilities that disappear. Your body breaks down too.”
“My mind will still be intact.”
Seo-na added nonchalantly.
“And I’m not particularly attached to my abilities. I don’t consider them great enough to endure that kind of pain.”
It was something he had never heard from an Esper. Won-woo had never actually cared much about Espers who couldn’t receive guiding. Since Espers were enemies that had to be killed anyway, there was no need to understand their pain. Seo-na was a comrade, but she was the type who didn’t talk much about her own suffering, so this was the first time he’d heard such a thing.
That was why he hadn’t known how much she struggled without guiding. And yet, she’d rather lose her abilities. Won-woo suddenly thought of Sang-cheon’s adopted son. Someone who must have suffered even more than Seo-na. At first, he was shocked by the terrifyingly wild energy, and then he was shocked by its sheer volume.
Thinking back, the most surprising thing was that he had been able to look at him and converse normally in that state. Just how much patience did he have? Or perhaps he had been exposed to pain for so long that he simply became accustomed to hiding his condition. Was that why? He hadn’t shown his face for nearly a week since receiving guiding.
Won-woo was a bit surprised, as he had expected him to come seeking help before a week passed. When he asked Sang-cheon, the man claimed to be worried about his adopted son’s disappearance while his face was full of laughter.
‘Sigh, I know. Where could he have gone? Hahaha, I am worried, but he’s an adult, so he’ll manage on his own. Even if he never shows up again, well, isn’t that just how life is? Hahaha!’
But isn’t it hard for the Gye Family to find a Guide because of Ji Geun-oh’s interference? No, it’s not my business. Just as Won-woo was erasing the thought, he heard Seo-na mutter as if talking to herself.
“Then again, there are Espers who endure even worse pain than I do. I’m nothing.”
“Because of a unique wave?”
“There is someone who is an S-rank and has a unique wave. The Vice Head of the Gye Family.”
Won-woo paused. He looked up with startled eyes, but Seo-na didn’t [unauthorized copy]notice, too busy delivering the fresh news she’d heard just the other day.
“Apparently, he was released from prison because the Guide sent by the Ji family died in an accident. And as soon as he got out, he almost went into a rampage, and many people were injured or killed. Well, since he couldn’t receive guiding, not rampaging was probably the best he could do.”
A rampage. That couldn’t be. As Won-woo tilted his head in confusion, he heard Seo-na’s warning.
“You likely won’t meet him, but you must never get involved with that man.”
He was already involved. But before Won-woo could confess, Seo-na repeated herself in a serious tone.
“If the brute finds out about Won-woo’s existence, he might lose his mind and do something terrible.”
For one, he had been surprisingly calm during their first meeting. If anything, Won-woo was the one who had flared up in jealousy. Thinking of the relationship between him and Sang-cheon made his stomach churn again. Feeling there was no need to worry Seo-na for nothing, Won-woo asked lightly.
“What do you mean by ‘terrible’? Are you worried he’ll rape me?”
“Rape would actually be better.”
“…What?”
“You can just kill people who do bad things. But there are bad guys who approach you with friendliness to induce guiding sex. For an Esper, it’s like a drug, but it’s similar for a Guide. Many people collapse into pleasure and can’t get out. Especially when the ranks are high, the pleasure increases for both, and they say A-ranks can practically lose their minds. So, how much worse would guiding sex with an S-rank brute be? What do you think?”
…Do I have to answer? As Won-woo stood there with his mouth half-open, unable to respond, Seo-na pressed him with a stern face.
“It would be so amazing that your soul would practically leave your body!”
Providing information that was unclear whether it was a warning or an encouragement, Seo-na emphasized:
“That’s how incredibly dangerous it is. If you don’t want to become a slave to lust, stay sharp and be on guard! Do you understand?”
“What do you intend to do?”
The sharp voice of Min, the Head of the Gye Family, echoed through the meeting room. Gye Yoon, sitting across the long table, met her gaze with indifferent eyes. However, the others present were frozen with tension, walking on eggshells around the Head of the Gye Family.
This was a place where important matters of the Gye Family were discussed and decided, so the collateral lines and vassals had gathered for a meeting.
However, about half of them had been wiped out by the bloody purge that had taken place within the Gye Family over the past week. Those who remained were simply bowing their heads, trembling from the shock of betrayal and the Vice Head’s cruelty. Firmly vowing never to betray. The only person who could properly get angry at Gye Yoon was the Head of the Gye Family.
“Did this bastard’s brain turn to stone while he was trapped in that rocky mountain?”
Min muttered with irritation, glaring at her brother with a murderous look.
“You’re saying you’ll vote on the side of the Ji family in the People’s Committee vote? Have you lost your mind? Do you not know how disadvantageous it will be for us if Ji Geun-oh gains power in the People’s Committee?!”
“Isn’t it you, the Head, who doesn’t know?”
At his arrogant tone, those watching erased one of the various rumors that had circulated over the past week. The absurd rumor that the Vice Head’s power had stabilized after receiving guiding. If he had stabilized, he wouldn’t be acting as prickly as before.
“Thanks to the Head kneeling around just to save some brat, the house was crawling with rats. Just how much did everyone look down on you? In that case, just join hands with the Ji family. Stop dirtying the Gye Family name with such pathetic behavior.”
“Fuck, this brat.”
The moment Min muttered lowly and stood up from her seat, everyone in the meeting room jumped up and rushed to stop her.
“You can’t! Head!”
“If you two fight here, we’ll all die!!”
Even as people blocked her and shouted, Min, who had been staring only at her brother, finally lowered the hand she had raised after a long while. White frost had formed on her hand. As an A-rank nature-type upper-tier ability user, if she fought her brother, this entire region could disappear from the face of the earth.
As she withdrew her power, everyone except the expressionless Gye Yoon let out a collective sigh of relief. However, their faces quickly turned back to horror.
“It would be better if we all just died. Rather than living like cowards.”
At Gye Yoon’s nonchalant words, the same cry appeared in everyone’s eyes: Shut that mouth!
“Get out.”
Min commanded coldly, but Gye Yoon merely stared at his sister brazenly and did not rise from his chair. Fearing that the Head of the Gye Family might explode again, one of her aides cautiously called her.
“Head, perhaps it would be best to leave the room first…”
“I said all of you get out.”
Ah, us? The vassals hesitated in surprise, but as Min’s cold voice flowed once more, they had no choice but to leave. As the door closed after a final few worried glances—wondering if something would happen if the two were left alone—Min sat back down. She then frowned at Gye Yoon.
“Satisfied now?”
Though mixed with irritation, it was a normal tone, the frost-like rage completely gone. Gye Yoon nodded half-heartedly.
“It was clumsy, but it should be enough to fool the spies.”
At the word ‘spy,’ Min turned her sharp gaze toward the door. Although Gye Yoon had danced with his blade to eliminate the moles over the past week, there might still be some left. For siblings with painful memories of betrayal, it was hard to fully trust even vassals who had served the Gye Family for a long time.
And Gye Yoon suspected that one of the people gathered today was still a spy. There was no evidence for that suspicion, but Min trusted her brother’s intuition.
Usually, she treated her brother’s abilities—which everyone else revered and feared—like dog shit, but there was one exception. She considered his ability to detect lies to be useful.
In truth, her brother hadn’t always been so sensitive to people’s lies. Their parents [stolen [stolen content]content]had prevented him from using his power for such things.
However, when tragedy struck the Gye Family due to a traitor, the young boy changed. He began to suspect everyone, examining everything from heartbeats and breath to the sound of sweat dripping to weed out lies. Even then, he couldn’t do it properly because he lacked guiding. But as soon as he was able to use his full power, he clearly identified all the spies.
“Our discord will soon spread to the enemies. No one will suspect me even if I disappear from the Gye Family.”
“Don’t underestimate the enemies. You’re suspected no matter what you do, so watch your behavior.”
Gye Yoon, hating the nagging, brought up his own business instead of answering.
“Is everything prepared?”
“I’ll execute it according to your plan starting tonight. I’ve told Chief Jung to prepare everything needed. Since the spies have been swept away over the past week, now it’s all up to you.”
Min swallowed a sigh and mentioned a name.
“Let me ask one last time. Do you really think Ji Won-woo is the only alternative?”
“He’s not an alternative. He’s the only answer.”
“….”
Gye Yoon stared at his silent sister before asking.
“Did you look into Ji Won-woo?”
“I did.”
“How is he?”
“Not great. I’m still not fond of it.”
No matter how helpful he might be, he was a member of the Ji family. But if he was the key to salvation now, she could bow her head regardless of the Ji surname. No, if she could obtain it, she could even kneel.
“He’s different from Ji Geun-oh.”
“That’s something I’ll judge after seeing him in person.”
Min stared at her brother with strong eyes and then sighed.
“You’re saying you’ll persuade Mr. Hwang Sang-cheon?”
Yes, Gye Yoon answered, giving a light shrug of his shoulders.
“What parent can ever truly beat their child?”
Contrary to his tone, his fierce gaze looked as if he would not only beat his adoptive father but bury him in a grave. Min sighed again and nodded.
“Be good to your father.”
“You say ‘father’ so easily.”
Even though Gye Yoon spoke as if it were ridiculous, Min replied seriously instead of getting angry.
“If it’s for the sake of saving Hwan-i, I’d even call Mr. Hwang Sang-cheon ‘mother’ if I had to.”
“What kind of unlucky talk is that?”
“Is it more unlucky than Mr. Hwang Sang-cheon being called ‘father’ by you?”
Irritation mixed in Gye Yoon’s eyes, but it didn’t matter if dirt got in his eyes for the sake of his sister.
“Setting that aside, Ji Won-woo is a member of the Ji family. No matter how bad his relationship with his family is, there’s no way he’d side with the Gye Family. Are you really confident?”
“I guess.”
“Stop talking nonsense and answer seriously. Are you really [stolen content]confident [Read on Read BL Novels]style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[stolen content]you can persuade Ji Won-woo?”
Gye Yoon lowered his gaze to the table and let out a low but powerful voice.
“I have to do it, no matter what.”
Despite his brother’s words, Min looked at him with distrustful eyes. Noticing this, Gye Yoon showed deeper irritation.
“If you can’t trust me, just wait for the result.”
Is it her intuition? Min didn’t know why she felt more anxious the more her brute of a brother showed strong will. It felt as if he might be the one who gets swayed while trying to persuade.
Could this bastard follow Ji Won-woo around, fall for him, and end up as a son-in-law of the Ji family? Thinking of the worst-case scenario, Min soon shook her head. Right, he’s not that much of an idiot.
“Do well.”
Min spoke to her brother as if coaxing him and added.
“Whether you have to kneel or put on a ridiculous act, I’ll help you with everything, so bring Ji Won-woo back, even if you have to risk your life.”
Seeing Gye Yoon appear after a week, Sang-cheon thought the time had finally come. However, the things in his hands and the luggage on his back were unexpected.
“W-what is that?”
As Sang-cheon pointed at the luggage in surprise, Gye Yoon, standing at the door, answered brazenly.
“I ran away from home.”
…At his age?
Won-woo really waited for the end of the workday. He figured the pervert trapped in the hospital would definitely visit his house to enjoy the joy of being discharged. So, he was determined to catch the guy today.
With that thought, he pedaled his bicycle excitedly all the way to the lodging, but he couldn’t enter his house. The lodging was burning fiercely. As he stared blankly at the flames, it occurred to him belatedly. Not catching the pervert wasn’t the problem. Wait, where am I sleeping tonight?
“No. Absolutely not.”
Sang-cheon strongly opposed as he followed Gye Yoon, who had pushed his way in.
“Do you think I don’t know what you’re plotting?! Absolutely not!”
Thump. Gye Yoon turned around after dropping the luggage next to the old sofa.
“What’s ‘not’?”
“You’re trying to settle in here just to see Won-woo, aren’t you?!”
“It’s only for one night.”
“Right, one… Huh? Only one night?”
Sang-cheon looked at him with suspicious eyes at the unexpected duration. Gye Yoon looked down at Sang-cheon while leaning on one leg.
“Yeah, one day. Is one night not okay?”
“No, well… one night is fine…”
That much was acceptable, but the uneasy feeling wouldn’t go away.
“You’re really not here targeting Won-woo?”
“Does that person come at night too?”
“…No.”
“Then there’s no way we’ll run into each other.”
“…I guess so.”
Sang-cheon muttered in a defeated voice, then regained his fighting spirit thinking of Won-woo.
“Are you really staying only one night? Why didn’t you go to a hotel?”
“I didn’t want it to be in the newspaper that the Vice Head of the Gye Family checked into a hotel with a suitcase. Satisfied?”
Ah. He was quite a celebrity in his own right. His face wasn’t widely known, but there might still be people who recognized him. There were paparazzi who followed only famous Espers. Still, regardless of that, Sang-cheon put strength into his eyes.
“Even so, you come here?”
“You were the only person I could think of, Mister.”
“Uh… only me?”
Gye Yoon looked at him for a moment, then turned away and hid his expression while pretending to organize his bag.
“Yeah. I called you ‘father’ once, so I guess I felt like relying on you.”
Relying. That brute said he wanted to rely on him. Gye Yoon’s insincere voice was a lie to anyone who heard it, but Sang-cheon was a pure middle-aged man who didn’t fall into that ‘anyone’ category. So, while he was flustered, something tingled deep inside his chest.
Since everyone knew about the tragedy of the Gye Family, he [stolen [Read on Read BL Novels]content]also knew well that Gye Yoon had lost his parents at a young age. Was his rude way of speaking actually a struggle to hide his sadness?
It was his innate personality. Sang-cheon was simply forgetting that for a moment, lost in his own sentimentality.
“Ahem, still, it’s not like you don’t have family to rely on?”
“The Head of the Gye Family prioritizes her own family.”
“How can that be? You’re family too.”
Gye Yoon, who had been turned away to avoid being caught in his awkward lie, turned back when an answer that required no acting came out.
“No need to comfort me. I’m a body that could die from a rampage at any time anyway, so I don’t need a family.”
“D-die? What are you talking about?”
“Since I can’t receive guiding, eventually the suppression piercing will burst and I’ll die.”
The nonchalant voice made the listener’s heart feel even heavier. But he couldn’t exactly say he’d ask Won-woo for a favor again. He glanced at Gye Yoon, who looked as if he hadn’t even considered guiding with Won-woo.
“Ahem, then if you’re staying here for one night, where are you going tomorrow?”
“Even if you tell me to stay longer, I won’t.”
It was a blunt reply, but Sang-cheon felt slightly sorry, thinking he might have been too pushy. He really did run away from home; maybe he had overreacted? Leaving Sang-cheon to scratch his head awkwardly, Gye Yoon began moving the messy items on the sofa to the floor. Seeing this, Sang-cheon frowned.
“You’re sleeping there? It’ll be narrow and uncomfortable.”
“Compared to a cave where not a single ray of sunlight enters, this is heaven.”
Ah… Sang-cheon felt pity again as he looked at Gye Yoon’s back while he organized his things. Thus, he couldn’t even imagine that there was a cozy super king-size bed inside that cave. He only imagined a gloomy place, dark and damp like a prison, with bugs crawling on the walls.
“Ahem, I’ll bring you a blanket. It gets a bit chilly at night.”
“It’s fine. I’m used to sleeping without a blanket.”
Sang-cheon’s eyes wavered again. He lived without even a blanket?! Gye Yoon simply didn’t cover himself because he had a lot of body heat. But to Sang-cheon, Gye Yoon’s past year was already equivalent to the Count of Monte Cristo trapped in a prison.
Right, being in such a terrible environment, it’s only natural for the kid to speak so rudely. Look at him now; even though he burst in suddenly, he hasn’t sworn once and is having a proper conversation.
He was simply putting on an act to get what he wanted. However, in Sang-cheon’s eyes, Gye Yoon already looked like nothing more than a selfless uncle who had endured a damp underground dungeon, drinking groundwater dripping from the walls, for the sake of his nephew.
“Do you need anything else?”
“I do.”
“What is it?”
Feeling sorry for misunderstanding him, Sang-cheon asked quickly, and Gye Yoon stared at him intently.
“You snore really loudly, Mister.”
“Haha, I have chronic rhinitis, so…”
“Get out.”
Where? Who? Me? Startled and speechless, Sang-cheon pointed alternately at himself and the door, and Gye Yoon nodded.
“You’re noisy, so piss off.”
And so, the homeowner was kicked out of his own home and into a suite at a five-star luxury hotel.
9 PM. The reason Won-woo came to Sang-cheon’s office instead of going to his accommodation was simple. A sudden fire? While he might not be the cause of everything, it didn’t hurt to be cautious.
If someone was targeting him, Sang-cheon, a civilian, could also be in danger. And as soon as the door to Sang-cheon’s office opened, his suspicions expanded in a different direction.
“We meet again.”
Sang-cheon’s adopted son greeted him casually, as if they were acquaintances who saw each other every day. He wasn’t wearing his usual black clothes, but a white short-sleeved T-shirt and jeans; this outfit alone made his aura seem brighter than before. Seeing Won-woo standing there speechless in surprise, he opened the door wider. When Won-woo showed no intention of entering, he leaned against the doorframe and asked crookedly.
“Don’t you remember me?”
Ignoring the question, Won-woo scanned the interior of the office.
“Is Mr. Hwang inside?”
“Come in and check for yourself.”
Gye Yoon welcomed him as if it were his own home. However, Won-woo continued to scan the room with his eyes and asked again.
“Is Mr. Hwang not here?”
“Were there that many guys trying to pull fast ones on you in the past?”
What is he talking about? When Won-woo looked up, Gye Yoon was staring down at him.
“You seem very cautious.”
“Yes. I am.”
Won-woo answered half-heartedly and looked down. It was likely just a resemblance, but he felt uncomfortable under a gaze that reminded him of someone from his past.
“What about Mr. Hwang?”
“He went on vacation.”
What? Forgetting his discomfort, Won-woo snapped his head up. The Sang-cheon he knew didn’t like traveling. Because he was the type of person who felt best staying at home. He couldn’t understand why anyone would go through the exhaustion of traveling far and paying a lot of money to sleep in an unfamiliar bed.
“You look like you don’t believe me.”
Gye Yoon tilted his head to the side, looking puzzled.
“Do you know my father that well?”
At the word ‘father,’ Won-woo’s brow furrowed slightly. It was a word he still hadn’t adjusted to, even after hearing it twice.
“Mr. Hwang is the type who prefers resting at home over going on vacation.”
“That’s true. He likes staying home because he says everything he needs for entertainment is there. Still, he does go to rooms with saunas at nearby luxury hotels.”
Ah, he would like that. The only thing Sang-cheon truly enjoyed was the jjimjilbang.
“But why did he suddenly leave today?”
“Is there any reason why today wouldn’t work?”
There is. Because it’s suspicious. If he happened to go on vacation to a hotel he never visits right when I come here. And while leaving only his adopted son behind at the office.
“Why did you come today?”
“There was a problem with my accommodation.”
“What kind of problem?”
“There was a fire.”
Gye Yoon watched him expressionlessly before slowly twisting the corner of his mouth.
“Just in case, you don’t think I set the fire to lure you here, do you?”
“…….”
“I’m not that kind of crazy bastard. People could get hurt.”
Is that so? Won-woo sighed inwardly. Had his intuition dulled because he was being too suspicious? Indeed, who would set a fire just to see a face once.
Fortunately, the fire started in the stairs leading to the roof, so everyone evacuated quickly and no one was seriously injured. The bigger problem was that the sprinklers malfunctioned, turning the entire building into a water bomb. Putting his suspicions aside, Won-woo took a step back.
“I’ll come back next time when Mr. Hwang is here.”
“Suit yourself.”
As Won-woo turned to leave, an indifferent voice caught his ankle.
“But it’ll be exhausting if you keep running away every time you see me from now on.”
“…….”
“And it’ll be a headache to keep wondering if these coincidental encounters are actually a scripted plan.”
“It doesn’t work on me.”
What doesn’t? At Gye Yoon’s questioning gaze, Won-woo answered lightly.
“Provoking me by bruising my pride. And of course, telling me it’s my on Read BL Novels">Read on Read BL Novelsmisunderstanding to make me feel ashamed doesn’t work either. As long as you’re an Esper, there’s no way it’s my misunderstanding.”
Won-woo’s voice was businesslike to the point of being cold. The faint trace of amusement in Gye Yoon’s eyes vanished. Just as he thought the other had finally understood, an unexpected question came.
“Then how about ramen?”
Ramen? As Won-woo looked puzzled, Gye Yoon pointed inside.
“I was boiling some ramen because I’m hungry. Does this not work either?”
Absurdly, it almost worked. Because Won-woo hadn’t eaten dinner yet. But to give in for just some ramen…
“I have kimchi that my father made, too.”
Sang-cheon’s kimchi! Of course, Won-woo had tasted Sang-cheon’s kimchi before. Being a man who saw things through to the end once he dove into them, Sang-cheon had perfectly mastered and artistically crafted his kimchi. Hot ramen noodles with Sang-cheon’s kimchi. It was a difficult temptation to resist. Ha, Won-woo let out a hollow laugh and brushed back his bangs.
“That sounds delicious.”
“It is. Since I’m the one who boiled the ramen.”
At the brazen answer, Won-woo swallowed another laugh. He had met many Espers, but this was the first time one had tried to tempt him with ramen and kimchi. No, was it even a temptation? It was actually a bit ambiguous. But he was an Esper. One who had tasted his guiding.
And even without guiding, there were those who harbored an undisguisable lust just by looking at Won-woo’s appearance. He had lost count of the times he had experienced [unauthorized copy]sticky, unpleasant harassment through a gaze alone. In contrast, while Gye Yoon had a twisted smile on his lips, his eyes were dry. Even while tempting him to stay for ramen.
He could just ignore it, but that didn’t go well. A competitive streak rose within him unconsciously. Whether his composure was a tactic or not, Won-woo wanted to break it. So, he tried a method that worked on Espers almost as well as guiding did.
“Delicious, huh.”
Muttering this, Won-woo wore a wide smile. His lips curved elegantly, changing his impression so much that he looked like a completely different person. Someone had once told him that Won-woo’s smile was like fragrant spring flowers fluttering in the wind.
Won-woo also knew how to increase the effectiveness of this smile. Tilting his head slightly to the side, he lowered his gaze toward Gye Yoon’s crotch. Even though they weren’t skin-tight jeans, he could see a long shape situated on the right thigh. Won-woo asked in a whisper.
“Is it really delicious?”
“…….”
“I can’t tell because I’m not looking properly.”
The response came after a long silence.
“Try it and then tell me.”
The low voice flowed into Won-woo’s ear like a whisper. Even though the voice had no physical form, it felt ‘handsome.’ He must have been so charmed that he froze unconsciously. Because of that, he raised his head a beat late. And he met eyes filled with a thick, dark heat.
It was exactly what Won-woo wanted, but regret washed over him immediately. Strangely, those eyes didn’t [unauthorized copy]feel unpleasant. Nor did he feel a sense unauthorized copyof superiority that his provocation had worked. Since it was his first time feeling this way, Won-woo struggled to hide his fluster. As if cold water had been poured over his head, he regained his senses and replied coldly.
“Actually, never mind. Enjoy it by yourself.”
Won-woo left the place without lingering and was soon out on the street, but he couldn’t move further. It occurred to him belatedly. Ah, where am I supposed to sleep?
“Ha. Fuck.”
Slam!
Closing the door to Sang-cheon’s study hard and stepping inside, Gye Yoon let out a deep breath along with a curse. Even that didn’t calm him down, so he ran his hand through his hair violently. The firm muscles in his arms writhed with every movement, as if acting out the suppressed emotions.
After some time, his head seemed to cool down, but his lower body did not. Before he knew it, his member had grown hard enough to make his pants tight, half-erect. All from a single glance from Ji Won-woo.
‘Is it really delicious?’
It felt as if that voice was still ringing in his ears. Gye Yoon cursed again, unable to believe his own reaction.
“Am I out of my mind, fuck.”
If not, why the hell was he in heat like this over a single look and a single word from Ji Won-woo? He brushed his hair back again in irritation, but the heat wouldn’t vanish. Instead, that smile he had seen for the first time came to mind.
The moment that wide smile spread across Won-woo’s face, it felt as if a bright light had been switched on in a dark room. Step by step, Gye Yoon walked to the sofa and flopped down, admitting one thing. Yeah, that smile was pretty damn incredible.
“Dammit.”
Letting out another curse, Gye Yoon leaned his head back on the sofa and closed his eyes. Then, he analyzed why he had failed. He truly didn’t understand. Had his voice ever failed to work? He briefly retraced his past.
Never, not once. Even his sister, who looked down on him, couldn’t easily refuse his requests when Gye Yoon intentionally used his ability to speak. And she was a high-ranking A-class Esper. Naturally, civilians succumbed without him even needing to use much power. By blocking out all other noise and letting only his soft whispers flow into their ears, it was always a hundred percent success. Everyone’s heart raced. Except for Won-woo a moment ago.
Why on earth?
The irritation wouldn’t go away. It wasn’t because he felt the effort of burning down Won-woo’s accommodation was wasted. It was because of the lower half of his body that wouldn’t easily settle. And because that smile, which seemed etched into his mind, didn’t seem likely to leave.
Can a person express all the emotions they want just with a gaze? Not everything, but most of it was possible. Won-woo could at least clearly recognize hatred and loathing. The hatred that had radiated from him when he first looked at him properly had been intense enough to make him pause. That’s why he had once asked the Aunt.
‘Why does he hate me?’
He couldn’t even bring himself to voice the anxiety of whether the other knew he was Ji Geun-oh’s son. The Aunt had answered nonchalantly while looking at Won-woo.
‘He doesn’t hate you.’
‘No, he does. Every time he looks at me, it’s like he’s firing lasers that spell out “I hate you.”‘
‘It probably says “I love you.”‘
‘……Do you think I’m an idiot, Aunt?’
‘I know you’re not a mind reader.’
Well, that’s true. While Won-woo tilted his head, the Aunt turned away coolly.
‘Aunt, but.’
He stopped her and asked hurriedly.
‘What should I call him? You’re… not going to tell me his name, are you?’
Since she hadn’t even told him her own name. As expected, his name did not come from her.
‘Just call him whatever you want.’
‘What do you call him, Aunt? I’ll follow your lead.’
‘Cheep-cheep.’
‘…….’
‘Don’t curse.’
‘I didn’t curse.’
The Aunt shrugged as if it didn’t matter.
‘You were about to.’
Of course. Cheep-cheep. What kind of bullshit nickname was that? No matter how much the Aunt hated cursing, her naming sense was simply unbearable.
‘Why on earth do you call him that?’
‘It was his nickname.’
‘Ah.’
‘He was cute when he was little.’
‘……Is there anyone who isn’t cute when they’re little?’
‘Maybe there are?’
Looking at the Aunt’s face, Won-woo realized she was teasing him again. Even though she was expressionless, he could tell she was joking. At first, he hadn’t adjusted to it, but now it only brought a hollow laugh.
‘Anyway, if I call him Cheep-cheep, he’ll hate it, right?’
‘That’s right. Even when he was little, he’d talk back to me if I called him that. Then, out of frustration, he’d call me a Cucumber Monster.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Cucumbers were the vegetable he hated the most.’
The Aunt chuckled, as if a funny memory had surfaced.
‘He ate everything else, but he refused to eat cucumbers until the very end. And later, he claimed he had a cucumber allergy.’
‘Really?’
‘Of course it was a lie.’
Won-woo glanced back at the room where he was lying. It was a bit surprising that the past he heard from the Aunt was so ordinary. He couldn’t imagine that the man waiting for death had once been just like any other person.
‘He did hate being called Cheep-cheep as much as he hated cucumbers.’
Won-woo frowned at the Aunt’s reminiscent murmur.
‘Then why do you still call him that? Are you calling him that on purpose just to piss him off?’
‘Exactly.’
As Won-woo looked dumbfounded, the Aunt explained calmly.
‘If even irritation returns, maybe other emotions will return too. Then he might want to live.’
Does he have to live? When he says he wants to die like that? Won-woo thought the Aunt was being stubbornly insistent. He felt that her respect for the man’s own opinion should come first. The Aunt, understanding Won-woo’s intent, added this.
‘Don’t worry. If death is the only path for him, I’ll handle it with my own hands.’
But the Aunt never had to handle it. Because she died first. And the other emotions she wanted returned to him after that. Although he had no mind-reading abilities, Won-woo could tell from the way he looked at him that the hatred and loathing had vanished.
Instead, other emotions began to fill the vacant gaze. He was still mostly just staring blankly, casting aimless looks anywhere, but a few times a day—mostly when Won-woo was around—his eyes followed him. At first, he didn’t understand those emotions. Perhaps he had instinctively ignored them because he was afraid to accept them.
Regardless, the one who had erased the desire to die from him was himself. The only silver lining was that the phantom pain he felt had decreased. So, couldn’t he live a bit longer? For the sake of Won-woo, who didn’t want to be alone. That’s why, when the Aunt died, he had pleaded with him out of selfish greed.
‘Don’t leave me. Stay by my side. Please don’t leave me alone.’
He had struggled to move his hand and placed it on Won-woo’s head. That was the extent of his movement, but it felt like a caress. The weight of the hand on his head felt like comfort, making him so happy it was almost sorrowful. That’s why he couldn’t let him go. No matter how he writhed in spasms from the pain that occasionally visited, no matter how he looked at the world with vacant eyes as if he had already let go of life, and even if he still desired death. He had kept him alive solely for the sake of his own loneliness.
Won-woo thought he had adjusted to the new world, but there were still things he wasn’t used to.
“There is an Esper Order for takeout, so you will have to wait a bit longer, customer.”
At the employee’s words, the customer in front of Won-woo asked, unable to hide their irritation.
“What? Again? Just how much longer do I have to wait? I’ve already been waiting for over 20 minutes.”
“But we must prioritize Esper Orders.”
As the employee repeated the same explanation, the customer stepped back, but their angry expression remained. Won-woo felt similarly to the customer. Esper Orders existed because of the pervasive Esper prioritism in this world. On the grounds that Espers, who protect everyone’s lives, must be in peak condition to fight monsters at any time, they are given priority in all sectors of society.
Even ordering at this small gimbap shop had to follow that Esper prioritism. Won-woo had just stepped outside the Center without much thought, as he had developed a habit of changing his dining locations irregularly. He had no idea it would take this long just to wait.
Is even eating a roll of gimbap a matter of Esper prioritism? It’s as if they’re telling everyone except Espers to just starve to death. Just as Won-woo was contemplating whether to just leave…
“Ji… Mr. Won-woo?”
Turning his head at the sound of his name, he saw a man with a cute impression standing there. It was wm: unauthorized copy -->visit our site -->visit our sitethe Guide who was always by Seung-wook’s side. The one who stuck to him and exchanged glances so much that anyone would think the two were dating.
Won-woo had no intention of becoming close, so he intended to just nod and ignore him. However, he couldn’t turn away because of the greeting that followed.
“Hello. I’m Lee Idan.”
Lee Idan? At the familiar name, Won-woo searched his memory. Who was that again?
“Uh, the Guide working at the same Center.”
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