He knew it was not the right time to feel this way, but the sting of disappointment was hard to ignore. Ever since coming to this mansion, the person he thought he had grown the closest to was Yu Je-hyun.
Suppose, as the plot of the novel dictated, Yu Je-hyun was inevitably drawn to Ji Yeon-woo. Even if that were the case, it did not erase everything that had happened between the two of them.
They had shared more than a few bowls of kimchi stew. Yu Je-hyun had even saved him when he was kidnapped by Black and nearly subjected to something unthinkable.
Lee Haru clamped down on the urge to pout, holding back his lips that threatened to sulk in response to his own frustration.
Yu Je-hyun, now staring at Haru’s wrist—fully healed with the swelling completely gone—sighed under his breath. Haru instinctively tucked the faintly tingling wrist behind his back.
He needed a moment to himself. If he stayed with the two of them any longer, he would likely lose track of the situation and let his sulky feelings show.
“Why is it so warm all of a sudden? I am going to take a walk in the garden. Yeon-woo, make sure to use the recovery potion.”
Grasping the front of his shirt and flapping it lightly, Lee Haru gave Yu Je-hyun a small bow, quietly expressing his gratitude.
He also gave Ji Yeon-woo a subtle nod toward the potion, just in case he had forgotten.
Without giving either of them a chance to stop him, Haru quickly stepped out of the room. Honestly, it was probably for the best. Since arriving at the mansion, he had never once ventured into the garden.
He had been too exhausted from trying to adapt among Espers who shunned or outright threatened him.
A bit of fresh air might help me keep my expression in check.
The thought felt strange, unfamiliar. Disappointment only came when expectations had taken root.
After feeling that sting of hurt, Haru realized just how deeply he had opened his heart to Yu Je-hyun.
…I miss the guys.
He missed his friends. Even when he pretended not to, they had always known how soft-hearted he really was, and they never left him alone.
If he went a day without checking in, someone would show up at his front door. Especially during holidays—while most people spent that time with family—they would take turns staying by his side.
What am I doing, being so pathetic? I should be grateful just to be alive right now.
Trying to shake off the looming gloom, he smacked both cheeks hard enough to make a loud smack echo in the air.
Rubbing his stinging skin, he stepped out through the front door. The garden was bursting with the vibrant green energy of spring, as if it were putting on a final show before summer arrived.
“Huff… ha…”
Drawing in a deep breath that filled his lungs, then slowly exhaling, the heaviness in his mind began to lift, just slightly.
The grass bent and rustled beneath his shoes with every step. The soft earth underfoot felt soothing, and Haru wandered the garden like a dog let loose into the yard for the first time.
He could not remember ever seeing any of the Espers tending to the garden. Yet now that he was seeing it clearly, the garden looked like something out of a luxury lifestyle magazine, the kind that featured grand mansions with perfectly manicured grounds.
“There are pine trees… and even flowers.”
It was surprising. Since no outsiders ever came or went, it had to be one of the three residents taking care of it—but he had no clue who could have a hobby like this.
“What kind of plant is this?”
Among all the vegetation, the one that caught his eye was a tall stalk, standing noticeably higher than the others.
Its dark green leaves fanned out like petals, and in the center sat a tuft of pale green fuzz, almost like cotton. It looked otherworldly—strange, yet beautiful.
A neat row of these mysterious plants lined the left side of the mansion. Haru crouched in front of them, resting his chin on his knees.
He gently touched one with his index finger. The way it swayed in response made it feel like it was silently cheering him on, and a soft, silly smile tugged at his lips. But the feeling was fleeting.
“Hoo…”
He had thought getting out for a walk would lift his mood. But the moment Yu Je-hyun’s cold, indifferent expression flashed in his mind, his chest tightened again.
No matter how many deep sighs he released, the pressure would not ease. If anything, he only felt more lost, unsure what to do from here.
But I cannot just avoid Ji Yeon-woo forever.
If he kept unintentionally creating scenes where it looked like he was antagonizing Ji Yeon-woo in front of the Espers, then maybe the only solution was to prevent those moments from happening at all.
But Ji Yeon-woo was the main Guide. If the Espers ever tried to kill him, Ji Yeon-woo was the only one who would step in to stop them.
He was caught in an impossible situation. The only bit of comfort was knowing that Ji Yeon-woo did not misunderstand him—if anything, he had stood up to Yu Je-hyun to protect him.
That act had only seemed to make Yu Je-hyun angrier, but to Haru, it offered a small but real consolation.
It felt kind of nice… like I had a younger brother.
Somehow, all the people around him ended up being giant, broad-shouldered men who towered over him.
But Ji Yeon-woo—maybe because he was a Guide—had a physique that was actually pretty similar to Haru’s.
Maybe two or three centimeters taller than me, tops.
Even that slight height difference made them feel more like equals, and that gave him a kind of quiet reassurance. The Espers were all a head taller, with shoulders so broad they made him feel small and defensive around them.
Was it really so impossible to wish that all of them could simply be happy like this?
“Haah…”
As he let out another long sigh, the tall, nameless grass swayed once more. While absentmindedly brushing his fingers over a leaf, a shadow suddenly fell over his head.
Thinking a cloud had passed across the sun, Haru tilted his head back.
“…Oh.”
It was a dark cloud—only, it had not settled in the sky but had instead loomed ominously over Lee Haru’s future.
A cold shiver crawled up the back of his neck as he met the lifeless gaze fixed on him. The way Hong Seong-jun looked down at him without a flicker of emotion sent a prickling discomfort across Haru’s skin. He instinctively clutched at his throat, cleared his voice with a stiff cough, and spoke first.
“Ahem… Hello.”
He wanted to say, Could you please stop appearing out of nowhere like that?—but Hong Seong-jun’s expression was far too chilling for such words.
Those hollow eyes, stripped of all emotion, drifted across Haru’s face like a breeze—distant, impersonal, and cold.
It struck Haru all over again: Hong Seong-jun had been one of the suspects who had driven the original Lee Haru to his death. The actual culprit had been Kang Min, but the unease that clung to Hong Seong-jun was impossible to ignore.
Haru had not known Kang Min long, but the man’s behavior toward him now felt entirely different from what appeared in Haru’s memories.
Kang Min, at present, showed no personal interest in him—he only extended the bare minimum level of courtesy, fulfilling what decency required and nothing more.
But the Kang Min in Haru’s memories had been obsessive. He had twisted Haru’s emotions, ensnaring him with invisible traps, ensuring he could never truly escape. He had pushed him into a corner until Haru eventually slashed his own wrist.
The man had exuded an air like a swamp—one misstep, and you were swallowed whole.
“What are you doing out here?”
…Just like Hong Seong-jun did now.
It was uncanny. A picturesque smile slowly spread across his once-blank face. It was the kind of smile that could captivate anyone—calculated, elegant, beautiful—but to Haru, it was unnerving. Without thinking, he swept his hand down his arm as though brushing off invisible dust.
The weather was mild, yet a chill snuck into his bones, like a cold wind had stolen all the warmth from his skin.
“…Just… looking at plants.”
This was the first time he had spoken with Hong Seong-jun one-on-one since being kidnapped by Black. More accurately, it was the first time since Haru had Guided him.
“I will join you. For the plant-watching.”
What the hell…?
Haru nearly passed out when Hong Seong-jun unceremoniously dropped down beside him.
If Yu Je-hyun had done something like this, it would have made sense. But this was not even Kang Min—it was Hong Seong-jun.
Ever since Haru had stepped foot in the mansion, Hong Seong-jun had been consistent in how he treated him: cold, hostile, dismissive, and deliberately cruel.
Now, he was sitting close—too close. Close enough that their arms could touch. A sharp, potent scent teased Haru’s nose—nothing like the earthy fragrance of the garden.
Trying not to draw attention, Haru inched his hips away bit by bit, desperate to create even a sliver of distance between them.
In his head, he scrambled to come up with any excuse—any—to make a graceful escape.
He knew that surviving in this world meant maintaining at least a civil relationship with Hong Seong-jun, but this sudden alone time was completely disorienting.
“That ring.”
“…Huh?”
He had been too distracted watching Hong Seong-jun’s face to notice where his gaze had landed—on the ring on Haru’s right index finger.
Following his eyes, Haru looked down and startled to see his thumb absentmindedly rubbing over the surface of the ring.
When did I even pick up this habit…?
A flush of embarrassment crept up his neck. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized—it might not be such a bad thing.
If he wanted to keep anyone from discovering he had possessed this body, adopting Lee Haru’s original habits would only make him seem more authentic.
The real question is: why is Hong Seong-jun bringing up the ring?
Since mentioning it, Hong Seong-jun had gone completely silent, eyes fixed solely on Haru’s hand.
There was a faint smile on his lips, but his gaze was leaden, sunken—like something ancient and heavy had settled in him. A strange, suffocating tension hung in the air between them, thick as fog.
