***
There’s a saying: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Proving that humans are remarkably adaptable creatures, Yoohee had accepted her transmigration into this world surprisingly quickly.
And now, she was doing the same once again.
Click. Click.
With each measured step, Yoohee walked beneath the blazing March sun.
Her white dress shirt gleamed as brilliantly as fresh snow, while her soft light-brown hair shimmered under the sunlight.
‘Phew…’
Just before taking the final step, Yoohee stopped and drew a deep breath.
One more step…
And she would enter a place where, as if by magic, all light vanished.
Building F.
The isolated facility where Espers immune to Guiding—and therefore at constant risk of going berserk—were confined.
The reason everyone said no one ever returned after entering was simple.
Not a single inmate had ever recovered.
Every one of them had ultimately been put down.
“…I never thought I’d actually set foot in this place.”
Even though she was only here for a visitation, the chilling air drifting from the entrance was enough to make her hesitate.
There had been prisons for berserk Espers in her previous life as well.
But she’d never once visited one.
And now…
She was entering one to see her childhood friend.
“Come to think of it, the original novel never showed what Building F looked like inside either.”
Because it had never been meant as a place for the protagonist to visit.
It was merely part of the setting—a piece of world-building added to make the story feel more realistic.
Phew…
After exhaling deeply, Yoohee forced herself to move forward.
The moment she stepped into Building F’s entrance corridor, several prison guards turned to look at her in surprise.
One of them, standing watch with his cap pulled low over his eyes, strode directly toward her.
“You are not permitted to enter without authorization.”
“I… I’m here for a visitation. I’m Im Yoohee from First-year Black Panther Class.”
She pointed to the crescent moon-shaped badge attached to her Academy blazer to prove she was a student.
At that, the guard’s face—barely visible beneath the brim of his cap—registered unmistakable surprise.
As though…
No one had ever come to visit before.
“And whom are you here to visit?”
“Kim Joohoon. First-year Black Panther Class. He was brought here yesterday.”
“…Ah.”
The guard let out a quiet sigh as he rubbed his chin.
“Please wait here.”
He walked briskly over to the administration office and exchanged a few words with another guard.
Then he lifted the communicator in his hand and spoke quietly into it.
The static crackling through the device made it impossible to hear clearly, but it sounded as though he was discussing Joohoon.
Once the transmission ended, the guard returned to Yoohee.
“Your visitation has been approved. Follow me.”
He led her into a small visitation room with pristine white walls.
The room was divided by a transparent glass partition.
There was a separate entrance on each side.
“Please have a seat. The inmate will be brought in shortly.”
The guard gestured toward the chair positioned directly in front of the glass.
Another chair sat on the opposite side, allowing the visitor and inmate to face each other at close range despite the partition between them.
“…Okay.”
Yoohee quietly took her seat.
She tried to appear calm.
But she couldn’t hide the violent pounding of her heart.
As she struggled to steady her breathing—
Clank.
The distant sound of chains colliding echoed through the corridor.
When Joohoon had been taken into Building F, she’d only caught the briefest glimpse of him.
This would be the first time they’d truly faced each other in four years.
With every approaching footstep, the metallic scrape of chains grew louder.
Before she realized it, her palms had become slick with sweat.
She quietly wiped them against her navy-blue skirt.
Click.
The door swung open, and Joohoon entered the visitation room.
Or rather…
He wasn’t walking in of his own accord.
A prison guard was practically dragging him inside.
“Joohoon—”
Yoohee called out instinctively, only for the words to die on her lips.
The man standing before her was unfamiliar.
A stranger.
A man who had grown far too much to still be called the Joohoon she remembered.
“Joohoon…?”
She hadn’t realized it while he’d been surrounded by soldiers, but the boy who had barely reached the mid-170-centimeter range four years ago now looked well over 180 centimeters tall.
His long legs caused the blue prison jumpsuit to ride up, exposing his ankles.
His broad frame stretched the fabric tightly across his shoulders.
“…”
Yoohee stared at him blankly.
His height wasn’t the only thing that had changed.
Joohoon’s entire presence was different.
His head was lowered, making it difficult to see his face clearly, but everything about him felt unlike before.
Back then, the words pure and innocent suited him perfectly.
Now…
Seductive.
The very thought made Yoohee question herself.
Of course it did.
Not once in her life had she ever associated Joohoon with that word.
Just then, the ash-brown eyes fixed on the floor slowly shifted…
Searching until they found Yoohee.
Clank!
The guard escorting him gave the chain a sharp tug, forcing Joohoon into the chair across from her.
His large body dropped heavily into the seat, almost collapsing under its own weight.
The guard turned to Yoohee.
“You have ten minutes.”
“If anything happens, or if you’d like to end the visit early, press the call button installed in the visitation room.”
With that, the guards on both sides exited the room.
For the moment, only Yoohee and Joohoon remained inside.
“…Joohoon.”
[Constellation, ‘Hardcore Romance Fantasy Addict,’ is extremely curious to see Kim Joohoon’s face.]
The Constellation’s reaction echoed in her ears.
Honestly…
She couldn’t blame them.
Ever since entering the visitation room, Joohoon had kept his head lowered.
Even when he’d briefly looked toward her earlier, the guard had immediately forced him into the chair.
She still hadn’t gotten a proper look at his face.
“…”
But even after Yoohee called his name, Joohoon didn’t move.
He remained sitting there with his head bowed.
Silence settled over the visitation room.
Watching him sit there without so much as a twitch made Yoohee’s chest tighten painfully.
She found herself staring at his sweat-dampened ash-gray hair…
Until, for the first time, Joohoon’s voice broke the silence.
“I don’t have the right to face you.”
The simple sentence struck her heart like a falling weight.
“I never imagined we’d meet again like this…”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m… just sorry for everything.”
[Constellation, ‘Hardcore Romance Fantasy Addict,’ suffers massive emotional damage.]
[Constellation, ‘Mother of Failure,’ looks on the verge of tears.]
As though influenced by the Constellations’ reactions, Yoohee fought back the tears welling in her own eyes.
How could Joohoon possibly have expected any of this?
He’d simply worked hard, awakened as an Esper…
And returned to Korea.
Back to his homeland after four years.
Back to the friends he’d longed to see again.
Well…
Not that he’d ever had many friends.
Still…
How excited he must have been.
How much he’d looked forward to coming back.
“Joohoon.”
Yoohee’s voice rang with quiet determination.
His shoulders flinched ever so slightly.
“Everything they say about no one ever leaving Building F…”
“It’s all a lie.”
“You can get out.”
Perhaps it was the certainty in her voice.
Slowly…
Joohoon lifted his head.
Clink…
The chain connected to the collar around his neck shifted softly.
And at last…
His face came fully into view.
Yoohee fell silent.
Immediately afterward, the Constellations erupted.
[Constellation, ‘Hardcore Romance Fantasy Addict,’ covers their mouth in shock.]
[Constellation, ‘SSS-Rank Free-to-Play Master,’ asks if that face isn’t basically cheating.]
[Constellation, ‘Mother of Failure,’ adjusts her glasses.]
The reactions were understandable.
Joohoon’s face truly was unfair.
His hands were bound, making proper grooming impossible.
Even so, he looked flawless.
If anything, the hollow cheeks and faint shadows beneath his eyes—evidence of everything he’d endured—only gave him a dangerously decadent beauty.
The coldness she’d thought she’d seen in his eyes before was nowhere to be found.
Instead…
They shimmered with countless emotions, burning with restrained intensity.
Yoohee parted her lips, searching for words to comfort him.
But Joohoon spoke first.
“…Are you saying…”
“…you won’t give up on me?”
For a brief moment, his tear-filled gaze pierced straight through her.
[Constellation, ‘Hardcore Romance Fantasy Addict,’ has used their autonomous authority to modify the reward for the First Main Scenario.]
[First Main Scenario reward has been upgraded from +1 Stat → +2 Stats.]
There was a reason people joked about making a living with their face.
Yoohee blinked blankly, momentarily captivated.
Realizing she’d been staring, Joohoon quickly turned his head away.
“…Don’t…”
“…look at me like that.”
Ah. Oops.
Had she really been staring that openly?
He’d always been easily embarrassed.
She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten.
Yoohee deliberately turned her body away, trying to avert her gaze.
But her eyes kept drifting back to him.
The tips of his ears had turned bright red.
Whenever he felt embarrassed, his gaze still instinctively shifted to the left.
Back then…
She’d only thought those little habits were adorable.
Who would’ve imagined…
That the same mannerisms would one day seem so incredibly attractive?
“But…”
“What did you mean by what you just said?”
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