* * *
“Hoo… That was tough. But this—this is what makes camping the best.”
Haebom wiped the sweat off his forehead as he finished setting up his tent at a secluded campsite.
He had come as soon as the weather turned cooler, though the midday heat was still lingering.
Setting up a tent under the sun wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.
He wanted to enjoy today to the fullest.
To do that, he had deliberately chosen a campsite that wasn’t crowded.
At first, being alone in an isolated place had been unsettling, but now, he was used to it—he even preferred it.
“Hmmm~”
Humming along to the music playing from his speaker, Haebom set up his beloved camping chair and table.
Before arranging anything else, he grabbed a can of beer he had bought in advance.
“Ahh! Nothing beats a cold beer in this heat.”
This was why he liked camping alone—he could talk to himself as much as he wanted without anyone thinking he was weird.
Usually, he had to keep his thoughts to himself, but here, there was no need for restraint.
Buzzing with excitement, Haebom quickly finished his beer.
Feeling a bit hungry, he set up the rest of his equipment.
People often asked why he bothered camping when he could just sleep comfortably at home.
But to him, the effort made the relaxation afterward even more rewarding.
Not that he disliked staying at home.
On the contrary, he rarely went out.
Camping was the only exception—the only outdoor activity he truly enjoyed.
It had become a habit after he lost his parents in an accident as a child.
They had often taken him camping, and as soon as he became an adult, he started going alone.
With practiced ease, he lit a fire and placed a grill on top.
The sizzling sound of meat cooking made his stomach growl—not that it mattered since no one was around to hear.
Stuffing his mouth full of grilled meat and fresh vegetables, he ate happily, washing it down with a few sips of soju.
“Ugh, I’m so full….”
He left the dishes in a tub to wash later, feeding more wood into the fire to keep it burning.
Fire was the heart of camping, after all.
Normally, he would have watched a movie or a drama at this point, but tonight, he pulled out his phone instead of his tablet.
He had decided to read—something he rarely did these days.
He couldn’t remember the last time he had read a book, but romance web novels were wildly popular lately.
His curiosity got the better of him, so he had even topped up his account with extra cash to read comfortably.
If the novel was good, he planned to check out the webtoon adaptation later.
“Oh, shit….”
He hadn’t expected to finish it in one night.
But once he started reading, he just couldn’t put it down.
The writing had an intense pull, drawing him in effortlessly.
Even the parts that could have felt cliché were handled so well that the characters felt alive.
The only problem?
Haebom hadn’t fallen for the main lead.
He didn’t mind if the romance didn’t work out, as long as the character could live happily.
But the supporting male lead…
Instead of clinging to the heroine, he chose to die rather than be a burden to her.
The novel featured Espers, individuals with supernatural abilities.
Each time they used their powers, their bodies accumulated harmful energy.
If it built up too much, they would go berserk—an event known as an Outbreak.
When that happened, they didn’t just die; depending on their strength, they could annihilate everything around them.
Some were even capable of wiping entire countries off the map.
But there was a way to prevent this: Guiding.
The heroine was a Guide, while both the main male lead and the supporting male lead were Espers.
At first, the novel took some time explaining the setting, but thanks to frequent clarifications, it wasn’t too difficult to follow.
Guides possessed a unique energy that could purify the harmful buildup inside Espers, stabilizing them.
Why did such people exist? Because in this world, there were Gates—rifts similar to dungeons in games.
These Gates connected to other worlds, allowing monsters to enter.
These creatures couldn’t be harmed by conventional weapons; only Espers could fight them.
So, Espers were indispensable.
And because they had to use their powers constantly, Guides were just as essential.
“Then why couldn’t she just guide both of them?!”
That was the problem—not all Guides were compatible with every Esper.
Each pairing had a matching rate, and if the rate was low, guiding would only cause pain instead of healing.
The worst part?
The heroine and the supporting male lead had the highest matching rate in the country.
But since she loved the main lead instead, everything fell apart.
Guiding required physical contact.
And the male lead couldn’t stand watching his woman touch another man.
In the end, the heroine suffered, and the supporting male lead, unable to hold on any longer, chose to self-destruct.
To protect her, he locked himself inside a Gate, ensuring that his Outbreak wouldn’t harm anyone.
‘He chose to die alone.’
It was infuriating.
Everything else in the story had been thrilling.
The action, the world-building—it was all incredibly well done.
If only it weren’t for him…!
Was it really that hard to just hold his hand?
Did he have to die for it?
That thought gnawed at him.
And to make things worse, the story ended with the sub male protagonist stepping into the gate, while the main male lead, free of his nuisance, peacefully enjoyed a date with the female lead.
Except for the secondary male lead, the main male lead was good to everyone.
“Please, give us an epilogue. Let him survive and come back alive.”
Haebom had never left a comment on anything before, but today, he had to.
He desperately wanted the author to save the secondary male lead.
Even his name had a wistful ring to it—Wonho.
He left a comment, pleading for the character to be saved, for him to have a different guide instead of the female lead.
Then, he stood up.
After hours of reading, the sun had already begun to set.
His body ached from sitting in the same position for so long, and he let out a small groan as he stretched his arms.
After a quick stretch, he decided to go for a walk.
One of the reasons Haebom had chosen this campsite was the connected trail.
Even without it, he would have come since the area was secluded, but having a proper trail made it even better.
He had planned to go before sunset, but he got too absorbed in the novel, and now the sun was almost gone.
Grabbing a lantern just in case, he headed toward the trail.
He had gotten so emotionally invested in the secondary male lead that he felt a little down.
Still, the evening air was cool, clearing his head.
“This is nice…”
Though the place was sparsely populated, a few more tents had popped up while he was reading.
As he walked along the trail, the noise from the campsite faded into the distance.
The breeze was refreshing, carrying the scent of grass, and he felt at ease.
It would have been even better if he had caught a glimpse of the red sky at sunset, but it was a small regret.
He had no idea how far the trail extended, so he just kept walking and walking.
“Huh?”
* * *
