* * *

By the time Eunsoo finally pulled back, I was starting to worry his lips might chap from all the kissing.

He stared at my face for a while, as if committing every detail to memory, and then rubbed my damp cheek, slightly embarrassed.

He gently pinched my cheeks, making me squint.

When I opened my eyes again, I was met with the sight of my reflection in his vivid blue ones.

Eunsoo gazed at me for a long time without blinking.

Then, with his thumbs, he brushed my lower lip.

‘Does he want to kiss me there too?’

Not that I’d mind.

It’d feel no different from the others, and after two rounds of this already, what’s one more?

But then, Eunsoo’s five missing years weigh heavily on me.

At his age, five years is an eternity.

What if, in his excitement to see me, he’s forgotten about someone important to him during that time?

“Hey, Eunsoo…”

“Hold on.”

“Huh?”

“A shame. I have to stop now.”

He gently laid me down on the bed, quickly grabbed a towel, and wiped my face clean.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“…Who is it?”

“People you know very well.”

Before answering, Eunsoo leaned down to plant one last kiss on my cheek.

As I processed his words, I realized who he meant.

The Espers of Special Team A.

My body instinctively tensed.

“….”

“Should I let them in? Or tell them to come back later?”

Eunsoo seemed to know exactly what I was debating.

I ran a hand down my face, already deciding.

Though unexpected, it was fine.

After all, I’d come back with the intention of meeting them.

“I’ll meet them.”

“Alright. Don’t worry. Nothing bad will happen.”

Eunsoo’s calm, reassuring words lightened my nerves.

When I told him to let them in, the door opened.

“Ah…”

The passage of five years hadn’t only changed Eunsoo.

All three of them looked different from my memories, though their already-adult forms hadn’t altered as drastically.

Instead of awkwardness, I felt relief at seeing them again.

‘What kind of expression should I make?’

The problem lies in the guilt that weighs heavily on my chest.

They must have been deeply hurt and struggled because of my death, yet here I am, alive.

How can I possibly face them?

I can’t smile, but simply apologizing seems strange too.

“It’s been a while,” I said.

I still hadn’t found an answer.

The moment I saw their faces, my gaze dropped to the floor.

My hands fidgeted nervously on my lap.

A subtle silence settled over the hospital room.

Yet, I could tell they were looking at me—I could feel their gazes.

I felt like a convict awaiting judgment.

I deserved to be scolded, but I was still terrified of being hated.

Whatever they said, I knew I had to accept it without making excuses.

While I kept my head down and held my breath, someone stepped closer to me.

The biggest shoes.

Sneakers.

It was Rex.

“Heewoon, can I kiss you?”

“…What? Excuse me?”

For a moment, my brain stopped working.

What did I just hear?

Before I could process it, Rex Hamilton was standing directly in front of me.

“You said ‘yes,’ didn’t you? Then I will.”

“Wait, no, I—”

“If you want to die, then go ahead,” Eunsoo suddenly interjected, inserting himself between Rex and me.

“I got permission, so why not?”

“If your mucous membranes touch, his powers might flow into you. He just woke up—don’t push it.”

“Fair point. Then just a peck. On the forehead. That okay?”

“That much should… be fine, I suppose.”

I blinked, wide-eyed.

Was Rex asking Eunsoo for permission to kiss me?

And this conversation—they were joking, but it had an odd undertone.

It seemed both hostile and close at the same time.

What’s the deal between these two?

The last I saw, they were practically enemies.

What could have happened in these five years?

“Heewoon, are you okay?”

“Y-yes.”

A kiss on the forehead didn’t seem like a big deal.

Eunsoo must have kissed me twenty times just today.

Besides, Rex always loved kissing. Honestly, him limiting himself to my forehead felt weirder.

As soon as I nodded hesitantly, Rex leaned in closer.

‘Rex hasn’t changed at all.’

Even up close, his face was almost exactly as I remembered.

Despite the five years, he looked the same.

That familiarity put me at ease.

Without realizing it, I closed my eyes naturally.

Smack.

Unlike my calm state, Rex’s lips trembled slightly against my skin.

His voice, when he spoke next, was lower and uncharacteristically subdued.

“I missed you…”

“…”

“Don’t act like a criminal. None of us blame you.”

When I opened my eyes, I met Rex’s blue ones—slightly wet, unexpectedly.

Unable to bear the sight of Rex’s tearful face, I lowered my gaze, but he reached out and pulled me into a hug.

His large, warm arms wrapped around me just as they used to.

That warmth seeped into my chest, and cautiously, I returned his embrace.

Rex patted my back a few times before stepping back.

“Heewoon.”

“Elliot.”

Elliot, too, hadn’t changed much.

His clean, unblemished skin and finely sculpted features were as pristine as ever—like a painting.

The only sign of time passing was an unexpected detail.

“Your hair’s grown a lot.”

“Yes. Heesoo said she liked it long, so I let it grow.”

“It suits you.”

It wasn’t an empty compliment; it genuinely suited him.

Elliot always looked like a model—fair, beautiful, and slender—but the longer hair gave him a dreamier aura.

If I were a photographer, I’d have begged him to become my exclusive model.

Especially with his icy abilities—it made him the perfect subject.

“How’s Heesoo doing?”

“Great. Don’t worry about her. She’s a treasure in our family now. Sometimes I think my family loves her more than they love me.”

“Thank you for taking care of her.”

“Heesoo’s my kid now. Why are you thanking me? Oh, and Mari told me. She loved her birthday gift.”

“I’m glad.”

Though I couldn’t raise her myself, I’d intended to celebrate her birthdays until she became an adult.

I couldn’t for the past five years, though.

For a child, five years is a long time.

She must’ve grown so much. I couldn’t help my selfish curiosity.

“I’ll bring her next time. Or you could visit her. She’d be thrilled. She’s very curious about her uncle Heewoon. I thought about bringing her today, but…”

Elliot trailed off and instead approached me with open arms.

I opened mine to return his hug.

His warmth enveloped me, not as towering as Rex but just as comforting.

His arms tightened around me.

“I missed you. I’m sorry for hurting you. I’ve wanted to say that for so long. Even though it’s late, I’m glad I can finally say it…”

Though his words trailed off, their meaning was clear.

* * *