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A young man with a haughty yet elegant demeanor, so composed that it was hard to imagine he had grown up in the slums—the lowest of the low in the outskirts of Central.

“You’re so young, but you can meet my eyes so directly. Hm? So cute.”

To me, he had always been out of reach. At the same time, he was a strange man.

After every mission, Ki Sihyeon would drop by the center just to pat my head. Even with the acrid stench of exhaust fumes and a metallic tang clinging to him, his face remained perfectly clean and composed. And every time he saw me, he’d say something along the same lines:

“Grow up big and strong.”

He’d whisper it in a voice that didn’t match his personality at all—sweet and low. Hurry up and grow. Grow fast. Like that.

“But what’s with the look on your face, kid?”

Honestly, it made me uncomfortable.

Back in his twenties, Ki Sihyeon wasn’t the polished adult man he is now. People who only know him as he is today would find it hard to imagine.

If someone told them he would one day look right at home in a tailored designer suit made by a world-renowned stylist, anyone who knew the old Ki Sihyeon would just click their tongue and scoff.

The first Ki Sihyeon I remember was an immature young man who hadn’t yet learned how to rein in his rough nature. He tried to hide it, but the violence in him would always leak through the cracks.

His jet-black hair shimmered blue under the light. His gaze was sharp, like a wild bird of prey. Even when he smiled playfully, the glint in his eyes under those long lashes felt… unsettling.

His eyes, shaped in a soft curve as if to feign gentleness, were always filled with a kind of boredom and indifference, as if the whole world failed to interest him. And that disinterest—that pretense—felt colder than metal. It gave me chills.

So when that strange man came close, acted all friendly, and patted my head while telling me to grow up, I honestly hated it.

“Want one?” he asked, holding out a candy.

“I don’t like candy.”

“That’s weird. Don’t kids usually love this stuff? Then tell me what you do like. I’ll bring that for you next time.”

He knew I was wary of him, yet Ki Sihyeon was always kind—only to me. He wasn’t the type to be sweet to kids, but when it came to me, he’d always smile and flirt and act all gentle.

“I hope you grow up fast.”

He’d stroke my hair, sometimes even lift me into his arms, always urging me to grow up.

“Why?” I asked once.

He twisted his lips into a smirk. It was a savage kind of smile that didn’t suit his delicately handsome face. He used to smile like that sometimes.

Now, he’s accomplished so much, and most would call him the strongest Esper alive. But the truth is, Ki Sihyeon was known for his looks before his abilities. You’d lose count trying to list all the sponsors he had, all under the condition that he “maintain his appearance.”

“Because you’re the only one.”

“The only one for what?”

“You’re the only one who’ll look me in the eyes, kid. I’m so lonely.”

“Lonely?”

And then he’d pout like that, too. So weird.

He talked like he was living with his head in the clouds, always doing odd things, and sometimes throwing everyone off with his unpredictable behavior. Yet Ki Sihyeon was always surrounded by people. He was the center of attention—scandals, drama, constant chatter in Central. And he says he’s lonely?

But whenever he pouted like that, his eyes would look genuinely empty—like he really was dying of loneliness. He’d gaze down at me with those pitiful eyes like it was some tragic play.

What was even more ridiculous was how his eyes looked so vulnerable, yet his perfectly smooth face still held that smug, relaxed smile. It made you think he was just messing with you.

Lonely? Ki Sihyeon? Yeah right. That’s what I thought. So I slapped his hand away.

“If you’re so lonely, go make a friend. Don’t beg a nine-year-old to play with you.”

“Listen to this kid. Got quite the attitude, huh? I like it. You’re gonna grow up real interesting.”

“Get lost. You’re annoying.”

What was Sihyeon’s reaction back then? Did he clutch his stomach and laugh like he was having the time of his life? He laughed so hard it seemed like he couldn’t breathe, but his eyes were cold. That’s how I knew it wasn’t real. That’s why I got angry.

When I was younger, I disliked Ki Sihyeon for no real reason. I just hated him.

His name came up everywhere, which annoyed me. And the adults at the center, even government officials, always told me to become a strong Esper like Ki Sihyeon—like that was some kind of compliment. It was exhausting.

And they always added, “But don’t be uncooperative like him. Be powerful like Ki Sihyeon, but not difficult.” Learn from him, but also use him as a cautionary tale. What exactly was I supposed to take from that?

I already found him insufferable, and this just made it worse.

Every time he saw me, all he did was talk about how I needed to hurry up and grow up, to understand him someday… It was crazy. Ki Sihyeon felt like a lunatic to me. I hated running into him.

What kind of adult tells a kid he’s lonely and needs them to grow up so they can “hang out”? On top of that, he was a mess—more days with scandals or accidents than calm ones. What did he even want to do with me when I was grown? He already seemed like he was having plenty of fun.

“Here. Take this.”

Still… even though I hated him, I didn’t completely hate him. There was a reason for that.

Everyone at the center treated me like I was a ticking time bomb. It’s calmed down a bit now, but when I was a kid, there were always two or three people assigned to watch me at all times. I was shuffled between labs every other day for tests and training.

I could manipulate brains—human or animal, even other Espers like me. I was dangerous, someone who could control others like pieces on a board. The center called me a monster. And because I was a monster, they said I had to be especially careful not to act like one.

“What’s that?”

“A birthday present. Can’t you tell just by looking? Geez, you’re really slow.”

“This?”

“This? It’s a teddy bear, obviously.”

No one treated me like a child. Because I wasn’t a normal kid.

Everyone who faced me either tiptoed around or looked uncomfortable. They either wanted to use me or were secretly terrified. Behind my back, they whispered that I was dangerous and needed to be dealt with.

I was a perceptive child. So even though Sihyeon was annoying and weird and I really didn’t like him, sometimes… I felt comfortable around him. He was the only adult I didn’t have to read or be cautious with. He treated me like a kid. A frustrating one, but still—he wasn’t afraid of me. He wasn’t weak.

Maybe that’s why I ended up liking him without even realizing it.

“Happy birthday, kid.”

Every year on December 21st, the center threw me a birthday party in the main hall—the largest one they had. High-ranking officials from the government and the center showed up. Powerful people from various industries came to offer congratulations.

I got a lot of presents. Expensive ones. Land I had no use for. Buildings. Gems. Clothes. Things like that. Not like I ever left the center anyway—what good were they to me?

And yet, somehow, Sihyeon always gave me the most useless gift. Every year, it was like a competition to see who could win the “Most Useless Gift for Woo Seonwoo” award, and Ki Sihyeon was undefeated.

“Are you seriously insane?”

“It’s perfect for a kid. If you get scared at night, you can hug it while you sleep.”

“You’re so annoying. Drop dead, Sihyeon.”

Teddy bears. Music boxes. Giant boxes filled with candy and cookies. Fairy tale books. He really brought all kinds of things. Every year.

What did he give me last year—my nineteenth birthday? Oh, right. That psycho gave me lip balm.

I was so baffled I asked him why, and he said it was because my lips had been chapped lately and it was bothering him. Apparently, it was custom-made.

He gave me a handmade item crafted from the byproducts of a dungeon he’d cleared—like I was some kind of test subject. I wanted to ask what he’d put in it, what the ingredients were… but honestly, I was too scared of the answer.

“Just a little longer and you’ll be an adult, kid. It’s about time you start caring about your appearance. But don’t go around dating just anyone now that you’re of age. If the center’s poster child gets caught in a scandal, the higher-ups will lose their minds.”

“Is that from personal experience?”

At that, Ki Sihyeon gave me this thoughtful smile—like someone who didn’t play with fire anymore, like someone who had chosen just one person. He looked at me, remembering something, and said it with a cool but handsome calm that made me forget the reckless young man I used to know.

“Yeah, Seonwoo. Don’t screw around like I did. Just behave.”