If there was one thing he could say he’d done right in his life, it was making the Imprint. No question about it.
Why? Why isn’t he here?
Jin Mu-seong had been drifting from gate to gate, haunted by that thought.
If he hadn’t placed that Imprint back then… He might’ve actually lost his mind—and died. The fact that he could still breathe, even if just barely, meant that Yeo Eun-jo was still alive somewhere. That alone was enough to keep him moving.
“We’ll handle the final sweep!”
The Team C leader, who had arrived ahead of him, shouted out. But Jin Mu-seong didn’t lift his hand from the shotgun. Bragging about clearing a gate that should’ve been dealt with three days ago? On any other day, he might’ve chuckled and let it slide—but not today. He was out of patience.
“W-Wait, what?!”
As he loaded a fresh round, a panicked voice rang out behind him. Jin Mu-seong pulled the trigger without hesitation.
The buckshot blasted forward, slamming straight into the swollen core. Sparks erupted from within, and blood sprayed everywhere.
The horde of monsters dissolved into puddles as the gate trembled— The unmistakable sign that the gate had been cleared.
He’s been tearing through monsters like a man possessed…
Jin Mu-seong hadn’t even bothered tossing samples to the research team. He’d stormed in and obliterated everything in sight. No—“pounded them into the ground” was probably more accurate. Remembering the way he’d unleashed his power like a lunatic, the Team C leader tightened his grip on his weapon and approached.
“Team Leader Jin! This was our team’s gate—you even took out the core—!”
At that moment, Jin Mu-seong turned to face them. He was soaked head to toe in blood, having taken the blast straight on. His face, in contrast, was completely expressionless.
That dead stare only made him look less human—more like something monstrous.
Faced with that inhuman aura, the Team C leader forgot what he was going to say. The rest of his team, who’d been assisting from behind, stood frozen as well.
“Mark it down as your team’s kill. Whatever.”
“……”
Leaving them speechless, Jin Mu-seong walked out of the gate without another word. He didn’t have the time—or the energy—to waste on pointless arguments.
He turned on the pager and checked the number of remaining open gates. Two left. A knot of anxiety twisted in his gut. What if other Espers went in and didn’t find Eun-jo? What if they cleared the gate without even realizing he was there?
Jin Mu-seong moved as if time itself had stopped. He walked to his car, calm and deliberate, passing through the motionless traffic like a ghost.
In the week since Eun-jo disappeared, checking every active gate had become his daily ritual. It was the only thing keeping him from suffocating.
“Yeo Eun-jo…”
The name slipped out like a sigh. Time hadn’t moved properly since Eun-jo vanished—not for Jin Mu-seong.
***
He returned to the Center like always—but not to clean off the blood. His first destination was Eun-jo’s dorm.
The door was half-open. The second he realized it was Eun-jo’s room, his face turned to stone. Without hesitation, he stepped inside.
The place was a disaster. Drawers had been pulled out in the kitchen and living room. Shopping bags were piled in messy stacks—like someone had torn the room apart.
His gaze fell on the familiar bags, then to the bottles of ketchup and canned goods beside them. All things he’d bought for Eun-jo.
“……”
Standing in the middle of the wreckage was Jung Tae-seok—that irritating little punk. Sensing someone behind him, he whipped his head around. His eyes were bloodshot.
“…So you knew this was Eun-jo’s place too?”
“……”
“Did you even know he didn’t have a damn thing here?!”
His voice cracked and echoed through the apartment. Jin Mu-seong didn’t reply. Instead, he crouched down and picked up a shopping bag. The brand logo matched the ones on his card statements.
Inside was a piece of clothing still wrapped in plastic. It hadn’t even been worn. It would’ve looked great on him, Jin Mu-seong thought. He ran his fingers over the yellow cardigan like he was touching Eun-jo himself.
“He’s been your team Guide for a while now. Isn’t it a little late to start acting like you care?”
“……”
Jin Mu-seong, still holding the cardigan, locked eyes with Jung Tae-seok, whose face had gone pale.
“Where the hell have you been? Why are you only just showing up now?”
“……”
“This dorm’s been here all along, you little shit.”
Gritting teeth—Jung Tae-seok clenched his jaw so hard the sound came out sharp. He was boiling with anger, but had no comeback. Jin Mu-seong was right about everything.
As if reading his mind, Jin Mu-seong continued.
“You probably just came here to screw him and left right after. Bet all you remember is the bed.”
“……”
“You didn’t care what he ate, how he slept, how he got through the day. You didn’t notice him wasting away, did you?”
“……”
“All you ever needed was a hole to stick it in and get your Guiding done, huh?”
“…You don’t know a damn thing, so shut your mouth.”
But the words cut deep. Because every single one of them was true.
The moment he got out of the gate, he’d been racing between the Guiding Room and team office. He couldn’t believe Eun-jo had gone missing—especially not with Lee Sang-heon with him. He had to check every place Eun-jo might be, or he’d go insane.
And then he walked into the dorm.
Nothing. Not a single personal item. It was like he was already gone.
The drawers were empty. The closet held only a few required uniforms.
“Eun-jo hyung…”
Had he really planned to leave?
All those times he’d treated him like shit came rushing back. The days he’d been annoyed Eun-jo didn’t show up for Guiding. His heart clenched tight, like someone had stabbed him in the chest.
“Hyung…”
There was no way he’d always been that strong. Not when people like Park Se-yul—and himself—had constantly ignored him, brushed him aside like he didn’t matter. No one could endure that forever.
“Fuck…”
Jung Tae-seok muttered through clenched teeth, dragging his hands down his face.
“The only one who had any right to call me out is Eun-jo hyung.”
If only he’d yelled at him. Hit him. Anything.
If only he’d asked—Why didn’t you notice? Why didn’t you, as my so-called boyfriend, ask me even once?
He shoved a hand through his hair, frustration simmering, and glared at Jin Mu-seong. The slow drip of blood from the hem of Jin Mu-seong’s pants was driving him up the wall.
“So fuck off already. Don’t stain his place with your blood.”
Whether Jin Mu-seong realized the scent of blood clinging to him or not, he didn’t say a word. He simply turned and headed for the door.
Just before he stepped out, his voice came, dry and low.
“At least fold the clothes before you leave.”
“……”
“If our baby sees this mess, he’ll think the place got robbed.”
Our baby, my ass. Jung Tae-seok shut his eye tight, pressing a palm against his face. He looked down at the scattered clothes on the floor— Not a single one of them was something he had bought.
If he’d known it would end like this, he would’ve taken him to a department store instead of the movies. Would’ve cleared out an entire clothing rack. Would’ve picked out a bed together. Blankets. Sheets. Everything.
Like something suddenly snapped inside him, Jung Tae-seok bolted into the bedroom. When he came back, he was holding Eun-jo’s uniform.
“…So fucking heartless.”
It was the only one Eun-jo had.
The words were bitter, but the way he held it—gentle, almost reverent—betrayed everything he felt.
Jung Tae-seok sank to the floor, clutching the uniform, and breathed deep into the fabric. The faint scent of Eun-jo still clung to it— That sweet, warm smell that was uniquely his.
“I said I’d die without you, hyung…”
“I came back without a scratch. Not even a bruise.”
“I kept my promise…”
He curled into himself, voice barely audible. The room felt cold and empty, like it had been abandoned long ago. Like it had never truly belonged to anyone at all.
