IDSEGI Chapter 51

Chapter 51

The man massaged his aching wrist and clicked his tongue sharply.

“Just my luck. Even when I pick up a Guide, I get this kind of crap.”

Guiding rejection response.

This referred to when an Esper encountered a Guide with the worst possible compatibility — roughly a one-in-a-million chance — and reacted by rejecting their Guiding.

Except for rare cases like Yoon Geon, who experienced rejection from most Guides regardless, it was almost impossible for an Esper to meet someone with such terrible compatibility. So the man’s complaint about bad luck wasn’t wrong. He really was unlucky.

Letting out a long sigh, the man grabbed Yeoul by the back of the neck.

“A shame, but it can’t be helped.”

“Ugh, let me go!”

Ignoring his resistance, the man dragged Yeoul all the way to the first floor and tossed him onto the ground. The rough-looking man who had called him “boss” earlier glanced at Yeoul and asked,

“Boss, are you done?”

“Didn’t even get to start. Match rate’s wrecked. You guys can have him.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah. One of you should match, at least.”

“Thank you, boss!”

The man licked his lips like a dog drooling in front of a bowl of food.

“Lucky no one else is here right now. Passing him around’s not really my thing.”

Disgust churned in Yeoul’s stomach at the filthy comment, and he snapped viciously.

“Touch me and I won’t Guide you. Kill me, torture me, do whatever. But isn’t it better to coax me than to go berserk because you can’t get Guiding? If you promise not to lay a finger on me, I’ll Guide you.”

“What? Boss, I think this bastard still doesn’t get it.”

“He’s just naive. How would someone who’s only lived inside the zone know what it’s like outside?”

The man squatted down in front of Yeoul and tapped his forehead.

“The world’s not as rainbow-colored as you think. You’re old enough to know that, so why don’t you?”

Yeoul swatted his hand away and shot back harshly.

“I don’t know much, but I do know you’re ignorant — and a piece of shit.”

A silent thug suddenly kicked Yeoul hard in the stomach.

“How dare you talk to the boss like that? You wanna die?”

He kept targeting the same spot over and over, yet instead of curling up, Yeoul lifted his head even higher.

“Think carefully. Which choice benefits you more?”

The man looked down at Yeoul, shaking his head as if he were pitiful.

“You think that’s gonna make him say, ‘Yes, sir’? Just give it up. Accepting reality takes courage too, you know. Try having some.”

Yeoul glared at him coldly and threw his own mockery back, twisting the man’s earlier words.

“You’re the one who needs to relearn respect for your elders. Don’t butt in when someone older’s talking.”

“Pff—ha! Wow, that’s hilarious.”

The man’s previously cooled expression lit up again. While he stared at Yeoul with interest, the thug beside him rolled up his sleeves, fuming.

“Boss! This bastard’s crazy. Let me teach him a lesson.”

Still focused on Yeoul, the man raised a hand to stop him.

“Do as the boss says. He told you not to touch him.”

“What? But—”

“What did I say would happen if you talked back?”

The man’s voice turned cold in an instant, and the thug’s attitude shifted immediately.

“…You’d kill me. Yes, boss! I won’t touch him without your permission!”

The man then spoke to Yeoul in a friendly tone.

“So, how old are you? And what’s your name?”

His gentle voice was almost unbelievable after the chill from moments ago. Still wary, Yeoul replied curtly.

“Isn’t it polite to give your name first?”

The man chuckled and rubbed at his grinning mouth.

“Maybe it’s your age, but you’ve really got that old-fashioned attitude. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a compliment. I like that mindset. It’s fun.”

Yeoul met his scorching gaze head-on without flinching. Sparks seemed to fly in the direct clash of their eyes.

The man’s lips slowly parted.

“I’m Lim Juho. And you?”

“…Han Yeoul.”

“Yeoul-hyung, let’s get along. I like you.”

Unable to guess what lay behind the smiling face and outstretched hand, unease rose to Yeoul’s throat. But rejecting outright didn’t feel like it would lead to a peaceful death — only a miserable life.

For now, he had to step back and wait for a chance. A chance to end this wretched life.

Making his decision quickly, Yeoul took the man’s hand. Juho pulled him closer and whispered low.

“Looking forward to it, hyung.”

The devil before him smiled as brightly as an angel.

* * *

Sitting backward on the chair with his arms draped over the backrest, Lim Juho stared at the bound Yeoul.

“I knew from the start you were stubborn, but now I see you’re just plain stupid too.”

“…”

Because of the gag in his mouth, Yeoul couldn’t respond. He could only glare with all his might. Only he didn’t realize that, to Juho, that glare looked like a squirrel trembling in fear, something that only stoked his sadistic urges further.

“Really stupid.”

This made it the fifth time already. The fifth time Yeoul had tried to kill himself.

Once, he’d tried slashing his wrists with glass shards. Another time, he’d tried hanging himself with rope. He’d even been caught attempting to stab himself in the chest with a knife. And there was that time with the basin of water. Juho couldn’t understand why he was so desperate to die.

“What’s the problem? I treat you well.”

All he’d done was ask Yeoul to Guide for fewer than five people. It’s not like he’d told him to roll around in bed with them. Just hold hands and provide a bit of Guiding — yet he couldn’t even handle that and kept trying to die.

Or maybe there was another reason.

Suddenly, Juho remembered. From the first time they met, Yeoul had already wanted to die. He’d just forgotten. Resting his chin on his hand, Juho muttered dully.

“Why do you want to die?”

“…”

Yeoul stayed silent. Realizing his mistake, Juho smacked his own forehead.

“Ah, right. Forgot to take out the gag.”

As soon as the tightly tied cloth came loose, Yeoul spat right onto Juho’s shirt. Juho’s brows furrowed, and he let out a long sigh.

“Guess I’ll have to stick a pacifier in your mouth. Drooling like a baby.”

“Bastard.”

Even when those rage-filled, bloodshot eyes stabbed into him with pure hatred, Juho only shrugged.

“Keep talking in that hoarse voice — it just turns me on.”

Grumbling, Juho peeled off the spit-stained shirt and tossed it aside.

“This thing’s expensive. Do you even know how hard it is to get clothes like this out here?”

The shirt dropped to the floor, revealing his bare torso. Yeoul stared at him — or rather, at the body covered in vivid scars as if it had been slashed to pieces.

When Juho noticed the wide-eyed look aimed at him, he grinned shamelessly.

“What? Sexy? A real man should wear scars like tattoos — that’s what gives you style.”

“…Did you get those here? Fighting monsters…?”

Finding Yeoul’s curiosity unexpectedly endearing, Juho almost answered honestly — then changed his mind.

“Tell me why you want to die, and I’ll tell you the story behind these scars.”

“Don’t need to know.”

The answer came without a single moment of hesitation, making Juho burst into laughter.

“Ha! Hyung, at least pretend to think about it. Otherwise, I’ll just want to know out of spite.”

“If I tell you, are you going to kill me?”

At Yeoul’s sharp retort, Juho nodded lightly as if it were no big deal.

“Well, depends on what I hear. If it’s an interesting reason, I’ll kill you right away.”

Yeoul almost wavered — but the instant he met Juho’s mischievous eyes, he realized the man was toying with him. Disappointment sank in, and he let out a sigh, shaking his head.

“Forget it. No matter what I say, you’re not going to kill me.”

“Because it’s boring? Just say it. You never know, maybe I’ll find it entertaining.”

“It’s not interesting. And I don’t think you’d believe me anyway.”

Whether it was the truth or a lie, Juho clearly wouldn’t believe it. If it was the truth, he’d dismiss it as nonsense. If it was a lie, he’d catch on immediately. Either way, there was no point in exposing the wound he kept buried in his heart.

When Yeoul clamped his mouth shut, Juho stomped his heel against the floor and slapped his knee with a loud laugh.

“Fine. Then let’s trade secrets. That way it’s fair, right?”

Yeoul was about to refuse when Juho casually pointed to a scar on his face.

“This scar — people think it came from a monster. But actually, my real brother did it. With a nail.”

TL/N: Hii guys I have scheduled the rest of the novel on 5 chap 2x a week. They will unlock automatically so dw Just wanted to give y’all a heads-up, please don’t think I’m trying to rip you off. They’re just scheduled in advance because I’ll be abroad for a few months without my laptop, so I won’t be able to upload anything during that time. I’m working on finishing these up before I leave.