BME | Chapter 1.10

“…Dr.​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ Lee must have really hurt our Hyewoo’s feelings.”

His whisper grew thick with lust.

“Are you going to do everything Dr. Lee told you not to do?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ Then let’s do that.”

Jo Huitae tightened his grip on their laced hands and climbed on top of Hyewoo’s body. After living this long, the day had finally come when Dr. Lee proved useful.

“You made the right choice, Hyewoo. If you’re going to rebel, you have to do it properly…. I’ll teach you.”

“Yeah.​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ Help me.”

Even as the air grew abruptly thick and sticky, Hyewoo calmly wrapped his arms around Jo Huitae’s neck. His eyes were innocent, but his actions were not. Whether he knew what the posture meant or not, Lee Hyewoo only looked up at Jo Huitae with mild eyes. At this point, Huitae wondered if Hyewoo was doing it deliberately just to turn him on. Excited, Jo Huitae buried his face in the exposed nape of Hyewoo’s neck.

“Ngh, that tickles….”

“Haa…​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ It’s all right. I’m doing it to make you feel good.”

His damp breath tickled Hyewoo’s skin. Jo Huitae, who had been stroking Hyewoo’s waist, slipped his hand beneath the hem of his clothes. An artificially created breeze brushed against the exposed skin. Since Jo Huitae liked to use his ability while guiding, the sensation was familiar to Hyewoo.

Hyewoo gazed up at the ceiling over Jo Huitae’s shoulder. He slowly traced the pattern overhead, deliberately trying to think about something else.

Even​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ after drinking wine like water, his mind remained perfectly clear. Hyewoo, who seemed to have little interest in alcohol, actually had an unusually high tolerance, far beyond that of an ordinary person. It was one of the things he had learned after his father’s death.

“Hyewoo, you’re even more… than I thought.”

Jo Huitae’s touch grew increasingly explicit. Every word he whispered was obscene. Hyewoo let his words pass in one ear and out the other, then quietly closed his eyes, pretending he had fallen asleep from intoxication. He had stopped thinking and was simply waiting for time to pass.

He​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ wanted to shove Huitae away immediately, but he steeled himself. If he waited in this state, a commotion would break out before long. He only had to endure until then.

But before even ten minutes had passed, the breeze that had been circling around them suddenly disappeared. In contrast, Jo Huitae’s breathing grew harsh at an alarming rate.

It was just then that Hyewoo sensed something strange in the suddenly quiet air.

“It​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ would be best to end the game here.”

A calm voice brushed past his ear. At the same time, the weight pressing down on his body vanished.

“Don’t interfere, no, wait.”

Along​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ with Jo Huitae’s frantic voice came a powerful vibration that shook the wall with a thud. The sofa they were lying on trembled as if an earthquake had struck.

Hyewoo hurriedly opened his eyes. He had been barely conscious, and for a moment he thought his senses had stopped working. Somehow, in the span of only a few seconds, the room had become hazy with the debris of a shattered wall.

“Ah, fuck. That’s cheating.”

Hyewoo​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ turned toward the voice and saw Jo Huitae embedded in the ruined wall. He looked so wretched that Hyewoo could hardly believe he was the same man who always walked around with his chin held high in confidence.

“Cheating? It looks like you were the one who used your ability first.”

Jinwon replied to Jo Huitae without a trace of emotion, then walked over to Hyewoo.

“Uh,​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ why… ngh!”

Hyewoo opened his mouth in a daze when the back of his neck was suddenly yanked. He squeezed his eyes shut, and when he came to his senses, he was standing on both feet. What was going on?

A beat later, his befuddled brain finally grasped the situation. In other words… Baek Jinwon had suddenly come inside, slammed Jo Huitae into the wall, and half-forcibly hauled Hyewoo to his feet.

“Shall​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ we go, Young Master? We’ve had enough of this little deviation.”

“Ah….”

Hyewoo stared up at Baek Jinwon in bewilderment. There was not the slightest difference in the man’s face from when he had been sitting on the sofa a moment ago. As though Hyewoo’s confusion was none of his concern, Baek Jinwon gestured toward him.

“Lead the way.”

“……”

“Hurry.”

“…Well,​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ the thing is….”

Hyewoo stood there with a flustered expression. He could not leave yet…. He still had plans. Part of him felt relieved to see Jinwon throw Jo Huitae into the wall, but if he left now, he would not be able to help Esper Kang Jaejun.

“Just a moment. Huitae looks hurt….”

With​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ no other choice, Hyewoo approached Jo Huitae, pretending to be worried about him. Jinwon watched Hyewoo walk toward Huitae as if he were looking at an innocent child. He seemed to think Hyewoo was acting this way because he did not know what Huitae was really like.

But Hyewoo knew perfectly well why Jinwon had intervened. Jo Huitae was an Esper with a terrible reputation, and there was a strong possibility that he would do something bad to Hyewoo. As Hyewoo’s security team leader, Jinwon naturally would have had to stop the guiding.

“Jo Huitae, are you all right?”

“Hyewoo.”

Jo​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ Huitae had been leaning against the wall and glaring at Baek Jinwon as if he wanted to kill him, but his expression changed as soon as Hyewoo approached.

“Fuck, this hurts like hell.”

Jo Huitae clutched his side, apparently having injured the area around his ribs. He liked watching other people bleed, but hated getting hurt himself.

“Are​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ you okay? Does it hurt a lot?”

Hyewoo took Jo Huitae’s hand and carefully guided him. He could have put more effort into the guiding, but he conserved his guiding energy in preparation for what came later.

“Should I go get Choi Yeogyeong if it hurts that much?”

“There’s​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ a potion in my room. I can just drink that.”

Perhaps embarrassed to be acting like this in front of Hyewoo, Jo Huitae kept swearing under his breath. Somehow, the fact that he did not say a single word to Baek Jinwon made him look pathetic.

“Which room is it? Let’s go together. I’ll support you.”

Hyewoo​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ said it to buy time, even though he knew Jo Huitae could stand on his own. When Hyewoo slipped an arm beneath Huitae’s armpit and helped him up, Huitae did not refuse and leaned his weight against Hyewoo. Jinwon merely watched them with his arms folded. Hyewoo struggled to avoid his gaze.

Jo Huitae’s guest room was not far away. Hyewoo took the key card from him, opened the door, and went inside.

When Hyewoo deliberately moved slowly to buy time, Jo Huitae assumed he was doing it because he regretted having his guiding cut short. He looked down at Hyewoo with a sly grin.

Hyewoo​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ checked the time on his wristwatch. The sun had disappeared from the sky outside the window long ago. It might have been around this time….

“Hyewoo, send Baek Jinwon-ssi away, and then we can….”

“…Wait.”

Hyewoo cut Jo Huitae off and pricked up his ears at the sound coming from outside. The closed door made it difficult to be certain, but he had definitely heard something explode.

“Didn’t​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ you hear that just now?”

“Hear what? I didn’t hear anything.”

Jo Huitae shrugged, pretending not to have heard anything despite his senses being far more developed than Hyewoo’s.

“No,​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ I definitely heard something.”

“You must have misheard.”

When Jo Huitae played innocent, Hyewoo became even more certain and opened the door. As if that were a signal, a sharp gunshot rang out in the distance. Bang!

Apparently,​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ the guest-room door had soundproofing, because the moment he stepped into the corridor, a chaotic mix of people shouting and screaming, along with the sounds of things breaking, filled his ears.

Hyewoo swallowed involuntarily. Even though he had already known a terrorist attack would occur, the surge of tension made his entire body tingle. In truth, Hyewoo had never once gone out into the field since birth.

But he had no time to hesitate here. The commotion had begun. He had to find Esper Kang Jaejun as quickly as possible.

Hyewoo​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ carefully made his way toward the ballroom, keeping an eye on his surroundings. Well-dressed people came rushing out in terror. The terrorists’ targets were obvious: the people affiliated with the deputy center director. The ordinary civilians, on the other hand, did not appear to be pursued even when they fled.

“Aah! Run!”

“They’re unregistered Espers! They have guns!”

People​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ sunk in panic wailed and shouted warnings. Hyewoo let the crowd pour out ahead of him, then resumed walking once there was room in the corridor. When he glanced back, he saw Jinwon following him.

Once a good number of people had escaped, the screams grew less frequent. Only gunshots and the intermittent sounds of things breaking could be heard.

The closer Hyewoo got to the ballroom, the faster his heart pounded. Had he really made the right choice? He could hardly believe he was walking into the site of a terrorist attack of his own accord. His legs trembled at the thought of a stray bullet flying toward him.

If​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ Hyewoo had been alone without Jinwon, he would never even have considered doing something like this. Baek Jinwon was also affiliated with the center director, so he would probably stand by and watch this situation unfold, but Hyewoo believed that at the very least, Jinwon would keep him from dying. That is, if he intended to remain the leader of the escort team.

“Young Master.”

“…Yes.”

“Do you still have no intention of returning to the car?”

The​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ man following behind Hyewoo asked quietly. It was already the third time he had asked.

“Yes. I’m a Guide too, after all. I think I should help.”

Hyewoo answered firmly. Perhaps, in Jinwon’s eyes, he looked like an immature young master caught up in playing hero. But that was fine. Hyewoo was simply grateful that Jinwon had not dragged him away by force.

Hyewoo​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ pictured the layout of the ballroom in his mind. When he had surveyed it earlier, there had only been a few places where he could avoid the terrorists’ attacks.

The first place that came to mind was behind the thick pillars at the far end of the spacious hall. Hyewoo decided to look for Kang Jaejun there first. The ballroom was just around the corner.

“They’re gathered over there.”

Hyewoo​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ had cautiously poked his head out to look inside when the sudden voice nearly made his heart drop. He turned around in surprise and saw Jinwon standing directly behind him. The relaxed man looked as though he were out for a leisurely stroll, completely detached from the chaotic scene around them.