The Espers Who Regretted Losing Me Chapter 67

As soon as we stepped outside, the fresh morning air spread around us.

There weren’t many people, but it wasn’t completely empty either, so some eyes naturally turned our way.

It wasn’t that they recognized me—it was more that they recognized Yeon Dogyeong. Even so, watching him glare at people like a growling dog made me click my tongue.

Then my eyes landed on his yellow hair, dark roots showing, and I spoke flatly.

“By the way, your hair really stands out.”

“Oh, this? Yeah, it looks kind of bad, right? I didn’t have time yesterday, so I left it like this. I’ll dye it tonight or tomorrow.”

“……From what I heard yesterday, espers have really sensitive senses. Doesn’t it hurt when you dye it? I still remember that hair dye is pretty harsh.”

I don’t remember exactly when it started.

After our relationship drifted so far apart it couldn’t be fixed, at some point Yeon Dogyeong started walking around with hair like that.

He already looked like a thug, and bleaching his hair just made him look completely unhinged.

Jeong Haram walking around with pink hair is ridiculous too, but that’s none of my business.

Honestly, wouldn’t it be better if he just shaved it all off?

I was about to say that, curious what kind of reaction I’d get, when I suddenly stopped.

Because of Yeon Dogyeong’s creepy reaction.

Why… is his face turning red…?

He looked shy—embarrassed even—and I completely lost my words.

Then, out of nowhere, he said, “Actually…” and started mumbling.

“I… dyed my hair because of you, Yoon Hyeya.”

The problem was that what he was saying was complete nonsense.

“…Did I ever tell you to dye your hair?”

I asked while pretending I had amnesia, but if my memory were intact, I would’ve said, What kind of nonsense is that?

Because I had never—absolutely never—said anything like that.

If he was lying, I was ready to look at him like I was staring at dirty mop water and walk away alone.

I stared at him sharply, waiting for his answer. Finally, the shy idiot opened his mouth.

“You liked foreigners. You know what foreigners are, right?”

“…I know what they are, but me liking them? I don’t think so.”

“No, you did. When you were young and people said you were a genius, researchers from other countries came to see you. And you kept staring only at the blond men and women.”

He was probably talking about the Association researchers who came to examine my guiding abilities.

It’s true that I looked at them—but not because I liked them. I was just curious.

“You kept staring with sparkling eyes. How could I not notice? So I bleached and dyed my hair. If that’s your type, then I should match it.”

“…….”

What kind of idiot does that?

He said it lightly, but back then was when his condition had gotten worse again because of our conflict.

Which meant his senses were even more sensitive than now.

His scalp might’ve hurt like it was peeling off.

So many ridiculous, shocking things had happened since yesterday—but this was the worst.

I’ve said this over and over, but espers’ senses were insanely sensitive.

I remembered the time when Yeon Dogyeong, Lee Shinra, and Cha Eunhwi could barely live normally.

Just their hair or clothes brushing against their skin caused pain. On windy days, they couldn’t even go outside.

Even drinking water made their tongues tingle, so they couldn’t eat properly and grew dangerously thin. I’d seen adults force-feed them supplements.

And the way they reacted to even small scratches—it was never exaggeration.

And he went that far…

I’d once thought about changing my hairstyle too, just for a change.

But sitting still for two or three hours for dyeing? That alone was a deal breaker.

And yet, Yeon Dogyeong did it.

All because of a guess that I liked foreigners. Since childhood.

“You really are…”

“Why? Do I feel new to you?”

“You feel insane…”

“I hear that a lot.”

“…That’s not something to be shy about. Besides ‘insane,’ you probably hear things like ‘weirdo’ and ‘bad personality’ a lot too, right?”

Yeon Dogyeong flinched while still smiling.

I didn’t want to go this far, but since things had turned out like this, I felt like I had to tell him how trashy his personality really was.

With a strange sense of duty, I snapped at him sharply.

“Being called insane, a weirdo, or having a bad personality isn’t a good thing. Why are you happy about it? Even if you didn’t know better as a kid, you’re an adult now. Hearing that should be embarrassing.”

“…I don’t hurt anyone else.”

“It’s not that you don’t hurt people. It’s that they don’t want to get involved with you, so they ignore you. Do you really think no one has been hurt by the things you say or do without thinking?”

You don’t hurt anyone? What nonsense.

I got heated and called him out, and Yeon Dogyeong’s face stiffened.

Yesterday, I might’ve flinched without realizing it—but not today.

So what? Got a problem?

I stared at him like that, and after moving his lips slightly, he muttered,

“…Have I been living wrong all this time?”

“Yeah. I don’t know how you’ve lived until now, but if people often call you insane, a weirdo, or say you have a bad personality, I think you need to reflect. People probably hate you. Cha Eunhwi and Lee Shinra don’t hear things like that, do they?”

They didn’t go around picking fights like Yeon Dogyeong did.

At most, they might hear that they were cold or blunt—but not insane or crazy.

Yeon Dogyeong nodded blankly, then carefully spoke again.

“Yoon Hyeya… do you hate me too—?”

“Would that make you happy? I don’t even remember what you did since my memory’s gone, but just from yesterday alone, it feels like I went through a lot.”

If I were kinder, I might’ve said, I don’t hate you, but—

But my motto now was making people experience things from the other side, so I didn’t hold back.

As I openly showed my discomfort, Yeon Dogyeong hesitated, then spoke timidly.

“Then… if I start being good from now on, could you like me?”

“…What?”

“……”

I thought he was talking nonsense, but his expression was deadly serious.

Yeon Dogyeong truly wanted to have a “good relationship” with me.

“Why would I?”

I said what I really felt again, without thinking.

Honestly, at this point I expected him to sulk or react badly.

But Yeon Dogyeong answered without looking bothered at all.

“Because I don’t want to regret it anymore. I won’t ever do anything you hate.”

“…….”

“I promise.”

I thought for about five seconds about telling him his promises meant nothing and to stop bothering me.

But I decided not to.

My goal was to make these guys crawl at my feet like obedient tools. Emotional reactions were a bad idea.

“I’ll think about it.”

I answered calmly, like a very mature adult.

At that, Yeon Dogyeong smiled softly, which didn’t suit him at all.

“Okay. Then from now on, Yoon Hyeya, tell me what counts as being good.”

“What are you talking about? Don’t cross the line. That’s something you should figure out yourself. Why are you asking me? You’re not a kid.”

“I… didn’t grow up properly. I don’t have parents… so if no one stays by my side and points things out, I don’t know what’s right or wrong.”

He looked pitiful enough that a stranger might fall for it—but not me.

“Ask Cha Eunhwi.”