BME | Chapter 1.3

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In​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ the end, however, nothing happened that day. Seoin returned to the car a little later, but Jinwon did not kill him. He simply started the car.

The dream Hyewoo had believed was a flash of his life before death had been utterly ordinary, as though it had merely recreated a scene from the past.

It was only natural. After all, it had never been a dream from beginning to end.

A​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ week passed after that first dreamlike day.

If Hyewoo had to name one of his few strengths, it was his willingness to submit to whatever situation he found himself in. That was the attitude his father had always demanded of him, and it was also what Hyewoo did best. This time was no exception.

After initially denying reality, Hyewoo reached a conclusion on the fifth day.

He​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ did not know how it had happened, but he was not dreaming. It seemed that he had gone back in time, three years into the past.

Of course, the process of accepting everything had not been easy. For the first two days, he stayed shut up in his room, watching the sun rise and set. Afraid that he might fall asleep and wake up on the balcony again, he could not easily close his eyes. He spent all night clutching his phone, even slapping his own cheeks and trying all sorts of things.

After going through all that, Hyewoo decided to accept that he had returned to the past. There was no such thing as a dream that remained unbroken for days and felt this vivid. The event was so miraculous that he had forced himself to deny it, but in truth, Hyewoo had wanted this moment to be reality more than anyone.

After​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ washing his face to help wake himself up, Hyewoo looked over his reflection in the mirror. At this age, he looked much younger than he had three years later. His expressionless face seemed somewhat sullen, while the baby fat still clinging to his cheeks made his youth unmistakable.

The face in the mirror looked like Hyewoo, yet somehow not like him at all. The mere fact that color had returned to his usually gloomy complexion made him seem like a different person. Though he hated to admit it, he even looked like someone who had grown up without ever knowing hardship.

The most astonishing change in his appearance was that he seemed taller than before. His rounded shoulders had straightened, and his hunched posture had been corrected, which seemed to account for it. Whatever the reason, it was a good thing.

But​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ that did not mean Hyewoo was nothing but happy to have regained a healthy body and returned to the past.

The day when this miraculously recovered life would come crashing down again was not far away.

Hyewoo was twenty years old now. And in the year he turned twenty, on September 27, six months from now, at around six in the evening, his father would be killed by Baek Jinwon.

He​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ had only six months left. It was far too short a time to waste in the intoxication of happiness.

In truth, he was not simply happy, either….

Since returning to the past, Hyewoo had been floundering amid countless thoughts. Gratitude that he could see his living father, guilt over having been unable to do anything until the moment his father died, relief at having escaped the mansion that had been like a prison, fear for the Delta Team Espers who were still alive and well at this moment, and confusion.

‘Hyewoo, get a grip. Do you think it was only one or two people gnashing their teeth to kill Dr. Lee? Hundreds of people died in your dad’s laboratory alone… No. It must have been thousands.’

‘Think of it as you paying the price for his sins. How about it? Doesn’t that make you feel a little better?’

His​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ father had always said that a few sacrifices for the sake of great discoveries were inevitable.

But everyone else said the opposite. Hyewoo’s father was a murderer, they said, and Hyewoo was the son of a murderer.

Even now, Hyewoo could not tell what was right.

Having​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ spent his entire life inside the mansion, Hyewoo lacked experience compared to others his age. Above all, he had never learned how to think and make decisions for himself. Before he could go through the process of worrying over something alone, his father had always given him a clear answer, so he had never needed to think deeply about anything.

After losing his father, he had followed only his last words: “You have to live, no matter what.” Now that he had returned to the past, he was confused about what he should use as his guiding star.

Still, even amid his turmoil, one thing was clear. He had to save his father, no matter what.

“Hyewoo,​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ is the food not to your taste?”

Hyewoo, who had been lost in thought, raised his head. Seoin was looking at him with concern.

“No. It’s delicious. I was just thinking about something….”

“I​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ see. That’s a relief, then. Hurry up and eat.”

“Yes.”

Hyewoo had no appetite, so he picked up his glass of water and took a sip. His chest ached at Seoin’s worried gaze.

Though Seoin was called a villain by everyone in the world, to Hyewoo he was his one and only precious father. His father, who had wished only for Hyewoo’s survival even as his own life was fading away. Knowing that he would die, there was no way Hyewoo could stand by and watch.

More​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ than anything, Hyewoo had no confidence that he could live in a world without his father. So saving his father would ultimately mean saving Hyewoo, and in the end, it would mean keeping his father’s dying wish.

‘I have to save Father.’

And yet, for some reason, the moment he had that thought, a faint resistance welled up from deep within him.

Was it because his father had done bad things…? No, that wasn’t it. He had already known that even before returning to the past. Hyewoo shook his head, casting off the inexplicable emotion.

Even​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ if his father truly was a villain who deserved to die, just as people claimed, that did not change the fact that he was the pillar supporting Hyewoo’s very being. His father was Hyewoo’s only family, and the person Hyewoo had to save even if it cost him his life.

But saving his father seemed practically impossible under the circumstances.

The experiments conducted here were being carried out with the deputy center director’s powerful backing, and most of the guards and members of the private security team in the house were high-ranking Espers. Even so, Baek Jinwon had slaughtered every one of them.

What​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ was more, after everything was over, Jinwon had not appeared to have a single injury. He had seemed to need only guiding. Hyewoo had no idea whether it was even possible to protect his father from someone like Baek Jinwon.

Hyewoo was not particularly smart, had received little education, and lacked experience besides. His determination to save his father was clear, but no viable method came to mind. He knew he had to think deeply, because he was aware of his own shortcomings.

That was why, even after realizing the truth of his situation, Hyewoo remained shut inside his room, continuing to consider what he could and could not do.

He​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ weighed what would happen if he told his father the truth against what would happen if he bore everything alone. He also tried to imagine what he would have to do if he decided to get through this situation by himself.

His endless deliberations dragged on without progress. For Hyewoo, it was the first time in a very long while that he had truly thought something through on his own. After drawing countless possibilities in his mind, he slowly crossed them out one by one.

In the end, Hyewoo settled on two options.

His​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ first plan was to ‘separate Baek Jinwon from his father.’

There were only six months left until his father’s death. For now, rather than seeking a fundamental solution, he had to come up with the next-best option he could put into action immediately. But no matter how much he thought about it, there were only a few things Hyewoo could do.

As Hyewoo headed back to his room after finishing his meal, he hesitated and looked over his shoulder. As always, Baek Jinwon was following behind him.

When​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ their eyes met, Jinwon asked with his usual smile, “Was there something you wanted to say to me?”

“No, it’s nothing….”

Hyewoo shrank back for no reason at Jinwon’s smile and quickened his pace. He was scared…. How could he not be frightened when the murderer who had killed his father was right behind him? Hyewoo clutched the doorknob to his bedroom as though trying to flee.

But​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ at that moment, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Hyewoo recalled how Jinwon accompanied him everywhere he went. As the leader of Hyewoo’s escort team, Jinwon had to move his post according to wherever Hyewoo went. Hyewoo focused on that fact.

‘Then, if I leave the house….’

One reason this place had been so helplessly destroyed in Baek Jinwon’s attack was that he had established himself at the very center of the mansion. It was only natural that an attack launched from inside would be harder to respond to than one that advanced inward while destroying everything from the outside.

Once​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ inside his room, Hyewoo folded his arms and paced in circles around the bedroom. No matter how hard he thought about whether there might be a better way, he could not come up with any solution besides leaving the house.

In any case, he had only one option left. Hyewoo decided to leave the house with Jinwon.

Naturally, that was not easy, either.

Perhaps​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ he should have expected it, but the moment Hyewoo said he wanted to leave the house, his father strongly objected. From Hyewoo’s perspective, leaving the house seemed like the best option, but Seoin had no way of knowing how he felt.

Seoin answered without taking his eyes off the report he was reading.

“It seems someone has been filling your head with strange ideas. Stop saying pointless things and go back to your room.”

Seoin​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ had always been excessively protective of Hyewoo, so he had expected it to be difficult. Even so, he had not expected his request to be dismissed so firmly. He had thought Seoin would at least say he would consider it, even if only as an empty platitude. It had been a foolish hope.

“More importantly, Hyewoo, did you get any sleep last night?”

Seoin asked this as Hyewoo was about to leave, his back turned to him. In his father’s eyes, Hyewoo still seemed to be a little child.