PV Ch.20 Part 3

Jeong Hotae had never forgotten the time he had spent with Bomin. The day he had first seen him on the street, he had been captivated, following him to a motel. 

It was his first time entering a motel.

The man Bomin had been with had been invisible to him. Bomin was the only thing he could see, his entire world. 

And then Bomin had disappeared into the room with that man. Jeong Hotae had to restrain himself from breaking down the door. He had clenched his fists so hard he had drawn blood.

And when Bomin emerged, he had been a mess.

Rage had filled him, the urge to find that man and make him pay. But Bomin had been terrified, and calming him down had been his priority. 

As those fear-filled eyes had met his, he had known—his life would revolve around Bomin.

His heart skipped a beat as he saw the surprise in Bomin’s eyes. His heart pounded in his chest.

“I… love you too.” 

His voice was barely a whisper. But to Jeong Hotae, it was like the sound of a giant bell, loud and clear. 

Bomin’s face, usually adorned with a mischievous smirk, was soft and radiant.

“Bomin-ah, we…”

Jeong Hotae, emboldened by Bomin’s confession, was about to speak, when his expression changed. He turned his head, his gaze fixed on the bathroom door. 

“What’s wrong?” 

Bomin, sensing his unease, reached up to caress his hair. 

“I hear footsteps.” 

It could only be Seok Changmu and his men. Bomin, removing his legs from Jeong Hotae’s waist, tried to stand, but his legs buckled.

Jeong Hotae quickly caught him, pulling him close. 

“Hng…” 

“Are you okay?”

Bomin’s hole, no longer stretched, contracted, leaking c*m. 

Jeong Hotae reached down to wipe it away. 

“I’m fine. We need to get ready.”

Bomin, his hand trembling, grabbed Jeong Hotae’s hand. He would have had a problem by now if a little bit of c*m was going to hurt him. 

Jeong Hotae nodded, grabbing a towel to dry Bomin’s body. 

“Our clothes are a problem.” 

Jeong Hotae hadn’t been wearing anything decent when he escaped. And Bomin had hastily discarded his clothes when he entered the bathroom. 

“Let’s just wear the wet ones.”

Jeong Hotae had no choice. He helped Bomin into his damp clothes, then pulled on his own ripped and dirty pants. 

“Are they getting closer?”

“Yes.”

Bomin, hiding behind Jeong Hotae, peeked out. He wished he could do something, but he was powerless.

He had used up all the charges on his weapon during his fight with Seok Changmu. And Jeong Hotae’s powers were suppressed by the restraints on his wrists and ankles.

“Shouldn’t we run? We don’t know how many there are. What if Seok Changmu…”

Seok Changmu was injured, but he was the leader of Non-K. He probably had a stash of high-grade potions. 

“Don’t tell me to run. I won’t leave you.”

Jeong Hotae, sensing his fear, pulled him close. He was worried that Jeong Hotae would sacrifice himself to buy Bomin time to escape. 

“If we’re going to get caught, we’ll get caught together.” 

He knew, without seeing him, that Seok Changmu would be furious. And if Jeong Hotae was captured, Seok Changmu might actually kill him this time. 

He had miraculously reunited with Jeong Hotae. He wouldn’t lose him again. 

His grip on Jeong Hotae’s arm tightened. Jeong Hotae sighed, then activated his powers. 

Pain surged through him, but he kept his expression neutral, his arms open. 

“Come here. We’re going to break through.” 

“Okay.”

Bomin leaned against him, trusting him completely. He felt safe in Jeong Hotae’s arms, despite the danger. 

He forced himself to stay alert, his body still languid from their recent lovemaking. The noises outside were getting closer. 

BOOM!

“Target sighted.”

The door to their hideout exploded inwards. A man, dressed in black, spoke into his earpiece.

“Ugh…”

Shadows erupted from beneath his feet, piercing his chest. Blood bloomed on his black shirt. 

“Close your eyes. It’ll be over soon.”

Jeong Hotae, pressing Bomin’s face against his chest, ran past the fallen man. 

“This is Infiltration Team. The target is using his powers to escape. We need backup.”

They had sent teams in multiple directions. There were less than five people inside the building.

“Requesting furth—”

He looked down, his voice cut off. A gurgling sound escaped his throat as blood bubbled from the wound. 

A shadow tendril, sharp as a blade, retracted, dripping blood. 

The smell of blood filled the narrow hallway. Jeong Hotae, continuing his onslaught, took down everyone who stood in his path. 

“Cough…”

“…Are you okay?”

But Jeong Hotae wasn’t unscathed. He grimaced as he felt the strain of using his powers. 

Blood, dripping from his mouth, stained Bomin’s shirt.

Bomin, his hand trembling, wiped it away. Jeong Hotae tried to smile reassuringly, but he couldn’t hide the pain in his eyes. 

“Maybe we should surrender…”

“He’ll torture you.”

She was getting worried. At this rate, Jeong Hotae might die before they even reached Seok Changmu. But Jeong Hotae shook his head. 

He wasn’t going to die. And he definitely wasn’t going to let Seok Changmu take Bomin away from him. 

He had been expecting the Association President’s betrayal, but it had come sooner than he had anticipated, leaving him vulnerable. 

“I won’t let him hurt you.”

He spoke the words as much to Bomin as to himself as he pushed forward, ignoring the pain that ripped through his muscles with each step. He gritted his teeth, enduring it. 

“Target is heading southeast.”

They kept coming, like cockroaches. A trail of blood marked their path. Jeong Hotae’s back was covered in wounds, evidence of the attacks he hadn’t been able to dodge.

Bomin closed his eyes, tears welling up. He hated Seok Changmu. 

He didn’t enjoy inflicting pain, but he wanted to torture Seok Changmu, to make him suffer until his last breath. 

A quick death was too merciful. 

“Don’t cry, I’m okay.”

“…You’re anything but okay.” 

Jeong Hotae, his body battered and bruised, was worried about Bomin. He had pushed his powers to the limit, focusing on speed. It had bought them some time, but it had come at a cost. 

He leaned against a wall in a dark alleyway, catching his breath, trying to smile reassuringly. 

“…Are you smiling right now? Why did I have to be a Guide…?”

Bomin felt helpless, tears streaming down his face.

Jeong Hotae was dying, while he was unscathed. 

“I’m glad you’re a Guide.”

Jeong Hotae smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners—Bomin’s favorite smile. He kissed his tear-stained cheeks. 

“Ah, I got blood on you. Sorry.”

“…Just hold on a little longer.”

Bomin hadn’t gone to Seok Changmu unprepared. He had brought a weapon, and he had set up another safeguard.

“We need to move.”

They couldn’t stay in one place for long. Jeong Hotae, pulling Bomin close, was about to move, when…

Rumble.

A bolt of lightning struck the alleyway, illuminating the darkness. Jeong Hotae froze. 

“You’re here?”

“…Seok Changmu.”

Bomin gritted his teeth at the sound of his voice. He was accompanied by the man who had tried to rape Bomin before. 

“I left you a few openings, you know, to make things easier. You’re weaker than I thought.” 

Seok Changmu smirked, his lips curling into a cruel smile. Jeong Hotae, ignoring his taunt, scanned their surroundings. 

His eyes were filled with anxiety.

He hadn’t noticed them approaching until it was too late. And they were surrounded—dozens of them.

They couldn’t all be S-rank Espers. The fact that they hadn’t noticed them meant one thing—his senses were dulled.

And his vision was blurring, his body losing blood. He looked down at Bomin. 

He wanted to protect him. He had to.

But it seemed like fate wasn’t on their side. Their reunion, miraculous as it was, might end before it even began.

“Don’t move.” 

“You…”

Jeong Hotae reluctantly let Bomin go. His eyes softened as he looked at Bomin’s tearful face.

His hand reached out, his fingertips brushing against Bomin’s cheek. 

He placed Bomin against the wall, then turned to face them, his back straight, his shoulders squared. 

Tears streamed down Bomin’s face. He was surrounded, trapped.

Seok Changmu, watching him like a predator cornering its prey, smirked. 

“Don’t worry, Bomin-ssi. This time… I’ll make sure he suffers.” 

His words, laced with venom, contradicted his smile.

Bomin, his eyes filled with desperation, scanned his surroundings. They should be here by now.

And as if his prayers had been answered…

BOOM, BOOM—!

“…What?”

Explosions erupted all around them, targeting Seok Changmu and his men. Some died instantly, their bodies ripped apart. 

The air filled with the metallic scent of blood.