Lee Haru shifted his hips gingerly, glancing at Ji Yeon-woo with wary eyes. He was startled to feel cold sweat bead along his forehead from even that slight movement.
So it really has been three days since I was captured…
That meant he had not eaten a single thing in all that time. The moment he became aware of his hunger, a sharp, tearing pain lanced through his stomach.
As he sat there sweating and uneasy, Lee Haru kept a nervous eye on Ji Yeon-woo, who eventually met his gaze once more.
“…You do not need to apologize. I am just feeling a little awkward, that is all.”
He had seen that look in someone’s eyes before. Once, while idly watching YouTube, he had clicked on a documentary summary about the lives of abuse survivors.
Ji Yeon-woo looked just like those people—someone who had spent far too long unable to live by his own will, someone far too accustomed to resignation.
“I used to be alone in here… There are other Guides, but I have never had a roommate.”
The odds that Ji Yeon-woo was the main bottom rose even higher. It was not hard to imagine what kind of life a Guide captured by a villain group might have endured.
Even as he spoke, Ji Yeon-woo kept sneaking glances at Haru, as if he was afraid the man might vanish into thin air. Like someone clinging to a fragile illusion.
“But then, three days ago, I woke up and found you lying in the bed that used to be empty.”
A faint smile appeared on Ji Yeon-woo’s face as he recalled the memory. But to Lee Haru, it looked more like the kind of smile someone wore when they were too exhausted to cry.
“They might have realized you are awake by now.”
Ji Yeon-woo looked at him with urgent, almost pleading eyes. It was impossible to be certain, but there could very well be hidden cameras or listening devices in the room.
The villains monitored the Guides closely, making sure no one could escape.
Even so, Ji Yeon-woo had chosen to wake Haru—willingly taking the risk. The reason was simple.
“You are with the Association, right? What is your rank?”
Ji Yeon-woo had never been registered with the Association. He had been kidnapped by Black before his Guide status could even be confirmed. To the outside world, he was probably just another missing person.
Most of the Guides imprisoned here were in the same situation. A few had been officially registered, but they were all low-rank.
In other words, people whose disappearance the Association would not bother to investigate.
Because of that, not a single Guide had ever escaped this place. Some could not withstand the relentless abuse and took their own lives. Others only left when they were already dead.
But now, Lee Haru had shown up.
And Ji Yeon-woo had a strong hunch—Haru was a high-ranking Guide.
There would have been no reason to assign them to the same room otherwise.
All the other Guides here were paired with roommates of the same rank.
If Haru was an S-rank Guide like him—and one registered with the Association—then the Association would move heaven and earth to find him.
Ji Yeon-woo was already reaching his breaking point.
He had held onto a sliver of hope that one day he might get back to the outside world. But he was at the end of his rope.
Lately, he found himself staring blankly at his bedsheet more and more often. And when he finally came to, he would realize his fingers had been twisting it into a makeshift rope.
If he tied that rope to the iron bars on the door, it would be enough to hang himself. That was how the others who had committed suicide had done it.
Some had managed to smuggle in sharp objects and slit their wrists, but sneaking in anything like that was nearly impossible.
It was easier to die with something already in the room—like the bedsheet.
“Please tell me. Are you really an S-rank Guide?”
Overwhelmed by desperation, Ji Yeon-woo clutched Haru’s hand tightly. Haru’s eyes widened in surprise before he gave a small nod.
“My name is Lee Haru. And yes—just like you asked, I am an S-rank Guide with the Association.”
“Ahh…”
“Are you alright?”
Before Haru could even finish his sentence, Ji Yeon-woo swayed and pressed a hand to his forehead. He was about to collapse, but Haru caught him in time and held him up.
He smells like a baby.
He looked young—barely twenty, if that. His skin was so pale it seemed like powder would come off if you touched his cheek.
Even his scent was like baby powder. Maybe it was the shampoo or body wash he used, but more likely, this was just how Ji Yeon-woo naturally smelled.
“I am really glad… Then the Association must be looking for you—no, for you, Haru-hyung, right?”
Calling him hyung the moment he learned his name—he was clearly someone with an open, easygoing personality. If it had been Yu Je-hyun, he probably would have just said “hey.”
“Hmm… They might be looking. But I cannot say for sure.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Ji Yeon-woo’s expression changed moment to moment, like someone who had been rescued from drowning only to be thrown right back into the water.
As he sat trembling, Haru gently patted his back and looked away.
“The truth is… I do not have the best reputation with the Association.”
Even though he was an S-rank Guide, Haru had never felt like he was truly valued.
If he had been someone they cherished, they would have tried to suppress the nasty rumors about him—at least a little.
“There is one person who might come looking for me… but even that is uncertain. I am sorry.”
He found himself apologizing to Ji Yeon-woo again.
Among the S-rank Espers he had a connection with, the only one who might feel even a hint of guilt over his disappearance was Yu Je-hyun.
Judging by the circumstances, he had probably been kidnapped while he was with him. So perhaps Yu Je-hyun would feel some sense of responsibility.
Looking into Ji Yeon-woo’s eyes—hollow, like every last hope had been drained from them—Haru forced himself to smile.
With his right hand, Lee Haru gently ran his fingers through Ji Yeon-woo’s messy hair. It was a bit coarse, but warm and soft—like petting a puppy.
“Do not worry. They will come for you, Yeon-woo. I promise.”
“…What do you mean?”
From Haru’s point of view, the one in real danger right now was not Ji Yeon-woo—it was him.
Yeon-woo was clearly the main bottom in this story, which meant one of the S-rank Espers vying for the lead role would absolutely show up to save him.
But Haru? He was probably slotted into a villain role. There was no guarantee he would make it out of this alive.
“You are an S-rank Guide too, right?”
“…Yes.”
Ji Yeon-woo answered without hesitation.
I knew it. He’s the main bottom, no doubt about it.
The eye-catching looks, the delicate presence that triggered protective instincts—and the clincher: he was an S-rank Guide.
It would be more surprising if he wasn’t the main bottom.
“I thought so. Um… can I ask you for a favor?”
“A favor?”
“Yes.”
He was not about to sit here and wait to die.
Putting on his most innocent, hopeful smile, Haru reached out and gently held Ji Yeon-woo’s hand.
Thankfully, although Yeon-woo flinched slightly, he did not pull away.
“When the devastatingly handsome, super-powerful Espers come to rescue you… could you ask them to take me with you too?”
“…What?”
Ji Yeon-woo blinked, clearly thrown by the bizarre request.
Haru understood. It sounded completely absurd, even to his own ears. But the stakes were too high for him to care how ridiculous it sounded.
“There’s probably going to be one with dark red hair, or maybe one with silver hair… or even one with navy-black hair. One of them will definitely come for you.”
Up until that moment, Ji Yeon-woo had quietly let Haru hold his hand. Now, he slowly withdrew it.
To anyone else, what Haru just said would sound like the unhinged babbling of someone who had snapped.
Then again, in a place like this, losing your grip on reality might be the most normal reaction of all.
“When you see them—please, just tell them to bring me too. I am begging you.”
Haru bowed deeply, his expression earnest, full of desperate hope.
He could tell Ji Yeon-woo was growing increasingly uneasy, but this was the best he could do.
He paused for a second, wondering how to drive home just how serious he was. But before he could say anything more, the sealed door abruptly swung open.
A man in black combat boots strode confidently into the room.
“What are you two whispering about in here?”
“Eek…!”
The man was dressed in all black from head to toe. The only thing visible was a pair of sharp, glinting eyes above the mask covering his face.
Ji Yeon-woo clearly recognized him. The moment the man stepped inside, Yeon-woo dropped Haru’s hand and curled up tightly, his whole body shrinking in fear.
His thin frame trembled, and the stiff fabric of his clothes rustled with every shake.
Sensing things were about to go south fast, Haru reached out, intending to soothe him with a light pat on the back—
“Ah.”
But the masked man grabbed Haru’s wrist.
The grip was brutal—strong enough to remind him of how harshly Hong Seong-jun had grabbed him once. The blood drained from Haru’s face.
“You. Newbie. Come with me. Time for your initiation.”
Before he could even ask what “initiation” meant, his body was being dragged out of the room.
Even as he was pulled away, Haru shouted one last desperate plea toward the panic-stricken Ji Yeon-woo:
“I know dozens of kimchi stew recipes! If they rescue me too, I’ll make it for them forever! Please—make sure you tell them that!”
