DL Episode 73

#73

“No. It’s an order.”

“Let me go!”

As Ha-gyeom thrashed and shouted in protest, Seok Ji-ho finally snapped.

“Do you know how many days I’ve been lying in wait because of you? Damn it, even if you can’t give me a proper hello, don’t treat me like this!”

Though he knew he couldn’t overpower an Esper, Ha-gyeom still pushed against Seok Ji-ho with all his might. It was futile—Ji-ho didn’t budge an inch, and the only one losing energy was Ha-gyeom. Yet, he didn’t stop.

Perhaps drawn by the commotion on the rooftop, Yang Ga-eun, who had been busy hunting monsters, stepped onto the railing. She casually shook the monster’s blood off her blade and turned to Baek Seung-woo.

“You’re not changing your mind, right?”

“I’m not.”

“…You’ve been okay?”

“More or less.”

Baek Seung-woo, arms crossed, turned his back on her without hesitation. Yang Ga-eun shouted after him,

“Don’t think I’ll forget you kept this from me!”

“If you get the chance, take your revenge. As much as you want.”

Yang Ga-eun laughed lightly at his indifferent response, showing no sign of resentment. Instead, she glanced at Seok Ji-ho, her look urging him to handle the situation quickly, before stamping her foot noisily and leaping down toward Han Young-jae, who was in the middle of fighting a monster. She disappeared from Ha-gyeom’s sight faster than the monster could react to her.

Fifteen steps… twenty steps….

Baek Seung-woo reached the rooftop door, his figure shrinking until only a silhouette remained. Ha-gyeom, who had been crying fiercely moments ago, suddenly stopped, as if he had run out of tears.

When Ha-gyeom, who had been struggling so fiercely, suddenly stilled, Seok Ji-ho turned to look at Baek Seung-woo with unease.

“I’d rather die than live without you, hyung.”

Ha-gyeom’s declaration was growled out like an animal’s snarl. The monsters’ cries quieted, and Baek Seung-woo stopped in his tracks.

Seok Ji-ho instinctively loosened his grip, letting Ha-gyeom plant his feet firmly on the rooftop. Side by side, Ji-ho glanced at Ha-gyeom, whose eyes burned with wild desperation. Before Ji-ho could shake his head in disbelief, Ha-gyeom shouted again.

“I’d rather die!”

Even if Ha-gyeom’s voice was small, there was no way Baek Seung-woo, an Esper, hadn’t heard him.

Ha-gyeom raised his hands and began recklessly gathering energy. Though he didn’t know how to properly wield it, the energy gathered wildly, and the unstable waves solidified into a brilliant light.

“Shin Ha-gyeom!”

Lee Do-seon’s voice cut through the chaos as he appeared out of nowhere. But it was too late—the energy surged outward, spreading rapidly across the area.

Ha-gyeom, using a method he had never attempted before, recklessly expended his energy. Without care for the consequences, he poured everything into the wave, the pain of a long-forgotten internal injury creeping back in.

Yang Ga-eun, who had leapt down moments ago, shot back onto the railing in a blur. Han Young-jae, who had been using a dying monster as a foothold, joined her. Lee Do-seon, climbing onto the rooftop, froze as he took in the scene. Seok Ji-ho’s gaze was locked on the massive energy wave that seemed to reach the sky.

“Are you seriously doing this, Shin Ha-gyeom?” Seok Ji-ho muttered in disbelief. But Ha-gyeom was too absorbed to hear anything.

“This kid never deviates from expectations, does he?” Han Young-jae remarked dryly.

Yang Ga-eun crossed her arms and observed the scene as though watching a show. “See? This is what happens when you spoil them, Baek Seung-woo.”

Lee Do-seon tried to approach Ha-gyeom, but the energy radiating from him was so intense that he stopped short. Turning to the Center’s Espers standing idly nearby, he shouted angrily,

“Do you think he’s doing this as a joke?!”

Before anyone could respond, blood began dripping from Ha-gyeom’s nose, staining the rooftop. The volume of blood was alarming, and Lee Do-seon’s face paled.

The bleeding didn’t stop there.

Baek Seung-woo turned back toward Ha-gyeom, his gaze dark with intent.

“For f***’s sake, now he’s self-harming with energy?” Han Young-jae muttered.

Seok Ji-ho, still watching the energy wave, added, “Well, at least he’s starting to look like an S-rank now.”

Ignoring their comments, Baek Seung-woo strode toward Ha-gyeom. Just as he reached out, Ha-gyeom choked violently, coughing up a large clot of blood. His wide eyes were bloodshot, his veins swollen to bursting, and his body trembled under the strain.

If he lost consciousness, someone could easily take him away. But if his condition worsened before that, his life would be in serious danger.

The energy wave continued to expand, creating fierce winds. As Ha-gyeom shut his eyes tightly, consumed by self-inflicted pain, Baek Seung-woo knelt beside him. With uncharacteristic gentleness, he pried Ha-gyeom’s mouth open and slipped his fingers inside, ensuring he didn’t bite his tongue or choke on the blood pooling in his throat.

“Wait…”

The Espers suddenly froze, their attention drawn toward an unfamiliar presence nearby.

The Espers’ attention collectively turned toward the presence of an unfamiliar power.

“…!”

Yang Ga-eun made a gesture toward Seok Ji-ho, pretending to zip her lips. As if rehearsed, everyone fell silent. Han Young-jae was the first to leave the rooftop, disappearing swiftly. Yang Ga-eun raised three fingers toward Seok Ji-ho, Lee Do-seon, and Baek Seung-woo.

Three minutes—that was all the time they had.

Without hesitation, Yang Ga-eun followed after Han Young-jae, leaving with Seok Ji-ho. From about 200 meters away, the sounds of a fierce battle echoed—Park Ha was locked in combat with Kang Ha-na and Kang Du-na.

Ha-gyeom’s knees buckled, and he collapsed. Baek Seung-woo knelt down at the same time, lowering himself to meet him. Gently, he tapped Ha-gyeom’s pale, tear-streaked cheek.

Through his dimmed consciousness, Ha-gyeom barely opened his eyes, which were filled with glistening, transparent tears. His trembling eyelashes and despair-filled gaze made him look utterly fragile.

With his throat clogged with blood, Ha-gyeom could only manage broken, wheezing sobs. Lee Do-seon clicked his tongue, his eyes filled with pity.

Vroom…!

The rooftop shook as monstrous creatures emerged around them, breaching the surface like whales breaking through the ocean. Seok Ji-ho had deliberately provoked the monsters to distract Park Ha and the others.

“Haah…”

Lee Do-seon let out a deep sigh. Meeting an old friend after five years without even a moment to exchange greetings was a regret he couldn’t afford. What weighed on him even more was the flood of scolding thoughts threatening to spill from his lips.

How had this boy been raised to turn rebellion and self-destruction into his signature skills? What kind of mission was so significant that even their allies had to be deceived? If they’d taken Ha-gyeom under their wing, they should have either toughened him up or at least prevented such a catastrophic scene.

Lee Do-seon clung to his composure, glaring at the two figures before him. Watching Ha-gyeom sobbing helplessly in Baek Seung-woo’s arms was agonizing enough. But seeing Baek Seung-woo hold him with a gaze that seemed poised to devour him left Do-seon at a complete loss for words.

Before Ha-gyeom could reach out, Baek Seung-woo pulled him into his chest, his frail body enveloped in a fierce embrace. The faint thoughts floating in Lee Do-seon’s mind vanished altogether.

“….”

Even knowing that any words he spoke would be drowned out by the monsters’ roars, Lee Do-seon couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth. He stared at the crimson-stained hands clutching Ha-gyeom’s fragile neck, letting a full minute slip by.

Now, there were barely two minutes left to maintain their cover.

Ha-gyeom showed no signs of calming. The sheer volume and intensity of his energy were something Lee Do-seon had never felt from him before, leaving much to speculate. Yet even with Baek Seung-woo still conscious, Do-seon couldn’t voice a single question.

Even with the chaos of monsters and Seok Ji-ho’s wild battle as a backdrop, the rooftop felt suffocatingly enclosed. Watching Baek Seung-woo hold Ha-gyeom tightly with a gaze that seemed ready to explode made Lee Do-seon hesitate over whether to intervene.

“Stop.”

“….”

“I’ll let you stay by my side. Just… please stop.”

Baek Seung-woo’s voice was low and trembling, almost a whisper. The unexpected words caused Lee Do-seon’s eyes to widen in shock. Baek Seung-woo’s fingertips, stained a deep crimson, trembled as they cradled Ha-gyeom’s limp body.