Chapter 69
[5, 4, 3, 2, 1.]
The counting had no mercy in its speed. With the sound of “one,” the wall shook once more. Chahun picked up Yeonwoo, who had frozen while staring at the entrance, and carried him into his own room. Just as Chahun took out a training uniform kept for emergencies and draped it over Yeonwoo’s shoulders, a “boom!” sounded, followed by vibrations.
Chahun frowned and glared outside. This was supposed to be a non-existent subspace… He couldn’t even guess how someone had managed to break in.
[I assume you’re holding out because you have some backup, but if you don’t come out in 30 seconds, I won’t let you die peacefully.]
The threatening voice was remarkably clear. Ignoring the warning, Chahun went to the living room and repeatedly pressed the button under the warning light. Just to be safe, he also pressed the Center’s button multiple times and turned around, only to find Yeonwoo opening the front door with the training uniform draped over him like a cardigan.
“Hyung, do you really want to go outside when there’s a crazy bastard making a scene out there?”
There was no need to go out. The guild masters who would soon appear would take care of it. If they waited just a little longer, they could evacuate to a safe place. Yeonwoo’s expression was peculiar as he looked up at Chahun trying to stop him.
“Didn’t you hear what they just said?”
“What? That they won’t let me die peacefully?”
“No, no, ‘oppa.'”
Emphasizing “oppa,” Yeonwoo pointed to himself.
“The person outside is my younger sister.”
At those words, Chahun discreetly covered his mouth. Fortunately, he hadn’t said anything worse. Was calling her a crazy bastard too much…? As Chahun looked awkwardly at Yeonwoo, Yeonwoo scratched his eyebrow and waved his phone.
“I forgot this place is a subspace. My sister must have been worried since she couldn’t contact me.”
Yeonwoo reassured Chahun that it was okay and pulled on the front door. However, since Chahun didn’t agree, the door wouldn’t open. After clicking the doorknob a few more times, Yeonwoo looked at Chahun.
“What if it’s not your sister? They could be pretending to be your sister to lure you out.”
Chahun put his arm around Yeonwoo’s shoulder and naturally changed direction, leading him back inside. Unlike Chahun, who was full of suspicion, Yeonwoo kept looking outside. As another “boom” sounded, they entered the room, and Yeonwoo slipped out of Chahun’s arms to urgently grab him.
[Come out while I’m still asking nicely.]
At the voice, Yeonwoo smiled with drooping eyebrows. Chahun felt uncomfortable at the smile filled with affection. Whether he knew Chahun’s feelings or not, Yeonwoo answered in a warm voice.
“There couldn’t be two people with that temperament. That’s definitely my sister.”
Yeonwoo took Chahun to the front entrance and knocked on the door, as if asking him to open it.
“I told you before, right? My sister is quite extraordinary. Because of that, there were many people who threatened her since she was young. She probably thinks this is another case like that. Please open the door.”
“Threatened?”
Yeonwoo calmly nodded at Chahun’s sharp voice.
“She seems to think I’ve been kidnapped again.”
Again? Momentarily at a loss for words, Chahun reached out and lifted Yeonwoo into his arms.
“Hmm? Why? I can walk.”
“I already told you. What if it’s not your sister? What if it’s someone who came to kidnap you?”
“Do you think I wouldn’t recognize my own sister?”
Despite Yeonwoo’s voice full of amusement, Chahun opened the door while supporting Yeonwoo’s thighs. Somehow, he was already holding an ice spear in his hand.
In the middle of an open space that spread in all directions, someone was kneeling on one knee, aiming a Nerf gun. Chahun made eye contact with the person who had been making the house shake until just now. At the same time, Yeonwoo waved his hand.
“Han Yeonhwa!”
The woman who had been adjusting the angle of her Nerf gun toward Chahun looked up. She roughly gathered her windblown hair and gestured to Yeonwoo.
[Come down. Is your oppa a princess from a fairy tale?]
At the woman’s words, Yeonwoo pushed Chahun away and jumped down to the ground. Chahun grabbed Yeonwoo as he tried to run forward. Though Yeonwoo said it was fine, Chahun ignored him and observed the woman walking toward them. The woman carelessly flipped her waist-length hair and spoke to Yeonwoo.
“You said ‘help me.’ Did something happen?”
“Help? No? I told you to call me. T-E-L-L.”
“You said H-E-L-P. I was so shocked that I rushed over, and…”
The woman, now right in front of them, reached out her hand to Yeonwoo. When Chahun blocked her, she turned her head and looked Chahun up and down. Under her blatant observation, Chahun unconsciously straightened his back. Discreetly clasping his hands behind his back and secretly throwing away the ice spear, Chahun also examined the woman from the corner of his eye.
The woman, with the same brown hair and eyes as Yeonwoo, had a somewhat familiar face. That was inevitable, as she looked exactly like Yeonwoo. The only difference was that while Yeonwoo’s lips curled upward, the woman’s mouth was tightly shut, giving her a somewhat stubborn appearance.
“Is this broken?”
Yeonwoo took out his necklace and lightly shook the bell he was holding. At his gesture, the woman also took out her necklace and listened to it. After a moment, the woman clicked her tongue sharply and glared at the empty air.
“This thing is malfunctioning.”
“Why are you blaming me?”
With an aggrieved voice, the Muyeong Guild Master appeared and lowered himself to the woman. Even when trying to persuade Chahun, the Muyeong Guild Master had maintained an authoritative attitude. Yet with this woman, he was being humble. As Chahun watched this, the air on the opposite side rippled, and the Round Guild Master appeared.
“Oh? Yeonhwa, what brings you here? And you, Yeonwoo?”
The Round Guild Master, after examining the woman’s appearance, handed over the coat from his shoulder. The woman, looking down at her pajama-clad self, put her arms into the coat and stood in front of Yeonwoo. Behind them appeared the Baekdu Guild Master and the Center Director.
“Esper Han Yeonhwa?”
I rushed here because Kang Chahun called, so why is Han Yeonhwa here? Without even time to be bewildered, the representatives of each guild began to eye each other warily. When Yeonwoo hunched under the pressure weighing on his shoulders, two hands rushed to him. The woman, with an expressionless face, pushed away Chahun’s hand and supported Yeonwoo.
“Ah, seriously.”
With her irritated voice, the pressure instantly vanished. The people who had been glaring at each other crowded around the woman with expressions asking what had happened. As the woman waved her hand like she was shooing flies, telling them not to approach her oppa, even Chahun backed away reluctantly.
“Esper Han Yeonhwa. What’s going on here?”
At the Center Director’s question, the woman, who had closed her eyes momentarily, suddenly pointed at Chahun.
“You should ask that person, why ask me? Did I call everyone here?”
“I see.”
Despite her sharp voice, the Center Director smiled kindly and looked at Chahun. Not just the Center Director, but all the guild masters who had been summoned were looking at Chahun. Chahun pointed to the door floating in the air.
“This person suddenly shot this at us.”
At Chahun’s unfriendly explanation, everyone’s gaze shifted to the woman and the Nerf gun placed behind her.
“I thought she had come to kidnap us.”
After this brief explanation, the Round Guild Master nodded and looked down at the woman. Under his gaze, the woman turned her head to look at Yeonwoo.
“You said you needed help.”
Noticing the attention on him, Yeonwoo shook the bell attached to his necklace.
“I think it’s broken.”
As Yeonwoo neatly concluded, the Muyeong Guild Master gave an awkward smile.
“Is this why you urgently asked for help?”
“Yes.”
“You could have just asked me…”
The woman, answering with a snort, handed her and Yeonwoo’s necklaces to the Muyeong Guild Master. The Muyeong Guild Master, who received them preciously, extended his hand to the woman.
“This kind of repair won’t take long, so why don’t you come with me and pick them up later?”
“Come on, Yeonhwa. Something that’s broken once will break again. I’ll get you a new one.”
“By the way, it’s getting late. Have you had dinner yet?”
Despite the numerous invitations, the woman yawned disinterestedly and reached out to Yeonwoo.
“I’m sleepy.”
At those words, the eyes of the people surrounding the woman flashed. The way Yeonwoo naturally hid the woman from those gazes made Chahun’s eyes narrow with displeasure.
“But…”
The Baekdu Guild Master approached Chahun and asked, looking alternately at Yeonwoo and Chahun:
“I understand why you called us, but why are the two of you…?”
The Center Director was the first to speak. Blocking Chahun, the Center Director waved his hand as if to say he wouldn’t listen to any more questions.
“It’s Center confidential.”
Just as the Baekdu Guild Master was examining Yeonwoo and Chahun with undisguised interest:
“Pfft.”
At the sound of laughter, the Center Director’s head slowly turned toward the Round Guild Master.
“So it was confidential…”
The elongated end of his words was mocking. The Muyeong Guild Master was also looking at the Center Director with eyes full of amusement. In place of the Center Director, who was silently glaring at the two, the Deputy Director gestured inside.
“So nothing happened, right, Esper Kang Chahun? Given what happened yesterday, wouldn’t it be better for you to rest a bit more?”
“Instead of just going back in, why don’t you come with us and look around the guild since you’re already out? It’s almost lunchtime, so we could have a meal together.”
“He’s still an unstable Esper. It’s dangerous to wander around outside carelessly.”
“Jung Yeonghwan Esper. Do you think our people can’t handle one Esper Kang Chahun?”
“I don’t know about that. I think we can handle both Esper Kang Chahun and the building quite well.”
The Muyeong Guild Master, laughing, extended his hand to Chahun. Both the Round Guild Master and the Baekdu Guild Master were also extending their hands. This was the moment Chahun had been waiting for. There was no need to hesitate. Whichever hand he took, he could escape this infuriating Center.
After looking down at the three hands, Chahun reached out and grabbed Yeonwoo’s clothes.
“They said to go in.”
Chahun, nodding toward the Deputy Director, pulled with strength. Even as he was being dragged, Yeonwoo’s attention was entirely on the woman.
“Have you eaten?”
“No, not yet.”
At those words, Yeonwoo’s expression became serious. Anyone could see she had just woken up, so of course, she hadn’t eaten. But there was no need for such a devastated expression.
“I’ll take care of myself, so you go in, oppa. I saw roughly what’s going on, so contact me when you come out later.”
After briefly looking at his wrist, Yeonwoo nodded. Yeonwoo, who had been nagging her not to lie down right after eating, turned the woman around, asking what was going on with her hair. Yeonwoo’s hands moved busily as he braided her long hair into one thick plait. Even before he could finish tidying up the end, the waiting Center Director pointed to the door, saying it was time to go in.
“My oppa is not a child like you. He can take care of himself.”
The woman, fixing the braided hair with a rubber band on her wrist, retorted in a chilling voice. As the woman standing in front of Yeonwoo raised her chin, she suddenly looked more imposing than anyone else gathered there. Swallowing hard at the inexplicable pressure, Chahun unconsciously took a step back. The woman, swinging the large coat like a cape, silently glared at the Center Director.
“Don’t try to control my oppa, and don’t interfere with him either.”
The woman’s warning wasn’t limited to the Center Director. The woman snorted as she saw each representative avoiding her gaze. At that sound, the shoulders of the Center Director and Deputy Director jumped slightly. After fiercely clicking her tongue, the woman looked up at Chahun with a cold gaze.
“The same goes for you.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
