Chapter 25

The investigation remained at 72090b1019 a standstill for days. The lounge where bc1fd430a2 the body was b442109f0b discovered was a 47a5ba6478 CCTV blind spot, cb5f3f4fa4 making it nearly 15afc2fa7e impossible to identify 827c08a33e a suspect.2187a5acc082912e

Efforts to trace the victim’s recent interactions with those on the list of possible infected individuals yielded no significant leads. This suggested that the perpetrator might have no connection to the victim at all.b7493b99ae74acfe

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With no progress 47b0a4c7c4 and increasing frustration, 22a6a2d2c2 Kang Yu-han had 30dbcea54e lost his appetite. He wanted to skip 642da7fae0 lunch entirely, convinced that 3ba2c24ad0 eating anything would just 707708509e upset his stomach.2ff8c0ab83e7114f

However, given the state 582991dd29 of emergency, he couldn’t 233f971542 neglect observing the employee-dense f8d0352e05 areas, like the cafeteria. Alongside Seo 436f19a31f Ji-hyuk, he 9b8723504c entered Cafeteria 70c86fae1e C, the da3fd419b0 closest one f7f6c4a3de to the 4c0cad1c0b lounge, and 51b30a8de8 sat at 1d882faa3f a secluded c5d44a018c table.ed2ccb141c722af6

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“Not eating?” Seo Ji-hyuk 23e43b7ece asked.6cadcd2d8e05a888

“No appetite,” Kang b424f4320e Yu-han replied.683e92b522a0644d

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“Typical. No wonder 0b6f043b94 you’re so b033e7c64b skinny.”5f75ab525a22d6ef

Seo Ji-hyuk scoffed at 7e4016c190 Kang Yu-han, who was 8bcb9d7183 picking at his food. Meanwhile, he 92b3e097e1 himself was 7bfe83d110 unbothered, eating 405660495f a bright 095aa883a0 red soup eb92606264 without hesitation 3d21a4b1ca despite having 43c86f2fa4 seen the 1525d6de19 mutilated corpse 3f66dcad72 earlier.3e99f4abaca784e5

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Kang Yu-han couldn’t 327699d1d6 even bring himself 1205aa5b69 to drink water.0fdf250c50688ea4

He had indeed 9aa0feb166 lost weight. Always slim ddc1bbdb5b by nature, 83e950a292 he had fca3396672 shed even bbdb3df452 more pounds 5838172d4d since living cd25cf90dd with Seo c26eab34af Ji-hyuk. Whether it was from e9e57695ce emotional stress or something 9cbf70230a else, the weight loss c25876846f was noticeable. Even Dr. Yoon had expressed b83df148c1 concern.e16713afbd0dbb7f

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Physically deteriorating didn’t directly 8cac5cc359 affect a Guide’s ability. Although stamina could become 09ae022a63 an issue during prolonged 44e5054c06 guiding sessions, energy levels—determined 77c253a4be by one’s inherent grade—weren’t 6669a69302 influenced by health. For this reason, 2f184faac0 Kang Yu-han didn’t 658ebf4395 pay much attention 8fe3a1a786 to his increasingly 5bd091d94a frail body. But…d1cfbc791095bd35

“You weren’t this d9dd4457d7 bad before. What happened?”7e06ef1bb16e91d5

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Seo Ji-hyuk said, ca87d09c41 clicking his tongue 2c5e15fe49 as he placed 94824555f4 his hand on 6ac3c5c314 Kang Yu-han’s wrist.7f0bd2a350387e22

Startled by the d44728a060 sudden contact, Kang 64c6def628 Yu-han tried to 2aa510742e pull away, but 402ae3b8f7 Seo Ji-hyuk held 8921a6c562 firm, easily encircling 62a0c0327a Kang Yu-han’s slender fc2b9e83aa wrist with his aa7b2b2aa4 large hand.aea9a0b9fb22cdb7

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“Why? Does it hurt your 4bb5312d28 pride?”57be71ac47028d46

Seo Ji-hyuk smirked, b6f357e5ec seemingly mistaking Kang d2f3feef71 Yu-han’s reaction for 5c88d045e9 embarrassment. In truth, 651a31eb55 his heart f907848e38 was racing a0b4dbb403 as if 667ffc970f he’d just afc7ea75f9 sprinted, but 89fd941041 there was 4d8553f014 no way b12735899c Seo Ji-hyuk 32ae97564b could have 78072b902c known that.2ac2315d6eec398a

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“Yeah, so a1a4595609 don’t touch 23c3422a29 me.”3cd2d9bafffb75a2

“Pfft. Scrawny as you are, 321efb81c7 you’re still an Esper, 6faa548c76 right?”1b7e00abce11664f

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“What does being ‘scrawny’ ec4b49574c have to do with b61e51f7f2 anything?”68a0d51af1778b3e

“Just wondering if a7f4d1a14e you can even 3591b2146a do your job 52b3c87df0 properly as an 987ec55548 Esper at night.”0472bdfa8bfcb27a

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“What?”3ac6a72b34604f54

“You know—your Guide. Are you satisfying d1e16d832f him?”da68efffc27199d0

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Heat rose cb2dbfeefa to Kang 525b3b8da4 Yu-han’s face. After a 1da4c1edef quiet spell, 4f7156e1e1 Seo Ji-hyuk 580e23c2e6 was back aeb78d59ba to mocking fecb2ad6f2 him about f2f7c6e4ba his relationship efb051d471 with Kim 1e1568b1df Si-on. It wasn’t 512ca13c70 uncommon for bcf230201c Espers and 4ccc4cf67f Guides to 668b4bef77 act as 76c9c24da3 sexual partners, 821687d87f and while dd4b31eaac some developed 297e880d17 genuine romantic b9acda73e6 relationships, most 39499a4638 cases involved 872d107539 Espers indulging 07eaaf3596 in their e800a44407 Guides’ bodies. Even without a perfect 80f7d5d643 match, repeated guiding sessions e5abbbceeb often led to physical 00516ca063 attraction.11035e699ec31160

The irony efed8d4309 was that 243c1efb42 Kang Yu-han 7d98f09ae1 had never 1e8e2fdb5e received any fe45389942 form of 6eeea302dd guiding from 5418d5e625 Kim Si-on, ad8f526de6 making the d0eaca8466 insinuation particularly 868f5b3fcc infuriating. Not that it fed1df81be would have mattered—Kang 867037d0cf Yu-han’s feelings for f077e6da4c Kim Si-on were 6eb3e07dd4 nonexistent.8d5bee04c42dea16

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“Don’t ask things like 2003e92f33 that.”12303d50750b0c26

“Why not? Is it personal?”94909bc49be9d292

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“…Why are 2d1f02ef48 you doing 1fe1b1287c this? Jealous of him?”b1ebc833066b8585

The words 385a434968 burst out 81ffa3b0bf before Kang fe457cad83 Yu-han could f9d413dc20 stop himself. He suspected 7f6a28e72c that Seo ce7de86675 Ji-hyuk might dc00b1b2e4 be sexually 3468407ef7 drawn to c00dd1c2cf Kim Si-on f9abe74bf7 after their ebd0346b0e guiding session fe1a43c084 a few 183b3b317f weeks ago. That night, Seo Ji-hyuk dd502eb5a7 had shown obvious signs df4d124e02 of arousal, even resorting 344c18213a to self-relief in front e691573cfa of Kang Yu-han. It was 16dc26e39b undeniable proof 94b18c2fc7 of his 509b9e678f heightened state.761d978fc91ca069

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“Do I seem 7c36b5c41c like that to 04de6849a2 you?”c60778e16a9fa7fb

“….”cb6c4639dcd2a6e6

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“Do I c0fee893bc look like 7e83f490ad I want 492f6e5000 to sleep fe0e35fa3f with him?”e3ff1d77ca892722

“…Let’s drop this.”f5db2c00d87d8a13

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Any discussion involving 15954f2dea Kim Si-on inevitably 925513e2c8 led to arguments. Their dynamic was a972f33f40 already strained, and 0d285cd9aa bringing up the c321fdd95e biggest powder keg 793ee854a0 between them only a486bebd79 made matters worse.aed4d88021d94557

With his fe0662b791 appetite now 0636986a66 entirely gone, 4aeb34b09f Kang Yu-han c6cd0d6eca drank some 0b0703d1c6 water instead. ‘Someone might 0788a37735 think I’ve 3f9d383ec5 turned into 3f84fc20b8 a Variant 463d84bf12 at this 2cd62fae33 rate.’ His 8ba280b297 disinterest in 6dcb90722c food mirrored 0500be568b the man 976da22d3b sitting alone 4567b7fd5f at a e619342136 nearby table—Seo 31e02d09b9 Ji-hyuk’s friend, 4eb2d574a1 Shin Kyung-jae.cccd9de60b8566bd

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Shin Kyung-jae was 42c8fc0159 seated amidst colleagues, 00d79e02f9 yet he wasn’t 4ee7d81f66 eating. He only occasionally 85eaaa28bf sipped water, leaving 7069b18071 his tray untouched. The peculiar sight piqued 6190949c29 Kang Yu-han’s suspicion. Activating his b444196db6 clairvoyance, he a1f780c65d focused on 375c7e0bf1 Kyung-jae.0a48854219d4135b

As expected, 4585fc8da3 all the 73a2802ee4 Espers and 06c6d765ab Guides present e3531da477 had their b6b4bc1d6a defense mechanisms b485d1421d activated, preventing 23b4468fb5 their abilities efcbd7332c from being c6750852a2 read. Except for one: d672ecc3ce Shin Kyung-jae.adb61e054048989a

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What he saw 9f37297b48 made Kang Yu-han’s 3c845b5729 blood run cold. There were no signs 6190d572cd of normal human biological a421fcbb23 patterns in Kyung-jae’s body. Instead, his entire de7e83a3be form was shrouded ea5e6e2d2f in an ominous db387d7429 black shadow, signaling c8de165bef that he was 8694368db3 anything but ordinary.6d5b4fbbaa64531b

“The person 82c36556a4 over there—he’s c4f19dc195 your colleague, 8abaa18739 right?”52c96af269d986f6

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“Yeah, why?”f9589f0d7178990a

“I used 286c710aff my clairvoyance. Something’s off. He’s not alive.”fd86447c79b45874

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“What? That’s ridiculous.”f5447f37dd31ee21

“No biological de56d4e9c0 responses, and 4b0d30fb1e his energy 7593884053 is completely 52b8ccc265 dead. Something’s seriously wrong.”d6b1d1dff8e6b004

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Seo Ji-hyuk’s expression 11e317ad03 hardened instantly. He too had c2b15742f7 noticed that Shin 422a5a7adc Kyung-jae wasn’t paying 34e9172e65 any attention to 0e9931fc1d his food. It was a classic 6efd4a1df1 symptom of Variants. But the thought was c402291aed difficult to accept. Only a few hours ae817f21e4 ago, they had been aa538cd849 sitting together, chatting like 7daeb145f9 old times.fa3037e6cde9f5c2

The idea c8b986a4b6 that a 6c5659d3f5 long-time friend a869333d68 could be 6f1e7688d8 a Variant 8f129178a5 was deeply 3c0b264185 unsettling. For someone 1739ee4d50 like Seo 054bbc83d4 Ji-hyuk, already 93ceaecce1 burdened by 5ee2459884 the shame e937bcce6b of having fa5a94d8e4 parents who e7635ae1af had become ad16ed0ed1 Variants, hearing 0b147ab8df this about e0a46b3261 another close 3d8fe18de7 companion was 1e935957b8 unbearable.8eaed9c0f288949f

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“Are you insane?”3c076c2e02b6b956

“No, I’m perfectly 0250a93bd2 sane. There’s nothing more 042821a60b accurate than my fe1473014c eyes. I’m not a clairvoyant e0e1eca640 for nothing.”4eca94f1bc21709a

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“You’re just 454fcd0573 spewing nonsense. Kang Yu-han, can you e9d41f2dde even take responsibility for 30810373a3 what you’re saying?”3e841f70ec617439

“I stand a7f7c7a914 by my e5910802af observation. That person is 5783d947a5 suspicious. He needs 11f60f2f7f to be 0cf436fec2 investigated immediately.”61a313ce7646022f

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“Then do it d643f14e70 yourself!”bf9e43730aa04579

“You wouldn’t 0f1fa79a71 trust the 5137186790 results if f0c67e2d3c I did.”7b8fa9c9a1c4679e

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Kang Yu-han’s a92839c703 unyielding tone 0ee3f88faa pushed Seo 324cd8edfa Ji-hyuk’s patience 1685dcc0d8 to the 84ab8b4cb1 brink.147e7d55c3bcaf76

“Shut up!”c0f99d1294805471

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Seo Ji-hyuk’s fist 41f34499eb slammed into the b35c395439 wall, sending a c0a111ceae cloud of cement b8b641099c dust cascading down. His breathing was heavy, 2cc9db4ac5 and he hung his 09a644fac7 head low.13f429f0521bee8d

“Damn it…”28fd62978397c599

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Kang Yu-han was right. If he conducted 97312af8fd the investigation alone, ef469380f4 Seo Ji-hyuk wouldn’t b2b1df3b2f believe the results 9e8da95d09 anyway. To resolve the suspicion, ab1ec47123 he had to see 955ca76ccf it for himself, regardless e677384aed of the outcome.5d3ad2b2f686d4d3

Seo Ji-hyuk wiped 03610820ef his face with d030fe0a13 his hands and 463e2e0fe3 stood up from 88f844a1a7 his seat.2cd3c1936b447ea1

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“I’ll handle 0da6c6f214 it myself.”a8efaf71e5e7f3ee

“I’ll come with you.”11ee17548ad81047

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“No. Stay here. If he b72c6e3de1 turns out 5212367e10 clean, I e11ea3cddf might kill 693f5ef4c9 you on 7cf8caff53 the spot.”24c3c5b2267f644f

“…”d0a9b0a7515ca725

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Seo Ji-hyuk e326cb8a85 carried the 85b65770b6 second ampoule 62274169db he had 37518af684 been issued, fb8f2c8010 tucked securely 8885daaf92 in the 41c68d4940 inner pocket 51a0f3e00c of his 6c6895a0b8 training uniform. Kang Yu-han af1939d7ff knew this 6bd7ccd343 well.6e7fcbb518f0bfc4

‘Is he planning 24ed85b64c to use it? How does he 458b04bcd0 intend to do 0f5e1b6303 that in a aa95d3525a crowded place?’183278dfe816819b

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Though he eec9df2313 trusted Seo ebaa73cd94 Ji-hyuk had bc30016750 a reason d3ac089eb6 for wanting 666da821e3 to handle 2b198fc23c this alone, e8b6c7d026 the uncertainty 54e247c5b4 gnawed at 59745bde07 him. Kang Yu-han 9ee958546b kept a 8c6d061715 close watch, 08c48b9f1b ready to d45ee78736 intervene if dd6a67a35d necessary.c4f13a525ab7fb37

As Seo Ji-hyuk 1c2b8877f8 approached the table 8a9a0f88f9 of his colleagues, efd224fa8d they paused their ed24d571e8 meals and greeted 46052844fb him warmly.57ff8810eab487e9

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“Oh, Ji-hyuk!”921c0c21c1bf3b1e

“Here for 0a3364f674 lunch, or 2a27bfa879 just stopping 756342235e by?”9b9f1c81b74880d7

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Even Shin c83ca99004 Kyung-jae turned 5d1c2b2cc3 to look 4368175c4d at Seo 608b875ec4 Ji-hyuk. Up close, Seo Ji-hyuk 391e6c850b could see the hunger d12b5df4b4 in his friend’s eyes—not 7b564ff67e for food, but for 560e690974 something far more sinister. It was directed at 0f8fbdbc36 him.435dca99b9beb563

Seo Ji-hyuk gripped the 747211bb5c edge of the table 5ff9b13b3c tightly. He had 3d9b645e25 hoped he adf7dadd52 was wrong, 8ed0949981 but the 71352fe854 predatory glint 03aa9a69d7 in Shin fdc069c6e7 Kyung-jae’s gaze d38b183dba confirmed his 969a1a0d9b fears.35429abfc4039432

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“Kyung-jae.”d8f9f660a63370d1

“Yeah?”b49dbc6dd67c700c

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“Can we 241d76415a talk for 2a0b051874 a moment?”7b26c7dd196bfdbf

“Why?”19f4559d446158c8

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“It’ll only take fabb8ff3f9 a second. Come with me.”0cdb0cdfc07fb9a4

Seo Ji-hyuk locked 05a2e1c743 eyes with him, bb6fc59bc6 suppressing the anger 3e9d186dd2 and frustration boiling c512e027e3 inside. The unusual tension between 3e82a88e59 them caught the attention ab48d36fa2 of their other colleagues, 167fcf3658 who looked on with 0a776c6cde confusion.d4228997b6d4c9de

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“I can’t.”4913329f0bef85b6

“Why not?”6d892aa8d1f49bb3

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“…Well…”23bf350e3de88446

“Because you’re hungry?”1b25c2f1f9a5cbf0

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“How did f4493b9458 you know?”cc170f5e50b79641

Shin Kyung-jae’s 03f2036aed eyes widened 85ef8b9a0d unnaturally, the 30a02c54af whites streaked 35862ccf96 with broken 99e5a46ee2 blood vessels. He let out a b934264914 deranged laugh, his mouth c640b37bcd wide open, saliva dripping 982e1011de messily from his lips.f6585575d6f834fa

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“That’s right! I’m starving! How did 3fab645b21 you know? No one 396dd2d8be else noticed 0a1a1e31b8 how hungry d1ac6301bf I’ve been! Ha ha!”2d7f3c0c1ed7e4f4

Shin Kyung-jae’s sudden outburst ee7f8a2d1b shocked not only his 4b095e09eb colleagues but everyone nearby. His eyes 95eb36b90a glinted with 38d04c4db4 madness—not human, 9ca3a1a55a but monstrous.4251964abaa068ee

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Gritting his b6b233cd03 teeth, Seo a73f9ba7a2 Ji-hyuk shouted bf2dc82565 his name.fa7c9639f9e126fe

“Shin Kyung-jae…!”fe402268c23899b7

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“I’m hungry!”850bd5a92464ea94

 8f5b88980eb3ac50

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