AAGULT Ch 113

Chapter 113

 

“Jaeha.”

“……”

“Jaeha!”

For the first time, Jaeha ignored his voice. He didn’t want to face him right now, nor did he want to be in the same space. Strangely enough, however, he didn’t feel like his resolve would waver just from seeing his face.

He had no intention of turning around, but the sound of approaching footsteps grew closer and closer, and in the end, Jaeha stopped walking in front of the stairs at the end of the hallway. His heart should have been pounding from tension and anxiety, but it was strangely quiet.

“Jaeha, I… I can explain everything.”

“……”

Jaeha slowly turned to face him. The man was, unusually, out of breath. For someone like him, being winded was practically impossible—he must have been seriously shaken.

Jaeha lowered his gaze to the hand that hovered awkwardly in the air. It wasn’t clear whether he had intended to grab his arm or not, but seeing that empty hand made the man flinch and curl it into a fist. Then it dropped helplessly.

“……”

“……”

“……What?”

“……”

He’d said he could explain, but now that Jaeha had turned around, he couldn’t say a word.

Suddenly, Jaeha looked at the face of the person he liked—of the one he still believed he loved. He was still beautiful. His flawless, porcelain-white face was a bit pale at the moment, but his skin still glowed as if dusted with pearl powder. His hair had become slightly tousled from running. A few strands had fallen over his furrowed brow, and Jaeha suddenly had the urge to gently brush them aside.

Even without reading his mind, he could tell what the man was thinking. In those usually mysterious, dark eyes, a storm raged.

Jaeha gave a bitter smile. The bridge of his nose wrinkled as he let out a faint, awkward expression.

“……Don’t worry, Aiden.”

He abhorred conflict and usually endured things as best he could. It would’ve been easier if he could just pretend not to know anything this time too, but for some reason, he just couldn’t let this go. Maybe he’d regret it later, but for now, he felt he had to say something. He just… wanted to.

“I like you, Aiden. I’ll continue to like you.”

“What are you…?”

“Just… I’ll keep loving you the way you want me to…”

Maybe he should’ve felt miserable, but strangely enough, he didn’t. He felt strangely calm, a little bittersweet. He wasn’t even sure what kind of expression he had right now. But even so, he could still smile.

There’s a saying that first love never works out. He didn’t know why that particular phrase came to mind at this moment. Of course, realizing this didn’t mean his feelings would suddenly vanish, but Jaeha made up his mind to prepare for the time when he would have to bring this relationship to an end.

“That’s not it, Jaeha. That’s not what I—”

“Let’s stop here. You don’t have to pretend to like me, Aiden.”

“……”

“I’ll just keep liking you on my own. And regarding the Association’s work… well, I’ll cooperate to the best of my ability. Isn’t that enough? Haha…”

In a way, wasn’t he the one being dumped? But even as he awkwardly spoke in a calm tone, Aiden’s face began to crumple little by little, as if he were the one who’d been hurt. Jaeha had seen him express emotion and frown before, but never had he seen such an unfiltered expression—one that wasn’t performed or restrained.

“So… if you have nothing else to say, I’ll be going now?”

“……”

“See you later at home.”

Despite the earlier claim that he could explain everything, he was now frozen in place, his lips slightly parted, unable to speak a single word. Jaeha gave him a soft pat or two and turned to leave. There was some kind of sound behind him—a sigh or perhaps a quiet groan—but Jaeha didn’t turn around. He simply began descending the stairs at a slow, steady pace.

Aiden didn’t stop him.

Jaeha wondered whether he didn’t—or couldn’t.

 

Because the gate was expected to open in just a week, there was a mountain of work to do.

Aiden probably felt the same, but Jaeha was so busy he didn’t even have time to return home, catching short naps at the Association instead. As a result, since that incident—which didn’t quite qualify as a conflict but left a mark—he hadn’t had any private moments with Aiden. No matter how much they pretended things were normal, their relationship had inevitably changed, and in a strange way, Jaeha welcomed the packed schedule.

He thought it would be difficult, but surprisingly, he was fine. Normally, whoever it was, if things became awkward, he’d regret it later and be the first to reach out—but this time, he didn’t. If given another chance, he felt he’d make the same choice. He hadn’t blown up at him or accused him of anything serious, so in a way, it felt natural.

To shift topics to something more definitive—the Association Chairman accepted Jaeha’s bold proposal.

So, once Jaeha entered this gate, Aiden would no longer be tied down by the Association because of him. He could finally settle the strange sense of guilt, responsibility, and emotional debt that had unconsciously built up.

Of course, in accordance with the contract—and likely because Aiden wanted it—they would probably sign a pair bond, but such contracts didn’t last forever. Most lasted between three to five years, and Jaeha figured he could endure that much. He’d use the time to slowly sort out his feelings.

Of course, Jaeha was terrified to be entering a gate for the first time in his life. But perhaps it was that strange sense of confidence—knowing he’d be escorted by two A-rank or higher Espers—that kept reassuring him it would be alright.

Anyway, as someone who still held the status of a criminal, what came rushing toward Jaeha just before he could enter the gate was this:

“Please be seated. We will now begin the trial for Case No. 25-1553, the defendant Song Jaeha’s involvement in the operation of an illegal guiding facility.”

Yes, the trial.

The Director was an exception, but in principle, criminals were not allowed to enter gates. And so, the trial date had approached in the blink of an eye—four days before gate entry.

Many things had happened up to that point. Though those experiences had made his insides tougher, Jaeha was still an ordinary citizen. He was the kind of person who, instead of imagining himself being arrested or standing trial, was more likely to worry about how much something cost at the supermarket.

“The defendant acted as a gatekeeper within the illegal guiding facility, overseeing dozens of guides…”

“Although the defendant was a manager of the illegal facility, the investigation revealed that due to prolonged psychological coercion and manipulation, it is difficult to regard his actions as voluntary…”

So even though the trial had essentially been orchestrated with the Association’s cooperation—like a scripted performance—Jaeha was still on edge. Every time he moved his eyes, he could see members of the audience staring directly at him, which only heightened his discomfort.

And yet, unexpectedly, it was something else that began to ease his nerves. In fact, it didn’t just calm him—it unsettled him in a different way. That something… was the witnesses.

“You said you’re a guide with the Association. Were you undercover inside the illegal facility at the time?”

“I’m Guide Seong Dowon, affiliated with the Association. Yes, I was working undercover as a guide inside the facility.”

The first witness was Seong Dowon-ssi, who had once said he was a distant relative. Dressed sharply in his Association guide uniform, he looked as confident and dashing as ever.

“Did he ever threaten or control you?”

“No, on the contrary.”

“On the contrary?”

“He was the only one inside who carried any sense of guilt, and he did his best to help the guides from within. He even used his own money to supplement wages or pay for medical bills.”

Dowon’s gaze met his.

“Though he was technically a member of the facility, his involvement was not voluntary. He faced punishment for disobeying orders and was under constant surveillance and psychological manipulation.”

“Are you saying he’s not a perpetrator?”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

He answered the prosecutor’s questions in a composed and confident tone. He didn’t falter under leading questions, responding clearly and calmly with every word.

“Were you a guide working at the illegal facility?”

“…Yes. I regret it deeply. My name is Kim Jiwon.”

The second witness was Guide Kim Jiwon.

He had heard that Jiwon had been rescued safely, but he’d never seen him in person. It never occurred to Jaeha that he would stand in the witness box to testify on his behalf.

“He knew I was in contact with the Association, but he allowed it to protect me.”

Jiwon kept glancing nervously in his direction. Unlike Dowon, he seemed tense and frightened, shoulders hunched. His voice trembled with uncertainty, but the meaning behind his words was unmistakable.

“I believe he was exposed to danger because of me. And yet…Song Jaeha-ssi never once mentioned my name.”

Despite his nervousness, he clenched his fists and spoke with conviction. Jaeha could feel the sincerity in his words. In the audience, he noticed the sibling he’d met once before sitting upright, eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears, staring at him intently.

“……”

And so, he looked at the people defending him from the witness stand with a sense of unfamiliarity. Jaeha had never once imagined that his actions might hold meaning that would eventually return to him. That thought alone made him feel… very strange. His stomach churned, and he instinctively placed a hand over it more than once. Just as he was starting to get used to one warm testimony, another person would step forward to defend him.

And just as he began adjusting to that strange, unfamiliar emotion, the final witness appeared.

“Please state your name for the record.”

And the final, most anticipated witness was—

“Guide Ye Aiden, affiliated with the Association.”

Aiden, who still felt unfamiliar to him.