I reminded myself once again: I need to escape from Joo Seunghyuk as soon as possible.

Just then, the auctioneer’s voice rang out.

“This will be the final item of today’s special auction.”

Finally, the last one. I looked toward the platform, tense.

“It’s the Horaitron Pistol. A treasure that needs no introduction.”

A pistol? That means—it’s not a ring. I let out a small sigh of relief. Not even a ring showed up until the very end.

He might have bought a bunch of tools to fill up his trash bin, but at least he skipped the ring. That was a win.

What’s done is done. I relaxed a little and decided to enjoy the last auction item.

So that’s the Horaitron Pistol.

It was a treasure that emerged after defeating the boss of an S-rank gate that opened in Seoul two years ago. I had participated in that subjugation too. Not just as a Guide, I had actually gone into the gate.

But I didn’t get to see the boss being taken down...

The Horaitron Pistol was an S-rank treasure, classified under security level.

It amplified bullet power by 30 times, extended range, and—reportedly—could generate an S-rank protective barrier for 24 hours to guard its owner.

A weapon for offense, and an S-rank armor for defense. It was highly functional for both Espers and Guides, and a lot of people wanted it.

The Center tried to claim ownership, but the Ability User Association pushed back. I’d heard the two sides were fighting fiercely, so I guess the Association won—since it’s now up for auction.

The moment the Horaitron Pistol appeared, the mood in the auction hall shifted.

Those who had been casually enjoying the auction now entered combat mode. Some were so excited, they were leaking mana.

So this was what everyone had really come for.

Special auctions operated under strict security. The items sold, who won them, and for how much—all of it was kept secret.

But among the kind of people who had access to this place, it seemed information still leaked in advance.

So who will end up with this treasure?

I looked around the room, feeling like a spectator at a stadium. But the first person to raise a paddle was someone I hadn’t expected at all.

“Seunghyuk...!”

“Give me a second.”

Joo Seunghyuk cut me off and raised his paddle again.

“Number 15, 2 billion won.”

“Yes, number 17, 2.05 billion!”

“Number 39, 2.1 billion!”

The price shot up fast. It was on a completely different level compared to everything before.

Sure, it was a weapon with both S-rank offense and defense capabilities—but the numbers were absurd. So this is what they meant by astronomical prices.

And yet again, the winner of this brutal bidding war... was Joo Seunghyuk.

***

After the auction ended, we moved to the office for special auction winners.

The staff said they would deliver the purchased items directly to the house. Apparently, Espers from the Ability User Department Store would handle the delivery themselves, guaranteeing safety.

But Joo Seunghyuk waved that off, saying it was a hassle and that he wanted everything now.

In the end, the staff personally loaded the items into his car.

Except for the Horaitron Pistol, the rest were just tools to fill up his cozy little trash bin.

Before that trash bin lifestyle from the original unfolds, I have to escape this story. I need to come up with a plan the moment I get back to the dorms.

“Come home with me tonight.”

But the moment the engine started and the car pulled away, Joo Seunghyuk dropped a terrifying line.

After buying that and that, and those—he wants me to go to his house?!

“Seunghyuk...”

“We need to check what we bought.”

Can’t we not check?

But I could already see the future if I said that out loud.

“Seunghyuk, I need to head in early tonight. I’ve got homework.”

“Just a quick look and you can go.”

How exactly are we supposed to quickly check all that? You’d need an all-nighter—or maybe even a full week.

“Do we really have to check?”

“Yes.”

Just one syllable, but it radiated pressure I didn’t dare resist.

In the original, Kim Jun would’ve said, “Why me? I’m not the one who wanted this stuff,” and boarded the whip express straight to hell. I didn’t want that.

If I had to go to the mad dog’s house either way, it was better to go quietly than make a fuss.

“...Okay. Got it.”

I replied meekly.

***

The mad dog’s house was as black as ever.

This was the place where Kim Jun was permanently imprisoned in the original. I’d worked so hard to avoid coming here—and now I was visiting, whip in tow.

Could I escape again this time? Even if I did, the emotional damage from dealing with all those tools was already giving me anxiety.

Is this really the start of a hardcore R-rated SM story?

“Come in.”

“Yeah.”

I was frozen in place at the entrance but finally stepped inside.

It was nighttime and the house was black in every direction, so even with the lights on, it still looked dark.

“Take a seat.”

“Okay.”

I sat on the black leather sofa in the living room. Everything was black, so there wasn’t even a need to check what color anything was.

“Want some tea?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Drink some.”

“...Okay.”

I nodded without hesitation. Joo Seunghyuk went to the kitchen and brewed it himself.

The warm jasmine tea spread heat through my body. Even though it was May, the night air was still a little chilly.

At least this time I hadn’t been dragged here—he was treating me like a guest, in his own way...

Still, I couldn’t relax. I glanced at the leather shopping bags stacked on the sofa.

Inside were the items bought at the special auction.

“Wait here a moment.”

“Huh? Okay.”

Joo Seunghyuk picked up several bags and went upstairs.

Why’s he taking those to the second floor?

Last time I came here, I’d only seen the master bedroom, the living room, and the dining area.

Even in the original, most of the events happened on the first floor or in the basement—there was nothing I remembered from the second floor.

What the hell was on the second floor?

But there was no way to know, no matter how much I wondered.

I clutched the self-defense device in my pocket. If I pressed the button in the middle, the Center’s Espers would come running. But they’d ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) be no match for Joo Seunghyuk.

“Hyung!”

His voice called from afar. It was faint, but I heard it. I walked over to the stairs.

“Seunghyuk, did you call me?”

“Yes. Come on up.”

“Okay. Coming.”

I climbed the black stairs as he said. On the second floor were three doors. Each of the rooms seemed massive.

“This way, Hyung.”

“Alright.”

His voice sounded closer now, but I couldn’t tell which room it came from.

After some hesitation, I reached for the second door’s handle. That’s when a hand grabbed mine.

“Not that one. This room.”

Seunghyuk had appeared silently. He smiled and firmly pried my hand away from the doorknob. Despite the smile, his grip was strong.

It didn’t feel like he was simply correcting a mistake. It felt like he had to stop me from entering that room.

What was inside that room?

Even the original story never mentioned it, so I couldn’t guess.

Should I ask?

“Ah, sorry. But what’s this room—”

“Let’s go.”

Joo Seunghyuk cut me off. Clearly, he had no intention of answering. What the hell is he hiding?

I wanted to ask more, but the chill in his gaze shut me up.

I followed him into the room next door.

The moment the door opened, a dazzling display of treasures overwhelmed my eyes.

“This is where I store treasures and weapons.”

“Whoa... amazing.”

I’d seen all kinds of items earlier today at the department store. They were all impressive—but this place was on a whole different level.

It felt like a museum. I’d visited the one run by the Center before, but it didn’t have anything like this.

“If there’s something you like, just say so. I’ll give it to you.”

“No! I don’t even have anywhere to put it!”

“Well, soon we’ll be living together, so there’s no need to bother moving it.”

“......”

That’s not why I said no...

“But why’d you leave this out like this?”

I changed the subject quickly, before he could start talking about marriage again.

The Horaitron Pistol from the auction wasn’t in a display case—it was sitting on a table.

“I wanted to try it out.”

He handed me the gun.

“Me?”

“Yeah. I don’t use guns. You try it.”

“...Okay.”

So he spent billions on something he’ll never use? I’ll never understand rich people’s hobbies.

Still, if it’s just a test run, I could do that. Besides, when else would I get to touch an S-rank weapon?

Even after graduation, once I enter a company, it won’t be easy to get near treasures like this.

“Wait, don’t you have gloves or something?”

This thing was worth as much as a building. Seunghyuk owned it, so he could touch it barehanded—but I couldn’t.

“Just take it.”

He placed the building—no, the gun—in my hand.

“How is it?”

“It’s light. So light it’s a little scary.”

“Scary?”

“Yeah... What if I drop it? What if it gets scratched?” 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

“Haha. It’s fine.”

Maybe it was fine for him. Not for me.

I’d heard rich folks and guilds sometimes bought high-grade items purely for investment.

I didn’t know if Seunghyuk was like that, but a single scratch would drop the value.

“Do you like it?”

“Yeah. It’s light, and it feels good.”

I slowly spun around the room while aiming the gun. Through the scope, I could see all sorts of treasures. If I accidentally pulled the trigger, it would be a disaster. I quickly turned again—this time, Joo Seunghyuk’s face entered the scope.

“Do you want to shoot me?”

“No!”

Startled, I lowered the gun immediately.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Not even once?”

He was smiling. But it didn’t look like a smile.

“Not once.”

“Well... if you did, you wouldn’t have saved me back then.”

There was something faintly lonely in his voice.

Suddenly, the miserable past he’d lived through came to mind. And with it... the small hand I’d let go of seven years ago.