97

Baek Sa grabbed the laptop he had set aside earlier and powered it on. Ha-gyeom’s thoughts drifted to the time he first visited Baek Sa’s room, shortly after arriving here, for a guiding session. He immediately recognized the same laptop that Baek Sa had been engrossed in back then, even while they were in close contact.

“Some confidential information is redacted, but there’s still plenty of useful material here. It might be hard to fully grasp how this system operates just from the text, but think of it as a primer—something to prepare you for what you’ll face.”

For the first time, Ha-gyeom had access to official records beyond what he had seen with his own eyes or heard with his own ears.

“Am I even allowed to look at this?”

“Only S-classes backed by the leaders have access. Naturally, nothing from outside 0 District is permitted to leak. While we use laptops for convenience, there’s no network connection, so it’s hard to trace if someone else were to access it. Besides, the logs will show that I was the one reading it, not you, so you don’t have to worry.”

Ha-gyeom nodded, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was 10:20 PM. The sheer volume of information was unknown, but it was already late to start studying.

“And your condition…”

Baek Sa spoke with concern, noting that Ha-gyeom wasn’t in top shape. It wasn’t unusual for him to endure internal and external injuries, so a bit of discomfort wasn’t a big deal.

“Maybe it’s because you rubbed my back earlier, but I feel fine now.”

Hiding his exhaustion, Ha-gyeom mustered a determined expression and began intently studying the laptop screen. Baek Sa, who had been rubbing his back, eventually withdrew, taking his warmth with him as he moved toward the floor-to-ceiling window.

“You can go to bed first.”

It was, after all, Baek Sa’s room, and it was late. Ha-gyeom’s words were meant as a casual suggestion since he felt he’d need to stay up all night anyway. However, Baek Sa only responded with a hollow smile, saying nothing more.

“…Or not, I guess.”

Mumbling under his breath, Ha-gyeom refocused on the densely packed text on the screen. He didn’t care how he looked, compulsively absorbing the information Baek Sa had already uncovered. He simply read on, one page after another, without expecting a guide to help him navigate the complexities.

The documents ranged from lists of names in various fields and research logs to files with entire sections blacked out, rendering their content indecipherable. The mix of factual and forged information was overwhelming, adding to his mental fatigue.

Occasionally, as he fidgeted with a pen or sighed in frustration, Baek Sa would approach and tousle his hair. Yet, engrossed in the sea of information, Ha-gyeom barely registered the touch.

Naturally, he didn’t realize that Baek Sa might feel slighted by his lack of response.

It wasn’t until the warmth that had been hovering nearby for so long finally faded that Ha-gyeom noticed its absence, faintly sensing the change.

“This isn’t why you came to my room, is it?”

He was right. If he thought about it, Ha-gyeom hadn’t come here solely to receive information about the mission. But it wasn’t as if he had some other specific purpose in mind. He had simply followed Baek Sa here and hadn’t considered returning to his own private quarters, even if that meant rejecting Baek Sa’s outstretched hand.

After all, he’d been too tense during the leaders’ gathering and wasn’t in great shape due to his lingering discomfort.

Only after snapping back to reality did Ha-gyeom glance at the clock, realizing it was well past midnight. The hands pointed to 1 a.m. As if it were the most natural thing to do, he guided Baek Sa toward the bed—bringing the laptop along with him.

“….”

Baek Sa’s sharp eyes gleamed as he watched Ha-gyeom’s actions, but Ha-gyeom ignored him and sprawled out beside him.

The cool, blue glow of the laptop illuminated Ha-gyeom’s smooth features, refusing to fade as he focused intently on the screen. Lying on his side with his head propped up, Baek Sa noticed Ha-gyeom’s shirt had ridden up, exposing the small of his back. Without a word, he pulled a thin sheet over him.

Ha-gyeom was now exploring the underground blueprints of 0 District. His mind fixated on the elevator that had descended far beyond where he could see. The schematics, which seemed to plunge endlessly downward, revealed a vast and complex system.

Like an iceberg whose tip is visible above the surface, the underground labyrinth of 0 District sprawled out like the roots of an ancient tree. It was a kingdom unto itself—grand and overwhelming in scale.

“….!”

Ha-gyeom couldn’t close his gaping mouth as he pored over the intricately detailed schematics. While the surface was already imposing, he hadn’t imagined that the hidden layers beneath could be so vast and elaborate.

The research lab run by Dr. Cha and the detention facilities paled in comparison. The underground alone housed over thirty numbered laboratories, as well as Assemblywoman Kang’s massive research and cultivation facilities—far larger than their visible counterparts above ground. Countless spaces of unknown purpose and staggering size dotted the blueprints.

It was clear: 0 District wasn’t merely surviving but actively exploiting its resources beneath the surface, hiding everything from prying eyes. The realization sent a chill down Ha-gyeom’s spine, making him feel as though even the air around him had grown colder.

“I never imagined it would be this massive,” Ha-gyeom muttered.

Baek Sa responded by running his fingers through Ha-gyeom’s hair. Ha-gyeom, undeterred, scrolled further, examining the power plants and purification systems that sustained 0 District.

The intricate network of pipes and wires feeding each zone reminded him of veins carrying lifeblood. Assemblyman Tak’s earlier claim about personally protecting the district’s specialists seemed to hold some truth.

The technology that maintained such a sophisticated system during a near-apocalyptic era was power in itself.

Confronted with the real face of 0 District, a side completely hidden from the Center, Ha-gyeom felt a mix of awe and unease. If this system were used to support the oppressed and desperate, how many lives could it save? The thought was overwhelming.

“Does the Director know about 0 District’s underground operations?” Ha-gyeom asked.

“To some extent,” Baek Sa replied.

It was knowledge even the Espers involved in the mission wouldn’t have. Ha-gyeom couldn’t help but feel a sense of deprivation and began questioning Director Kim Hye-jeong’s intentions.

“Does the Director really want to save people?”

“Yes,” Baek Sa confirmed.

“Can you guarantee that she won’t covet this system for her own gain?”

Baek Sa shook his head.

Ha-gyeom, who had always believed in Director Kim’s dedication to rescue missions, found himself unsettled. While he’d assumed the operation’s goal was solely humanitarian, Baek Sa’s account painted a different picture. The Director he knew seemed to have hidden facets.

Ha-gyeom pushed the laptop aside and shifted closer to Baek Sa. The gentle hand stroking his hair felt strangely foreign as he grappled with the realization that what he knew and believed might not be the whole truth.

Looking into Baek Sa’s layered gaze, Ha-gyeom wondered how lonely it might be to break free from one’s protective shell without anyone to witness it.

Meeting Baek Sa’s eyes, Ha-gyeom slowly closed the distance between them. The dim light and the ticking of the clock filled the silence as their features drew nearer. Yet, just as his gaze settled on Baek Sa’s lips, he stopped himself, unwilling to rush forward.

As warmth spread to his damp hair, Baek Sa’s hand moved from his hair to his earlobe. With deliberate slowness, Baek Sa leaned in closer, but just as Ha-gyeom’s stomach fluttered with anticipation, Baek Sa abruptly pulled away.

A low, urgent sound shattered the moment.

Vrrrrrr!

Baek Sa’s attention shifted beyond Ha-gyeom to the large window, where the faint moonlight revealed strange creatures moving in unison, circling like clockwork. There were no visible entry points, making it hard to see the phenomenon as anything other than unnatural. Baek Sa’s gaze turned icy as he watched.

Ha-gyeom reached out, brushing his hand over Baek Sa’s firm neck, and leaned forward to kiss the sharp lines of his throat. But just then—

Bang, bang!

A loud and frantic pounding came from the tightly shut iron door.

The knock was too urgent to ignore. After pressing a brief kiss to Ha-gyeom’s jaw, Baek Sa slipped out of bed. Left alone with the laptop, Ha-gyeom sat up and followed Baek Sa’s movements with his eyes.

When Baek Sa opened the door, Tae-seong stormed in, panting heavily. His deep voice cut through the air, sharp and heavy.

“Ah-rang has woken up.”

The moment the name reached Ha-gyeom’s ears, he froze in place, unable to move.