Chapter 62: The Lunatic Who Was Officially “Missing”

Only one day had passed. For the first time in his life, Lee Chae skipped school. With Haejin gone, nothing mattered more than finding him. His entire priority list had flipped upside down.

He racked his brain for anything that could help— but all that surfaced were memories of their first night.

Trembling fingertips, fluttering sheets, skin that stung at every touch, the same shampoo yet completely different scent, bulging veins on arms pinning his shoulders, half-lidded eyes, body temperature two degrees higher than usual, hot breath curling around his ear, the solid weight crashing over him, the moment of climax when he felt like he’d fallen off a cliff only to float in midair. Every memory replayed in excruciating detail, then vanished.

“Lee Chae-ya.”

His mother’s voice cut through. If she hadn’t spoken, the loop would’ve gone on forever.

“What? You said classes were canceled.”

“…Right… never mind. Rest.”

His mother hesitated, face ashen, then turned away. Lee Chae grabbed her.

“Money gone again?”

“Yesterday Lee-jung was sick… hospital bill… I’m sorry, parents shouldn’t…”

“It’s fine. Whatever Dad earns won’t be much anyway!”

He hadn’t meant to snap, but irritation exploded. He snatched his bag. His mother sounded close to tears.

“Sorry…”

“…It’s okay. The world’s like this… what can we do.”

He muttered curtly and left. The sky was bright again, as if lightning had never struck. The sun rose and time passed even without Haejin. His family worried about survival; his only lover skipped class and headed to the cleanup crew for one meal’s worth of pay.

“F*ck.”

Cursing aloud didn’t help. He arrived at the cleanup crew in that mood.

Even while guiding, anxiety made concentration impossible. He was furious at himself—Haejin was missing, yet he was working for a job to survive.

“Ow, that stings. Why so sharp?”

The esper receiving guiding jolted upright from the prickly energy.

“What? It’s not even contact guiding—aren’t you overreacting?”

At Lee Chae’s sarcasm, the esper raised a hand like he’d slap him. Lee Chae didn’t dodge—stared straight back. Hit me. I’ll take the settlement money, give it to Mom, and focus on finding Haejin.

But the world never went his way. The esper lowered his hand after the fake-out. Lee Chae almost provoked him more—then bowed his head.

“…Sorry.”

“Do better next time.”

“Yes.”

The esper left. Mom earlier, this guy now—neither had really done anything wrong, so why was he so angry?

He’d endured pain, exhaustion, bone-deep studying—all without a loud complaint, just for a stable future. He’d gritted his teeth through a life no one acknowledged, and finally found someone who listened to his small voice.

That one person had vanished. All the anger he’d bottled up began to boil over.

Lee Chae slung his bag and walked out. In a world where they could die today or tomorrow, what was the point of planning for the future?

“Cha Haejin, you better be alive. If you’re dead, I’ll kill you myself!”

He screamed at the sky and ran toward Legion. Tears clinging to his lashes were swept away by the wind.

Legion felt like a funeral home. Lee Chae was almost relieved—if it had been normal, he’d have been devastated. He forced his voice higher.

“You all just gonna sit there? Let’s go find him…”

Jin-woo spotted him and pressed a finger to his lips—“shh.” Lee Chae looked around. Jae-hyung was sweating buckets, fully focused. Yong-yong stared at him with teary eyes, then met Lee Chae’s gaze— If Jae-hyung dies because of this, what are you going to do?

Lee Chae felt bad, but he had no room to comfort the dragon right now.

Jae-hyung exhaled sharply and clutched his chest. Face pale as paper. The energy coming off him was dangerous—if he kept going, he really might collapse. Lee Chae grabbed his wrist.

“Stop.”

Jae-hyung shook him off and steadied his breathing.

“I’ll keep going. Legion doesn’t abandon anyone. The individual is as important as the whole.”

Each word was deliberate, like a spell. The energy Lee Chae had felt earlier was so weak that Jae-hyung standing upright was already a miracle. Lee Chae shook his head and grabbed his hand again.

“That’s why you need to take care of yourself. Push more and your body won’t hold.”

Jae-hyung stopped channeling energy, breath hitching—then collapsed. Yong-yong darted forward and caught him. Watching the dragon gently wipe Jae-hyung’s cold sweat, Lee Chae muttered inwardly,

You have to be alive to love.

Swallowing the words that hurt to say, he turned away. If even Jae-hyung’s best effort failed, he needed another way.

“Where you going?”

Jin-woo’s voice behind him. Lee Chae forced a casual smile.

“Haejin hyung’s definitely alive, so stop worrying. I’m heading to the cleanup crew—gotta work to eat.”

“Yeah… you’re amazing, Japchae. Strong.”

“Just stubborn.”

Find a way to survive before crying.

Leaving Legion, Lee Chae ran—not to the cleanup crew, but to headquarters. If an S-rank they valued so much had vanished, they’d do something, right?

But headquarters was eerily calm. What the… why is everything so normal…?

The unnatural quiet made him dizzy. It felt deliberately staged to hide something.

Ah… so that’s it.

Before meeting Haejin, Lee Chae had always wondered: Whenever battles were reported, only civilians or low-ranks appeared as casualties. It never made sense that non-combatants got hurt more than frontline fighters. Now the mystery was solved.

They’re hiding it. If people knew an S-rank was injured or missing, panic or opposition would explode.

The current ruling party were conservatives who prioritized stability over revolution, the whole over the individual. Lee Chae had never cared about politics—politicians were all the same anyway. But now he realized: without understanding politics, he couldn’t find Haejin.

What do I do?

He paced the lobby. Most board members doubled as politicians—they wouldn’t help just because he begged.

What trumps power?

A sudden idea—he bolted to the elevator. He’d ask Haejin’s mother. Do you know what’s happening in this country? Do you know your son is missing? A parent’s love for their child had to outweigh lust for power.

Sixth floor. Uniformed guides blocked him.

“What business?”

“I need to see Professor Kim.”

“Appointment?”

“No, but it’s urgent.”

He forced his voice steady and loud. The guides looked annoyed but gave the standard reply.

“Everyone who comes here says that. Save your energy and go home.”

“It’s about Esper Cha Haejin…”

“We know. Everyone uses Cha Haejin as an excuse.”

“No! I’m here about his disappearance.”

The guide scanned him head to toe.

“Are you Guide Jung Lee Chae?”

“Yes.”

“Wait here.”

He stood rooted while the guides disappeared down the hall. But when they returned, the news was devastating.

“She refuses to meet. More precisely—she says there’s no need. Go home.”

How can a mother not meet someone who might have news of her missing son? Lee Chae couldn’t move. The guides forcibly pushed him into the elevator. Back in the lobby, he stopped dead.

Where do I go now?

The last option had vanished. He had no idea how to find Haejin anymore. Vertigo worsened. Despair and anxiety swallowed him whole.