“I just went to organize paperwork…”

“……”

“Sorry. And you don’t need to support me anymore. I’m fine.”

Despite Ju-eon’s excuse, Myung-hwon said nothing. Just as he was about to begin explaining the reason again by saying “Myung-hwon,” Myung-hwon lowered his head. With each blink, the massive shadow cast over him drew closer.

When he was about to reach out thinking Myung-hwon must be the most upset and wondering if he should pat his shoulder, a hot tongue unexpectedly touched Ju-eon’s neck. His whole body tensed at the sudden contact.

“Ah.”

The wet tongue brought both a strange sensation and mild pain. Where the tongue had traced burned hot.

“What are you-! Yeo Myung-hwon!”

At Ju-eon’s urgent call of his name, Myung-hwon pulled his tongue away.

“You didn’t even know you were hurt.”

“Huh? I was hurt?”

It must have been from when he ran to the stairs and tumbled with the explosion. Being preoccupied with other things, he hadn’t felt the pain and didn’t even know he was injured.

“Don’t worry about me, worry about yourself.”

“Okay.”

Myung-hwon traced around Ju-eon’s neck with his fingertips. His body shrank at the sudden warmth.

“Be more careful.”

“…Okay.”

“Go home safely.”

“No. I can stay.”

“No.”

“……”

“I’ll take care of the rest.”

“I’m fine. Aren’t you the one who hasn’t been sleeping properly?”

Seeing him up close, his facial features looked rough and Ju-eon unconsciously reached out. But before Ju-eon’s hand could touch him, Myung-hwon released his hold on Ju-eon’s waist. The sudden distance was just one step, but it felt particularly far.

“I’m fine.”

“Myung-hwon.”

At his resolute voice, there was a solid wall that Ju-eon couldn’t cross. The wall that had always existed between them but was transparent so they pretended not to see it, now impossible to ignore.

“Let’s just not talk about this anymore.”

Ju-eon carefully chose his words for a moment. Though he wanted to explain at length, he shook his head. Rather than a detailed explanation, a brief message conveying Eun-sun’s true heart would be better.

“Myung-hwon. Your mother never abandoned you…”

Myung-hwon’s jaw clenched as if enduring something. Cutting off Ju-eon’s words, he spoke as if exhaling a sigh.

“I know.”

“What?”

“I said I know. I didn’t know right away, but I’m not that oblivious.”

Ju-eon blinked. He thought he wouldn’t know. Because otherwise, there was no explanation for why Myung-hwon wouldn’t see Eun-sun.

“Then why…”

Didn’t you ever go to see her?

Though he thought it had become difficult to understand Myung-hwon lately, it wasn’t as much as now. His arrogance in thinking he knew him well shattered into fine powder. Like wind in the desert, the tiny particles scattered instantly into the air.

Myung-hwon’s gaze looking at Ju-eon flashed sharply for a moment.

“I hate things that make me weak.”

“……”

It hurt so much that Ju-eon wondered if Myung-hwon had used his ability to plant seeds of explosion in his heart.

It hurt more than it made him sad. Because this was the way of survival you chose. Because he could see a future where his existence, far from dulling his sharp edges, would only make them sharper.

“I’ll handle the rest myself. Don’t waste more vacation days and go back.”

**

He couldn’t let Myung-hwon watch him grow weak. This was Ju-eon’s decision after hearing Myung-hwon’s words at the funeral home. So without telling Myung-hwon, Ju-eon decided to participate in the clinical trial Yun-jae proposed. If there was even a slight possibility, he vowed to cling to that possibility desperately and shamelessly to survive.

Knock knock.

At the sudden knock in the early morning, Yun-jae assumed it was another colleague working late and answered without taking his eyes off the documents he was reviewing.

“Yes.”

Bang.

“…Ju-eon?”

Working through the night until dawn, Yun-jae blinked dumbly at Ju-eon’s sudden appearance.

“I saw the light was on outside…”

“What brings you here suddenly? Did something happen?”

“No. I just had something I wanted to ask. If I survive… then can I go back to Myung-hwon?”

He voiced a very faint possibility.

Arriving suddenly in the early morning, Ju-eon asked aggressively while placing both hands on the table. Watching Ju-eon’s behavior with surprise, Yun-jae nodded.

“You’ll probably live under a different identity, but I’ll see what I can do about that.”

Phase 1 clinical trials would take at least 3 years. Yun-jae could vaguely guess what position he might have in the agency by then. Probably by that time, he would have enough standing to fulfill what Ju-eon wanted.

“Thank you.”

“Have you made up your mind?”

“…Yeah.”

At Ju-eon’s affirmation, Yun-jae ran his tongue over his lower lip. Though it was good news, the responsibility weighed just as heavily.

“Sit down first. You seem to have thought a lot before coming. This can’t be your only question.”

Yun-jae got up and put water in the kettle beside the reception sofa. Ju-eon naturally sat across from Yun-jae.

“I want to know the side effects for certain.”

At Ju-eon’s words, Yun-jae brought over a document from the desk where he had been sitting. He had just been reviewing that part.

“For now, the expected major side effects are memory loss, muscle fibrosis, and emotional regulation disorder. Of course, we’ll proceed while excluding factors that could cause these side effects as much as possible.”

“I see.”

“Anything else you want to ask?”

Though he had made up his mind, hearing it made him scared. Yun-jae prompted the frozen Ju-eon for his next question as if willing to answer anything.

“…Can I bring personal belongings?”

“Not items that could prove your identity.”

“So that means no photos either.”

It meant anything that could remind him of Myung-hwon was forbidden.

“That’s right.”

Ju-eon asked a few more questions, and Yun-jae answered sincerely. But having come impulsively, there weren’t many questions. Since he was already there, Yun-jae explained in detail how the trial would proceed.

“Really, thank you.”

“It’s fine.”

Myung-hwon might say it was pointless. He might forget him in those few years. But there was a chance he could return. Ju-eon wanted to believe more strongly in the latter possibility.

“Sorry for coming so late at night.”

“Why are you being so thankful and apologetic? Next time call before coming though. What if I hadn’t come to work?”

“I wanted to say it clearly while I had made up my mind. Before I change my mind.”

Ju-eon clenched his fists until his hands turned white.

‘2 weeks’

With the clinical trial moved up slightly, only 2 weeks remained.

**

Though he came to work earlier than usual, the office lights were already on.

“Are you okay, Ju-eon?”

“Yes. Thank you, Team Leader.”

At Ju-eon’s perfunctory answer, No-hun asked in a lowered voice.

“Um… are you okay about the article?”

“What?”

“…You didn’t know?”

“What article?”

“You didn’t know?”

“No. I was at the funeral home the whole time.”

At Ju-eon’s response showing he knew nothing, No-hun scratched his head.

“It’s just a tabloid article, but people who know might recognize…”

No-hun showed him a tabloid article where though marked as “Mr. A,” it was clearly identifiable as Ju-eon.

[It has been confirmed that Mr. A from Special Abilities Agency Team 1 was also at the scene of this hospital explosion. Though he has an alibi, the only one who can verify that alibi is a colleague from the same agency. According to our investigation, Mr. A is scheduled for team demotion next month. Is this series of events all just coincidence?]

Though it was a speculative article, it contained enough to raise suspicion in those who didn’t know. It strongly implied that Ju-eon was the culprit.

‘I wonder if Myung-hwon knows too.’

Though he wouldn’t believe everything the reporter said, it seemed like he should explain in detail.

Worried about Myung-hwon alone at the funeral home, he glanced at his phone. Should he call? Maybe he happened to be resting.

But not wanting to disturb him if so… He fiddled with his phone wondering if he should at least leave a message. Though he hoped, as expected there was no contact from Myung-hwon.

“…ssi.”

“……”

“Ju-eon-ssi?”

“Yes, yes!”

“What were you thinking about so deeply that you couldn’t hear me?”

“I heard you, sorry.”

Seo Yun-jin patted his shoulder and laughed cheerfully. Ju-eon belatedly realized his mistake. He reflexively said he heard but actually hadn’t. What had she been talking about? As Ju-eon was struggling with an awkward face while pressing his temples with his fingers, Yun-jin naturally continued speaking.

“They say the pork jowl is better than the pork belly. Not the place in the alley, but the one right in front.”

“Ah. Is that so?”

Not work talk.

Fortunately, he and Yun-jin were close enough to casually discuss dinner menus. As Ju-eon smiled with relief, Yun-jin turned her chair toward him suspiciously.

“You must have a lot on your mind lately, Ju-eon-ssi.”

“What?”

“You’ve been spacing out more often lately, and not talking much either.”

“I have?”

About to brush it off casually, Ju-eon smiled awkwardly at Yun-jin’s seemingly genuinely concerned question.