# Chapter 100
After returning the gentle top, now comes the possessive top?
Geonwoo blocked Dohyun’s escape route and looked him over, lowering his gaze. More precisely, he examined Jaehee who was cradled in Kang Dohyun’s arms.
‘…Guide-nim.’
Jaehee, his face flushed with fever, seemed to sense Geonwoo’s pheromones as he trembled slightly and clutched Dohyun’s shirt tightly. But even that seemed difficult for him as he breathed laboriously and couldn’t properly open his eyes.
Around Jaehee, very faint omega pheromones were dispersing—so faint they were barely noticeable. It was a sign of manifestation.
Yet around Jaehee, there was another pheromone besides his own. Though Kang Dohyun himself didn’t seem to be aware of it, his body was faintly emitting alpha pheromones in response to Jaehee’s pheromones.
“…”
At this, Geonwoo’s gaze darkened. A cold chill enveloped the surroundings.
Dohyun, with his brows deeply furrowed, slowly backed away. His arms holding Jaehee tensed. His determination not to let go was clearly visible.
The more he did so, the more flames rose inside Geonwoo. His gaze toward Kang Dohyun gradually became distorted.
But Geonwoo gritted his teeth and tried to calm himself as much as possible. Psychic abilities react sensitively to emotions. He was already close to his limit. If he went berserk by mistake, he could hurt Jaehee. Geonwoo wanted to avoid that at all costs.
So Geonwoo tried his best to suppress the fiercely fluctuating waves inside his body. In that state, he slowly approached Dohyun who was holding Jaehee.
‘Kang Dohyun.’
But as the distance closed, Geonwoo’s gaze grew infinitely darker.
‘After pushing hyung away like that.’
It couldn’t be helped. The closer he got to Kang Dohyun, the clearer the numerous scenes he had seen in his dreams became.
And all those dream fragments contained images of Kang Dohyun.
-I told you not to worry about it. Lee Jaehee.
Kang Dohyun looking down coldly at his hyung, pushing him away, telling him not to come near.
-You should know to stay away.
Kang Dohyun making an annoyed expression at his hyung when he came out of the gate injured.
-So what if Lee Jaehee died?
When his hyung died, Kang Dohyun didn’t even blink, as if it wasn’t a problem at all.
He was always like that. He never showed even the slightest emotion at his hyung’s misfortune or pain. He only ever displayed hostility toward his hyung.
And yet that same person…
-Lee Jaehee.
As the dreams repeated, he gradually changed.
-Hey, Lee Jaehee.
The number of times he called his hyung slowly increased.
-I told you to be careful.
Not at all funny, he began to worry about his hyung.
-Lee Jaehee.
Unaware of his own feelings, he took his place by his hyung’s side in the name of family.
-Jaehee-ya.
He tried to be with his hyung at all times.
But… that was it. He always abandoned his hyung in the end. The Guide that Kang Dohyun ultimately chose was not Lee Jaehee.
“Captain!”
Hyeono’s voice calling Dohyun was heard, and soon numerous Espers gathered behind Geonwoo. Among them were Guides as well. Yoo Jiwoon was there too.
For a brief moment, Geonwoo’s gaze lingered on Jiwoon. That gaze was infinitely cold.
Kang Dohyun, the Guide he always chose in the end.
-Jiwoon!
It was Jiwoon, not Jaehee.
As the dreams repeated, Kang Dohyun’s feelings toward his hyung changed, but that one point never changed, not even once.
Not even in those countless moments when Jaehee died.
***
The standoff continued. Behind Geonwoo were the Espers; in front of him were Kang Dohyun and Jaehee. And at the center of it all was Choi Geonwoo.
Everyone was tense, their eyes tracking Geonwoo’s smallest movements. They had already prepared for battle.
But everyone knew. They knew that even if all the ability users standing here attacked at once, they would be no match for Choi Geonwoo. They had already felt it keenly from the battle just moments ago.
That emotion was visible on everyone’s faces. Fear and tension created dark shadows.
That feeling spread to Dohyun who stood facing it all. Soon, dark shadows descended on Dohyun’s face as well. His eyes involuntarily twisted.
‘What should I do?’
That was all Dohyun could think about.
‘How can I escape from Choi Geonwoo?’
Then Choi Geonwoo’s voice reached Dohyun’s ears.
“…Give him back.”
Choi Geonwoo said this as he slowly approached Dohyun.
“Give Guide-nim back to me.”
Geonwoo’s demeanor was different from when he faced the other Espers. He was angry at Dohyun for taking Jaehee away as he pleased, but he was being careful with him because he was holding Jaehee. Geonwoo looked like someone who thought Dohyun might hurt Jaehee.
Seeing this, Dohyun’s teeth clenched even harder. He glared at Geonwoo with piercing eyes.
“…!”
Geonwoo’s eyes were tinged with red. It was a sign of impending berserker state. He desperately needed Guiding energy.
As if to prove this, Geonwoo stopped. Even though the turbulent waves inside his body were destroying him, he simply stood quietly to prevent that anger from affecting Jaehee.
But blood was visible at the corner of Geonwoo’s mouth. As if announcing his poor physical condition, alpha pheromones also poured out suddenly.
“…!”
That’s when it happened. Jaehee’s hand clutching Dohyun’s shirt tightened. Dohyun’s gaze quickly dropped. He could see Jaehee’s trembling hand. Jaehee, who had not reacted at all to his own pheromones despite being feverish, was now reacting to Choi Geonwoo’s pheromones.
But that wasn’t the end of it. Jaehee, who couldn’t even properly open his eyes under the dominance of the fever, was biting his lip and painfully trying to open his eyes. He had bitten so hard that his lower lip was torn. It was evidence of his struggle to regain consciousness.
Jaehee’s gaze turned toward Choi Geonwoo.
Seeing this, Dohyun’s expression grew fierce. Jaehee’s eyes were painfully contorted.
But it wasn’t the same anxiety or tension that Dohyun felt. Jaehee’s emotions were different from Dohyun’s. They were completely different emotions. Jaehee was now hurting because of Choi Geonwoo’s pain.
Watching Jaehee’s eyes grow moist, Dohyun felt Jaehee’s emotions that he didn’t want to know. Dohyun couldn’t understand why Jaehee felt pain at Choi Geonwoo’s suffering. He didn’t want to understand it either. Dohyun just didn’t want to see Jaehee worrying about Choi Geonwoo.
So Dohyun tried to erase Choi Geonwoo from Jaehee’s sight. He raised his hand to cover Jaehee’s eyes.
But that’s when it happened.
From the gate that had formed at the south entrance, the remaining monsters jumped out all at once. They had poured out after hearing the leader’s final howl before death. The wolves were trying to get inside, gnawing at the wooden vines Geonwoo had created.
‘…A way to escape.’
Just opening the blocked entrance wouldn’t be enough. Dohyun didn’t have the strength to outrun Choi Geonwoo. Nor did he have the power to defeat him. He had already experienced the power gap thoroughly at the A-class gate.
So now he had to think practically. He couldn’t act recklessly, consumed by emotions like before.
Dohyun’s eyes fell on the monsters. He also saw Choi Geonwoo, who was only concerned with Jaehee’s safety. And Geonwoo was struggling to suppress his energy waves for fear that Jaehee might get hurt if he went berserk.
‘Then…!’
A thought flashed through Dohyun’s mind. A very dangerous method, but the most effective one to use right now.
“Lee Jaehee.”
Dohyun called out to Jaehee. Due to his high fever, Jaehee couldn’t understand Dohyun’s words. He was just clutching Dohyun’s clothes and painfully watching Geonwoo.
Dohyun looked down at Jaehee and whispered softly. It was almost like talking to himself.
“It’s okay. I will never let you get hurt.”
After these words of reassurance, a moment of hesitation followed. But that time was brief. Dohyun put Jaehee down on the floor. Then he slowly backed away. At the same time, he stretched his arm behind him and used his ability.
Crack!
He destroyed the wooden vines Choi Geonwoo had created and focused his power on the hole the monsters had made.
It was an action that contradicted his words. But it was because he knew how Choi Geonwoo would act. Choi Geonwoo would never allow Jaehee to get hurt. Everything he had shown so far indicated that.
But despite this, he couldn’t hide his trembling hands. Even the slight possibility that Jaehee might get hurt made Dohyun’s fingertips shake violently.
Rumble!
But the deed was already done. The trees distorted, and the gap made by the monsters was greatly widened by Dohyun. Through that gap, wolf-like monsters poured in.
The most tempting prey. The weakest being in this place right now. The prey here was Lee Jaehee. The wolves all rushed toward Jaehee.
Geonwoo’s eyes widened. Horror filled his pupils.
