When the Past Crashes In

‘How strange.’

Seo Taeju stared at Garam a little longer before rising from his seat.

The moment he stood, Rahee immediately tried to hand him disinfectant and a handkerchief, but he refused.

For once, he felt like he could stay exactly as he was.

While he lingered in that brief moment of nostalgia, the squad leader who had brought him here approached and spoke.

“You really seem to like him.”

Was that so? Did he?

Taeju quietly nodded.

“Would you like to take him with you? These days, lots of people keep awakened ones as pets, no? Of course, handing him over completely would be difficult, but we can try to keep the damage to a minimum.”

This time, Taeju shook his head.

Being swayed by past memories this much was enough.

He turned away, ready to leave this filthy place.

That is—
if another awakened hadn’t suddenly burst in at that moment.

“Boss! There’s an intruder!”

“What? Who? Are you sure it’s not another drunk idiot wandering around?”

“No! It’s real! I saw a corpse!”

Only then did the boss start moving.

“Ah, right. Before that, we should get our precious patron to safety. What shall we do? Evacuate you outside?”

Taeju nodded lightly.

The bear-like awakened immediately moved closer to him.

Contact was necessary for teleporting.

But Rahee blocked him first.

She grabbed the man’s hand instead, and Taeju, in turn, took her hand.

And just like that, the short reunion with someone from his past ended.

As soon as Lee Jaehun discovered the suspicious hideout, he began taking people down without hesitation.

“What if this isn’t the kidnappers’ base?”

Park Deokpal asked in disbelief, but Jaehun’s answer was simple.

“They’re criminals anyway.”

Awakened individuals generally weren’t part of the labor class.

Meaning none of them should have had a reason to live in District 5.

Yet here they were, hiding in a secret base.

That alone meant they were criminals.

Jaehun summarized that logic into one short sentence and moved ahead without a shred of restraint.

At first Deokpal hesitated, but eventually he also began attacking without holding back.

No matter how he looked, none of these people seemed innocent.

How far had they gone when violet smoke began rising from beneath their feet?

“This is poison.”

Deokpal covered his mouth and nose and backed away the moment he realized.

But Jaehun didn’t stop.

“Hey, long time no see?”

A dagger clattered to the floor right in front of Jaehun, shards scattering.

Only then did he halt.

“You remember me, right?”

The man pulled down his mask.

The skin around his mouth was a ruined mess of scars.

“Nope.”

Jaehun answered coldly.

“You don’t?”

The man glared fiercely.

“You don’t remember after ruining my face like this?”

“I don’t bother remembering small fry.”

It was a perfect provocation.

The man trembled with rage and tightened his grip on the dagger.

“Keep acting tough. Your lover is in our hands, you know. All I need to do is send a signal and— snip! Off goes a finger. Crush it afterward and they won’t even be able to reattach it. That’ll leave a nice trauma. A big one!”

The one whose face turned pale wasn’t Jaehun — it was Park Deokpal.

“Don’t touch Garam!”

“What, who are you? Are you two-timing him?”

The man snorted, but the laugh didn’t last.

Jaehun unsheathed his sword and swung without hesitation.

“Hoh?”

If he had dodged a fraction later, he would have been cut in half.

The man stared at the torn edges of his clothes, eyes darting.

He had threatened using the hostage — and yet Jaehun still swung.

‘So he isn’t actually his lover?’

No.

If that were the case, Jaehun wouldn’t have come all the way here.

‘Or… is he that type?’

The type who discards their loved ones to protect their power.

There were indeed people like that — those who abandoned even their own children if it meant keeping their status.

“Cold-hearted bastard. If I knew, I would’ve played with him more beforehand.”

The man clicked his tongue and backed away — this time to retreat.

‘If the hostage doesn’t work, run.’

He turned his back without hesitation.

Sure, Jaehun’s speed meant he’d be caught soon, but the man still had something to rely on.

“Bear!”

As soon as he touched his waiting accomplice, the scenery shifted.

The teleportation range was short due to low rank, but close distances were no problem.

They arrived directly in the room where Garam was being held.

“Terrible luck today.”

The man grumbled and immediately rushed toward Garam to snatch the flowerpot.

They had agreed beforehand — if Jaehun didn’t care about the hostage, they’d take this route.

Garam clutched the flowerpot desperately.

He knew holding onto it was dangerous — the man clearly wanted it.

But he couldn’t let go.

Not because he’d grown attached to it.

But because Jaehun cherished it so deeply.

Because he looked at it with eyes full of affection.

Just imagining how devastated he’d be if he lost it made Garam unable to release it.

He wrapped it tightly in his arms.

He tried to stand and run —
but a dagger suddenly flew in and stabbed straight through his ankle.

“Ah!”

He collapsed with a scream.

“What, did you go insane? The two of you are a matching pair of lunatics.”

The man growled, yanking the dagger out and stomping on Garam’s wounded ankle.

Garam barely managed to swallow his cries.

He refused to show someone like this any sign of suffering.

“Why are you protecting that stupid plant? Is it some kind of treasure?”

“I don’t know, asshole.”

Garam finally said what he’d been wanting to say.

“Oh? You’ve gone crazy now? Near-death gives you courage?”

“You got something to add to my madness?”

He glared viciously and tried to move back.

His ankle was injured, but only one.

He could still move, right?

He tried to stand —
and immediately fell again.

At least the flowerpot survived, cushioned by his body.

“If you want to die so much, I’ll grant your wish.”

Just as the man prepared to strike the final blow—
the massive iron door split in half and crashed down.

“Garam!!”

Park Deokpal burst in first.

The moment he saw Garam, he sprinted to him.

Right behind him, Jaehun entered.

“Lucky day. Let’s go, Bear.”

The man tried to teleport away again.

But Jaehun’s blade was faster.

A piercing scream rang out —
and his body vanished, leaving only a severed arm behind.

Only then did the tension drain from the room.

Garam looked up at Jaehun and held out the flowerpot.

“Here. It’s safe.”

“Yeah. It is.”

“This is not the time to talk about the flowerpot!”

Deokpal scolded them, but Garam had to say it.

“I protected it with everything I had.”

He couldn’t protect it from the forced kiss earlier —
but he did keep them from taking it.

“You got hurt over that thing? Unbelievable.”

While Deokpal pounded his chest in frustration, Jaehun stepped closer.

Then, without warning, he slid his arms under Garam’s legs and back and lifted him.

Garam’s hand awkwardly still held the flowerpot.

“Thanks.”

It was the first time Garam heard that from him.

His eyes widened.

“I didn’t mishear that, right? Say it again. Please?”

Garam pleaded, but Jaehun didn’t repeat it.

After pestering him several more times, Garam eventually passed out.

When he woke again, he was on a bed.