Taming the Obsessive Attachment

“Was it because of the nightmare you had yesterday? Are you still thinking about it?”

“…….”

“Now you won’t even look at me… You won’t even answer.”

Seo Eui-woo, who had tucked extra magazines into his combat uniform, strode toward Kwon Jae-jin, who stood in a corner of the kitchen. He held out a glass of water, offering it, but Jae-jin didn’t take it.

“I really don’t understand what’s on your mind, Jae-jin. I wish you’d tell me.”

Seo Eui-woo smiled, his long eyes curving. His fresh, delicate face was beautiful.

“Did I do something wrong again? If I did, tell me. I’ll fix it.”

Giving up, Eui-woo set the glass on the table and clung to Jae-jin. He pinned Jae-jin against the wall, pressing his arms against it to trap him, then buried his lips against the nape of Jae-jin’s unguarded neck.

At first, it seemed like a light kiss—then he bared his teeth and bit down.

“…Move your front teeth. I’m not in the mood for this right now.”

Jae-jin pushed against Eui-woo’s stomach with his elbow. But even so, Eui-woo only tightened his grip and held on more firmly.

“See? You are mad.”

“I’m not.”

“Then why are you acting like this? You probably don’t even realize it, but you’ve been frowning since the day before yesterday. Out of five times I called your name, you ignored me at least twice.”

“…Did it never cross your mind that you’re simply calling my name too often? Jae-jin, Jae-jin… all the time. You’re going to wear it out.”

“Oh? So I was annoying? Is that why you’re in a bad mood? If it’s not that, I really can’t think of any other reason… Ah, wait.”

Seo Eui-woo, who had been sliding his hand up under Jae-jin’s T-shirt, suddenly went quiet. As a thought crossed his mind, his gray eyes lowered, studying Jae-jin’s expression. His gaze slowly traced over Jae-jin’s features with a sharp, assessing coldness.

“Are you thinking about them again? The person you used to date?”

At that, Jae-jin’s eyebrows knit together. If he had known they’d be having this conversation over and over again, he would’ve kept his mouth shut that night—even if it meant blacking out while being fucked.

“It’s nothing. Forget it.”

“You’re not seriously thinking that you broke up with them because of me, are you? Because if you are, I might actually get pissed.”

“I said forget it! Drop it, Seo Eui-woo. I don’t blame you for anything.”

Jae-jin’s sharp refusal, his voice cutting through the air like a knife, made Eui-woo’s gaze dim slightly.

“It’s no one’s fault that I awakened as a mutant. I know it couldn’t be helped, and I know it wasn’t your fault, Seo Eui-woo. I know all that. It’s just… my head is a bit of a mess right now.”

Originally, the mutated Kwon Jae-jin was destined to be executed. It was only because Seo Eui-woo had appeared just in time to smuggle him away that he was still alive. Of course, Eui-woo had simply acted according to his instincts, but if one ignored his motivations and looked only at the outcome, Seo Eui-woo was undeniably Jae-jin’s savior.

Jae-jin had no intention of misunderstanding or resenting him. He had exhausted all such feelings in his first life. Right now, all he needed was time.

“Ah… is that so? Then what, you know it’s not my fault, but you’re still taking it out on me?”

“…….”

“Jae-jin, don’t ignore me. You know how much effort I put in to make you like me, so why are you acting like this? At the very least, you could tell me in a way I can understand.”

Seo Eui-woo’s face was as hard as white marble. His unwavering gaze showed neither impulse nor anxiety. He was a far cry from the desperate man who once couldn’t control himself, frantically seeking guidance. Now, he was calm. Polished.

“If all you ever say is ‘forget it’ or ‘it’s nothing,’ how am I supposed to know? I want to understand, but I can’t.”

The hand beneath Jae-jin’s T-shirt tightened, gripping his waist hard enough that Eui-woo’s forearm trembled. It hurt. Jae-jin twisted his body, trying to break free.

He wanted to escape this position.

No—he wanted to escape Seo Eui-woo.

Even though he knew it was pointless.

“What the hell? Where are you going?”

Seo Eui-woo growled, yanking Jae-jin’s arm and slamming him back against the marble wall.

“Do you really have nothing to say?”

His sharp gaze pierced into Jae-jin like a blade. The burning intensity in his eyes could only be described as primal. It felt like being crushed beneath a wild beast.

And yet, when Jae-jin saw the way Eui-woo’s gray eyes warped and twisted with emotion, a strange sense of relief settled in his chest.

If they clashed, if they fought, if they hurt each other—

Maybe, just maybe, this Seo Eui-woo would become a little more like the Seo Eui-woo from before.

Maybe, once again, they would traverse the depths of every emotion and still manage to reach each other.

It was a futile, baseless hope. But still.

“…What exactly do you want me to say, Seo Eui-woo?”

Jae-jin’s voice was heavy, as if drenched by a sudden downpour. He hadn’t meant to sink this deep into despair, but it was beyond his control.

“If it’s not because of me, then tell me what is making you like this.”

A question with no end—an ouroboros devouring its own tail. Jae-jin let out a dry, humorless chuckle.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Was it because of the Seo Eui-woo from his first life?

Or the Seo Eui-woo of his second?

“Yeah, well… It’s probably because of the person I was seeing. Whether they were my ex or still my current partner… Whether we broke up or not… I guess it’s all because of that.”

“You were fine before. So why the sudden shift in just a few days?”

“Exactly. It’s sudden. And that’s why it’s even harder to handle.”

“…….”

“If your curiosity is satisfied, how about letting go now? I need some time alone. You should just head to work, Seo Eui-woo.”

Kwon Jae-jin pushed Seo Eui-woo away once more.

But Eui-woo didn’t budge. He simply held onto Jae-jin, staring intently at his expressionless face. His gray eyes burned with an unrelenting sharpness, unblinking.

Jae-jin’s black eyes, his plain yet striking gaze devoid of unnecessary embellishments, his stiff nose and cheeks, his lips tightly pressed together as if suppressing all emotion—Seo Eui-woo scrutinized every detail, dissecting them one by one. His jaw clenched hard.

A vein bulged along his neck, and his pupils trembled ever so slightly.

After a long moment of contemplation, Seo Eui-woo finally spoke, his voice sinking deep, rough like claws scraping against the floor.

“…I wasn’t sure whether to say this or not. But—I can help you, Jae-jin.”

Help? That was impossible.

“No, this is my personal issue. Don’t concern yourself with it.”

“I want to help. Just like you guide me and help me—I want to do the same for you.”

Jae-jin’s brow furrowed. He had momentarily forgotten just how exhausting it was to reject Seo Eui-woo.

“Ha… Are you really not understanding me? I said it’s personal. It’s not something you should be involved in.”

“No. You’re the one not understanding, Kwon Jae-jin. You just don’t know yet. Just leave it to me.”

“What the hell are you even—”

Frustrated beyond endurance, Jae-jin lifted his gaze. His eyes clashed with Eui-woo’s flickering ones in midair, locking together in an intense pull. They drew each other in, colliding fiercely, both reaching the same boiling point of emotion.

“If it’s me—I can completely cut that person out of your head.”

Jae-jin was angry. And so was Seo Eui-woo.

“I can erase them. Like they never existed in the first place. I’ll dig them out from the roots and make them disappear entirely.”

Seo Eui-woo’s lips curled into a slow smile. His voice was eerily gentle, sending a chill down Jae-jin’s spine. It was the kind of tone someone might use when patiently explaining something to a clueless child, suppressing the urge to lash out.

“…Seo Eui-woo. What exactly do you mean by that?”

Cut them out of his head? Erase their existence?

“A psychic ability,” Eui-woo answered smoothly. “I can interfere with a living being’s brainwaves. A skilled user can manipulate a subject’s thoughts, actions, and even their five senses. Naturally, reading or erasing memories is possible as well.”

“…Hah.”

“There are restrictions, of course, and proper authorization is required to use it. But honestly? I already broke the law by hiding you. What difference would it make to tamper with a few memories?”

Seo Eui-woo. Twenty years old. The first-ever S-Class Esper.

An unprecedentedly powerful multi-ability user, unmatched by any other.

“By now, the Sixth Residential District has probably already processed Jae-jin’s case as a missing person—presumed dead. That so-called lover of yours must think you’re gone too. Every year, countless victims vanish without a trace, their bodies lost to sudden creature attacks.”

How had he overlooked Seo Eui-woo’s omnipotence?

Jae-jin had believed he understood the extent of Eui-woo’s transcendent abilities. But that, too, had been arrogance.

He still didn’t know Seo Eui-woo.

He hadn’t known that Eui-woo could use psychic abilities. Hadn’t even known such powers existed in the first place.

If Awakened beings could freely dominate ordinary people with nothing more than a permit, the world would have erupted into chaos the moment that knowledge became public.

“You’re wasting your time and emotions by clinging to this. Just trust me. I’ll tweak your memories a little—erase everything for you.”

“…….”

“You’ll feel at peace. All the noise in your head will be gone, and you’ll be able to focus solely on the greater cause. And through that… we’ll become even stronger together.”

“…….”

“Kwon Jae-jin as Seo Eui-woo’s Guide. Seo Eui-woo as Kwon Jae-jin’s Esper.”