Given Cha Han-gyeom’s seizure symptoms, the safest option would be to keep him close by at all times—just like when they were living together in the mansion.
But whether he liked it or not, there would inevitably be times when he had to be away from Han-gyeom, even if only briefly. What if Han-gyeom experienced a seizure during one of those moments? Would he be able to rush over and calm him down within five minutes?
Unless you’re Yoon Jeong-ho, that’s impossible.
At times like this, he found himself desperately envious of Yoon Jeong-ho’s teleportation ability. It would’ve been ideal if that power could be used on others as well, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
Either way, there was no way Seo Won could obtain Yoon Jeong-ho’s power.
Which meant he had to prepare for the worst through other means.
If I use that…
Seo Won recalled the prototype he had used when they were trapped on the cruise ship.
Back then, in order to break down the entrance to the hall, he had released the aggressive ESP stored in the prototype’s internal solution. The solution used at the time was an expanded version of the secondary cell solvent developed by the Prism BioBattery, capable of carrying either an Esper’s ESP or a Guide’s GP depending on the solute injected into the capsule.
For now, it could only reproduce the core properties of the ESP it carried, but soon, with more refined purification work, it would be possible to contain only the pure essence of ESP.
Since that day, the Esper Association—having confirmed the prototype’s performance—had promised full support and made a massive investment. Thanks to that, further development was already underway. The direction of the research was to eliminate the concentrated aggression from the ESP infused in the solvent, leaving behind only the purest, most primal energy that could be transformed into anything.
If used properly, it could serve as the foundation for creating a stabilizer—one made from his own aggression-free ESP solution. If he had that, then even in his absence, it would be possible to calm Cha Han-gyeom’s seizures.
Just like that time, when simply inhaling water infused with Song Yeon-woo’s ash was enough to stop the symptoms.
Not that I can just hand him my ash, though.
The development of refined ESP was already more than halfway complete. If everything continued smoothly, he’d be able to create the item he had in mind for Han-gyeom before the next demonstration.
Seo Won looked into Han-gyeom’s eyes, still clouded with doubt.
“It’s going to take some time to prepare the stabilizer. So just be patient and wait.”
His voice was commanding yet gentle, pressing down on Han-gyeom like a heavy but caring weight. Han-gyeom’s dark eyes calmly met Seo Won’s gaze, trying to parse the meaning behind the words. Then, slowly, he nodded.
Han-gyeom took one last deep drag from his nearly finished cigarette, then exhaled a long plume of smoke. He snubbed out the cigarette by gently pressing it into the center of the ashtray.
“Jeong-ho won’t be back for a while, right?”
It had probably been about twenty minutes since Yoon Jeong-ho had left.
Estimating the time, Han-gyeom stepped down from the desk. Then, he gave Seo Won’s chair a light push.
“Sit down.”
When Seo Won sat obediently in the chair, Han-gyeom suddenly climbed onto his lap. Facing him, Han-gyeom nestled comfortably against him as if in an embrace, resting his head against Seo Won’s shoulder and rubbing into it.
“Until that stabilizer is ready… you’re my stabilizer.”
Seo Won flinched slightly at the warm breath that grazed his collarbone. Han-gyeom, still resting his head on Seo Won’s shoulder, let his gaze drift to his neck. Just above the black shirt collar, a faint red mark peeked through. Raising a hand, he gently pulled the collar down—and only then did he realize it was a kiss mark.
It was the same one he’d left on Seo Won. Though it had faded a bit over the past few days, it was still visible, still lingering on his skin.
Han-gyeom stared at the mark for a long moment before lowering his lips to the same spot. He brushed them against it in a teasing kiss, then followed with a faint but deliberate suction that left a dull sting. Seo Won’s body twitched under him, but Han-gyeom didn’t stop—instead, he sucked a little deeper, then gently bit down.
When he pulled away, the mark had grown even redder than before. Gazing at the doubled stain with quiet satisfaction, Han-gyeom slowly closed his eyes. Then, breathing in deeply, he took in the scent.
It felt like he was smoking with his whole body. That’s how similar their scents had become—Seo Won’s and his own.
The smell of cigarettes…
Replacing the usual subtle hint of cologne, Han-gyeom now caught the thick, lingering scent of the cigarette he had smoked. He breathed it in calmly, feeling his nerves finally settle. Whether it was the nicotine or the way he was clinging to Seo Won, everything in his head felt clearer than it had before he walked into the office.
At the same time, a wave of drowsiness washed over him. The cigarette may have dulled his headache, but his nerves had been on edge for far too long—and now, in this softened state, the calm came crashing in, impossible to resist.
“Can I sleep like this for a bit?”
“And if I say no, are you still going to sleep?”
“Yeah. I’m sleepy, so I’m sleeping anyway.”
It was a blunt, almost childlike response—but Seo Won only offered a faint smile in return.
In the meantime, one of Seo Won’s arms wrapped around Han-gyeom’s waist to support him, while the other hand gently held his hips in place so he wouldn’t slide off. Their bodies fit together with an easy warmth, and Han-gyeom quickly felt his limbs grow heavy with comfort.
That was enough.
So long as Seo Won didn’t push him away—so long as he accepted it like it was the most natural thing in the world—this closeness alone was everything.
Breathing in the cigarette-laced scent that clung to Seo Won, Han-gyeom quietly drifted off to sleep.
***
“Hyung!”
As soon as he saw him, Song Jae-woo came running with tearful eyes, and Han-gyeom welcomed him with a gentle, affectionate look. But with eyes watching from behind, he couldn’t quite reach out for a proper hug.
“Ahem!”
From inside the drawing room, Lim Du-hyuk let out a deliberately loud cough, his already fierce expression deepening into something even more menacing. It might have just been his way of exerting a little pressure, but under that sharp gaze, Jae-woo immediately pulled back the arms he had reached out to embrace Han-gyeom, hiding them behind his back and swallowing dryly. That was just how intense Du-hyuk’s presence was.
The only reason Song Jae-woo had been allowed into this mansion at all was because of Han-gyeom.
Jae-woo had no family, no close friends—so it had been Han-gyeom’s simple, heartfelt request to meet him in person and see how he was doing that made it possible.
Honestly, he had expected it to be rejected. Seo Won was the last person who’d be okay with bringing an outsider into their space for such a reason. And so, whenever Jae-woo visited the mansion, he was only handed brief notes of greeting through someone else—never permitted to meet face-to-face. Han-gyeom, not wanting to provoke Seo Won’s temper, never asked directly. He simply reread those brief memos over and over in silence.
But he already knew why Seo Won was especially wary of and displeased with Song Jae-woo.
Until now, it had always been Cha Han-gyeom who guided Jae-woo. After escaping the research facility, it was Han-gyeom who had found Song Yeon-woo’s younger brother and stayed with him. It was also Han-gyeom who redirected all the money he had been earning until now with a single word—“Take care of him”—and poured it entirely into Jae-woo’s care.
In Seo Won’s eyes, Han-gyeom looked like someone who would do anything for Song Jae-woo. That’s why, back when he had still seen their contract as something fragile, Seo Won had considered using Jae-woo as leverage—kidnapping him as a means of pressure.
Anyone could see that kind of bond wouldn’t just dissolve in a matter of months. And because Jae-woo was Song Yeon-woo’s younger brother, it would likely never fade.
That fact alone constantly triggered Seo Won’s unease. It was the reason he restricted their contact to only occasional phone calls, relying on notes for all other communication.
And yet, today, Seo Won had allowed the two of them to meet in person—for the first time—because Han-gyeom had asked.
Until now, Han-gyeom had always accepted the situation in silence, never making any demands. But this time, just like when he had asked for a cigarette, he had tugged lightly at Seo Won’s sleeve and spoken.
If Seo Won had tried to say no, the look in Han-gyeom’s eyes—lowered just enough to be unreadable—had locked him in place.
As always, Seo Won was swamped with work and couldn’t leave his office. So, reluctantly and with a sour expression, he had sent Lim Du-hyuk in his place.
It wasn’t just that Han-gyeom might guide Jae-woo again after so long—Seo Won simply didn’t like the idea of Han-gyeom being alone with anyone else. That alone was enough to make him irrational.
Han-gyeom had known that—and still asked.
Because the current Seo Won—the one who had even allowed him to smoke—would grant it.
Han-gyeom simply, genuinely wanted to see how Jae-woo was doing.
Was he eating well? Sleeping properly? Was he receiving the money from Seo Won on time? What had he been up to lately?
Like an older brother worried about a sibling far away, he just wanted to see it with his own eyes.
Those bastards better not have approached him or tried anything strange…!
Now that he knew someone was targeting him, it was only natural to also worry about Song Jae-woo, who was linked to him.
Thankfully, Jae-woo’s face didn’t look any different from the last time they’d met. His expression was lined with concern, but his complexion looked good, and he seemed to be doing fine.
On the other hand, Jae-woo was clearly shocked by Han-gyeom’s appearance.
“What the hell? Why do you look so pale? Are you okay?”
Han-gyeom unconsciously ran a hand over his cheek. Now that he thought about it, when he looked in the bathroom mirror that morning, there had been heavy fatigue under his eyes—but it hadn’t seemed unusual, not compared to how things had been lately. One or two days of exhaustion barely registered anymore.
“I look the same as usual.”
The moment he said it casually, Song Jae-woo’s eyes flared with anger, his face twisting in frustration.
“That bastard… I mean, that person—he’s the one working you to death, isn’t he? Right?”
He had started to say “that bastard,” but caught sight of Du-hyuk’s sharp glare and quickly corrected himself, whispering the rest in a lowered voice.
“He’s not letting you sleep, making you guide him day and night, isn’t he?!”
In the past, that might have been the case—but their relationship had shifted significantly from what had once been oppressive and violent.
Even so, Han-gyeom couldn’t bring himself to deny Jae-woo’s words outright.
Because the reason he was being worn down day and night… wasn’t guiding. It was something else entirely.
