HLSEBT - 18

18. Residents of the Same World 2

Yoon Taeha and Lee Haekyung were neighbors in every sense of the word—both metaphorically, as they shared similar circumstances, and literally, as they shared a ceiling. 

ARK’s Espers and Guides faced a choice upon joining: whether to live in the company-provided housing or continue living where they had before. 

In the early days of ARK’s establishment, residency was mandatory, but that was no longer the case. After fierce debates among second-generation Rift users, the consensus grew that Espers’ autonomy should be respected. 

The dormitory buildings, which appeared outwardly like corporate headquarters, were divided into three separate structures. 

One was for Espers, another for Guides, and a five-story building with various amenities and shops connected the two residential facilities. 

Naturally, both Yoon Taeha and Lee Haekyung lived in the Esper residence. 

As S-rank individuals, each occupied an entire floor. Lee Haekyung’s apartment was on the upper floor, while Yoon Taeha’s was below. 

Though their homes boasted stunning views of the Han River and were built with expensive materials, the owners rarely spent much time there. 

Arriving at Lee Haekyung’s place in his car, Yoon Taeha placed a brown paper bag on the kitchen island and glanced around the apartment. 

“Your place hasn’t changed.” 

Her feet were clad in the plush guest slippers provided. 

“The diffuser smells nice.” 

“I have extras. Want one?” 

“If you’re offering, I’ll gladly take it.” 

The interior design, worthy of a magazine spread, was the result of Lee Haekyung painstakingly sourcing every piece himself. 

The sage green and gray color scheme created a cozy atmosphere, complemented by outrageously expensive solid wood furniture with visible grain patterns throughout the space. 

It was undeniably sophisticated, though some might say it didn’t feel lived-in. 

“Did you get a new living room sofa?” 

“Two months ago. The lamp next to it was a gift from Dojin.” 

“Now that you mention it, it does seem like something Seo Dojin would pick. There are quite a few changes—I feel like I’m in a stranger’s house.” 

After surveying the spacious living room, Yoon Taeha returned to the kitchen. Lee Haekyung had taken off his jacket, draping it over a chair, and rolled up his shirt sleeves. 

“It’s been a while since you’ve been here, right? You haven’t visited since you got back from Hawaii.” 

“Upper and lower floors usually only interact if there’s noise or someone visits.” 

“I’ll walk softly.” 

“Mushroom-added cheeseburger and chili cheese fries. You like these, right?” 

“You picked well.” 

A greasy, hearty meal was laid out before them. 

The two sat down and began with the chili cheese fries. Even Lee Haekyung, who wasn’t picky, enjoyed the burger. 

This was their first dinner alone together in a while. After returning from Hawaii, they had eaten with Seo Dojin once, but since then, everyone had been busy. 

“I heard you worked hard on Friday.” 

“Not really. The Protection Bureau people did most of the work. Those folks are busier than worker ants.” 

“Team Leader Choi praised you.” 

“He didn’t mention trying to secretly scout you?” 

“Did you agree to go?” 

“I said I’d go to the ends of the earth if they paid enough.” 

An old movie soundtrack played softly from the radio Lee Haekyung had turned on. 

“Nice song,” she commented idly, about to say something when their wavelengths overlapped. 

“Taeha.” 

“Actually—” 

Yoon Taeha courteously deferred to him. 

“You go first, Boss.” 

“Only respectful to my elders at times like this.” 

Watching his younger sibling trace the condensation on her shake glass with a finger, Lee Haekyung asked: 

“What do you think of Cheon Geon-young?” 

“Cheon Geon-young?” 

“You chose him as your guide, right?” 

“Oh, right. I met him at the rift too. He wiped out those escort ants. His strength definitely isn’t on the level of an ordinary person.” 

“I’m not asking for a situation report. We’re having a casual conversation at home.” 

Lee Haekyung emphasized the word “home.” Yoon Taeha glanced around the spacious living room like a mouse searching for an escape route. 

“He’s… surprisingly normal.” 

“Surprisingly?” 

“Honestly, I don’t know much about Korea’s Esper society. I’ve been completely cut off since I was eighteen…”

“It’s not your fault.” 

Uncharacteristically, Lee Haekyung interrupted Yoon Taeha mid-sentence. She knew the urgency behind his quick denial and simply nodded in response instead of arguing further. 

“Anyway, it’s true I had some preconceptions. Something like a spoiled young master born and raised in a money field?” 

“He doesn’t seem like that kind of person.” 

“...How do you know?” 

“Background check.” 

The man with an honest face, who seemed like he could live just fine without breaking any laws, admitted to committing an illegal act. 

That was Lee Haekyung, the Center Director. He appeared stubbornly law-abiding but would cross lines without hesitation when his territory was infringed upon. 

Yoon Taeha felt a renewed sense of gratitude for being on the same side as him. 

“We can’t make the same mistake again. Park Ji-sang and Ha Su-jin. I share some blame for not filtering them out.” 

“How many people are working under you, and how many tasks do you handle? How can you filter everyone?” 

“We should’ve filtered out whoever Cheonhwa sent. I’ll clean it up soon.” 

Another storm of blood and tears loomed ahead. The future was clear as day. There was nothing scarier than being listed in Lee Haekyung’s “book of life and death.” 

Lee Haekyung spoke calmly: 

“You don’t need to worry about it. Those two will be handed over to the government side.” 

“Cleanup always falls to you anyway. What else is new for me?” 

“You have one thing to do.” 

“A new mission came in?” 

“Guiding.” 

“...” 

“Yoon Taeha, guiding.” 

The two words were emphasized with deliberate weight. Yoon Taeha nodded vigorously. She wasn’t so obstinate as to resist even in this situation. 

“When you were younger, Dojin used to give me headaches. Now it’s you doing it more.” 

“But compared to Mr Seo, aren’t I the better sibling? At least I don’t break things anymore.” 

Blink-blink. The non-blood-related younger sister fluttered her eyelashes playfully, knowing full well her cuteness wouldn’t work on him. Lee Haekyung sighed helplessly. 

“All you’ve learned from Seo Dojin is how to be mischievous. Say what you were going to say.” 

“Promise you won’t get mad.” 

“Symptoms showed up, huh?” 

She had planned to confess voluntarily, but Lee Haekyung’s intuition was too sharp. She wanted to downplay it as something trivial, but her mouth went dry regardless. 

“My sense of smell... seems to be declining a little.” 

“Smell?” 

“I went to the department store today with Ko Seung-won. While picking out perfumes as a gift for Dojin hyung, I smelled dozens of scents... but some familiar ones felt faint.” 

Lee Haekyung slowly pressed his fingers against his eyelids. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Seung-won could smell them, but I couldn’t... Unless he suddenly awakened to a higher rank than me, which isn’t likely.” 

“Again.” 

Yoon Taeha bit her lip and replied in a voice barely above a whisper. 

“Twenty seconds of total darkness inside the rift.” 

As expected, a heavy sigh met her confession. 

“That’s the second time for total darkness.” 

“...Right.” 

The method to confirm an Esper’s lifespan deteriorating was surprisingly simple: when their senses began to fail. That was the beginning. 

First came pain tolerance—usually becoming desensitized to pain. Then taste, smell, sight, and hearing followed in that order. 

There were occasional variations, but statistically, the decline followed that sequence. 

Yoon Taeha had started favoring spicy and sweet foods two years ago. For her sense of smell to already be failing now was a bad sign. 

She knew it herself. Total darkness was one of the worst omens. 

“I’ll receive proper guiding.” 

When Lee Haekyung didn’t respond, Yoon Taeha grew anxious. Like a child trying to preemptively apologize for wrongdoing, her lips moved incessantly. 

“I won’t act as stubbornly as before. I won’t try to drive them away intentionally. I’ll be gentle and kind. Even in the U.S., I treated my guides well...” 

Her voice trailed off because Lee Haekyung took her hand. His hands, which controlled ice, always felt strangely warm to her.

“Thank you for telling me.” 

When he acted like this, it only made her more awkward. She fidgeted with the hand he was holding. 

Lee Haekyung broached the topic with infinite care. 

“I understand how difficult it is to receive guiding. Dojin always says this too, but...” 

“...You don’t need to remind me.” 

“Still, make an effort. You can only do things if you’re alive.” 

“Of course. If I say I’ll do it, I will.” 

Her declaration was full of determination. Satisfied with the answer, Lee Haekyung nodded. Rising from his seat, he naturally moved toward the sink. 

“You’re not going to tell me the results of your background check, are you?” 

Yoon Taeha asked what she had been curious about. Shhsh. The sound of running water began. 

“I can’t hear well.” 

Can’t hear well, my foot. His excellent hearing was no secret. This simply meant there wasn’t enough information worth sharing yet. 

While Lee Haekyung cherished both Seo Dojin and Yoon Taeha deeply, he wasn’t the type of older brother who divulged every trivial detail. 

“You need to learn things yourself for guiding to be effective. Understanding and empathy—those are the slogans posted in the Protection Bureau, aren’t they?” 

“Looking at the answer sheet while studying was the best method.” 

“I’ve told you a hundred times that’s a bad habit.” 

After delivering a sharp rebuke to the unruly student, he finished washing the dishes and turned around. Drying his hands, he made an unexpected suggestion. 

“You’re the same age. How about thinking of it as making a friend?” 

Yoon Taeha spent Sunday dragging herself through uninteresting movies on repeat. 

After chewing through 24 hours like a stone, Monday finally arrived. 

The day for the official meeting with her guide. 

The meeting place was called the Plaza of Encounters in Building A. 

“Hey! Miss Taeha, over here!” 

The HR team leader and Cheon Geon-young were waiting for her. It was early morning, so there were hardly any other people around. 

Cheon Geon-young gave her a light nod as she approached. 

“Good morning. Team Leader, good morning.” 

“Good morning. Our Miss Taeha looks to be in great condition today!” 

Team Leader Cho handed her a tablet with a teasing tone. She didn’t back down. 

“I was worried I’d lose sleep over meeting my new guide. I’m glad to hear I look good.” 

Yoon Taeha expertly turned on the screen and skimmed through the tasks she needed to complete. 

“So we’re starting the company tour now, right?” 

“Yes, yes. I already explained everything to Mr. Cheon.” 

“Ah, you did.” 

“Well then, off you go,” Yoon Taeha said to Team Leader Cho. Surprisingly, he hesitated. 

“Are you sure it’s okay to leave her with you? He looked slightly uncertain, as if worried that Yoon Taeha might push Cheon Geon-young off the rooftop in a fit of irritation.