Following a road whose destination he didn’t even know, he half-ran, half-walked in a hurry. He had fled, driven by the thought that he needed to get as far away from Cha Jae-woo as possible, but he hadn’t actually decided where to go.
—Hmm, I’m not sure either… But if you come here, I think I might remember.
His mind was racing, but the situation stubbornly refused to cooperate. For several minutes now, he had been struggling with Lee Jae-hoon, who was still clutching Kim Sol’s phone.
“Why should I go there?”
Whether it was the irritation in his voice or the sheer speed of his pace, his breathing was growing heavier.
He decided it would be best to find a place to hide, at least temporarily. Scanning the surroundings in frustration, he snapped back.
“Sol hyung specifically told me not to cooperate with Cha Jae-woo. That’s why I’m not cooperating. I left! So, put Sol hyung on the phone!”
Just then, a flashy neon sign caught his eye—so bright and gaudy that it was strange he hadn’t noticed it before. It was a motel, built to resemble a castle, but it was far from luxurious. It stood not too far away.
Maybe if he went inside, he could be safe? At least it would be less dangerous than staying out here on the street. Without overthinking it, he set the motel as his destination. Right now, he just wanted to be somewhere enclosed.
—I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.
However, before he could even take a step toward it, he froze on the spot. Lee Jae-hoon, who until now had been stalling without revealing Kim Sol’s whereabouts, suddenly spoke in a serious tone.
Maybe it was just a random bluff. No—most likely it was. There was no way Lee Jae-hoon could know what he was thinking, where he was heading.
Even so, a chill ran down his spine. It felt as if Lee Jae-hoon were watching him from somewhere nearby. That thought rooted him to the spot. Instead of walking, he began looking around, trying to spot Lee Jae-hoon in the crowd.
—You’re not going in, right? Good. Smart choice.
“…What are you talking about?”
—A motel? Seriously. You might as well be putting up a sign that says, ‘Come and kidnap me!’
There were quite a few people passing by, making it difficult to spot anyone in particular. It also meant he couldn’t figure out which direction he should run. His heart pounded violently in his chest.
Lee Jae-hoon was nearby.
This wasn’t just suspicion—it was certainty.
—A place where you won’t be seen by others…
As if guiding him, the presence—or more accurately, the wave—of Lee Jae-hoon grew steadily closer to where he stood in the middle of the street. It was undeniable now.
He lowered his gaze and looked down at his feet. At some point, Lee Jae-hoon’s energy had slithered toward him and coiled around his ankle.
The wave had no physical force. It couldn’t actually restrain him. Yet he found himself unable to move, as if his entire body had been petrified by its touch.
“If you suddenly disappear, no one’s going to notice.”
The call was abruptly cut off.
And immediately after, Lee Jae-hoon’s voice rang out—far too close.
Even though he had suspected this might happen, the sudden proximity sent a shiver down his spine. Instead of an invisible wave, Lee Jae-hoon’s actual arm wrapped firmly around his waist.
“If you vanish right in the middle of the street, then people will finally notice.”
“…”
“Got it? That way, even Cha Jae-woo will panic and come running.”
Still unable to say anything, he was effortlessly lifted into the air by Lee Jae-hoon. The latter chuckled quietly and waved a hand toward a nearby fire hydrant.
“Aaah!”
With a snap of his fingers, water burst out of the hydrant in a powerful jet, as if it had been waiting for his command. Passersby screamed and scattered in panic. As they tried to figure out the source of the commotion, it didn’t take long for some of them to notice him and Lee Jae-hoon.
“Adding a little bit of spectacle always makes it better.”
Apparently pleased with the chaos, Lee Jae-hoon flashed a broad grin. At the same time, a black van parked nearby suddenly started racing toward them.
“You should’ve stayed quietly by Cha Jae-woo’s side. But I guess Kim Sol was a little more important to you? I thought my whole plan was going to crash and burn.”
By now, it didn’t matter how long Lee Jae-hoon had been watching him.
What was certain was this: in trying to escape from Cha Jae-woo, he had ended up walking straight into Jo Gyeong-hoon’s hands.
“Are we finally going to get to see our precious S-Rank Esper come running with a pale face?”
Lee Jae-hoon didn’t bother to hide the delight in his voice. The one who had remained silent until now let out a hollow laugh and finally answered.
“As if. You really think Cha Jae-woo would?”
At that moment, the door of the newly arrived van swung open, and he was shoved inside.
Kim Sol had asked him—begged him—not to cooperate with Cha Jae-woo. But honestly, what had he been expecting? Did he really think Cha Jae-woo would listen to him? Maybe everyone, not just him, had been fooled by that whole act of playing lovers.
But it was a mistake. Sure, Cha Jae-woo would likely search for him, if only because he was a necessary Guide.
However, if he ended up captured like this by Jo Gyeong-hoon? Wouldn’t the story change then? Rather than going through the hassle of a rescue, maybe Cha Jae-woo would just give up on him. After all, there were plenty of other Guides available to him now.
The first time the thought crossed his mind—that Cha Jae-woo might have used Mental Esper abilities on him—it had made him wonder: If it wasn’t because Cha Jae-woo liked him, why go so far as to use mental abilities just to keep him close? Was there really a reason to do all that?
The answer had been almost laughably simple. Cha Jae-woo had gone so long without receiving proper Guiding. He had experienced real Guiding for the first time through him, and so had naturally wanted to keep him around.
There were plenty of Guides hidden by the Association—ones with high compatibility and high Ranks. Cha Jae-woo wouldn’t abandon his tasks or priorities for him. Whether he got dragged away or not, Cha Jae-woo would focus solely on achieving his own goals.
“Want to make a bet? When you wake up, let’s see if Cha Jae-woo’s there or not.”
Lee Jae-hoon made a flippant remark and pressed a cloth over his mouth. He struggled, holding his breath against the half-face-covered handkerchief, but it was no use—there was no escaping Lee Jae-hoon’s grip. Before long, his mind began to cloud over.
Not that he had seriously believed he could rescue Kim Sol. He wasn’t bitter about how things had turned out. He just felt… hollow at the thought that soon he would be recognized as someone Cha Jae-woo didn’t care about anymore.
As his consciousness faded, an absurd, fleeting thought crossed his mind: So this is how it ends.
***
“Mmm…”
His head throbbed dully. It must have been because they had drugged him right after getting into the van. Though he would have stayed quietly without the need for such measures, the irritation surged up immediately.
“You’re awake?”
But the sensation didn’t last long. The moment he heard Kim Sol’s voice, his heavy eyelids snapped open.
“Hyung!”
His voice cracked in surprise. It wasn’t important. The first thing he did was check Kim Sol’s condition.
Thankfully, he looked mostly fine, except for a slightly sunken expression compared to usual.
“Are you okay?”
He asked cautiously, scanning Kim Sol’s face, which showed traces of exhaustion. Only then did he realize they were trapped in a small, cramped room.
Had Jo Gyeong-hoon been keeping him locked up here all this time? But why? Just to make that one call to him? Questions flooded in, but there was no time to find answers.
“Why did you come?”
Instead of answering his concern, Kim Sol shot back coldly.
“Huh?”
“You should’ve stayed hidden. Why did you come out?”
It was the first time he had ever heard Kim Sol speak with such a sharp tone. And because of that, he had no idea what to say.
Kim Sol exhaled heavily, staring at him.
“I thought you’d stay put.”
He raked a hand through his hair in frustration and sharply turned his head away.
“You should’ve ignored it.”
It was a strange thing to say. Kim Sol was the one who had asked him for help. Was it because he had been forced to ask? Out of guilt?
That thought finally managed to spur him into speech.
“How could I, hyung…”
“This just made things more complicated.”
As he tried carefully to approach, Kim Sol turned away coldly. He hardly seemed like the person he had known until now.
“Haa… no, it’s not your fault. You probably would’ve come out anyway. But I thought Cha Jae-woo would stop you.”
Kim Sol bit at his fingernail, visibly anxious. He muttered continuously under his breath, his words incomprehensible. It was clear, though, that his mental state wasn’t in good shape.
“Hyung, what’s wrong? Snap out of it!”
He quickly grabbed Kim Sol’s arm and shook him, but Kim Sol suddenly slapped his hand away with a harsh smack. The sting lingered, leaving him frozen and dumbfounded.
“No more use for you.”
“…”
“Now we just have to hope Cha Jae-woo shows up here.”
“…”
“But you know, right? Cha Jae-woo isn’t coming.”
His hollow gaze barely met his own. A heavy silence stretched between them.
“We’re not getting out of here, Haeyul.”
Kim Sol’s vacant voice sliced through the silence like a blade.
