If they had found Lee Haru just a little sooner, he probably would not have come so close to death. That thought made him feel guilty.
He realized, more than ever, how much his relationship with Lee Haru had changed. Back then, communication with him had been nearly impossible. Even though they were highly compatible as Guide and Esper, and he had tried to get along, Lee Haru would say and do things that were utterly incomprehensible.
From the beginning, to someone like him who disliked people, Lee Haru had been an especially difficult person to get close to. There had been no real reason to foster a relationship, so the dynamic between them had consisted of one-sided affection and cold rejections.
But at some point, Lee Haru had become easier to be around. He stopped trying to talk to him unnecessarily and no longer demanded too much physical closeness.
It was puzzling how suddenly his personality had shifted, but there hadn’t been any need to overthink it. The new personality was simply easier to deal with.
Now, though, curiosity crept in. What kind of change had occurred in him to make him so different? There was something strangely sincere in those clear eyes watching him with worry.
“You came just in time. If you’d been even a little later, Kang Min Esper, my neck would’ve been this long by now.”
As Lee Haru exaggeratedly mimed stretching his neck out, Kang Min let out a crooked smile.
Did Lee Haru even realize? That making him smile like this was a rare thing? Did he know the reason he couldn’t help but smile whenever he saw him nowadays?
Kang Min sat up. Thanks to the recovery potion Lee Haru had practically dumped on him, he could at least move on his own now.
Using his strength, though, was still out of the question—the pheromones still seeping through his body made that too dangerous.
Lee Haru’s pants were a complete mess, soaked in blood that had poured from Kang Min’s own body. He acted without much thought, letting his body move where his heart led.
“Let’s leave the aftermath to Yu Je-hyun and head back to the Association HQ.”
“Uh, but… why are you carrying me?”
Startled, Lee Haru’s eyes went wide. Kang Min almost laughed again. He reached for Lee Haru’s awkwardly extended arms and draped them over his shoulders.
“Your pants are soaked. Moving around like that would be uncomfortable.”
A terrible excuse. He just wanted to hold Lee Haru in his arms, and he’d made up something to justify it.
Even so, Lee Haru quietly looked down at his pants, then nodded and obediently leaned against Kang Min’s chest.
Through the metallic stench of blood, a faint sweet scent lingered. Kang Min’s throat bobbed with a hard swallow.
His gaze was drawn to the smooth bridge of Lee Haru’s nose and the flushed red of his lips just beneath. Maybe that was why—when Lee Haru’s lips moved, he didn’t catch what he said at first.
“…Do you think Yu Je-hyun Esper will be okay?”
When he didn’t reply, Lee Haru lifted his head, and their eyes met—dark, inky black eyes that seemed to glow, even in complete darkness. Even though they were the same deep black as always, the way the color deepened toward the center made it impossible to look away.
Kang Min finally recalled what Lee Haru had asked.
“…He should be fine. Black’s leader was seriously injured too.”
Giving the answer Lee Haru had wanted, a strange question formed in his own mind. If anyone had changed most drastically in relation to Lee Haru, it was Yu Je-hyun.
The way Yu Je-hyun treated Lee Haru had always stood out—it had something unmistakably different about it. What Kang Min now wondered was how Lee Haru felt in return.
Was his heart the same as Yu Je-hyun’s?
The moment that thought crossed his mind, a powerful shock rippled through him.
“What’s wrong?”
Lee Haru tilted his head slightly as Kang Min suddenly froze in place. Like a wind-up doll that had run out of spring, Kang Min looked unwell.
Lee Haru tapped his shoulder in silent suggestion to put him down. No matter how he looked at it, Kang Min did not seem like he was in any condition to carry him.
He’d sensed something off from the very moment Kang Min picked him up. Doing something so out of character was a subtle sign—he must be in more pain than he let on.
“Esper Kang Min, I really think you should take another recovery potion.”
There was still one bottle left. As Lee Haru shifted and fingered the potion in his hand, Kang Min took a deep breath, chest rising high.
“No. Let’s move quickly.”
The sudden thought had shaken him, but he could not afford to be stuck in that shock forever.
Gathering his scattered thoughts, Kang Min headed toward the van parked in front of the mansion. It bore the Association’s logo—an armored vehicle tough enough to withstand most monster attacks.
He seated Lee Haru inside first, then circled around the front to sit beside him.
The employee in the driver’s seat gave him a respectful nod.
“To the Association’s affiliated hospital, please.”
“Understood.”
With that, Kang Min closed his eyes. Lee Haru, who had been watching him with concern, turned to look out the window instead.
The van was already en route to the hospital, and he didn’t want to disturb Kang Min if he was trying to rest. The scenery outside zipped by in a blur.
It all looked strangely familiar. Then he spotted the grand mansion where he had spent so much time as if it were his own home—and suspicion turned into certainty.
No way… was I being held there all this time…?
Now he understood why Hong Seong-jun had never let him see past the front door. He had assumed he was imprisoned somewhere remote, but in reality, he’d been less than a kilometer away from the mansion where the Espers lived.
He was this stunned—how much more dumbfounded must Yu Je-hyun and Kang Min have been?
Right under the lamp—exactly where it’s hardest to see. It fits this situation perfectly.
He almost wanted to applaud Hong Seong-jun for his sheer audacity. What had he been thinking all that time, moving freely between the mansion and the place he had kept Lee Haru locked away?
The idea that he had been mocking the desperate Yu Je-hyun behind his back filled him with rage.
What about your wish? Lee Haru, can you hear me?
Lee Haru gently rubbed the surface of the ring. Everything had changed ever since Black’s leader kidnapped Ji Yeon-woo.
Back when he was trapped alone, he had felt nothing but despair. But when he noticed that Hong Seong-jun didn’t seem to find his changed demeanor all that strange, he thought maybe he could convince him—soon—that his feelings were real.
Even though Hong Seong-jun knew he had been mimicking Kang Min, he hadn’t distanced himself. He seemed suspicious, sure, but acted as if he liked the new version of him.
Now that he was out, everything felt uncertain. There was no guarantee Hong Seong-jun wouldn’t silence him permanently.
He might kill me just to keep his secret.
That thought sent chills down his spine. As of now, Hong Seong-jun didn’t know Ji Yeon-woo was aware of his secret.
Did he really trust me that much?
At first, he had tried to send Ji Yeon-woo somewhere else, but when Lee Haru pleaded with him, he gave in—albeit reluctantly. Even though there had been plenty of time for Lee Haru to tell Ji Yeon-woo everything while he was away.
Or maybe he was just too shaken up to think clearly.
After all, he’d said that Black leader’s kidnapping of Ji Yeon-woo had caught him off guard. Maybe, like him, Hong Seong-jun didn’t know what to do.
Still no answer from Lee Haru, I’m worried sick about Yu Je-hyun, and I’m anxious about Guide Ji Yeon-woo too…
No matter how deeply he sighed, the heaviness in his chest didn’t lift—it felt like a boulder had settled right over his heart.
Another long sigh echoed through the car. Kang Min’s eyes fluttered open. Seeing the tense expression on Lee Haru’s face, clutching at his chest, filled him with concern.
“Are you having chest pain?”
He might have actually injured his chest, or maybe the stress of everything had triggered a psychosomatic reaction.
Some Guides even developed panic disorder under extreme duress.
Kang Min gave a quick signal to the driver via the rearview mirror. The staff member, noticing Lee Haru’s pale complexion, stepped harder on the gas.
They were already driving on a special Ability User expressway, so the van was maintaining a speed of 180 km/h.
At that velocity, Lee Haru’s body leaned back into the seat, his face growing even paler. Kang Min gripped his hand tightly.
“We’ll be at the hospital soon. Just hold on a little longer.”
“Okay…”
The sensation was like being on a roller coaster. Lee Haru squeezed his eyes shut. He could tell Kang Min had misunderstood something, but there was no time to correct him.
His stomach churned like he was carsick. Without thinking, he gripped Kang Min’s hand tighter, his condition visibly worsening.
That was when he finally heard the voice he had been waiting for inside his head.
[Didn’t you like Yu Je-hyun?]
After all this time with no response, his body’s owner suddenly piped up—with that of all things. Lee Haru’s lips trembled in disbelief.
Where did that come from? You didn’t say a word when I tried to talk to you earlier.
The heat spreading through his hand where it clasped Kang Min’s was undeniable—a sign his body temperature was rising.
