DL Episode 72

#72

Could this all have been part of his plan? Had he anticipated the rescue operation at the Center—or even orchestrated it?

There was no way to know now, but Ha-gyeom didn’t care. Even if Baek Sa had caught on to some of his feelings through his probing words, it didn’t matter. Just the memory of Baek Sa’s cold words was enough to make Ha-gyeom feel like he was suffocating.

Never see him again?

Could there be words more despairing than that? Even if he could no longer be Baek Seung-woo, the thought of parting forever was worse than death.

His chest tightened, leaving no room to feign maturity or hide his urgency. Ha-gyeom gripped Baek Seung-woo’s combat uniform with trembling hands and said,

“I can’t live without you. If it weren’t for you 12 years ago, I might have died in that warehouse. You gave me a new life. And now… now you’re doing this? Leaving me behind without saying anything… Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited?”

The sorrow dragging him into the depths transformed into a fierce determination that burned in his eyes. Gritting his teeth against the tears threatening to spill, Ha-gyeom grabbed Baek Seung-woo’s arm again, as if he might disappear.

“Let me stay with you.”

“There’s no time—”

“I don’t care if it’s hell! Just let me stay by your side!”

Even his desperate cries were drowned out by the noise around them.

Baek Seung-woo swiftly covered Ha-gyeom’s mouth, silencing him. But instead of resisting, Ha-gyeom clung to his wrist with trembling hands, tears streaming down and tracing along the lines of Baek Seung-woo’s firm grip. He knew he must look pitiful, like a child, but he couldn’t stop himself. Letting him go wasn’t something he could endure.

Just then, the steady glow of purification waves flickered. A monster crashed onto the rooftop, breaking a railing before vanishing into the wind.

Through the settling dust, a figure emerged near the damaged railing. Even before the dust cleared, Ha-gyeom recognized the familiar buzz cut silhouette—it was Seok Ji-ho.

“Look at him… crying like that,” Ji-ho muttered, his voice tinged with reluctant pity.

Ha-gyeom felt a flash of irritation at Ji-ho’s sympathy, but it quickly faded as Baek Seung-woo loosened his grip. Without hesitation, Ha-gyeom buried his face in Baek Seung-woo’s chest, ignoring the scrape of his combat uniform against his chin.

Ji-ho added, “Team lea— Never mind. Just hand him over. Ha-gyeom.”

Team leader. That was what Ji-ho had been about to say. But to Ha-gyeom, who had grown used to calling him Baek Sa, the title sounded oddly foreign.

Ji-ho didn’t seem fazed by Baek Seung-woo’s appearance, even though he was officially listed as missing. Ji-ho must have known the truth if he’d joined the rescue mission. Yet what unsettled Ha-gyeom was the lack of urgency in Ji-ho’s actions, as if rescuing Baek Seung-woo wasn’t even a priority.

I leave. He stays.

Even if Baek Seung-woo had foreseen the rescue, what if Ha-gyeom was the only one meant to be saved?

Ha-gyeom’s heart raced, pounding against his ribs. The thought of returning to the 0 District—called hell by those who knew it—alone was unbearable. His grip tightened on Baek Seung-woo’s uniform until his fingers ached.

He couldn’t let go. No matter what it took, he wouldn’t let them separate.

“Shin Ha-gyeom. We don’t have time. Move!” Ji-ho shouted, his tone sharp and urgent. But even as the words rang clear, Ha-gyeom had no intention of going with him.

Instead, he intertwined his fingers behind Baek Seung-woo’s back, holding on tightly. Slowly, he raised his head.

“….”

Baek Seung-woo’s gaze bore into Ji-ho, sharp and feral, like the dangerous glint of Baek Sa’s eyes. Ha-gyeom froze. That wary, hostile look vanished in an instant, but not before Ha-gyeom caught the flicker of hesitation behind it.

…Maybe he doesn’t want me to go.

It was just a fleeting thought, a desperate hope, but it was enough to cling to. If there was even a sliver of truth to it, he’d stake everything on that fragile emotion.

The tension in Ha-gyeom’s chest refused to ease, and the waves of energy around him remained volatile. Although Do-seon’s stabilizing presence surrounded them, Ha-gyeom didn’t bother reining in his own unstable energy. He needed to keep something in reserve, a card to play if he reached the end of the line.

“For five years,” he said, his voice trembling with emotion.

“I waited for you.”

Ha-gyeom’s heart raced, his breaths quick and shallow. Struggling to steady himself, he tightened his grip and added,

“We’ve only just reunited… I can’t just leave you here and go back to the Center.”

He pleaded, unable to hide his tear-streaked face, but his words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Was staying in the 0 District putting his mission at risk? Unlike Ha-gyeom, who was desperate, Baek Seung-woo’s fierce gaze quickly softened as he replied.

“You were never part of this operation. And I’m not part of your rescue mission either.”

“….”

“If they came to rescue you, then even that guy over there understands. Isn’t that right, Seok Ji-ho?”

When Baek Seung-woo turned the question to him, Seok Ji-ho nodded with a smug look. Everyone seemed to know what was going on except for Ha-gyeom, who felt as if he were sinking into a black abyss.

Even so, he had to prevent the worst-case scenario. Ha-gyeom pleaded,

“Have you forgotten what happened before I came here? You lost control. If I hadn’t been there, you wouldn’t have recovered….”

He swallowed the rest of his words, shaking his head as if to rid himself of the memory.

“What will you do if it happens again? You can’t recover without me. Not ever.”

Though his pleas didn’t seem to reach him, Ha-gyeom mustered a logical argument. Yet Baek Seung-woo didn’t even spare him a glance, keeping his sharp gaze locked on Seok Ji-ho.

No matter how tightly Ha-gyeom held on, Baek Seung-woo could easily push him toward Seok Ji-ho using his Esper strength. When Baek Seung-woo’s dark, piercing eyes finally turned to him, Ha-gyeom met them and called out again,

“Please, hyung….”

Baek Seung-woo’s expression shifted as he quickly gathered his emotions. His voice, calm and measured, followed.

“How long do you think an unhealed guide and those young Espers can last?”

“….”

“How many minutes do you think are left until Park Ha returns?”

Park Ha and Yeo Jin-joo had gone after the group led by the fugitive Gi Suh-hyun. Of course, it had been under Baek Sa’s orders.

If they were here, it would have been much harder to find an opportunity to hand Ha-gyeom over to the Center’s agents. For Baek Seung-woo to continue his mission, no one in the 0 District could know his true identity.

“How did you know the Center would come to save me? Was it all part of your plan?”

Rather than deny it outright, Baek Seung-woo shook his head.

“I knew there’d only be a chance if I got you out of there somehow.”

“….”

“And I knew my colleagues wouldn’t miss that chance once it came.”

So, he had counted on the Center rescuing Ha-gyeom if he could just get him outside. He had used the 0 District’s collection operation to create that opportunity…!

“I can’t leave without you, hyung.”

Ha-gyeom recalled Director Kim Hye-jeong’s firm orders to rescue him. But in contrast, Baek Seung-woo’s situation was precarious—marked as missing and presumed dead. The fact that he had even hidden his mission from Ha-gyeom suggested he had no intention of returning until it was complete.

With a fiery intensity in his eyes, Ha-gyeom said,

“Let’s go together. It’s not too late.”

If Baek Seung-woo returned with him now, his mission would fail. Knowing this, Baek Seung-woo firmly shook his head.

“Don’t undo five years of my work.”

There was no room for negotiation. He showed no sign of self-pity, regret, or fear for what lay ahead.

“And don’t make yourself my weakness.”

…Weakness?

Before Ha-gyeom could ask, Baek Seung-woo grabbed his elbow. With a light push, Ha-gyeom’s grip broke easily, despite how tightly he had intertwined their fingers. Staggering back, Ha-gyeom stood trembling, his gaze hollow.

Then, Baek Seung-woo gently cupped his cheek and spoke softly.

“I can’t protect you there.”

What kind of place was it, exactly?

What had he gone through there over the past five years?

Before Ha-gyeom could even open his mouth to respond, Baek Seung-woo’s large hand pressed against his chest. With a soft push and a dull thud, Ha-gyeom was once again shoved back. This time, his back landed against Seok Ji-ho in an instant, the distance between him and Baek Seung-woo stretching beyond his reach.

“Hyung!”

Ignoring Seok Ji-ho’s hand at his waist, Ha-gyeom reached out desperately, but Ji-ho easily hoisted him up, making it impossible for him to get closer to Baek Seung-woo again.

“Let me go!”