I held the fainted Lee Seowon in my arms and blankly blinked.
My head was a confused tangle, and my chest sank cold as if doused with ice water.
‘Be careful of Ryu Sunghyun...?’
Be careful—of what?
Why.
Why Ryu Sunghyun, of all people.
For a second I wondered if it could mean Ryu Sunghyun will be in danger, so be careful, but a mirthless laugh slipped out.
There’s a limit to escapism.
With a bitter smile, I tilted his head so the blood in his mouth would flow out properly. If it went down the airway and blocked it, that would be bad.
Soon, two people rushed over at the call: Lee Seowon’s personal servant and a doctor.
They gave me a quick bow and took the limp, unconscious Seowon from my arms. As the weight left my embrace, forgotten fatigue came crashing in.
“...Let’s go.”
I took Cha Sahyeon’s hand and left the garden as he watched silently.
We got into the elevator again, and this time I pressed the button for the floor with my room. As the elevator rose, I kept replaying Seowon’s warning.
‘Ryu, Sunghyun... that person. Be careful, hyung.’
The elevator stopped. Almost on autopilot, I walked toward my room, the words circling in my head.
Be careful must mean something that’s about to happen soon.
He wouldn’t be warning me now about something that’ll blow up a year from now.
How exactly am I supposed to prepare? Is Ryu Sunghyun... going to betray me? Or will something happen because he gets hit by some kind of mental skill?
I knew well that Seowon couldn’t describe the future he saw in detail with his skill, but at times like this it was suffocating.
Standing by the window, I sighed—when I felt a tug at my hand.
I looked down to find Cha Sahyeon staring up at me. Come to think of it, I hadn’t paid him any attention since meeting Seowon.
“Why?”
I clicked my tongue inwardly and asked flatly.
It was pointless now, but I still didn’t want to brand into Sahyeon’s mind that Ryu Sunghyun was my weak point.
“Hungry? Or should I find you a toy or something.”
Even to my own ears my voice sounded hollow.
But Sahyeon just stared without answering. For some reason, I found it hard to meet those clear green eyes and looked away.
“Hold on. I should have a handheld I used to play with. There are novels, too. In here...”
“Hyung.”
As I moved toward the inner room crammed with knickknacks and books, Sahyeon tugged my hand again. When I reluctantly lowered my head, he spoke with a calm face.
“Should I kill him?”
“...What?”
For a moment my vision washed white and then returned.
I blinked slowly. I must have misheard. I had to have misheard. I forced my stiff lips into a smile.
“What are you talking about, all of a sudden.”
“Ryu Sunghyun. That man.”
My fingertips twitched.
“Should I kill him?”
“...”
“The man we met earlier—he sees the future, right? There are people with skills like that. He’s the strongest among them. So... that warning is certain.”
Somewhere a drum was beating. Thump, thump. I realized belatedly it was my heart.
“We heard a useful future, so we should use it.”
Stop.
“There’s no need to leave a danger lying around. If he’s dead, there won’t be any variables, and you won’t be in danger.”
Stop talking.
My stomach lurched suddenly.
“It won’t take long. Tonight—”
“Shut up.”
I yanked my hand from his and stumbled back.
It felt filthy and nauseating, like the sound of my heartbeat was pounding inside my skull. My gut roiled and I reflexively covered my mouth.
This is... very bad. Cha Sahyeon must not take an interest in Ryu Sunghyun in that way.
I swallowed [N O V E L I G H T] dryly and spoke quickly.
“Stay out of it. This... I’ll handle this myself.”
“Handle it how?”
The retort came right back, and I blinked.
It was rare for Sahyeon to push back like this, so I couldn’t help being thrown. Until now, whenever I made a plan and moved, he always helped.
I worked my stiff tongue and barely answered.
“Nothing’s set in stone yet. Tonight I have to go meet Chronos, and I need to parse the three pieces of prophecy Seowon wrote. How do you kill someone over a single warning to be careful?”
“Why shouldn’t I kill him?”
Sahyeon tilted his head, blinking. Words too cruel for a child’s face followed.
“This isn’t anything else. It’s your safety. You’re even more at risk as a Supporter when you’re not using your skill like now. An S-rank dealer like that man could kill you anytime he wanted.”
“...You’re by my side. If something really happens... if the Circle’s vice guildmaster tries to kill me, you can stop him.”
“Precognition doesn’t work like that.”
He shook his head firmly.
“When the user of a precognition skill warns ‘it’s dangerous,’ then the target will be in danger. The countless variables and unusual circumstances that could happen to the target don’t matter. The future was ‘witnessed.’ It usually doesn’t change.”
“...”
“On top of that, this precognition skill wasn’t obtained for free—it was paid for. That makes it overwhelmingly likely the future the caster saw will play out as-is.”
“...”
“Let’s kill him tonight. That’s safest.”
Every word hit home.
Above all, I knew all too well from long experience how accurate Seowon’s skill was.
That’s why I couldn’t suppress the turmoil. If Seowon “foresaw that Ryu Sunghyun is a dangerous opponent,” then he would become a dangerous opponent indeed.
...No. No, absolutely not.
No matter what kind of risk factor Ryu Sunghyun might be, I can’t kill him.
Because he’s a “lead” chosen by the System? As if I care about leads chosen by the System that’s stabbed me in the back again and again.
This isn’t some placid faith.
It’s my stubbornness and obsession—and the biggest pillar keeping my current mind upright.
I will keep Ryu Sunghyun alive. I will keep Song Jiwoon alive. I will protect the Circle Guild.
These three are crucial roots for maintaining my sanity, and to keep them, Ryu Sunghyun has to live.
Even if he betrays me.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
My voice slipped out like a groan, very faint, but Sahyeon must have heard it.
Staggering, I closed the distance again, dropped to both knees on the floor, and met the eyes of the child.
I must not waver any further here.
If he saw me unstable and made a decision on his own... and went to kill Ryu Sunghyun...
The thought alone was horrific.
“Kid. Killing someone isn’t something you say so lightly. It’s irreversible.”
Fighting the tremor, I took both of his small hands in mine.
“It’s the same with this issue. Like you said, Seowon’s precognition is a skill that ‘sees ahead,’ but it only shows a fragmentary scene.”
I have to persuade him. Somehow, I have to.
Wearing a mask of calm composure, I continued as if unruffled.
“‘Be careful because Ryu Sunghyun is dangerous’ can be interpreted in many ways. Maybe he gets hit by a mind-control skill and loses consciousness, or maybe it’s a monster in Ryu Sunghyun’s shape.”
There really are doppelgänger-type monsters that mimic someone to sow chaos—perfect as an excuse.
“If we rashly kill an S-rank, we lose a fighter who helps me. Think back to when multiple rifts opened in front of the hotel. You thought it was fortunate we had S-ranks helping me then, didn’t you? Right?”
Sahyeon watched me quietly. He slowly blinked.
It wasn’t even ten seconds, but it felt long enough to make me dizzy. Cold sweat rolled down my back.
Soon, he nodded meekly.
“Mhm. At times like that I’m busy too... so there should be plenty of people to help you.”
I almost let out a sigh of relief. I forced a smile, holding it in.
“Right. Honestly, whenever an incident blows up I’m short-handed. If we have even fewer S-ranks, that’s when I really become endangered.”
“You can’t be in danger.”
He rolled his eyes as if weighing it, then nodded again.
“Okay. But from now on, no matter what happens, you have to stay by my side. Even if there’s a reason to go far away, I won’t let you go.”
“That’s enough. I feel much safer with you guarding me close.”
I added a little flattery just in case, and Sahyeon smiled shyly.
...He truly seemed to have no particular feelings toward Ryu Sunghyun. After hearing my reasoning and accepting it, he easily let go of any lingering intent toward him.
Which made a colder shiver run through me.
He had no feelings at all and still came to that conclusion. He decided to kill someone because my life might be in danger.
“...”
I squeezed his small hands tighter.
All over again, the reality that I was holding Cha Sahyeon’s leash felt so heavy it was terrifying.

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