IDSEGI Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Yeoul, who had parted his lips for a moment, pressed them firmly shut again.

A nail across the face? And by his own brother?

He had, of course, assumed the scar came from a monster or an accident. To think it was caused by someone’s malice — and that the culprit was his own brother — was deeply shocking.

Even seeing Yeoul’s astonishment, Lim Juho continued speaking as if nothing were unusual.

“How old was I…? He was nine, I was six. He picked up this big iron nail and dragged it right across my face. My cheek was covered in blood, and the wound burned like fire.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, as if recalling the scene.

“You know what he said when I asked him why he did it?”

Juho chuckled as though retelling a funny story he’d heard from someone else.

“He said he didn’t like that I was better looking than him. Said a younger brother shouldn’t outshine his older brother.”

Apparently the memory amused him even more now, because Juho burst out laughing.

“Puhaha! You should’ve seen his face — so damn serious that I almost believed him.”

After a long spell of chuckling, he finally calmed down enough to continue.

“Haa… my stomach hurts from laughing. Anyway, that wasn’t the last time. That bastard kept leaving scars all over me. Once, he stabbed my thigh with a jackknife. Said he wanted to check if the blade was sharp.”

At this point, Yeoul couldn’t hold back his question.

“Did no one around you know? Your parents, maybe…?”

“Parents? Even if I told those bastards, it didn’t matter. ‘You’re younger, he’s your older brother, so listen to him.’ That was it.”

He spoke so casually that it almost felt rehearsed. But the countless scars in front of Yeoul’s eyes proved the truth. Look closely, and you could tell they were deliberately made — marks steeped in malice, in contempt, in torture.

Noticing the seriousness on Yeoul’s face, Juho added with almost friendly ease,

“No need for that look. I killed all three of them the moment I awakened as an Esper.”

“…Is that why you were exiled?”

“No. That got me a suspended sentence — ‘extenuating circumstances.’ I was exiled because, well… a few Guides ended up dead while I was having sex. Unlucky for me.”

Whether speaking of his own crimes or those of others, Juho rattled them off without the slightest hint of shame. He was like something broken — a sweater whose first stitch had been done wrong, tangled beyond repair.

“Now it’s your turn. Why do you want to die?”

It didn’t matter what Yeoul said; Juho wouldn’t believe it. The same would be true if he told the truth. It wasn’t because Juho was naturally distrustful — it was because he was too damaged to believe anyone.

“That must’ve hurt.”

The quiet murmur made Juho’s fingertips twitch for an instant.

“Did it? I don’t really remember.”

Yeoul gazed steadily at his scars, prompting Juho to blurt a question without thinking.

“Do you pity me?”

Yeoul hesitated before lowering his head slightly.

“I don’t feel that way about the you now. But the boy you were… I think he must’ve been in pain.”

In truth, the story was well known in Zone 2 — the case of a middle schooler who, upon awakening as an Esper, killed his family. The incident had caused a media frenzy at the time, and the boy at the center of it was none other than Lim Juho.

When it was revealed he had been a victim of child abuse, people cried for him — whether sincerely or for show — and even offered their support, saying that now things would surely get better for him.

But to him, it was already over. There was no joy or pain in it anymore, so no words could move him… and yet, somehow, the calm way Yeoul looked at him brought comfort. It was the first time he’d ever felt consoled by something that wasn’t meant as comfort.

“…Yeah. I guess it did hurt.”

Yeoul’s gaze was too plain to be called pity. And yet, it made scars that no longer ached throb again.

He’d kept Yeoul alive to play with him, but now it felt as if Yeoul had gotten under his skin instead. Was this amusement? Or something else entirely?

He didn’t know. Which meant he couldn’t let Yeoul out of his sight until he found out.

Yeoul wouldn’t know. How hard it was to find amusement outside the zones. And how much of a torment that was for someone as hedonistic as Lim Juho.

“Hyung, you’re really interesting. You’re making me curious.”

Juho slowly took in Yeoul with his gaze. Those pitch-black eyes held him so clearly that it was impossible to guess what they hid, burning him into memory like a hot branding iron — vivid and scorching.

After staring at him for a long while, Juho suddenly grabbed Yeoul by the throat. The crushing grip made it feel like he would suffocate right there, and Yeoul let out ragged gasps.

“Kh… kuhk.”

Juho smiled lazily, eyes curling in a calm, almost gentle arc.

“If you’re going to die, hyung, make sure it’s me who kills you. Don’t let anyone else do it — and don’t get eaten by a monster. I’ll be the one to kill you—”

The iron grip on his nape cut off the oxygen to his brain, and Yeoul’s face flushed red. Just as he thought this might be the end, Juho whispered softly into his ear.

“Until I kill you, don’t die.”

Then he let go with a faint smile.

Yeoul collapsed to the floor, coughing harshly, then clicked his tongue inside his mouth while glaring up at him.

‘Crazy bastard.’

For some reason, he suddenly wanted to see his bright-eyed Yuto again.

* * *

Zone 1’s Center Director, Lee Jongwon, jumped to his feet when he heard the report.

“Yoo Ihan came back?”

He had been racking his brain over where the man had vanished without a trace — and now he’d returned of his own accord! The relief was so overwhelming he almost teared up.

“Bring him here right away! No, wait — I’ll go. Where is he now?”

“Uh… the thing is…”

When the administrator hesitated, Jongwon’s irritation flared.

“What? Where is he?”

“He’s in the training hall. He gathered all the Espers in Zone 1.”

“So what? That’s just like him.”

It was odd for the administrator to act like this was something strange. Disappearing for a while and then suddenly throwing everyone into training wasn’t surprising if it was Ihan — it was practically routine.

“Well, the reason he called them this time is… completely unexpected.”

“What reason?”

The administrator’s expression was awkward.

“You’d better see for yourself.”

There was something so pointed in his expression, as if telling Jongwon to brace himself. Though he hesitated for a moment, Jongwon soon made his way to the training hall.

The scene was nothing like he had imagined.

Yoo Ihan stood in the center of the hall, scanning the assembled Zone 1 Espers. His eyes were so chillingly murderous that no one dared ask what was going on; they just stood frozen in place.

Slowly looking around, Ihan finally spoke.

“From now on—”

His low voice, rough with his breathing, rolled out from his throat.

“Find Kim Yushin.”

No one moved. No one dared to volunteer. Eventually, one brave Esper raised a hand.

“Uh… why… why are we looking for him… sir?”

He had started to ask in casual speech, as usual, but under Ihan’s deadly stare, he faltered and tacked on awkward honorifics.

“Kim Yushin took Yeoul and ran.”

At those words, every Esper present groaned inwardly.

‘Has Kim Yushin lost his mind?!’

‘He ran off with Han Yeoul the Guide?’

‘Yushin, rest in peace.’

All of them were thinking the same thing — worrying about the doomed future awaiting Yushin.

Ihan didn’t elaborate. He simply gave the order.

“Bring him back. As fast as possible.”

If a glare could kill, every Esper there would already be ripped to pieces. Without wasting a moment, they all bolted out of the hall.

From behind, Jongwon cautiously approached Ihan.

“Uh, Yoo Ihan… could we have a quick word?”

His tone was so deferential it bordered on groveling, but Ihan didn’t seem to appreciate the effort. He shot Jongwon a cold glance.

“Later.”

“R-right.”

Jongwon backed down instantly. There was no stopping Ihan when he was like this.

‘Well… at least he’s back.’

The director decided he had better report to headquarters immediately and left the hall.

Alone, Ihan muttered in a voice so cold it chilled the air.

“Where could they have gone?”

Another zone? To Yoon Geon? Or maybe…

A thought suddenly fixed itself in his mind — they might have chosen the one place they were least likely to go.

“Jamsil.”

It could be there.

Ihan strode toward the door. To reclaim what had been taken.