When Seo Eui-woo said they should kill everyone, Kwon Jae-jin wasn’t particularly surprised. But when Eui-woo suggested abandoning everything and running away, he couldn’t help but be shocked. Seo Eui-woo had always tried to keep Jae-jin locked away.
The outside was dangerous, and the house was safe. That had always been his logic. That was why he had even gone as far as restraining Jae-jin. But now, the situation had changed. Everyone was desperately hunting down the S-rank mutant Guide. The Special Residential Zone was already swarming with Awakeners, an enemy stronghold in its own right, and now that they had set their sights on Kwon Jae-jin, his position had become more precarious than ever before.
On top of that, there was the issue of Seo Eui-woo’s changing state. Before, even while keeping Jae-jin hidden, Eui-woo had remained cold and composed in his missions. But now, he was so visibly anxious that it was concerning. There was the fear that his inability to focus on combat would lead to disaster, and there was also the problem of his growing disillusionment with the Awakener society he had once been a part of.
If things continued without a clear solution, Seo Eui-woo might eventually end up committing murder. And the most likely candidate for his first victim was Major Mateo.
“How long do I have to wait? The shift change is almost over… I can’t wait too long.”
Seo Eui-woo rubbed his cheek against the nape of Jae-jin’s neck, whining like a child. His impatience was obvious—he was desperate for a response, but Jae-jin remained silent. Kwon Jae-jin swallowed a sigh of frustration.
“Then… for now, let’s go back to the base, Seo Eui-woo. This isn’t something we can decide immediately.”
“Why? What’s the reason? Are you disappointed that I want to run away? Worried we won’t be able to date?”
“That’s not it. I just need time to think… Let’s talk again properly once you’re off duty.”
Jae-jin bought himself some time.
He needed to carefully deliberate and think things through. This was likely going to be the most important decision of his life. For both Seo Eui-woo and Kwon Jae-jin, everything was at stake.
If they ran away, there would be no coming back.
At the very least, they needed time to prepare for that level of resolve.
“Ha… Well, since Jae-jin’s awake, should we kiss before I go?”
“Eui-woo…”
“Open your mouth. Just once.”
“Ugh.”
“Can I take your clothes off?”
“No. Clothes stay on.”
“Just let me touch you. Just a little.”
Seo Eui-woo had clung to him relentlessly, but Kwon Jae-jin managed to soothe him and send him back. Left alone on the empty bed, he absently ran his hand over the vacant space beside him, as if trying to grasp onto the warmth that would soon fade, following Eui-woo out the door.
The sheets were dry and rough beneath his fingers. It left him feeling unsatisfied.
Seo Eui-woo’s influence really was something.
He missed him.
***
Once, Seo Eui-woo had asked him what his favorite season was.
Kwon Jae-jin had answered spring or autumn—because they didn’t require heating or cooling costs.
To that, Eui-woo had laughed and said, “You’re such a practical person, Kwon Jae-jin.”
He was right. Jae-jin was that kind of person.
Running away. Leaving everything behind. Going to the Sixth Residential Zone to uncover his past life and reconnect with his family. Hiding within normal society and dating like ordinary people.
It all sounded good.
It all was good… but then what?
If they ran blindly, where would they live? How would they survive? What about work? They were fugitives. Kwon Jae-jin’s identity was unusable, and the same went for Seo Eui-woo’s. In modern society, a person without an official record couldn’t do the most basic things.
No registered address. No bank transactions. No employment contracts. Everything would be impossible.
That would leave them as nothing more than vagrants, wandering from place to place.
And Kwon Jae-jin had originally worked in finance. Even if Seo Eui-woo withdrew his savings in cash and carried it with them, they wouldn’t be able to use it in a regular residential zone. Due to the segregation system, any currency withdrawn from an Awakener’s account was marked with a serial number and restricted from being taken outside the Special Residential Zones. Even if they converted it into gold or precious metals, those too were serialized or required certificates to be exchanged for their full value. Everything was traceable.
The limitations were overwhelming. In the worst-case scenario… they might even have to resort to robbery.
Am I overthinking this?
Maybe if they found some secluded mountain village… an abandoned hut with no owner, where they could quietly live together… maybe that would work.
Seo Eui-woo could hunt wild animals for food. Kwon Jae-jin could tend a small vegetable garden, farm a bit, raise chickens, grow mushrooms—something like that…?
Could that work? Could we manage?
Deep down, he had always wanted to try living like that, just once. A simple rural life.
To be surrounded by lush greenery, to walk freely outside, bask in the warmth of the sun. To sow seeds, touch the earth with his own hands. Chop firewood, cook rice over an old-fashioned hearth. And to do it all with Seo Eui-woo by his side… that sounded nice.
But there’s no way we’ll just stumble upon the perfect place.
Farming wasn’t something one could do on a whim. Agriculture and livestock required relentless effort, physical labor, and knowledge. It was a tough industry where laziness meant failure. Even with Seo Eui-woo’s abilities making some tasks easier, starting with no capital was reckless. They would need research, preparation, and the certainty that they wouldn’t fail before even attempting it.
And besides… there was the season.
It was the dead of winter.
If they left now…
Ah… so that’s the real problem. The season.
If they waited until spring, wouldn’t it be much more feasible?
If he and Seo Eui-woo spent the winter thoroughly preparing, strengthening their resolve, and leaving with a meticulously crafted plan… maybe then, it wouldn’t be such an absurd fantasy.
It does feel a bit more realistic than before.
But if things really unfolded that way, then it would be just the two of them… truly, just the two of them.
In this vast and indifferent world, leaving everything behind—the Espers, the Guides, the Awakeners, the Mutants—abandoning it all to live with nothing, just their bare selves…?
Just as Kwon Jae-jin would be throwing away the 26 years of his life to be with Seo Eui-woo, would Seo Eui-woo, in turn, be discarding his 20 years to be with Jae-jin? Is that what he truly wanted?
Would he really not care about losing this 3,000-pyeong mansion, the grand estate nearing completion, the 85 billion won in assets, or the pensions and bonuses saved up separately—throwing it all away in an instant without a second thought?
And what about his innate talent, the brilliance he had cultivated, the dazzling achievements, the promising future ahead of him? Would he be able to discard all of it like worthless scraps of paper…?
Did Seo Eui-woo really not care about any of that?
No… he probably hasn’t thought it through that far. Eui-woo doesn’t understand the realities of ordinary society—he has no idea how harsh life would actually be.
The higher-ranked Awakeners were all high-income earners. Seo Eui-woo had been wealthy since birth. There was no way he would genuinely welcome a life spent in a dirt-floor hut.
Ha… whatever. I don’t know anymore.
Jae-jin, unable to sleep and tossing and turning in bed, finally reached for his tablet. He had intended to wait until Eui-woo finished work, but since sleep wasn’t coming anyway, there was no point in holding off.
He stared at the black screen for a moment before tapping out a message.
[Mr. Seo Eui-woo. I have something to ask.]
The reply came almost immediately, as if Eui-woo had been waiting for Jae-jin to wake up.
[Jae-jin, you’re awake? Did you sleep well? What is it?]
[No, I didn’t sleep. It’s about what you said… about running away.]
[Yeah, yeah.]
[I don’t know if you realize this, but if we go to the general residential zone, we’ll be fugitives with unverified identities. There’s a high probability we’ll have to live with absolutely nothing—no home, no assets.]
[Yeah.]
[And you really don’t care? You want to throw everything away and go?]
Seo Eui-woo’s reply came in an instant. It was short, and it was resolute.
[I like it.]
Like it? What exactly does he like? How?
As Jae-jin hesitated over how to respond, another message arrived.
[As long as I have you, nothing else matters.]
Kwon Jae-jin blinked rapidly, his fingers moving over the keyboard with a bit more force than necessary.
[Are you sure you fully understand the situation? I mean, we might have to sleep on bare ground, literally homeless. And we might have to live like that for the rest of our lives. You’re really okay with that?]
[Mm… you know, Jae-jin, the one who doesn’t fully understand the situation here is actually you.]
[…Excuse me?]
[When I go on long-term missions in the Pioneer Zones, camping and sleeping outdoors is just part of the job. When we enter a Gate, it’s not even just bare ground—we have to eat and sleep in swamps filled with corpses.]
…Oh.
Right.
Awakeners do go through worse things on a regular basis…
[No matter where we end up in the general residential zones, it’s bound to be better than the Pioneer Zones or inside a Gate, isn’t it? And even if it’s worse than those places, I’d still be fine. The only concern is you, Jae-jin. You’re too delicate…]
[That’s not true. It… it would probably be better than a Pioneer Zone. Maybe.]
[See! Then it’s fine!]
[That counts as fine…?]
Wait…
So it’s settled?
That’s it? Just like that?
That bastard didn’t hesitate even once.
Not even once. Not a single moment of doubt when it came to something that involved Jae-jin.
Seo Eui-woo—whenever he set his eyes on something, he never wavered. There was never any need for him to struggle with his resolve or take time to make a decision.
His devotion was beyond blind. It was almost cult-like.
To Seo Eui-woo, Kwon Jae-jin was a god.
