Kang-hoon, despite his appearance, was remarkably talkative. When he kept his mouth shut, his sharp eyes and large build made him seem stoic and charismatic. However, the impression vanished the moment he started talking incessantly.
Perhaps he knew that Joo-hyun found it difficult to speak easily and talked more to avoid awkwardness. Whatever the reason, Joo-hyun found it rather unwelcome.
"As an esper, you can use the dining hall for free anytime. Most of the other facilities are free too, so check them all out."
As they passed the dining hall, a delicious smell wafted through the air. In Block C, they always served cold lunch boxes, so Joo-hyun couldn't even remember the last time he had a warm meal.
Block A had various facilities for espers: a gym, bathhouse, sauna, and even a cinema where they could watch currently screening films for free.
Joo-hyun, lingering longer than he realised in front of the library, hurried to catch up with Kang-hoon, who had walked ahead.
"What was your previous centre like?"
The previous centre, to be precise, Block C where he would have to remain. After a moment of hesitation, Joo-hyun pulled down his collar and whispered with just his lips.
"It was a hellhole."
Kang-hoon, eyes wide with surprise, stayed silent as Joo-hyun clearly did not intend to say more. The silence was brief, though. As they reached the training ground, Kang-hoon spoke again.
"This is the training ground. You go to the area that suits your abilities. Where do you think you fit?"
Kang-hoon seemed seriously considering helping with the training, but Joo-hyun tugged at his sleeve, shaking his head vigorously.
"I just planned to check out the location today. Thank you for bringing me here."
Kang-hoon seemed to understand, even though Joo-hyun's lips moved soundlessly, and he laughed heartily.
"We'll see each other often enough, no need to thank me!"
Joo-hyun thought inwardly that he was in trouble. If Kang-hoon started questioning why there was no esper named Hyun Shin-joo, he might spread rumours.
Of course, there was a solution, and it wasn't too difficult. If the information that Hyun Shin-joo had transferred to another place or died on a mission was subtly leaked, everything would be resolved. There were countless espers in Block A, and it wasn't uncommon for them to die on missions, so Kang-hoon would soon forget Joo-hyun.
However, Joo-hyun dreaded the thought of getting beaten up by Tae-seok for failing to execute even such a simple task properly.
Still, the mission was finally over. Joo-hyun, with his head hung low, turned to leave.
"Shin Joo-hyun?"
His heart dropped to his stomach then bounced back up. The loud thumping made him feel nauseous.
Joo-hyun glanced sideways with clenched hands. White wings, golden hair tied in a ponytail. Yoon Ga-ram was standing there with a look of shock. Dressed in workout clothes, he stared at Joo-hyun suspiciously.
Of all places to run into Ga-ram, who disliked him. If Ga-ram mentioned why a runaway esper was here... The sensation of his nails digging into his palms was sharp.
Joo-hyun bit the inside of his lip, trying to say something when Kang-hoon stepped forward and spoke with a strangely angry tone.
"You must be mistaken, this guy's name is Hyun Shin-joo."
"Hyun Shin-joo? What kind of ridiculous name is that?"
"Hey! You shouldn't speak like that about someone's name!"
At Kang-hoon's scolding, Ga-ram's face twisted in disbelief. The name clearly sounded like a hastily made-up alias, yet he was being chastised for ridiculing someone else's name.
Although annoyed, Ga-ram didn't mention the alias, noting Joo-hyun's unusual demeanour. Unlike his usual self, his eyes were black, his shoulders rigid, his gaze fixed on the floor. He didn't seem like someone who wanted to be here.
Runaway espers were not allowed in Block A for safety reasons. They were to die outside if necessary.
Ga-ram didn't know what kind of mission runaway espers undertook, but he knew that if this fact was exposed, many would be reprimanded, including the runaway esper in front of him—Joo-hyun, who had once protected Ga-ram's guide.
Joo-hyun, fully aware of his predicament, had a face set like stone. His usually impudent eyes were now darting nervously.
"Is he like a hamster before a cat? Keeping his mouth shut in a situation like this?"
Ga-ram wanted to ignore him, but the sight of Joo-hyun's scarred fists trembling caught his eye. Clicking his tongue, Ga-ram spoke reluctantly.
"...I must have been mistaken. He just looks very similar to someone I know."
Joo-hyun, raising his head in surprise, seized the chance and nodded slightly before disappearing down the corridor. His pace was neither fast nor slow, just average enough to avoid suspicion.
Ga-ram glanced sideways, noticing Kang-hoon watching the corridor where Joo-hyun had disappeared with an unreadable expression.
Choi Kang-hoon. Though boisterous, he was a man whose thoughts were hard to decipher. Ga-ram, who hated getting involved in troublesome matters, entered the training room without a word.
* * *
Having fled far from the two, Joo-hyun slumped against the wall only after confirming he was alone. He realised he preferred assassination missions or gate tasks where only his life was at stake.
Unlike Block C, Block A was kept at a constant temperature, even in the corridors. The cool air helped Joo-hyun dry his sweat as he slowly stood up and began walking home.
Determined not to make the same mistake, Joo-hyun entered the bathroom and climbed into the ventilation duct. He smirked at how he found solace in such a place, comparing himself to a sewer rat.
Though the building housed many espers with various abilities, fortunately, no one seemed interested in the ventilation ducts. Crawling through the spacious ducts as quietly as possible, Joo-hyun overheard a conversation below.
"Handle that matter discreetly."
"Yes."
Joo-hyun couldn't hear the details, but it was clearly something he shouldn't know. He bit the tip of his tongue lightly, ready to move on when the esper receiving the order turned around. Despite viewing from above, Joo-hyun recognised the person immediately. That esper was...
"I subdued the runaway esper."
Dizziness and a racing heart made Joo-hyun realise he had been holding his breath. His chest ached, and his head throbbed. Joo-hyun pressed a cold hand over his mouth to stifle a scream.
Eleven years had changed the man's face. His hair, slicked back, had a few streaks of grey, and new scars had appeared.
Despite these changes, the sight of his face brought the past rushing back vividly. Bloody hands, sprawled corpses, the cold bodies of people who had laughed together just hours earlier, the collapsed building, blood, his teacher, broken fingernails, something slithering like a snake...
"Joo-hyun, I don't know what to do when you cry."
Suddenly, Joo-hyun froze. His hands, which had been clutching his head, stilled. His legs, which had been curled up, stopped moving.
Breathing slowly and shallowly as if time had stopped, Joo-hyun peeked through the small gap below. The man who had subdued him during his runaway episode was already gone.
The esper who had grabbed his arm and pinned him down with a knee to his back was no longer there. The cold eyes that had looked down on him had vanished.
"So, if I runaway now, who will stop me?"
The thought was extreme, but Joo-hyun, overwhelmed by the resurfaced past, could only feel an urgent instinct to reach a place where no one was around.
Clunk! The runaway esper jumped without hesitation from the nearest exit.
Though a person suddenly dropped from the fourth-floor wall, the citizens who glanced up quickly lost interest. Eccentric behaviour from espers was common, especially in Block A.
Joo-hyun ran, not knowing where he was heading. He avoided people but found them everywhere.
"Watch where you're going!"
Even when he bumped shoulders, he couldn't apologise. Raising his head would reveal his red eyes, the symbol of a demon, frightening the other person. Although his lenses currently hid them, Joo-hyun was too panicked to remember this.
What should I do? What must I do? Where can I go to keep people safe? What should I do to avoid involving anyone in my runaway state?
"..."
Joo-hyun knew the answer. He had always known. To defuse a time bomb, you cut the wires. Just like killing monsters emerging from gates before they kill people, Joo-hyun had to do the same.
His unnaturally black eyes stared into the void. He rubbed his hands on his clothes repeatedly, as if trying to clean something off, before heading somewhere with determination.