TS 025

His head pounded like it was about to split open. With a low groan, Yoon Taehwa forced himself upright. Instinctively, his eyes darted around, taking in the familiar surroundings of his private quarters on the 34th floor.

“Ah, Team Leader!” 

Kang Jaemin, who’d been pacing anxiously, rushed to his side, offering a glass of water. 

“Thanks,” Yoon Taehwa mumbled, taking a long gulp of the cold water and grimacing. His throat felt raw, and his lungs burned. He must have inhaled some smoke.

“Are you alright?” 

“What happened?”

“It seems the target had a bomb in his clothes. A new type of bomb…”

“Is he dead?”

The most important thing was the target’s status. If he was dead, then everything they’d done would be for nothing.

“No, sir. This new bomb is still in its experimental phase, and… Anyway, he’s alive, but in a coma. But are you sure you’re okay? The medical team cleared you and said you were fine, but… well, you’re an S-rank…” 

“I’m fine,” Yoon Taehwa cut him off, pressing a hand to his throbbing temple.

“They said it was an Esper killing bomb.” 

“Oh, right! How did you know? If it weren’t for Suryeon hyung, things could have gotten really bad!”

As if on cue, the events of a few hours ago came flooding back – the searing heat, the deafening roar, and most vividly, Han Suryeon’s cold, hard expression, the last thing he saw before everything went black.

“Suryeon hyung shielded you with his own body. That’s why you’re not as badly injured.” 

Yoon Taehwa froze, his hand, which had been rubbing his temples, falling still.

The explosion had happened right in front of him. He’d been kneeling in front of the target. For him to be unscathed like this… It meant Han Suryeon had used his ability to somehow mitigate the blast. 

‘If only I hadn’t blacked out, I could have seen it for myself.’

With a sigh, Yoon Taehwa asked about Han Suryeon’s condition.

“Is he hurt?”

“Yeah. He took the brunt of the explosion to protect you…”

“Where is he now?”

“In his private quarters. They said it wasn’t life-threatening. Do you want to go see him?”

“I should.”

Yoon Taehwa slid off the bed, his head pounding, the memory of Han Suryeon’s sudden shift in demeanor replaying in his mind.

Han Suryeon’s room was quiet. The absence of medical personnel meant he was on the mend, his body’s regenerative abilities working their magic. An IV drip, attached to the back of his hand, was likely administering medication to accelerate the healing process. 

Yoon Taehwa walked slowly towards the bed, each step sending a dull throb through her body.

“…..”

Han Suryeon was sound asleep. His hands were folded neatly across his chest, his ash-blond hair tousled against the pillow. His long lashes cast shadows on his cheeks, his lips slightly parted. It was a scene straight out of a fairytale illustration.

If not for the bloodstained bandages crisscrossing Han Suryeon’s bare chest and the IV drip attached to his hand, he could have been a figure in a fairytale illustration.

Yoon Taehwa stood beside the bed, content to simply watch him sleep. He had no intention of waking a recovering Esper. But a question kept nagging at him: What made him jump in front of the blast like that?

Han Suryeon had no obligation to protect him. They were merely temporary allies, bound by a common goal, not by Guild loyalty. 

‘His priority should have been Pavel, not me.’

He, a leader of a major guild, had come all the way to Korea for one reason – to find that man. With his target right there, Yoon Taehwa’s safety should have been the least of his concerns.

“I don’t get it,” Yoon Taehwa muttered, staring down at the sleeping man. Beneath the fox-like charm and his playful flirtation, Han Suryeon was strangely… innocent. His face, so full of life, seemed almost ethereal in sleep.

Yoon Taehwa sighed, his gaze drawn to the IV drip. He tried to recall the moments before the explosion, but all he remembered was the blinding flash, the searing heat. There was a fleeting memory of a strong arm around his waist, of warmth against his back. 

‘There’s definitely a mole in the Center.’

The second explosion had erased any doubts about a possible coincidence. It was too well-timed, too deliberate, a calculated move that could only have been orchestrated by someone with inside knowledge of their operation. 

‘And that needle mark…’

Pavel was in a coma. Which meant they’d have to resort to less conventional methods to get the information they needed. The medical team, if they’d noticed the injection site, would be analyzing the drug cocktail.

“Ha…”

Yoon Taehwa rubbed his face, frustration edging into his thoughts. If things had gone according to plan, they would have been interrogating Pavel by now, extracting information about Monomorium’s presence in Seoul. But things had taken an unexpected turn, their workload doubling as a result. 

‘I’ve confirmed he’s alright… Time to get moving.’

Satisfied that Han Suryeon’s condition was stable, Yoon Taehwa turned to leave, but something thin and pale caught his eye. He leaned closer, frowning. A single, delicate eyelash rested on his cheekbone.

Even his eyelashes were fair. It was a pointless observation. Yoon Taehwa reached out to brush it away.

“…..”

Just as his fingers were about to make contact, Han Suryeon’s eyelids fluttered open, revealing clear, gray eyes. Because Yoon Taehwa was leaning down, they were incredibly close.

“Are you about to kiss me?” Han Suryeon asked, his voice raspy with sleep.

Yoon Taehwa’s eyebrow twitched. He was about to retort when a hand snaked around his neck, pulling him closer. Normally, he would have shoved him away, but the hand clutching the back of his neck was attached to an IV drip.

“Don’t you know that Sleeping Beauty wakes up with a kiss?”

Yoon Taehwa vaguely recalled Han Suryeon rambling on about being a damsel in distress who needed saving by a prince charming.

“Just how old are you, talking about princesses? Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”

“Not really…” Han Suryeon grinned, fiddling with a strand of his dark hair. It was clear he felt no shame whatsoever.

“You’re the prince charming on a white horse, so I’m the princess. It’s only fitting, right?”

Yoon Taehwa, completely baffled by his nonchalant demeanor, grabbed his wrist and yanked it away. He glanced at his hand. The blood had started to flow back into the IV tube.

“Ow, that hurts.”

“It’s supposed to.”

“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? I busted my ass saving your life back there…” Han Suryeon grumbled, but his tone was light.

Yoon Taehwa wanted to retort that he deserved to have his ass busted, then thought better of it. It seemed unnecessarily cruel, even for him. He decided to change the subject.

“How did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“The explosion. There’s no way Kim Su-an could have extinguished the fire and gotten to us that fast… The fact that neither of us is dead means you did something.”

“Our team leader is sharp as always. The others are still too stunned to even think about that.”

Han Suryeon stretched out his other arm, as if inviting him to help him up. He started whining about his shoulder hurting, then his hand, so Yoon Taehwa gave in and pulled him up. He ignored the way his hand lingered on his arm, his touch lingering a beat too long.

“You couldn’t have stopped the explosion with your psychokinesis.”

Yoon Taehwa mentally reviewed the layout of the apartment. There were everyday objects scattered around, but nothing sturdy enough to have blocked the blast.

“There’s more to using abilities than meets the eye, Team Leader. Just like how you put that Esper to sleep right before he rampaged.”

He pulled out the IV needle with a swift motion.

“It was simple, really. I detonated it before it could fully explode.”

“Detonated it?”

“I shielded you from the initial blast with my body. I’ve handled that type of bomb before.”

How could he detonate it with psychokinesis? It sounded implausible, yet not entirely impossible, given his proficiency with his ability. To other Espers, Yoon Taehwa putting a rampaging Esper to sleep would seem equally unbelievable.

“How badly are you hurt?” he asked, his voice softening unconsciously.

“Aw, is Team Leader worried about me?”

“I’m much nicer when people aren’t trying to get on my nerves.”

Yoon Taehwa gave him a tight smile. He had a reputation for being ruthless to Espers who challenged his authority, but there was no need to be harsh without reason. It was why so many Espers, while terrified of him, also seemed to like him. As far as superiors went, Yoon Taehwa was relatively decent.

“I don’t recall ever trying to get on your nerves…”

“Then work on that tone of yours.”

“You dislike it as much as you dislike my…”

“Watch your mouth.”

Yoon Taehwa bit back the retort that he should watch his mouth too if he was going to talk about such vulgar things, especially with that innocent face of his. For some reason, perhaps because his younger sibling had spent so much time in hospitals, he found it difficult to get angry at patients. Yoon Taehwa lowered himself onto the edge of the bed.

“Why did you do it?”

“Hm?”

“Shield me with your body. Why?”

“Would you have done the same for me?”

Yoon Taehwa didn’t answer. It was a question that had already crossed his mind, and he had no answer.

Logically, he should choose the target’s life over Han Suryeon’s. Yet, he wasn’t sure how he’d react in the heat of the moment. Protecting others, rather than sacrificing them, was more in line with his nature.

“I didn’t really think about it,” he said finally, wiggling his fingers as if to dismiss his unspoken question.

“It was instinctive. Maybe it’s a habit from my guild days.”

“Like you were the one always supporting your teammates?”

“You do the same for your team, don’t you? You always got their backs. They appreciate a leader who looks out for them.”

He was right. Which was why Yoon Taehwa couldn’t say for sure that he wouldn’t have done the same.

‘This is a strange feeling.’

Yoon Taehwa was used to being the protector, not the protected. In the field, they watched each other’s backs, so the roles were often blurred, but the responsibility associated with each was distinct.

And Yoon Taehwa was used to bearing that weight. Both at the Center and at home.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m just acknowledging that you’re a good leader.”

“You should see how much my team adores me… Shame you’re missing out,” Han Suryeon said with a wink.

Yoon Taehwa let out a small laugh.

“You want adoration? Go back to Russia. And by the way, the bastard you were looking for is unconscious.”

“He is?”

“Don’t even think about touching him. I’ll wake him up myself; we need to find out about Monomorium.”

“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t get my kicks from a defenseless man.”

Yoon Taehwa pushed himself off the bed. With that assurance, he really should get going. His next stop would be Director Shin’s office. They had a lot to discuss.

“Get some rest. We’re going to be busy tomorrow,” he said, already halfway to the door.

“I’ll make sure to rest up. Gotta be in top shape to be your loyal dog,” Han Suryeon said cheerfully.

Yoon Taehwa didn’t bother replying. Their conversation would inevitably spiral into something ridiculous if he entertained him any longer. He was almost at the door when Han Suryeon called out to him.

“Team Leader?”

She turned around, raising an eyebrow.

“Next time…” Han Suryeon trailed off, the corners of his eyes crinkling with amusement.

“…kiss me.”

His beauty mark, nestled beneath his right eye, seemed to dance with amusement. 

Yoon Taehwa’s lips twitched, a flicker of genuine amusement erasing his earlier annoyance. 

“Go eat your poisoned apple,” he said, before shutting the door behind him.