“B-Back up!”

Secretary Son barked the order in panic. The Esper shifted the vehicle into reverse and tried to steer away—but Joo Seunghyuk was faster.

Black mana crystallized into sharp shards and shot straight toward the driver’s seat.

The SUV was protected by a mana barrier designed to withstand magical attacks—but it was meaningless before Joo Seunghyuk’s power. The barrier collapsed instantly, useless.

The shard of mana crashed through the windshield and pierced into the driver’s hand.

“Aaagh!!”

The vehicle echoed with screams.

With the windshield shattered and the driver injured, there was no escape.

Secretary Son and the Espers quickly assessed the situation and exited the vehicle.

Each of them drew their weapons. Joo Seunghyuk, on the other hand, was empty-handed. Judging by his clothes—still the same casual outfit from the dormitory—it looked like he had simply jumped in the car and driven out the moment he realized I was gone.

But weapon or not, he was the strongest man in the story. A-rank Espers were nothing to him. Even if they belonged to Sungan, the most elite guild in the country.

Sure enough, they were taken down before they could even assume proper stances. The black mana shards flew out in multiple directions at once, attacking several Espers simultaneously.

Blood splattered. Screams rang out. But Joo Seunghyuk didn’t even seem to see them. His eyes were locked on me as he walked forward with slow, heavy steps. Even though there was still distance between us, the killing intent pouring off him made it impossible to run—or even lift a finger.

Just then, the car door flung open.

It was Secretary Son. While the others tried to stop Joo Seunghyuk, he had apparently circled around the vehicle to try and pull me out the back.

“Come with me!”

He shouted urgently and yanked my arm with rough force.

“Ah!”

My arm twisted at the aggressive pull, and I let out a reflexive gasp. But my voice was buried beneath his scream.

“Aaaaagh!!”

Secretary Son clutched his arm and screamed. Joo Seunghyuk had attacked.

Blood dripped from his arm, but Joo Seunghyuk showed not a shred of mercy. He unleashed a continuous stream of mana.

Secretary Son collapsed to the ground, twitching violently, unable even to scream. But I couldn’t even look at him, let alone ask if he was okay.

Joo Seunghyuk reached me.

He stood directly in front of me, eyes filled with madness far beyond anger.

“Hyung, where are you going?”

His tone, surprisingly, was calm—unlike his eyes.

“S-Seunghyuk...”

“I asked where you’re going.”

“I-I... um...”

“Hyung. You know I hate repeating myself.”

His low voice carried a chilling undercurrent of murderous intent.

“I, that is... I mean...”

“Why won’t you answer me?”

He slowly stroked my face. The eerie mana flowing from his fingers grazed my skin like it could slice me open.

Seeing me frozen in fear, Seunghyuk smirked faintly.

“Don’t tell me you were trying to run away.”

“......”

He was like a volcano about to erupt. If I said yes, I’d be thrown straight into the lava, my body melted in an instant.

I couldn’t say anything. I just stared at him—when suddenly, Secretary Son tried to ambush him from behind.

“Behind you!”

Before I could shout, Seunghyuk turned and grabbed the man’s neck with one hand.

“Gghhk...”

Secretary Son flailed, choking, while Seunghyuk’s smile widened even further.

“Ah. So these bastards were trying to kidnap you, huh?”

His soft, almost gentle voice clashed with the lethal aura radiating off him.

And in that moment, I realized something.

Joo Seunghyuk was giving me a chance. If I said I’d been kidnapped—that I was forced to come here—he would forgive me. Everything would go back to how it was. Peaceful, like nothing had happened.

But then Secretary Son and the other Espers would be killed for the crime of abducting me.

On the other hand, if I told the truth—that I had tried to run—his murderous rage would turn on me instead.

Even in that instant of hesitation, I could see Secretary Son’s face turning white, the veins in his eyes bursting from pressure.

What do I do...?

I was terrified of Joo Seunghyuk. But I couldn’t get someone else killed just to save myself.

I decided to be honest. I opened my mouth to speak.

“I—!”

“Guhh!”

Just then, Secretary Son coughed up a burst of blood. I’d seen monsters get taken down before—but this was different. This was a person. And it was because of me.

Watching someone get hurt because of me was another level of horror entirely.

Joo Seunghyuk looked at my pale, frozen face—and then let go of Secretary Son’s neck. The man collapsed to the ground, clutching his throat and gasping for air.

At least he was alive.

As I breathed a sigh of relief, Seunghyuk grabbed my hand and started walking toward his car.

I followed without a word.

***

Joo Seunghyuk didn’t say a single word on the way home. And I, terrified by the killing aura that still lingered around him, couldn’t say anything either.

“Get out.”

His first words came unexpectedly gently.

He stepped out of the car, and I scrambled to unbuckle my seatbelt—but my hands fumbled and slipped.

Then the car door opened, and Seunghyuk reached in to unbuckle it for me.

“Th-Thanks.”

He didn’t reply. He simply picked me up in his arms.

“I-I can walk...”

“Hold on tight.”

“...Okay.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck. He held me close and carried me inside the house.

I thought I’d be killed. Or blasted with mana. Or at the very least beaten until I passed out.

But instead of being dragged like a criminal... he was carrying me gently.

The unexpected tenderness made me even more afraid.

He’s... forgiving me? Even though I tried to run away?

He placed me gently on the sofa.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. You must’ve been so scared, almost getting kidnapped like that.”

“......”

His voice was soft, but his eyes were cold. Joo Seunghyuk hadn’t forgiven me. He was giving me another chance. Telling me to say that I hadn’t run—just that I’d been taken against my will.

“Isn’t that right?”

“......”

“Why won’t you answer?”

“Seunghyuk, I...”

“That bastard Ju Jeonghan tricked you, right? That’s it, right?”

He cut me off, his voice insistent—as if this were the only answer he’d accept.

“...You knew I met with Ju Jeonghan?”

“Please... please tell me it’s not true.”

Instead of answering, he begged.

The man who was always strong and invincible was kneeling before me, holding my hand, looking up with pleading eyes.

“Seunghyuk...”

“You saw that bastard yesterday, but you still said you wanted to go to the amusement park with me. We saw animals together. You bought me good food. You smiled so sweetly...”

“......”

He knew everything.

He knew I had already decided to leave him—but still went with me to the amusement park anyway.

“I was so happy, hyung. Because you invited me. I thought you trusted me. But you couldn’t have meant to abandon me... You wouldn’t do all that if you were planning to leave me.”

Tears fell from his pitch-black eyes.

And in that moment, a memory from my past life returned.

After my parents died, I’d lived with my aunt.

Unlike my parents, my aunt didn’t want me around. I spent every day watching her mood, terrified. Then, one day—she took me to the movies.

It was a cartoon I’d been dying to see. Honestly, it wasn’t that great. But I was so happy. I thought it meant she accepted me as family. That she remembered what I liked and cared enough to take me.

But the next day... she left me at the orphanage.

She’d given me hope—only to abandon me right after. The fall from joy to despair was /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ brutal.

I hated her. I resented her for giving me hope, only to toss me aside.

And now—had I done the same thing?

Had I just done to Seunghyuk what my aunt did to me...?

“Seunghyuk.”

I gripped his hand tightly.

He looked up at me with tear-streaked cheeks.

His eyes begged me to lie. To say I’d been taken. That it wasn’t my choice.

“I tried to leave you.”

But I couldn’t do it. If he had screamed or hit me, maybe I would’ve lied just to protect myself.

But when I looked into those wounded, childlike eyes... I couldn’t.

Joo Seunghyuk stared at me, frozen. Then slowly opened his mouth.

“...Just say you were kidnapped. Say you didn’t want to go but were forced. Say you were threatened. Just... say that.”

He was offering me another chance. If I went along with his script, this day could be erased—like it never happened.

But if I told the truth again, he would never forgive me.

I hesitated—then opened my mouth.

“...I’m sorry.”

Even after everything, my answer hadn’t changed.

I couldn’t lie to someone who had begged so honestly.