Chapter 121 : The Heart That Beat Again

The more Lee Chae moved, the faster Hae-jin’s heartbeat became. Lee Chae’s tears soaked various parts of Hae-jin’s body.

“I love you, honey.”

As Lee Chae’s lips moved past his neck and collarbone down to his firm abdominals, the bleeding from Hae-jin’s body finally began to slow.

“Ah… just a little more.”

“Shit,” Lee Chae cursed, and at that exact moment, Hae-jin’s chest heaved deeply. But it was only momentary; the blood that had stopped began to seep out once again.

“Why again?!”

Lee Chae pressed his own body against Hae-jin’s wounds. He was completely drenched in the other man’s blood. His hands and feet grew numb and his heart ached, as if the blood flowing through his own veins was being drained away. Yet, he could not stop the guiding.

‘The bleeding stopped for a second. His heart beat, too…’

Lee Chae continued the guiding with a desperation that suggested he would tear out his own heart and give it to Hae-jin if he could.

Just then, Kang-wook stepped inside the shelter of Yong-yong’s wings.

“Guide Jung Lee Chae, stop now.”

Even before arriving here, Lee Chae’s body had not been in a normal state. Having stayed in the Cyclops’s hallucination for so long without being detoxified, it was only natural.

“Come here and get detoxified first. I’ll help you.”

Kang-wook grabbed Lee Chae’s shoulder to turn him around, but Lee Chae was stubborn. Left with no choice, Kang-wook placed a hand on Lee Chae’s back and focused on detoxifying him. There were other injured Espers, but thanks to Hae-jin’s defense, their injuries weren’t too severe.

As he assisted, Kang-wook could feel the grueling battle Lee Chae was fighting. He continuously poured energy into the guide while trying to persuade him.

“Slow down a bit. Are you trying to die together? If you die, Esper Cha Hae-jin dies too.”

“I won’t die, so don’t worry. Thank you for the support. I will never forget this… hic.”

Lee Chae couldn’t finish his sentence as he broke into sobs, but he didn’t slow the pace of his guiding. Although Kang-wook kept sharing his energy, Lee Chae’s strength was flagging. Finally, when Lee Chae placed his hand over Hae-jin’s heart, the beat returned.

“Ugh!”

Lee Chae immediately pressed his ear to Hae-jin’s chest. Thump, thump. He heard the sound of the heart beating. Thinking he could fully wake Hae-jin with just a little more effort, Lee Chae overexerted himself and eventually collapsed across Hae-jin’s body.

Kang-wook checked both of their conditions. Both had faint heartbeats, and their energy flows were stable. Only then did Kang-wook let out a long sigh. He picked up Hae-jin’s blood-stained jacket and draped it over the two of them.

“You can pull back the wings now.”

As Yong-yong retracted his wings, the waiting people gathered around them.

“Are they okay?”

“They’ve just collapsed for a moment because their energy is low, but they are both safe. However, it’s best to get them to a hospital quickly.”

“The space is returning to normal, so we just have to wait a little longer.”

At those words, Kang-wook looked up at the sky. The pitch-black darkness was fading, revealing a cloudless blue sky. A moment later, a bright light enveloped the surroundings. As the floor, stained with the monster’s blood, dried under the light, people began to stand up one by one.

“Finally, it’s over.” “We finished it without anyone dying!”

People checked on each other’s safety. Warm smiles spread across their faces for the comrades they had risked their lives with, and their hearts were full of the pride of having saved the world.

“Can you hear my voice? Wake up.”

Lee Chae listened to the voice, confirmed it was Jin-woo’s face, and closed his eyes again. The sunlight was blinding, and his body felt as though it were still in the middle of that darkness, devoid of any strength.

“Jung Lee Chae! Cha Hae-jin is alive, so get up!”

“Haah…”

At the news that Hae-jin was alive, Lee Chae took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He saw a long gash on Jin-woo’s chest with blood pooling. Only then did he feel the guilt of having failed his duty as Legion’s guide to check on the other members.

“Is the Vice-Representative okay?”

“Seriously… is this the time to worry about others? You’re the most injured one, so worry about yourself.”

He realized someone had been holding his hand for a while; it turned out to be Jae-hyung. Lee Chae shifted his gaze with difficulty. He saw the faces of people covered in black soot and wounds, and behind them stood middle-aged men. They were likely Bureau officials who had come to handle the aftermath.

However, he couldn’t see Hae-jin anywhere.

“Wh-where is Esper Cha Hae-jin?”

“As soon as the darkness lifted, he got up and started walking around, so don’t worry.”

“What about… his abilities?”

Lee Chae struggled to sit up. Even though Jae-hyung told him not to, he didn’t listen. There was something he had to check. Hae-jin’s injuries had been life-threatening; he could have lost his powers. He couldn’t just lie there. As he forced himself up, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Stay down.”

The familiar voice, the large hand covering his shoulder, the scars on the back of the hand… it was Hae-jin.

The moment Lee Chae turned his head and met his eyes, Hae-jin’s eyes crinkled beautifully. Seeing that smile, Lee Chae knew he was okay.

“Your abilities? Have you checked them?”

Without answering, Hae-jin simply blinked at the hands of Jae-hyung and Lee Chae, which were still held together. Suddenly, Jae-hyung shouted, “Ouch, that stings!” and pulled his hand away.

“See? Perfectly fine.”

Only then did Lee Chae smile brightly. Jae-hyung glared at Hae-jin and grumbled.

“I was just holding it for a second because I was worried he was in pain, and you use your powers on me! Your personality is truly twisted.”

As Yong-yong took Jae-hyung’s hand, blowing on it and leading him away, the others who had confirmed they were safe gave the couple some space.

Hae-jin looked down at Lee Chae, who was covered in wounds. While he was unconscious, he had faint memories of the desperate voice calling him and the tears that cooled his burning skin.

While Hae-jin was debating how to thank the guide who saved him in a moment of absolute crisis, Lee Chae’s hand cupped Hae-jin’s cheek. His dry lips quivered as if he had something to say.

“…I thought I had lost my Esper.”

Did Hae-jin know? When Lee Chae had felt his heart stop beating, it felt like his own world had ended.

“If you disappeared, I was going to disappear with you.”

The body heat touching his fingertips was warm. Even in moments of despair, that heat had always been there. Lee Chae gripped Hae-jin’s shoulders and pulled himself up, wanting further proof he was alive. Strong arms pulled Lee Chae into his embrace.

“Even with our clothes off and our bodies pressed together, the blood just kept flowing… I really thought you were dying…”

His voice was wet, as if he were about to cry. But Hae-jin’s face, looking down at him, was full of rapture. Lee Chae, unable to see his face because his cheek was pressed against Hae-jin’s chest, continued in a hoarse voice.

“Only after I confirmed your heart was beating at the last second…”

“…”

“Could I finally collapse. Even if I’m only D-rank, even if I’m lacking…”

A firm hand touched the tip of his chin. Lee Chae wanted to nuzzle into his chest a bit longer, but his head was easily lifted.

“I… succeeded in guiding you.”

The words he couldn’t finish were swallowed between their lips. Hae-jin’s touch as he pulled him in was careful. Like tasting something precious, soft lips moved gently over Lee Chae’s. The breath that followed was so hot, yet Lee Chae didn’t pull away; instead, he gripped Hae-jin’s waist. Through the slight gap, their heavy breaths mingled, and Lee Chae’s pale cheeks turned a soft red.

“W-wait a moment…”

When Lee Chae pushed against his shoulders, Hae-jin finally pulled his lips away and cupped Lee Chae’s face with both hands.

“I know everything you want to say. Whatever you say, I feel the same.”

“Ah…”

The words “I love you” were swallowed. Even as the eyes of others were fixed on them, the two were too preoccupied with each other to notice.

How much time had passed? He was so happy to be alive and kissing him that he didn’t even hear the sound of the ambulances. If the other Espers hadn’t forcibly pulled them apart, they might have stayed that way until sunset. They finally separated with lingering smiles.

“Both of you, get in the ambulance. Go to the hospital and get checked…”

At Jin-woo’s nagging, Hae-jin tapped his shoulder. “I’m perfectly fine because I got guided by my guide.”

“You selfish prick. Is it enough that just you’re okay? What about Japchae (Lee Chae)? Japchae needs treatment too!”

“I’m also fine—cough, hack.”

“Fine, my foot.”

Jin-woo picked Lee Chae up and put him in the ambulance. Hae-jin insisted on following, but as the leader of the coalition, he still had much work to do.

“If you’re so fine, go handle the cleanup.”

Hae-jin watched the receding ambulance with a longing gaze, then clenched his fists. As Jin-woo said, he had much to do. The clearing of the Cyclops, the explanation for the sudden appearance of the half-dragons, and the retribution against the Bureau remained.

“Did you contact Reporter Kim?”

At this, Jae-hyung stepped forward. “I contacted them immediately. Things are about to get really interesting.”

“Good. Regardless of the election, everything that needs to be exposed will be exposed. We don’t need the Bureau anymore.”

As Hae-jin smiled wickedly, Jin-woo and Jae-hyung shuddered, knowing a madman had finally picked up his sword with intent. Ji Seung-hyun watched the scene with a satisfied look.