“……”
I didn’t say anything. But I didn’t avoid his gaze either. Yu-geon let out a hollow laugh, seemingly incredulous at my reaction.
“Leave the center.”
His words were like a bolt from the blue.
“I thought you would leave on your own since you got caught. But today, you shamelessly guided with my brother?”
So, Yu-geon was upset because I had guided Han-gyeol.
“What do you think my brother would say if he found out?”
“……”
“Why is your face so red coming out of the capsule?”
“That’s because…”
“I don’t even need to hear it. I don’t care if you devour creatures or humans, but stay away from my brother.”
I was at a loss for words. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand what Yu-geon was saying.
Han-gyeol and Yu-geon shared the same father but had different mothers. After Han-gyeol’s mother passed away, their father remarried Yu-geon’s mother.
The issue was the reason Han-gyeol’s mother had died.
“Looking at your face, it seems you’re not clueless. With what nerve are you still here?”
Han-gyeol’s mother, who was a guide, had been killed by a Cremon. Hence, Han-gyeol’s hatred for Cremons went beyond anger to the point of a curse.
Perhaps Han-gyeol took care of me after the gate incident because he thought I had also lost my family to a Cremon, just like him.
I was silent for a moment before I spoke.
“But I can’t leave.”
“You plan to stay here?”
“If an Awakened leaves the center, they’ll live as a fugitive for the rest of their life. Why should I do that?”
“If you’re caught, you’ll be shot on sight.”
“I know.”
“You say you know.”
“Just kill me.”
Yu-geon ground his teeth. He clenched them so hard that even I could hear it. The veins on his neck and forehead bulged.
“Do you think I can’t kill you?”
His eyes flashed with murderous intent as he grabbed my neck, precisely pressing on my carotid artery with his fingers.
If he squeezed even a little, I felt like I would be suffocated.
In truth, there would be no problem if Yu-geon killed me right here.
If he handed over my body to the diagnostic center, they would easily find out I was a Cremon.
“Go ahead and try if you can.”
But I couldn’t die. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. The core inside me, wherever it was, kept regenerating my cells.
If Yu-geon could do what I hadn’t managed to do in five years, I would be grateful to him for the first time.
When I told him to do as he pleased, Yu-geon’s pupils trembled slightly. His sharp, firm gaze momentarily wavered. He then turned away, frustrated, letting out a deep sigh.
“Gu… Sa-weol.”
Yu-geon and I were the same age. But he rarely called me by my name so warmly. He usually added my last name, Gu Sa-weol, and I did the same, calling him Baek Yu-geon. This was the first time he had spoken to me in such a serious tone.
“What should I do with you?”
Yu-geon’s low, somber voice carried confusion and concern. Strictly speaking, it was Yu-geon who got bitten by a mad dog while walking down the street.
If he ended up covering for the fact that I was a Cremon, he could be punished as an accomplice for knowing something he shouldn’t have.
“Pretend you don’t know. I haven’t been caught in five years, and I only feed once a week. I’ve never fed on a human.”
“Didn’t you bring creature meat to eat?”
“How could I eat that stinking stuff? I drain the blood and drink it.”
“How do you extract it?”
“I can use a juicer, or squeeze it like fresh fruit juice, or bite into it and suck…”
“No, that’s enough. Don’t say any more.”
Yu-geon, who had asked the questions, cut me off, perhaps because he couldn’t bear to hear more. Maybe I shouldn’t have given that last detail. Even if I tried to explain it simply, it could still be nauseating. Yu-geon’s expression grew even more troubled.
“What about guiding?”
“What about it?”
“How will you handle guiding from now on?”
Was he willing to let it slide? Sensing a glimmer of hope, I spoke more assertively.
“I only need to hold hands. I can handle that much.”
“That’s not true. You kept your distance from me because you felt thirst, didn’t you?”
“……”
I had tried to be as indirect as possible, but somehow he had pieced it together after learning I was a Cremon.
“I can’t deny it.”
There was no point in lying now. If Yu-geon was going to go along with my lie, he needed to know certain things about me.
“But it only happens with you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I only feel an unbearable thirst when it comes to you.”
A crack appeared between Yu-geon’s brows. He frowned, indicating he needed an explanation. But I kept my mouth shut.
How could I tell him that he had a ‘scent that made me want to bite’ unlike anyone else? I would rather die than say that.
“I don’t know how to take that.”
Yu-geon’s expression grew even more complex.
“Just to clarify… do Cremons seduce by saying they want to bite?”
“No, it’s not that…”
Oh, dear. I closed my eyes tightly, overwhelmed by the growing misunderstandings and my inability to explain. Yu-geon spoke in a disgruntled tone.
“Well, I suppose it’s better than saying I look unappetizing.”
Despite his confusion, he seemed to be trying to understand the situation.
“You wouldn’t be able to stop me if I tried to bite.”
The release gate that appeared in Region B was an A-class gate. The highest-ranked creature I could be was an A-class. I couldn’t possibly overpower Yu-geon, an S-class Esper, and even if I bit him, he wouldn’t turn into a Cremon.
I opened my eyes slowly and cautiously asked Yu-geon.
“Then, you’re letting me off?”
He stared at me for a moment. I gulped in nervous anticipation. After a while, he spoke slowly.
“No more guiding with Han-gyeol.”
I wanted to argue that Han-gyeol was also an S-class Esper and wouldn’t be in danger, but I swallowed my words and nodded. Yu-geon’s expression had softened significantly.
“And one more thing.”
“What is it?”
I asked eagerly, sensing a glimmer of hope.
“If an antibiotic is developed that can turn you back into a human, you would want to be human again, right?”
“……”
“Isn’t that right?”
“Of course. Absolutely.”
It was a no-brainer. If I could become human again, I could choose to live or die. But my answer was slightly delayed because the possibility seemed so remote.
My parents had researched it for 30 years without success. Their research records were lost in the accident, and it’s been five years since we restarted.
The center told the public that the antibiotic would be completed soon to prevent panic, but everyone inside the center knew.
It was uncertain when the antibiotic would be developed. The researchers who turned into Cremons during the Region B release gate incident might have a higher chance of continuing the research.
That’s why Emily and I were searching for the researchers who had worked with my parents long ago. But progress was slow with just the two of us.
“Then that’s settled.”
What does he mean, settled? Does he really believe the antibiotic can be made?
I didn’t understand his thoughts, but I didn’t ask. It seemed that the antibiotic was the only hope Yu-geon was clinging to in this situation. For whatever reason, as long as Yu-geon kept my secret, I was willing to pretend not to notice.
“And pair up with me.”
“What?”
Why was the conversation heading in this direction again? I frowned without knowing my place.
“I don’t know what trouble you’ll cause, so it’s better to keep you close and watch you.”
“I told you, I haven’t been caught in five years!”
“You got caught by me, didn’t you?”
I had no response to that. I thought this guy was an idiot, but why is he so good with words?
“And because of this recent attack, during the briefing, it was suggested that guides without pairs should be matched. If you have to pair up, it’s better to be with someone who knows your situation.”
“Not because it fulfills your desires?”
But I wasn’t backing down. Who does he think he’s fooling?
“There’s no need to pair up just to monitor me. Aren’t you just using this opportunity to get guided by me?”
Keeping my secret and pairing up were two different matters. Pairing up might make monitoring easier, but it seemed like he had ulterior motives to use this opportunity to get guided by me.
“So what if that’s true?”
Yu-geon didn’t deny it. Instead, he stepped closer, bringing his face near mine as if challenging me. I tried to keep my expression neutral, but I was honestly flustered.
“Sa-weol. Listen to me while I’m being nice. I don’t want to threaten you.”
“You’re already threatening me.”
“Then shut your mouth if you understand.”
Crazy bastard…
He didn’t even bother to make excuses. He didn’t seem to care about pretending to be kind.
“Take this home and eat it. However you plan to eat it… Just don’t be late tomorrow, we have a lot to do.”
He handed me the plastic bag again, this time in a much kinder tone. When I didn’t move, he forced it into my arms.
“Be careful on your way home, Sa-weol.”
With that, Yu-geon left the meeting room.
* * *
The ES dormitory behind the A-branch center. Yu-geon returned to the dormitory. As soon as he came in, he showered and was about to come out when the doorbell rang.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
Click.
“What’s up?”
“Let’s talk inside.”
The person who came to see Yu-geon was Han-gyeol. His usually low voice was even lower. Yu-geon changed into sweatpants in his room and came out to the living room.
“Why do you look like that?”
“Did something happen with Sa-weol?”
It was something he had half-expected. After all, their argument in the Alpha Team office was loud enough for everyone to hear. Han-gyeol had been watching them too.
“You know I don’t get along with her. There was a misunderstanding, but we cleared it up.”
He hadn’t expected Han-gyeol to come straight to his dorm after work with such a stern expression.
“What did you give Sa-weol?”
“What?”
“The bag. What was in it?”
“Food.”
“What kind of food?”
Han-gyeol persisted. Yu-geon scratched the back of his neck, looking slightly exasperated.
“It’s not creature meat, is it?”
Han-gyeol had figured it out from the smell alone, despite Yu-geon’s assumption that he wouldn’t notice.
