100

The unexpected “kindness” only stirred feelings of aversion. When Ha-gyeom exchanged an uneasy glance with Baek Sa, Assemblyman Tak gestured grandly, as if to encompass every corner of the house they had passed through on their way to the living room.

“A swimming pool, a sauna… Where else in District 0 could you find a place as perfect as this? Always being cooped up in a private room—what’s the fun in that? Enjoy the amenities, spice things up a little.”

‘Nothing lacking,’ he says. Even before the invasion, only a few lived with such luxurious facilities. While the Center had a pool, it was strictly for training, and the word “sauna” felt so foreign that it sounded like a relic of the past.

What bothered Ha-gyeom even more was that Assemblyman Tak, who wasn’t directly involved, felt entitled to make comments about guiding. No matter how close he was to Baek Sa, this level of interference was excessive.

“Why so quiet, Ha-gyeom? Are you listening to me?”

The overly familiar tone left Ha-gyeom too flustered to respond. As he struggled to form a reply, Baek Sa smiled faintly and interjected.

“Are you suggesting the entire night?”

“Of course. It’s no trouble for me. I’ve got people waiting on me everywhere, so the least I can do is give you two some privacy. We’ll probably be seeing each other often, so consider this my way of helping Ha-gyeom relax a little.”

Ha-gyeom, who had thought he’d managed to maintain a semblance of composure, realized he hadn’t hidden his discomfort well. He put down his fork and tried to control his expression.

“You turn pale so easily when I just point something out,” Assemblyman Tak teased. “Like Baek Sa said, I’ll treat you with the utmost respect, so no need to be so tense.”

‘Respect, my foot,’ Ha-gyeom thought, rubbing the back of his neck to feign indifference. Assemblyman Tak’s sudden casualness was unnerving no matter how one looked at it, and Ha-gyeom decided that showing some wariness would seem like the natural reaction, without having to fake it.

“I’m not tense,” Ha-gyeom replied, intentionally clumsy to downplay his unease.

Assemblyman Tak’s gaze filled with something unsettling as he leaned forward. “You know, we might be writing a new chapter in history. So don’t hesitate to accept my goodwill—whatever it may be.”

Baek Sa’s calm demeanor remained unbroken, but the way he quietly lowered his gaze and sipped his wine made Ha-gyeom suspect he was also putting on a façade.

“A new chapter in history?” Ha-gyeom asked hesitantly.

“That’s right. A new chapter.”

---

Ha-gyeom broke through the water’s surface after a few laps. The swimming pool, unexpectedly well-maintained, felt surreal for being owned by Assemblyman Tak. Glancing upward, the fractured blue reflections on the water’s surface resembled purification waves, glittering like shards of sunlight.

Drip, drip…

The quiet was broken by the sound of water droplets falling somewhere in the distance. As Ha-gyeom steadied his slightly labored breath, he sensed the presence he had been waiting for near the entrance.

Baek Sa appeared, his shirt disheveled and a transparent glass in hand, which likely contained something strong judging by the redness creeping up his neck.

Placing the glass on a nearby table, Baek Sa, looking as unkempt as his attire, stared into the water where Ha-gyeom stood.

The heavy atmosphere made Ha-gyeom gulp nervously. Then Baek Sa untucked his shirt from his trousers and began unbuttoning it from the chest down.

“…”

He had mentioned needing to discuss something with Assemblyman Tak earlier. What could they have talked about? The question seemed pointless. Baek Sa didn’t look pleased, but whether that was due to the conversation with Tak or the events awaiting tomorrow was unclear. Either way, Ha-gyeom doubted he’d get an answer even if he asked.

Running a hand through his wet hair, Ha-gyeom silently watched Baek Sa undress. It didn’t take long before Baek Sa entered the water, leaving only his drawers on, and approached him.

“Smell of alcohol…”

The scent of alcohol on Baek Sa’s breath suggested he was quite drunk, but his gaze remained sharp. His dark eyes shimmered faintly, as if reflecting the blue glow of a purification wave. It was oddly suffocating.

When Baek Sa’s hand gently wrapped around his waist, Ha-gyeom’s damp eyelashes trembled.

“…Do you think I’m special too?”

Though Assemblyman Tak had assured there were no surveillance systems, Ha-gyeom hadn’t believed it. He spoke now as though addressing Baek Sa, not as Seung-woo, but as Baek Sa.

Baek Sa nodded and replied, “You’ve always been special.”

“…”

“It’s unfortunate that it’s now so obvious to others.”

The vagueness of the statement left Ha-gyeom uncertain whether Baek Sa referred to their relationship or his abilities as a guide. Ha-gyeom licked his lips nervously and asked again.

“I was asking if you think I can do as well as Ah-rang.”

If tomorrow’s training led to the expedition mission, and if the classified mission with the leader eventually tied back to the expedition, then whatever lay ahead, Ha-gyeom had to succeed. Achieving better results than Ah-rang might even grant him more than just a private audience with the leader.

Ha-gyeom was willing to face the unknown of the expedition mission directly, but what he was more curious about was Baek Sa’s relationship with Ah-rang—something he still didn’t know.

“Ah-rang was special too, wasn’t she? That’s why she was sent on the expedition mission.”

“She was.”

Again, it wasn’t clear. Did he mean Ah-rang was special to him as a person, or merely as a guide? Hoping his question wouldn’t sound like an interrogation, Ha-gyeom added cautiously.

“Was Ah-rang… someone special to you?”

But the question quickly morphed into something deeply personal and blatant. Baek Sa let out a faint, hollow laugh, though it wasn’t one of amusement.

“Why does that matter?”

“Because I want to know.”

“What you see is all there is. I’m the one who personally led Ah-rang to the expedition mission.”

Hearing that, Ha-gyeom recalled Yeo Jin-joo’s teasing warning when they first met at the playground.

“Be careful. Espers here are cold-hearted. Baek Sa too. He may seem decent most of the time, but when it counts, he’s as ruthless as they come—like he wouldn’t bleed even if you stabbed him.”

Ha-gyeom vividly remembered the look on Yeo Jin-joo’s face when she learned Ah-rang was alive. What she had said in jest back then now struck Ha-gyeom as deeply true.

The water temperature was cold, and Ha-gyeom’s body was already covered in goosebumps. Baek Sa’s hand, which had initially felt warm against his waist, had long since grown cold. His pounding heart only made the chill feel sharper.

“Was it Assemblyman Tak’s order?”

Ha-gyeom offered him an easy way out, implying that it wasn’t Baek Sa but Tak who had sent Ah-rang on the expedition mission. But Baek Sa showed no interest in taking the escape. Instead of a proper answer, he responded in a low, cutting voice.

“Knowing the outcome, now even you’re being sent there.”