Was he talking about the same dungeon type where he’d been taken hostage last time? A fantasy-type dungeon built off the dream world of a hostage?
“The hostage doesn’t remember entering the dungeon and can only clear it by waking from the dream. Apparently, the dream’s made from forgotten memories. But… are these even real memories? Oh, right. If it’s a Mindscape… So that’s why. Hah… Aha…”
But the Cha-hyeon in front of him had already made up his mind. He clearly believed this was all a dream. Ji Se-min, blinking in growing panic, hurried to explain before the misunderstanding could get worse.
“No, Hyung! Are you saying that meeting me right now is part of a dream? This isn’t—this isn’t a dream! This is real! Here, now! I mean, what happened is… you lost your memories of me, right? But every time you get a Clear Reward, the version of you that remembers me comes back for a bit. Just a little while ago, you said ‘two-thirds’—ugh! Hyung! You’re not even listening to me, are you?!”
Even to himself, Se-min sounded like a chaotic mess. His words were all over the place. He ended up raising his voice. It was because the way Cha-hyeon stood there, smiling faintly and gazing at him, looked exactly like the Cha-hyeon who had lost his memories and never really heard a single word he said. He’d always thought of him as kind, gentle, and thoughtful—but this part of him hadn’t changed a bit. Se-min let out a quiet sigh, almost inaudible, and tried to speak more gently.
“Hyung… When someone’s talking to you, the least you can do is listen—and maybe believe them a little? You remember what happened the last time you briefly came back, don’t you? So why do you think this is a Mindscape?”
A soft chuckle escaped Cha-hyeon’s nose. He looked at Se-min and replied playfully.
“Because you sound so much like Se-min.”
“…I am Se-min!”
His laugh deepened. He raised a hand and began stroking Se-min’s hair again. The unexpected touch made the skin under Se-min’s eyes flinch.
“But… this isn’t so bad either.”
Cha-hyeon ran his fingers slowly through Se-min’s hair, gently parting the strands.
“Really… not bad at all.”
His hand, already moving sluggishly, gradually slowed even more—until it came to a complete stop. When he finally let out a long breath, Cha-hyeon’s face looked more drained than ever before. In a voice so faint it was barely audible, he murmured:
“…It would’ve been nice… if I could’ve realized this was a dream… just a little later.”
Cha-hyeon blinked, vacant. His hand lowered naturally and came to rest on Se-min’s shoulder. The touch was light, almost familial—something you’d expect between close relatives.
“Take care. It was nice… seeing your face again, after so long.”
It sounded casual—like he might vanish at any moment. But his eyes were filled with overwhelming regret. Se-min, confused and trying to make sense of it, raised his brows as if to ask what he was talking about.
One second. Two. Three. As he quietly watched Se-min, a new expression flickered across Cha-hyeon’s face.
“…Why isn’t it clearing?”
“Because this isn’t a dungeon!”
Se-min finally snapped, shouting without meaning to. And just like that—Cha-hyeon’s expression cracked.
“…What?”
The gentle look on his face froze. He stared at Se-min without blinking. Confusion, and unmistakable fear, flickered across his tired features. The raw emotion flooding over him made Se-min swallow hard as he continued.
“You’re not hallucinating, not dreaming, and this isn’t a dungeon gate. I told you—it’s reality.”
Cha-hyeon clamped his lips shut. With a sudden snap, he turned his head toward the air—where his status window would normally appear.
~Unclaimed Rewards List~
♦ …Clear Reward… (2/3) – Receiving –
No clues. No strategy guide. Nothing. His hollow black pupils expanded in shock. For a moment, a faint shimmer seemed to flash in his dark eyes.
“…….”
Cha-hyeon turned his head and looked around, his gaze no longer dazed but focused. He scanned the luxurious suite, then strode quickly to the window.
Outside was a bright, cloudless Seoul sky—everyday life bustling along as usual. Cha-hyeon stared at it in a daze before slowly turning back to Se-min.
“…What the hell is going on?”
Se-min exhaled sharply. His shoulders rose, then fell.
***
“Got any booze?”
That was the first thing Cha-hyeon asked after hearing the full story about the Unclaimed Clear Rewards. Se-min could understand him being thrown off. Accepting this utterly surreal situation as real had to be disorienting. But alcohol? That was definitely not the right move.
Drinking to escape—wasn’t that the first step toward alcoholism? Concerned, Se-min started nagging.
“Booze? Seriously? You just woke up—don’t ruin your health. And I saw you smoking last time too. Why are you doing all the worst things for your body?”
They were sitting side by side on the same couch where, just the night before, they’d talked about building a future together as spouses. But they never would’ve imagined they’d be having this conversation the next day.
With a quiet laugh, Cha-hyeon leaned back into the couch. When he’d first come back to himself, he’d looked like he’d aged a decade. Now, he looked like the years had hit him twice as hard. Rubbing the corner of his lips with a dry hand, he tilted his head and answered.
“I quit smoking.”
“…I literally saw you light one.”
“Pfft. You’re not buying it, huh?”
A trace of amusement colored his voice—clearly a joke. Cha-hyeon straightened up again. Looking at Se-min, his eyelids twitched slightly, as if even blinking hurt. Then, finally, the corners of his eyes curved as he smiled.
“Sorry. I’ll really quit this time. Promise.”
There was a bit of life in his voice again. That playful, mischievous tone Se-min knew so well. Part of him wondered if it even mattered—Cha-hyeon would just forget again the next time he disappeared.
But instead of saying that aloud, Se-min chose a different reply.
“Fine. Quit for your health—and for me.”
“Haha, got it. Our Se-min’s all grown up now, huh? Looking out for your hyung.”
He laughed like a proud grandpa hearing his grandkid say they’d be good. As a bonus, he patted Se-min on the butt a few times like he was a toddler.
It was something they used to joke around with—but now that they were one step away from signing marriage papers, it made Se-min recoil hard. He hated to admit it, but the whole thing felt off. Not like romantic touching—more like how you’d treat a much younger sibling born years later.
“Ugh, do I look like a baby to you? I’ve been an adult for years!”
Embarrassed, Se-min raised his voice in protest. A soft chuckle tickled his ear. And his hyung—clearly enjoying himself—doubled down, cooing like he really was babying him.
“Of course you have~ Our little baby’s all grown up now. Look at our Se-min…”
He gave a fond, faraway smile—then blinked, and suddenly his whole face went blank like he’d just been doused in cold water.
“…Our Se-min.”
His eyes snapped wide, locked onto Se-min. Until now, even after regaining his memories, Cha-hyeon had looked at Se-min the whole time. But this was different.
His stare now was full of suspicion. Caught off guard by the shift, Se-min froze. The tension in the room spiked. Something suffocating closed in around him, making it hard to breathe.
The silence turned sharp, razor-edged. Even in his exhausted state, the pressure from an S-rank Esper was still deadly. All Se-min could do was stare back, blinking, as Cha-hyeon radiated something just shy of bloodlust.
But just as suddenly, Cha-hyeon’s body relaxed. He blinked slowly, then opened his eyes again.
“Ahh…”
A small sound escaped him, like something had clicked. He nodded a couple of times, wearing the look of someone who’d just solved a riddle no one else could understand. Then he smiled—soft, sweet, even.
“…….”
His dark eyes shimmered like a still lake in sunlight—eerily serene, almost vacant.
“Se-min.”
“…Y-yeah?”
What the hell…? Se-min blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. Cha-hyeon gave a sly little grin, then whispered:
“Let’s run away.”
It sounded like he was inviting him to play a game of tag. Se-min blinked hard, brows rising at the unexpected words. Cha-hyeon pressed again.
“Hmm? Come on, hurry. Let’s go.”
“Run away? Out of nowhere?”
His eyes flicked left—one of his usual tells when he was seriously weighing something. Se-min, who knew the meaning of that look all too well, started to tense. That face usually meant Cha-hyeon was about to say something ridiculous.
“…Can’t you just do what I say, without asking anything?”
But instead of playing around, his hyung looked at him with genuinely pleading eyes.
Se-min’s widened. Something was off. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the person in front of him wasn’t quite right.
As he hesitated, Cha-hyeon’s brows furrowed deeper.
“Hmm?”
He lowered his brows, pouted slightly, and let the corners of his lips fall—a face Se-min knew well. It was that soft, doting expression he always made.
“…Still. I need a reason.”
Cha-hyeon let out a big sigh, like he was annoyed by all the questions. Then, he beckoned Se-min closer.
“Because…”
Still unsure, Se-min leaned in. For the first time since returning, Cha-hyeon’s eyes sparkled—with energy, and something strange. He raised a hand to his lips, then whispered quietly:
“We might be bugged.”
“…Wait, what?”
