“I have no idea. And if that information is really credible, you should report it to the police instead of telling me.”

“Come on. I shared that premium secret information to gain your trust. So don’t be so hostile towards me…”

“No matter how many times you ask, my answer will be the same. I have no idea.”

Even if it were true, there was no way to verify it. Not unless they asked AGT directly. Despite Ju-eon’s irritated voice, the reporter remained unfazed and continued following him.

“Just a moment.”

The reporter seemed prepared to follow Ju-eon for days if that’s what it took to get an interview.

“Who are you?”

But suddenly someone stepped between them, separating the two. Both the deep voice and the back view were familiar.

“Myung-hwon.”

At Ju-eon’s words, the reporter startled.

“…Mr. Yeo Myung-hwon?”

The reporter clearly showed his surprise, apparently not having expected Myung-hwon to appear. An S-class esper. A celebrity that ordinary people might not see even once in their lifetime. The reporter instinctively shrank back, taking steps backward under the cold gaze looking down at him.

“Well then, Mr. Ju-eon. Please contact me anytime if you change your mind.”

The persistent reporter quickly retreated, apparently judging it dangerous to push further in Yeo Myung-hwon’s presence.

While Ju-eon was dumbfounded by the unexpectedly quick change in attitude, Myung-hwon walked past him without another word, as if his task was done.

Ju-eon followed behind Myung-hwon, speaking as if making excuses.

“I could have handled it myself even if I was alone.”

“Sure.”

“How much of the conversation did you hear?”

“I didn’t hear it.”

If you didn’t even know what we were talking about, why did you step in like that? Could you see my troubled expression from far away? Do you still care about me that much? Even though we’re nothing to each other now.

Countless words tickled Ju-eon’s lips, but in the end, he spoke none of them.

Actually, he knew. Even though Myung-hwon had initiated the breakup, our past together didn’t disappear. It was the kind of situation where helping wasn’t strange.

He didn’t know what words to say. The silence between them was now uncomfortable.

Ding ding ding ding.

Ding.

Myung-hwon got off the elevator first and stood in front of the apartment door. Ju-eon watched Myung-hwon’s back until the elevator doors closed. He wanted to remember the sight of Myung-hwon’s back as he entered the house.

“Ah!”

Fortunately, no one had pressed the elevator on other floors, so he could quickly get out again.

Fortunately, the front door was just about to close. Ju-eon ran to the almost-closed door, barely managed to open it, and quickly went inside. But before he could move past the shoe rack, he couldn’t help but bump his nose into Myung-hwon’s back, which stood frozen without movement.

“Why aren’t you going in?”

“The house…”

Myung-hwon wore an unusually bewildered expression at the sight of the empty house.

“I cleared out all my things.”

“Why?”

“Why, you ask… Because I have no reason to be here anymore.”

A metallic taste spread in his mouth, perhaps from biting the inside too hard. He wanted to cling to his legs and beg not to break up, but he held back. The desire to not appear pathetic was stronger than the desire to hold on.

This house was Myung-hwon’s. It was an absurdly expensive place that Ju-eon couldn’t afford on his salary. He didn’t need to look for a new place to live, so at least that worry was gone.

“You should live here.”

“It’s not my house.”

“…You have nowhere else to go right now.”

“What about you?”

“……”

“That applies to you too.”

They were each other’s only family. Though they had ended up becoming strangers in vain, this apartment was the only place they could call home. That’s why when choosing this house, despite knowing nothing about real estate, they had gone from agency to agency, checking and rechecking conditions before moving in.

Though they could have moved to a better place in recent years, this house we chose had grown on them and become their home.

“Where were you planning to go?”

“A friend’s house.”

At Ju-eon’s answer, Myung-hwon smiled sardonically. Though he hadn’t specified the name, Myung-hwon immediately knew which friend. Myung-hwon knew almost everything about Ju-eon’s relationships.

“Unpack your things.”

“……”

Myung-hwon said in an authoritative voice.

“I’ll leave.”

“Where will you stay?”

“A hotel. I won’t be able to come home for a while starting the day after tomorrow anyway.”

“I already moved my things.”

“Woo Ju-eon!”

Myung-hwon raised his voice. He took a step back even as he yelled, as if afraid of being threatened.

“I don’t need your permission for where I sleep anymore.”

If you’re going to get angry like this, you shouldn’t have said let’s break up.

He buried the honest feelings that kept surfacing. He didn’t want to trouble Myung-hwon by revealing feelings that might soon disappear anyway.

Ju-eon had already arranged to leave his belongings with Yun-jae and told him he’d enter the agency early. He couldn’t delay anymore.

“That’s not what I meant when I said that.”

“No. I understood exactly. That we’re not lovers anymore.”

“……”

“Am I wrong?”

“You’re too worked up right now. Let’s talk later. First, bring your things back.”

Maybe Myung-hwon was right that he was worked up now. But his thoughts wouldn’t change even if he calmed down.

“If I live here with you when we’re just in a professional relationship, I’d just be mooching off you.”

“I don’t think of it that way.”

“I do!”

“……”

“That’s how I think of it. So I don’t want to.”

He wanted to break up maturely. Since he couldn’t say let’s break up first out of selfish feelings, knowing he would die. So belatedly making a clean break was Ju-eon’s role.

Others might not know, but Ju-eon knew well. How weak Myung-hwon was to emotional ties. He could guess how uncomfortable it would feel to him, like he was driving away someone he’d lived with for so long.

“I thought that since we spent so many years together, we could at least remain friends even if we broke up.”

“…Woo Ju-eon.”

“But I’m sorry, that won’t work.”

I can’t calmly watch someone else naturally taking my place.

Myung-hwon stood with his eyes wide as though he had been struck by lightning, as if he had never even considered what would come after.

“Are you saying you could be with someone other than me?”

“I’ll just get my last things and go.”

Today wasn’t originally the day he was supposed to go to Yun-jae’s. But if he stayed any longer, he felt his suppressed true feelings would leak out. Until Ju-eon packed his bag and came out, Myung-hwon stood in one spot without moving. As if he had received a great shock.

Only after Ju-eon packed his bag and went to the entrance did Myung-hwon speak, as if forcing out his voice.

“Woo Ju-eon. Answer me.”

“…We’re not in a relationship where I need to answer anymore.”

“……”

“I’ll go first.”

This should be enough to lessen Myung-hwon’s guilt even when he learns that he had disappeared later. Since they were not in any relationship anymore.

The sound of the door closing was heard. Myung-hwon didn’t chase after him.

Yes. This will do.

**

Instead of imposing on Yun-jae’s house for a few days, Ju-eon decided to go to the clinical trial location a bit early.

He had vaguely thought the confidential laboratory would be near headquarters, but it wasn’t. The clinical trial location was in the basement of the building where Ju-eon went to work every day.

He thought he knew most of the agency’s structure from being there so long. But he never dreamed there would be a research lab taking up an entire basement floor.

“I guess it’s not just talk that this is the department the agency puts the most effort into.”

“That’s right. Well.”

Ju-eon admired the seemingly endless inpatient ward corridor with slight exaggeration.

“I never knew.”

“It’s confidential. The agency only shows up to basement level 3 on maps. Actually goes down to level 5.”

“So they use the entire second basement floor.”

“That’s right.”

Ju-eon sat on the assigned hospital bed wearing white patient clothes. They had scared him so much he thought he’d be subjected to human experimentation, but looking at just the hospital room, it seemed similar to a regular hospital.

“Is it really okay to enter a bit early?”

“Yeah. My face is half gone from dealing with a friend who changed his mind and arbitrarily changed his admission date. Sorry about that.”

“What are you sorry for? It’s natural since it was sudden.”

Yun-jae glanced at his watch and sighed.

“I’ll come collect your phone in the evening. Still have work left.”

“Thanks.”

He knew Yun-jae had helped him in many ways. Including not asking about his breakup with Myung-hwon.

“I’ll accept your thanks after the clinical trial ends.”

It was a much more reassuring statement than saying he’d try to make the trial successful. Yun-jae hesitated for a moment before very briefly placing his hand on Ju-eon’s head.

“My hair is clean you know.”

“Hmm. Well, I’m going.”

Yun-jae quickly left the room, swinging his arms as he walked.

If there was any difference from a regular hospital, maybe it was the lack of windows. That seemed to be the only difference he could tell so far. Ju-eon lay down and stared at the ceiling. He already felt lonely. Could he endure it alone?

Rrr.

He was about to doze off in the silence. With no windows, he couldn’t tell how long he had slept.

“Hello?”

-Hello? Ju-eon? Thank goodness you answered.

No-hun’s urgent voice instantly chased away any remaining drowsiness.

“Team leader? Did something happen?”

-Ju-eon. Are you near D Department Store by any chance?

“…What’s going on?”

-AGT has occupied D Department Store. But right now almost all the main members of Attack Teams 1 and 2 are at the irregular gate…

Myung-hwon had said he would enter the irregular gate tomorrow. An ominous feeling crept up from Ju-eon’s toes.