Chapter 88: The Lunatic Who Spent the Night Sending Messages to a Dead Number

“Let me see my brother now.”

“Of course. Go ahead.”

Lee Chae bolted to the room.

The door opened—Lee-jung sat up in bed.

“Hyung, you came?”

First—check his condition. Not as bad as feared. Their mother, holding Lee-jung’s hand, looked at Lee Chae with pity. She’d heard everything—those eyes said it all.

“Scared you, huh?”

“Good thing Jung-ie seems okay… Where’s Dad?”

“Headquarters people said move fast— he’s packing. Soon as a spot opens at their hospital, Jung-ie and I go too.”

“Ah…”

Only then did it click.

Headquarters staged the injury, guarded the door, called Hae-jin away— all Kim Jung-mi’s plan.

Before imprinting, Lee Chae had sworn never to fall for headquarters tricks. But he’d never imagined the reason for dissolution would be his own lacking ability.

Unfair, infuriating— yet relieved Lee-jung wasn’t gravely hurt. Staring at his little brother, feeling relief while knowing he might never see Hae-jin again— Lee Chae thought,

Cha Hae-jin wasn’t my number one after all.

He’d justified it as “to save Hae-jin,” but that was just an excuse. Or maybe not—he wasn’t sure. If Lee-jung were dying and Kim Jung-mi offered treatment for dissolution— could he abandon his brother? No easy answer.

“Chae-ya.”

Mother wiped tears, held his hand. Warmth nearly broke him. He wanted to cling like a child— I don’t want to leave Hae-jin… But if I stay he might die… All of you could be in danger…

He bit his lip to stop tears.

“It’ll hurt… first person you ever loved…”

Voice cracked despite trying not to cry.

At ten, carrying crying Lee-jung, waiting for parents— he’d vowed: D-rank or not, I’ll become a civil servant. Family will never go hungry.

But…

“You’ve supported us so long— once, just once, be selfish.”

One sentence— and he’d been selfish for the first time. The only thing he’d ever wanted for himself: Cha Hae-jin. Mine. My esper.

The world wouldn’t even allow that.

He squeezed his mother’s hand— one thing taken, protect what remained.

“I’m okay. I’ll dissolve the imprint and follow soon.”

Mother repeated “sorry” endlessly. Lee Chae silently stroked Lee-jung’s forehead and left.

Walking to meet Kim Jung-mi at the entrance— legs kept buckling. He gritted teeth. Then a thought:

They’ll take my phone at headquarters.

He stopped, gripped it, thought hard.

How to hurt Hae-jin the least? How to say goodbye so he suffers less? Play villain and make him hate me? Or reveal it wasn’t my choice? Is painless goodbye even possible?

Every option would wound him. Not wanting to hurt him was selfish— wanting to remain his “lovable guide” forever.

Still— for the man who first saw his worth, understood his hard life— he owed one final courtesy.

He swallowed countless words, kept only the most important.

[Hyung, stay unhurt and healthy always. And I love you.]

Present tense. Irresponsible him could offer no promises— only this greeting.

Lee Chae was dissolving the imprint.

Pain sliced through his body. Head throbbed, stomach churned. Like rusty knife skinning him.

To escape reality, he closed eyes. Pain vanished— replaced by Hae-jin.

Trembling fingertips, fluttering sheets, stinging skin on contact, same shampoo but different scent, bulging arm veins when pinning shoulders, slightly lowered eyes, body two degrees warmer, hot breath on ear, overwhelming weight crashing down, the moment of climax—falling then soaring weightless.

First night memories— replayed, savored countless times.

The flower on his collarbone wilted. Their link severed. Hae-jin could no longer find him. Lee Chae could no longer reach Hae-jin.

Erasing the mark was this simple— but how to erase vivid memories and lingering traces in his heart?

“Done. Imprint dissolved.”

The S-rank guide in charge spoke. He stood, surrendered phone, received new ID.

Good thing he’d memorized Jae-hyung and Jin-woo’s numbers.

[Third Headquarters Administration Official, Jung Lee Chae.]

The ID he’d dreamed of— now he wanted to hurl it into mud.

Useless official who couldn’t help Hae-jin. He’d wanted civil service post-imprint to support him from inside headquarters. All meaningless now.

New ID in hand, heading to new city with family. Under the bridge connecting cities, deep blue river looked oddly peaceful— dark thoughts crept in.

Jump? End it all?

Then—radio.

—Breaking news: Legion leader Esper Cha Hae-jin defeats variant monster, returns safely to headquarters. Legion’s performance was outstanding—

Relief. Unhurt.

Lee Chae clutched his chest. Have to live.

Hae-jin was famous— to watch his growth from afar, he needed to stay alive. If memories wouldn’t fade, no need to force them. Watching from distance, cheering silently— new way to love.

Tiny hope— enough to keep him going.

—Without them an entire city might have vanished. Criticism rises over over-reliance on one S-rank… Headquarters states—

True. Not the only S-rank, but Hae-jin bore most major battles. More reliance—more danger to his life.

So me leaving is right.

The car carrying Lee Chae drove farther and farther from the city where Hae-jin was.

[Hyung, stay unhurt and healthy always. And I love you.]

[Chae-ya, what does that mean? Anyway, I love you too.]

[Honey, where are you? Why no read receipts? Location’s… something’s wrong.]

[Jung Lee Chae, I’m scared. Is imprint dissolution a thing I didn’t know? No calls… mark gone…]

Hae-jin paced Legion halls for hours, phone glued to hand. Uneasy since battle ended. Lee Chae’s location checked hourly— suddenly gone.

First thought: exhausted from battle, signal weak. Then phone off—world went black.

He stared blankly, sent unanswered messages, stared more. Then thought slowly.

Did I wrong him somehow?

Nothing came to mind. He’d matched everything to Lee Chae, managed hated evaluations, controlled temper to avoid gossip.

Yet…

Disappointed in me? Not mature enough?

He didn’t know what good people disliked or liked— couldn’t pinpoint mistakes. Body exhausted from battle, heart ice-cold.

The ominous feeling haunting him all day becoming reality— Haejin sent messages to the dead number all night.

[Chae-ya, I messed up. Don’t know how, but if you’re mad—my fault. I’ll fix everything.]

He deleted, rewrote, rage built— stormed out. Sitting still was wrong. Location gone—he’d been too passive.

He raced to Lee Chae’s house. Pounded door, rang bell like mad— no answer.

Haejin stood in the dark street, phone lighting his pale face.

Messages kept sending— to silence.

The lunatic finally understood real fear: losing the one person who made the world worth saving.