X
Lee Chae took the very back seat and stared out the window. Haejin poked his side.
“I’m right here—why keep looking away? Makes me lonely.”
“I looked out for like three seconds.”
“We could die tomorrow—three seconds is forever.”
“Stop with the dying talk!”
Lee Chae glared. Haejin’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“Mad? Fine, I take back the dying part… I’ll change it to ‘I miss you after one second.’”
No energy to argue—Lee Chae nodded and turned back to the window. Haejin was right beside him, but Kang-wook’s words wouldn’t leave his head.
“If you don’t accept, we’ll have no choice but to use force.”
Force probably meant exploiting a weakness. But what weakness did he have? He owned nothing worth threatening. Headquarters wouldn’t touch civilian family over an awakener’s defiance… right?
The only thing he desperately didn’t want to lose was Cha Haejin. So they’ll threaten him again? Like the monsters did?
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
“Just… thinking about you.”
“Me? What about me.”
“How annoying you were when you first stalked me home…”
“Ugh…”
Haejin rubbed his neck awkwardly, then defended himself.
“I was clueless back then and messed up, but I don’t anymore.”
“Yeah.”
“Really.”
“I know.”
“Damn… I’ve never acted like that with anyone else. You were my first.”
Lee Chae looked at him with complicated eyes. The guy he once thought was a total jerk now felt cute bit by bit. Objectively handsome, instinctively sexy— but a huge S-rank esper looking cute? I’m completely gone.
Haejin grinned.
“Your eyes are burning hot.”
“…Overreacting.”
“You were staring like you wanted to eat me. I saw everything…”
Suddenly—sirens wailed. Haejin yanked the window open.
“What the—?”
People on the street screamed and ran from something. Screams loud enough to hear inside the bus tore through the air. Cars and pedestrians tangled into chaos.
Lee Chae stared out in shock. Haejin stood and shouted to the passengers.
“I’m S-rank Esper Cha Haejin! Driver, it’ll be tough, but when I get off, evacuate fast—floor it!”
Lee Chae snapped awake. It was dark and the monster was high up, hard to see clearly— but the sheer power radiating from it was terrifying. Not shadow-type—definitely beast-type.
Lee Chae stood and followed Haejin. Even without the earlier talk, he wasn’t leaving him to fight alone.
“I’m coming too.”
He’d worried Haejin would tell him to evacuate— but Haejin nodded instantly. No time for explanations in an emergency.
Haejin grabbed Lee Chae’s wrist and dragged him off the bus.
“ARGGH!”
A scream—someone’s head rained arrows. Haejin sprinted toward it, detonating explosions. BOOM, BOOM!
The brief flames revealed the monster— Lee Chae’s mouth fell open.
“T-that…”
Goosebumps everywhere. It resembled a massive pterodactyl, but grotesque— crocodile body with eagle wings. Every wingbeat dropped a storm of arrows.
“Beast-type variant?”
Haejin detonated more explosions skyward. The light fully revealed it: crocodile torso, eagle wings—hideous hybrid. Haejin’s attacks should’ve leveled buildings, but the monster just circled like it was sightseeing.
“Definitely beast-type, but not a variant.”
“Why?”
“Variants need a base monster. Books mention crocodile or eagle beast-types, but never fused like this. Either mutation changed—or it’s a completely new one.”
“We’ll figure it out while fighting.”
Haejin readied another attack. Lee Chae grabbed his wrist.
“Wait.”
“Why?”
“It’s not attacking yet. No other espers here—if we provoke it first…”
He tried to stay calm. First real combat—he was scared. If Haejin fought alone and got hurt, the guilt would kill him.
He wanted to cling or hang on his arm, but worried about burdening him—he clenched fists instead.
“You scared? Did I ask too much?”
“No… I’m not scared.”
He took a deep breath, remembered Haejin’s disappearance. The desperation then surged strength now—eyes bloodshot.
“Oh… my bad. Not shaking from fear—you’re pissed.”
“Yeah. So we have to win.”
Haejin grinned at him. Meanwhile his hands never stopped— trees uprooted and encircled buildings as shields. He’d already figured the main attack was arrows and built defenses fast. Cool.
Lee Chae racked his brain for help— remembered contact always boosted Haejin’s condition.
Hope this helps…
He stepped behind busy-handed Haejin, breathed deep, and placed palms on his shoulders. Recalled the intense imprint moment. Fingertips tingled, palms itched. Breath rough, heart racing. Energy flowed through shoulders into Haejin.
“Haa…”
Haejin shuddered, exhaling hotly.
“See? Told you—with just us two, we’re unstoppable.”
He turned and flashed a cocky grin. Lee Chae forgot his anxiety and smiled back. Laughing in a moment like this— imprint magic?
Energy kept flowing endlessly, like an inexhaustible spring.
“My guide’s the best.”
Haejin’s face turned dead serious. The monster finally started descending.
Lee Chae removed his hands and stepped back.
Haejin crouched low—then exploded upward.
BOOM!
Sky-splitting roar.
“Now!”
He leaped, body wrapped in roaring flames—like diving into a fire sea. A monstrous howl answered.
“One-shot kill?”
Lee Chae rubbed his eyes. Lightning flashed—arrows rained down. Not dead yet. Definitely beast-type, but rank unknown—worrying. Tanked Haejin’s full-power hit—probably not low-rank.
Surely not Lamia…
No—beast-type bosses never left gates. But lately impossible things kept happening.
Lee Chae stomped nervously, eyes on the sky.
WHOOSH— Sandstorm gathered into a ring around the monster. Haejin thrust both hands forward— the sand ring sharpened into spikes and stabbed its eyes.
“KRAAA!”
The monster staggered in the sandstorm, then recovered and counterattacked. Haejin dodged the arrow barrage and dropped back to the ground, judging another strike too risky.
“F*ck, what is that thing. Insanely tough.”
Lee Chae rushed over and checked him. Clothes torn, but no major wounds.
“What are you doing? No time—come on!”
He finally noticed the monster diving toward them. Lee Chae yelped and clung to Haejin. Haejin scooped him up and ran.
“Are we in danger?”
“No way. I won’t let a hair get hurt—don’t worry.”
“Then why are we running?”
“Not running—going to get help from the family.”
Relief flooded Lee Chae—they were heading to Legion. Luckily they’d been near school; Legion wasn’t far.
As they ran, Lee Chae buried his face in Haejin’s neck— and for the first time since Kang-wook’s threat, felt a little bit safe.
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