Tap, tap, tap.The sound of fingernails rubbing together rang out in a steady rhythm. Sawon glanced to the side. Ji Hayeon was tormenting his nails again.Ding.With a cheerful chime, the doors opened. Gu Sawon pretended not to notice Ji’s behavior and stepped inside. But he didn’t hear anyone following. Still holding the elevator open button, he spoke.“Chief. You getting in?”Head bowed, Ji braced his hand against the edge of the elevator doorway.Seriously, why is he holding that like that. He could just get in.But Sawon patiently waited for Ji to board. If he voiced exactly what he was thinking right now, Ji might start screeching again. He was a person whose behavior couldn’t be predicted within the bounds of Sawon’s common sense.Ji stayed frozen like that for about thirty seconds. And Gu Sawon’s patience lasted exactly thirty seconds.“Chief Ji.”When there was no reply, he raised his voice a little.“Chief Ji Hayeon! You getting in or not?”Thunk, thunk.Sawon knocked on the elevator wall. At the metal vibration, Ji snapped his head up.“…It’s noisy. Don’t do that.”Grumbling his complaint, Ji stepped inside the elevator.“Exactly. You should’ve just gotten in from the start.”Ji dropped his gaze again and slowly boarded. Then he glued himself to the corner of the elevator. At a glance, he could’ve passed for a ghost stuck to the elevator wall; the air around him was that damp and gloomy.Shaking his head slightly, Sawon took his finger off the open button. He tried not to look back on purpose, but his attention kept drifting behind him.What’s he thinking about now to suddenly go this dark.He really couldn’t keep up with Ji’s mood swings. Had he actually seen a ghost in an elevator before or something. The way he loathed elevators was just baffling.And it wasn’t just today. From the time they bickered over Nine and the Amplifier charm, to the sudden glares he shot at Sawon, to the way he went cold then abruptly wore a face like he was about to cry—every part of Ji Hayeon was outside the range of anything you could call predictable.Do intellect-types think differently too…If his way of thinking was different from ordinary people, that part made him feel similar to Nine. For no good reason, the way the two of them overlapped in his mind made him chuckle. He was rubbing under his nose when he heard fabric whisper.Swish.When he glanced back, Ji’s upper body was folded forward.Is it that hard for him to stand?“Chief.”But there was no answer from Ji.“Ji Hayeon?”As Sawon slowly turned his body, Ji slid down the wall, leaning against it. He sat down on the floor and hugged his knees. Startled, Sawon hurried over.“Hey, Ji Hayeon.”“Ugh…”Sawon squatted down in front of him. His curled-up body was trembling.“Snap out of it. What’s wrong? You okay?”He cupped his cheek hard enough to make a sharp smack and forced his head up. The corners of Ji’s eyes were red. Fear filled his pale irises and pupils. It wasn’t fear of Sawon. For a moment, an old roommate from his hunter days flashed through Sawon’s head. After being trapped in a collapsed building, that guy had suffered from claustrophobia for a long time.Don’t tell me the reason this bastard didn’t want to get in the elevator was…Ding!Right then, the doors opened and bright light poured in.“I asked if you’re okay. Huh?”“Gu Sawon…”“We’re here. You’re okay now.”Tears spilled from the corners of Ji’s eyes in a rush. His whole body felt hot, like it had been pressed to red-hot metal. Sawon pulled him into his arms and patted his back. Beyond the open elevator doors, Seo Hansu stood there with a shocked look on his face.“Gu Sawon. What the hell? What is this situation? Should I call a medic?”Hansu pressed the open button as he spoke. Sawon looked back and answered.“Hold the door.”“Uh, okay.”Dark eyes carefully examined Ji. Who knew how long they stayed like that. Only after quite some time did Ji’s focus return. Gently, Sawon asked,“Think you can stand?”Instead of answering, Ji gave a slow nod and pushed against his broad chest. He gripped Sawon’s clothes and tried to put strength in his legs, but he couldn’t get up. In the end, Gu Sawon lifted him like a child and stood.“If you can’t ride the elevator, you should’ve said so… No, never mind. It’s my fault for not asking.”He muttered to himself in self-mockery. Ji’s arms looped around his neck. Sawon kept patting his back, voice low as he whispered, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”“Gu Sawon. I said, should I call a medic? Is he going to be all right?”“Yeah. He’s fine. I don’t think we need one.”His rough hands never stopped soothing Ji.***Back at the dormitory, Sawon still couldn’t stop checking on him.Is this bastard really okay?His face had calmed somewhat, but the image from the elevator kept overlapping, nagging at him. He’d noticed the pale face and reddened eyes long ago. He’d just assumed at first that it was from anger. Only after time passed and he saw the irregular breathing and unfocused eyes did he realize it was anxiety. He’d picked up on it a step too late.Sawon poured boiling water into a mug, mixed in cold water, and adjusted the temperature. Sitting on the sofa, Ji was staring at the floor. Sawon walked over slowly.“You really okay?”“…I’m fine.”He couldn’t meet Sawon’s eyes, as if embarrassed by how he’d just reacted. Sawon had seen plenty of people who’d taken psychological damage. The fact he could have noticed sooner but didn’t made him feel a little guilty. That was why Ji kept weighing on his mind. He handed over ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) the warm water and sat down beside him.“I don’t think you’re weird, so you don’t have to worry.”There weren’t even any tears in his eyes, but he still wanted to wipe the corners of them for no reason. Clenching his fist, he held back the impulse.“Do other people know about this? The researchers?”“The Director does. That’s it.”“Wow.”The Institute building was nearly sixty floors high too.“How’d you keep it hidden and hold out this long?”“I’m fine with open elevators. I only used those.”Sawon pictured the Institute’s elevators. At the building he occasionally visited, there were two types. The central elevator shaft was fully enclosed, but the side elevators at the far left and right of the building were wrapped in transparent panels that showed the outside. As he thought about it, something else came to mind.“Were you on the forty-third floor the day the Heukgu blew because of the elevator too?”From the central lab, the fastest elevator you could take was the closed one.“…No.”Is that really a no?Propping his chin on his hand, Sawon spoke.“Sorry. I’ll keep it in mind from now on. Anything else I should know? If there is, tell me now.”But Ji’s previously calm eyes started to fill with moisture. Flustered, Sawon half rose, and Ji quickly turned his head away.“What, you crying?”“I’m not crying. No.”“Feels like you are.”“I said I’m not.”“Sure you’re not? Pretty sure you are.”“I’m not!”Ji shouted, voice cracking. Sawon leaned in close.“Really not?”“Go away…”Maybe because of what had just happened, his tone sounded less irritated and more like he was whining.“Feels like you are, though.”A hint of playfulness crept into Sawon’s voice.“Want me to hug you again?”“Get out of my face.”Ji scrunched up his features and pushed at Sawon’s chest. The way his fingers squirmed against his chest tickled.Sawon caught Ji’s hand where it rested on his chest and pulled it away. Then he looked from his own chest, to the pale hand, to Ji’s face, back and forth.Slightly taller than him, a body that looked skinny but was actually firm. Even if his frame seemed fine, intellect-type Awakened had all their Metena concentrated in their brain and mind, leaving the rest weak. Their stamina and strength were lower than an ordinary person’s. That was probably why. Every time he faced Ji Hayeon, Sawon thought of Nine. The little baby-monkey-type Nine he had to protect and take care of.“What are you staring at…!”Ji snapped at him, and his cheeks and the corners of his eyes flushed even redder. His lips, caught lightly between his teeth, turned a soft pink and quivered faintly.He snatched his hand back. His expression was sulky, like Nine when he got his stolen squeaky toy back. As the two images overlapped, a laugh slipped out. Using the same instinct he used when dealing with Nine, Sawon flicked the tip of Ji’s nose with his finger.“Not joking. If there’s anything else I need to know, tell me. I won’t forget it. I’ll keep it in mind.”Ji started rubbing his nose hard with his palm, then froze.“…You won’t forget?”Sawon nodded. Ji’s red lips moved faintly.So there really is something I need to know.Sawon scooted closer to him.“Tell me. Besides not being able to ride elevators, what else is there?”Tap, tap.He heard the sound of fingernails rubbing. Lowering his gaze, he saw those nervous fingers scraping against each other.What kind of secret takes this much hemming and hawing?

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