So after opening his eyes, he finally spoke the words Shim Tae-seong had once mentioned—the power to decide.
“…I want to save people like Junho.”
His gaze implied that reviving an old bond from a time of misery had, in turn, breathed new life into himself. It was as if being able to cry out his sorrow and resentment in front of everyone without shrinking away was only possible because that experience had helped him regain at least a fragment of his self-worth.
Even if it was just a few, he wanted to offer help wherever he was needed.
Since the doctor had witnessed him healing Seo Junho, the hospital must have reported it. A government agency or something of that sort was probably begging to meet him right now.
If it had been any other group, they would’ve smashed the place to bits without even waiting for the S-Ranks to discuss it.
“Even if it’s just sometimes… that’s enough for me.”
The harshness of this reality—being forced into compromise—pained him, but he wore a resigned expression. He knew full well that not a single Esper in this room would let him go.
And yet, in the midst of it all, Shim Tae-seong met his eyes with a look that said he would now listen to anything Cha Eun-soo had to say. His face bore the clear traces of someone who had been through emotional turmoil. He must’ve thought none of this would’ve happened if he’d taken Eun-soo to Seo Junho himself. That regret had swelled the guilt he’d already carried for restraining Eun-soo, driving him to finally make the decision to follow Eun-soo’s will.
Still, even he wasn’t willing to completely set Eun-soo free.
“Cha Eun-soo.”
His voice carried a tone that said he couldn’t give permission, but he still called his name cautiously.
Eun-soo looked up at him with a face that silently questioned, Are you seriously planning to deny even this? He coughed—an obviously forced dry cough, even though the side effects had passed and he was perfectly fine. At that, Tae-seong, as if regretting he’d even spoken, sank into silence.
No, not just him—none of the opposition said a word.
Joo Cheong-gyeong stood with arms crossed, staring at him with an unreadable expression, while Jang Hee-gang lowered his gaze, lost in thought.
To be honest, Eun-soo didn’t think the revelation that he hadn’t actually run away would come as that much of a shock to those two. Maybe they were just angry at the fact that he had disappeared in the first place.
But that wasn’t all. Their attitude toward him had clearly changed.
Even when he resisted their demands, they didn’t throw their usual garbage-tier insults at him. The once-pathetic Guide, whom they had desperately tried to suppress, was now asking for compromise—and yet not a single word of mockery was uttered.
The gazes chasing after him were quietly subdued, and they didn’t approach him beyond a certain distance, almost as if trying not to stress him out… That alone was seriously surprising.
Maybe he was reading too much into it, but it seemed like they were now gauging him.
Not that they would ever admit it, not with their towering pride—but still.
***
Cha Eun-soo’s body did not belong to Cha Eun-soo alone.
Jang Hee-gang would never stand by and let anyone harm him. Not even Cha Eun-soo himself.
And yet he was asking to be allowed to use his powers—powers that were practically a form of self-harm. As if saying he would accept his situation, so long as they gave him room to breathe.
It was, of course, something that should never be allowed. Not even worth considering.
And yet, they allowed it.
Jang Hee-gang looked out the window at Cha Eun-soo, sitting alone on a bench. His complexion had improved a lot, but the image of him sobbing like he was about to pass out, then collapsing with a nosebleed, kept replaying in his mind.
Just a nosebleed and fainting, that’s all it was. For someone like Hee-gang, who’d long become numb to the sight of people getting injured or dying in far more gruesome ways, there was no reason for it to leave such a strong impression. Cha Eun-soo wasn’t just another meaningless life fading away… but still.
Even so, what disturbed him when thinking back to that moment was…
“It means the Young Master didn’t die by his own will.”
Something about it made his chest tighten, like someone was carelessly squeezing his heart. The only time he ever lost control of his emotions like this was when it involved Cha Eun-soo.
That unstable feeling was what made him actually listen to Cha Eun-soo’s words. It wasn’t the usual kind of forced compliance. For once, he was accepting Eun-soo’s plea.
If Eun-soo had chosen not to run away on his own… then maybe it was okay to loosen the leash just a little.
Jang Hee-gang watched as Shim Tae-seong approached Cha Eun-soo. When Eun-soo lifted his head to look at him, his expression visibly softened. The forlorn air that clung to him vanished, replaced by clarity—at least when he was facing Shim Tae-seong or Cha Eun-hyuk.
Just watching that scene was like mental training to suppress sheer loathing. A possessiveness so savage it went beyond jealousy wrapped around his entire body.
Even though all of them had confined Eun-soo just the same, their attitudes were clearly shaped by the bonds they’d had before.
That expression Eun-soo would never show to him… suddenly felt so unbearably tempting.
Jang Hee-gang’s calloused hand clenched in the direction where Cha Eun-soo sat.
***
“Good afternoon.”
A government official with a sharp, high-strung look bowed politely as he introduced himself with his name and affiliation. I returned the greeting.
“Hello.”
“Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with us.”
Then the man pulled out a contract. He unfolded it neatly on the table so it was easy to read, and offered me a pen.
“The contents are lengthy, but to summarize, it’s quite simple. We’d like you to treat the individuals we designate, and in areas where detoxification is needed…”
He continued the explanation politely, never taking his eyes off my face. It made sense, since I was the one being addressed—but it also felt like he was desperately trying to avoid looking at the person seated beside me.
A quick glance showed my brother and Shim Tae-seong, sitting upright, his face completely unreadable.
But his eyes—his eyes gleamed with the kind of murderous glare that looked like he could kill someone on the spot. He definitely looked like he wanted to rip the contract apart. If it had been Jang Hee-gang or Joo Cheong-gyeong instead… it probably wouldn’t have stopped at just the contract.
Still, the fact that he was holding himself back meant something. All the effort I’d put into convincing Tae-seong to stand on my side had finally paid off.
Even Shim Tae-seong, after all, seemed to wish I wouldn’t use my powers if it could be helped.
Using the information I had beaten out of Blue, I explained that the intensity of the side effects I experienced varied depending on the condition of the person I was treating. In Seo Junho’s case, it had been a near-death situation, which was why the side effects had hit me so hard.
With that clarified, we came to an agreement—I would use my ability only in ways that wouldn’t cause serious harm to myself. That also happened to be the first condition laid out by the S-Ranks.
“Come to think of it, when we first met, I was quite worried, but you look so much better now. I suppose that’s thanks to your Esper healing factor.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
The second condition was to conceal my identity as an Esper. Since my brother was watching, I nodded awkwardly, trying not to look too comfortable with lying.
There was a reason I looked so healthy. As soon as the side effects wore off, I was back to normal like nothing had happened. On top of that, under their overprotective care, I was eating three gourmet meals a day, popping vitamins, and sleeping on schedule—if I didn’t look good, that would be strange.
Ever since I’d collapsed with a nosebleed, even Jang Hee-gang and Joo Cheong-gyeong had been doting over me. Then again, those two had always been a bit over-the-top when it came to physically taking care of me.
“Ah, and if you don’t mind me asking…”
Maybe because the official business—especially anything involving money—was finished, he kept veering into other topics. I wasn’t particularly interested until I heard what he said next, which made me pause.
“Would it be all right to ask what kind of relationship you have with Mr. Seo Junho?”
“…Seo Junho?”
“Yes.”
Well. Of course the government would be curious about why I chose to save Seo Junho. They probably did a background check and came up with nothing—no known connection. That would’ve raised some eyebrows.
In other words, I wasn’t the only one they were asking this question.
“It just seemed that Mr. Seo Junho didn’t recognize you.”
Figures… yeah, that made sense. I went quiet, trying to think of a proper answer.
That’s when my brother stepped in and answered for me.
“He saw him on the broadcast and was moved. That’s why he went.”
“…Is that so?”
It was the truth. There was no need to make up a lie. I nodded.
“Yes. I acted on impulse… didn’t think it through.”
It wasn’t like Seo Junho was the only injured person. But it was rare for names to be mentioned outright in news reports. And for someone to sneak into a hospital just to heal a stranger? From an objective standpoint, it would’ve been hard to make sense of.
Sure enough, the official still looked unconvinced, like he wanted to dig deeper. But perhaps worried that pushing me too far would make me uncomfortable, he didn’t voice it aloud.
“Still, it seems Mr. Seo Junho has figured out, through the inquiry, that his recovery might be connected to you, Mr. Cha. He even asked for your contact information. I told him it was classified, of course… but if you’re willing—”
“No.”
I cut him off, clean and sharp.
“It’s fine.”
What was the point of seeing him anyway? Seo Junho didn’t even remember me. At most, he might offer a half-hearted thank you. I had no desire to face him. Saving someone on the brink of death—that was enough.
“If that’s how you feel, I understand.”
The official assured me that he had already silenced the hospital staff and Seo Junho thoroughly, and would continue doing everything possible to keep my identity under wraps. Considering how rumors were already circulating about Seo Junho being a rare case of miraculous recovery, his words felt somewhat trustworthy. Not that it mattered much—whenever I went out, S-Ranks would be accompanying me like now, so the odds of my information leaking were almost nonexistent.
“Then please take care. And you too, Association President.”
Only then did the official finally look properly at my brother. Hearing someone refer to him like that felt unfamiliar—but not strange.
Not long ago, he had told me that he and the other S-Ranks were actually Espers serving as heads of the Esper Association. At the time, I’d pretended to be surprised, but I’d already known—thanks to my cheat-like Third Eye, practically a scouting-type hack.
But the more I thought about it, the more suspicious it all seemed. They claimed the system had changed after the worlds fused, but that part reeked of manipulation.
We left the building amidst a rather respectful send-off. The official, clearly intimidated by my brother, had also seemed to be dying to ask what kind of relationship the two of us had—but never managed to scratch that itch.
After getting into the car and fastening my seatbelt, my brother started the engine. Warm sunlight poured through the windows, gently heating my body.
I stared out the window. The scenery zipped by, but the clear blue sky stayed steady in my view.
Despite the silence in the car, the atmosphere didn’t feel heavy. Lately, the four of them—including my brother—had been giving me space, and I, in turn, had adopted a mindset that said I don’t want to be emotionally battered anymore. I was accepting reality. That seemed to ease my brother’s heart a little.
Suddenly, it struck me how perfectly we were all matched. Those who wanted to keep me clenched tightly in their grasp—and me, who enjoyed the situation despite being caught in their hold. Who was more shameless in the end? Honestly, who could say.
As we drove down a deserted road, a fortress-like safehouse came into view. My brother slowed the car and eventually stopped in front of it, then turned to look at me.
“Shall we go in?”
I nodded, opened the door, and stepped outside. My brother came around and held out his hand.
Without a word, I took it, and we began to walk slowly together. The home where the five of us would live was drawing near.
The S-Ranks and I—we were bound to each other. None of us could let go. They wanted me, and I, too, wanted them—for survival, for pleasure.
So really… what was the problem?
Might as well enjoy it.
As I listened to the voice whispering inside me, I stepped through the door.
<The End>
Shit ending
Ikr what kind of ending is this