# Chapter 68
Forcibly drawing out guiding had negative effects on Hajin’s body. As evidence, he was now bleeding profusely from both nostrils.
The nosebleed entered his mouth when he opened it, causing his face to contort involuntarily.
He considered spitting, but even that would surely make his head ring. Though he was pretending to be fine, acting as if he was giving the puppy a chance, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was barely holding on.
‘My vision… isn’t focusing properly.’
It felt as if someone had reached into his brain and kneaded it roughly. With blood circulation cut off and a nosebleed on top of it, his dizziness intensified.
Finally, with his vision spinning, he squeezed his eyes shut to endure, and the puppy’s answer reached his ears.
“N-no. You’ll leave. I, I absolutely can’t let you go.”
The puppy’s voice was trembling miserably, as if he might burst into tears at any moment. But that desperation left no impression on Hajin. He only thought it had become troublesome.
He had succeeded in releasing his guiding, but manipulating it in this state was still painful. But with the puppy being uncooperative, he had no choice but to put him to sleep.
“Cough, until the end… you won’t listen.”
With those words, the puppy fell asleep. Collapsing like a puppet with its strings cut, the puppy’s face remained contorted in pain despite receiving guiding.
“Cough, cough!”
Hajin coughed weakly. Even though it was a cough like deflating air, every movement of his body caused pain.
“Da-ugh-damn it. How should I untie this…”
Surveying his surroundings with blurry vision, Hajin first decided to get off the bed. Though it was an empty place, if he searched well, he might find something sharp.
Splash.
“Ugh…”
When he barely moved his strength-drained body and fell to the floor, pain that could make tears flow enveloped his entire body.
It hurt so much that Hajin nearly lost consciousness. He gritted his teeth and bit his tongue, trying to maintain awareness.
“Huff…!”
But merely staying conscious was the most he could manage. Finding it difficult even to move, Hajin looked at the unconscious Choi Jihyung and the puppy with regret. If only he had threatened them a little more.
“Choi Jihyung…!”
Just as he was struggling to crawl, Seo Jihan appeared through the hole in the wall that the puppy had created.
Urgently calling Choi Jihyung’s name as he appeared, he seemed bewildered by the sight of everyone sprawled on the floor.
‘…Is this the end?’
Of all people, he had run into Seo Jihan, who had feelings for Choi Jihyung. Even if he had encountered Seo Juan, it wouldn’t have made a difference, but now that he had messed with someone Seo Jihan liked, there was no way he would be left alone…
“…Are you alright?”
“…What?”
Contrary to Hajin’s expectations, Seo Jihan didn’t rush forward recklessly.
He kept his gaze fixed on Hajin, examining him thoroughly with his eyes. It didn’t take long for him to notice the bound hands and feet, and he clenched his fist.
‘Why does he look like he’s worried about me…’
If Hajin wasn’t out of his mind and seeing things, Seo Jihan appeared extremely concerned for him right now.
His expression was contorted as if he himself were in pain, and he kept clenching and unclenching his fist, unable to stay still.
“Did that bastard Choi Jihyung do something? Damn it, I should have forced them apart…”
With those words, Hajin finally realized that he had been mistaken.
The way Seo Jihan had monitored them to prevent Choi Jihyung from getting close to Hajin, the way he had rushed to separate them whenever Hajin tried to talk with Choi Jihyung—it wasn’t out of jealousy, but out of concern for Hajin.
‘Even Gungye couldn’t have predicted this.’
This wasn’t a misunderstanding due to Hajin’s lack of perception. How could anyone think someone who initially showed dislike was interfering with their relationship with others out of concern?
‘Damn it. He could have at least shown it properly.’
If he had, instead of probing the puppy or Choi Jihyung, Hajin would have focused solely on Seo Jihan.
If he had known that Seo Jihan was actually excessively concerned about him, escape would have been easier. After all, he already understood the value of Guides.
‘Well, I suppose I should be grateful that I realized it even now…’
With Seo Jihan’s appearance and confirmation of his feelings, Hajin felt relieved as if he had forgotten his moment of despair. Of course, Seo Jihan could still betray Hajin’s expectations, just like Choi Jihyung and the puppy had.
However, as Seo Jihan didn’t even glance at the two fallen figures and gazed at Hajin with eyes that seemed to be looking at someone about to die, such thoughts didn’t cross Hajin’s mind.
“Don’t just, ugh, stand there… Please untie these.”
It was now even difficult to lift his arms. As Hajin slumped and muttered weakly, Seo Jihan stepped forward.
He stiffened momentarily, perhaps sensing the guiding that was spreading uncontrollably in all directions, but as if it never happened, he reached out and cut through the knots.
“Ugh!”
It was frustrating that the restraints, which hadn’t broken despite all of Hajin’s efforts, snapped with a single casual gesture, but at least he was finally free.
“Your hands…”
Seo Jihan couldn’t bring himself to touch Hajin and examined him with a contorted face. It was amazing how he had hidden his emotions before, as they were now so transparent, but Hajin had no time to observe his expression.
The sensation of blood starting to flow again from his fingertips and toes was more painful than he had imagined. It felt like electricity coursing through not just his arms and legs, but his entire body.
“Argh…”
However, there was no time to lie comfortably until sensation properly returned. Hajin moved his fingers and flexed his toes to press against the ground. Judging this to be good enough, he stood up.
Of course, even without that, his physical condition was terrible, but Hajin had no time. This was his only chance. He needed to escape right now during the commotion caused by Alpha Team’s raid.
Wiping away the drying nosebleed carelessly with his sleeve, Hajin moved with difficulty, one step at a time. Seo Jihan blocked his path.
Hajin, who had already been blindsided enough to make his head spin, reflexively glared at him before relaxing his eyes.
“What is it… Get out of the way.”
“Are you leaving?”
“Of course I am. They’ve come to get me.”
Seo Jihan was crying without shedding tears. The saying that you might know the depths of the sea but not the heart of a man was precisely accurate.
He had been blindsided by those he thought he could use, while the one he hadn’t even considered was now showing such profound emotion.
Somehow, Hajin felt certain that Seo Jihan wouldn’t try to stop him. Despite having just been betrayed after being so confident, he strangely had this feeling.
‘Or maybe I’ve just lost my mind.’
Given that his head was foggy and he could barely maintain a coherent train of thought, the latter seemed more plausible. Regardless, Hajin moved with difficulty like a patient just starting rehabilitation.
Seo Jihan squeezed his eyes shut as Hajin passed by him. He wanted to hold him back. The urge grew stronger the farther Hajin moved away.
In the end, he grabbed Hajin. Of course, since Hajin’s hands were in terrible condition, Seo Jihan ended up embracing him from behind.
Caught off guard, Hajin struggled in alarm.
“What are you…! Let go!”
“Stay still.”
It was heartbreaking to see him struggle with no strength left, but Seo Jihan couldn’t let Hajin go like this. He recalled the face of someone he had long forgotten, or rather, had been avoiding—a face that had always been soaked with tears and had never been dry.
“I said let go…”
Eyes that had been full of resentment even in death were watching Seo Jihan.
“Please…”
Hajin, who had been struggling, thinking he was being betrayed again, turned around at the desperate voice. Still not completely letting his guard down, he examined Seo Jihan’s face and gradually relaxed his body.
“I’ll take you there, so please stay still. You’re in pain…”
What was holding Seo Jihan was not a beautiful yet passionate emotion like love or lingering attachment. It was guilt, like a stain of grease that remains no matter how much you try to erase it.
As Hajin became compliant, Seo Jihan carefully lifted him into his arms. Then he left the place where the unconscious puppy and Choi Jihyung lay.
There were no people left on the floor where they had been. Those without power had all headed downward, and those with power had gone upward.
“Esper Seo Jihan? What are you doing here…”
Seo Jihan dealt with the occasional person they encountered using his ability before the commotion started. Whether they were unconscious or dead was unclear, but Hajin didn’t care. He was busy controlling his guiding, which was trying to run wild and lose direction.
The effort to control guiding itself was an unfamiliar sensation to Hajin. He had managed guiding with little difficulty even when first guiding Alpha Team.
But that was the problem.
Because of his vast power, Hajin had never needed to pay attention to control, making it even more difficult to handle in this situation.
The best he could do was to ensure that Seo Jihan, who was carrying him, didn’t fall asleep.
“Oh no…”
“What’s wrong?”
Hajin, who had been carried by Seo Jihan, lifted his head to scan their surroundings when Seo Jihan suddenly stopped walking and concealed himself. However, Hajin couldn’t see anything.
“There’s a battle going on above us.”
“A battle…”
They had reached where Alpha Team was. Hajin’s heart began to pound heavily. He wanted to run to them immediately if he could.
“I’ll go up and create confusion, while you go up another way.”
Hajin nodded obediently. It felt strange that it was Seo Jihan giving the instructions, but it was the right decision. Despite his eagerness to reunite with them, Hajin joining in now would only complicate matters.
If his body were in good condition, he could put them all to sleep with his guiding and comfortably join Alpha Team, but in his current state, he couldn’t control his guiding.
He might even accidentally put Alpha Team to sleep if he acted recklessly.
Descending from Seo Jihan’s arms, Hajin’s improved condition allowed him to walk without limping anymore. After watching Hajin cautiously move his hands and feet, Seo Jihan turned away first.
With his back turned, he advised Hajin:
“Run to the far left. Then go up without looking back. It’s an executive-only passage, but no one will be there—there aren’t any men brave enough to stick around in this situation.”
“…Thank you. Even if you were a jerk.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
