We slipped out of the Center under the cover of darkness, moving cautiously toward the hideout. I’d been bracing myself for the possibility of Espers tailing us, but the path there was unexpectedly quiet—almost too peaceful.
Once we arrived, I entered through the same secret passage as before. A sigh of relief escaped me as I finally felt like I was somewhere safe.
“Phew…”
After trailing behind Kang Biso for a while, we reached a familiar room. I sank into a chair and slowly took in my surroundings. The room was neat and tidy, just like it had been the last time I was here—nothing much had changed.
“Hyung.”
While I was still looking around, Kang Biso walked over and handed me a warm cup of tea. I wasn’t sure when he’d prepared it.
“Here. Drink this.”
“Thanks.”
As the steam curled up from the cup and the tea slid down my throat, the tension in my body finally began to unwind.
“Are you okay? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”
The genuine concern in Kang Biso’s voice and eyes made me blink. Who was he to be worried about me right now?
“That’s what I should be asking. You were attacked back there. Are you sure you’re okay?”
I’d been worried the whole way here, but all he’d said was that he was fine. It didn’t stop me from being anxious.
“I’m really fine.”
Even as he said it so casually, I couldn’t help but keep staring at him, suspicious. But Kang Biso just shrugged, like it really was no big deal.
“Seriously. I’m not hurt at all, so stop worrying.”
His relaxed expression finally eased my doubt. I’d already checked him over a few times, and he wasn’t the type to lie about something like this anyway.
“When did you even sneak into the Center?”
Now that my biggest concern had passed, the curiosity I’d been holding back finally came out. Kang Biso responded like it was obvious.
“I started preparing the second the news broke. Got in right after.”
“That fast?”
“You weren’t answering your phone, your door was locked when I went to check on you… and then suddenly the media’s going wild over an SSS-rank Guide. What was I supposed to do? Just sit around?”
“I’m sure the security was tight…”
“Yeah… That’s why I couldn’t make a move for a week. Sorry about that. I should’ve come sooner. Anyway, the moment I found out where you were, I shut off the Center’s power and rushed straight to you, but…”
He trailed off, scratching the back of his neck with a sheepish look before continuing.
“The electricity came back faster than I expected… And honestly, I didn’t think you’d already be making your own escape.”
Maybe I should’ve waited. If I had, we could’ve gotten out together, safer than this.
“Still, I’m just relieved you made it out unharmed.”
He smiled gently as he said that, and the warmth in his eyes made me smile too, almost without thinking.
That’s when Kang Biso suddenly glanced at the bag on my back, a curious look on his face.
“By the way… what’s in the bag? You’ve had it on you ever since we escaped.”
His eyes were fixed on it, and I froze. Inside the bag was the Book of Wishes I’d taken with me during the escape.
I hesitated, unable to respond right away. Kang Biso noticed and quickly raised a hand.
“If it’s hard to talk about, you don’t have to. I’m not trying to pry.”
Despite the curiosity in his gaze, he held himself back. The sight of that made me let out a small, dry chuckle. He could’ve just admitted he was curious—but instead, he kept it in. It was oddly touching. And yet, at the same time, I felt a bit disappointed in myself for not being able to explain something as simple as this.
If Kang Biso had planned to steal the book, he would’ve done it already…
Besides, I’d already said I’d go with him. At this point, I could at least share this much.
So I finally pulled the Book of Wishes out of my bag. When Kang Biso saw it in my hands, he tilted his head, clearly surprised and confused.
“Wait… is that…?”
“…The Book of Wishes.”
“All of it?”
He looked back and forth between me and the book like he couldn’t believe it. Then he murmured, “So it wasn’t just one…” and stared at the book in awe.
I tensed for a moment, wondering if he’d suddenly grow greedy after realizing there were multiple copies. But what he said next caught me completely off guard.
“Hyung… What if I tried to take this from you? You know my men are looking for it. And you still showed it to me like this?”
“I know. But… you’re not the kind of person who would do that, Kang Biso.”
“Hyung…”
His voice trembled just a little, like he was holding back emotion. Then he looked at me with eyes full of determination.
“I’m seriously happy you trust me. I’ll do everything I can to make sure that trust never wavers. I’ll make you happy—every day, for the rest of your life!”
All I did was show him the Book of Wishes—so I wasn’t sure how that turned into a lifelong vow of happiness. It honestly sounded like a proposal. The way he said it so confidently, paired with the sudden flutter in my chest, made me laugh without meaning to.
And right then… I started to hesitate.
I hadn’t exactly said I wanted to stay with Kang Biso. Not out loud. But seeing him speak with such sincerity—so openly, so seriously—made me think… maybe it was only right that I share my secret too.
Of course, I had no way of knowing if he’d actually believe me. But still… if it was Kang Biso…
Lost in thought, I glanced at him. He was looking at me with eyes full of warmth, love practically spilling out of them.
That was all it took.
“Kang Biso… There’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“It might be hard to believe, but… I’m not really Hwang Seol-bin.”
“What…?”
Kang Biso blinked at me, clearly caught off guard. His eyes flickered with confusion—like he was trying to figure out what I meant but couldn’t quite grasp it.
“I was reading a book… and I must’ve fallen asleep. When I woke up, I was in this body. I’d become Hwang Seol-bin.”
“……”
“At first, I didn’t know what was going on. My name had changed, my face too. And they were calling me a Guide. I didn’t even know what that meant. Where I’m from, there’s no such thing as Espers or Guides. That’s when I first learned about the Book of Wishes.”
At the mention of the book, Kang Biso’s gaze naturally shifted to it.
“Then I saw the one Baek Beom had—the Esper I was living with before. And I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
“…Why?”
“Because the book… the part no one else could read? I could read it. Every word.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. And it wasn’t just random text. It was about me.”
“You mean… your story?”
“Exactly. From before I became Hwang Seol-bin, all the way up to everything I’ve experienced since arriving here—it was all written in that book.”
Kang Biso slowly opened the Book of Wishes, his face now completely serious. As expected, he squinted at the pages, frowning. He couldn’t read it.
I felt my body tense, hands unconsciously clenching in my lap. I just hoped—prayed—that my sincerity would reach him.
So I kept talking, carefully laying everything out. I told him about the moment I’d suddenly arrived in this world, how Esper abilities didn’t seem to work on me, everything.
But I didn’t tell him the world we were in was from a book.
That part… I couldn’t. Telling him he might be a fictional character—that everything around us could be just a setting—felt far too cruel. Especially when things had already deviated so far from the book anyway. There was no reason to drag him into that.
“…So, my wish… was to gather all the Books of Wishes and return to my original world.”
And just like that, my long, rambling confession came to an end.
“…That’s everything. I know it sounds impossible. But it’s all true.”
Kang Biso’s face was clouded with confusion. Understandably so.
He stayed silent for a while, lips pressed together, shoulders rigid. I could tell he was processing it. Trying to find a way to make sense of it all. A pang of regret hit me—maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. Maybe it had been too soon.
Then again, even Kim Yong-ha, back in the beginning of the book, had struggled with the same thing. People hadn’t believed him when he said he came from another dimension. Why would it be any easier for me?
Eventually, Kang Biso rubbed his face with both hands and exhaled. When he looked back at me, his expression had shifted—no longer confused, but steady.
I swallowed hard, watching him closely. Waiting.
No matter what he said next… I told myself I wouldn’t be disappointed.
His lips finally parted.
“Hyung… do you still want to go back?”
Of all the things I thought he’d ask… that wasn’t one of them.
I froze, unsure how to respond.
My eyes dropped to the Book of Wishes.
At first, yes. I’d wanted to go back more than anything. That was the whole reason I’d started gathering the books.
But after meeting Kang Biso… after being cared for by him, loved by him…
I’d started to question it. Would I really be okay going back to a world where he didn’t exist? Could I live without him? Would I spend the rest of my life regretting it?
I thought about it. Over and over again.
And in the end, I knew the answer.
No. I wouldn’t be okay.
I’d tasted what it was like to be loved—to be held, to be trusted—and I couldn’t go back to the cold, stoic Special Agent I once was. That version of me was already gone.
Still, saying all that out loud felt too… vulnerable. So I chose the easier path.
“I don’t know. But I still plan to collect all the books.”
Kang Biso lowered his gaze, thinking quietly. Then he asked,
“…What’s your name?”
“Huh?”
“Your real name. Before you became Hwang Seol-bin.”
“You… really believe me?”
I’d told the truth, but I hadn’t expected him to actually believe it. Seeing him ask so seriously left me speechless.
“Of course I do. You wouldn’t lie to me.”
He said it so simply, like it was obvious.
Then, once again, he asked,
“So? What is it?”
His eyes were filled with nothing but trust.
I hesitated for a second. Then, for the first time in a long while, I said my name out loud.
“…Hwang Dae-heon. That’s my real name.”
It felt strange. Foreign.
After living as Hwang Seol-bin for so long, the name Hwang Dae-heon no longer felt like mine. It sounded like someone else entirely.
“Hwang Dae-heon… That really suits you.”
The way Kang Biso said it—it made the name sound sweet, almost intimate. I felt my cheeks grow hot for no reason at all. He kept repeating it softly, like he wanted to memorize the taste of it.
Then he smiled—so beautifully that his dimples showed.
“…That explains a lot.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Back when we first met… I looked into Hwang Seol-bin. But you were nothing like what I expected. I was confused for a while. Now I get it. You really were someone else.”
Kang Biso looked at me, his smile softening even more.
“Thanks for telling me.”
“No… Thank you. For believing me.”
“Of course. It’s you. How could I not believe you? But now I’m curious… What did you actually look like before? Did your face match that cool name of yours?”
He laughed as he teased me, and I couldn’t help but laugh with him. To be honest… I couldn’t even remember my old face anymore.
Then Kang Biso leaned in a little, lowering his voice like he was about to share a secret.
“…Since you were honest with me, I’ll tell you a secret too.”
“A secret?”
My eyes widened slightly. A secret from Kang Biso?
I held my breath, bracing myself.
“The truth is… I’m actually older than you.”
