So now he's back in Jaehyuk's study, and he's looking at his father, frozen in this second. Frozen in the second before Jaeha walked into it. How long could Jaeha hold him there, he wonders?

Well, if he holds it too long, he's going to go into that coma again. Can't be having that.

But he can hold Jaehyuk for a little bit longer while he walks around Jaehyuk's desk to unload the gun he had strapped to its underside. And, ah, the conversation's being recorded, too! Clever, too clever by half. But it turns out Jaeha's cleverer.

—it's the way Jaehyuk isn't sad. There's nothing in his eyes. There's nothing in the back of his scalp, in the pit of his stomach. Jaeha is a threat, Jaeha is an opportunity, Jaeha is a risk, but Jaeha is not, and has never, ever been...

...someone Jaehyuk loved.

Kang Jaehyuk is waiting in his study, as promised.

"Jaeha."

"Father."

He peers at his son. "You look well."

"I feel a lot better, thank you."

He blinks.

"...I think I could've died."

...he huffs a bit and leans back. "Yes. You could've. The doctors said..."

"I just—stopped. Right? You just found me and I wasn't responding. They told me." Or, you know, Jaeha acquired this information somehow, who cares how. "And if—if I'd been anywhere else, if someone hadn't found me, I might've—"

"We were very lucky. I... wasn't sure what was going on, no one could find anything wrong with you. And after a few days, since you were the right age..."

"I'm an esper," he says, nodding. "I can feel it. I don't, don't know exactly what I can do, yet. I haven't tried it, I don't want to risk it, but—I think I'm powerful."

"Do you know... what you can do, at all?"

"A little. Not much. Something... with minds. People. It's big, it's very big, it's..."

He waits.

Jaeha takes a deep breath. "Father, I'm... I'm sorry."

"...Jaeha?"

"It's so stupid, but I think I'm a bit stupid. Just, everyone says that when you almost die, that can change things, it makes you see things differently, and I never thought..."

"...son..."

(...oh, ow.)

"I've truly been a monumental cock for the past several years, haven't I?"

"You..."

"I know I have. It's just, it's..."

Sigh. "There's not any point in explaining it. I'm just sorry. I'm sorry about..."