"Nah, I'm sorry, Mister… uh?" Seung-hoo said, blinking awkwardly. "What was your name again?"
Byung-hu's eyebrow twitched. "Byung-hu," he replied. "And don't call me Mister or Sir. It makes me sound old."
"Oh. Okay… Byung-hu," Seung-hoo said quickly. He bowed his head slightly, looking apologetic. "But I'm kind of busy with something right now."
Byung-hu stared at him. "…Busy?"
With all the cameras, reporters, and chaos around them, that word sounded almost ridiculous.
"Busy with what?" Byung-hu asked, genuinely confused.
Before Seung-hoo could answer—
He vanished.
Not a blur. Not a jump. Not a flash of light.
One moment he was standing there, surrounded by microphones and flashing cameras, and the next moment the space in front of Byung-hu was empty.
Byung-hu's eyes widened. "—What?"
Seo-yeon stiffened. "Seung-hoo?"
The reporters froze for half a second… then erupted.
"Where did Mister Seung-hoo go?!" "He disappeared!" "Did you see that?!" "Was that a movement skill?!" "No, that was too fast!" "Is this the speed of the 20th S-rank?!"
Cameras spun in every direction, zooming in on nothing but air.
Byung-hu slowly straightened his posture, scanning the surroundings. "That wasn't teleportation…" he muttered. "That was raw speed."
Seo-yeon turned in a slow circle, eyes searching through the crowd. "He didn't go up… and he didn't go back inside…"
Then she noticed something.
Farther away from the mass of reporters, near the edge of the street, a lone figure was walking calmly in the opposite direction.
Black jacket. Jeans. Hands in his pockets.
"…There," she whispered.
Her eyes sharpened. "Seung-hoo."
She raised her voice. "Seung-hoo!"
The reporters heard her.
All of them turned at once.
"There!" "He's over there!" "He escaped!"
Dozens of cameras swung toward him.
Seung-hoo slowed for just a moment and turned his head.
His eyes met Seo-yeon's from across the distance.
He didn't say anything. No wave. No explanation.
Just a quiet look—half apologetic, half determined.
Seo-yeon felt her chest tighten. "You idiot…"
The reporters surged forward again.
"Don't let him get away!" "Ask him more questions!" "Follow him!"
But before anyone could reach him—
Seung-hoo bent his knees slightly.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
And in a single, soundless motion, he leaped.
Wind exploded outward. Dust and loose paper flew into the air. People shielded their faces.
When the dust settled…
He was gone again.
Nothing but an empty stretch of road remained.
"…Did he just jump across buildings?" "No way…" "That wasn't normal movement…" "My camera didn't even catch it!"
Byung-hu let out a low whistle. "So that's how he moves."
Seo-yeon clenched her fists. "He ran away again…"
The reporters were in complete chaos now, shouting into phones and cameras.
"We lost him!" "He vanished twice!" "This is unbelievable footage!" "Replay that jump!"
Above them, drones buzzed uselessly, circling the area where Seung-hoo had disappeared.
Byung-hu crossed his arms and laughed quietly. "Busy, huh…?"
Seo-yeon looked in the direction Seung-hoo had gone, her expression conflicted—part annoyed, part worried, part impressed.
Around them, the city continued to buzz with excitement, rumors spreading faster than any signal, while somewhere beyond the cameras and noise, Seung-hoo moved alone through the streets, leaving nothing behind but confusion, flashing lights, and a growing sense that this new S-rank had no intention of being trapped by fame.
From the rooftop of a distant building, Seung-hoo stood with one foot near the edge, his jacket fluttering softly in the wind. Below him, the streets around the evaluation center were still in chaos. Reporters ran in circles, shouting into their phones, pointing at random rooftops, and arguing with one another about where he had gone.
"Check that building!" "No, he went that way!" "I swear I saw him jump left!"
Their voices blended into a single restless noise.
Seung-hoo exhaled slowly. "This is… way too much."
Far below, Byung-hu remained standing where Seung-hoo had vanished, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets as he calmly lifted his gaze toward the skyline. He didn't rush. He simply observed, eyes scanning the rooftops like a hunter surveying open land.
One building caught his attention—slightly farther than the others, standing alone with nothing blocking the view.
"…There you are," Byung-hu murmured.
At that exact moment, Seung-hoo felt it.
A strange instinct made him turn his head.
Across the gap between buildings, his eyes met Byung-hu's.
For a second, neither of them moved.
Wind passed between them, carrying city noise upward. The distance was far, but not far enough to hide intent. Seung-hoo could feel it—Byung-hu wasn't looking randomly. He had found him.
"…That guy's eyes are scary," Seung-hoo muttered under his breath.
He quickly pulled out his phone, turning his body slightly so no one below could see him clearly. His fingers hovered over the screen for a second before tapping a familiar name.
Ye Yeon.
The phone rang once. Twice.
Down on a quieter street near a café, Ye Yeon's phone buzzed in her hand. She had just finished ordering and was waiting near the window when she saw his name appear on the screen.
"…Seung-hoo?"
She answered immediately.
"Seung-hoo? Where are you? I just saw you disappear on the news!" Her voice came out half worried, half relieved.
Seung-hoo leaned against the rooftop railing, keeping his eyes on the distant figure of Byung-hu. "Don't worry," he said calmly into the phone. "I'm fine. I just… needed to get away from the cameras."
"You vanished like a ghost," she said. "Everyone's panicking."
He gave a small, tired laugh. "Yeah. That wasn't the plan."
There was a brief pause before he asked, "Where should we meet?"
"In Café Onion Anguk," Ye Yeon replied without hesitation. Her voice softened. "It's really popular. And… I'm already here."
Seung-hoo blinked. "Already?"
"Mhm. I was on my way when I saw you on the billboard."
He was about to answer when something caught his attention.
A few meters away, near the opposite edge of the rooftop, a man in an office suit stood frozen in place. His tie fluttered violently in the wind. One foot was dangerously close to the ledge, his hands trembling as he stared down at the traffic far below.
Seung-hoo's stomach tightened.
"…Wait a second," he said into the phone. "I'll call you back."
"Seung-hoo? What—"
He ended the call and pocketed his phone.
"Sir?!" Seung-hoo called out sharply. "What are you doing?!"
The man jumped in shock, spinning around. "W-What?!"
Only then did he notice Seung-hoo standing there.
"Y-You… when did you get here?!" the man stammered, eyes wide. "I thought I was alone!"
Seung-hoo raised both hands slowly, trying not to startle him. "I was already here. Don't move, okay? You're too close to the edge."
The man's breathing was uneven. Sweat ran down his forehead. "I… I just needed some air. I didn't think anyone would come up here."
Seung-hoo glanced toward the street below, then back at the man's shaking legs. "Air doesn't mean standing on the ledge like that."
The man swallowed hard. "You don't understand…"
Before Seung-hoo could step closer, a gust of wind rushed between them, making the man stumble slightly.
"Whoa—!" the man gasped, arms flailing.
Seung-hoo's eyes widened. "Hey! Stay still!"
Far away, on another rooftop, Byung-hu noticed the sudden movement.
"…What's he doing now?" he muttered, narrowing his eyes as he watched the scene unfold from a distance.
Below, reporters were still shouting Seung-hoo's name, unaware of what was happening above them.
On the rooftop, Seung-hoo took one careful step forward, his voice steady despite the tension in his chest.
"Sir," he said slowly, "let's just talk for a second. You don't have to stand there."
The moment Seung-hoo spoke, the man's knees gave out slightly and he clutched his face with both hands.
"I can't take it anymore…!" the man cried out, his voice breaking apart between sobs. His shoulders shook violently as tears streamed down his cheeks. "I really can't… I'm so tired…"
Seung-hoo froze for half a second, then slowly stepped closer, careful not to make any sudden movements.
"S-sir… please," he said softly, raising his hands again. "Don't do what I think you're about to do. Just… stay where you are. You don't have to go any further."
The man turned his face away, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his suit, but it only made the tears worse.
"You don't understand…" he choked out. "Every day is the same. I wake up already scared. I go to work knowing I'll be yelled at again… humiliated again…"
Seung-hoo swallowed and took another slow step forward. "Then tell me," he said. "Who did this to you?"
The man hesitated, as if the words were stuck in his throat. His hands trembled as he clenched them into fists.
"…It's my boss," he finally said. "He insults me in front of everyone. Calls me useless. Throws files at me. Sometimes he even hits me when no one's looking."
His voice cracked again.
"I tried to endure it. I really did. I worked harder. I stayed late. I didn't complain. I thought if I just did better… he'd stop."
The man shook his head weakly. "But it never stops. Every mistake becomes an excuse. Every day I feel smaller. Like I don't exist unless he's shouting at me."
Seung-hoo's chest tightened.
"…That's not your fault," he said quietly.
The man laughed bitterly through his tears. "Everyone says that. But I still have to go back tomorrow. I still have to face him. I still have to pretend everything is fine."
He looked down at his shaking hands. "I don't even recognize myself anymore. I used to laugh. I used to talk with my coworkers. Now I just count the hours until I can leave… and even that feels impossible."
Seung-hoo took another careful step forward, now only a few meters away.
"Sir," he said, keeping his voice low and steady, "you're not weak for feeling like this. Anyone would break if they were treated like that every day."
The man sniffed and wiped his face again. "You say that… but I feel so stupid. Standing here like this."
"You're not stupid," Seung-hoo replied immediately. "You're hurting. That's different."
The wind blew again, and the man flinched, instinctively taking half a step back from the edge.
Seung-hoo noticed and gently pointed. "See? You don't actually want to be there. You just want the pain to stop."
The man's breathing was uneven. "…I don't know how to make it stop."
"You don't have to figure that out alone," Seung-hoo said. "You don't even have to solve everything today. Just… come a little closer. Away from the edge. We can talk properly."
For a long moment, the man didn't move.
Below them, the distant noise of the city drifted upward—cars, voices, sirens, the world still going on as if nothing was happening on this rooftop.
"I feel like no one sees me," the man whispered. "Like I could disappear and it wouldn't matter."
Seung-hoo shook his head slowly. "I see you right now. And it matters."
The man looked up at him, eyes red and swollen. "Why… why are you helping me?"
Seung-hoo hesitated, then answered honestly. "Because I know what it feels like to be ignored. To be treated like nothing."
The man's lips trembled. "I don't even know your name…"
"…Seung-hoo," he said. "And you don't have to be alone up here with those thoughts."
The man took a shaky breath, his feet shifting slightly on the concrete as if unsure where to stand.
"I'm scared," he admitted quietly.
"That's okay," Seung-hoo said. "You can be scared. Just don't face it by yourself."
The wind continued to blow between them, and the space separating Seung-hoo and the man felt thinner than before, like the distance wasn't only physical anymore.