His stamina had improved significantly, but the problem was that he had no use for it. Back then, he never had to exercise separately—there was simply no way he could’ve been lacking physical activity.
After finishing his meal, he stepped outside into the garden to help with digestion. The estate was so vast that it felt more like a forest than a garden. The autumn air, on the cusp of nightfall, was crisp yet clear, and the scent of grass was sweet. His older brother had stayed behind in the house, respecting his request to walk alone. He was leisurely strolling between the well-placed lights, enjoying the quiet.
Bzzzt—his phone buzzed in his pocket, signaling an incoming call. When he pulled it out to check, he saw the caller ID: it was the government official in charge of his case. He answered right away.
“Hello.”
—I’m sorry to bother you at this late hour, Mr. Cha Eun-soo. Are you alone right now? Is this a good time to talk…?
“Yes, it’s fine. What’s going on?”
—I was worried about how you were doing. I sent you a message earlier, but you didn’t respond… I was concerned something might be wrong, so I decided to call.
Ah, I must’ve missed it while I was sleeping. He pulled the phone slightly away from his face and glanced down at the screen. Even though he was just fulfilling the duties outlined in his contract, this person always made a point of checking in on him. Likely because they held his abilities in high regard. Still, the constant concern wasn’t unpleasant—it gave him a small sense of being cared for. He replied quietly.
“I think I missed your message because I dozed off for a bit. Thank you for checking in.”
—So it really is serious, then…
“No. I was just tired and fell asleep, that’s all.”
He responded as he sat down on a nearby bench.
“Has the person I detoxified regained consciousness?”
—The Prime Minister woke up about five hours ago. It seems he opened his eyes shortly after you left with Chairman Shim Tae-seong.
“That’s a relief.”
—He was very disappointed that he didn’t get to thank you in person once he regained consciousness. He said he hopes to have the honor of inviting you to a proper event sometime. He’s also quite concerned about your condition. If you’d like, I can arrange something.
There was a faint trace of superiority in the official’s voice. But Eun-soo responded calmly.
“Please just tell him that I appreciate the sentiment.”
—…Is it too much of a burden?
“As I mentioned before, I’m not interested in getting involved in anything beyond the treatment itself.”
By now, he had already traveled to several places overseas, not just within the country. Each time, the people he helped would insist on showing their gratitude—by inviting him to formal dinners or asking for his private contact information.
Sure, he could’ve accepted those offers, built connections, and expanded his network… but he simply didn’t have the desire to. He had no ambitions in that direction. He already had everything he needed to live comfortably, to the point that the vast sums accumulating in accounts under his name had no real purpose.
The money was overflowing. There was even a separate annex dedicated entirely to enjoying any kind of hobby imaginable—need he say more?
—Forgive me, but may I ask… is what you just said truly your own opinion, Mr. Cha Eun-soo, or could it possibly be that of the Chairmen?
A cautious question was thrown his way.
He blinked and echoed back,
“…What?”
—It’s something I’ve long wanted to ask. We don’t fully understand the nature of your relationship with the Chairmen, but… if by any chance you’re being oppressed or controlled in some way, we might be able to help you.
“…!”
—I swear, we can support you actively. We can help you expand your influence—enough to escape that situation altogether.
…Well. He was momentarily at a loss for words.
So that’s why he’d asked if he was alone before making this call?
Thinking back, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable for someone to find the situation suspicious. From the very start, even at the contract signing, he had brought his older brother along. And every time he was summoned, at least one of the S-Class hunters always tagged along without fail. Government officials who had witnessed this pattern more than once could certainly be forgiven for indulging in all sorts of speculation.
From his standpoint, what felt like excessive protection might easily be seen as surveillance in someone else’s eyes.
Though if he were being honest, even surveillance wouldn’t be entirely inaccurate…
—Mr. Cha Eun-soo, or rather, the existence of a detoxification ability user such as yourself has already become somewhat public. At this point, all high-ranking officials in beneficiary nations are aware of you. Considering the reputation that will only continue to spread, I believe this is something you could realistically achieve.
—I’m not asking you to give an answer right away. But please consider it positively, and if ever you’d like to discuss your situation in more detail—
“If you keep pushing,”
A low voice, cold enough to prickle the nape of his neck, cut through the call.
Until that moment, there had been no sign of anyone nearby, so the sudden interruption made him freeze as he sucked in a sharp breath.
“I warned you there’d be consequences.”
Jang Hee-gang bent over from behind the bench and spoke slowly, right next to the phone pressed to Eun-soo’s ear. His tone was calm, almost casual—but what he said was chilling. He made sure to speak directly into the phone’s speaker so his voice would carry clearly.
“Was my memory wrong?”
— ……
A suffocating silence followed. A gust of cold wind swept through the garden, scattering the dry leaves, their rustling the only sound—until even that faded away.
From Jang Hee-gang’s perspective, this was a blatant case of someone trying to lure Eun-soo away—right in front of him. Worse, he’d apparently anticipated this in advance and issued a prior warning. There were times when Eun-soo underestimated the violent precision of S-Class hunters, perhaps forgetting that they often seemed to see everything through a third eye.
Quickly composing his flustered expression, Eun-soo hurried to address the official on the other end of the line.
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I’ll call you back later.”
—……I’ll be waiting.
The official, too, seemed flustered by the sudden appearance of an uninvited third party and quickly offered a brief farewell. The moment the call ended, Jang Hee-gang straightened up. Eun-soo immediately stood, turning to face him.
“What the hell was that?”
Suppressing the instinctive fear he felt toward Jang Hee-gang, he didn’t hide the anger on his face.
“You don’t just butt into someone else’s phone call like that. It’s rude.”
“Someone else…? You and I are strangers now?”
Jang Hee-gang asked in a tone of mild surprise. It didn’t sound like he was trying to provoke—it genuinely seemed like he was confused. Eun-soo stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words.
“When it comes to this matter, it was my choice. You overstepped.”
He finally opened his mouth, albeit a little late. Jang Hee-gang looked back at him silently. The weight of years and something darker lingered in his gaze, though the light from the nearby lamp softened the gloom, making him seem less imposing. Almost as if he were deliberately trying to appear gentle.
“Call it pathetic if you want. I don’t care. I just… don’t want to be discarded.”
What kind of weak-ass excuse is that? I heard everything—you said you gave them a warning.
“They were trying to take you right in front of me. What was I supposed to do? Just let it happen if you said you were going with them?”
He had no intention of letting Eun-soo go, not one bit—yet he had the gall to look all forlorn while spouting that nonsense. The way he lowered his lashes and spoke in that melancholic tone was absurdly convincing. And damn it all, the fact that he was ridiculously good-looking only made it worse. Eun-soo still hadn’t gotten used to Jang Hee-gang acting like this. He never expected him, of all people, to weaponize sentimentality. It was like he’d calculated exactly which expression to wear and which tone to use to make Eun-soo hesitate.
And maybe… it didn’t entirely not work.
The fact that Eun-soo could see right through it yet still felt something—that was proof enough. After all, this was the man who’d hurt him deeply and treated him like some kind of pushover, just for accepting these reckless S-Class lunatics into his life. So this… tactic was undoubtedly meant to stir him up, however subtly.
His eyes wavered ever so slightly as he clamped his mouth shut. Jang Hee-gang noticed instantly, the corner of his mouth curling just a bit. Slowly, he began circling the bench to approach. He reached out a hand toward Eun-soo, his movements unhurried, as if giving him all the time in the world to pull away.
But Eun-soo didn’t move. He just stood there, hesitating—pretending he hadn’t yet decided whether to reject him.
And then, he was pulled into that broad, solid chest. The smooth, wrinkle-free suit pressed against him. It seemed Jang Hee-gang had come straight home from work and immediately tracked him down on the walking path.
“I’ve never been the kind of person who gets scared just imagining things.”
Jang Hee-gang whispered into his ear as he held him close.
“But at some point… just thinking about you running away, getting hurt, or dying—it scares the shit out of me.”
His voice was packed tight with sincerity.
It wasn’t unpleasant to hear… but it was the definition of hypocrisy. He could hurt Eun-soo, and that was fine. But if anything else did? Absolutely not. That was the logic, wasn’t it? Not that he seemed likely to lay a hand on him again—at least not physically.
Still, Eun-soo didn’t return the hug. Instead, he clenched his fists tightly.
“Then just be scared. And leave it at that.”
“……”
“Stop threatening other people.”
With that, he shoved Jang Hee-gang’s shoulder and stepped back.
“And you don’t even need guiding, so when your wavelengths are stable like this, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t act this way.”
It was as if he were saying: Accepting you didn’t mean I was taking responsibility for Jang Hee-gang as a person—it meant I was accepting you as an Esper. The emotion-soaked affection being poured on him made him visibly uncomfortable, maybe even a little confused. The moment that flicker of unease crossed his face, a crack formed in Jang Hee-gang’s expression.
It wasn’t hard to guess what he was thinking. He was probably remembering how Eun-soo treated Shim Tae-seong or his older brother. He had to know that the starting point of those relationships was completely different from what he had with Jang Hee-gang or Joo Cheong-gyeong… and yet.
Whether it was because the night had deepened or because the mood had shifted, the air around them had grown even colder. They stood there in a quiet, meaningless standoff until finally, Jang Hee-gang let out a long breath—a sigh that sounded like he was holding something back.
