I managed to escape from the possessive maniac’s clutches safely today as well.

But what would happen once the vacation starts?

So far, I’d been able to get away using lectures and dormitory curfews as excuses, but once the vacation came around, that would become impossible...

“Yeonsu!”

As I trudged along, a loud voice called out. When I looked toward the source, Park Geonwoo was running toward me from far away.

“Geonwoo hyung.”

“Yeonsu, what’s with that face? Did something bad happen?”

His eyes, which had been bright as he ran up cheerfully, now filled with concern. I shook my head reflexively.

“No. Nothing happened. What about you, hyung? Didn’t you have some kind of afterparty or something?”

All the important figures from the government and Center had come to meet him.

By now, I figured they’d be clinking glasses, exchanging stories about what happened after Geonwoo returned to the Center. But aside from a change of clothes, he looked exactly like he had during the lecture—neat and composed, not a single trace of dishevelment, and not a whiff of alcohol.

“Ah, I don’t really like those kinds of events. I just ate dinner and left early.”

“You don’t drink?”

“Not really a fan. If I get drunk and a monster attacks, it could put everyone at risk.”

He had gone straight to the Africa Gate the moment he became an adult. He must’ve fought desperately every day. He probably never had the leisure to drink.

I’d never seen him drunk in the original novel either—so that must’ve been the reason.

“I’m sorry. That was thoughtless of me.”

“No, it’s fine. Yeonsu, do you drink?” 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

“I had a little last year, but I’ve been restraining myself this year...”

After my first night with Ju Seunghyuk, I’d pretty much stopped drinking. Not that I’d been a casual drinker to begin with, but after that night, I couldn’t even stand the sight of alcohol.

“I can’t imagine you drinking, Yeonsu. You used to be so tiny.”

He gestured below his waist with his hand.

“I wasn’t that small, you know. When we first met, I was already in seventh grade.”

“Haha, true. But to me, you still looked that small. Anyway, are you done with your prior engagement?”

“Yes.”

“Then do you have a moment to talk?”

He’d said during the lecture that he had something to tell me. Was it important?

“Yes, I have time.”

“Let’s sit.”

“Okay.”

We sat on a nearby bench. It was June, and despite it being night, the air was still quite warm.

“What do you want to drink?”

“Ah, okay.”

I quickly stood, intending to get a drink from the vending machine nearby. But Park Geonwoo was faster. He tapped his card against the machine and pressed a button.

“Lemonia for you, right?”

Lemonia was a soda I used to drink a lot back in high school. But lately, the sourness and strong carbonation had been hard to stomach. Guess my tastes had changed with age.

Still, the drink was already out—I couldn’t very well say no now.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Still the same.”

He smiled and handed me the Lemonia.

“Thank you.”

We sat back down. He had a canned coffee. I actually preferred coffee too, but now that I had the Lemonia, I couldn’t just not drink it.

I popped the tab and took a sip. A sharp fizz burst on my tongue.

Ugh, so sour and gross...

What on earth did I like about this stuff back then?

Now that I thought about it, I’d never had an issue with food while with Ju Seunghyuk. Even though he was the one picking most of the menus.

Ah—well, there was one time. That New Year’s at Hotel Lambert. That had been the absolute worst. I almost lost my sense of taste. But then again, I was the one who insisted we go....

“There were a lot of people in the library.”

“It’s exam season. Normally, it’s not that crowded.”

“Do you go to the library often?”

“Sometimes.”

Geonwoo took a sip of his coffee, then looked at me quietly.

“If I hadn’t gone to Africa... do you think I would’ve been studying with you in the library?”

“Maybe.”

“I should’ve transferred. I feel like I’ve missed too much...”

His voice held heavy regret. Had seeing the students at the Academy made him long for a normal life?

“But you experienced things no one else ever could.”

“Even so, I still regret it. I think I lost the most important thing.”

“Did something happen?”

It was unlike Park Geonwoo, who always pushed forward without hesitation, to look so down.

He had conquered the Akar Gate and become a hero. His special lecture had been a success. The government, Center, and media were all treating him warmly.

The hard part was over, and only a bright future awaited him—yet he looked far from happy.

“No. It’s just that some things went off-track. But it’s okay. I’ll set them right from now on.”

He spoke as if he were reassuring himself.

Off-track?

I tried to recall the original story. A lot had changed, but some things still aligned. In the novel, Park Geonwoo continued to rise after conquering the Akar Gate.

His feelings for Kim Jun never developed beyond curiosity or passing affection because Ju Seunghyuk interfered. Even after they broke up, he didn’t seem too shaken.

So what had happened this time?

It wasn’t just that I had diverged from the original narrative. The entire story itself was starting to fall off course.

“I don’t know the details, but if it’s you, hyung, I believe you can do it.”

“You think so?”

“Yes.”

“Hearing that from you gives me strength.”

He smiled faintly, gazing up at the night sky.

“When I was in Africa, I kept thinking about you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. Whenever things got tough, I read your letters. They gave me strength.”

“...You got my letters?”

“Of course. I kept them with me at all times.”

“.......”

So he really had received them...

I had sent letters to Park Geonwoo. Twice, in fact.

***

Two years ago, not long after Valentine’s Day.

A B-rank gate opened in the middle of Seoul. Technically, the gate had appeared long before that, but because it was deep in the mountains and near a mana stone processing plant, the detection radar had malfunctioned. It wasn’t discovered until right before a break occurred.

At the time, most high-ranking Espers and Guides had been dispatched to simultaneous A-rank gates in Gimpo and Daegu.

Park Geonwoo and I had originally planned to head straight to the Gimpo gate after attending the Center Director’s inauguration ceremony. But instead, we altered our schedule to respond to the B-rank gate.

“Only four hours left before a gate break. And they still finished the damn inauguration? Are they insane?”

The Center hadn’t informed us about the B-rank gate break risk until the ceremony ended. Despite the lack of high-ranking Espers, they refused to interrupt the inauguration just because of appearances—for the sake of the new Director’s pride.

Honestly, I should’ve seen it coming the moment they insisted both Geonwoo and I attend the ceremony instead of heading straight to the double A-rank gates. The new Director was a real piece of work.

“There’s no point dwelling on it. What’s done is done. Let’s be grateful we found out before the break.”

“Yes.”

When we arrived at the gate, aside from the detection team, no other Espers were on site.

“Looks like the others haven’t arrived yet.”

“They probably just got the emergency dispatch order. It’ll take time for them to get here.”

Geonwoo checked ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) his watch, then reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Yeonsu, you stay here.”

“You’re going in alone? Shouldn’t we wait for backup?”

“There’s no time. If this gate opens, the entire city could be at risk.”

“But—”

“It’s a B-rank, and a small one at that. I can handle it on my own.”

He had a point. If it was a small-sized B-rank gate, someone like Geonwoo could clear it solo. The Center probably knew that, which is why they had the nerve to wait until the ceremony ended.

Still, I felt uneasy.

I looked at the gate entrance and turned to the detection agent.

“Are you sure this is a B-rank gate? The mana waves feel really intense.”

To me, it felt like it could easily rival an A-rank in raw energy. But the agent answered firmly.

“It’s a B-rank. Mana fluctuations intensify the closer you get to a gate break. We’ve scanned it multiple times—it’s accurate.”

I did have some mana perception abilities, but not to the level where I could gauge the rank of a gate directly. Machines were more reliable for that.

Besides, Park Geonwoo didn’t seem to sense anything strange.

“Yeonsu, I’ll be back soon.”

“Hyung, I’ll come with you.”

“You’re coming into the gate?”

“Yes. If it’s B-rank, the monsters shouldn’t be too difficult. But clearing it alone would drain too much of your mana. I want to help.”

I just couldn’t let him go in there alone. No matter how small the gate, it felt wrong to wait safely outside.

I wanted to be of use—even a little.

“...Alright. Then I’ll count on you.”

He agreed surprisingly easily.

Many Espers disliked having Guides accompany them into gates—they didn’t want the extra responsibility of keeping us safe. So I was relieved he wasn’t like that.

But that turned out to be a huge mistake.

The moment we entered the gate, a chilling wave of mana pierced through my entire body.

“Is... is this really a B-rank gate?”

That foreboding sense surged again, but Park Geonwoo remained calm.

“The fluctuations are strong for a B-rank, but that’s probably just because a break is imminent. Let’s move quickly.”

“Okay...”

If someone like him—a high-tier Esper—was saying so, then maybe it was fine. I nodded and followed him deeper into the gate.