Declaration Of Extra Strike

 

I opened my eyes to find myself in an unfamiliar room. As I tried to sit up, a sharp pain pierced my head, causing me to wince. I instinctively reached up, feeling the gauze taped to the back of my head. I gently touched it while scanning my surroundings. 

 

Slowly, my memory began to return—the poisonous smoke that had filled the air, the sudden ambush, and finally losing consciousness. A cold chill ran through me.

 

‘It was someone who knew me. But who? And where am I? Have I been kidnapped?’

 

I got out of bed and approached the window. Outside, I could see nothing but a sloped forest. On one wall, I noticed a CCTV camera. Staring directly at it, I tried to assess whoever might be watching. Then, I heard the faint beeping of a keypad near the door. 

 

Moving quickly, I hid behind the door and carefully picked up a fire extinguisher from the floor. My plan was to knock out whoever entered and make a run for it.

 

The sound of the lock disengaging was followed by the door creaking open. I raised the fire extinguisher, ready to strike. But the face that appeared at the door made me freeze.

 

“Han Seo-jin?”

 

I stopped my arm from swinging just in time. Though he looked thinner, his face sharper than I remembered, it was unmistakably Han Seo-jin.

 

‘What the hell? Why is he here?’

 

I was so shocked I couldn’t speak. As I stood there dumbfounded, Han Seo-jin turned to look at me, his gaze slowly dropping to the fire extinguisher in my hand.

 

“…Joo Ho-hyun, it’s really you.”

 

“What…? Hey, wait!!”

 

Han Seo-jin let out a bitter murmur and brushed past me, heading further into the room. I hurried to follow him, too stunned to process that the heavy, steel door behind us had shut tightly, sealing us in.

 

Even though Han Seo-jin should have thought I was dead, his calm demeanor upon seeing me left me feeling less on guard. I followed behind him, asking questions.

 

“Why are you here? Wait, did you save me? I never thought I’d see you again… But where is this place?”

 

Han Seo-jin suddenly stopped in his tracks. When I stopped as well, he shot back with a sarcastic question.

 

“Is that all you have to say?”

 

It had been a while, but that unmistakable tone, clearly showing he was irritated, was just like old times. My first thought was, ‘Here he goes again,’ but oddly enough, I found myself feeling a bit nostalgic. 

 

I couldn’t help but let the corners of my mouth twitch upward. But then Han Seo-jin threw a stack of papers onto the table in front of him.

 

“Explain this.”

 

“What do you want me to explain, all of a sudden?”

 

Annoyed by his cryptic demand, I started to grumble, but then I froze when I saw the documents laid out on the table.

 

“How… how did you get these?”

 

There were all sorts of things—my workshop registration, the building lease agreement, the application for the young craftsmen’s support program, even the job listings I had posted for mercenaries. He even had the rental contract for the apartment I stayed in briefly with Yeon Seung-yeon before finding the workshop!

 

I stood there, speechless, staring at the records that seemed to reveal every detail of my life. Then, Han Seo-jin’s cold voice sliced through the silence.

 

“It’s strange, isn’t it? Why is a guide like you suddenly the owner of a potion workshop? I tried to understand, thinking maybe there were some circumstances behind it. But for you to sign a workshop lease less than a week after

that incident?

It doesn’t make any sense. No matter how I look at it, there’s only one conclusion.” 

 

“……”

 

“From the beginning, it was all a planned escape.”

 

A cold shiver ran down my spine. He didn’t just figure out that I was alive—he knew the whole truth. My grip tightened on the papers in my hand. If he had thought I was really dead, maybe this wouldn’t be happening. But now that Han Seo-jin knew I was alive, it made sense that he’d dig into my background.

 

‘There’s still a way out… technically, everything’s under Yeon Seungyeon’s name, not mine…’

 

“Just in case you’re thinking about denying it, don’t bother. I’ve already confirmed your identity.”

 

“I… don’t really remember—”

 

“Jung Ho-hyun. Ma Du-seok. Shall I list everything until you admit it?”

 

“Damn.”

 

That bastard—Thorough as ever.

 

I never imagined having a conversation like this. Now that it was happening, it felt awkward as hell. After a long pause, I finally opened my mouth.

 

“Yeah… you’re right. I ran away.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Why? Because it was f—… I just wanted to get out. I hated being stuck in the Center, hated the team, hated guiding.”

 

Hearing my words, Han Seo-jin’s face twisted in a way that made it impossible to describe his anger.

 

“So, you pretended to die? What if things had gone wrong?”

 

I didn’t really think anything could go wrong when I did it, but looking back, I had nearly gotten killed. I didn’t have much to say to that, so I just shrugged. Han Seo-jin, clearly frustrated, ran a hand roughly through his hair and shouted angrily.

 

“How long had you been planning this? You could have told me! At least

me

, damn it!”

 

“Why would I? What reason did I have to trust you?”

 

My blunt question made his expression crumble. His face showed the kind of hurt you’d expect from someone who’d just been betrayed, which made me raise an eyebrow.

 

‘He’s really upset I treated him like the others?’

 

Sure, Han Seo-jin was different from the rest of the team, but at the end of the day, he was still an Esper—and the grandson of the Association president, no less. What kind of Esper would tolerate their guide running away from the Center? 

 

There wasn’t an ounce of guilt in me as I stood there, arms crossed, watching him. But then I noticed his eyes shift to my hand. His expression crumpled even more as he stormed over and grabbed my wrist.

 

“What the hell is this?” 

 

Han Seo-jin’s voice was sharp as his grip tightened around my wrist.

 

“What…?” 

I followed his gaze, realizing that he was staring at the ring on my finger, now exposed as he forcibly spread my hand open.

 

“I asked, what is this?”

 

“None of your business.” 

 

Damn it. This guy wasn’t letting up. His grip only tightened, making my fingers ache as I tried to pull away. Before I could react, Han Seo-jin suddenly yanked me towards him. In an instant, I was pulled into his chest, and his cold voice came from above my head.

 

“It seems you forgot something during our time apart… I don’t need you to tell me things anymore.”

 

As he held me with one arm, I noticed his eyes glowing with a sharp, golden hue. Up until now, I’d never worried much about Han Seo-jin being able to read my mind—he wasn’t able to, after all. But this time, it felt different.

 

“Don’t bother. You can’t read my mind anyway.”

 

I spat out, trying to dismiss the unease creeping up inside me.

 

“Then explain this… What’s ‘Hamal’?”

 

“What?” 

 

I froze, staring at him in shock. Han Seo-jin’s brow furrowed in confusion as he mumbled to himself.

 

“And who the hell are Castor and Novarion? How do you know those names?”

 

“You…! Damn it, let go of me!” 

 

I pushed him away with all the strength I could muster, finally breaking free from his grip. He was muttering to himself, looking lost and confused, but that didn’t change the fact that he had just read parts of my mind for the first time. 

 

It hit me like a truck. The fact that he had

actually

managed to peek into my thoughts, even if only fragments, sent a wave of shock through me.

 

I had no idea how he suddenly started reading my mind. There was no telling how much or how far he could delve into my thoughts. If things continued like this, it was only a matter of time before he discovered that I was Kang Eui-jin.

 

‘I need to get out of here.’

 

I thought about knocking Han Seo-jin out and making a run for it, so I swung a punch. But he immediately caught me and had me pinned down. 

 

Before I could even catch my breath, I felt it—my strength being drained from the point of contact between us. The guiding, meant to suppress, was relentless.

 

“Ugh! Damn it…”

 

The sensation, one I thought I’d never experience again, hit harder because I had forgotten how it felt. Han Seo-jin was forcefully extracting guiding energy from me, and I couldn’t resist. My legs gave out, and I collapsed, powerless. 

 

As I slumped to the ground, he picked me up and laid me on the bed. My eyes darted around frantically, but he covered them with his hand, pressing down.

 

“You… bastard,” I croaked out, barely able to speak.

 

“I’ll be back.”

 

His hand finally lifted, and I heard the sound of him leaving the room. I lay there, completely drained, my body refusing to move as I mentally hurled every insult I could think of at him.

 

I seethed in silence, plotting my revenge. As soon as my strength returned, I shot out of bed and rushed to the door.

 

“Han Seo-jin, you bastard. You’re dead.”

 

I grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, but it didn’t budge. Frustrated, I twisted harder, thinking there might be an extra lock or mechanism. I examined the door, but it was smooth—no visible locks, no cracks, nothing.

 

“What the hell? Why won’t this open?”

 

No matter how hard I pulled or twisted the doorknob, it wouldn’t move an inch.

 

A terrifying thought crossed my mind, making my skin crawl. I turned around, looking at the small, square room, and the panic hit me harder. Before I let my mind spiral, I quickly grabbed the doorknob again and shook it.

 

“It’s broken… why isn’t it… No, no! Han Seo-jin! Open the door! Han Seo-jin!!!”

 

I banged on the metal door, shouting, but there was no response. No sound, no sign of life. The realization that I was completely alone in this tiny room made my chest tighten unbearably.

 

“Han Seo-jin! You bastard, open the door!!”

 

“Stop playing around. Han Seo-jin, Seo-jin-ah, hurry.”

 

“Han… Seo-jin…”

 

It felt like a vise was tightening around my head, and my fists trembled uncontrollably. My mouth was dry, and a nauseating feeling crept up my throat. I licked my lips, scanning the room desperately. My eyes darted to the window—maybe I could open it. I rushed to it, but then I noticed—it had been welded shut. No way to open it. I slammed my fist against the glass.

 

“Damn it!”

 

I was trapped. Completely trapped. There was no way out. My teeth clattered as my body began to shake uncontrollably.

 

‘It’s fine… damn it, it’s fine. Get it together. I’ll break the window. I’m not stuck.’

 

I leaned my head against the window, my eyes landing on the fire extinguisher lying near the door. I needed to grab it, but my body was too weak from the guiding. I couldn’t even take a single step. The room began to spin, and before I could react, I found myself lying on the floor. I wrapped my shaking arms tightly around my shoulders.

 

“Mehhh! Mehh!”

 

Cloud, my familiar, started bleating anxiously and circled around me, prodding me with his nose and paws. Behind him, I could see the shiny, glaring CCTV camera mounted on the wall.

 

“Cl… Cloud. No… the camera…”

 

“Mehhhhh!”

 

I’m not a child anymore, and I have Cloud with me, so why am I feeling this way…? 

 

I gasped, breathing heavily. Before I knew it, my ears felt numb, and the sound of Cloud faded into the distance.

 

Bang!

 

“Hyung!!!”

 

ㅡYou can do it! You’re almost there! You can make it…

 

Along with that distant memory, I lost consciousness.

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