#106
Contrary to my feelings of embarrassment, the dungeon conquest and Guiding progressed very smoothly. Of course, it would have been stranger if it hadn’t, given that there were two S-class espers!
Shin Haejun and Hyun Dowoon went wild, not just killing monsters but destroying the terrain, and each time, my power was drained through Guiding. Well, even so, it was like drawing water from a well, so we had to keep destroying the dungeon environment for a while even after defeating all the monsters.
“Oh, a growling sound.”
Why am I embarrassingly… hungry when I use up all my power?
Around the time when icebergs started forming in the once peaceful dungeon, my stomach growled. Shin Haejun cheerfully pointed it out and rubbed my stomach. Then he deliberately twisted my flat stomach, kneading the flesh and chuckling.
“Do you want to die?”
Unable to let go of my hands due to Guiding, I glared at him with sharp eyes. Shin Haejun slowly removed his hand, looking regretful.
“It seems your power is gradually depleting. I didn’t expect it to take this long, Jaeha-ssi’s power seems particularly abundant.”
“Well… it’s probably good since I have to Guide two S-class individuals.”
I replied unconsciously, then quickly shut my mouth. I thought there was no need to say such things when they were already enduring each other.
“Really… I feel like I have almost no power left.”
I muttered, feeling increasingly hungry and drained. Hyun Dowoon then steered the palanquin towards the dungeon exit that had appeared a while ago.
“We should finish depleting it after leaving the dungeon, just in case something happens.”
It was certainly the right call. There had already been quite a few accidents in dungeons, and there was no benefit to having something happen in an unstable dungeon environment.
As we dismissed the palanquin in front of the exit and came out, we found reporters spread out in the distance, having somehow gotten wind of our location. In front of them, people who looked like security guards and Hyun Dowoon’s secretary were creating a barrier line to greet us.
“Center Director, I’m sorry! It seems that… information leaked from the team that was originally scheduled to enter this dungeon.”
“I expected that much, but it’s a bit disappointing that you couldn’t send the reporters away yet.”
Hyun Dowoon spoke to his secretary in a gentle voice. Although he didn’t raise his voice or scold harshly, his secretary looked dejected. It seems this level of expression was Hyun Dowoon’s way of reprimanding.
“For now, we’ll handle all business after today. Regardless of what the reporters ask, dismiss it as confidential and say we’ll send a press release later.”
After speaking decisively, Hyun Dowoon glanced at Shin Haejun. Shin Haejun then naturally approached the security guards and gave some instructions.
Soon, Shin Haejun’s car stopped in front of us. Shin Haejun slipped into the driver’s seat vacated by a security guard and reached out to open the passenger door.
‘If I sit next to Shin Haejun here…’
I briefly imagined the scene in my head. Me in the passenger seat, and Hyun Dowoon in the back… hmm, it still feels strange.
I glanced at the security guards blocking the reporters with their bodies, then quickly closed the door and got into the back seat.
“Aw.”
Shin Haejun grumbled softly, then drove off swiftly, leaving the reporters behind. Since we needed to do Guiding quickly anyway, we couldn’t go far, but it seemed he intended to go somewhere without people for now.
Whether Shin Haejun’s security guards were better than expected or not, after about 30 minutes of driving, there were no cars following us.
When we parked the car in a secluded place and attempted the final Guiding, I felt the power completely draining from my body. And in contrast, I could feel that the bodies of the two who had been receiving Guiding continuously at the end were in a perfectly energized state without any tangled power.
“I think this is the first time I’ve been in such a perfect state since birth.”
“My headache… has completely disappeared.”
While the two were marveling, I collapsed into Hyun Dowoon’s arms, feeling my body completely languid.
‘Some change…’
I couldn’t clearly tell if the attempt to reverse the world had failed or not. I tried to gather my wits, thinking I needed to know what would happen next, but my energy was depleted, my vision blurred, and finally my eyes closed shut.
***
When I came to my senses, I was on a bed. My body felt heavy, and Shin Haejun was beside me, casually playing with his phone with his leg propped up on my body.
‘Why is my body… shaking like this? Am I cold?’
Somehow my body felt chilly. I wondered if I was coming down with something and touched my forehead, but there was no fever, just goosebumps all over.
Something was wrong.
It felt like my whole body was warning me. As if something terrifying was about to happen.
‘What is it?’
It doesn’t seem like the world has been rolled back… I don’t know why I’m feeling this way. I briefly wrapped my arms around myself, then suddenly thought of something and fumbled around the pillow.
“What’s wrong?”
“Where’s my phone?”
I asked in a slightly sharp voice, feeling very uneasy. Shin Haejun immediately reached behind my head and handed me my phone.
I left Shin Haejun alone for now, curled up my body as much as possible, then turned on my phone and went to the author’s Twitter.
‘Maybe there’s some trace… hmm, nothing.’
I had hoped there might be some clue about the current situation, but nothing had changed at all. I sighed, and then Shin Haejun whispered softly from behind me.
“What are you looking at? There’s nothing there.”
“…Huh?”
Surprised, I reflexively turned to look at Shin Haejun. He slightly furrowed his brow and asked me again.
“I thought you were looking at something serious, but why are you staring at an empty screen?”
At his words, I turned my gaze back to the phone, and I could see the author’s Twitter. There was even a colorful picture, probably a cover image, set as the profile picture, making it quite vibrant. Can’t he see this?
“It’s… empty, you say.”
I wanted to ask if he really couldn’t see it, but I couldn’t find a way to explain, so I couldn’t bring myself to ask. Instead, I chewed on my lip out of habit. The incomprehensible situation made me slightly anxious again.
‘Oh?’
Then suddenly, I saw a new post had been uploaded. It was a brand new, hot-off-the-press post.
(Notice) GRBB @Green_baby01
[Hello, dear readers.
I’m sorry to come back with bad news.
‘How to Be Loved by an S-Class Esper’ is being discontinued due to my health and personal circumstances. I’m truly sorry that I couldn’t show you Haejun and Sehyun’s story until the end.]
After that, the author’s lengthy apology continued. Ending with a request to read the publisher’s notice for more details, the author left a long apology and then disappeared from Twitter.
And surprisingly, as if logging out, the author’s Twitter turned completely black. It was completely hidden, preventing any further posts from being seen.
The author has decided to abandon the story.
And suddenly, Nine’s warning message appeared before my eyes.
I gripped my phone tightly, facing this unexpected yet seemingly inevitable situation. I had so many questions to ask Nine.
‘Haejun…’
Glancing to the side, I saw Shin Haejun looking puzzled, as if he couldn’t understand why I was so shocked.
‘Now is not the time to worry about that.’
I can just say I received another revelation from the constellation. It might seem like a flimsy excuse, but since the two of them had at least pretended to believe my weak excuses before, I had no choice but to use it again.
“Just a moment.”
I got up from the bed and approached the window, calling for Nine.
“What… happens now?”
What would happen if an author abandons their own world?
At least I was completely safe now. I don’t know what will happen after this, though.
‘Why aren’t you saying anything?’
Nine didn’t answer my question. I urged again, saying “Nine,” but still, no response came.
‘What’s going on?’
Suddenly, I felt uneasy.
Nine… was it really Nine who had been sending warnings just now?
‘I thought it was obviously Nine, but…’
I assumed it was Nine because I had experienced something similar before. At the moment when I thought Nine wouldn’t return, I felt deeply relieved seeing the sudden message.
Because of that, I completely believed it. Even though the tone was completely different, I thought it was still Nine. I thought that whether due to anger or some other reason, it was entirely possible for Nine to change its way of speaking.
I thought there must be some reason of Nine’s own for not showing expressions…
‘But it never directly said it was Nine.’
Thinking about it calmly now, I realized I had just made assumptions and convinced myself. I felt the ground crumbling beneath my feet and grabbed the window frame. I felt my body tilting.
‘Tilting?’
Wait, it’s really tilting!
“Jaeha, Lee Jaeha! Grab my hand, Jaeha hyung, quickly!”
Shin Haejun lunged at me with an urgent voice. As soon as my hand touched his embrace, the building really crumbled. The world visible outside the window was all crumbling and burning, as if hit by a massive calamity.
“What… is this…”
I thought the problem would naturally be solved… but the world has turned into chaos.
‘Nine wouldn’t have suggested such a method to me.’
I opened my mouth wide, thinking I had been completely fooled by some unknown entity. One side was crumbling, the other was burning, and with my sense of direction lost, I couldn’t properly recognize the current situation.
More precisely, it felt like I was seeing the ‘unrecognizable space’ I had seen before. Because of this, it really felt like this world itself was shattering into pieces.
“Jaeha-ssi!”
Suddenly, Hyun Dowoon sprang out from a space that I couldn’t tell was white or black, bright or dark. I felt despair, tightly entangled with him and Shin Haejun. I never thought I’d witness this world completely shattering as a result of my choice.
I never imagined I’d have to say such a sudden goodbye to these two…
Hello. There’s no need to be afraid. I’ll send you to a safe place now.
As I closed my eyes tightly in fear, a clear voice resonated in my mind. The gentle voice of a woman calmed my startled heart.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
