Kim Yong-ha didn’t say a single word the entire time we walked. He just trailed behind me, quietly following along a path whose destination I didn’t even know. Normally, he would’ve latched onto me with that usual playful charm of his—but today, he didn’t even glance back. It felt off. Unfamiliar.
When he suddenly showed up wanting to apologize, I’d been completely thrown off. At first, I couldn’t figure out what the hell he was thinking. But then I saw that guilt-ridden look on his face, and everything started to click. It made sense—Kim Yong-ha, as he was described in the book, had always been soft-hearted and kind. He probably went home afterward and beat himself up over it.
Still… why do I feel so uneasy?
Even though I accepted his apology, something about it didn’t sit right. Maybe it was because the fact that he’d confessed to me hadn’t changed, or maybe it was because Kang Biso told me not to be alone with him. Either way, the whole situation was giving me a bad feeling.
I didn’t have much choice, though. The Team Leader had supposedly called for me, so I had to follow. Still… I wanted to get away from Kim Yong-ha. Fast.
I picked up my pace and caught up with him.
“Kim Yong-ha-ssi, where exactly are we going?”
“We’re almost there.”
His reply came with an unusually serious expression. No smile, no softness. Just a curt answer. Then he headed straight down a remote staircase leading into the basement.
It was my first time down here, and it was bigger and more maze-like than I expected. Still, Kim Yong-ha navigated it easily, not a hint of hesitation in his steps. How was he so familiar with this place? And why the hell did the Team Leader call me down here instead of just meeting in the office?
The thought nagged at me, but I didn’t stop walking.
Eventually, he stopped at a door, opened it like it was routine, and stepped inside. A moment later, click—the sound of the door locking behind us echoed louder than it should’ve.
I slowly scanned the room. There was a large bed, a refrigerator, and a desk with a chair tucked beside it. Aside from the thin layer of dust, the place had the same atmosphere as a Guiding Room.
The Team Leader asked me to be here? Seriously? Why?
“…Where is the Team Leader?”
“He said he’s finishing something up. Might be a bit late—he looked pretty busy earlier.”
With that, Kim Yong-ha casually opened the fridge, pulled out a drink, and held it out to me.
“Here. You can have this while you wait. Take a seat.”
“…You seem really familiar with this place.”
I leaned back against the desk and asked lightly. For a split second, he flinched—but then he forced a calm nod.
“Well… yeah. I come down here sometimes to help the Team Leader with stuff.”
I turned the drink over in my hands, not opening it. What exactly would the Team Leader need Kim Yong-ha’s help with… down here?
“I can wait alone. If you’ve got something to do, go ahead.”
If it was true that the Team Leader had called me, there was no reason for Kim Yong-ha to be here. And honestly, with how uncomfortable he made me feel now, the last thing I wanted was to sit in a closed room with him in silence.
“It’s fine. I figured you might get bored waiting by yourself. I’ll keep you company.”
“……”
“Go ahead and try the drink. It’s nice and cold—I just took it out of the fridge.”
He smiled as he brought his own bottle to his lips and took a slow sip, all while watching me.
But I couldn’t do it.
His earlier words kept ringing in my head—
“T-That’s my favorite drink… H-Hurry and try it!”
His tone and expression were different now, but the situation felt way too familiar. Overlapping.
I used to think I knew everything about Kim Yong-ha. His thoughts, his feelings, the events he would face—I’d read it all in the book.
But the Team Leader still hadn’t shown up. And Kim Yong-ha kept glancing at me, watching every move I made. Every time I asked a question, he looked away. And the way he kept pushing that drink on me… everything about him right now screamed suspicious.
…Suspicious?
I suddenly scanned the room again, more carefully this time.
That’s when I started noticing the details I’d missed before. The outdated, worn-down furniture. A space with no windows. A door that looked way too solid to be normal.
It looked exactly like the kind of place Kim Yong-ha had been locked up in—several times, according to the book.
No way. He wouldn’t try to trap me here… would he?
It didn’t make sense. Sure, if he’d already turned dark, maybe. But he hadn’t gone through any of the pain or trauma yet—not the kind that would make him snap like this. There’s no way he’d just suddenly…
But what if I was right?
I tried to brush the thought off, but once the suspicion took hold, I couldn’t shake it.
“Sunbae…?”
“……”
I kept fiddling with the bottle in my hands. Just holding it. Not drinking. That seemed to make him anxious, because now he was starting to look nervous.
“W-Why are you just holding it? Go on, try some.”
And that’s when it hit me.
The story about the Team Leader calling for me—it was a lie. His face was practically shouting desperation right now. And it wasn’t because of anything else—it was because I hadn’t taken a sip. That drink had something in it.
He was waiting for me to pass out so he could lock me up.
I let out a quiet sigh, set the bottle down on the desk, and stood.
“W-Why? What’s wrong, sunbae?”
Startled by my sudden movement, Kim Yong-ha looked up at me with wide eyes. I glanced down at my wrist, pretending to check the time, and answered calmly.
“…The Team Leader’s really late. I’ve got a Guiding session scheduled soon. Let him know I’ll come find him later.”
“If you just wait a little longer—!”
He rushed to block my way.
I looked him over, slowly.
Those shaky eyes. The nervous swallow. His clenched fists. Stiff arms and legs. He was practically radiating guilt and tension. With reactions that obvious, how could I not notice?
I sighed. Deeply.
Kim Yong-ha flinched.
But I stared him down and said, firm and unwavering, “Move.”
“……”
He didn’t. He just bit down on his lower lip, face stiff with determination, and stood his ground.
We stayed like that for a long, tense beat.
When it became clear he wasn’t going to budge, I decided to make the first move. Standing here doing nothing was pointless. And staying in a room alone with someone who was clearly planning to trap me? That’d be beyond stupid.
Still, I wasn’t going to force my way through him.
I took a breath, stepped forward, and gently pushed his shoulder aside. He didn’t resist. He moved—reluctantly, but he moved.
I reached the door, turned the handle—and to my relief, it wasn’t locked.
“……”
But I couldn’t leave.
Standing right outside, blocking the doorway like a wall of hostility, was Kim Hyun-joong.
He glared at me like he wanted me dead.
So that’s where he’d been. I hadn’t seen him with Kim Yong-ha earlier, which was odd—those two were always together. Turns out he’d been waiting outside this whole time.
Which could only mean one thing: Kim Hyun-joong was in on it, too.
No wonder Kim Yong-ha had stepped aside so easily.
“Tell me! Where’s the real Hwang Seol-bin?!”
…What?
The real Hwang Seol-bin?
What the hell was he talking about?
The question came out of nowhere, completely left-field—and for a second, I was so taken aback I couldn’t even react. And then it hit me like a jolt of ice: how does he know I’m not the real Hwang Seol-bin?
They were childhood friends in this world. Did that connection let him figure something out?
My thoughts were spiraling. And that hesitation—that split second—was all it took.
Kim Hyun-joong charged.
No hesitation. No warning. Just a fist flying straight at me.
But my body moved before I could think. Years of instinct took over. I dodged without effort—and countered.
My fist drove straight into his gut.
He hadn’t expected it. Not even a little. There was no defense, no guard. Just a dull thud as the wind left his lungs.
“Guh—!”
He stumbled, clutching his stomach, face flushed red as he staggered—but then he came at me again.
…This is what you call an attack? Seriously?
It was obvious he hadn’t come to talk. The guy was all blind rage and no strategy. He was just swinging like a thug.
But that was fine.
Honestly? This was perfect.
He could know who I really was or not—I didn’t care. What mattered was that I’d finally been handed a golden excuse to beat the shit out of him. And I’d been waiting for that chance for a long time.
As he threw another clumsy kick, I ducked low and came up fast—my fist slamming straight into his jaw with a clean uppercut.
“Ugh!”
His head snapped back, and he crashed to the floor.
I didn’t let up.
In a blink, I followed him down, pinning him to the ground.
It happened so fast he barely had time to register it. His body tensed, thrashing underneath me, but I didn’t let go. I grabbed a fistful of his collar and yanked him up.
His panicked, disoriented expression?
God, it was satisfying.
Especially like this—with him beneath me, defenseless, wide open. All those times he strutted around like he was better than everyone? That smug self-righteousness?
Gone.
He was nothing but a loud-mouthed coward.
I had no doubt Kim Yong-ha had brought him here, probably thinking that since Kim Hyun-joong was an A-Rank Esper, he’d be helpful.
What a joke.
If this guy was your ace, you were already screwed.
“You think I’m just gonna let you get away with this?!” Kim Hyun-joong growled, glaring as he reached his hand toward me.
But it only took a second for panic to replace his fury.
“W-Why…? Why isn’t it working?!”
“…What?”
“My ability—my telekinesis—it’s not working on you! Why isn’t it working?! What the hell are you?!”
So he tried to use his power—and failed.
Which meant, to me, he wasn’t an Esper anymore. Just another weak, powerless human.
“…You really picked the worst day to pull this shit.”
Every ounce of rage I’d been holding back boiled up at once.
I raised my fist, aimed it at his face—and just as I swung—
“Ah—!”
A sudden, sharp sting pierced the side of my neck.
Startled, I clutched my throat.
And that’s when I saw it: Kim Yong-ha, holding a syringe in his trembling hand, stepping away from me with wide, terrified eyes.
He actually did it.
I’d thought he was too scared to act.
I was wrong.
Kim Hyun-joong’s voice pierced through the haze in my ears.
“Nice! Good job, Kim Yong-ha! That’s it! He’s finished now!”
“…Shit.”
Everything around me started to blur.
“I told you! I told you I wasn’t gonna go down without a fight!”
His voice was buzzing in my ears, laughing, taunting. I could barely stand. My body was swaying, my vision swimming—but I clenched my fist one more time.
I had enough strength left for this.
Even if I passed out in the next breath, I was going to make sure I got one last hit in.
Wham! Wham!
“Wh-What the hell?! How are you still moving?! Agh! Stop! STOP, DAMN IT!”
I heard the panic in his voice—desperate, frantic.
But I didn’t stop.
I couldn’t.
If I didn’t let it out now, I’d explode.
His screams echoed in my ears as my fist kept flying—automatic, relentless.
Then, suddenly… my strength gave out.
My limbs went limp, and I collapsed to the side.
Damn it… I still had more to give…
I hadn’t finished him off.
And that—that—pissed me off more than anything.
But the drug was too strong.
And this time, I couldn’t fight it.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
