# Chapter 76
“Just as you so desperately wanted.”
The words descending into his ear clawed at Geonwoo’s heart.
‘You wanted… to erase our bond that badly?’
Geonwoo had heard their entire conversation. Words filled with concern for each other despite their anger. While listening to them, Geonwoo crossed from dream to reality. The dreams unfolding before him shattered, and scenes from reality and the past rapidly flashed before his eyes.
‘You promised to form a bond with me…’
Geonwoo remembered Jaehee smiling at him like the hyung in his dreams. That scene completely dominated his vision.
‘You said you’d give me the place beside you, Guide-nim.’
But why?
‘Why is someone else in my place…?’
In the place where Geonwoo wanted to stand, there was Kang Dohyun. He could feel Dohyun’s wavelength surrounding Jaehee. That action, as if claiming Jaehee as his own, felt horrific to Geonwoo.
‘Guide-nim…’
A situation where he couldn’t move his body. The warm hyung in his dreams. Happy memories with his Guide. The current situation that contradicted all of that—the reality before his eyes taking everything away from him—broke and trampled Geonwoo’s emotions.
That’s when another scene flashed before Geonwoo’s eyes.
‘Dohyun!’
In Geonwoo’s vision, as he lay helplessly on the floor under Kang Dohyun’s ability, he saw Jaehee taking care of Dohyun. Geonwoo couldn’t forget the sight of Lee Jaehee, his Guide, looking at Kang Dohyun with worried eyes.
‘How could you… not look at me even once…?’
Even when his bandages were soaked with blood, Jaehee never once looked at him. He kept his gaze fixed on Kang Dohyun, stubbornly refusing to bow his head. He didn’t give even the slightest glance, as if he was determined to completely ignore Geonwoo. That image of Jaehee lingered before Geonwoo’s eyes.
And soon, the dream and reality, all those scenes, began to mix together.
The affectionate hyung from his dreams.
The cold Lee Jaehee of reality.
The hyung from his dreams who worried about him.
Lee Jaehee who only worried about Kang Dohyun.
The hyung who smiled so happily by his side.
Lee Jaehee who claimed he’d only be happy if their bond was erased.
The hyung who lied to avoid causing him pain.
Lee Jaehee who lied to cause him pain.
The difference between reality and dreams hurt Geonwoo. His head felt ready to burst, filled with the Jaehee from his dreams and the Jaehee from reality.
Yet those days continued. While watching the happy story of himself and the hyung from his dreams, Geonwoo faced a reality completely different from the dream.
“Dohyun.”
Lee Jaehee calling Kang Dohyun affectionately.
“Lee Jaehee.”
Kang Dohyun calling Lee Jaehee affectionately despite his roughness.
There was no place for Choi Geonwoo between them. A situation opposite to his dreams. That made the pain of reality feel even greater. Eventually, that gap distorted Geonwoo’s emotions.
Slowly. Miserably. Absolutely mercilessly.
***
Ten days passed quickly. Now, only a single day remained until the Gate entrance would open.
“What’s the bond level?”
At Dr. Yoon’s question, his assistant brought a pad and displayed the screen with detailed information about Geonwoo’s condition.
“Less than 10% remains now.”
During this time, Geonwoo’s bond level had dropped significantly. The process hadn’t been easy. Dangerous moments had abounded. There were times when Jaehee had to perform guiding while Geonwoo was struggling to breathe, his physical condition deteriorating. There were times when Dohyun nearly ended the whole process because he couldn’t control his anger.
“You don’t need to come here anymore, Guide Lee Jaehee.”
But finally, they had brought the level down this far. Dr. Yoon checked the level once more and spoke as if for Jaehee to hear.
“If we leave it like this for a few days, the bond will break. The bond level is so low that his obsession with Guide Lee Jaehee will have almost disappeared.”
The end was near. The level was now low enough that Jaehee no longer needed to be by his side, and concerns about erasing the bond had almost vanished. From now on, things would go smoothly. Everyone’s hearts felt lighter because of this.
But Jaehee’s feelings weren’t so simple. He had tried to protect Geonwoo but had hurt him in the process. When he thought about how Geonwoo would look at him when he woke up, about their relationship afterward, he felt suddenly afraid.
Moreover, although he had decided to enter the Gate, he felt guilty about not being able to stay by Geonwoo’s side as his abilities were about to manifest, making his steps heavy. In his heart, he wanted to take on more of Geonwoo’s pain. He wished Geonwoo would suffer less.
But since he couldn’t show these feelings to anyone, Jaehee had to work hard to hide his emotions.
That’s why Jaehee didn’t look at Geonwoo. As time passed, he found it increasingly difficult to look at him properly. The heavily settled emotions made it impossible to look at Geonwoo.
“By the way.”
It was then. Suddenly, Dr. Yoon asked.
“The Gate is opening soon?”
The Gate that had formed near the Center while they were erasing the bond was almost complete. Dr. Yoon recalled this and looked at Dohyun as he asked.
“Yes, the entrance will be fully open by tomorrow.”
At Dohyun’s response, Dr. Yoon glanced at Jaehee once and then looked back at Dohyun.
“What about Guide Lee Jaehee? Will he participate in this mission?”
Despite all the caution advised, Jaehee’s condition hadn’t improved easily. Concerned about this, Dr. Yoon looked at Jaehee and Dohyun as he asked.
“……”
But Dohyun couldn’t answer that question easily. He too felt that Jaehee’s condition wasn’t normal, so he was conflicted. Yet leaving him behind also troubled his mind. Because he had regrets from doing so before.
A moment of silence fell. The one who broke that stillness was Jaehee.
“Yes. I plan to go along.”
It was a firm answer without a trace of hesitation.
***
A few hours before the Gate entrance opened, Dohyun and Jaehee were immediately assembled.
“Grade is C-class. Gate size is large.”
A common C-class Gate. However, due to its proximity to the Center, quite a number of Espers and Guides were assembled, and teams were formed exclusively with A-class and B-class personnel. As a result, not a trace of tension could be found on anyone’s face.
After all explanations were finished, everyone took a short preparation time. Dohyun was heading to the dormitory to prepare for going to the Gate with Jaehee.
That’s when it happened. Suddenly, Dohyun grabbed Jaehee’s shoulder with one hand and wrapped his other hand around the back of Jaehee’s neck, pulling him into his arms.
Jaehee’s eyes widened at the sudden contact. He was taken aback. Though Jaehee was closer to Dohyun than to others, he wasn’t immune to physical contact with him.
Surely Dohyun must feel the same, but he appeared unfazed. Rather, he even pressed his body against Jaehee’s. Since experiencing that out-of-control state, Dohyun had become much more accustomed to physical contact with Jaehee.
“Lee Jaehee.”
Dohyun was concerned. He could feel a slight fever in the body he was holding. The amount of Guiding Energy in Jaehee’s body was also significantly deficient. It had barely recovered since that time. He wanted to tell him to rest while he went alone.
“With your body like this, can you go to the Gate?”
But Dohyun had experienced regret once before. Having left Jaehee behind and deeply regretted it, this time he wanted to take him along.
Having him by his side would be safer than leaving him at this Center where Choi Geonwoo was. Because the consequences of one moment of carelessness had been so great, Dohyun’s anxiety didn’t easily disappear even after hearing Dr. Yoon say that the bond would soon be erased.
“I’m going.”
Jaehee’s tone was firm.
“I must go.”
He was determined to go no matter what. Though the reason for his insistence wasn’t clear, it wasn’t a bad situation.
“Lee Jaehee. At the Gate…”
Then there was something he needed to caution him about. Because the current Jaehee was too weak, Dohyun was about to tell him never to leave his side at the Gate.
But Jaehee was faster.
“Dohyun.”
Jaehee looked up at Dohyun as he spoke. His expression even looked somewhat solemn.
“Don’t be alone at the Gate. Stay by my side. Don’t separate from me. Understood?”
A small laugh escaped Dohyun’s mouth as he watched Jaehee suddenly put on a serious face and say such things. The image Jaehee was showing now was like Esper Kang Dohyun being protected by Guide Lee Jaehee. That made him laugh involuntarily.
“You’ve grown up a lot, Lee Jaehee.”
The corners of Dohyun’s mouth curved upward. It was absurd, but he didn’t dislike Jaehee’s words. Dohyun raised his hand and gently tousled Jaehee’s hair.
“What? You’re going to protect me?”
Dohyun said that as he released Jaehee. The corners of his mouth kept rising in satisfaction. But at the same time, another thought rose in Dohyun’s mind.
‘I will protect you no matter what.’
That was Dohyun’s determination. Whether in the Gate, within the Center, or from Choi Geonwoo. He would be the one to protect Jaehee. Dohyun had no intention of letting Jaehee get hurt. He had resolved that since hurting Jaehee when they were young.
So Dohyun looked at Jaehee and said:
“Then don’t leave my side, Lee Jaehee. If you’re going to protect me.”
Yes, if I’m going to protect you.
Dohyun looked at Jaehee with a faint smile. He took Jaehee’s words just as something pleasant to hear.
But unlike Dohyun, Jaehee was serious. This time, he wanted to save Dohyun.
That’s why, whether Dohyun tried to stop him or not, even if someone else tried to stop him from going, Jaehee intended to go to the Gate.
‘Back then, I couldn’t do anything.’
That continued to remain a regret for Jaehee.
Before the regression, Jaehee could only welcome Dohyun who returned to the Center after losing his leg in the Gate. He regretted not going with him.
Dohyun’s injury had greatly shocked everyone at the Center. The strongest Esper in the Center had participated in a Gate clearing mission and lost part of his body. Even healing-type Espers couldn’t help. They said he could no longer live a normal life.
What could an Esper who had lost his leg and couldn’t walk properly without crutches do within the Center? Nothing. Dohyun’s place in the Center had disappeared.
Moreover, the wound of the leg lost to a monster continuously tormented Dohyun. The stump of his leg, soaked in poison that wouldn’t easily fade, exhausted Dohyun. Because of that, Dohyun soon went to another branch where Dr. Yoon was. There, Dohyun devoted himself to treatment for a long time, but there was no progress.
This time, Jaehee intends to change that fate.
