Baek Tae-beom had always thought of his life as a series of misfortunes. And somewhere in his heart, like a child waiting for Santa on Christmas, he clung to the hope that someone might come along and save him. But he didn’t want that person to be his divorced parents who no longer contacted him, or the relatives who only pitied the boy left alone with his younger brother.
That kind of salvation would feel like utter misery. He had come to think that way from a young age because of the adults around him. The only thing Baek Tae-beom believed in was his one remaining family—his younger brother. Since middle school, he had lied about his age to work part-time jobs, sweeping his calloused hands through his brother’s hair, just hoping that each day would pass like any other.
So when he found out his brother had been hit by a car and no one knew when he would wake up, Baek Tae-beom felt something inside him collapse. Only a precarious foothold remained beneath his feet. He had to stand tall on it, pretending nothing was wrong. He had long understood that crying wouldn’t solve anything.
He’d bleached his hair white for no other reason than hoping his brother might see it. He wanted them to laugh together like they used to, for his brother to tease him, asking what was up with that hair and laughing like he looked like a grandpa.
His friend had called him hopelessly naïve and silly for that. Some people said he was “too kind.” But Baek Tae-beom couldn’t understand what being kind even meant. All he knew was to devote himself to the circumstances he was given. That was all he had.
And then, into Baek Tae-beom’s monotonous life, stepped a man who shone too brightly.
Black eyes, black hair, black jacket, black pants. The pallor around his eyes and his tightly shut lips gave him a rough, hostile appearance—certainly not someone you’d call “kind” at first glance. But the voice that escaped his lips, the unwavering gaze fixed solely on Baek Tae-beom, felt as if this man had known him for a long time, had been watching over him all along.
It was as if time, which had stood still, began to move again.
Why are you looking at me like that? The question thrown into the air received no answer.
Baek Tae-beom didn’t know why he felt that way. But the gaze always carried an unshakable certainty. Baek Tae-beom didn’t want to betray that belief. Other than his brother, no one had ever looked at him that way before. This was clearly different from anything before.
Baek Tae-beom, he thought this man would be his salvation.
It felt like being handed a gift box wrapped in the prettiest paper. And before he knew it, Baek Tae-beom started wanting to keep Choi Ga-hyeon all to himself. He didn’t want those smiling eyes to look at anyone else.
Even though they had barely known each other for long, Baek Tae-beom already wanted this savior.
He wanted him.
But Baek Tae-beom couldn’t stand beside Choi Ga-hyeon. After hearing Lee Myung-won’s cold words, even the last bit of foothold he had seemed to tremble.
He shook his head. No. If he tried hard enough, maybe he could stand by his side. Baek Tae-beom gave his all to everything that was given to him.
But effort alone wasn’t enough.
Baek Tae-beom thought again that his life had been wretched.
What bubbled up inside him was jealousy. He wanted to steal Choi Ga-hyeon away, hold him tightly in his arms. And it wasn’t just sexual desire. He simply didn’t want to share this man—who might be his one and only salvation—with anyone else.
But there was nothing Baek Tae-beom could do. All he could do was nod obediently and say yes whenever Choi Ga-hyeon asked him to do something.
“Hyung, why are you like this?”
“Hyung, don’t you want to be alone with me?”
Baek Tae-beom realized he desired Choi Ga-hyeon in a way that wasn’t normal—but he didn’t want to stop. He had finally received Santa’s gift. There was no way he was going to let it go. Even the wrapping paper was precious to him. No matter what was inside, he was going to treasure it for the rest of his life.
What mattered wasn’t the gift—it was the person who gave it to him. The Santa who brought Christmas back to him.
“Taebeom-ah.”
“Yes, hyung.”
“What do you want to do on Christmas?”
The question that came out of Choi Ga-hyeon’s mouth was sweet. So sweet, in fact, that it made him realize over and over again that this was something he could never truly possess. Like ants drawn to melted sugar.
“On Christmas…”
“Oh, how about this?”
Choi Ga-hyeon smiled as if crumbling.
“Should we go visit your brother? Bring him some presents.”
And only then did Baek Tae-beom finally realize—Choi Ga-hyeon was devoting himself to him.
At first, he didn’t understand why. He thought maybe it was just because they hadn’t known each other that long.
But as one month, then two months passed, and Choi Ga-hyeon never once spoke of his own family or private matters, Baek Tae-beom felt like he was sinking, slowly but surely.
Why are you so kind to me, hyung?
Why do you trust me?
Why do you believe I’ll do well?
Why don’t you tell me anything about yourself?
The questions nearly slipped from his mouth. But Baek Tae-beom had to swallow them down.
He felt like if he said the wrong thing, Choi Ga-hyeon might disappear. It was almost laughable to think of him as Santa—he was Eros, pure and unfiltered.
Like lighting a candle and drawing close to see his face—only to have the dream vanish in smoke.
A savior.
And yet, in the end, he spat it all out.
“Hyung, why do you always talk like that?”
“What?”
“Why do you talk like your injuries are nothing? Why do you pretend they don’t hurt, like they’ll just heal right away? Can’t I even be worried about you?”
“I… I didn’t mean it like that—”
“These are handprints. Someone choked you. With their bare hands. And that’s not supposed to matter? Then what does matter to you?”
Choi Ga-hyeon was a wreck. Baek Tae-beom felt like his insides were tearing apart. No—he knew they were tearing.
Choi Ga-hyeon was always like this. Always acting like he didn’t matter, like he was just fine, like he wasn’t important at all. As if Baek Tae-beom’s concern, his feelings, didn’t matter in the slightest.
Before he knew it, Baek Tae-beom reached for Choi Ga-hyeon’s neck. He saw the man flinch, his eyes narrowing from pain. His teeth clenched without thinking. Even though it hurts this much. Even though it’s killing him.
“Hyung…”
Baek Tae-beom wished someone would shut his mouth for him.
“Am I really someone important to you?”
“Taebeom-ah. Please, just listen to me—”
“You’re just going to make excuses again. Just like always!”
His vision blurred. His lower lip trembled violently. He never wanted to look like a child in front of him. He wanted to be someone Choi Ga-hyeon could rely on. But the tears slipping from the corners of his eyes felt cruel and traitorous. Choi Ga-hyeon’s expression blurred.
And finally—His throat closed up with heat. Everything around him seemed to waver into darkness, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. All he could see was Choi Ga-hyeon.
“To you, I’m nothing, right?”
“That’s not true! You’re…”
Choi Ga-hyeon hesitated.
“You’re… a good… little brother.”
“Ga-hyeon hyung.”
Baek Tae-beom lowered his head.
“You can stop now. Helping me out of pity, I mean.”
“What?”
“I know everything. You’re helping me because you’re a good person. You don’t feel anything for me at all, do you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You still don’t get it?”
Baek Tae-beom gave a faint, bitter smile.
“I love you, hyung.”
And with that, everything changed.
Baek Tae-beom had never known that a person could bleed so much. He caught the man instinctively as he collapsed before him. He must have screamed something as he saw the color drain from that pale face, those eyes slowly closing. But he couldn’t remember. No—he couldn’t remember.
Everything was red. It was like crimson flowers blooming on black earth. He struggled desperately to stop it.
But of course, it was no use. Baek Tae-beom had neither luck nor power.
All he could do was beg his Constellation.
‘You said you’re all-powerful. You said you were a god. So please—do whatever you want to me, just save him.’
But no answer came. Everything was turning cold.
He clung to him, screaming with every ounce of strength. His throat and ears felt like they would burst. His shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
Baek Tae-beom realized that his one and only foothold had crumbled.
[Conditions met. Hermit Skill has been activated.]
[Locked attributes have been released.]
[New Skill Acquired.]
[Skill: Guardian]
[New Skill Acquired.]
[Skill: Madness]
[New Skill Acquired.]
[Skill: King’s Sword Aura]
[New Skill Acquired.]
…
…
His vision filled with translucent system messages. Baek Tae-beom stared at them blankly.
All the things he’d desperately wished for when he longed to stand beside Choi Ga-hyeon… Only after Choi Ga-hyeon died did they fall into his hands, like some twisted reward.
But— What difference did any of it make now?
Baek Tae-beom didn’t even know what his sword was cutting down. Despair and agony swallowed him whole. The cries of people and the howls of monsters blurred together in his ears as if they were one and the same.
“Baek Tae-beom-ssi!”
A pair of rough hands grabbed him by the shoulders and hauled him to his feet. Only then did he realize what he’d done.
Around Choi Ga-hyeon’s peacefully lying corpse, shredded bodies of monsters and humans alike were strewn across the ground in a grotesque mess. Not even corpses anymore—they were just meat.
But Yoo Jin-woo was nowhere to be seen among them.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Hyung… hyung…”
“Look around you! Do you think this is what Choi Ga-hyeon would’ve wanted?!”
Baek Tae-beom came to his senses. He dropped the sword he was holding, shook off Lee Myung-won’s hand, and fell to his knees before Choi Ga-hyeon.
“Hyung… Ga-hyeon hyung…”
But the moment his fingers brushed the man’s cheek, it turned to dust. Like the monster corpses, Choi Ga-hyeon’s body dissolved into ash.
Only the ring he’d worn on his finger remained.
And just like that, everything Baek Tae-beom had was taken from him in an instant. All he could do was stare at his empty hands.
He couldn’t even hear Lee Myung-won shouting anymore.
Baek Tae-beom’s savior was gone. Forever.
