* * *

‘Considering I’m back in the grind, working myself to the bone, keeping a bit stashed away is fair, isn’t it? I might need to bail any day now.’

Now that he thought about it, what had happened to the subordinates who guarded his office?

He’d tried to avoid thinking about it, but now that he’d started reflecting on his situation, it came to mind.

He remembered their shouts and desperate attempts to hold him back.

But he couldn’t ask Sinje about it, so he just rubbed his chest to soothe the pang in his heart.

• That’s not what I meant.

Ignoring his own emotions, Doyoung was about to reassure Sinje when Sinje spoke first.

• I’m just trying to understand why you did it. But I suppose you still won’t tell me, right?

What?

This isn’t about surveillance?

Why ask something so obvious?

If I wanted to tell him, I’d have spilled everything six months ago, back when he had me pinned in the air by the collar.

“Nothing to say.”

But making a joke about it wouldn’t help, so Doyoung played it off with feigned indifference.

• Fine. If you ever want to talk, you know where to find me.

Sinje had a surprisingly persistent side.

“You won’t let me go until I tell you, huh?”

• …It’s for your safety.

Right.

And I’m supposed to believe that, with those cold eyes of his.

• I’ll say it again…

“Okay, okay. I get it.”

What was he trying so hard to explain?

Doyoung thought Sinje’s behavior was understandable, but the way Sinje went about it was almost… cute.

• It’s true. Though if you don’t believe me, I can’t help it.

As he listened to Sinje’s words, he let his gaze wander around the familiar room.

‘What now…’

Things weren’t bad as they were, but he couldn’t live with a ticking time bomb under his feet.

“Hey, Sinje.”

• Yes?

“No matter what you know, it won’t change who I am.”

There was only one way forward.

“I’m saying, me sticking around won’t do you any good.”

• That’s not your concern to worry about…

“Don’t cut me off. Listen till I’m done.”

Where did he get the nerve to interrupt an elder?

He scolded Sinje, then paused, slightly embarrassed.

‘I guess I got too into this character lately.’

He’d let his villainous habits slip without even realizing it.

Of all people, he let his guard down in front of Sinje.

What if he got fed up and decided to kill him?

“Nothing’s changed. I’m the same as I was.”

Doyoung’s voice was firmer than ever.

“I’m only going to hurt you. Make a decision.”

His heart raced. Even as he spoke, he hesitated. But he forced himself to say it.

“Either kill me, or send me far, far away.”

---

‘When did I fall asleep?’

‘What was I doing before I slept?’

Still groggy, Doyoung blinked, recalling Sinje’s voice from last night, sounding through his phone.

• You’re really something else.

“Damn…”

He knew why Sinje sounded so cold.

‘Still, I meant it as a warning, for his sake. But he didn’t have to be so harsh.’

Though he couldn’t completely blame him.

He’d asked for an explanation, and all Doyoung gave him was “kill me or send me away”—no wonder he’d been taken aback.

“Yeah, I’d be mad too.”

No surprise Sinje had ended the call abruptly after that.

With his mind unsettled, he’d ended up wandering anonymous forums until he nodded off.

“What a mess…”

But he had nothing else to tell Sinje.

The issue was, they’d meet at work if he went in today.

Doyoung sighed, turning over in bed.

Cough, cough.

A scratchy feeling in his throat led to a fit of coughing.

“Ah, I can’t get sick now.”

Remembering the week-long flu he’d battled last winter, he grimaced.

He’d better take a hot shower, eat a decent breakfast, and brace himself for the day.

With a long exhale, Doyoung rose from bed.

◇◆◇◆◇

“Please come down.”

After sending the message, Beom Sinje fixed his gaze on his phone screen.

Fifteen seconds passed, and as the screen dimmed, he tapped it to light it up again.

He repeated this three times, pressing his thumb into the screen each time.

His face slowly started to harden.

Unable to wait any longer, he was about to step out of the car when a familiar figure appeared in the underground parking lot.

It was Doyoung, the one he’d been waiting for, walking towards him with a weariness that seemed worse than usual.

“You’ve arrived,” said the guild member standing outside the car, leaving the driver’s door open.

“Good morning, Hunter Park Chanoh,” Doyoung replied, nodding as he glanced around and took his seat in the passenger seat.

Then, he turned to greet the person in the back seat.

“Hello, Guild Master.”

In the back seat, Beom Sinje scrutinized Doyoung’s expression.

He seemed more exhausted than the day before, with only his cheeks and the skin around his eyes looking flushed.

“I’ll sit here from now on,” Doyoung explained, apparently interpreting Beom Sinje’s gaze in a different way.

Beom Sinje understood that he meant he couldn’t keep sitting beside him, the guild master, each time.

“Did you get any sleep?” Beom Sinje asked.

“No.” Doyoung quickly replied as if he had been waiting for the question, then turned away immediately.

He looked as if he was holding a grudge over what he’d said the day before.

As Beom Sinje considered what he could say to get Doyoung to look back at him…

“We’re leaving,” Park Chanoh announced, starting the car and prompting Beom Sinje to close his mouth.

Cough, cough. Cough, cough.

The silence in the car was broken by the sound of coughing.

Beom Sinje’s gaze shot to the passenger seat.

Doyoung was holding his fist to his mouth, coughing repeatedly.

“I’m sorry, I… just a little…” Doyoung tried to excuse himself, saying it was just because of the dryness, but the cough interrupted him again.

“Are you catching a cold?” Park Chanoh asked, concern in his voice.

“No, just a slight…” Doyoung tried to say it was just a mild case but was interrupted by another bout of coughing.

From the rearview mirror, Park Chanoh glanced at Beom Sinje, who was watching Doyoung with a deepening frown.

“There’s a medical center at the company. You should get checked out when we arrive.”

“Oh, yes. I’ll do that,” Doyoung replied with a nod.

Beom Sinje’s gaze lingered on him, unwavering.

Before long, they reached the company.

As soon as the car stopped, Beom Sinje stepped out.

“Get out.”

He opened the passenger door, urging Doyoung to get out as well.

Doyoung, still a bit dazed, found himself led to the elevator.

Halfway up, he started to recognize the place.

‘Isn’t this…’

As he continued to follow Beom Sinje, a hint of realization dawned, and he stifled a sigh.

“Guild Master, you’re here,” greeted a man in a white coat.

The doctor’s warm smile was aimed at Doyoung this time.

“This is the Hunter who’ll be having his examination today. Would you like to come this way?”

Doyoung’s gaze instinctively went to Beom Sinje.

“Go on.”

“Why did you bring me here? And what’s with this check-up?”

“You’re familiar with this place, aren’t you?” Beom Sinje tilted his head as if it didn’t need an explanation.

Of course, Doyoung knew.

This was the center where he’d once brought Beom Sinje to check if he had awakened as an Esper.

It was also where Antithesis agents were treated and where medical facilities for research were located.

Of course, everything had been removed before Beom Sinje invaded the place.

Doyoung was curious about how this place could be repurposed like this, but he decided to think about it later.

“It’s unnecessary.”

Doyoung’s tone was cold as he turned to leave, but he stopped abruptly when he heard Beom Sinje’s voice.

“Yesterday, you told me to do whatever I wanted with you—kill or spare you.”

“When did I ever say that?”

Doyoung had told him to decide whether to kill him or send him far away, but he didn’t have time to argue.

Beom Sinje’s gaze was intense, steady, almost somber.

* * *