EST Ch 7

“Hae Gijun, aren’t you being too harsh?”

“Harsh? So what? Telling Baek Sunwoo to go die voluntarily is a kind and gentle thing to say? If you look at the content, what you’re saying is much worse.”

The words poured out with deep anger. Another student tried to intervene, but Gijun’s fury didn’t subside. It was understandable. He had heard this kind of nonsense from the student council multiple times.

At first, he understood that the situation was dire and people might say such things under pressure. At that time, Baek Sunwoo was leading, and seeing his abilities firsthand might have made them think he was the prophesied one.

But even as the situation changed, the student council, especially Nam Hyeongwook, always acted this way. In this round, Baek Sunwoo hadn’t even stepped forward in front of them, and no major incidents had occurred yet.

Gijun had prevented the first incident in the annex auditorium and helped drive away the fireball monsters. So far, they hadn’t faced any real danger. The information he had given to the class president had also kept them relatively safe.

He had worked hard to create a peaceful first day, and now this? It was enough to make Gijun see red.

He didn’t mind being criticized. He didn’t care if they thought he was monopolizing Baek Sunwoo for his own safety. But pushing Baek Sunwoo to his death was something he could never allow.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense for you, Nam Hyeongwook, to be the one to awaken? You have the highest SPI at Shinhe High after Baek Sunwoo.”

“…Hey.”

“If, as you claim, the prophesied one is related to SPI, and Baek Sunwoo’s chance of a second awakening is 0%, then it’s just you. You seem to have a strong sense of responsibility as the student council president, so why don’t you go find those people first?”

Everyone fell silent at his sharp words. It was surprising to hear someone usually so quiet at school speak so forcefully. Moreover, his words, though harsh, weren’t entirely wrong.

“Enough, Hae Gijun.”

Nam Hyeongwook stepped forward, closing the distance in one stride. His pupils were dangerously dilated, and he spoke through gritted teeth, barely holding onto his composure.

“Why is someone who stays quiet at school acting out here? You’ll regret this.”

“Regret what?”

“When we get back to school, do you think your life will be okay?”

“Oh, talking about school when we might not even make it out alive.”

Gijun’s mocking nod made Nam Hyeongwook raise his hand. His movement was aggressive, as if to push Gijun’s shoulder.

“You could get hurt right here and now-.”

“Don’t touch him.”

At that moment, Baek Sunwoo, who had been silent until now, stepped in. He grabbed Nam Hyeongwook’s wrist and looked him straight in the eye. His expression wasn’t angry or glaring, but the calmness was chilling. His voice was devoid of warmth.

He hadn’t reacted to the talk of sacrificing him, but the moment Nam Hyeongwook tried to touch Hae Gijun, his gaze changed. Just meeting his eyes made it hard to breathe, as if under a compulsion. Nam Hyeongwook hesitated, taken aback.

Feeling humiliated by his own reaction, Nam Hyeongwook tried to twist his arm free. But despite his efforts, he couldn’t break free from Baek Sunwoo’s grip.

“Let go, while I’m asking nicely.”

“Hyeongwook.”

“…”

Stuttering mid-sentence was embarrassing, but when Baek Sunwoo quietly called his name, he froze. The calm call sent chills down his spine, making him unable to speak. Nam Hyeongwook rolled his eyes to look at him.

“Will you let me follow the rules?”

H.N’s first rule: Espers affiliated with this organization prioritize the protection of civilians and do not use their abilities for personal reasons.

For Espers, H.N was an ideal place, and its first rule was inspiring. But now, recalling that rule made Nam Hyeongwook’s skin crawl. His hands trembled involuntarily.

A teacher approached.

“Hey, kids. Why are you suddenly fighting?”

It was the homeroom teacher of Class 3. He had been checking on Park Inhoo’s injury and arrived late, looking very flustered by the tense atmosphere. Being a gentle person, he tried to calm the students, saying, “We shouldn’t be fighting in this situation…”

Baek Sunwoo silently let go, and Nam Hyeongwook stepped back with a slightly stiff face. Feeling humiliated for having completely tensed up in front of Baek Sunwoo, he quickly glanced at Baek Sunwoo and then turned his head the moment their eyes met again. Gijun didn’t even find it amusing.

Park Inhoo was also approaching with a limp. Gijun regretted having helped, as he had injured the teacher to prevent him from leading the students into danger. Of course, part of the reason was to direct the flames towards him due to personal grudges…

Gijun let out an annoyed sigh and turned to grab Baek Sunwoo.

“Let’s go, Baek Sunwoo.”

Even then, Baek Sunwoo, who had been staring at Nam Hyeongwook, immediately responded to Gijun’s call. He looked like a loyal, obedient puppy, making Gijun even angrier. They were planning to sacrifice someone like him? Absolutely unacceptable.

Gijun grasped his arm tightly and walked briskly.

The atmosphere in room 304 at the dormitory was awkward.

Just a while ago, Hae Gijun had a big fight with the student council, and Baek Sunwoo had almost been made a scapegoat or the cause of the current situation. Naturally, everyone glanced at the two of them.

“Wow, this room is really spacious.”

“It’s for 15 people… It’s the same layout as the girls’ room, just reversed.”

Shim Dokyung and Ahn Youngah awkwardly commented on the dormitory. Lee Donghun, feeling embarrassed, hovered near the door and asked what they should do if a student from Class 2 came. Without looking at him, Gijun told Ahn Youngah to check and let them in.

This indifferent attitude made the others even more tense, but in truth, Gijun wasn’t bothered by the fight with the student council. To him, it wasn’t even a “fight.” Someone had spouted ridiculous nonsense, and he stopped it before it escalated.

So, Gijun was more intrigued by room 304, where he was supposed to be. He started rummaging through the pile of bags, wondering if his bag might be there. Someone might have brought his bag from the bus.

And, as he had hoped, he found his bag quickly.

“Ha…”

He felt an unexpected sense of relief seeing it again. The contents were just a few clothes, small items, and a phone with no signal, but finding his belongings provided a strange comfort.

Feeling more at ease, Gijun started searching through other bags. The rustling naturally drew attention.

“Found it.”

Gijun sighed briefly and tossed it to Lee Donghun behind him. Lee Donghun, with his quick reflexes, caught it and looked at it in confusion.

“A lighter…?”

“Hae Gijun, were you a delinquent?”

“What are you talking about? I found it in another bag. Anyway, don’t use the flashlight; light the candles with this. We need to save the batteries.”

Gijun replied coolly to Ahn Youngah’s playful suspicion. There was a reason he had taken candles from the control room.

Every time he entered a room, he always found at least one lighter in someone’s bag. And Gijun expected to find more, so he continued searching the bags, even getting Baek Sunwoo to help.

“Check the bags too.”

“Is this okay…?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

He needed to practice making the overly kind Baek Sunwoo act out. Grabbing the hesitant Baek Sunwoo’s hand and pulling him, he was momentarily surprised, but eventually sighed and helped search through the bags.

What they found was…

“Wow, food!”

“Huh… Come to think of it, we’ve been hungry all day.”

It was snacks.

Stuff brought to eat on the bus or at the training center. With various snacks, sausages, and instant noodles, the table became quite abundant. Gijun continued searching through the bags, only to find alcohol disguised as water, and returned indifferently.

Everyone eagerly reached for the food they hadn’t had in hours. It wasn’t a proper meal, but now wasn’t the time to be picky. The hunger they had forgotten about due to the constant tension hit them all at once, making even snacks a blessing.

After filling their stomachs a bit, Shim Dokyung murmured with a somewhat dazed face.

“This feels like a campfire…”

Gathered around the candlelight, eating snacks, it did feel somewhat like a campfire. Ahn Youngah giggled and started talking about a school trip she took in middle school.

On the second night, they had a campfire, and at the end, each person held a candle and listened to the instructor talk about their parents, which made everyone tear up. Her giggling voice carried a hint of bitterness.

“We were supposed to be on a school trip today…”

The atmosphere grew heavy. Shim Dokyung, being particularly sensitive, even started to sniffle, and Lee Donghun awkwardly tried to comfort them.

But he seemed troubled too, scratching the back of his neck before clearing his throat and asking Hae Gijun,

“Hey, are you really not going to tell the teacher? I talked to our teacher a bit ago, and he seemed genuinely shocked by the situation…”

The person who had come to mediate the fight in the hallway was the homeroom teacher of Class 3, Lee Donghun’s teacher. Hae Gijun had left quickly, so they hadn’t talked much, but Lee Donghun relayed everything the teacher had said.

They decided to be cautious now that it was dark, planned to do a quick search nearby with a few student council members, and return to the dormitory. If there were any problems, they should go to the teachers’ dormitory. Lee Donghun had shared this information and mentioned he was staying in room 304.

This made Gijun’s head ache for a moment. He understood why Lee Donghun had shared their location, but…

After some thought, Gijun sighed and pulled out “it” from his back pocket. He decided it was no longer possible to keep it hidden.

Everyone’s eyes were drawn to what he placed on the table.

“Why is the phone so broken?”

“Is that… blood?”

It was the homeroom teacher’s phone, which he had found at the rest stop.

Gijun briefly explained what had happened at the rest stop. He found the teacher’s blood-stained phone near the parking lot and saw a piece of someone’s clothing sticking out of the bus trunk. Baek Sunwoo nodded in agreement to support the unbelievable story.

Everyone’s faces turned pale at the shocking tale. Shim Dokyung tried to deny reality, saying, “No way…,” but Ahn Youngah accepted the truth after checking the phone. She touched the heart sticker on the case and muttered blankly,

“It’s definitely our teacher’s phone…”

Her explanation about the sticker she had put on it echoed somberly. The shattered screen, with blood seeping through the cracks, looked horrifying to everyone.

-Thump, thump, Gijun lightly tapped the table. He understood their shock but couldn’t let the atmosphere stay down forever. He spoke firmly on purpose.

“First of all, it’s certain that Park Inhoo, the homeroom teacher of Class 1, is on ‘their’ side.”

“The group with the cards that say LINK?”

“Yes. Let’s call them LINK from now on… It seems Park Inhoo has been connected to LINK from the beginning and intentionally joined Shinhe High to plan this school trip. But I’m not sure if he could have prepared something of this scale alone.”

Ahn Youngah sighed briefly. She now understood why Hae Gijun had asked if they could trust all the teachers in the afternoon.

Lee Donghun then asked seriously,

“Shouldn’t we tell the others about this?”

“What difference would it make? We can’t drive out an A-class Esper, and it would only make things more dangerous. Even if LINK’s goal is to induce an awakening, they’ll definitely kill if we get in their way.”

“You sound so sure. Anyone would think you’re speaking from experience…”

He was speaking from experience. Ahn Youngah’s attempt to lighten the mood with a joke unexpectedly made Gijun’s heart ache. That time, Baek Sunwoo had died, cornered in the hallway…

While he sighed inwardly, Shim Dokyung seemed to realize something and exclaimed,

“Is that why you sent the flames towards Park Inhoo earlier?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“I saw it from upstairs… Gijun threw something towards the teacher. The flames covered him, and I thought it was an accident…”

Lee Donghun, who had been in a daze, nodded a beat late. He had seen it too but dismissed it at the time. Now it was clear that Hae Gijun had intentionally injured Park Inhoo to prevent him from doing anything suspicious.

“Wow, Hae Gijun had it all planned out…”

“Sometimes he’s really scary. How does he know so much and handle things so well? At least five rounds at the training center.”

It was the 11th round. Gijun’s heart ached again.

“Anyway, since Park Inhoo is definitely one of them, we can’t join them. Lee Donghun, I know you trust your teacher, but don’t share any information with them. If they find out what we’re doing, we could die.”

“Y-Yeah.”

Even after seeing Lee Donghun nod, Gijun also got additional agreement from Ahn Youngah and Shim Dokyung. This was the most peaceful round so far, and he didn’t want to fail because of something said carelessly. Though the three in front of him didn’t feel it was peaceful at all, it was different for Gijun.

No one in the group had died or gotten injured yet in this round.

He needed to maintain this peace for as long as possible. Only then could he keep Baek Sunwoo alive and escape from here. Following that objective, Gijun detailed the future plans.

“Look, this is the building layout…”

He tore a few sheets from a notebook and sketched the training center’s layout. Having wandered around the training center several times, he had memorized its structure to a certain extent. Everyone looked on in amazement.

“How does he know this? We didn’t explore much today, did we?”

“Did he study the training center’s layout before the trip?”

Gijun didn’t bother answering the questions. He silently drew the map and marked a few locations to watch out for.

Depending on the distribution of students, the appearance and frequency of monsters varied. However, there were pre-hidden monsters in specific locations, like the fireballs encountered on the first night. They needed to be cautious to avoid the fireballs on the second night as well.

When asked how he knew those locations, he vaguely credited his sister’s stories. While claiming that monsters liked to hide in such places sounded plausible, it could raise questions. Whenever someone seemed about to ask, he quickly changed the subject.

They also reopened the machine blueprint from the main building’s control room to gather more opinions. However, no definitive answers emerged, and it became evident that everyone was growing tired.

Although feeling impatient, Gijun knew that pushing too hard wouldn’t solve anything. He soon cleared the papers from the table and said,

“It’s late now, so let’s get some rest. We need to move as soon as the sun rises.”

They had been on the move constantly since morning. Although the plan was to search at night, they had already checked the main building’s control room with Shim Dokyung’s information, so it was okay to rest.

Having relaxed after eating, everyone’s faces looked drowsy, so they nodded immediately. Ahn Youngah expressed surprise at how it was already past midnight.

She mumbled that she wouldn’t be able to sleep, but surprisingly, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Watching her fall asleep in three seconds, everyone decided to stay quiet. Gijun thought that maybe her ability to sleep well was part of her luck.

He had never fallen asleep here.

After repeating this several times, he was now able to endure until the second night. Throughout, Gijun had stayed awake. Whenever Baek Sunwoo died, the physical fatigue vanished as he returned to the bus. With so much to be wary of and concerned about, sleep wouldn’t come.

However, the mental fatigue was certainly accumulating. Feeling unusually sensitive, Gijun leaned against the wall and looked at the blueprint. His eyes were particularly tired today, so he had taken off his glasses.

Even in the now-dark room with the candle extinguished, everything appeared clear to Gijun’s eyes without his glasses. As he pressed his fingers to his temples and studied the blueprint, Baek Sunwoo quietly approached.

“Aren’t you tired, Gijun?”

“…Not really. You go to sleep first.”

“I’m not really tired either. You worked the hardest today…”

As Baek Sunwoo said, Hae Gijun had faced monsters about three times today. Once in the annex auditorium and twice in the main building’s hallway. But Gijun silently shook his head. While it wasn’t that he wasn’t tired, it wasn’t something that sleep could fix.

“Are you looking at the blueprint again?”

Soon, Baek Sunwoo sat next to him, leaning in. A subtle soap scent wafted over, and water dripped from the ends of his hair, suggesting he had just washed his face. For a moment, Gijun stared at him.

Baek Sunwoo held his breath under the calm gaze. Having never been this close to Gijun without his glasses, he felt tense.

“You’ll catch a cold.”

Suddenly, Gijun picked up a towel and started drying Baek Sunwoo’s hair. The unexpected gesture left Baek Sunwoo too stunned to stop him.

Although his hair was only slightly wet, Gijun moved the towel as if drying someone who had just come out of the water. Yet his touch was gentle, further confusing Baek Sunwoo. It felt like someone handling delicate tofu.

“I-I can do it.”

Finally, Baek Sunwoo grabbed the towel to stop him. In the process, their fingers briefly touched, causing Baek Sunwoo to pull back even more quickly, and Gijun looked at him curiously. It was also a gaze checking whether he had dried his hair properly.

Under his watch, Baek Sunwoo fully dried his hair, feeling much better. As Gijun nodded in satisfaction, Baek Sunwoo, feeling embarrassed, said,

“You worry about everything…”

It was a roundabout way of saying he was very overprotective.

In fact, the image Baek Sunwoo had of Hae Gijun wasn’t much different from the impression Lee Donghun had of him. But the Gijun he saw here was so different that it was a bit, no, very surprising. Given the serious situation and special circumstances, it was understandable that his attitude might change, but…

“So, you’re trying to protect everyone, right? Predicting where the monsters will appear and sharing strategies to deal with them.”

Earlier, Hae Gijun had drawn the building layout and shared some information about the monsters. He explained that he had heard it from his sister and said that if they met other students during the search tomorrow, they could share this information.

When Baek Sunwoo pointed this out and expressed his admiration, Gijun scoffed.

“It’s all because of you.”

It was a small, lamenting murmur.

At this point, the only thing that mattered to Gijun was Baek Sunwoo. In the past, it would have been himself, but now the focus had shifted to Baek Sunwoo. And that one change had altered many things.

Gijun was fundamentally indifferent to others. Even though he had gained various knowledge through several regressions, he never intended to save everyone with it. He knew it was impossible. But because of Baek Sunwoo, he couldn’t help it.

If he had to rationally analyze the reason for helping the others, it was primarily as a “shield.” The fewer people there were, the more noticeable his movements would be. He needed to keep as many students alive as possible to divert LINK’s attention. And…

“…Because of me? Why?”

“Because you’re kind. I’m afraid you’ll run out if you see others in danger.”

And die again.

Gijun naturally swallowed the last words. The unspoken sentence fell heaviest in his heart, echoing loudly and spreading widely. He stared at Baek Sunwoo and then rubbed his face nervously. Having seen him die right in front of him multiple times, sometimes the image of Baek Sunwoo’s bloodied face overlapped with his current one.

Suddenly, Baek Sunwoo grabbed his hand.

Startled by the sudden contact, Gijun looked up and realized his hand was trembling. Thinking he was showing an unsightly appearance, he tried to pull his hand away, but Baek Sunwoo spoke in a serious voice.

“I’ll never run out suddenly. You told me to stay by your side, and I’ll keep that promise.”

“…”

“And I’m not as kind as you think, Gijun.”

“You’re kinder than I thought.”

He snapped back, momentarily irritated. Seeing Baek Sunwoo’s surprised wide eyes, Gijun hesitated. Should he take this opportunity to beg him to stop being so kind, to act selfishly? Or should he plead?

Then, Baek Sunwoo chuckled lightly and whispered,

“Do you remember what you told me in the library?”

“…Library?”

“Yeah. When we met late at night in the library during our first year.”

Gijun’s eyes slowly moved side to side at Baek Sunwoo’s words. He didn’t remember. Judging by his expression, it seemed like an important conversation…

Seeing Baek Sunwoo’s face gradually fill with disappointment made Gijun anxious. He quickly searched his memory and finally exclaimed,

“Oh! The time I slept in the library!”

He unconsciously raised his voice in relief. Embarrassed, Gijun glanced at the others. Fortunately, they were all deeply asleep, showing no reaction.

First year, late at night, library. With these three clues, he barely recalled the time. Gijun had often gone to the library because it was quiet and a good place to sleep. The supervising teacher was often out, so there was no interference with his rest.

One time, he had slept until around 9 PM and then met Baek Sunwoo. He vaguely remembered the conversation but nodded as if he did. As soon as he said he remembered, a smile spread across Baek Sunwoo’s face.

“That time, I was late because I was organizing books for a friend…”

“What? That jerk just dumped the work on you and ran off? Is that a friend?”

“You said exactly that back then. You really remember.”

Having accidentally given the correct answer, Gijun nodded nonchalantly. He pretended to remember, maintaining the same anger from back then.

Baek Sunwoo silently laughed, narrowing his eyes. He said that the words Gijun had said to him back then had stayed with him for a long time, making Gijun rack his brain to recall what he had said.

In the first semester of their first year, Baek Sunwoo was a well-liked figure among all the students. Handsome and kind. But some people took advantage of him, seeing him as an easy target. There was also some jealousy.

So he probably… tried to console him in that situation? Since he remembered it so well, he must have given him some good encouragement, right?

“You told me I was living a very exhausting life.”

“…”

Hae Gijun was forced to reflect on his character a bit. Unfortunately, it was exactly the kind of thing he would have said in that situation.

“And you asked if I didn’t get tired from listening to everyone.”

“Well, when I just wake up, I get a bit irritable.”

His words felt awkward and fragmented. Hae Gijun deeply regretted what he had said back then. While he still agreed with the content, it was too raw a statement for someone as gentle as Baek Sunwoo, especially since they weren’t that close.

“Actually, I agreed to help at the library that time because I didn’t want to go home early.”

“Oh, really? I butted in unnecessarily then. I take back what I said…”

“No, that’s not why I’m telling you this.”

Baek Sunwoo shook his head gently and continued calmly.

“At that time, I was living with my uncle. My parents passed away in a dimensional incident when I was young, and I moved from one relative’s house to another, always feeling like I was imposing. I stayed late at school because it was frustrating to stay quiet at home…”

This was the first time Gijun had heard this. He knew Baek Sunwoo had started living separately after his awakening, but he hadn’t known about his family situation. Even after regressing multiple times, he had never heard this story. Gijun hid his surprise and listened carefully.

Seeing Gijun’s attentive attitude, Baek Sunwoo’s faint smile deepened, as if he had expected this reaction.

“So I stayed at school late. Honestly, when my friend asked for help, I didn’t realize it, but it was after hearing your words that I understood why I acted that way. And…”

“…”

“I realized I was tired and exhausted.”

Baek Sunwoo spoke in a calm voice, as if thanking him.

Gijun blinked silently, unsure how to react. He was confused, no, very confused about how to respond to someone who had taken his unsolicited advice so positively and said it had helped them.

Moreover, Baek Sunwoo’s confession that he was tired felt awkward, as if it was the first time he had ever said such a thing, making Gijun even more hesitant to respond.

Baek Sunwoo tilted his head and whispered,

“Do you want to know how I awakened?”

For a moment, Gijun’s eyes widened. The cause and process of Baek Sunwoo’s awakening had never been fully explained. The ability re-examination was conducted by a national institution, so information was blocked. There had been many rumors, but the only certainty was that there had been a commotion in the examination room.

Perhaps knowing the reason for the awakening would help Gijun understand Baek Sunwoo better and aid in saving him. Seeing Gijun’s curiosity, Baek Sunwoo smiled softly.

He then began to speak matter-of-factly.

“During the re-examination, they showed past memories through a simulation. But when I entered, there was a system malfunction, and one scene kept repeating: the moment my parents died in the dimensional incident. I was there too.”

“…What?”

“My parents’ last words to me were to live kindly…”

The story continued in an utterly calm manner. It could be that time had dulled the pain, or perhaps he had revisited that moment so often that he was used to it. Gijun was at a loss for words.

It wasn’t that he felt pity or sympathy for Baek Sunwoo’s loss. It wasn’t something Baek Sunwoo was seeking either. Gijun was speechless because he realized that Baek Sunwoo had probably lived for a long time bound by his parents’ last words.

Living quietly to avoid conflict with relatives, and being kind to friends. Being a good kid.

“It was so hard seeing that moment repeat that the desire to stop it led to my awakening. And it caused an incident…”

During the ability re-examination, the subject would enter a small room while two examiners operated the machine from outside. Artifacts to block abilities were placed around the examination room to prevent accidents. However, Baek Sunwoo’s obedience ability penetrated those, forcing the two examiners’ heads into the control panel, shutting down the system.

Such a powerful ability breaking through the barrier was rare. If that level of power was not properly controlled, it could be disastrous. If he were corrupted by the otherworldly magic, it would be catastrophic. That’s why H.N scouted him immediately.

To ‘control’ Baek Sunwoo’s power.

“But actually, back then, it wasn’t the scene of my parents dying that made me sad. It was hearing those words repeated that I hated more. I felt exhausted and tired.”

“…”

“Aren’t I selfish?”

His murmur was tinged with a hint of a smile, but it was clear it wasn’t a happy one.

Gijun remained silent in the face of this newly revealed truth. Baek Sunwoo seemed more comfortable with this silence than awkward consolation and smiled. His voice, disclosing this personal truth for the first time to someone else, sounded unfamiliar even to his own ears.

“After I awakened, I felt relieved. The kids were scared of my abilities and avoided me, and my uncle started to keep his distance. It felt comfortable and liberating.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. So, you don’t have to worry about me being overly kind.”

…Damn it…

Gijun cursed inwardly, feeling guilty immediately after. He realized trying to turn such a kind person into a delinquent was wrong. He had wished Baek Sunwoo would be selfish, act a bit more harshly.

For the first time in a long while, Hae Gijun felt a pang of conscience. It was like undergoing an exorcism.

Being kind isn’t a crime, after all. Actually, the reason Gijun could maintain his sanity through the repeated school trips was all because of Baek Sunwoo. Because he was kind, Gijun could hold onto his humanity and minimum moral standards.

Moreover, Baek Sunwoo’s kindness wasn’t the type that harmed or troubled others. If anyone got hurt, it was him. Criticizing someone who steps into danger with backed-up ability for being foolish was something no one had the right to do.

Gijun sighed and said,

“…No, it’s fine to be kind. Just don’t do anything too dangerous.”

“I won’t do anything dangerous. I won’t try to sacrifice myself unnecessarily.”

That statement instinctively aroused suspicion and rebuttal, but the weight of the prior conversation squashed it. Gijun ended up just nodding.

Reflecting on previous rounds, Gijun began to understand Baek Sunwoo’s actions.

Having experienced a dimensional incident firsthand, it made sense for him to worry and care about the kids in a monster-infested situation. And though he now said that living kindly was tiring, someone who had lived that way for over a decade wouldn’t easily change.

He had lived for a long time, sacrificing himself to keep that promise. Even if kindness was his nature, that promise had become a sort of shackle.

Suddenly, Hae Gijun felt anxious. Thinking of “sacrifice” reminded him of the conversation he had with the student council hours ago. Grabbing Baek Sunwoo’s arm, he said,

“Hey. Don’t think about what the student council said. Just forget it completely.”

“Yeah. I get it.”

Baek Sunwoo smiled brightly. But Gijun felt even more uneasy at that pure smile. Baek Sunwoo, whose very name seemed to embody kindness, scared him more. What if he suddenly decided there was merit in sacrificing himself and ran out?

As he worried seriously, Baek Sunwoo spoke.

“Actually, if you had agreed with their opinion, I might have gone along with it…”

“What? Are you joking? No matter who agreed—”

“I won’t, I won’t. Because you firmly said no, I didn’t care about it at all.”

Baek Sunwoo hastily explained, taken aback by Gijun’s reaction.

But Gijun’s anxiety had already peaked. Delegating such an important decision to someone else made no sense. Not just for reference, but actually following their lead? Was he too kind, causing his own opinions to be lost? Gijun became serious.

He warned, staring straight into Baek Sunwoo’s eyes,

“Don’t even think about sneaking out while I’m asleep.”

“I won’t.”

“I’m not going to sleep. If you have any strange thoughts, I won’t let it slide. Damn it. Even if I say I won’t let it slide, you might still—”

“I said I won’t.”

Baek Sunwoo laughed softly, looking both amused and exasperated. But Gijun, muttering anxiously to himself, scanned the surroundings. His actions, feeling around the floor and searching through a nearby bag, were unstable.

“I can’t just tie you up…”

Gijun was serious. He had thought about handcuffing their wrists together from the start, and now that urge was stronger. Should he find a rope and tie him up? How should he tie the knot? As bizarre thoughts continued,

The tip of his finger twitched.

Baek Sunwoo had gently taken his hand. As Gijun looked at him curiously, intertwining only their pinkies, Baek Sunwoo spoke in a slightly awkward tone. His eyes darted around, as if he had mustered a lot of courage for this action.

“If you really can’t trust me, how about holding hands?”

“…”

“I’m worried that you’re not sleeping because of me. If we hold hands, you’ll notice if I move…”

Gijun blinked at his explanatory words. He wondered if that was really the right thing to do, but since it was kind-hearted Baek Sunwoo suggesting it, he wanted to agree. While repeated regressions had made Baek Sunwoo a standard for his judgments, Hae Gijun had always been weak to genuinely kind people. When faced with someone truly and purely kind, he found it hard to act as he usually did.

In the end, Gijun nodded and intertwined their fingers.

“Alright. But I wasn’t planning to sleep anyway, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

Baek Sunwoo flinched noticeably. As Gijun, speaking nonchalantly, gave him a questioning look, he hesitated for a moment. Alternating his gaze between their intertwined hands and Gijun, a smile soon spread across his face.

He looked both flustered and paradoxically, incredibly happy. That smile was so perfectly described by the phrase “beaming with joy” that Gijun found himself momentarily captivated. He thought it was astonishing that a person could smile so kindly.

Feeling oddly ticklish inside, he lowered his gaze to their clasped hands. Their intertwined fingers were so white and delicate, it seemed fitting for him. As he unconsciously fiddled with them, Baek Sunwoo shivered slightly.

When Gijun looked up curiously, he noticed Baek Sunwoo’s reddened ears. Though they could have been hidden in the darkness, they were vividly clear to him.

“You seem to have a fever.”

Gijun immediately reached out with his other hand. Was this delicate fluff catching a cold from the autumn night’s chill? Why? Could it be from the water splashed when they caught the fox monster? He had worried at the time but dismissed it since the heat had dried it quickly.

He placed his hand on Baek Sunwoo’s forehead to check for a fever. Feeling a slight warmth, Gijun’s expression turned serious. Baek Sunwoo, flustered, said he was fine, but Gijun didn’t hear him.

“If you’re sick, you need to tell me right away. Don’t hide it because you don’t want to worry me, okay?”

As he poured out his concerns, Baek Sunwoo blinked slowly. Initially startled by the sudden closeness, he now stared at Gijun, who was worrying right in front of him, as if finding him unfamiliar and fascinating.

Realizing Baek Sunwoo wasn’t listening properly, Gijun was about to warn him again. But before he could speak, his face was gently cupped. The soft hand brushed lightly over his eyes.

“Gijun, did you know your eyes glow blue?”

“…What?”

“When you were fighting the monster, your eyes looked blue for a moment.”

The ticklish touch made Hae Gijun frown slightly. Despite holding hands, the light touch on his face felt overly unfamiliar. He couldn’t push away the gentle tofu-like Baek Sunwoo.

“…Maybe you saw wrong?”

“When they looked blue on the stairs, the moon was behind you…”

“Then it must have been the light.”

“But I saw it when you were fighting in the hallway too.”

Gijun had nothing to say. He had never heard of his eyes glowing blue. Even while navigating in the dark, he had never felt that way. Of course, how would one even feel their eyes glowing blue…

His eyes had hurt while leading the way, but Gijun eventually answered that he didn’t know and turned his head. He knew Baek Sunwoo had a habit of making direct eye contact, but now the distance felt unusually close. Pretending to check his eyes on his phone screen, he naturally pulled away from Baek Sunwoo’s hand.

As Baek Sunwoo watched him, he soon wore a curious smile and said,

“Gijun, you have good eyesight, don’t you?”

“…What?”

“You have good vision but wear glasses with a high prescription on purpose, right?”

This time, Gijun was genuinely taken aback. He reflexively wanted to deny it but closed his mouth at Baek Sunwoo’s confident expression.

As he said, Hae Gijun did have good eyesight.

Since his ability was related to “seeing,” it was natural that his vision was good. But the problem was that he saw “too much.” Finding it exhausting, Gijun wore glasses with a high prescription to blur his vision. Wearing glasses with the wrong prescription should have worsened his eyesight, but it didn’t.

In the end, Gijun admitted the truth.

“How did you know?”

“It was noticeable today, and… remember that time in the library when you fell asleep and left your glasses behind? That’s when I figured it out.”

“Oh…”

He remembered that.

Gijun often used the study room attached to the library as a nap room. That day, he had skipped lunch because the menu was unappealing and almost missed his next class because he had been sleeping. Fortunately, Baek Sunwoo woke him up, and he moved to the classroom but forgot his glasses.

Later, Baek Sunwoo followed him and handed over the glasses. Gijun had muttered, “No wonder I could see so well…” and put on the glasses, almost tripping on the stairs. Baek Sunwoo had caught him, probably noticing something was off.

As Gijun recalled the memory, he realized something strange. Come to think of it, he had met Baek Sunwoo quite often in the library. He had thought they had little interaction, but there were quite a few moments with him in his memories.

It was a very odd realization. As Gijun tried to piece together his memories, Baek Sunwoo asked,

“Then why do you wear glasses? Is it tiring because your ability is always active? But if you can see well in the dark, you could just wear them at night.”

“…I see well during the day too. It’s bothersome.”

It was a very condensed answer. Saying that seeing well was bothersome might sound strange, but Baek Sunwoo just looked at him quietly and then nodded.

Thinking it was because of his kind nature that he didn’t press further, Baek Sunwoo spoke. It was a quiet murmur.

“You seem to have a lot of secrets…”

Hae Gijun stopped abruptly and looked at Baek Sunwoo silently. His face, which had suddenly lost its expression, was as cold as frost. It was a look that clearly indicated he wouldn’t accept questions about it, rejecting them even before they were asked. It was a chilly yet pale look.

Sometimes, he exuded a cold atmosphere, like a person quietly existing on a frozen lake. And Baek Sunwoo felt it was like ice on the verge of breaking.

“You can use me, Gijun.”

“…What?”

“I learned a lot at H.N. I can be quite useful.”

For a moment, Hae Gijun blinked blankly, then let out a laugh as if finding it absurd. Meanwhile, Baek Sunwoo tried to emphasize his usefulness, but before the conversation could go on, Gijun shook his head.

“I know you’re strong. But…”

Hae Gijun knew Baek Sunwoo’s abilities well. Making an adult male obey him earlier today was a simple task for him. Baek Sunwoo hadn’t even used half of his power yet. But knowing that, he still couldn’t use him.

“It’s better if you don’t get into danger. That’s the most important thing.”

For my mental health.

Gijun swallowed the last words. Baek Sunwoo, looking slightly surprised, widened his eyes and then slowly smiled. It was a happy smile, like someone tasting a piece of a long-awaited dream.

Whatever made him so happy was unknown, but Gijun felt relieved. Seeing him smile like that, he thought Baek Sunwoo wouldn’t bring up being used again.

After that, they shared various light conversations.

They refined their plans for moving once the day broke, looked at the blueprint together, and occasionally talked about H.N. Some stories were ones Gijun had heard during his repeated moments, but he reacted as if hearing them for the first time. Even if it was the same story, this time the conversation felt particularly warm, and he gladly engaged.

Suddenly, Gijun sighed and picked up his phone.

“Just in case, I should set an alarm for sunrise.”

“Do you know when the sun rises? The network is…”

“6:11.”

He answered calmly and set the alarm. He didn’t plan to sleep, but he worried he might miss the sunrise while focused on the blueprint. He needed to wake the others so they’d be alert by the time it was fully light.

As Baek Sunwoo watched him curiously, he suddenly showed interest in the phone.

“Can I check out your phone?”

“There’s nothing to see.”

Curious, Gijun handed him the phone. It was a device purchased two years ago with a basic wallpaper and a clear case. A very ordinary appearance. However, Baek Sunwoo seemed fascinated, turning it around and examining it, making Gijun quickly lose interest. There wasn’t anything particularly secretive in the gallery either.

At some point, Baek Sunwoo suddenly stopped. Gijun glanced over to see what he was looking at.

It was the name saved in the contacts: Baek Sunwoo. They were in Class 3 together in their first year, and his attendance number was 9, so it had been saved that way and never updated. Awkwardly, Gijun took the phone back and pressed the edit button.

“Since the class has changed…”

He almost unconsciously asked for the attendance number but stopped since they weren’t in the same class anymore. Thinking that was it, Gijun turned back, only to find Baek Sunwoo looking even more dejected.

“…”

He looked so downcast and sad. Gijun couldn’t help but feel bewildered as he glanced between the phone and Baek Sunwoo.

Why? What’s the problem?