TS 017

Yoon Taehwa casually ran his fingers through his hair. He had just washed off blood and dust from returning to the field, but it seemed like he would be sweating profusely again soon.

“This is troublesome.”

It wasn’t that he found it inconvenient. He had sparred with his team members multiple times before, so this situation was familiar to him. Shin Ae-hi’s request, disguised as an order, was no different. Although he observed how Han Suryeon moved during his previous fight, there was no better way to assess an opponent than directly facing them, as she suggested.

‘I’m curious too.’

As Yoon Taehwa reached for the keypad to open the exclusive training room reserved for Team 1, someone suddenly beat him to it and entered the code. The door promptly swung open.

“Jaemin registered me.”

Yoon Taehwa glanced sideways to see Han Suryeon shrugging casually and replying with a bright tone. He then disappeared inside the room. Yoon Taehwa followed his footsteps towards the center of the training area as the door smoothly closed behind him due to motion detection.

“Why did you call only me? I thought you would bring other team members too.”

“So that you can let loose without any distractions.”

As they walked side by side, the distance between them quickly shortened. Han Suryeon lowered his eyelids slightly, appearing apprehensive, and pursed his lips.

“Were you planning to go easy on me? Your physical prowess is quite intimidating.”

“I have no intention of going easy. Do you want to use a knife?”

Han Suryeon feigned nonchalance while observing Yoon Taehwa closely. Although he anticipated a confrontation eventually, it happened sooner than expected.

‘Putting aside my curiosity…’

A slight excitement was starting to build within Han Suryeon’s personal interest. This was the first time he had been restricted from using his ability during combat. It had also been quite some time since he personally engaged with enemies directly. His stiff body felt rejuvenated, but at the same time, he regretted not being able to closely observe Yoon Taehwa’s movements.

‘I wanted to watch him properly.’

However, it wasn’t feasible amidst enemy lines.

“A knife isn’t bad, but…”

His eyes caught sight of his hand wielding the military knife as if it were a toy. There were faint scars visible on that hand. Scars were extremely rare for Espers.

An Esper with regeneration abilities typically wouldn’t have scars from minor injuries. The cut on his neck, intentionally inflicted just a few days ago, had long vanished without a trace. However, seeing such a scar indicated one thing: accumulated damage over time.

‘That means he has used the knife extensively.’

Han Suryeon grinned widely as he flexed his fingers.

“I prefer direct contact with you.”

Yoon Taehwa frowned, seemingly unsatisfied with this response.

“So, how long will we continue?”

“There’s no time limit.” Hi reply was short and matter-of-fact, like explaining a simple rule. Han Suryeon was accustomed to sparring matches without set durations.

“Then…?”

“Until one of us falls first.”

A walker’s boot suddenly entered his field of vision as he spoke quietly. The dull sound reverberating throughout the large space was more akin to flesh hitting metal than human bodies colliding. Yoon Taehwa, pushed against the wall, quickly ducked to avoid an elbow strike headed straight for him. As soon as his arm connected with the wall instead of his face, he slipped beneath it and thrust upward, blocking his elbow.

Crack!

Yoon Taehwa twisted his body and struck Han Suryeon at the back of his neck, causing him to stumble.

“Haa…” He involuntarily gasped for breath.

‘That blow would have knocked out most others.’

As expected, Han Suryeon appeared trained in close-quarters combat just like him.

‘I didn’t expect…’

Due to the difference in weight class, it wasn’t easy to knock him down even when using his usual strength. Han Suryeon quickly regained his balance and swiftly extended his arm behind him. Yoon Taehwa narrowly escaped as he reflexively bent at the waist just before his hand entered his field of vision. However, his fist connected with his side.

Bam!

“Ugh.” After coughing briefly, Yoon Taehwa chose to perform a controlled fall instead of tumbling to the ground. The direct hit caused him to involuntarily gasp for air. Instead of immediately standing up, he glanced upward to check on his opponent. He noticed Han Suryeon shaking his head repeatedly with an annoyed expression, seemingly slightly dizzy.

“You’re not stopping here?”

“Nope.”

As he responded and rose to his feet, Yoon Taehwa immediately kicked his solid stomach. The problem arose when he grabbed his leg as he attempted to retreat, causing them both to tumble onto the mat together.

“Ugh.”

Once on the ground, if one didn’t quickly gain the upper hand, it could spell disaster. Gathering strength throughout his body, Yoon Taehwa climbed atop Han Suryeon’s torso after kicking his abdomen and proceeded to strike down with his fist.

Bam!

“Gah!” 

He aimed another punch, but Han Suryeon swiftly caught his elbow. Both fighters were intensely focused, trying not to reveal any weaknesses.

“I never expected you to overpower me like this, Team Leader.” His eyes curved into crescents, stretching out at the ends. Blood appeared at the corner of his mouth, likely from a split lip due to the impact earlier.

“My apologies. I knew this was possible though.”

With his right arm blocked, Yoon Taehwa made a swift move to strike his pretty face with his left hand. However, Han Suryeon reacted quickly. His smooth, large hand wrapped around his neck, instantly pushing him towards the left. Losing his balance, his shoulder slammed against the mat.

“Ugh!”

In an instant, their positions were reversed as Yoon Taehwa felt himself being flipped over. Instead of panicking, he swiftly wrapped his legs around Han Suryeon’s waist.

“I see. I didn’t consider this angle.”

This position put him at a significant disadvantage. Despite being pinned down, Yoon Taehwa chuckled and grabbed Han Suryeon by the collar. With force, he pulled Han Suryeon towards him, causing their upper bodies to collide instantly. Quickly turning his head sideways, he seized the back of his head, pressing it against the ground, while wrapping his other arm tightly around his neck.

“Hmm… This almost looks like we’re about to kiss… Do you want to kiss me?”

His observation wasn’t entirely off-base. From a distance, with one arm around his neck, they could be mistaken for lovers romantically poised for a kiss.

Yoon Taehwa’s lips curled up again as he tightened his grip around Han Suryeon’s neck. Finally realizing the gravity of the situation, Han Suryeon muttered curses under his breath in Russian.

“Why? Can’t breathe?” He returned his earlier comment while applying more pressure on his waist and sliding down one leg. By crossing his legs over Suryeon’s firmly muscled buttocks, it became easier to restrain his larger frame.

“бля…”

Between ragged gasps, a smattering of unfamiliar words escaped his lips. It was the sound of harsh, desperate breathing, like someone caught in a rough kiss. 

“…..!”

In that moment, Han Suryeon planted his right hand on the ground, lifting his entire body with remarkable strength. With his left hand, he reached underneath Yoon Taehwa, long fingers digging into the back of his thigh and gripping tightly.

“Gah…!”

He seemed intent on lifting himself up, keeping him trapped beneath him. He tried to wriggle free, but his right arm was firmly locked around his back, making it difficult to escape. In that moment of hesitation, Han Suryeon pushed himself up.

“If I were to kiss our team leader… ha, so this is what it feels like not being able to breathe… How rough.”

His breath was ragged, unlike his usual composed self. With a voice laced with both strained breaths and amusement, Han Suryeon muttered to himself and swiftly spun around. In that half-turn, he slammed the person pinning him against the wall.

Bang!

“Argh!” Yoon Taehwa groaned and spat out a brief curse. Being held tightly and pushed against the wall caused considerable pain along his back. His curses, mixed with harsh breathing, sounded almost like gibberish.

“Into breathplay, are we? You’re practically choking me.”

Han Suryeon leaned his head to one side and gently whispered into his ear. Perhaps due to being choked earlier, there was a slight rasp in his voice.

“Haaa, really?” Yoon Taehwa extended his arm and wrapped it around Han Suryeon’s neck from behind. “Want me to show you?”

Bam!

He braced his other elbow against the wall and pressed down on the shoulder of the man restraining him.

“Ugh, our team leader is truly relentless.” Instead of letting go, Han Suryeon tightened his grip around his waist and slammed him back onto the wall again.

Bang!

The impact reverberated through both his head and back, causing pain to shoot throughout his body. Swallowing another curse, Yoon Taehwa grabbed a handful of Han Suryeon’s slightly curly hair and yanked it mercilessly backward.

“It hurts, Team Leader!”

The brutal fight had lasted for several hours, leaving both participants exhausted. If either of them had fought with their lives on the line, it would have ended much earlier. However, neither Yoon Taehwa nor Han Suryeon were willing to commit themselves fully.

“…..”

Their ragged breaths entangled amidst the silent air. Yoon Taehwa looked down at the man whose head was bent back by his grip. Beneath tangled and sweaty strands of hair, gray eyes could be seen. Below those elongated eyes, tears welled up slightly as swollen lips slowly parted.

“Are you a sadist by any chance? You don’t let me breathe during a kiss, and now you’re strangling me… Is this your hobby?”

More nonsense from him. Instead of showing disgust, Yoon Taehwa tightened his hold on his hair while chuckling softly.

“Why? Can’t handle it?”

Han Suryeon narrowed his eyes, mimicking his expression. Tears welled up more rapidly than before.

“It seems like you’re the one who can’t handle me…”

“Oh really?”

“Well, I won’t know until we go all the way.”

Yoon Taehwa tightened his grip on his hair as Han Suryeon began to move.