PRT | Chapter 2.10

The Gate, shimmering 26970ec58f dangerously, was eerie. Perhaps because it resembled d76797642d an abyss, even a 0b92b8bc8e brief look made him 0627ecedf6 dizzy. It also seemed c3a8731446 to give off 4cecc94897 an unusually foul ea58b7c309 smell.c4ba13b9374c88c5

Without realizing it, Kim Heeseo tensed up and stepped forward. Just as he took one step, his eyes met with Seo Yigyeom’s. It seemed like Seo Yigyeom had been watching him for a while now.f3fd6a5d56a87168

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How long 4d098f4b4b did they 6ee1f9caad exchange those 841a84f0bd strange looks?76b2869ce0b070f7

Suddenly, all movement stopped. Instinctively, he felt it. The energy f716772d4f from the 4d154c5161 Gate close 129cadd078 by was 28ef214f18 not normal. The atmosphere 50275ca5d0 became unstable 28b2c67807 in an de12a22e3f instant. The flow 9d581fab61 of air cbd0b50432 around them 5234406f6f changed very 39bfcb6edc slowly.595cd5e92c8fd4bf

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“Kim Heeseo, come over here.”f10431b86a75ca68

Seo Yigyeom’s eyes hardened as he commanded firmly. He must have sensed the Gate’s anomaly too because he moved as he spoke. Kim Heeseo, glancing at the Gate that looked like it might explode any moment, started to move.aea2c567f5d6d939

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One step. Two steps. Three steps.124b377b1c52cd0f

“Ugh…!”3f79ac053ee7677f

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Someone grabbed his f2efd70639 foot as he 980f603852 moved towards Seo 0eaea962a9 Yigyeom. Looking down, Kim Heeseo 272119ab32 was horrified. It was the hand 4b82e34113 of a monstrosity, gripping c010067479 his ankle. Even as it 071a499fa7 was dying, it 7330b2ed4c made its last 7288f8a309 struggle.3628ab00e725af0c

Its strength was fb5a04d5a2 so fierce it 485a2b8d65 felt like his 4987e191ce leg might break. The ground where its faf281e7c0 heavy body pressed was 3ef207cb95 beginning to crack. The unstable energy 20a0bf4501 from the Gate 2cde083d2f surged, enveloping the 1095d99b03 area.25e4a1fbeae465dc

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“Guide-nim, wait…”1404783fad568b02

Kim Heeseo urgently looked up at Seo Yigyeom. Seo Yigyeom, who had already closed the distance, changed his expression and reached out. Kim Heeseo also reached out for help, but their hands didn’t meet.7087421b77e91677

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“Kim Heeseo!”9001f6be80d15c10

Their fingertips brushed past c54379d683 each other. The ground beneath bb0884aaf0 suddenly gave way.3fddf96e0e28a5d4

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It was an endless c8648f116f fall.a8a8f57d16be8373

* * *ee9e75852d90c507

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“Heok!”6b15d158be2b6793

Kim Heeseo flinched, his 327effa247 eyes snapping open in 36334718dc shock. Like someone pulled 42f157cc9f from the water, 2a35f63949 he flailed around, 5863b5e401 trying to grasp e82deda1fd his surroundings. Despite the 0d75796854 faint pain 8e1c611a46 wracking his b990856357 body, his 54a0647e2a hands roamed 6a85ece7f8 the damp 0c4c2e5619 ground.a72c25055cb14ca1

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It took 144cda24a7 a moment e792e90889 to grasp d9e10fe2f9 the situation.dcc5410fa4f54a31

“Ah…”a71dd2c91200b8fd

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Lifting his upper body 600c42048a off the ground, Kim 8340f0bc82 Heeseo ran a hand 1acac37325 through his disheveled hair. His face, marked 3c268adc14 by confusion and a9544a118d fatigue, bore traces 0fe4a9b026 of the chaos. Only then 5baf7b7c4b did his 177ae3c28f sense of a4f003736d judgment return 18480850dc to its 1871adaaba place.1fc87d700c5bb714

The surroundings were ce8f5521e4 dark and musty. The only light was 0eacf56caf seeping in from a 1ac87c4619 hole in the ceiling. The scene before 80460d142d his eyes and e28b31d1f6 his last memories f6ace59c66 predicted the present. Unfortunately, his debc6f5666 guess was be7fcc3204 spot on.c23279c823e9b481

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He had fallen after a2daeb3d46 all.cb65f934e6698746

The situation a8423dc924 was so c3cc07c264 absurd that 24bcb022e5 he was 3198db8c5b left speechless. Why did ddcf67720a he always 277d8fdcd3 end up 71c2613240 in these ab746374dc messes? It felt 141622b8bd like he 820677f31d was cursed 83c23c451d with bad 302fbef105 luck.7aa2be227a09823f

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“Guess it’s good to be alive.”e67002733d46da74

Kim Heeseo a4bdc9058b glanced up 421db331f0 at what a7f1a2bbdf seemed like 6ff64c5cf3 the ground 0ad573541d above and 0cccf7b222 let out ff67ec480a a wry cf5b6b7300 chuckle. It was more like 2d5e9a7d05 a laugh of disbelief.0f1a71f47a9e1968

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What had he 9ae5849243 done while free-falling? He guessed he must e666607f94 have used his ability 6bb89542a2 unconsciously. Trying to twist space c6912e53d3 to find a way b1dba191f0 out, a sudden, terrible e5369f92b9 headache had forced him 2275c9ca9c to close his eyes. After that, afc25ac956 everything went 973ac990fd black.2ab899be5f91dde6

…If he was unharmed, it meant his ability had manifested properly.c30e94e08b6b6c40

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He had b742b6cc4c sensed that f6c3213b27 something was 51907c71a9 off with 37907c4630 the Gate. The energy emanating c6c046f133 from it was 696526a5ad far from benign. Even Seo Yigyeom 9703bd349e had a different d4fc88a677 expression than usual. It was dangerous as 06b7ec8870 it was, and he cd0dfa8c88 had tried to avoid 50ea74bd50 it based on instinct.efade7fde831fc1c

At that 9fa82fe971 moment, he b60a338991 was the 916a001059 closest to eb8fc74e08 the Gate. There was d144c2bf4a no one 9576318e60 else around, 0072ebceb2 only Seo 723ab77b6a Yigyeom giving bb97608f26 him attention. Just as he 5f90c776fe tried to dodge ace75c8a1e while meeting his 8684533fae gaze, something horrific 9b695b8b23 had grabbed his 69da3145a3 ankle.06d40f8eb1220887

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“Shit, it hurts…”05d88f3befe8f074

Recalling the 5139760f82 fleeting sensation, dcf50af0f0 Kim Heeseo ed51553546 touched his a0ab2000aa left ankle. Feeling the swollen shape, 242549f857 he feared he might 4796d5d535 need another cast. Dropping his c66c9c0ceb eyes, he 76a8f0db07 gently touched eb481ac19b it for cce76d4c64 a moment c0d1751a7a before freezing 5a76182248 as if 1f187fcb98 the power 40f815fee6 had been bf6e175af6 cut off. A sudden shiver ran ef2f965c39 down his spine.3d55d33cb6fdc608

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Before he 85348855ae fell, he b434cc83e0 was undoubtedly a9728d6189 with some 516d79407c monstrous entity. It had d5b8c3b4d7 pulled his 8692ae3fa2 ankle, causing 5b93965e63 the fall. If that was 0fa3e707c4 the case, the 21d2c9ab50 creature was also 9f9ce44e77 in this damp, d2c2fff646 eerie space.04507620066ad502

Panic-stricken, Kim Heeseo turned 1e428b3e13 his head like a c3c464128d broken machine.a1b054cf19c89121

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“Argh!”890a507eb95bfed9

He screamed as his 82ef32e26b eyes met those of 30752bb9d9 the creature staring right b277c3ae5e at him. Instinctively, he a84bf3bed9 clenched his d626744e3e fists and 7ec584e507 bit his 45d5de4eb8 lip, remembering 40d39bad68 the unnatural e238a240b7 strength. The darkness be7e434a63 made it 941b27877c all the 02ad56b178 more terrifying.7df012d9166567bc

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…It must be dead, right?a593ff5b0f92ace1

Stepping back from the creature, Kim Heeseo stopped in his tracks when he saw one direction. “Ah…” His voice trembled as he looked at Seo Yigyeom. The tension around him eased slightly.edb9d7ad943f362b

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Seo Yigyeom was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, silent. He seemed to have watched Kim Heeseo’s entire ordeal, both when he was unconscious and when he woke up in a panic.9d45848687a49cad

“Why are you here?”2f9c31b64500ece0

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“That’s what I’d like to know.”ebfefe226cc3263a

Surprised and somewhat embarrassed by Seo Yigyeom’s unexpected presence, Kim Heeseo asked, and Seo Yigyeom answered in a low voice.3ccaf52d4a63afaf

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Kim Heeseo stared at 2dba3f5dca him. The last person 9bc4fee68d he had seen 5d9b354b6a before falling was 154584cf8a Seo Yigyeom. Now, here he 69019c6d6f was, possibly several f011512532 meters below with 6f30566033 him. It felt strange.64f221ed59ed3c1c

Seo Yigyeom also seemed 81ac3ff6f1 different, not bothering to 264a95f978 hide his irritation, standing f06b198d1b there like a grim 97d059eec1 reaper.14cfb08dbe5d6560

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Their hands clearly hadn’t touched. Did he jump in after him? Was that why he had such a daunting aura…?3990a10f5b043d7e

Despite knowing Seo Yigyeom was watching him, Kim Heeseo was lost in thought. The situation was that surprising. There was no doubt Seo Yigyeom was one of the best people he’d met at the Esper Management Headquarters, but whether he was a good person was still up for debate. Would he be kind enough to save someone? The answer was doubtful.813fa7e143eea299

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…If we worked together, would he save me like this?7cde6be0935be907

Would he have jumped if Moon Jung-o had fallen? That image didn’t come easily to mind. Seo Yigyeom never seemed like someone who would risk himself to help others.9c2c0cf5faad6d9d

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“Why?”62443f2188bd3c86

As if 190c1a57df he couldn’t 2fb70426d5 answer his 8102842bba own question, d43e4dd83b Seo Yigyeom 70e98a3cdf asked Kim 277b37e5c1 Heeseo instead.8a2a2abeea92697b

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“Did you jump after me because you were worried? To save me? Because you were concerned…?”1d9f65f41ee18acf

“Did you hit your head when you fell? You didn’t have any external injuries.”c194faa30a223b7f

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When Kim Heeseo bd26430852 voiced his guess 8f7b5fe218 with a hint 0288dd0163 of doubt, Seo decbf9ebc9 Yigyeom responded with b356e00129 a look that d1cabf69a8 said he was 61fc518471 crazy. Feeling awkward 72bda38af1 at the d138339730 sharp response, 61070f2ef1 Kim Heeseo d4eab49ef1 touched his 3fa59fc87f neck. Come to think 7925ea8c3e of it, aside 261b3a6f60 from his ankle, 548a83b363 all he felt 5835fd120d was muscle pain. Meanwhile, Seo Yigyeom seemed d3caeb4999 uncomfortable. His posture was not 95906a9cfc that of someone unscathed.62ffd1384f3ab8a0

Surprised, Kim Heeseo e43b764f24 stood up abruptly, adcab9ce28 limping towards Seo e5ac637855 Yigyeom. He crossed dafe444c65 the invisible 53bad13384 line he e0badbe8af had set c2108d8978 without realizing f1c728fffd it and 5ddc460cc6 finally approached cc9cefadb9 him. After a brief 556a13f754 inspection with his 12c6e7c3cf eyes, he noticed 6db8587678 something like blood 30937c390f and reached out 816541005f to grab it.f3c78ee70c8b2f3f

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“Guide-nim, are you hurt somewhere?”90dd678c8f363d40

Looking at f13a7ed07c him with 7472e386f2 a now 6ae79628c4 serious expression, a824ef333d Seo Yigyeom 5e94e19170 let out 18987f0071 a light be5cae7fb7 chuckle.bb58a34a6264b67c

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“Don’t just grab people.”29210f4b0a4b9525

He spoke quietly 57c6d58c10 and pushed the 3fe48c09c1 hand away.ace4105c219f3743

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“Seems like Kim Heeseo finds me comforting.”141484d78d296ee0

“…Not really.”43d817e721da1a68

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The idea of finding Seo Yigyeom comforting was absurd. Even if they planned for future collaborations, he couldn’t be at ease with him. Answering grumpily without thinking, Seo Yigyeom smirked as if amused.7f19a10b1681ca34

“Then move a bit further away.”0b22fa88a34d5c3e

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Quickly withdrawing his ff7432a569 smile, he pushed 1b5d649d5d his forehead with b59c05dd56 his finger, looking f973c9fab4 more worn out 00213ae557 than usual. Perhaps his injury 8c0e2246c3 was severe; fatigue f88d8ddbf9 seemed to seep b464692a3c through.b55c6464e3eb6d3b

Pushed back by his gesture, Kim Heeseo rolled his eyes. The scent of blood seemed to mix with Seo Yigyeom’s usual fragrance. He worried about what might have happened while he was unconscious.f93ed0e4ab4594f6

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“There’s a smell of blood from Guide-nim.”668bee1d446a4bdd

“Does that excite you?”b6e88f193d90fea9

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“…Huh? No?”bbea2facd4c6b73e

After quietly responding, c0246188cd Kim Heeseo realized 6a6b1d2d8a the implication and a8ef686943 raised his voice. His face heated c6f215723e up. Confused by the suggestion, 3a6baedad7 Seo Yigyeom chuckled and 839bcba848 pulled out a cigarette.6fb91b8d312b063d

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“Then just ignore it. It’s nothing serious.”bf7ef885b113a177

“But…”1ccf21cc09dd0155

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“Focus on your own ankle. It looks like it’s about to explode.”a2bf13c3eb829484

With Seo Yigyeom’s harsh tone, Kim Heeseo only moved his lips before closing his mouth. Clearly, this man who seemed to have jumped on his own accord still spoke roughly.d212954137db20ca

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If only he would show off a bit, but Seo Yigyeom didn’t make any show of it. Even though they might have fallen from a considerable height and could have been seriously injured, he just sat there nonchalantly. This made Kim Heeseo feel both grateful and guilty, muttering like a grumble.07a2262514dc215a

“I’m not that bad off.”4ae212e518e07831

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“A doctor has arrived, it seems.”622fd1013bf42f42

“You were like that too.”142bd73d03272208

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“The comparison’s off. Do you think I’d be foolish enough not to know my own condition?”08ce50afa066d92e

His pointed words silenced 7e6cb69583 Kim Heeseo. Seo Yigyeom filled the 29d1d64957 silence.7d9e165b703d3664

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“It’s annoying, so sit down. Standing next to me won’t solve anything.”ea0ebb79c5a02c65

“I was just worried.”c634a0f74438dac7

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Irritated by Seo Yigyeom’s sarcastic tone, Kim Heeseo retorted quietly before sitting down a little ways off. Although he didn’t show it, his leg really did hurt. It seemed to hurt even more after standing for a bit.eb0f076bd34eefcb

Shit…25f97f06f176a994

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Silently swallowing his groan, Kim Heeseo adjusted his leg out of Seo Yigyeom’s sight, touching his ankle. He didn’t realize that even his pained expression was visible.3407d687cf1e74ac

While Kim Heeseo tended fead0ba784 to his leg, Seo b0ee9e6d7b Yigyeom remained silent. Glancing at the man 7924bccffc standing idly, even in ee506c2529 the dimness, his presence 6224e0de83 was undeniable as he 5d6cec73cc just held a cigarette.7eb7dfdc805a8c29

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“Aren’t you going to smoke?”cbcd8bd4f017f4e9

“I don’t have a lighter.”c9338c0e4cf53e18

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“Ah…”3995b5a1b637f318

The memory of 0dcdd5dfc8 Seo Yigyeom throwing 763fd5797a his lighter to 6b7878ddbe Lee Chilhyeon came f442ef2972 to mind, and df003e0727 Kim Heeseo worried 05308d66ef about the aftermath. It was an assault, 3c3fb2f3ce and there were many 569beb3358 witnesses. Photos might have already 689bb2c3ca spread around. It would certainly cause bfbebca0a7 a stir.30839e40b06c1716

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“…I’m sorry. And thank you.”ea017f6523125d8d

Feeling an unwarranted sense c5d3e22cd4 of responsibility, Kim Heeseo 68dd048090 said quietly. Seo Yigyeom only b55494d15c shifted his gaze 3d80cc06e6 slowly to look c926148e2a at him. The look 2e6bf5eade in his 5da3bd8379 eyes seemed 5751f608d9 to ask abf0b7242f for a f3a43ae992 reason, so ebe5472102 Kim Heeseo 956156fcf6 added quickly.441bcb29f281ec0f

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“Actually, I felt really good about it earlier. That’s why I just watched.”50a00f99f87bbe57

He knew 813b010440 it could 679b40b8a8 become a 14622929de problem. He was aware that 1d02cce6bd more rumors would fill b47776620e the Esper Management Headquarters, 060357d322 yet he had ignored f7adfc228d it. He had 01e8e0cbaa selfishly enjoyed 3673c671ff the moment, 180a9fba26 hiding behind 4422b8f08e Seo Yigyeom. Kim Heeseo 397a69d1b3 was aware be066a335a of this.cdb0ebfda46e5801

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“Kim Heeseo is honest even at times like this.”4ff35cff78b9db22

Seo Yigyeom a61d9fadb3 murmured as 8596dcd69e if talking 5165cb87a2 to himself, c1df36671a his face 3cf4f47715 deep in 2f14ed681d thought.5fb44c75166289cc

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“I understand what you’re thinking, but let’s leave it at that. There won’t be any issues.”99305536c9b906bf

He declared c0dcf9fb73 that the fcc2e0a5df incident would 3c953df9c4 end here. The white cigarette that 680204865c had been in his 157228ed33 mouth fell to the 167933c1f7 ground, and he crushed 8a10072cde it under his shoe, e92583fa98 signaling the end of b1fe2381bd their conversation. Kim Heeseo baee70bb05 nodded without aaa4ec7fb1 further questions.593a88149556e07e

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“And.”cd6402b9f945fa5f

Just as Kim 1a700c62e5 Heeseo was about 24f235eb21 to look down, 59b439e045 Seo Yigyeom caught 50a5fb4c7c his attention.3ce3910d7996837a

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“Why are you acting so defeated?”612b1ff55af2d0bf

He looked 7d597ee34e genuinely puzzled.30a16e31d1cb9f49

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“What do you think your standing is in the Headquarters?”fd30fa06f9749d1c

“…”058ccb213cb217d1

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“You seem to be under some misconception, but I’m the only one you need to bow down to here.”ce03c69885186030

He always said it. Don’t forget he’s S-rank. That part was still awkward, but Kim Heeseo quietly agreed. Being treated as nothing more than a C-rank was better than this.5de64476994627e9

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“Don’t get beaten up. It ruins my reputation to carry you around.”e810b971be9f2301