Whether Jaehin and I were a total mess, it would have ended up like this eventually. Even if we fought for three years, you said you liked me by the fourth year.”
“……”
“I feel the same. No matter what, I think it would have been like this with Jaehin. Even if he wasn’t a mutant, or if he had been born as an official Awakener and become my guide earlier, wouldn’t it have ended up the same?”
“……”
“I always would have wanted Jaehin. And I would have achieved that in some way or another.”
Is that so……? Would they have ended up like this eventually…? Whether Jaehin had returned or not, whether he was a mutant or not, whatever had happened…… would they have ended up together eventually……?
No. That seems too optimistic, but now there seems to be no need to argue otherwise. Kwon Jaehin knows all too well how desperately Seo Uiwoo yearns for him.
“Yes, then let’s just say that’s how it is.”
“It’s not about saying it; that’s how it is.”
Seo Uiwoo spread his palm open. An invisible fierce power gathered into the shape of a spiral in his hand.
The swirling vortex condensed into a point, gathering together.
“……”
Kwon Jaehin silently closed his eyes.
If Seo Uiwoo were to read all of Kwon Jaehin’s memories, it might be easier to open up about past events.
Then, at last, there would be no barriers between them.
Seo Uiwoo wouldn’t need to dig into the 4 years he doesn’t know about,
and Kwon Jaehin wouldn’t need to mourn the 4 years he lost.
‘Maybe it should have been like this from the beginning.’
It was a good decision, even if it was only made now.
The lights flickered inside the house. The TV, which had been tuned to a news channel, crackled and the screen turned black.
It was as if thunder had struck the living room.
The congealed special ability exerted an incredible presence.
A repressed monster that had grown up with Seo Uiwoo, something deep and dark, writhing in the abyss, stretched and rose up. He coaxed the special ability out with more persistence and patience, creating a mass of power that was incomparably stronger and purer, shining more brilliantly and splendidly than any existing gemstone.
Though invisible, the power is felt, unknown yet fearsome.
Seo Uiwoo took a deep breath and embraced Kwon Jaehin. Jaehin submitted to him without resistance, relaxing his limbs and passively complying, waiting for Seo Uiwoo’s intrusion to penetrate into him.
“I’m going in.”
His fingertip touched the center of the forehead. Soon, it penetrated deeply into the memories.
***
02. First iteration Seo Uiwoo
District 6. A dusky night with hazy moonlight.
Streetlights illuminating the alleyway burst one after another, flickering erratically. Uncontrolled special ability churned violently, smashing everything around.
Seo Uiwoo had already surpassed his limits and was moving according to instinct.
A faint allure could be felt somewhere. His matching guide was persistently tracked by a vast and unstable abyss.
It was taboo for an Awakener to enter a civilian residential area without permission. Normally, yes, but right now, Seo Uiwoo couldn’t care less. His innate special ability shook his entire body, screaming at full power.
There it is.
There, his guide was.
Using the darkness as cover, Seo Uiwoo pounced on his target like a predatory bird.
He ruthlessly choked Kwon Jaehin and pushed him deep into the dim alley.
“Cough!”
He didn’t need to check, but he pressed against his chest once to see if he had found the correct person.
Inside Kwon Jaehin’s heart, a small, imperfect core could be felt.
It’s a core that only an Awakener can possess. Usually, people are born with it, but sometimes it manifests later as a mutation.
“That’s right. It’s you.”
“Uh, ugh… What’s…”
“My guide.”
As he got close to Kwon Jaehin’s core, Seo Uiwoo’s own core vibrated resonantly in his chest. It was perfect. The match was so perfect that it poured out joy as if it were a waterfall.
“Es, Esquire… Something seems, a bit off with you. Please let go.”
With great difficulty, Kwon Jaehin spat out the words.
✧˚·̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥·̩̩̥͙✧·̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥˚·̩̩̥͙✧ 𝑔𝓇𝒶𝓋𝒾𝓉𝓎𝓃𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁𝓈 ✧˚·̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥·̩̩̥͙✧·̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥˚·̩̩̥͙✧