Half a day had already gone by since I’d been locked in this room, and nothing had changed. I’d inspected every inch of the place, top to bottom, and come to the maddening conclusion—there was no way out unless I went through that door.
The confinement was driving me insane. I’d even yelled for someone to open up, but the only response I ever got was a flat, unwavering “No.” With no other options, I gave up and threw myself onto the bed, wasting time doing nothing.
That was when I heard a bit of a commotion outside.
“Please let me in!”
…What the hell?
Was someone here to see me?
For a second, Kang Biso’s face came to mind. We were supposed to meet for lunch, and now it was nearly evening—I hadn’t even managed to send a single message. He’d already been annoyed about me going back to work at the Guide Center after everything that happened. If he found out about this, I could already picture the look on his face—furrowed brow, lips pressed tight, pacing in frustration. Just imagining it made me chuckle under my breath.
But there was no way the person yelling outside was Kang Biso. If it were him, he would’ve taken the guards down in seconds and stormed in. He wouldn’t be standing out there making a fuss.
Curious, I got up and crept toward the door. The soundproofing wasn’t great, and once I was closer, I could hear the voice more clearly.
“I said I’m here to see my sunbae! Please, just let me in!”
There was no mistaking that voice. Kim Yong-ha.
How the hell did he find this place? Has word already spread through the entire Guide Center? Even if it has… why him? What right does he have to be here?
Annoyed by the unexpected visitor, I scowled and pressed up against the door. If there was even the slightest chance it opened, I was ready to make a run for it. Holding my breath, I strained to listen to the back-and-forth between Yong-ha and the guards.
“You’re not allowed to enter.”
“I got permission from Esper Kang Hak-gwan! Just let me through!”
I let out a dry, bitter laugh.
The one who locked me up and took my phone was Kang Hak-gwan. Like hell he’d ever give that bastard permission to come in here.
Still, a tense knot twisted in my gut. What if the guards actually believed him and opened the door? Then, just like before, Kim Yong-ha would probably pull some twisted stunt with that obsessive look in his eyes.
That look—God, I hadn’t forgotten it. Just the memory sent a chill crawling down my spine. I wrapped my arms around myself and braced for the guards’ answer. I didn’t want to see Kim Yong-ha, but if there was even a small chance the door might open, I couldn’t just ignore it. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.
“…Esper Kang Hak-gwan ordered us not to let anyone in.”
“Ugh, are you kidding me? I’m telling you, he gave me permission!”
“We haven’t received any such order. Please leave.”
“Get out of my way! I’m going to see my sunbae!”
“Guide Kim Yong-ha! I said that’s not allowed!”
“MOVE!”
“If you keep this up, we’ll have no choice!”
The shouting got worse. It sounded like he was trying to push past them now, and the Espers were physically holding him back. His voice echoed through the hallway, shrill and frantic like an alarm going off. I winced and backed away from the door, hands clamping over my ears.
The scuffle dragged on for a while. Eventually, judging by the sound of footsteps growing fainter, it seemed like they were dragging him away.
“Let go of me! I said let go! Hwang Seol-bin! Hwang Seol-bin…!!!”
And then—silence. Other than a few guards grumbling to each other, it was like nothing had ever happened. The storm had passed, and a strange stillness settled in its place. The tension finally drained from my body. I leaned back and stepped away from the door.
It was a little disappointing that the door hadn’t opened—but not having to deal with Kim Yong-ha’s face? That was a win in my book. Still, I had to get out of here, somehow. Feeling the weight of exhaustion crash down on me all at once, I turned back to the bed and lay down.
Sure, I’d rested yesterday—but after that intense night with Kang Biso, my body hadn’t fully recovered. And after being dragged around all morning, stressed out of my mind, it was no wonder I felt like collapsing.
I stared up at the ceiling, unmoving, until Biso’s face floated into my mind again. That warm smile he gave me, the way he held me so gently, the soft voice that called me hyung and whispered I love you…
What was Biso doing right now? Hopefully not panicking like last time, tearing the whole Center apart because he couldn’t find me.
Not with Kang Hak-gwan still lurking around, keeping an eye on things. It wouldn’t be so easy for Biso to go wild again. Still, I couldn’t shake the worry. But there was nothing I could do about it now.
…Just one week.
I just had to hold out for one more week. By then, my body would be healed, and I’d be able to figure out the security schedule. Maybe someone would come looking for me by then.
But if nothing changed after a week…
Then I’d get out by any means necessary.
***
“…Goddamn it.”
I clenched my teeth, doing everything I could to keep the fury bubbling inside me from exploding.
A full week had passed—just as I’d resolved—and yet nothing had changed.
There had to be a reason they locked me up like this, but Kang Hak-gwan hadn’t shown his face even once. It was almost laughable. It didn’t even feel like he was hiding something—it felt like he truly believed that, as an SSS-rank, this was just his way of protecting me. But there was no way that was all there was to it. That much, I knew for certain.
The phone I’d asked for still hadn’t been returned. No explanation, no response. On top of that, no one had even come by for Guiding. Not once.
So yeah. This past week? Felt less like a holding period and more like solitary confinement.
I’d reached my limit. I had nothing left to wait for. If I had to live the rest of my life like this—trapped and suffocated—then I’d rather run and live freely, even if I had to spend every day on the run.
And honestly, based on everything I’d observed over the past week, escaping wasn’t completely off the table.
The guards stationed outside seemed to think I was just a harmless Guide who’d been locked up for his own good. Every mealtime, they opened the door without a second thought and brought my food in. If I timed it right—slipped out the moment the door opened and took out the two guards standing outside—I’d have a real shot.
Once I was out of this room, blending in and slipping out of the Guide Center wouldn’t be that difficult.
The thought made my fingers twitch with anticipation.
I glanced over at the wall clock. Lunch was coming up soon. Perfect.
After a week of nothing but rest, my body was back to full strength. No lingering aches, no stiffness. Taking on a couple of Espers wouldn’t be a problem.
—Knock, knock, knock.
Right on schedule.
I moved quickly to the door. “Come in.”
The door opened, and an Esper walked in holding a food tray. He froze for a split second, surprised to see me standing right in front of him.
That was all I needed.
“Ugh—!”
I smacked the tray upward, sending it flying into his face and food splattering everywhere.
The moment his eyes squeezed shut in shock, I drove my fist straight into his gut. He let out a short, pained grunt and dropped without a fight.
“What the—?!”
“What’s going on in there?!”
The guards outside panicked immediately.
“What do you think you’re—? Get back insid—agh!”
One of them rushed in, grabbed my shoulder, and tried to shove me back, but I caught his wrist and twisted hard. He instinctively curled inward from the pain, and I used the moment to flip him to the ground.
Thud.
He groaned and passed out instantly.
“…N-no way…”
The remaining guard hesitated, his stance tightening. But instead of rushing in, he approached cautiously, breathing deep, trying to steady himself.
I kept my eyes locked on him—and smiled.
Nothing disarmed someone like a smile.
Just as I thought, he hesitated, thrown off by my sudden expression. The tension in his posture slackened for just a second.
And I didn’t miss it.
I kicked the tray that had fallen to the floor.
It flew like a discus and smacked him square in the face.
He stumbled back with a startled shout, and I immediately closed the gap, hooked my leg to trip him, and brought him down. Then, with both arms, I wrapped around his neck and tightened.
“…Khk!”
He clawed at my arms, desperate to pry me off, but it was pointless. The faster he blacked out, the less painful it’d be. Dragging it out would only hurt more.
After a bit of struggling, his body finally went limp. I shoved him aside.
Easy.
I hadn’t moved like this in a while—it felt good to stretch out. I rolled my shoulder, which had stiffened slightly, and took a step forward—
“……!”
—only to stop dead in my tracks.
Kang Hak-gwan was standing right there, staring directly at me.
When the hell did he get there?
I froze, eyes locked on him as he met my gaze with a long, annoyed sigh.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
You saw the whole thing. Why even bother asking?
I kept my face blank, tamping down the wave of frustration.
Terrible timing. But so what? Him showing up didn’t change anything. I just had to knock him out before he called for backup.
Kang Hak-gwan glanced between the unconscious Espers and me, then fixed his eyes back on mine. His expression flickered between irritation and something that almost looked like amusement.
“For a Guide, you’re pretty impressive. But that was stupid. Didn’t I tell you to stay put?”
I didn’t bother replying. Just exhaled quietly and took another breath.
He was clearly stronger than the others—physically bigger too. And judging from his stance, he definitely kept up with training.
How to approach this… I wouldn’t win in a head-to-head strength match. My only advantage would be speed.
I started adjusting my posture, angling in to close the distance, just as I was about to move—
“…Seol-bin?”
A voice called out from behind Kang Hak-gwan.
My body went still.
Then, from behind his broad frame, Kim Seong-gyeong appeared. His eyes were wide, like a startled rabbit.
He looked from me to the fallen Espers scattered on the floor, his face pale with shock.
What the hell… Why is he here?
