Je-ha’s never gotten to me this much before…
Isn’t he standing a little too close?
“H-Hey… Could you maybe back up a bit?”
My voice came out quieter than usual—uncharacteristically timid. But Je-ha looked like the sky had just fallen.
“…You mean me?”
“Uh, yeah. I’m totally fine. The one who got hurt was Ra Ho-yeon, not me…”
“……”
“Ahem. You know I’m tough, right? I’m not someone who goes down easily.”
“……”
“So what I’m saying is, you don’t need to worry so much. I’m not weak, Je-ha.”
“…Still, you’ve never told me to back off before.”
A thin sheen of tears welled up in the corners of Je-ha’s eyes.
What the hell?!
Flustered, I quickly grabbed his face and asked in a panic,
“Wait—are you seriously crying right now?!”
Looking into those piercing blue eyes from barely a breath away, Je-ha finally smiled.
Big, shimmering tears still clinging to his lashes.
“You’re finally here. Looking at me, up close.”
“…Oh, come on.”
Don’t you know that crying while smiling is how you get a demon stuck to your ass?
I couldn’t even muster up a joke like that.
Je-ha’s smile was so bright, so radiant, it was beautiful.
My heart stirred violently—and I couldn’t understand why I’d never felt this way before, even when I’d looked at him so many times.
Hyun Je-ha had always been my reliable comrade, my trusted friend, the one partner in the world I would give my life for without hesitation.
When I first woke up in Yeon Yu-jin’s body and met Je-ha again, I was glad to see him, but I was also furious that he’d been forced to survive in the shadows, living only for my revenge.
I thought the feelings I had for him were just affection. Deep care. Nothing more.
…Maybe it was because I now knew the feelings he had been holding all this time.
Now I couldn’t not be aware of Hyun Je-ha himself.
I stood there, staring at him in a daze, until Ra Ho-yeon’s irritated voice snapped me out of it.
He was glaring at Je-ha like a wildcat about to pounce.
“I’m the one who got hurt, by the way.”
Startled, I snapped back to my senses and awkwardly fumbled for a response.
“Uh… sorry. Want me to grab some medicine?”
Ra Ho-yeon let out a small sigh and scolded me with a gentler tone.
“Forget it. Like there’s a pharmacy open at this hour.”
“Maybe I can stop by a convenience store…”
“And have people posting online about Secreti showing up here in the middle of the night?”
“Ugh.”
Fair point. We came out fully covered in masks and dark hoodies for a reason.
Who knows if Ban Noah is still prowling around, watching for a chance to ambush Je-ha or the Baekho Unit. We have to stay cautious.
Now that he knew who I really was, I’d become the key to finding Je-ha and the Baekho Unit.
And since the Secreti members were sticking with me, there was a real chance Ban Noah could use them to bait me—or worse, threaten Je-ha.
That thought made me sigh even deeper.
“…You’re right, Ra Ho-yeon. We shouldn’t move carelessly. Sorry I can’t get you any medicine.”
“…You don’t need to apologize to me. If anyone should be blamed, it’s that lunatic psycho X—Ban Noah.”
As Ra Ho-yeon and I talked, Je-ha’s brows knit together slightly.
His expression practically screamed, Why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong.
I nearly burst out laughing.
Even after all the chaos today, with danger looming all around us.
I barely managed to cover the chuckle with a fake cough and gave Ra Ho-yeon a serious pat on the shoulder.
“Still… I’m sorry for dragging you into this mess. You’re all still so young, and now you’re stuck in this crap.”
“……”
Ra Ho-yeon’s expression soured instantly.
Why? I was just trying to comfort him.
And yet, the rest of the Secreti members were also looking like they’d bitten into lemons.
Were leader emotions contagious or something? That couldn’t be it.
In contrast, Je-ha was positively glowing. Like a sprout basking in spring sunlight, he had a beaming smile on his face.
“Seriously. Ban Noah was way out of line, pulling that crap in front of such fresh-faced kids.”
“…Right? But Je-ha.”
“Yeah?”
“You seem… oddly cheerful right now?”
One tap and he looked ready to burst into giggles. Honestly, it was a little creepy.
Why does he look so freaking pretty right now, though…
Have I officially lost my mind?
Why’s my heart still acting up like this?
Do I have arrhythmia or something? But Yeon Yu-jin is young!
Then again, I did read somewhere online that even people in their twenties can be prone to serious health issues these days…
While I was caught up in that stupid spiral, Je-ha seemed to notice and wiped the smile from his face.
“Me? Come on. Like I’d be laughing at a time like this, when we’re discussing something so serious.”
“Right?”
Yeah. I must’ve been seeing things.
Je-ha wouldn’t just sit there smirking over how awkward the much younger Secreti members were acting around him.
At the very back, youngest member Cha Si-yoon muttered quietly,
“…He’s like a thousand-year-old fox with a million snakes coiled around his heart…”
“Cha Si-yoon, what’d you just say?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
He lied through his teeth without blinking.
Except I heard him. Loud and clear. And if I heard it, then Je-ha definitely did.
“Je-ha, you heard him too, right?”
But contrary to expectations, Je-ha shook his head.
“Nope. Didn’t catch it. My hearing’s not what it used to be.”
“What?”
“He’s young, and I’m old. Guess it’s catching up with me. Tragic, huh?”
“What are you talking about? If that’s actually true, then it is a problem. Come here. Are you sure you’re okay? Don’t tell me you’ve been using your ability without guiding again and letting the corrosion get worse—”
Panicking, I grabbed his hand and reached out to guide him, but Je-ha leaned down and pressed a kiss to my palm, whispering softly,
“I’m kidding.”
“You son of a—”
“I’m fine. Honestly, I’m surprised you took it so seriously. Ever since my Second Awakening, my body ages incredibly slowly. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I just… I was scared you’d gotten weaker…”
You have no idea how much that scared me.
This time, it was Je-ha’s turn to flinch when he saw my face.
“Ga-hyun?”
“Don’t ever joke like that again. If something does happen, I might never get to see your face again.”
As long as Ban Noah is still breathing, still out there, I can’t bear to see you weakened.
If I ever lose you the way you lost me…
I wouldn’t survive it. I’d follow you into death without hesitation.
Je-ha, now visibly rattled, quickly apologized.
“I’m sorry. I won’t joke like that again.”
“Don’t.”
“Okay.”
“And one more thing—try to get along with the Secreti guys. You’re technically my temporary partner right now, and they’re my allies. We might not be super close, but we’re all in the same boat. That means we need to act like comrades.”
“…Fine.”
He grumbled like he didn’t like it, but at least he agreed. That was enough for now.
I positioned Je-ha and the Secreti members on either side of me and began the introductions.
“Alright. Let me formally introduce everyone. This is Hyun Je-ha. Like I told you, he’s an S-rank Telekinetic Esper. Leader of the Baekho Unit. Honestly, if you had to name the most powerful ability user in Korea, there’s probably no one stronger than Je-ha.”
“…Nice to meet you.”
“And these are the members of Secreti, Je-ha. From left to right—Ra Ho-yeon, Seo Yoon-chae, Shin Tae-beom, and Cha Si-yoon. They each have their own specialties, but we’ll get into that later—it’s not relevant to today’s discussion.”
“…It’s an honor. We’ve heard a lot about you.”
Neither side looked particularly thrilled, but I decided to let it slide.
We had more important matters to focus on.
“Je-ha, you’re sure the stealth artifact is working? No one can see us right now?”
“Yeah.”
Once I had Je-ha’s confirmation, I began explaining everything that had happened with Ban Noah.
“…And that’s how I thought he might actually kill Ra Ho-yeon. But in the end, nothing happened. He just said he wanted to confirm who I really was.”
Je-ha’s face hardened like stone.
He buried his face in his hands, filled with regret.
“You’re in way too much danger.”
“There was no other way. The situation forced my hand…”
“This can’t go on. You need to stop working as ‘Yeon Yu-jin’ immediately.”
“Je-ha.”
“That bastard—X—he’ll do anything to get new powers. Have you forgotten that?”
“……”
“The ability he wants more than anything is your ‘Resurrection.’ Even with all the powers he’s already stolen, he’s still scared of me—because he knows he probably won’t survive if we face off.”
That primal fear all living beings carry when facing a natural predator.
The fear of death.
“…I know.”
“To escape that fear, Ban Noah will try to take your ‘Resurrection.’ I guarantee it. He’s already a monster. He’ll never be satisfied with what he’s got. To escape the threat of me for good, he’ll crave the ultimate recovery ability—one that lets him come back from the dead.”
Je-ha gave me a pained smile.
“So please. I’m begging you. If you care about me… hide. Go to the safehouse I prepared. Losing you would be the same as losing this war.”
