He found it odd that Yu Je-hyun and Hong Seong-jun—who had been making such a scene just moments ago—were now nowhere to be seen.
In response to Lee Haru’s question, Kim Hyun-seo cleared his throat and offered a brief rundown of the situation.
“Three Spontaneous Dungeons have appeared in Seoul at the same time. All of them are expected to be S-rank, so Alpha Team 1 was immediately dispatched to the sites.”
Ah, this is bad.
As he listened, a creeping sense of dread began to rise from the soles of Lee Haru’s feet.
From what he understood, Spontaneous Dungeons were extremely rare. The one that had appeared during his abduction by Black had been a Spontaneous Dungeon as well.
And now, not even that much time had passed, and three of them had popped up simultaneously?
This is the exact kind of timing when a villain makes an entrance.
Lee Haru clutched Ji Yeon-woo’s hand tightly. The protagonist was right here, and yet all the male leads had scattered to other locations.
Although Kim Hyun-seo was still present, he was only an A-rank Esper. If the leader of Black were to show up, there was no way he would be able to protect either of them.
You idiots should have taken me and Ji Yeon-woo with you.
His frustration with the vanished S-rank Espers boiled up like a pot about to spill over.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
Lee Haru was still gripping Ji Yeon-woo’s hand, whipping his head around like a spooked meerkat, and Kim Hyun-seo, flustered by the behavior, quickly grew concerned.
The Lee Haru he was seeing now felt completely different from the one he remembered. Back then, the guy barely acknowledged anyone, acting like he could not even hear them speak.
Given that Lee Haru had only ever shown interest in S-rank Espers, Kim Hyun-seo had not taken it personally—but still, he had not been particularly likable.
Despite being a highly coveted S-rank Guide with a stunning appearance.
But today, he made eye contact. He even asked a question. Kim Hyun-seo had thought he responded fairly well, but now Lee Haru was acting strange.
Looking closer, he saw a sheen of cold sweat forming on Lee Haru’s pale forehead. And rather than finding any reassurance in Kim Hyun-seo’s presence, he looked like someone frantically searching for a safe place.
That alone lit a fire under Kim Hyun-seo’s sense of responsibility.
“If you are worried about any remaining members of Black, please rest assured. My team and I are not the only ones standing guard inside the mansion—there are personnel stationed outside as well.”
By now, a good number of them had probably already been reassigned to the dungeon sites. But even with the redeployment, the remaining forces were still substantial.
“Alpha Team 2, move into the mansion. Full team deployment.”
—Understood.
Kim Hyun-seo called his team via communicator. Moments later, six Espers in black uniforms gathered in front of the room where Lee Haru and Ji Yeon-woo were staying.
“From this point forward, just pretend we are not here and make yourselves at home. Until Alpha Team 1 returns, we will protect you with everything we’ve got.”
His tone sounded more like a street vendor making a pitch. Kim Hyun-seo had exaggerated it a little to help ease their tension, but it did nothing to calm the anxiety brewing inside Lee Haru.
“Let’s go to the living room.”
Lee Haru tugged Ji Yeon-woo by the hand. As the two of them led the way, Alpha Team 2 followed closely behind, trailing them like ducklings.
Being in an open space makes it easier to spot anyone who might approach.
Judging by Kim Hyun-seo’s suggestion to ignore their presence, Lee Haru figured that if he and Ji Yeon-woo had chosen to stay inside the room, the team would have stationed themselves right outside the door.
They probably believed that even with a wall between them, they could still pick up on anything that happened inside.
But the timing right now is just too suspicious. Not one, but all of the S-rank Espers disappeared at once, and three Spontaneous Dungeons show up out of nowhere? That is way too convenient.
If he knew the plot of the novel better, preparing for this would be so much easier. But all he had were vague guesses—nothing he could rely on.
Still, Lee Haru resolved to do everything he could under the circumstances. Even if the leader of Black did appear, the target would be Ji Yeon-woo.
His job was to protect Ji Yeon-woo as much as possible and, if it came to that, notify the returning Espers that Ji Yeon-woo had been abducted.
Hopefully, his prediction would be wrong and the leader would never show up.
Ji Yeon-woo was the protagonist. Even if he were kidnapped, his life would not be in danger.
But that does not mean I can just sit here and let it happen like an idiot.
The living room, where Yu Je-hyun and Hong Seong-jun had clashed earlier, was in better condition than expected.
It seemed Kang Min had managed to intervene before the situation got too out of hand.
One side of the wall had collapsed to the point where only the frame remained, but the debris had not reached the floor near the sofa.
Lee Haru sat down on the couch and laced his fingers between Ji Yeon-woo’s, locking them together tightly.
Thankfully, Ji Yeon-woo did not pull away. Instead, he returned the grip just as firmly.
Lee Haru took a deep breath to steady himself. There was a saying: Even if you are dragged off by a tiger, if you keep your wits, you can survive.
Of course, it would be Ji Yeon-woo getting dragged off, not him—but staying focused was the only way he could help rescue Ji Yeon-woo as quickly as possible.
***
“Haru hyung!”
“Guide Lee Haru!”
“Go after him! Do not let him get away, no matter what!”
What the hell is happening?
Nothing was unfolding the way he had expected, and Lee Haru could only stand frozen, eyes blinking blankly in disbelief.
He wanted to scream—but his body would not move.
As Ji Yeon-woo and Alpha Team 2’s faces grew smaller in the distance, Lee Haru struggled to recall what had just happened only moments ago.
***
“I think I’m a little hungry. Guide Ji Yeon-woo, are you feeling hungry too?”
“…Yes.”
Ji Yeon-woo hesitated before responding. The way Lee Haru’s eyes sparkled with anticipation made it difficult to say no.
Truthfully, his stomach was still full from the kimchi fried rice Lee Haru had made earlier. But instead of giving an honest answer, he said what he knew Lee Haru wanted to hear.
And sure enough, the moment he replied, the light in Lee Haru’s eyes grew even brighter.
After hearing Ji Yeon-woo’s response, Lee Haru turned to glance at Alpha Team 2, who were stationed at a distance, maintaining their perimeter watch.
“Have you all eaten yet?”
“We’re good, really. No need to worry about us.”
Kim Hyun-seo waved his hands dismissively. Eating during an assignment? Absolutely not.
Each team member had a small water bottle and maybe a few energy bars tucked away, just enough to keep them going.
But Kim Hyun-seo would soon regret brushing off the question. It had not been long since Lee Haru stepped into the kitchen when the smell of something savory drifted all the way to the living room.
Now that I’m tense, I actually feel hungry.
Lee Haru smacked his lips as he peered into the pot of ramen boiling over the stove. He had raided the fridge and thrown in sliced scallions and kimchi for extra flavor.
He had been determined to stay seated beside Ji Yeon-woo on the couch—but after thirty minutes, the urge to start shaking one leg crept in like an itch.
If he had been alone, he would have caved the moment the impulse struck. But seeing Alpha Team 2 holding their positions with such discipline made him feel pressured to follow suit.
Ji Yeon-woo, on the other hand, remained composed, still holding his hand quietly without fidgeting.
From time to time, he glanced out the floor-to-ceiling windows or cast fleeting looks at Lee Haru—nothing more.
Then, suddenly—
grrrrrrrk.
A stomach-growl pierced the silence. Lee Haru could feel Ji Yeon-woo turn toward him in surprise.
Even some of the Espers had inadvertently shifted their gaze toward him, only to quickly look away again.
Feigning ease, Lee Haru rubbed his stomach with a sheepish grin. After casually asking if anyone else was hungry, he walked over and began preparing the ramen.
Despite Kim Hyun-seo’s earlier insistence, Lee Haru cooked five packets—just in case.
It did not matter if they refused to eat. In his current mood, he could easily demolish four servings on his own.
One was reserved for Ji Yeon-woo.
“You cook ramen really well. It smells amazing.”
“Right? My ramen’s seriously next level—”
He lifted the noodles with a pair of tongs, giving them bounce and elasticity as he boasted.
But halfway through his sentence, a chill slid down his spine.
The voice. It was unfamiliar.
A cold sense of dread scraped through his chest. His neck turned stiffly, creaking like a poorly oiled hinge as he slowly looked to the side.
“Who…?”
“Hey. It’s our first time talking, but not the first time I’ve seen you.”
Only the man’s eyes were visible, everything else cloaked in black.
The outfit—so unmistakably familiar. He had seen that uniform far too many times during his time in Black.
Lee Haru’s pupils trembled violently, like an earthquake shaking the ground beneath him.
His hand clenched around the tongs, still dangling with noodles.
He drew in a sharp breath, tensing his abdomen in preparation to shout—he had to alert the others before it was too late.
“Ssshhh—”
The man pressed a finger to his lips.
And in that instant, Lee Haru’s body stopped responding.
As if someone had flipped a switch, every ounce of control he had vanished without a trace.
Lol haru is kidnapped again, let my man rest y’all