After rescuing Chi-yu and Catdog, Tae-oh teleported straight to Myung Jun-su’s home.
Off-duty that day, Myung Jun-su was slouched across the living room sofa watching a soccer game when Hyun Tae-oh suddenly materialized in front of him, nearly stopping his heart.
“Jesus! You scared the crap out of me!”
“Check on him—he won’t wake up.”
“Are you insane? Who told you you could just teleport into someone else’s house?”
Still dressed in a loose tank top and shorts, Myung Jun-su scrambled upright, but Tae-oh shoved him aside and laid Kang Chi-yu and Catdog onto the sofa.
“Come on, you live alone. What’s the harm?”
“Exactly because I live alone, my privacy matters! …Wait, isn’t that your Temporary Pair? He’s all over the news these days.”
“He got swallowed by a Mutant Beast. I managed to pull him out, but he hasn’t opened his eyes.”
Tae-oh ignored Jun-su’s protests and explained what had happened—that Chi-yu had been engulfed inside a strange honeycomb-shaped beast, and he’d dragged him out within two or three minutes at most.
Hearing this, Jun-su approached Chi-yu, who lay unconscious with Catdog clutched in his arms. He placed a finger under Chi-yu’s nose to check his breathing, then wiped away the jelly-like substance smeared across his face and body. Examining the goo stuck to his fingers, he rubbed it between them, sniffed, then glanced at Tae-oh.
“Looks like an Amide compound, mixed with Desflurane—the kind strong enough to pierce a Defensive Barrier. It’s an anesthetic. At this dosage, he’ll be out for at least three hours. A Mutant Beast carrying anesthetic in its body… now that’s fascinating.”
“Most likely a lab-bred experiment.”
“What!?”
Startled, Jun-su looked sharply at Tae-oh. In response, Tae-oh pulled a sample vial of the beast’s remains from his pocket and handed it over.
“Here’s a sample. Can you analyze it? You still have your lab, don’t you, Professor?”
“Of course. I’ve kept it running.”
Taking the vial, Jun-su frowned.
“This has to be classified. You’d better be careful.”
“What the hell is going on…?”
“The Central Bureau, the Ability User Association, the RISG, and the government—they’re colluding to manufacture these things. Ever been to the N Building at the Institute?”
Jun-su shook his head, still staring at the sample.
Tae-oh then tossed him a copy of the video footage Min Yu-hyun had given him. He’d kept this duplicate specifically for Jun-su. To Tae-oh, Jun-su wasn’t just his physician—he was the one man in the Central Bureau he truly trusted.
“Watch that, it’ll explain. As for Chi-yu—so we just wait?”
“…Hold on. When he wakes, he’ll have a splitting headache. I’ll get him some medicine.”
With that, Jun-su hurried into his room.
***
Using the ability of an Esper who could phase through matter, the Bureau Chief had Tae-oh’s home searched—only to discover Tae-oh had never gone back there. Anxiety gnawed at him.
If Tae-oh was hiding Kang Chi-yu now, everything they’d been building would collapse. The research couldn’t be halted, not when funding had already come down from government executives and the broadcasting station director. Results had to be produced within the month—no matter what.
While he was still stewing, a call came in from Hyun Tae-oh.
“Where are you?”
—Break into someone else’s home without permission again, and I’ll blow you up along with the entire Central Bureau.
“…!”
The Chief froze. He had never heard a voice that cold. Beads of sweat ran down his temple.
L-Look, Tae-oh, about Guide Kang Chi-yu—”
—Stop looking. He’s my lover.
Click.
The call cut off.
For a long moment the Chief sat there blankly, then slammed the receiver down with a vicious curse. It was unmistakably a warning: break in again and there’d be hell to pay. Hunt for Kang Chi-yu and there’d be hell to pay.
With any other Esper, they might stand a chance. But Hyun Tae-oh was the strongest of the SS-rank. If he decided to bare his fangs, there was no stopping him.
The World Peace Committee had drawn up regulations specifically to restrain SS-ranks should they go rogue. But in this situation, there was no way to appeal to them. They couldn’t even explain why Tae-oh was suddenly turning on the Central Bureau.
The Chief pressed a palm to his forehead with a long sigh. He’d chosen Yoon Do-jae for this project precisely to avoid this kind of disaster. But none of it mattered now. The moment Tae-oh and Chi-yu became lovers, disaster was inevitable.
He never should have allowed Chi-yu to appear on the show with Tae-oh in the first place. Regret burned through him as he reached out to contact the head of the Institute. Somehow, some way, this mess had to be contained.
***
The Z-007 Zone, where retired Ability Users usually lived, was where both Tae-oh’s and Chi-yu’s parents resided.
It wasn’t the safest place for Chi-yu, but since the Bureau would surely track Tae-oh’s movements, confirming he had visited would throw them off and buy some time. That was the first reason Tae-oh had brought him here.
Still, the Bureau Chief might think of this place right away, so they couldn’t stay long. Even if pursuers came, they wouldn’t be able to snatch Chi-yu so easily—but the real danger was letting their guard down. Better to move cautiously than risk being blindsided.
“Oh my goodness, you two are actually dating?”
Chi-yu’s mother clapped both hands over her mouth in delight.
Tae-oh’s mother, whose smiling eyes mirrored her son’s, turned to Chi-yu and teased warmly.
“He might be my boy, but he’s not an easy one. You’ll have your hands full, Chi-yu.”
“Haha, not really.”
Before coming here, Chi-yu had already woken, taken the medicine Jun-su had given him, and heard Tae-oh explain everything. Now he looked perfectly fine, as if he’d never been swallowed by a beast at all.
“Where’s Dad?”
“He went fishing with Tae-oh’s father. They’ve been going often lately. We called—he’ll be back soon.”
“We’ll be leaving soon,”
Tae-oh cut in immediately.
Smack!
Tae-oh’s mother slapped him hard across the back.
“You came all this way and you’re not even going to see your father?”
“Ow! That hurt!”
“I meant it to hurt.”
“Mom, you can’t just throw your super strength around like that.”
Tae-oh scowled, pointing at her hand with his chin. She only rolled her eyes.
“But aren’t you surprised? About me and Tae-oh?” Chi-yu asked, glancing between both mothers.
Tae-oh’s mother smiled knowingly.
“Not at all. He’s been yours since he was a child.”
“Our Chi-yu was always chanting ‘Tae-oh, Tae-oh’ since he was little,” Chi-yu’s mother added.
Tae-oh puffed up with pride, while Chi-yu could only stare at him in disbelief. The mothers exchanged fond smiles.
“So when will that cat wake up?”
Chi-yu’s mother gestured toward Catdog, still fast asleep on the cushion. They hadn’t been told the truth about him—only that he’d been found near a Gate and taken in.
“Hard to say.”
Just then, Tae-oh’s communicator buzzed. He stood, gestured that he had to take a call, and walked toward the window. Chi-yu’s eyes followed him.
“Tell me, does he treat you well?” Tae-oh’s mother asked.
“Oh—yes. Very well.”
“He’s always been kind at heart.”
“Kind? Him? You’ve always been too soft on him. No one’s more self-centered than that boy,”
Chi-yu’s mother said with a laugh.
“Well, we should get going,” Tae-oh said as he returned, switching off his mic.
“What? But your father’s on his way back.”
“The fishing spot’s a no-teleport zone. It’ll take him time to exit the area. Tell him we’ll come next time.”
Tae-oh held out his hand. Chi-yu carefully lifted the sleeping Catdog, then reached out with his free hand to take Tae-oh’s.
“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”
His mother noticed the stiffness in Chi-yu’s face.
“I’ll explain when we visit again. Please give my regards to Dad.”
“We’ll be back soon,” Chi-yu added.
The next instant, Tae-oh teleported them away.
Both mothers blinked at the empty space, then turned to each other.
“So we’re officially in-laws now?” Chi-yu’s mother asked.
“Of course. Who else would Tae-oh ever be with, if not Chi-yu?” Tae-oh’s mother replied.
“The fathers will be disappointed.”
“Let’s call them. Tell them not to bother coming.”
Tae-oh’s mother picked up her phone.
***
Tae-oh brought Chi-yu back to his own home. At the same time, he sent coordinates to Yoon Do-jae and Beom Do-il—coordinates designed to be untraceable—and told them to create an alibi for him.
“This is the safest place. Stay here for now.”
“…Are you sure? The Central Bureau—”
“Why care about a rotten place that threw you to a beast just to suck your power dry?”
“….”
“You and Catdog mustn’t fall into their hands. So even if it feels confinement, we stay here.”
“Okay…”
“Whatever you need, just tell me.”
“Alright.”
“I called Yoon Do-jae and Beom Do-il. I’ll head out to see the Bureau Chief.”
“…It won’t be dangerous, right?”
“Who on earth could threaten me?”
“Well, no, but still…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. Maybe not today, but I won’t let this drag on long.”
“I don’t mind staying. What I’m worried about is—”
At that moment, Yoon Do-jae and Beom Do-il teleported into the middle of the living room.
“You okay?”
“Hey, are you alright?”
They immediately turned to Chi-yu, concerned after hearing he’d been swallowed by a beast.
“As you can see, I’m fine. But aren’t you supposed to be filming? What about Guide Min Yu-hyun?
Chi-yu asked Do-il.
“Tae-oh called. Yu-hyun-hyung’s getting some solo shots instead. Honestly, people only watch the show for him anyway.”
“Ah…”
“I’ll be back. Watch over him,” Tae-oh said.
While Do-il chatted with Chi-yu, Tae-oh explained the home’s defenses to Do-jae. A Defensive Barrier could only be broken by an Esper of equal or higher rank, so not even an executive with phase-through ability could breach Tae-oh’s home.
And Tae-oh had already half-threatened the Bureau Chief. The man was too cunning to risk provoking him further. He knew perfectly well there was no stopping Tae-oh now.
Tae-oh kissed Chi-yu’s forehead, stroked Catdog’s neck, and whispered,
“I’ll be back.”
And in the next instant, he vanished.
