Though Myung-hwon still had aspects that set him apart from others, Ju-eon loved him just as he was. It was a wondrous miracle in Myung-hwon’s life. He thought he had finally found happiness. The brief taste of complete happiness had elevated him.

‘As expected of my son.’

‘……’

‘I shouldn’t have given the Yeo surname to a brat who artificially received an AA-class esper rating.’

‘…Where is Yeo Han-ol?’

‘Why keep something useless? What a waste of time.’

‘……’

‘Come back.’

‘…No.’

‘What?’

That’s why the despair when awakening as an S-class esper was more profound than at any other time. He couldn’t give up the light he had barely seen and return to darkness. Yeo Myung-hwon, who realized something was wrong with being in the cage, remained by Ju-eon’s side.

Unfortunately, Myung-hwon’s ability that caught Yeo Ji-woong’s attention was, fortunately, also a weapon that made it difficult for Yeo Ji-woong to touch him easily.

Because Ju-eon didn’t want to, they couldn’t naturalize to another country or go to the provinces, so they went to the agency. Though knowing Yeo Ji-woong’s will was behind the conditions of being bound for 10 years and unable to form bonds, they accepted.

Just briefly thinking about the past made him feel disgusted, like chewing something revolting. Myung-hwon furrowed his brow. He didn’t want to think about it anymore. What mattered now was that it meant Yeo Ji-woong might have done something to Woo Ju-eon.

“Where is he?”

“If you mean Woo Ju-eon…!”

“Yeo Ji-woong. Where is he?”

Ho-yun wouldn’t know. Since Yeo Ji-woong wouldn’t have leaked information.

“That…”

This much was within Ho-yun’s expectations. Though the ice-blue glow in his eyes sent chills down his spine, Ho-yun spoke without backing down.

“Why should I tell you that?”

Ho-yun unconsciously started to answer but stopped. Ho-yun believed Yeo Ji-woong’s words. He said Yeo Myung-hwon couldn’t kill him. At Ho-yun’s words, Myung-hwon raised one eyebrow.

“This isn’t the time for such ridiculous games.”

“Seems you’re thinking strange thoughts…”

Ho-yun’s words stopped. A grip much stronger than before squeezed his neck. Then, as if having read Ho-yun’s thoughts, he whispered.

“Did you think I couldn’t kill you because you’re Yeo Ji-woong’s person?”

Until now, Ho-yun had been kept alive to maintain what fragile peace there was. Since even if he killed him, Yeo Ji-woong would surely send someone else.

Reading the truth in Yeo Myung-hwon’s merciless gaze, Ho-yun’s face turned deathly pale.

**

There was only one place Myung-hwon needed to go.

He looked up at the palace-like house located in the heart of Seoul. He had believed he would never enter it again on his own two feet. His anger took shape, swirling in his palm.

Bang!

A huge boom rang out as Myung-hwon swept his hand.

“Ha.”

Though he had used his ability intending to destroy it, there was only a slight crack, perhaps due to security measures.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

Myung-hwon continued wielding his ability without concern. Each time Myung-hwon moved his hand, cracks gradually formed in the solid wall.

Boom. As the building’s entrance collapsed, a servant inside approached the entrance with a horrified expression.

“Young master?”

Recognizing Myung-hwon’s face, the long-serving servant wore a bewildered expression. Leaving behind the servant who stammered, unable to process what had happened, Myung-hwon stepped forward.

“Move.”

“You can’t enter like this.”

“The next words won’t be about leaving.”

At Myung-hwon’s words, the servants hesitated. Myung-hwon naturally passed between them. It was obvious where to go. Yeo Ji-woong would already know he was coming.

The house was still disgustingly huge, without a speck of dust, and there sat Yeo Ji-woong in the indoor greenhouse as if waiting for him.

“You cannot enter!”

The servant who had been in this house the longest tried to stop Myung-hwon with urgent cries while stamping their feet, but it was futile.

Crash! Just grabbing the greenhouse door with too much force shattered it.

“That will do.”

Without showing the slightest surprise, Yeo Ji-woong waved his hand while giving the servant a cold look. The servant bowed their head with a pale face before quickly disappearing from view.

“It’s been a while since we greeted each other.”

“We’re not on greeting terms.”

“If family doesn’t greet each other, who does?”

The refined language was utterly ridiculous. A monster wearing an elegant skin.

There was no value in mixing in casual conversation.

“Where is Woo Ju-eon?”

Seeing Yeo Ji-woong’s face after so long showed traces of time. Though his hair was graying, he didn’t seem aged, but rather gave an impression of dignity with added years of experience.

“Hmm?”

“If there’s something you want from me…”

His hand turned white from gripping too hard.

“You really haven’t listened to me all this time.”

“For just that reason…!”

Myung-hwon smiled coldly. Though he tried to contain his anger, the fury etched on Myung-hwon’s face with his jaw clenched was not something easily erased.

“If it was yours, you should have kept it well.”

“What do you think is the reason I’ve stayed quiet until now?”

The air around Myung-hwon’s body rippled as if burning.

“My, but you’ve got it wrong. You must have heard too.”

Yeo Ji-woong was pleased. He was pleased at the thought of holding Yeo Myung-hwon’s reins again. The beast that had become difficult to leash again due to gaining dangerous abilities had returned.

“Already having weathering syndrome, what value as a hostage, why should I make the effort?”

Yeo Myung-hwon’s eyes widened. Shouldn’t he not say such things if he wanted to use him?

“You’re lying.”

“If I lie now and you find out it was a lie later, I’m the one who loses. Why would I lie?”

Yeo Ji-woong spoke in a casual tone, smirking as if he hated being misunderstood when he hadn’t done anything.

“……”

“Isn’t it that someone broke because you were by their side?”

“……”

“If you had been under my control, that wouldn’t have happened.”

Though he clicked his tongue as if regretful, everyone in the room knew. The fact that Yeo Ji-woong wasn’t regretful at all.

“……”

“Come back home so such unfortunate incidents don’t happen again.”

Thoroughly destroy the weakened inner self, crush it until no debris remains. If there had been the pretext of treating Woo Ju-eon once weathering syndrome treatment progressed, it would have been easier to handle. Yeo Ji-woong clicked his tongue low. The timing hadn’t worked out. So he needed to use whatever he could use to get Yeo Myung-hwon back in his grasp. It wouldn’t be bad if Yeo Myung-hwon’s sense of self disappeared.

After all, what Yeo Ji-woong needed wasn’t a son but an effective chess piece.

Yeo Ji-woong watched emotionlessly as Yeo Myung-hwon’s face became stained with despair.

His only family, his reason for living, everything that made the current Yeo Myung-hwon human. Everything floated in the void. The meager hope that he had wished he was being held hostage heavily pressed down on Myung-hwon’s lungs.

“He’s really dead?”

As the last doubt before his eyes was erased, what remained was Myung-hwon’s death.

**

Rrrr.

Kang Yun-jae sighed seeing the name that appeared on his phone screen. Should I not answer? Though he briefly considered it, that moment was short.

“Yes, Congressman Yeo.”

Unlike his irritated face, his voice was respectful.

-Are you sure he’s really dead?

Yeo Ji-woong questioned Yun-jae with rare persistence.

“Did Myung-hwon come by?”

-Could have used him as a good card, what a shame.

“If the clinical trial had been just a bit earlier, I wouldn’t have disappointed you, Congressman.”

Kang Yun-jae was Yeo Ji-woong’s person. Yeo Ji-woong spared no support for Yun-jae, and Yun-jae produced results as if repaying Ji-woong’s investment.

-Where could I find talent like you?

“I’m only sorry I couldn’t be of help.”

Though Yun-jae’s voice was dark as he spoke, his expression was not.

Beep beep beep beep. Regular machine sounds rang from behind.

-Are you in the lab?

As if hearing that sound through the phone, Yeo Ji-woong asked.

“Yes. I’m planning to stay down here for a while because of the clinical trials.”

-Come to think of it, he was your friend too.

“That’s right.”

His voice was too dry to be consoling.

-Shame how it turned out. If you had cherished him, seems you couldn’t have let him go so easily.

Yeo Ji-woong was testing Kang Yun-jae until the end. Snake bastard. Yun-jae cursed inside. But Yeo Ji-woong’s suspicion wasn’t wrong.

“Clinical trials aren’t something that can be done at will.”

Then he reported to Yeo Ji-woong once more with a confident tone.

“As I told you, Woo Ju-eon died during the clinical trial.”

Yun-jae stroked Ju-eon’s cheek as he lay with closed eyes. The coldly chilled cheek wrapped around his hand. But Ju-eon’s chest rising and falling shallowly proved he was alive.

**

What was the problem? No matter how much he thought about it, all problems could only be found in himself.

Being by Ju-eon’s side made the hard surface of his heart go soft. Though that felt unbearably good at times, he hated it like death. From birth, he had been taught that being weak was a sin.

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘There was no need to tell.’

‘I want to know everything.’

‘……’

So even when pressing Ju-eon about things he hadn’t said, he couldn’t say why. He didn’t want to show weakness to Ju-eon.

Every time he saw Ju-eon, it felt like committing a sin. He was haunted by nightmares that if he showed himself crumbling before you, you would leave. The more he didn’t want to let go at all, the more he loved you, the deeper the sense of disconnect grew.

“Hah… I’m sorry.”

Myung-hwon made a boiling sound like a wounded beast.

He hadn’t known. That showing weakness was actually taking the greatest courage.