The Association President tossed his half-smoked cigar to the floor, snuffing out the ember. In that brief moment, he looked years older.
“Evidence?”
“There’s none yet. That’s why the Team Leader went alone—to get solid proof. Though it seems like the one being held hostage right now isn’t Hong Seong-jun, but the Team Leader.”
Maybe they never should have let him go alone.
Yu Je-hyun had nearly died fighting the head of Black, so he was uneasy. But he couldn’t leave Lee Haru behind either.
Kang Min had gone up against Black’s leader multiple times, and he had believed he could pull this off—sneak in and extract only Hong Seong-jun. That assumption had been a critical mistake.
Black’s base had been destroyed, and the number of enemies Yu Je-hyun and Kang Min had taken out was enormous.
They had even eliminated several A-rank Ability Users, the organization’s upper ranks. At this point, whoever remained in Black should’ve been nothing more than bottom-feeders.
So what had gone wrong? Why was Kang Min still missing, and how was Hong Seong-jun alive and pretending to be him?
Yu Je-hyun ran a hand through his hair, tangled in uneasy thoughts.
[I know where he is.]
What do you mean?
Since Yu Je-hyun had set him down, Lee Haru had been focused on reading the situation.
Judging by the conversation, it sounded like Kang Min was in danger. But all he could do was silently hope for his safety.
Then, a voice he hadn’t heard in a long time snapped his attention back.
[Kang Min—I know where he is.]
Lee Haru understood what the voice—his body’s previous owner—was saying. But he couldn’t understand how he could know Kang Min’s location.
[And you can go to him right now.]
Me?
[Have you already forgotten what’s happened to you? How do you think you got out of that dungeon? Or how you suddenly ran into Yu Je-hyun?]
It hit him like a slap to the back of the head. Not once had Lee Haru considered that those events might have been the result of his own ability.
Back in the dungeon, on the brink of death, he had heard the voice offering him salvation—in return for revenge.
I just assumed Mr. Haru helped me… Though, yeah, it was strange how I ended up meeting Yu Je-hyun like that.
He’d simply closed his eyes to try and sleep—and without warning, he’d landed on top of Yu Je-hyun. Ever since, afraid it might happen again, he’d been sleeping on the living room couch instead of in bed.
[It’s true—I gave you the power. How you use it from now on is up to you.]
Even so, Lee Haru felt lost. He had no idea how to use this so-called power.
And there was another problem. Even if he could teleport freely, there was no telling if it would actually help Kang Min.
So I’m the only one who can move? If I go to Kang Min, wouldn’t I just become another hostage…? Is there a way to take someone else with me?
[Probably not.]
The voice didn’t sound confident. And experimenting without knowing the outcome could be disastrous.
Images came to mind—stories of people with teleportation abilities who had suffered horrific fates.
[Some only moved half their body. Others got trapped in spatial rifts and never came back.]
Sure, maybe it wouldn’t happen—but even a sliver of risk was terrifying. And Lee Haru was still reeling from the fact that he had this ability at all.
Tell me where Kang Min is.
Still, knowing Kang Min’s exact location was a huge breakthrough.
For now, he would keep this power a secret. He planned to tell only Yu Je-hyun. If Kang Min really was in danger, they had to act quickly.
While Lee Haru watched for the right moment to approach Yu Je-hyun, the tension between Yu Je-hyun and the Association President was boiling over.
“I’m taking Lee Haru and Ji Yeon-woo with me. That’s final.”
“What kind of bullshit is that? You’re taking Guides? Are you out of your mind?”
“I’m perfectly sane. I only want to take Lee Haru, but if I do, he might refuse to go. That’s why I’m bringing Ji Yeon-woo too. And what—am I supposed to trust you with them? Did you already forget what happened last time?”
“You little…!”
Yu Je-hyun had never been someone you could reason with. As the Association President reached out, veins bulging in his forehead, the Esper Center Director quickly stepped in to steady him.
“President, saving Team Leader Kang Min and capturing the traitor are our priorities. Given the circumstances, it may be best to follow Esper Yu Je-hyun’s lead. If we assign Alpha Teams 2 and 3 to accompany them, the Guides will be safe.”
The Association President paused to collect his breath. Then, with a look of resignation, he nodded. Things were too urgent for pointless arguing.
With his reluctant approval, the Esper Center Director summoned the team leaders of Alpha Team 2 and 3, who had been waiting nearby at the Seoul Branch.
“You two will lead your teams and move with Yu Je-hyun. Your top priority is to protect Guide Lee Haru and Guide Ji Yeon-woo. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Understood!”
Kim Hyun-seo and Shin Ji-soo answered in unison, their voices sharp and unwavering. That kind of disciplined energy was expected when standing before the Esper Center Director and the Association President.
Yu Je-hyun, standing there with a bored expression, was the real anomaly.
As soon as he finished speaking with the Association President, Lee Haru quickly grabbed his arm.
Yu Je-hyun turned toward him immediately, flashing a playful smile.
“What’s this? Got bored waiting for me?”
He didn’t care in the slightest about the shocked stares he was getting from everyone around them. His gaze was fixed solely on Lee Haru. Even Lee Haru, who usually ignored others’ reactions, blushed ever so slightly under the weight of that stare.
“It’s not that… I just have something I want to talk to you about.”
“Just the two of us?”
“Yes.”
At Lee Haru’s reply—his wish to speak with him alone—Yu Je-hyun’s smile deepened, becoming more amused.
“Yu Je-hyun! You know this is an emergency, right?!”
The Association President called his name with frustration, though his eyes stayed locked on Lee Haru. Under that scolding glare, Lee Haru instinctively looked away.
The man’s stare was so intense, it could crush someone with weak spirit.
For once, Yu Je-hyun’s usual flippant defiance actually seemed impressive—how he remained unfazed dealing with someone like that.
Finally, Yu Je-hyun turned to face the Association President, locking eyes with him. He didn’t so much as flinch when the President, visibly irritated, pulled out another cigar.
“Let’s move. Too many people here love to run their mouths.”
He made a mock gesture of digging in his ear and began walking off. Lee Haru followed, taking Ji Yeon-woo’s hand along the way.
As the three of them walked side by side, curious and bewildered gazes followed from all directions.
Kim Hyun-seo and Shin Ji-soo weren’t exceptions. Shin Ji-soo nudged Kim Hyun-seo in the ribs with her elbow.
“Hey, is Yu Je-hyun seriously out of his mind? What’s with him? Don’t tell me those rumors were true?”
Since Yu Je-hyun was walking just ahead of them, Shin Ji-soo—Alpha Team 3’s Team Leader—only mouthed the words silently, like a ventriloquist, careful not to let him hear.
Kim Hyun-seo rubbed his side, now sore from the jab, and asked,
“What rumors?”
“That Yu Je-hyun is completely into Lee Haru. And that he took out Kang Min and Hong Seong-jun because he saw them as rivals. That’s what people were whispering today.”
Lee Haru had always been at the center of gossip. With S-rank Ability Users, even the smallest action or phrase could get wildly distorted and spread across the entire Association.
To the people in the Association, active S-rank Ability Users were like high-profile celebrities.
Rumors had started circulating that Yu Je-hyun—who used to act openly annoyed whenever Lee Haru was around—had suddenly fallen for him.
Shin Ji-soo hadn’t believed it. She’d seen with her own eyes how rudely Yu Je-hyun had treated Lee Haru in the past.
But now that she was seeing it firsthand, it wasn’t just that the rumors were true—Yu Je-hyun was acting like he was head over heels for him.
Watching him smile stupidly at Lee Haru with that handsome face sent shivers down her spine. That arrogant bastard, with the worst personality, was now looking at Lee Haru with eyes full of affection, like he was completely lovesick.
“Let’s just stick to the mission. Keep your nose out of other people’s love lives.”
Kim Hyun-seo felt a deep sense of guilt toward Lee Haru. He’d been responsible for protecting him when the head of Black had kidnapped him.
He had thrown himself at the enemy, fighting with everything he had—but the gap in power had been insurmountable.
Today, he had vowed that no matter what happened, he would protect Lee Haru.
Just then, Yu Je-hyun suddenly stopped in front of a line of bulletproof vehicles.
Shin Ji-soo, who had been about to say more to Kim Hyun-seo about Yu Je-hyun, froze on the spot and immediately snapped to attention.
