“I’d like an explanation for what’s going on here.”
The door opened, and Seo Won entered. Han-gyeom had already sensed the piercing ESP from outside the door, so he wasn’t particularly surprised. However, as Yoon Jeong-ho had pointed out, the timing was unfortunate.
Recalling the past had left Han-gyeom’s complexion extremely pale, and he was flanked by two wary individuals. It was clear that the atmosphere was far from pleasant.
Sensing the tense undercurrent behind Seo Won’s cold demeanor, Yoon Jeong-ho laughed cheerfully.
“I came to see Tae-soo, and since he was here, we were just having a tea break together.”
“It doesn’t look like you have any tea,” Seo Won retorted.
“I just arrived,” Yoon Jeong-ho replied smoothly. “Isn’t that right, Tae-soo?”
Ha Tae-soo glared at Yoon Jeong-ho with half-lidded eyes, annoyed at how effortlessly he shifted the blame.
‘He’s impossible to like, really!’
Despite their aligned interests forcing them to work together, Ha Tae-soo found Yoon Jeong-ho’s character utterly unappealing.
Ha Tae-soo reluctantly played along.
“Yes, he just got here.”
Naturally, Seo Won’s sharp gaze turned to Ha Tae-soo.
“Explain yourself, Ha Tae-soo. Why did you abduct my guide?”
Ha Tae-soo feigned surprise with an exaggerated gesture.
“Abduct? What are you talking about? I merely wanted to have a conversation with Cha Han-gyeom.”
“If that were true, you could have just walked out with him. Why use ‘Return’ in secret?”
“If we had walked out, Won would have stopped us,” Ha Tae-soo replied, maintaining an innocent expression even under Seo Won’s intense stare.
“I was curious. I wanted to meet the guide who can handle all of Seo Won’s abilities.”
“Consider your curiosity satisfied. You’ve had enough time,” Seo Won said firmly, stepping into the room. He approached the sofa where Han-gyeom was seated and extended his hand.
“Cha Han-gyeom, come here.”
His gaze, unlike the coldness he directed at Yoon Jeong-ho and Ha Tae-soo, was gentle and almost concerned.
Han-gyeom, who had been sitting quietly, obeyed without hesitation. As he rose and began to walk around the sofa, Yoon Jeong-ho suddenly grabbed his wrist. His strong grip felt like it could snap the delicate wrist instantly.
“We’ll meet again soon, guide,” Yoon Jeong-ho whispered, his eyes narrowing like a snake’s. He released his grip under Seo Won’s fierce glare. Han-gyeom’s hand tingled with pins and needles from the restricted blood flow.
Seo Won’s cool hand gently grasped Han-gyeom’s tingling one.
“Let’s go,” Seo Won said.
Leaving Yoon Jeong-ho and Ha Tae-soo behind, Seo Won led Han-gyeom out of the room. The two pairs of eyes followed them until they were out of sight.
In the quiet backseat of the smoothly moving car, Seo Won and Han-gyeom sat in silence. Han-gyeom gazed out the window at the deserted road, lost in thought.
“Kill Seo Won. Do that, and Tae-soo will bring Song Yeon-woo back to life.”
The more Han-gyeom dwelled on Yoon Jeong-ho’s words, the more his stomach churned.
‘Yeon-woo can’t be brought back… He won’t come back to life.’
Even if an AI born from Song Yeon-woo’s data spoke and smiled like him, it would just be an empty shell. Han-gyeom had no interest in such a fake. The idea was absurd, and he felt nothing but disgust.
What truly bothered him was Yoon Jeong-ho’s request to kill Seo Won.
Yoon Jeong-ho genuinely wanted Seo Won dead. Behind his smiling face, his eyes held a serious intent when he spoke of Seo Won’s death.
Han-gyeom could imagine Yoon Jeong-ho’s life—a mere replacement, a spare, nothing more. His existence was only to step in if his bloodline was wiped out.
Yoon Jeong-ho held no intense hatred towards Seo Won. They seemed to get along well enough, never openly hostile. Yet, Yoon Jeong-ho sought personal gain and security, driven by a cold ambition to claim the Kangsan Group for himself. He was willing to use anyone to achieve this, even aligning himself with Ha Tae-soo, who had cursed the group, to kill Seo Won.
Perhaps both Yoon Jeong-ho and Ha Tae-soo saw hope in Han-gyeom’s existence, leading them to form this alliance.
‘Am I to be used again?’
The thought was sickening. From a young age, Han-gyeom had been surrounded by people seeking to exploit him. After leaving the research facility, he had willingly offered his guiding abilities, accepting payment in return. Even while confined in Seo Won’s mansion, the notion of being used never left him.
Now, it seemed he was being manipulated into killing someone.
A bitter laugh echoed silently within him.
‘How pathetic, Cha Han-gyeom.’
Perhaps he had always known it would come to this. In his darkest moment, he had discovered a partial report from the research facility, detailing the extraction of Song Yeon-woo’s heart. Overwhelmed by rage and hatred, he had wanted to kill Seo Won and end his own life.
But his mind remained clear and rational.
Han-gyeom knew he couldn’t kill Seo Won.
The mansion was heavily guarded. Espers were stationed throughout the labyrinthine interior, ready to intervene at any sign of threat. If Han-gyeom attempted to harm Seo Won, he would be swiftly overpowered and captured. The consequences would be severe, perhaps even fatal.
He recalled a past incident where he had tried to kill a researcher who was attempting to escape the facility. The attempt had failed miserably, and Han-gyeom had been brutally punished. He had been bound until his limbs were contorted, his GP drained to the last drop, and endured relentless torment from the Espers. They were determined to ensure he never tried to escape again, as his absence would drive them to madness and death.
Even if he wouldn’t face the same level of brutality now, Han-gyeom knew he would be severely punished if he tried to harm Seo Won. Although Seo Won seemed less ruthless, the outcome would still be harsh.
Physically attacking Seo Won was not a viable option. Han-gyeom’s frail build aside, killing someone with bare hands was incredibly difficult. However, Han-gyeom had another method in mind.
‘I could do it like before…’
He considered forcing Seo Won into a rampage, similar to how he had caused Song Yeon-woo’s death. With the Black Vein already present, it might be even easier to trigger a rampage. He just needed to release the suppressed dark energy, like an active fish waiting to burst forth.
A rampaging Seo Won—what kind of monster would he become? Han-gyeom remembered the grotesque form Song Yeon-woo had taken: a massive black figure, its roars deafening, a dark tornado sweeping through everything, and screams of agony echoing all around. The memory made him shudder.
‘No. Not like that… I can’t.’
Making Seo Won rampage and suffer the same pain Song Yeon-woo had endured might seem like fitting revenge. But Han-gyeom couldn’t bring himself to do it. It wasn’t just the thought of innocent people getting caught in the chaos; he didn’t want to be the one to kill another Imprinted in the same way. The idea of surviving alone amidst that storm of destruction was unbearable.
He wanted a different kind of revenge—to destroy what Seo Won desired most, his very ‘life.’
To achieve this, Seo Won must fall in love with him.
