At the sound of someone shouting Kang Biso’s name, I instinctively turned my head—only to see Kim Seong-gyeong charging at him like a madman.
Danger!
Before I even realized it, my body moved on its own. I rushed forward and threw myself in front of Kang Biso, blocking the attack. Kim Seong-gyeong’s eyes went wide. Hidden behind a bookshelf, he must not have seen me. Caught off guard by my sudden appearance, he twisted his body mid-sprint in a desperate attempt to avoid me. His fist narrowly missed my face and sliced through the air.
I didn’t miss the opportunity. Grabbing Kang Biso’s hand, I quickly pulled him back, widening the distance between us and Kim Seong-gyeong.
“…Seol-bin!? Are you okay? You could’ve gotten seriously hurt—what were you thinking, jumping in like that?!”
Kim Seong-gyeong caught himself mid-stumble and looked at me with panic in his voice. But I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. Maybe he was worried right now, thrown off by the chaos—but he was still the enemy. The strongest enemy. He came here to capture me. I couldn’t relax, not for a second.
“Hyung! Are you okay? Why did you jump in front of me?! You could’ve been seriously injured!”
Even Kang Biso’s voice came out in a rush of worry.
Now finally grasping the situation, Kang Biso turned me toward him and began anxiously checking me for injuries. I glanced toward Kim Seong-gyeong, trying to signal him with my eyes, but Biso was too focused on me to notice anything else.
Then came a dry laugh. We both turned toward the sound at the same time.
Kim Seong-gyeong stood there with a tight smile, eyes shifting between me and Kang Biso. In them flickered pity for me, envy of Kang Biso—and unmistakable jealousy. Kang Biso seemed to pick up on it too. He swiftly stepped forward and shielded me behind his back.
A heavy silence settled between the three of us.
Just then, the sound of ragged breathing echoed from the hallway—and Kim Yong-ha came crashing into the room.
“…Kim Yong-ha?”
“Huff… I said I’d come with you… Ah! Sunbae-nim!”
What the hell? Why is he here?
I stared, stunned, my mouth falling open. Kim Yong-ha should’ve been at the Guide Center. Why the hell was he here…?
The last time I’d seen him flashed through my mind. He’d been making a huge scene outside, screaming to see me, getting dragged away by Espers. That was the last I heard of him. What happened since then? He looked even worse than before—pale and worn down.
He looked right at me and shouted.
“Sunbae-nim…! So you were really here! You don’t know how much I missed you. I was so shocked when I heard you’d become a Villain… But that’s not true, right? You’re not really a Villain, right? You’re just staying here for a while, right?”
He staggered toward me step by step, voice trembling with desperation. The way he looked at me—like he’d finally found a long-lost lover—sent chills down my spine. Instinctively, I moved behind Kang Biso.
It was too much. Unsettling. Suffocating.
Kim Yong-ha’s expression darkened instantly. He glared at Kang Biso like he wanted to kill him.
“You Villain bastard. You’re the one who seduced sunbae-nim, aren’t you? I didn’t like you from the start. What are you doing just standing there, Kim Seong-gyeong?! Attack him! Bring sunbae-nim back! How long are you going to keep standing there like an idiot?!”
I’d honestly hoped that some time apart might’ve helped him get better—but if anything, he looked even more unhinged. Those eyes weren’t sane.
Kim Seong-gyeong let out a long sigh, then turned to me. Our eyes met and held. He stared into mine for a while, like he was trying to read something buried deep inside me, then slowly shook his head.
“Seol-bin. I think I’ve been wrong all along.”
“…What?”
“I thought the safest place for you was the Guide Center. Even when you said you were being held prisoner, I didn’t believe you. I figured it was just a temporary restriction—for your protection. I thought it wasn’t that serious. But now… now I realize how wrong I was.”
He paused, eyes locking with mine again.
“When you asked me for help back then… If I had just said yes, if I’d helped you—maybe we wouldn’t be standing on opposite sides like this. I regret that moment more than anything. The day I turned you down… I’ve never stopped regretting it.”
His voice was filled with self-blame and deep regret.
And I remembered that day too. I’d been locked away, desperate, with no way out. That’s when he showed up.
If he had helped me then… If he’d pulled me out of that Guiding Room like I’d begged him to… Maybe things would’ve turned out differently. Maybe I wouldn’t have ended up here. Maybe I’d never have become a Villain. Maybe I’d still be inside the Guide Center, safe.
But the truth is, I didn’t regret it. Not a single bit.
I was satisfied with the choices I’d made. And if I had to go back to that moment, I wouldn’t ask him for help again.
I’d wait for Kang Biso instead. Until he came for me—just like he did.
“Please… let me fix what I did wrong. Just come back. This time, I’ll protect you. I swear I will.”
Kim Seong-gyeong’s voice trembled with emotion as he pleaded.
For a moment, I opened my mouth to speak, hesitating.
His guilt, regret, and desperate longing to bring me back—it all came through so clearly that I did feel a pang of guilt. Just for a moment.
But my heart didn’t waver.
Because Kang Biso was by my side.
“…I’m sorry. But I’m not going back. I’m happy now. Please… just give up on me.”
At my words, Kim Seong-gyeong’s face collapsed into despair—but only for a moment.
The next second, his expression went completely blank. Like none of it had ever happened.
He was trying to hold it together, but his trembling fists gave him away. My rejection had clearly shaken him more than he wanted to admit.
Kim Seong-gyeong slowly shook his head.
“…I don’t have a choice. I’m in a position where I have to stop you, Seol-bin. This time, I’ll capture you… and that Villain too. No exceptions.”
But before he could finish, Kang Biso stepped forward and cut him off.
“…Ha. You think we’re just gonna let you?”
He met Kim Seong-gyeong’s threat head-on. Gritting his teeth, Kim Seong-gyeong charged without another word, closing the distance in a blink. His movements were almost too fast to follow, but Kang Biso—who’d clashed with him more than once—handled it like second nature. Activating his ability, he made Kim Seong-gyeong flinch just long enough to weaken the blow, then dodged cleanly.
Kang Biso countered with a punch aimed straight for Kim Seong-gyeong’s face—but he dodged that just as smoothly.
For a moment, the two exchanged blows in rapid succession. Back and forth, fast and fierce.
I watched the fight with growing unease, my heart racing. But then, I snapped out of it.
…I can’t just stand here watching.
I started moving. While Kang Biso bought time, I had to find the Book of Wishes.
But as I looked around, a wave of frustration hit me.
Their fight had knocked over every shelf in the room. Books were scattered everywhere, a complete mess.
Was it even here? Should I give up and run? Or check just a little longer?
I was still debating when a voice called out.
“Sunbae-nim!”
I turned just in time to see Kim Yong-ha creeping closer, reaching out toward me.
But there was no way someone like him—a powerless Guide—was going to touch me.
I’d noticed him approaching long before, and as soon as he got close, I smacked his hand away and backed off, shooting him a sharp glare.
He didn’t even flinch.
“…Sunbae-nim. I missed you. So much.”
“…Well, I didn’t miss you.”
“I’m not like Kim Seong-gyeong. I’m on your side.”
The hell is he even talking about?
“Kim Seong-gyeong wants to drag you back to the Guide Center, but I don’t think that’s right. I’ve been locked up too, just like you. So I understand. I know how it feels to never want to go back. We’re the same, sunbae-nim.”
The same? You and me?
Disgusting. Total nonsense.
What was he even trying to say?
I narrowed my eyes, staring him down. He clearly wasn’t in his right mind. I had no idea what he might try next.
Eventually, he noticed the way I was glaring at him, and his babbling slowed. Then he looked at me—serious now—and said:
“I won’t tell you to go back to the Guide Center. Just… please take me with you.”
“…What?”
“I want to be a Villain too. I don’t want to be locked up anymore. I want to be with you. Please… take me with you. Please?”
He’s completely lost it.
I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even speak.
Did he seriously think that made sense?
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes only made me feel worse. This wasn’t just a delusion—he meant every word. And that made it worse.
Honestly, I’d rather be fighting Kim Seong-gyeong. At least he made sense.
This won’t end unless I stop him.
If I didn’t shut him down now, he’d keep going. I’d have to knock him out.
“Please. I’m an S-Rank Guide—I’d be useful! If you told me to fake my death, I’d do it. I’d do anything for you. Okay?”
BOOM!
A thunderous crash erupted as Kang Biso and Kim Seong-gyeong clashed again. One of the walls crumbled under the impact.
I whipped my head around instinctively.
Was Kang Biso hurt?
Thankfully, he only had a few scrapes—nothing serious—but he looked exhausted. Kim Seong-gyeong wasn’t in much better shape. Every hit they exchanged left new damage. The longer this dragged on, the worse it would get.
I couldn’t waste any more time on Kim Yong-ha. I had to find the Book of Wishes. If not, we had to get out of here.
Then I saw it.
Through the hole in the collapsed wall, a small space was visible. It looked like a hidden room—one neither of them had noticed in the heat of battle.
I wasn’t sure what it was, but I knew I had to check it out.
“Where are you looking—urk!”
The moment Kim Yong-ha turned to follow my gaze, I struck. I rushed forward, hit the back of his neck, and knocked him out cold.
No one else noticed. Everyone’s attention was still on the fight.
I quietly slipped through the opening in the wall and stepped inside.
It was real.
There was a hidden room tucked away behind the rubble.
There was a lock on the door, but it must’ve been broken when the wall fell—it was slightly ajar now.
My heart pounded in my chest.
I rushed over and gently pushed the door open.
And then my eyes widened.
There, side by side, were two copies of the Book of Wishes.
Finally…
“I found it…!”
