IDSEGI Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Yoon Geon came out after twenty-four hours inside the gate. He looked as neat as when he had gone in. Ihan clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“Seeing you in one piece, I guess that one-eyed thing didn’t show up.”

Yeoul quickly ran to Yoon Geon and handed him some water, then cautiously asked,

“So, just like Ihan said… it didn’t appear?”

“Yeah. It was no different from an ordinary cave. If I had to point out a difference, it would be the number of stalactites scattered on the ground.”

“Stalactites?”

“Yeah. Looked like they’d fallen from the ceiling, but there were an unusually large number of them.”

Yeoul recalled what it had been like when he first entered the gate. At the start, the stalactites had definitely been clustered tightly on the ceiling. They had fallen when that thing attacked him.

‘Maybe time doesn’t rewind inside the gate.’

This made the theory that the monster truly had the power to turn back time seem even more likely. That alone was enough of a gain.

“Thanks, hyung. Go inside and rest for now. You must be tired.”

“If losing a night’s sleep makes me tired, I should have my Esper badge revoked.”

When Ihan butted in from the side, Yeoul shot him a quick glare before urging Yoon Geon once more to go inside and rest. Just as Yoon Geon was about to say he was fine, Ihan gave him a signal. Picking up on it, Yoon Geon made a random request to send Yeoul away.

“Go call Esper Kim Yushin for me. I think I’ll have to swing by Zone 5.”

“Ah, yes!”

Yushin had stayed at the lodging under the condition that he wouldn’t enter the gate and would wait outside. Once Yeoul left, Ihan approached Yoon Geon.

“And inside? There really was nothing special?”

“Nothing. It was an ordinary cave, not a gate.”

Ihan slowly closed his eyes, then took Yoon Geon’s bag containing emergency supplies.

“Tell Yeoul that a gate opened in Zone 1 and I had to step away for a bit.”

“Going in yourself won’t change anything. We need to plan more here—”

Ihan’s gaze toward Yoon Geon was cold and unwavering.

“I won’t watch Yeoul willingly put himself in danger.”

“……”

“That’s the same for you, isn’t it?”

If it meant risking Yeoul’s life, it would be easier to just give up his own.

“He’s the one who turned back time twice because of you. You think he couldn’t do it a third time?”

“That’s why I’m not taking him. I’m asking you to protect him.”

Ihan patted Yoon Geon’s shoulder once and walked past him.

“If I’m not out in a day, destroy the cave.”

If the gate collapsed, Yeoul wouldn’t be able to enter. Then he wouldn’t try to die for the sake of turning back time. This was the best way Ihan could think of.

From the start, for Yoo Ihan, letting Yeoul be in danger was never an option.

After taking a short breath, Ihan turned toward the entrance but stopped right in front of it. Without looking back, he spoke calmly to Yoon Geon.

“Take good care of Yeoul.”

If the monster never showed up, Ihan planned to self-destruct along with the gate. Preparing for death was something he had always done before going into the field. If the reason was Yeoul, he was ready to throw away his life at any time.

Just as Ihan was about to take his final step forward, Yeoul ran over, grabbed his waist, and clung to him.

“No!”

“Yeoul? Why are you already—”

“Don’t go, Yoo Ihan. You promised me. You promised we’d try to live together, that we’d make it work! Why… why are you trying to die alone again? Why?!”

Yeoul’s face was drenched in tears. His desperate, trembling eyes looked like they could shatter at any moment.

“Please, don’t leave me alone. You can’t go.”

Yeoul sank to the ground, even dropping to his knees as he clung to him. Ihan, startled, knelt down as well and pulled Yeoul tightly into his arms.

“Yeoul, I’m sorry. I was wrong. I was wrong, so get up, okay? Why are you kneeling? Don’t do this.”

“You can’t do this to me… You really… can’t do this to me, Yoo Ihan…”

Yeoul sobbed bitterly, pounding his fists against Ihan’s chest. Each strike, laden with tears, didn’t bruise his body but his heart.

* * *

Yushin sat with the three who had returned from the gate, forcing dry rice down his throat.

‘What’s with the atmosphere?’

Just the other day, they had all resolved together, full of hope. Even Yoon Geon and Ihan, who had treated each other like mortal enemies, had seemed to put aside their differences for a moment and join hands.

‘Looks like the real enemies are right here.’

Yeoul glared at Ihan and stabbed a Vienna sausage with his chopsticks. While he ate aggressively, Ihan kept his head lowered over his tray, silently shoveling food into his mouth.

Swallowing the sausage whole, Yeoul ground his teeth, his face full of anger.

“So you’re really not going to take me?”

“…If what you said is true, it’s too dangerous.”

“Oh, so after telling me you trust me, you stab me in the back like this? Ha, you’re quite the scammer. I’ve never seen anyone so two-faced!”

Startled, Yushin looked at Yeoul.

‘Finally figured it out…!’

The way Yoo Ihan wagged his tail around Yeoul had made Yushin feel sick the first time he saw it. He had even gone out of his way to hide Ihan’s true nature from Yeoul all this time. Thinking that effort might finally be over made him oddly emotional.

While Yushin was quietly celebrating in his head, Yeoul suddenly turned sharply toward Yoon Geon. He avoided Yeoul’s gaze, busily moving his spoon.

“You’re the same. If he’s acting like this, you should stop him, not go along with it!”

“…I didn’t go along with it.”

“Not stopping him is the same as agreeing!”

Yoon Geon’s eyes darted around nervously. Yeoul, who had always been polite and respectful when calling him hyung, looked like he had nothing left to lose.

“Yoo Ihan, don’t you have anything to say?”

Ihan just kept shoveling food into his mouth, chewing for a long time as if determined to avoid answering.

“Why are you staying quiet again? Not going to answer? Why aren’t you keeping your promise?”

Like a dog that had chewed up the sofa and was now curling its shoulders in guilt under its owner’s glare, Ihan hunched in on himself.

“…Even so, no means no.”

“Hey, Yoo Ihan!”

Yeoul shot up from his seat, almost knocking over his tray. Yushin, who was sitting next to Ihan, quickly scooted away, worried the dishes might come flying his way. But instead of throwing anything, Yeoul gave Ihan one last fierce glare before sitting back down and picking up his spoon again.

‘…What’s this now?’

Even while fuming, Yeoul finished every bit of soup and side dish on his tray. Whether it was “eating” or “shoving it down” was debatable, but he didn’t leave a single bite.

Yushin glanced at Yeoul, then leaned toward Ihan and whispered.

“He’s eating quietly… has Guide Han Yeoul cooled off?”

“No. Yeoul just doesn’t like leaving food—says it’s punishment if he does.”

Hearing their whispers, Yeoul suddenly yelled.

“What are you two plotting now?!”

Both Yushin and Ihan shut their mouths and focused on eating.

When the awkward meal ended, Yeoul began tailing Ihan, keeping a close watch on him.

“Hey, Yoo Ihan, where are you going? I told you to say where you’re going.”

“I… I’m just going to the bathroom…”

“I’m coming with you.”

Yeoul grabbed Ihan’s arm and headed for the bathroom. Ihan trudged along behind him, looking like a dejected puppy.

‘Well, that’s new.’

Yushin had seen Ihan follow Yeoul countless times, but it was his first time seeing Yeoul follow Ihan.

“Oh, right. I forgot to tell you something.”

Before going off to die, Yeoul had asked him to relay a message to Ihan.

Ignoring Yeoul’s sharp glares, Yushin sent Ihan a text.

By the way, Guide Han Yeoul asked me to tell you this before—he said, “The reply is in the sky-blue envelope.”

Ihan casually unlocked his phone, but the moment he read the message, he glared at Yushin like he could kill him. He typed back each word, suppressing his fury.

Why are you telling me this now??? Hey, go get the book I’m talking about. Now. —Yoo Ihan

After reading the text, Yushin quietly stood up. A line from an old children’s song popped into his head.

Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling, make way.

The Yoo Ihan shuttle is coming through.

…Ding-a-ling…

It was a melody that somehow felt pitiful just to hum.

* * *

Ihan looked at Yeoul, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion after keeping watch over him. Even in his sleep, Yeoul was gripping Ihan’s sleeve. Gently, Ihan brushed Yeoul’s cheek with the back of his hand. Then, before Yeoul could notice, he vanished in a blink.

When Ihan suddenly appeared, Yushin jumped back in shock.

“Damn it! Give me some warning before you pop up!”

“You’re a spatial Esper—how does teleportation scare you? Is your amygdala broken? You’re scared of everything.”

“Pfft, so just because shamans see ghosts, you think they’re not scared of them? They’re still scared of the dead!”

“I thought you were Catholic. You convert in the meantime?”

Yushin pouted but handed over the book. Ihan opened it and took out a sky-blue envelope tucked inside. There was more than just the letter he had written himself—there was another one.

Its content was simple and short.

“Live for me, too.”

Ihan’s mouth twisted into a pained smile.

“Yeoul… this is too cruel.”

If he had read this reply after Yeoul’s death, no matter how much he wanted to die, he would have lived—carrying a life that felt like death, just to honor Yeoul’s last wish.

Carefully, he placed the letter against his chest, afraid he might crumple it. Now he finally understood what he had been about to do to Yeoul.

At that moment, Yeoul came rushing out to find him.

“Yoo Ihan!”

Pale-faced, Yeoul spotted him and ran over immediately. Ihan slowly took a breath and opened his arms. Yeoul threw himself into them, and Ihan held him tightly.

“Yoo Ihan, why did you go outside on your own…!”

“Yeah. Let’s go together, Yeoul.”

Yeoul froze and looked up at him. Ihan’s smile reflected in his wide, startled eyes—a smile drawn tight, like he was about to cry. His arms trembled faintly.

“Let’s go together. I’ll protect you no matter what. I was just… scared. Scared I’d lose you…”

Yeoul lifted his hand to gently touch Ihan’s cheek, smiling softly.

“You’re the one who said an Esper loses a round the moment they get scared of a monster. Don’t be afraid. We’ll come back together.”

“Yeah.”

Yeoul hugged him so tightly it felt like he might break, and Ihan buried his face against Yeoul’s shoulder. The steady pat on his back slowly eased Ihan’s fear.

His hero was, as always, amazing—always giving him courage whenever he cowered in fear.

It was D-3 before entering the gate.