TS 032

Their kiss deepened, becoming a desperate tangle of teeth and tongues, a frantic clash of desire.

“Eut…!”

Yoon Taehwa gasped, his breath stolen by Han Suryeon’s insistent assault. He bit down on the intrusive tongue, a sharp pang of pain, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth as Han Suryeon chuckled, his tongue swirling against Yoon Taehwa’s, savoring the taste. 

Yoon Taehwa swallowed, his gaze narrowed as he stared up at the man looming over him. Despite his vulnerable position, his throat exposed, Han Suryeon pressed closer, his body a furnace of heat, his touch possessive, almost predatory. As if to encourage him, he intertwined his fingers with Yoon Taehwa’s, his hand resting possessively over the one that gripped his throat. 

‘Should I just choke him out?’ 

The thought crossed his mind, fleeting, a pointless question.

The core had been destroyed, which meant the dungeon would collapse soon, perhaps within minutes. While an Esper’s strength far surpassed that of an ordinary human, carrying a man of Han Suryeon’s size all the way to the exit, even unconscious, would be an unnecessary drain on his already depleted energy reserves. 

Yoon Taehwa caught Han Suryeon’s tongue between his teeth, a playful nip that elicited a soft moan. He tilted his head, drawing a shaky breath, claiming Han Suryeon’s mouth again before he could retaliate. 

The moment their lips met, Yoon Taehwa rolled, reversing their positions in a swift, fluid motion.

“Eut… you’re going to bruise me, handling me so roughly…”

Han Suryeon, now pinned beneath him, whined playfully, his brow furrowed in mock pain. Yoon Taehwa’s legs, mirroring his earlier restraint, trapped Han Suryeon’s, keeping him immobile.

“Haa…” 

He let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair, his gaze falling on the man beneath him: grey eyes, gleaming with a predatory hunger, lips red and swollen. 

‘Of all the things…’

He’d never imagined he’d end up making out with another Esper in a dungeon. 

The absurdity of the situation finally hit him. 

“Ha…” 

He chuckled, a low sound that drew a sharp look from Han Suryeon, his grey eyes darkening.

“What?” 

Han Suryeon’s voice was a low murmur.

“Team Leader.”

They were a short distance away from where they’d fought the monster. The area, a stark contrast to the surrounding dense forest, was a clearing, the trees uprooted by Han Suryeon’s psychokinesis, leaving a wide expanse of bare earth. Sunlight, filtering through the remaining trees, bathed the clearing in a warm glow, illuminating Yoon Taehwa.

Han Suryeon, witnessing this for the first time, his gaze fixed on Yoon Taehwa, spoke, his voice soft, almost reverent.

“Do you know that you sparkle?” 

Yoon Taehwa quirked an eyebrow at the random comment, as if wondering what nonsense he was spouting now.

『Our Team Leader is in big trouble. What should I do now…?』

Han Suryeon’s whisper, laced with a feigned concern, was lost on Yoon Taehwa.

Behind him, the sun, breaking through the clouds, shone brightly, its rays illuminating Yoon Taehwa, casting a halo around his head. 

And for a fleeting moment, a fragment of a forgotten memory, a scene from a distant past, resurfaced, as if drawn by the light surrounding Yoon Taehwa.

***

Han Suryeon scowled, pinching the bridge of his nose. The lingering scent of cigarette smoke was making him nauseous. 

『Disgusting.』

Smoking wasn’t common within Kasatka. Their current Guild Master, a doting father, had banned it entirely to protect his only daughter, terrified that she might succumb to lung cancer. 

Despite its official designation as a Guild, Kasatka was, in essence, a legacy, a Red Mafia organization passed down through generations.

They’d amassed a fortune, their power intertwined with corrupt government officials, their influence extending to every corner of society. And with the advent of Espers, their grip on power had only tightened. After all, those with power always sought out those who could wield it effectively. 

Kasatka was home to a significant number of Espers, most of them bound by loyalty and shared history, not by blood. While not all of them shared the Mikhailov surname, their allegiance was to the organization, their bond forged through shared experiences, a kinship that transcended bloodlines. It was this unwavering loyalty that made them a force to be reckoned with.

As the world shifted, adapting to the rise of Espers, Kasatka had successfully shed its Red Mafia label, embracing the more palatable designation of ‘Guild’. 

And with their Guild Master’s aversion to smoking, many of the guild members had voluntarily quit. Even those who still smoked refrained from doing so within the guild building. As a result, it was extremely rare for Han Suryeon to encounter the pungent smell of cigarettes unless he was out on the streets.

Perhaps it was because he had grown up in a smoke-free environment, but Han Suryeon hated the smell of cigarettes.

He had grown up surrounded by his grandfather, who had quit smoking when his mother was born, his non-smoking father, and the woman they cherished most – a woman who also despised cigarettes. It was only natural that Han Suryeon would develop an aversion to the smell. 

『So annoying…』

He wiped his cheek with the back of his hand, wincing as his fingers came away smeared with blood. During his teenage years, he’d been mostly targeted for kidnappings. But now, at twenty, the attempts on his life had escalated, becoming bolder, more brazen. Guild rivalries, after all, were nothing new. They were simply a continuation of the old power struggles between Red Mafia factions. 

Despite his youth, Han Suryeon’s mastery of his abilities far surpassed that of most seasoned Espers. He’d manifested his powers at an early age, giving him an advantage over his peers, and his father, an S-rank Esper, had personally mentored him, honing his skills to a razor-sharp edge. 

But the carnage he was witnessing in this alleyway, the brutality of it all, didn’t seem like the work of experienced Espers. The wounds were too crude, too messy, the violence excessive, a display of brute force rather than calculated precision.

‘I should probably get going…’

He recalled his orders: to stay put. A wave of boredom washed over him. He’d been briefed about a collaboration with Espers from South Korea, but the topic had held little interest for him, and he’d barely paid attention to the details.

『Hmm…』

He tapped his fingers against his arm, his gaze fixed on the end of the alleyway. His grey eyes were cold, devoid of emotion. He should have listened more carefully. 

While he had a penchant for doing as he pleased, encounters with Espers from other countries were to be avoided. They could easily escalate into international incidents. 

‘Did they say they’d cleared this area?’

It seemed his best option was to leave, to blend in with the crowds. As far as he knew, there hadn’t been any major clashes yet. 

He was about to step out of the alleyway when the sharp crack of gunfire stopped him in his tracks. 

BANG!

Han Suryeon sighed, turning back towards the sound. 

The smell of blood, the groans of dying men, the lingering scent of cigarette smoke – the alleyway assaulted his senses. He had no choice. He couldn’t risk exposure, not here, not after they’d promised to cooperate with these Korean Espers.

‘I’ll just… kill some time.’

He focused, his keen hearing amplifying the faint sounds coming from a distance. Two voices, their words carried by the wind, reached his ears.

“T-T-Team Leader… I’m sorry.”

It was Korean, not Russian. 

He recalled that the collaboration was with South Korea. He focused, straining to understand the fragmented conversation. He’d been learning Korean since childhood, his comprehension is decent, as long as they wasn’t using slang. 

“What are you sorry for?”

A deep, resonant voice, calm and steady, answered. 

‘Nice voice,’ Han Suryeon thought idly, leaning against the wall. 

He was stuck here for now, might as well enjoy the show. Fights were always entertaining. 

“I-I wasn’t trying to betray… ”

It wasn’t hard to figure out what had happened. It seemed someone had betrayed them and fled to Russia.

“I don’t understand. What’s your point?”

The other man’s voice, a stark contrast to the frantic pleas of the traitor, was calm, almost detached, his tone betraying no emotion. Han Suryeon could only make out a few words.

“Haa…” 

A soft sigh, one he shouldn’t have been able to hear from this distance, reached his ears. It wasn’t a sigh of disappointment, or anger, or sadness. It was the sound of someone… inconvenienced. 

‘Interesting…’

It was rare to encounter someone so utterly unfazed by betrayal. He wondered what kind of expression the man wore as he delivered that sigh. 

“T-Team Leader Yoon Taehwa… please… just this once…”

Yoon Taehwa?

BANG!

The gunshot cut the man’s desperate pleas short. A clean kill. 

It was a strangely quiet death, considering it was a clash between Espers. But the name, that familiar name, eclipsed all other thoughts.

『…..』

Han Suryeon didn’t hesitate. He stepped out of the alleyway, his pace quickening as he headed towards the sound of gunfire. 

He arrived at the scene, his breath ragged, his heart pounding.

『Ha.』

He chuckled, his lips parted in a breathless laugh. There was nothing left, just the cold air, the lingering scent of gunpowder and blood. 

The wind, gentle and playful, brushed against his eyelashes, carrying with it the scent of pine and damp earth. The sunlight, bright and insistent, shattered the remnants of his memories, bringing him back to the present. 

He couldn’t let this one slip away, not like he had all those years ago. 

This one was sparkling.

『Haha.』

The moment he realized this, a single desire took over his mind. It wasn’t the curiosity he’d felt towards Yoon Taehwa up until now, nor the trivial pleasures derived from it. This was pure desire.

He’s mine, and mine alone.

This unconditional possessive declaration echoed through his mind.