Chapter 143

“Jaeha-ssi!”

When someone is about to fall, is it truly human nature to reach out to catch them—or is it simply the nature of a kindhearted person? Whichever it may be, Aiden found such aspects of Jaeha endlessly frustrating, to the point of madness, but in the end, it was precisely because of that side of him that Aiden could not help but love him.

Sasha—the deranged parasite of a man¹—his leap had failed. Well, since Jaeha had thrown his body forward to save him, of course, he had to survive. Thankfully, Jaeha’s efforts had not been in vain. Sasha quickly lost consciousness and went limp, but Jaeha, along with some espers nearby, pulled him to safety.

“Jaeha-ssi! God, you’re driving me crazy, Jaeha-ssi! Are you alright? Move aside, give him some space!”

“……”

Even though Aiden usually wore at least the mask of social politeness, in this moment of urgency, he tore it off completely. Irritably, he shoved people out of the way to approach Jaeha. He couldn’t even hear their startled exclamations. Perhaps because he was in the body of a child, people didn’t give way easily when he pushed, which only made him more irritated.

“……”

Jaeha, who had been pulled up alongside Sasha, collapsed weakly to the ground next to the unconscious man. The surrounding espers patted his back, commended him for reacting quickly, or tried to comfort him. Jaeha, however, remained silent, head bowed slightly.

“Jaeha-ssi!”

It struck Aiden as a little strange, given Jaeha’s personality, but overwhelmed with worry, he simply wrapped his arms around his shoulder as if to hold him.

“Are you alright? Were you very shaken? Damn, I almost thought you were going to fall—”

“……”

“……Jaeha-ssi?”

Something was off. From the side, Jaeha’s profile was visible, yet he did not look back at Aiden. His expression seemed slightly dazed, but otherwise, he appeared to be the same Jaeha as always.

“Ah…….”

“……”

Or was he not?

“Guide Ye Aiden! Fall back!”

The angry voice of the team leader rang faintly in Aiden’s ears, echoing as though underwater. His brain refused even to process the meaning.

“Ahh…….”

A languid groan came from Jaeha. That sound was like a cheer, like an exclamation of awe. Aiden’s skin erupted in prickling chills.

“……Jaeha-ssi?”

Aiden had always considered himself astute, yet in this moment, he felt like the stupidest man alive.

“Haha, haha, aaah…….”

Regardless, as Aiden realized something was wrong with Jaeha, he instinctively stepped back, eyes fixed warily. It was Jaeha’s father who pulled at Aiden, dragging him away.

“……Guide Ye Aiden. This way.”

“No, Jaeha. Song Jaeha……”

Aiden, lost in a daze, muttered in disbelief. His father was far calmer.

“……I know. But follow orders. Jaeha is…. Jaeha is……”

Of course, no parent could feel nothing in a moment when it seemed their child had fallen prey to some unknown monstrosity. His expression had twisted, and his grip on Aiden’s arm was harsh, painful.

“Haha, hahaha……”

A strange, low laugh spilled from Jaeha. The combat espers circled him carefully, leaving a measured distance.

“Wow…….”

As if answering some unseen signal, Jaeha, who had been kneeling with head bowed, suddenly raised it. Then not just his head—the upper body leaned back too, arms stretched out wide, as if to drink in the air to its fullest.

“This body is really incredible……”

He swayed loosely as he rose to his feet, then spun in a circle, almost gleeful, as though testing his body’s functions. The surrounding espers flinched and stepped back cautiously.

“……”

Those movements were not Jaeha’s. He had always carried himself neatly, with composure that reflected his upright personality. He never moved so sloppily or twisted his body in such strange ways.

Settling into a stance again, he grinned. His eyes glimmered with an amber light, pupils flickering sharply. It was not hard to realize—someone had possessed him. And the one who now occupied Jaeha’s body was none other than…

“Hi there. Welcome, everyone!”

“……”

“I’m the boss of this gate. Let’s get along.”

It could only be the gate boss.

“……”

Aiden’s chest sank like a dropped weight. He hadn’t even known a heart could drop. His stomach turned, nausea rising. The helplessness, knowing he could do nothing to change this, drove him mad.

“No……”

The words slipped out broken, hopeless. No. No, it couldn’t be. How had this happened? Why Jaeha of all people? By what condition? Had it originally been Sasha into whom the boss tried to enter? Since when?

“……”

“……”

“Huh. Not the reaction I expected.”

Introducing himself with outstretched arms in a theatrical flourish, the boss tilted Jaeha’s head to the side, smiling. Just in the way the facial muscles moved differently, the man’s entire aura had changed. Jaeha’s finely cut, handsome features twisted into a mischievous grin, an unsettling and ill-fitting sight.

“What, no one’s happy to see me? Sad. Guess I’ll have to cheer myself up.”

He clapped Jaeha’s hands together in mock applause, pouting exaggeratedly, like a sulky child.

“……”

Even the team leader—who normally gave orders without hesitation—was at a loss for words. What could they possibly do with one of their own possessed like this?

“Jaeha.”

“Yeah?”

“Where is Song Jaeha?”

“Aiden!”

Honestly, Aiden knew stepping up wouldn’t help, not in this body. Yet he broke free of restraining hands, rushing forward. For the first time, emotion had utterly betrayed reason.

“Oh, so you’re Aiden?”

“……”

“His head’s been full of ‘Aiden, Aiden, Aiden, Aiden,’ so I copied it. You’re smaller than I thought—hahaha.”

The boss approached eagerly, crouching before Aiden, chin in his hand as he peered into his face. Their foreheads almost collided. Aiden did not back away.

“What, has he changed? Something happen? I tried to mimic how he acted when he first fell for you, but all I got back was wariness.”

“……”

Aiden couldn’t stop his face from twisting in pain. Seeing this, the boss burst into laughter, so open and care-free it was nothing like Jaeha’s hesitantly subdued smiles.

By now, even the other espers had stopped trying to restrain Aiden. They only watched in silence.

“You asked where Jaeha is? He’s here. Playing a game with me.”

The boss tapped his temple with a forefinger, suggesting the mind.

“……Game?”

This time, it was not Aiden, but the team leader, who pressed the question. The boss turned, eyes lidded, to glance at him.

“It’s a boss battle. He lost, that guy over there.”

The boss jerked his chin toward one side with a thumb. Aiden glanced—Sasha was unconscious, sprawled on the ground.

“If Esper Song Jaeha wins that game, will the gate be cleared?”

“Yep!”

“And if he loses?”

“Then he loses. I don’t like killing people, anyway.”

The boss answered idly while standing, stretching with a noisy yawn, eyes rolling lazily as he scanned the tense surrounding faces.

“Why so nervous? You’re making me nervous too.”

“……Don’t dodge the question. Is Esper Song Jaeha the only one who can play this ‘game’? Is that the only gate-clear condition?”

“No, there’s one more.”

“And that is?”

The boss smiled, pointing at himself.

“This body dies.”

He whispered it warmly, even playfully.

Though it was whispered, every single person in the area heard. It drilled into their ears, crisp and sharp.

“One way or another, as long as I get destroyed in this body, it works.”

He broke into laughter, bright and full.

“Not like now, when I came out voluntarily—but if I’m forced out against my will, then that’s the condition.”

“……”

“What do you think? Will you kill me?”

Of course, no one could answer. They only swallowed hard, lost in troubled thought.

Aiden was certain: however grim the ethics, there were at least a few here tempted by the idea. But Aiden had no room left for thought.

“……Then do the game with me instead.”

“Guide Ye Aiden.”

His voice came out dry, cracked, almost breaking. He shook off the team leader’s grip violently—it was too desperate, too urgent to stop.

“Fight me instead. I’ll play. Whatever damned game it is, I’ll do it. Just come out of there.”

Had he ever begged anyone like this before? Pride? Didn’t matter now. Humiliation? What was that? The single possibility—that Jaeha might die—was enough to throw away everything. Even if it meant kneeling before that grotesque monster, he could.

“Eh, no thanks.”

The refusal came instantly, tossed out with a lazy shrug, scratching his neck as though itchy.

“I really like this body. And besides, you’re not a psychic-type, are you?”

“……”

“Why, afraid Song Jaeha will lose? So eager to get out of the gate? Should I die for you, then?”

The monster wasn’t stupid. He caught on immediately to Aiden’s panic. Mocking, he gripped Jaeha’s throat in play—and Aiden reacted instantly, without thought.

“Fuck, don’t!”

“Hahaha!”

The boss laughed. It was pure, crystalline laughter, almost innocent—and for Aiden, it made the darkness before his eyes feel absolute.

¹ “기생오라비” (parasite brother) is an archaic, derogatory Korean term for a man who lives off others’ wealth and indulgence, especially women, often implying decadence, uselessness, and leech-like behavior. In modern usage, it evokes a combination of contempt and disgust for such a person.