Chapter 110: The Night Before the Breaking Point

“Is it really that important of an appointment.

It’s Director Oh’s birthday, of all days.”

Although I had known Oh Seong-gyu for a long time, he was not someone I was particularly close to.

If anything, he had a much deeper connection with Jaeyul.

From the moment Jaeyul entered the academy to the day he became a team leader, Oh Seong-gyu had always supported him from behind the scenes.

You could even call him a benefactor.

Espers who enter gates constantly face the threat of death.

It is a profession where someone perfectly fine today could easily die on the very next mission without it being strange at all.

That is why, whenever there is something to celebrate, everyone gathers if they possibly can.

“I don’t think I can make it tomorrow.

I’ll contact Director Oh separately.”

Jaeyul is definitely acting strange.

It is not just that he refuses to attend until the end, but also that he seems unusually indifferent.

On any other day, he would have asked endlessly about where the gathering was, who was attending, and what kind of event it was.

But today, it is as if none of that matters to him at all.

Instead, the only thing he seems concerned about is the fact that I have plans.

“…Alright.

I get it.”

Is this growing certainty just a ridiculous delusion.

Or is it a premonition of what is about to happen.

Would it be better to confirm it with Jaeyul at least once rather than letting my mind rot on its own.

Or should I pretend not to know and let myself stew in silence.

In the span of a fleeting moment, my thoughts wavered dozens of times.

“By the way, Jaeyul.”

“Hm.”

In the end, I decide that it is better to confirm things with him.

I cannot directly ask whether he plans to meet Irihyeon tomorrow, so I will have to phrase it differently.

“What are you going to do about Irihyeon.

You never told me your thoughts on it.”

“Ah… Irihyeon, huh.”

That reaction means Jaeyul has already thought about how to deal with Irihyeon.

So it is not as if he had no plan at all.

As expected, Jaeyul does not disappoint me.

The anxiety that had surged up just moments ago already feels like it is fading.

“You don’t need to worry about it, hyung.”

He cuts it off cleanly.

As if it is truly none of my business.

The answer is so far from what I expected that I am left flustered.

“Huh.

How can I not worry when it concerns me too.”

“Sorry.

I didn’t mean it like that.

I mean I want to take time and think carefully about it.

I’m worried that if I attack recklessly, you might get hurt.”

Should I believe that those words come purely from concern for me.

His expression and tone both suggest that they do.

And yet, my heart refuses to accept it.

I know I should believe him without wavering, just like he believes me.

Even now, my trust is stronger than my doubt, and I want it to stay that way.

But still, there is no way to stop the unease blooming in one corner of my heart.

Later, later, later.

Why does Jaeyul’s decision always seem to grow hesitant whenever Irihyeon is involved.

Please let this just be my imagination.

“…I see.

Alright.”

Just as Jaeyul said, I think I need time too.

— October X, 4:30 PM —

“Mm, hm….”

It is irritating.

Truly irritating.

The sound of Irihyeon humming as if something delightful had happened.

He looks completely different from yesterday, when he was watching my reactions and looking deflated.

Just looking at him now, he seems like the kind of person who would laugh even if someone stabbed him in the back and walked away.

“Well, well.

Looks like even the great Irihyeon has something he’s bad at.”

“What.

What do you mean.”

At Park Bomyeong’s voice, Irihyeon stopped humming.

He looked at Bomyeong with genuine confusion, as if asking what on earth he could possibly be bad at.

“You’re tone-deaf, right.

How can you hum and miss every single note like that.”

Ah…

I really like Bomyeong.

His talent for shattering people’s bones with innocent, thoughtless remarks is truly remarkable.

Thanks to that casual comment, Irihyeon not only shut his mouth but even flushed red.

“Ugh, I’m dying.”

Bomyeong stretched widely, clearly having said it without any deeper intent, and quickly lost interest in Irihyeon.

I know exactly why he is like this.

“Why the hell are there no missions at all.”

Bomyeong, who needs to burn off his overflowing energy through combat, finds staying still even more exhausting.

Until the SS-rank gate raid, he had gone on missions two or three times a day.

Now that he has suddenly been given rest, he does not know how to relax.

And he is not the only one.

“But seriously, why are there zero deployments.

We don’t even have major injuries.

What exactly are we ‘maintaining’.”

Yueden and the other team members were equally puzzled.

There is no way the world suddenly became this quiet.

There must be incidents every day that require a special team.

Yet we are on indefinite standby.

The official reason is ‘reorganization time.’

Everyone knows the Center is not that generous, which only makes it more suspicious.

“Well, it’s not bad to take this chance to rest.”

Only one person says that.

Irihyeon.

He looks like his brain has turned into a flower field, utterly empty of thought.

“Then should we go out and start drinking now.

Director Oh can just join later.”

Bomyeong spoke proudly, as if he had come up with a brilliant idea.

It is only five in the evening.

Even with flexible hours, sitting in a bar at this time feels vaguely sinful.

“Should we.

There’s nothing to do sitting around here anyway.”

As people began agreeing one by one, I changed my mind too.

Why be so strict about working hours.

If something urgent comes up, they will call us.

“Um.

I don’t think I can go.

I have a very important appointment.”

Irihyeon said he would not attend.

In a way, that makes sense.

This gathering is to celebrate Oh Seong-gyu’s birthday, and Irihyeon barely knows him.

Still, since our team had received significant help from Oh Seong-gyu during the gate raid, the idea was to hold a proper after-party together.

Refusing to attend is strange.

And those eyes.

Irihyeon looked straight at me, stressing every single word.

As if he wanted me to understand him perfectly.

It is obvious that this ‘very important appointment’ is a secret promise with Jaeyul, and he is dying to flaunt it.

“…Fine.”

The others accepted Irihyeon’s absence without much thought.

But my mind grew more complicated.

Because of Irihyeon’s attitude, my suspicion that he and Jaeyul would meet secretly tonight hardened into certainty.

What on earth is Jaeyul thinking.

He said he would take time and think carefully about the punishment, yet he plans to meet Irihyeon in secret without even telling me.

Haah.

I really don’t know anymore.

— October X, 9:50 PM —

“Something going on with you.”

It seems I had zoned out.

The sensation of someone tapping my arm pulled me back to awareness.

Everyone at the table was looking at me, so they must have been talking about me.

“Ah.

No, nothing.

It’s just been a while since I drank, so I spaced out a bit.”

“No way.

You look like someone with serious trouble.”

Oh Seong-gyu clearly did not believe me.

I realized I had been too distracted at someone else’s birthday celebration.

Before my suspicions could dig any deeper, I deliberately spoke in a brighter tone.

“Come on, have a drink.

Don’t even think about walking home sober tonight.”

“You challenging me.

Fine.

Let’s see who drops first.”

No.

That was not what I meant at all.

This man really takes a joke and charges in like his life depends on it.

For special ability users, purging alcohol from the body is ridiculously easy, so there is no need to be this intense.

“But hey.

Why didn’t the youngest one come today.

He never skips Director Oh’s birthday.”

It seems Jaeyul did not properly explain his absence to the others.

Of course they would find it odd that he was not here.

“Not sure.

Even family can’t know every schedule….”

It is a perfectly reasonable answer.

But saying it out loud feels awkward.

Jaeyul and I usually know almost all of each other’s schedules.

Even when something sudden comes up, we tell each other right away.

Yet this time, I have no idea why he is absent.

My chest tightens again, and I down the drink in front of me in one go.

The burning sensation sliding down my throat and the rising buzz finally make my mind feel a little lighter.

Even knowing it is just alcohol masking my thoughts, I keep refilling my glass.

“Damn.

Look at that murderous intent.

I can’t lose now.”

It seems Oh Seong-gyu misunderstood my intentions, but who cares.

If I speak honestly, leaning on the alcohol, I am angry at Seon Jaeyul.

Until we barely escaped the gate, until we returned to the Center and I saw Irihyeon’s face, I trusted Jaeyul without a shred of doubt.

I absolutely believed in the man who risked his life to save me.

Even if I did not know how, I believed he would help me take revenge in the best way possible.

But after seeing Jaeyul and Irihyeon together, everything changed.

My half-dismissed doubts hardened into truth through countless clues.

Is it really that difficult to give Irihyeon the punishment he deserves for trying to take his life.

No, to be precise, for trying to take my life.

I want to take revenge for the injustice I suffered right now.

So why is Jaeyul dragging this out and even meeting him in secret.

Even in the past, Jaeyul went easy on Irihyeon.

When the lie about almost dying from a guiding mistake was exposed, did it not just fade away quietly.

Maybe this time too, he plans to let time pass and give him another chance.

Regardless of how much he protects and cares for me, that possibility only grows stronger.

Why.

Why is Jaeyul so different from ‘X’.

How can someone who should be cold enough to destroy the world hesitate over eliminating a single person.

At this rate, can Jaeyul even awaken as ‘X’ as planned.

The man who mercilessly wiped out Yukmangseong in the past.

Now, I almost find myself wishing he would hurry up and awaken as ‘X’.

“Hey.

Drink slower.

You’re pouring it down like it’s nothing.”

The more I resent Jaeyul, the more I crave alcohol.

— October X, 9:50 AM —

“This is an exclusive report.

An agent surnamed Lee from the Special Team of Seoul Special Ability User Center No. 2 has been found dead.

The Special Ability Support Agency has launched an emergency investigation—”

“…What.

What is that.

What are they saying.”

Everyone stood frozen, unable to tear their eyes away from the large television in the office.

The news was too unbelievable.

“R-Rihyeon is dead…?”

Because it was news announcing Irihyeon’s death.