The Espers Who Regretted Losing Me Chapter 66

“I’ll leave dinner in front of your door around six and send you a message on that phone, so don’t skip it. Make sure you eat.”

“Huh? O-Okay. Got it.”

“And change the password right away.”

The door, which had been half closed, opened again.

Cha Eunhwi opened the back panel of the door lock and adjusted something, then called me over. I set a new password with a random number.

And then, I was alone.

“……”

The house became quiet in an instant, but it felt incredibly refreshing and light.

Still, I didn’t fully relax. Just in case, I checked the ceiling, drawers, closet, bathroom corners—everything.

…Nothing suspicious.

I could relax for now. Still, I should be careful about talking to myself.

While checking the drawers and closet, I noticed that most of my clothes were still there.

The winter clothes had new covers on them, probably freshly cleaned, and the rest were neatly folded with dehumidifiers. The closet even smelled nice.

I quickly grabbed some comfortable clothes and went into the bathroom.

Honestly, changing clothes was what I wanted most.

Even though I stayed clean thanks to the hot spring water, wearing the same clothes over and over felt uncomfortable.

The bathroom was spotless too. When I opened the cabinet, the toothbrushes, shampoo, and conditioner I’d bought before were still there.

I placed the toiletries on the shelf next to the shower and finally enjoyed modern civilization again.

After soaking and washing leisurely in warm water for about an hour, I sat on the sofa and turned on the TV.

There was still nothing interesting on, but hearing people’s voices made me feel strange.

Just a few hours ago, I’d been laughing with animals inside a gate.

And in those few hours, so much had happened.

I wasn’t tired exactly. It was just… my senses felt off.

It feels like reality still hasn’t sunk in.

Like I might fall asleep and wake up inside the gate again.
Of course, that wouldn’t happen.

As I sat there blankly, drying my hair with a towel, the phone Cha Eunhwi left me buzzed

❮Yeon Dogyeong ⇢ Cha Eunhwi❯

↪ Hyeya, I left dinner in front of your door. 🙂
↪ Don’t skip your meal—make sure you eat.
↪ I made plenty, so it’s okay if you don’t finish it.
↪ I’ll take the dishes tomorrow and wash them, so eat and rest well.
↪ If you need anything, contact us here.

The message was sent from Yeon Dogyeong’s phone, so his name showed as the sender, and Cha Eunhwi’s name was shown as the receiver.

“……”

Getting so many messages in a row made my feelings even more complicated.

I went to the door and opened it. A square bag was sitting there, pretty big.

No one was around. At least on this floor, there was no sign of anyone moving. They must’ve left it earlier and sent the message after.

I brought the bag inside and started taking things out, placing them on the table.

To be honest, I was shocked again.

“Why is there so much…?”

The rice alone was enough for two or three people, and there were three fried eggs on top.

In a stone pot wrapped in plastic was soybean paste stew, packed with ingredients.

A six-section container held side dishes—braised beef, stir-fried kimchi, fish cake stir-fry. All my favorites.

There was also iced water, soda, ice cream, and even snacks.

I stared at the package of a snack I used to love as a kid and sighed.

 

 

****

 

 

 

 

Cha Eunhwi’s cooking was honestly good.

I’d eaten well inside the gate too, but it’d been a while since I had properly cooked food, so it tasted even better.

After eating and cleaning up, I hesitated for a moment before sending a message.

┈┈┈┈┈
❮Cha Eunhwi ⇢ Yeon Dogyeong❯

↪ I ate well

┈┈┈┈┈
❮Yeon Dogyeong ⇢ Cha Eunhwi❯

↪ Told Cha Eunhwi
↪ Picking you up tomorrow morning!

┈┈┈┈┈

Looks like Yeon Dogyeong had the phone right now.

After eating the ice cream Cha Eunhwi brought and lying around, sleepiness washed over me.

It wasn’t even ten yet, but it felt like the day was finally over.

I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and even put on toner and lotion for the first time in a while.

Then I lay down on the bed.

This blanket is amazing…

Hugging the rustling blanket, I realized again that outside the gate was better.

The giant rabbit’s fur was soft and smelled nice too, but it couldn’t compare to a blanket.

And just like that, the long first day after escaping ended.

 

 

****

 

 

 

I didn’t even set an alarm, but maybe because I’d lived so regularly inside the gate, I woke up right at seven.

The bed was extremely comfortable. I didn’t wake up once.

After lying around a bit, I brushed my teeth, washed up, and got dressed—then the doorbell rang.

I checked the intercom. Yeon Dogyeong was standing there.

But—

What’s with his face now?

He looked serious, like he’d just beaten someone up.

I wondered if he’d gotten into a fight first thing in the morning.

But since I was already ready, I opened the door. The moment he saw me, his face brightened instantly.

“Morning, Yoon Hyeya! Sleep well?”

“Yeah. But what’s with you?”

“…Huh? Why? What did I do?”

“Your face looked super stiff.”

When I asked—leaving out the part where I thought he’d fought someone—he let out a short “Ah.”

Then he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I was just… anxious. Like, what if yesterday was a dream? What if I rang the bell and no one was home? What if I was hallucinating…?”

“We exchanged messages on the phone.”

“What if Cha Eunhwi was hallucinating with me and went crazy too?”

“……”

Is he insane?

He said that so calmly. If Cha Eunhwi were here, he’d be sighing.

Yeon Dogyeong smiled brightly.

“I’m relieved now. Ah—don’t worry about me, take your time and come out. It’s a little lonely, but I can wait.”

“Okay.”

I closed the door without waiting for a response. For a second, I saw his face fall.

What a strange guy.

I was already washed and dressed, so there wasn’t much to prepare.

I grabbed a light jacket, picked up the phone Cha Eunhwi gave me, and strapped on the baton and holster I’d received at the examination room.

When I stepped outside, Yeon Dogyeong, who had been sitting slumped against the wall, jumped up.

“Let’s go.”

“You’re already done?”

“Yeah. But where are we going?”

Probably the operations room, or to see the Director—but I wasn’t sure.

At my question, Yeon Dogyeong answered cheerfully.

“To eat.”

“Eat?”

“Breakfast. We need breakfast.”

“Uh… yeah, we do… Are we going to the cafeteria?”

“No. We’ll eat at the operations room. Cha Eunhwi and Lee Shinra will pack food and bring it. We’ll go ahead. At this hour, the cafeteria area is crowded, so we won’t run into anyone on the way. Even if we do—my condition’s good today, so it’s fine.”

So basically, if someone stared, he’d glare back like a thug.

While I was translating his thug logic in my head, Yeon Dogyeong suddenly spoke in a rushed voice.

“Hyeya. Yesterday, the reason I couldn’t stop Jeong Haram was because I wasn’t in good condition. Normally, I wouldn’t even let him get within ten meters.”

I hadn’t said anything, but he was making a big deal on his own.

And Jeong Haram was still an A-rank esper. Not stopping him wasn’t that humiliating.

“Okay.”

No need to engage further.

I replied dryly and walked toward the elevator. Yeon Dogyeong hesitated for a moment, then followed after me.