* * *
“Hyung, you worry about the weirdest things sometimes. I searched for your body for five years. You really think I’d lose interest just because we move too fast?”
“You don’t know… stuff like that…”
Unlike Eunsoo, I don’t have a great body, face, or personality.
My skinny frame might not even have any real appeal.
The only reason we’d played this back-and-forth game for so long was because I was oblivious to his feelings.
Sure, everything feels wonderful right now because we’ve just started dating… but what if my flaws become too obvious too soon?
“I just want to date you for a long time…”
“Oh…”
Eunsoo’s face twisted into something unreadable as he looked at me.
Then he lowered his head, trembling slightly.
Before I could ask what was wrong, he hugged me tightly and whispered into my ear.
“What do I do, Hyung? You’re too cute.”
“…”
…And so, I ended up hearing Eunsoo call me cute.
With our cheeks pressed together, he rubbed his face against mine before planting kisses on my cheek, as if he couldn’t get enough.
He didn’t stop there, either, softly nibbling and pressing his lips all over my face.
“Okay, we’ll take it slow. I’ve already waited six years. What’s a bit longer? But don’t make me wait until we hit the ten-year mark, okay? I might turn into a monk at this rate.”
His tone was so playful, like he was soothing a child.
Even I had to admit, my pride was a little hurt.
I’m way older than him—do I really deserve to be doted on like this?
But… the way he promised to wait made me feel so loved.
“Also, come to think of it, I have something to do. I shouldn’t be idling away with you right now.”
“Something to do?”
“Those hyungs ate everything in the pantry. I need to restock it today.”
Eunsoo gestured toward the fridge in the corner.
Now that he mentioned it, the three Espers really had cleaned us out, from the rice cooker to the side dishes.
Could it be that Espers are coming over for a visit? Or is he just preparing meals in advance so he doesn’t have to cook for a few days?
I debated whether to ask or not, but before I could decide, Eunsoo nudged my back and pointed somewhere.
It was a bookshelf packed with DVDs and Blu-rays.
“Hyung, I’ll be done soon. Pick out a movie from there. There’s popcorn too—we can pop it and watch while eating.”
I walked over and browsed the collection.
Famous works were all gathered there—from classics to steady-sellers, with even a few recent releases scattered in.
‘This room really has everything necessary for confinement, doesn’t it.’
It was clear the preparation was based on experience.
Thinking about how young Eunsoo must have imagined the world through these movies and dramas because he couldn’t go outside made me feel a little melancholic.
So, I deliberately raised my voice cheerfully.
“Movies are perfect for a date, after all. What genre do you like?”
“I’m not too picky, but… Ah, skip the racy ones. I’m only interested in your body, Hyung, so I’d get jealous if you paid attention to someone else’s.”
“Wha—no, I wasn’t planning on watching anything like that…”
“Romances involving others aren’t great either. Light ones are fine, but tearjerkers don’t resonate with me. Overly melodramatic ones aren’t my thing, either. And watching characters pretending to be all fatal and tragic? That’s a buzzkill. Also…”
‘…You’re plenty picky, though.’
As always, Eunsoo has clear likes and dislikes.
I listened to his incessant muttering as I carefully selected a movie.
Unknowingly swept up in Eunsoo’s pace, I naïvely thought that this moment was simply enjoyable.
In the dim darkness, a rustling sound woke me up.
“Ah, Hyung, you’re awake?”
“Mm…”
Though the ventilation worked, being in an enclosed space where food had recently been cooked made the smell linger.
I had dozed off while snuggled against Eunsoo, watching a movie.
His warmth had been so comforting.
There were no windows.
The surrounding blackness was so deep I could barely see Eunsoo.
Blinking, I wondered—how long had I slept?
What time was it?
Was it dawn, or morning…?
“Hyung, you know, I used to wish the world would just end.”
“…Huh?”
“A world without Yang Huiwoon is meaningless to me. If the world were to collapse and everyone died together, that’d be fine. If a world I could save crumbled because you weren’t in it, you’d probably feel regret. You’d race down the path that left me behind, only to bitterly regret it. So, I thought—I’d just find your body, hold a funeral, and follow you.”
“Wha—why are you suddenly saying such scary things…?”
Still tired, I tried to go back to sleep but snapped fully awake at his words.
My eyes gradually adjusted to the dark.
At some point, Eunsoo, who had been holding me tightly, had laid me down on the bed and changed clothes.
He was now wearing the Bureau’s official uniform—something rarely worn except for major events or large-scale disasters.
“What…?”
“When you actually returned as a corpse, I don’t know how my feelings might have changed after holding your funeral. But back when I was searching for you, that’s how I felt. For the five years I spent looking for you, I couldn’t find another reason to live. The more I felt sorry for not being able to save you, the more I resented you for choosing to save others over living with me.”
“Eunsoo…”
I tried to sit up, but my body felt heavy, lethargic.
My thoughts were sluggish too.
But I was worried about Eunsoo.
I managed to lift my upper body, but a large hand pressed against my chest.
I couldn’t resist and fell back down. Eunsoo pulled the blanket up to my chin.
As I panted for breath, Eunsoo looked down at me with a smile.
“I’m off to save the world.”
The golden badge of the Esper Bureau gleamed on his chest.
Only then did I feel an ominous foreboding.
“You love saving people, Hyung. You can’t sit still without doing something. I was planning to take you to the nearest shelter. But since you came here willingly, just this once, please stay put.”
Eunsoo knelt before me at the bedside.
Holding my hand in both of his, he rested his forehead on them and pleaded.
“Be my reason to save the world.”
His blue eyes bore into mine.
“You said it yourself, Hyung. That I’m the protagonist of this ‘book’ and that I’ll save the world. But honestly, I don’t have a strong sense of justice. Whoever lives or dies, whoever suffers—it doesn’t matter to me. If it’s not you, then no one else matters. After all, they’re not my people.”
His words were cruel and detached, but they were understandable.
Eunsoo was too strong to empathize with the pain of the weak, and he was the one who gave, not received, within a community.
Society had failed to protect the vulnerable young Eunsoo, and when he stepped into the world, it relentlessly condemned him.
Yet, in moments of crisis, they demanded he fight for them and risk his life to save the world because of his power.
It wasn’t surprising that he couldn’t bring himself to love them.
“But for you, Hyung, I’ll save them. My world is you, so I’ll save the world you want to protect. As long as you’re in a safe place, I’ll give it my all. So…”
Even through my splitting headache and sluggish thoughts, I understood what Eunsoo was asking of me.
Placing my other hand on top of his, I mustered all my strength to speak.
“Go. I’ll wait for you here.”
Hearing my words, Eunsoo finally seemed reassured. He smiled—a radiant one that shone even in the dark.
“Yes. I’ll be back.”
The bunker wasn’t disconnected from the internet—it was just that, with the foreseen calamity looming, all civilization had temporarily come to a halt to minimize damage.
However, on the laptop was a video that Eunsoo had downloaded and saved from the Polwel group before the world froze.
When I played the video, the face of a woman who looked almost identical to how I remembered her appeared on the screen.
“I’ve heard the news that you’ve returned. The situation isn’t ideal for a call, so I decided to leave this video instead.”
It was Elizabeth Polwel.
“What should I say first? You taught me so much before you left. I want to express my gratitude once again. Because of you, I was able to save many more lives.”
“But, my dear, there’s one thing that changed. Since you became like that, the ‘Savior’s Light’ has dimmed.”
“That’s probably why. When the great calamity struck, the gates couldn’t be completely eradicated.”
This world still hadn’t escaped from the confines of the original work, ‘The Genius Guide’s Melancholy.’
The calamity that was supposed to mark the climax had only been partially deferred.
The climax of ‘The Genius Guide’s Melancholy’—the so-called “Great Calamity,” also known as the Gate Incident.
The skies of Earth turned a vivid purple, and gates appeared simultaneously around the world.
Every type of gate that had appeared before reemerged.
Among them, the gate that appeared in Korea was the largest in scale.
It even held the core that could close all the gates.
The monsters guarding the interior were so formidable that, even with Espers from overseas joining the battle, humanity was pushed to the brink of extinction.
It was only through Eunsoo’s awakening and the combined efforts of the Special A-Team Espers that they managed to secure a narrow victory.
The fact that such a gate had been deferred… optimistically, it meant there was time to prepare; pessimistically, it meant prolonged suffering.
“But I’m not worried. Now that you’ve returned, his light shines brilliantly again. This too must be fate. My dear, contact me when it’s over.”
“Don’t make this old woman, who could die any day now, wait too long.”
With a soft chuckle, as if to suggest it was her version of a joke, the video ended.
“Ah…”
* * *
ooo
Nah