Normally, Joo-hyun would have looked at Ga-ram preparing his matching guide with disinterest, as if hearing about another world. However, right now Joo-hyun had Cha In-ho. He wondered if he would have acted like Ga-ram if Cha In-ho were here with him. Of course, it was a meaningless curiosity.
Ga-ram tightly hugged his guide, closed the door of the car, and walked over to Joo-hyun.
"What are you doing? Aren't you going? Don't dawdle."
He hadn't even expected a thank you for waiting. Silently turning around, Joo-hyun started walking ahead.
When they arrived at ES-23, it was an abstract gate with light scattering in various directions. Generally, gates were circular or rectangular, but there were no statistics indicating abstract shapes were more dangerous, so it didn't matter.
The problem was the large drag marks on the dirt in front of the gate. Judging by the crushed and broken grass, a monster had already passed through the gate.
Holding their breaths, they surveyed the surroundings, but the forest, covered in trees and grass, was eerily silent.
"What do you think? Should we chase the monster or check inside the gate first?"
"There are no civilians around, so it's better to check the gate first. It'll be troublesome if more monsters come out."
Nodding, Ga-ram stepped into the gate first. The sight of a person disappearing in an instant was amazing, but it was just another daily occurrence for espers.
Beyond the gate was a desert where their feet sank into the sand. The environments within gates varied, but deserts were among the worst.
"Ugh, a desert? How annoying..."
Ga-ram used his wings to shield his head from the sun. The air was hot, so it didn't help much, but it was better than nothing.
Without such protection, Joo-hyun untied his scarf and wrapped it around his wrist to wipe off the sweat.
"That always looks vicious. It's a perfect design for a rabid dog."
"Shut up and follow me before I leave you behind."
"Hmph, as if I'd leave you."
The scorching sun heated his choker, making his skin tingle. Ignoring the sensation, Joo-hyun trudged forward through the sinking sand. They had a long way to go.
"Runaway esper."
"..."
"Runaway... Ugh, Joo-hyun."
"What."
"What do you think?"
"About what."
"The gate. Do you think it's another planet?"
Research on gates was still ongoing, but nothing was confirmed. The theory that the space beyond gates was another planet was the most popular, although the hypothesis of it being a parallel Earth also had significant support due to the environments' similarities to Earth.
"I don't know. I don't want to know."
"You're a cold one."
"Still, I'd rather it be revealed soon. If civilians go in out of curiosity and disappear, it's a hassle."
Despite the world beyond being full of monsters and lacking human civilisation, civilians kept attempting to cross the gate, lured by its mysterious allure. It was legally prohibited, given the danger from monsters and the risk of getting lost, but people still tried.
Joo-hyun wiped his forehead with his scarf again. The sweltering heat from above was hard to bear, but the sand draining his stamina was worse.
"It's rare to see a gate with no monsters like this. Interesting."
Feathers gathered and flapped in the air, stirring a breeze that tousled Ga-ram's blonde hair. Joo-hyun, watching the feathers, grabbed a handful and didn't let go.
"Such a bad temper."
Ga-ram grumbled, but Joo-hyun didn't care. As Ga-ram had noted, there was nothing around but sand, with no sign of monsters.
On average, an esper would encounter about ten monsters within five minutes of crossing a gate. Weak monsters tended to group together, while stronger, larger ones were fewer in number.
While extremes existed, it felt uneasy to consider their luck was simply good.
Then, Joo-hyun and Ga-ram stopped. A massive corpse, half-buried in the sand, was dried out, likely due to the arid climate.
At Ga-ram's gesture, feathers flew over and cleared the sand. The monster had a huge hole in its belly, but the damage was so severe it was hard to tell what kind of attack it had suffered.
"Judging by its size, it could be Yellow-grade."
Monsters were classified by colours representing the rainbow: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, with Purple being the weakest and the grades increasing in strength up the scale. Defeating a Yellow-grade monster typically required three A-grade espers.
"Where are the ones who hunted this? Can you find them with your ability?"
"If it were soil, maybe, but not in the sand."
"Useless."
"Are you any better? Don't complain when you barely use your power, afraid of going runaway."
Runaway espers, including Joo-hyun, tended to conserve their abilities due to the lack of proper guiding. Even now, Joo-hyun was stubbornly trudging through the sand instead of using his power to walk easily.
Joo-hyun looked up at the clear blue sky and sighed, picking up the pace.
They found several more corpses, each with a large hole in its body, all dried up.
The detector's maximum range was about 10 km, and even at its farthest reach, they found no significant clues. It could be a peaceful gate with all the monsters gone, but the consistent Yellow-grade corpses were concerning.
It didn't seem like territorial disputes, as there were no monsters guarding the territory, and if it were a hunt, a pack of at least ten Green-grade monsters should have left signs.
"I see nothing but sand."
Ga-ram, who had surveyed the area from the air, shook his head.
"Maybe it's just an abandoned gate."
"Maybe they fought among themselves. Either way, good for us."
Gates connected spaces, but not all monsters tried to cross them. They just stumbled through if they happened to find one.
The more monsters near a gate, the higher the chances of crossing, so espers regularly checked. A gate like ES-23, with fewer monsters, required less attention.
"We just need to deal with any monsters that crossed over, and we're done. I won't miss seeing your bad-tempered runaway esper face!"
Joo-hyun suddenly stopped. Ga-ram, who had walked a few steps ahead, raised an eyebrow and turned back.
Joo-hyun stood still, staring at a part of the sand where a giant paw with sharp claws was sticking out.
"What? What's wrong?"
"Dig that out."
Normally, Ga-ram would have grumbled about being ordered around, but he swiftly adopted the face of an S-grade esper and cleared the sand.
"You know about the Red-grade monster that appeared at BN-6."
"Yeah. It took out two espers."
"This is it. It matches the description perfectly."
Seung-cheol, who was on the mission then, had survived and provided a detailed account of how strong the monster was.
Red-grade monsters were relatively rare but not so scarce. However, the reason Joo-hyun was tense was that the Red-grade monster had a hole in its belly like the Yellow-grade ones.
"It wasn't a territorial dispute. It was a one-sided hunt by a predator."
Joo-hyun's red eyes met Ga-ram's blue ones. Their battle-hardened instincts were sharp.
Where was the monster that had no hesitation in preying on a Red-grade monster now?
"Hold on tight. We're flying as fast as possible."
Cutting through the dry, hot air, the two espers flew. Joo-hyun brushed aside the feathers and leapt out as they neared the gate.
"I'll take the left. You go right!"
"Don't give orders. I'm taking the left!"
Shaking his head at Ga-ram's shout, Joo-hyun crossed the gate and ran to the right.
Monster grades generally ranged from Red to Purple, but there was one more above them. Though exceedingly rare, it was classified: Black.
The last Black-grade monster appeared eight years ago at the GW-11 gate. The first to encounter it were an A-grade esper and three B-grade espers. None returned.
Only after several more teams of lower-grade espers failed to come back did the association send an SS-grade esper to GW-11.
They found a monster that could only be described as savage.
If a Black-grade monster roamed freely beyond the gate, the destruction could be immense. Although it wasn't confirmed as Black-grade yet, even a strong Red-grade monster was dangerous.
Joo-hyun, running through the pathless mountain, paused, sensing something off, and caught his breath.
The surroundings were overgrown with grass, the trees were so dense that the sky was obscured, and not a single sound of an insect could be heard.
Crunch.
Joo-hyun, who had pushed through the grass, looked down at the deer sprawled out like rubbish with a hardened face. The deer had died with its lower body completely missing and its eyes still open. The blood that stained the ground red was still fresh, indicating that the deer had been alive until just moments ago.
It was a scene difficult to stomach for anyone with a normal constitution, but what caught Joo-hyun's interest was the large hole next to it.
At first glance, the hole, just under two metres in size, was too dark to see inside. Fortunately, the hole was smaller than expected, but if it crawled underground, it would be much harder to find.
It was a relief that it had emerged from a gate in a remote mountain area. Just thinking about what would happen if such a monster roamed in a city made him sigh.
Joo-hyun, who was carefully searching, found holes everywhere. Nearby were mostly animal carcasses, and even in places where there was nothing, there were always traces of something having been devoured.
The sooner he found it, the less damage there would be, but the rugged terrain slowed him down.
Joo-hyun gritted his teeth and pushed through the grass up to his waist when he heard Yoon Ga-ram's urgent voice through the earpiece.
"Get to my car right now."
The holes made by the monster were scattered, and there were no traces of it roaming around. The monsters found dead beyond the gate had their abdomens torn open without any other injuries. It was as if they had been attacked suddenly by something with no time to defend.
After a brief moment of thought, Joo-hyun did not hesitate to use his ability. At his will, the tall grass parted to create a path.
Using his ability, he almost flew through the air as he ran, hoping that the guide waiting in Yoon Ga-ram's car was safe.
As he dashed down the mountain path like an arrow, Joo-hyun realised why the holes were so small compared to the wounds on the dead monsters.
The monster standing in front of the car had a long, snake-like body with a width that looked at least twice as large as the hole. Moreover, its body was covered in brown scales with long, sharp horns sticking out, looking rough enough to peel skin with a mere touch.
He didn't know its exact structure, but it seemed that it could fold its horns and shrink its body to move efficiently underground.
Joo-hyun held his breath and swallowed.
A huge body. The ability to tunnel underground. Plus, being able to hunt Yellow-grade monsters instantly without leaving a trace suggested it was a top predator among Red-grade monsters.
The fact that he had to fight this monster in the real world rather than beyond the gate meant there was little he could do alone. Here, the best he could do was flee and call for support. Joo-hyun knew this well. However...
The guide, who was stuck to the seat in the half-destroyed car, looked on the verge of fainting and couldn't even breathe.
Joo-hyun used his ability to stab the monster's back with all his strength. As expected, the tough scales didn't pierce. The monster, turning sharply, had eight eyes that whirled around before fixing on Joo-hyun.
"Yeah. Let's play."
The runaway esper facing a monster he could never defeat smiled savagely.
* * *
Joo-hyun's file under the ability section was written as follows:
[Psychokinesis of rather physical type.]
As it stated, his psychokinesis was far more physical than usual. For instance, he could make it sharp enough to stab an opponent to death or use it as steps to climb, among various other uses.
Of course, it could also form a barrier, though not as strong as an S-grade esper's, but it was still fairly useful.
Crash!
One such barrier shattered with a single gesture from the monster. Even forming another barrier quickly, it was easily broken again.
Joo-hyun was already covered in dirt and had scratches everywhere, but the monster showed no signs of fatigue.
It was a desperate situation, but Joo-hyun didn't think it was all that bad. The monster in front of him was strong among the Red-grade, but it wasn't Black-grade. If he could stall for time, even if he died, the monster would soon be hunted by the espers coming for support.
"Hold on a little longer. I'm on my way."
He heard Yoon Ga-ram's voice through the earpiece. At that moment, the monster lunged, and Joo-hyun quickly rolled to the side.
The monster's mouth was full of sharp teeth, enough to tear through dead monsters and animals in one bite.
Kieeek!
As he stabbed the inside of its open mouth with psychokinesis sharpened like an awl, the monster twisted its body and let out a terrible scream. The ground shook like an earthquake as the giant body thrashed.
"Did your wings break? Why is it taking you so long?"
"Shut up."
"Soon, you won't have to shut up, argh."
Joo-hyun barely dodged the attacking monster but couldn't avoid the sharp horn that cut his forearm. Clutching his bleeding arm, he hid in the grass and tightly bound the wound with his red belt.
"It's fast for its size, but it doesn't have poison or other abilities. The size is... a bit over ten metres?"
Crash!
Joo-hyun blocked the monster's descending body with a barrier and panted heavily. His current task was to hold out as long as possible while passing on information about the unknown monster.
Another barrier shattered as Joo-hyun was thrown against a tree, spitting out blood. It seemed his ability was only at B-grade today.
The monster's eyes gleamed with anger. Infuriated by the small, weak prey that wouldn't be easily caught, it let out a low growl.
Unlike the empty desert, the densely grown trees were bothersome as the horns kept getting caught. The monster's thrashing became more intense. It usually relied on ambushes to hunt in one strike, so Joo-hyun's narrow escapes were undoubtedly frustrating it.
'The moment it hesitates out of exhaustion will be my only chance.' Joo-hyun swallowed his bitter saliva and caught his breath. Suddenly, the monster stopped moving.
After rolling its eyes briefly, it reduced its size to less than half and pressed its horns flat against its scales. The horns gathered sharply in front, and it quickly dug into the ground, pushing its long body underground.
"Damn it!"
Joo-hyun immediately knew where the monster was heading. It was going for the easy prey he had almost caught earlier.
Already, a headache from the lack of guiding began to set in, and his limbs felt heavy. But Joo-hyun had to move. He needed to save as many lives as possible to atone for the lives he had taken. Even though surviving today meant he would take more lives tomorrow, still...
Joo-hyun had never forgotten that day eleven years ago. The sight of his loved ones' bodies sprawled out still haunted him every dawn. Red blood, a full moon, a collapsed...
'Enough.' He told himself.
Now was not the time for such thoughts. Clenching his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, Joo-hyun took a step toward where the monster was.
The monster was incredibly fast as it tunnelled underground, but thanks to Joo-hyun's use of his ability to sprint through the air, he arrived not too late. Joo-hyun reached out, and the guide, waiting at the agreed spot according to the emergency protocol, floated up.
Immediately after, the half-destroyed car was completely crushed by the monster's emerging mouth. As Joo-hyun lowered the shocked guide onto a tree branch, he wiped his bleeding nose with his scarf.
"Sorry, but I still want to play. Entertain me."
The monster, now fully aroused, stood up with its horns raised and mouth wide open. Somehow, it seemed even larger than before, making Joo-hyun feel daunted.
Even if he died here, Joo-hyun wouldn't regret it. It was a far better death than having his head blown off by the bomb around his neck.
In Block C, death was a daily occurrence, and his comrades wouldn't mourn his death much. He had no family to speak of, and outside Block C, no friends. And Cha In-ho, would he mourn Joo-hyun's death?
Maybe, maybe not. No, probably not. Their matching was only for mutual benefit, so why would he feel sorrow?
The reason he kept thinking about Cha In-ho was certainly because he had saved Joo-hyun's life. His life-saver. It might not be a grand thing, but the essence was no different.
Krrr!
The monster lunged. Having used his ability to near its limit, Joo-hyun could no longer hold back.
The runaway esper, knowing the best way to minimise damage even in death, began to fly towards the gate. As expected, the monster quickly followed, tearing through grass and trees with incredible speed, chasing its small, annoying prey.
If you died beyond the gate, there was a high probability that the monster would burrow into the familiar sand. Eventually, an esper would have to be dispatched to capture it, but for now, it wouldn't target a guide again or further tear up the mountain.
In that case, Joo-hyun's death would be somewhat meaningful. For a runaway esper, it would be a glorious end.
However, one thing was bothersome: only a fortnight ago, Cha In-ho had gone to great lengths to save Joo-hyun, and now this had happened.
Just as he thought it was somewhat embarrassing, Joo-hyun's life, as usual, seemed unwilling to flow in the desired direction.
Excessive use of his abilities caused his heart to race. A metallic taste rose in his throat, and his vision swam. It would be better to stop using his abilities and rest immediately, but the moment he let his guard down, the monster would surely devour him.
If you died beyond the gate, there was a high probability that the monster would burrow into the familiar sand. Eventually, an esper would have to be dispatched to capture it, but for now, it wouldn't target a guide again or further tear up the mountain.
In that case, Joo-hyun's death would be somewhat meaningful. For a runaway esper, it would be a glorious end.
However, one thing was bothersome: only a fortnight ago, Cha In-ho had gone to great lengths to save Joo-hyun, and now this had happened.
Just as he thought it was somewhat embarrassing, Joo-hyun's life, as usual, seemed unwilling to flow in the desired direction.
Excessive use of his abilities caused his heart to race. A metallic taste rose in his throat, and his vision swam. It would be better to stop using his abilities and rest immediately, but the moment he let his guard down, the monster would surely devour him.
However, Joo-hyun collapsed to the ground before reaching the gate. His poor condition today was partly to blame. Forcing himself to stab the monster in the eye, Joo-hyun coughed up blood.
It had been a long time since he used his abilities so much. Perhaps he had saved them too much, causing them to become stiff. Was it poetic justice? He chuckled as he looked up at the approaching monster.
"Close your eyes."
Yoon Ga-ram's voice came through the communicator, and without hesitation, Joo-hyun closed his eyes before the monster aiming for his life.
Then, a thunderous crash! Lightning struck from the clear sky. Even with his eyelids closed, the light was so bright that his vision flickered white for a moment.
"You managed to survive."
In front of Joo-hyun, who slowly opened his eyes, stood a smirking angel with wings. Beyond him, the charred monster lay motionless, emitting smoke.
"…Why were you so late?"
"There were two that crossed the gate. A couple, maybe? They looked slightly different."
Joo-hyun, staggering to his feet and brushing off his trousers, let out a deep sigh. The release of tension drained the little remaining strength, but the mission wasn't over yet.
"Are you sure there were two?"
"I checked the whole mountain while tearing it up. I accidentally knocked out three moles. You have no idea how many tunnels I had to dig up."
Joo-hyun moved to carefully observe the dead monster. No matter how much he looked, the ability was absurd. Despite coughing up blood, Joo-hyun barely managed to flee, while Ga-ram solved most problems with a single lightning strike.
"You look like a mess."
Ga-ram's blue eyes narrowed in mockery. Covered in blood and wounds, Joo-hyun's appearance was an understatement even to call it a mess.
It was so true that he didn't even feel like retorting. Slowly removing his scarf to wipe his face, Joo-hyun waited for the pounding headache to subside.
"How do you feel? Think you might run out of control?"
"A bit."
"Don't worry. If you do, I'll subdue you immediately. I'll fry you until your hair's gone."
The mischievous voice was full of delight. In the distance, the sound of reinforcements called by Ga-ram could be heard.
Joo-hyun made an effort to fold the scarf and wrap it around his neck. As Ga-ram said, the scarf covered the blood-stained, nasty-looking choker.
"No need. My head will be blown off before you even touch me."
As the bushes parted, an esper wearing a cloak appeared. He smiled at Ga-ram but immediately stiffened upon seeing Joo-hyun, or rather the red stains on his clothes.
He didn't hide his displeasure, and Joo-hyun didn't react either. That was the usual attitude toward runaway espers. Simply stepping back to avoid interfering with them, Joo-hyun carefully massaged his aching arm.
* * *
The reinforcements consisted of two espers and three guides. With one S-grade and one A-grade, they would be more than capable of handling any more monsters that appeared.
While they dealt with the charred corpse, Joo-hyun sat alone at a considerable distance, resting. Bowing his head and catching his breath, he was relieved to find the bleeding had stopped. He didn't need any guiding drugs, after all.
"I checked the whole mountain while tearing it up. I accidentally knocked out three moles. You have no idea how many tunnels I had to dig up."
Joo-hyun moved to carefully observe the dead monster. No matter how much he looked, the ability was absurd. Despite coughing up blood, Joo-hyun barely managed to flee, while Ga-ram solved most problems with a single lightning strike.
"You look like a mess."
Ga-ram's blue eyes narrowed in mockery. Covered in blood and wounds, Joo-hyun's appearance was an understatement even to call it a mess.
It was so true that he didn't even feel like retorting. Slowly removing his scarf to wipe his face, Joo-hyun waited for the pounding headache to subside.
"How do you feel? Think you might run out of control?"
"A bit."
"Don't worry. If you do, I'll subdue you immediately. I'll fry you until your hair's gone."
The mischievous voice was full of delight. In the distance, the sound of reinforcements called by Ga-ram could be heard.
Joo-hyun made an effort to fold the scarf and wrap it around his neck. As Ga-ram said, the scarf covered the blood-stained, nasty-looking choker.
"No need. My head will be blown off before you even touch me."
As the bushes parted, an esper wearing a cloak appeared. He smiled at Ga-ram but immediately stiffened upon seeing Joo-hyun, or rather the red stains on his clothes.
He didn't hide his displeasure, and Joo-hyun didn't react either. That was the usual attitude toward runaway espers. Simply stepping back to avoid interfering with them, Joo-hyun carefully massaged his aching arm.
* * *
The reinforcements consisted of two espers and three guides. With one S-grade and one A-grade, they would be more than capable of handling any more monsters that appeared.
While they dealt with the charred corpse, Joo-hyun sat alone at a considerable distance, resting. Bowing his head and catching his breath, he was relieved to find the bleeding had stopped. He didn't need any guiding drugs, after all.
He sat on a tree felled by the monster, sensing someone approach and sit beside him. He didn't need to look to know who it was. Only one person here would come to Joo-hyun so readily.
"…They're not a couple, they're offspring. Their sizes are completely different."
"Really? They looked like a couple to me."
Joo-hyun fell silent at the brazen voice. The monster Ga-ram dealt with was half the size of the one Joo-hyun fought. But because it was smaller, Ga-ram might have had a harder time finding it.
"They say it's Red-grade, not Black. It suddenly ambushed from the desert, easily hunting creatures stronger than itself."
Though the mission was shared, it didn't bother Joo-hyun that Ga-ram was the only one given information.
His heartbeat, still faster than usual, thudded in his ears. As he swept his sweat-drenched hair back, the mountain breeze brushed his forehead.
With trembling hands, Joo-hyun took out a cigarette, hesitated briefly, and then lit it with a lighter. The smell of oil surged, and he felt the acrid smoke fill his lungs.
"Quit smoking. At least do it when I'm not around."
"Then leave."
Ga-ram clicked his tongue, his wings fluttering discontentedly. Though Joo-hyun knew they were held by static electricity, they looked convincingly like real wings.
"You don't use matches anymore?"
"…I got it from my matching guide."
Why did he answer that question?
Ga-ram had three matching guides by contract. As an esper who was obsessed with guides, he cherished and adored all three. That was why he didn't ask Joo-hyun for help when he knew the monster was targeting his guide.
Turning his head, he saw Ga-ram's blue eyes widen. It was surprising, indeed.
"Why. Is it strange for me to have a guide?"
Ga-ram's blonde hair, tied back, swayed in the wind. With an expression as if he had swallowed a large rock, he exclaimed.
"Of course it's strange. Isn't it?"
Grabbing his erratically flapping wings, Ga-ram held a handful of feathers. When he let go, they stuck back to the wings like magnets.
"What crazy person would pair with a runaway esper… Ah, is it Cha In-ho?"
Ga-ram's eyes widened as he grabbed Joo-hyun's shoulder. The blue eyes stared intensely at Joo-hyun, who felt a strange pressure and nodded.
"Do you know him?"
"Of course. There was so much noise everywhere about him being the first to manifest so late."
Ga-ram's bleached blonde hair was lightly pulled by his fingers. Propping his elbows on his knees, Ga-ram groaned for a while before straightening up. Contrary to his earlier hesitation, his expression was unexpectedly indifferent and calm.
"Well… it doesn't really matter to me what happens to you."
"You really know how to sweet-talk."
"It's a favour for saving my guide."
The pristine white wings spread wide, enveloping the two of them. In the darkness, an artificial blue light glimmered.
"Be careful of him."
"Of him?"
"Cha In-ho."
Ga-ram whispered, pulling his wings back. Suddenly, the surrounding noise filled in as if the previous silence had been a lie. The sound of wind, birds, and insects. Listening to the peaceful sounds, Joo-hyun gritted his teeth. The emotions reflected in his blood-red eyes were anger.
"If you're trying to sow discord just because I got a matching guide—"
"It's not like that. Can't a person give a friendly warning without causing a fuss?"
Ga-ram muttered, kicking a pebble in front of him. Even with a light kick, the pebble flew out of sight in an instant, befitting an S-grade esper.
"I met him at the broadcasting station once."
"You're not a celebrity, so what were you doing at a broadcasting station?"
"I thought I showed my face on screen quite a bit. Don't you have a TV at home?"
There wasn't really a place he could call his home, but Joo-hyun wasn't about to reveal his lack. Motioning for him to continue, Joo-hyun saw Ga-ram frown but continue the story.
"Anyway, we weren't on the same show. We just crossed paths in the hallway. I've never seen anyone control their energy waves so well. If I weren't S-grade, I wouldn't have noticed."
It seemed like self-praise, but the content was heavier than expected.
"I asked him if he was a guide, having never heard of him being one."
"So, what did he say?"
Ga-ram lowered his voice, speaking as if sharing a secret.
"He just laughed it off. And then, four days later, there was an article about him being a guide."
Joo-hyun, taken aback, bit his lower lip. If it were a coincidence, there was nothing to say, but it was too suspicious to ignore.
"Doesn't it seem strange to you?"
Joo-hyun didn't know how to respond to Ga-ram's question. Even nodding felt like too much.
"Did you not think that he might have struck first to prevent anyone from revealing he was a guide?"
That was also Joo-hyun's first thought as soon as he heard Ga-ram's words.
"Even so..."
Joo-hyun stubbed out the cigarette against a tree. He didn't need more injuries when his guiding was already insufficient.
"Anyway, something feels off. Be careful."
The lighter clicked open with a strangely addictive sound. Fixing his gaze on the lighter, Joo-hyun spoke.
"Could it not have been a simple matter of bad timing?"
"What?"
"He manifested and got the test results before meeting you, and somehow..."
His voice trailed off. He knew it was a ridiculous excuse, but the words came out before he could think.
There was nothing to gain from defending Cha In-ho. With Ga-ram's information, the best course was to be more vigilant and stay hidden, so why was Joo-hyun stammering out excuses for Cha In-ho? Regret washed over him like a wave, but there was no way to take back what he had said.
Joo-hyun, who never dwelled on inevitable matters, fell silent.
"You... Never mind. I would have probably said the same."
"What? Why start speaking only to stop? It's irritating."
"I just thought, you really are an esper."
Having said that, Ga-ram shook his head slightly, a resigned smile on his face. For some reason, the gaze that looked down at him held such tenderness that it made him feel emotional.
"Do you think I would be a guide, not an esper? Take off those rubbish lenses. You can't even see properly."
Despite the irritable words, Ga-ram didn't respond as he usually would. He just widened his eyes and muttered with a lifeless expression.
"A foul-tempered runaway esper and a suspicious guide. Perfect match. Hope you stay together for a hundred years."
There was no need to mention it was a one-year contract. If Ga-ram found out the matching guide would disappear in a year, he would definitely tease him relentlessly.
At that moment, a voice from the communicator in Ga-ram's pocket announced that the mission was completed. Finally, the mission was over.
Watching the large wings retreat quickly, Joo-hyun rubbed his face dry.
* * *
Joo-hyun's signed contract stated: guiding twice a week, on days of Cha In-ho's choosing. It meant that just because he came back from a mission battered, he couldn't receive guiding right away.
Knowing this, he couldn't help but feel regretful. Originally, it was normal to have nothing at all, but humans are indeed creatures of greed.
Joo-hyun washed away the filthy dust with cold water and looked into the vertically cracked mirror. His eyes were much darker than usual, and his skin was pale due to significant blood loss.
His arm, marked by the belt, showed a hideous wound where the flesh had been torn by a monster's horn. Guiding would heal it quickly, but there was no one to guide him at the moment.
With familiar skill, Joo-hyun wrapped a bandage tightly around the wound. The pressure made his fingers tingle, but it was much better than bleeding out and running out of control.
Barely able to stand with his oddly weakened body, Joo-hyun rested his forehead against the mirror. The cold surface seemed to slightly alleviate his headache.
He didn't know when Cha In-ho would come. It was still Wednesday, and Cha In-ho had last come on Monday.
"Hopefully, not Sunday..."
With his head spinning, Joo-hyun swallowed something. Perhaps it was anger, perhaps pain, perhaps tears. He didn't know, except that it tasted awful.
* * *
Cha In-ho came on Saturday. Entering the guiding room with his usual neat and handsome face, he widened his eyes as soon as he saw Joo-hyun. Skipping any greeting, he approached and grabbed his hand, clearly concerned about his condition.
Even with a frown, a pretty face remains pretty. That thought crossed his mind vacantly.
"Have you caught a cold? You look terribly unwell."
"There was just a troublesome mission."
With a hardened expression, Cha In-ho stepped back and began to scrutinise Joo-hyun from head to toe. Joo-hyun, lacking the energy to protest, slowly removed his outerwear under the searching gaze looking for injuries.
"When was the mission?"
"Wednesday."
"...You've been enduring the pain from Wednesday until now?"
Knowing that guiding would heal him, he hadn't worried, but the wound on his arm had festered. Cha In-ho carefully unwrapped the blackened bandage. The exposed wound was gruesome, but it wasn't anything new to Joo-hyun.
"You..."
Cha In-ho seemed to want to say something but soon fell silent and focused on guiding. The faint scent from Cha In-ho enveloped him as he gently held Joo-hyun's arm.
With the sudden rush of warm guiding, the fatigue and pain that had consumed his body quickly receded. Unconsciously, Joo-hyun relaxed and buried his face in Cha In-ho's shoulder.
Worried about being pushed away, he was surprised when the guide didn't reject the injured esper. After a moment of tension, Cha In-ho slowly relaxed and cautiously wrapped his arms around Joo-hyun's back.
The embrace was very warm and comforting, even giving a rare sense of safety that was uncommon in Joo-hyun's life. Despite knowing espers shouldn't initiate contact as per the contract, he decided to momentarily forget.
The guide's warm hand patted his back. The headache noticeably decreased, perhaps due to the forehead contact. Ga-ram's words suddenly came to mind.
"Be careful with him."
"You should have contacted me if you needed guiding."
The soft, soothing voice interrupted his reverie. Joo-hyun, who hadn't done anything to be consoled for, asked while catching his breath like someone rescued from water or a fish returning to the sea.
"How?"
"Well..."
Joo-hyun had no way to contact Cha In-ho. He didn't know his contact details, and even if he asked the staff to call him, they wouldn't listen.
As the wound healed and the fluctuating waves calmed down, Joo-hyun lifted his head at the retreating touch of Cha In-ho. The clearer vision felt strangely unfamiliar, causing him to rub his eyes reflexively.
"Here is my personal phone number. Contact me anytime. I can't guarantee I'll always answer, but I'll try my best."
The sound of rustling paper suggested he was writing down his number. Joo-hyun briefly looked at Cha In-ho, who was holding out the paper.
He had guessed that Cha In-ho might have been a guide even before the news broke out. His guiding skills were too good to believe he had just manifested. However, having it confirmed by someone else left him unsure of how to react.
What was Cha In-ho's purpose? Why had he hidden the fact he was a guide and revealed it so late? Why had he come to this place specifically to match with a runaway esper like Joo-hyun?
"Whether it's a call or a text, it doesn't have to be only when you need guiding. Even if you just want to talk to someone."
His scarred hand took the small piece of paper. Cha In-ho's handwriting was smooth and neat, oddly familiar.
Among the espers in Block C, none had mobile phones, nor could they have one even if they wanted. As he searched for a response, Joo-hyun simply nodded silently. That seemed to satisfy Cha In-ho, who smiled with eyes that crinkled.
A suspicious guide. Cha In-ho might be a suspicious guide, but he was Joo-hyun's matching guide nonetheless.
Crumpling the paper with the famous actor's phone number, Joo-hyun shoved it into his pocket.
The resolve not to become attached to the guide was wavering from deep within. He couldn't pinpoint when it had started, but he distinctly felt it when he had faced death and then opened his eyes alive. The weary face that had held his hand amidst dried blood and dust often appeared in his dreams since that day.
Hiding his rising fear, the esper quietly closed his eyes.
..."
"..."
The damp air, sticky against the skin, filled the room. It seemed like no one knew what to say. Joo-hyun felt the same. The news that Beom-gyu brought was incredibly sad, yet somehow familiar.
"Why isn't anyone saying anything? Noona, Hana, is dead!"
Beom-gyu shouted in a voice filled with anger, tears streaming down his face.
Hana had been a runaway esper who had been in Block C for about two years. She had gone on a long-term mission last week and never returned. Despite the sadness, no tears came to Joo-hyun's eyes. Perhaps it was because he was a heartless person.
"Don't you feel sad? Chae-kyung-hyung, Se-hwa-noona, and Hana-noona were all close. So why aren't you crying?"
"Everyone will die if cry every time, you'll die of dehydration pretty early yourself."
Beom-gyu's sharply spoken words made Joo-hyun snap his head up. Beom-gyu grabbed Joo-hyun's collar, but Joo-hyun raised his hand as if to stop him. Chae-kyung, who was standing nearby, tried to restrain Beom-gyu, but Joo-hyun calmly lowered his hand instead.
Beom-gyu's red eyes, filled with rage and pain, glared at Joo-hyun with deep resentment. It was the first time Beom-gyu, who had become a runaway esper before the torture of repeated battles, had lost a comrade.
"If I hurt you, I'm sorry, but it's the truth."
"Don't be ridiculous. Who wouldn't be sad when a comrade dies?"
Beom-gyu shouted, and before he could control his ability, Joo-hyun felt a sharp pain on his cheek. When he rubbed it with the back of his hand, a bit of red blood smeared off.
Startled by Joo-hyun's wound, Beom-gyu let go, and Chae-kyung squeezed in between them.
"Stop it. Fighting among ourselves won't do any good."
Even through the jet-black sunglasses, one could sense Chae-kyung's sharp gaze. Beom-gyu wiped his tears with his arm and took a few steps back.
"Of course, we're sad too. Hana was a good person. But maybe we're too exhausted to cry over every single death."
Yes, they were too exhausted. They were tired of seeing those who had laughed beside them until yesterday fail to even return as corpses, and tired of living on the edge of death every day.
A chronic lack of guiding they had never experienced before becoming runaway espers. Dirtying missions. Guilty consciences. Fear of death. The feeling of losing everything they had built up in their lives.
Se-hwa, who had gone on a rampage six years ago, had been declared dead, and she couldn't contact her family and friends.
Seung-cheol, who had been in Block C for over three years, had a deep scar on his wrist that would never fade.
Chae-kyung, an S-grade esper before he went on a rampage, needed a higher dosage than others, leading to his addiction to guiding drugs.
And Han-gyeol… Joo-hyun shook his head. Thinking about someone who died long ago didn't help with surviving now.
Perhaps the reason Joo-hyun had survived in Block C for eleven years was because he had left so little behind. His life had been a mess from the start, so there was nothing to miss or look back on.
"I don't understand. Isn't it natural to be sad when someone dies?"
Beom-gyu said, his voice trembling. He was the only one here who still contacted his family.
Generally, an esper's family distanced themselves from their children from a young age, and as they grew up, missions kept them apart for long periods, diminishing their affection. When they heard that their child had become a runaway esper and could no longer be contacted for safety reasons, the connection was severed.
Even if they were family, knowing the infamy of runaway espers, they couldn't help but be afraid.
But Beom-gyu's family was different. They pestered the centre to let them at least speak with their son, and eventually, Beom-gyu was allowed to hear their voices. Of course, there were rules that he couldn't speak about missions or Block C, but Beom-gyu seemed content with that.
In the hallway outside Block C's lounge, there was an old payphone. It was the only way runaway espers could contact the outside world, but interestingly, calls to 119, 112, and the Esper-Guide Centre were not allowed.
Moreover, even if there were no rules, there was no need to worry about revealing secrets. The communication system filtered out sensitive words, so the other party would only hear sounds like tuning a radio.
At first, Beom-gyu seemed to struggle with the trial and error of communicating with his family, but now he chose his words carefully when making calls. Regardless, he was the only one in Block C who bought phone cards from the shop.
The centre director was worried that Beom-gyu might slip up and assigned him only typical esper missions. His ability being unsuitable for assassinations was also a factor.
The other espers in Block C didn't tell Beom-gyu about the dirty and grim missions they usually handled. There was no need to.
Everyone silently hoped that Beom-gyu, uncharacteristically bright for a runaway esper, would stay that way. That's why they didn't know how to react now.
Usually, when news of a comrade's death came, they mourned in silence. Then they got up and pretended to be normal to face the future. There was no need to add sadness to a reality already filled with discomfort and pain.
But for Beom-gyu, who thought it natural to laugh when happy and cry when sad, his comrades must have seemed strange.
"Stop crying and wipe your tears. I'll take Hana's clothes. Anyone else need anything?"
When Se-hwa shouted, everyone shook their heads. Only Beom-gyu stared at Se-hwa in shock.
Runaway espers didn't have anyone to conduct their funerals. If their bodies returned, it was fortunate enough, but unstable waves lingering in the corpse were deemed too dangerous. Destroying a body of a runaway esper was considered in line with safety measures.
With no family to claim their belongings or a coffin for keepsakes, the items naturally went to their comrades. It was a practice that had continued for a long time. Joo-hyun owned several belongings of those who had died.
"You're all insane."
Beom-gyu spat out the words and stormed out of the lounge with a rough motion. The remaining people made bitter expressions but didn't follow him.
"He's just young."
Se-hwa, lying on the sofa staring at the ceiling, remarked. Seung-cheol, who had been silent, let out a big sigh.
"To be honest, his reaction is normal."
Bom-i, chewing on a cigarette filter, commented. Her eyes, uncovered by her eyepatch, sharply stared into the air.
"Acting normal is only possible in a normal environment. How can we cry and fuss over every little thing in this hell?"
"Is a friend's death a little thing?"
Se-hwa and Bom-i glared at each other. Though usually on good terms, the situation had put them on edge.
"I said, stop fighting. Let's calm Beom-gyu down later."
"Chae-kyung hyung."
"Yeah?"
"Are we crazy?"
Chae-kyung didn't answer. Neither did anyone else, and Joo-hyun hadn't asked the question expecting an answer.
"...Who knows."
Beyond the bars of the window, the sky was a bright blue. An unknown bird flew somewhere beyond.
Hana, who particularly liked rainy days, had died on a clear day. Mourning the life of someone who couldn't even get what she wanted at the end, Joo-hyun buried his face in his palm. No tears came.
* * *
He could feel Beom-gyu's sidelong glances, but Joo-hyun didn't pay any attention. Honestly, he didn't have much to say. When he turned his head, Beom-gyu flinched and fixed his gaze out the window.
Today's mission was unusual as it involved just Beom-gyu and him. Normally, Beom-gyu only took gate-related missions, but this time his ability was needed.
'Illegal guiding drugs are being smuggled at an abandoned port. Find and destroy them all. Don't let anyone notice.'
Beom-gyu's ability was 'Air bomb'. His power could detonate the air without leaving any trace of fire, ash, or even light.
Moreover, Joo-hyun's skill in assassinating without being noticed made him the perfect partner to eliminate the gang members and destroy the drugs.
Despite the mission involving killing, Beom-gyu was included because he understood the dangers of illegal guiding drugs. The drugs were so dangerous that even criminals' deaths were justified if it prevented their distribution.
The mission itself didn't seem too dangerous or lengthy, but the real issue lay elsewhere. Currently, Beom-gyu and Joo-hyun's relationship was strained. After the incident with Hana's death, they hadn't had a chance to talk through before being sent on this mission.
Specifically, Beom-gyu hadn't yet cooled his anger, showing a slightly hardened attitude, while Joo-hyun remained as indifferent as ever.
Joo-hyun thought Beom-gyu had to resolve his feelings himself and thus had nothing to say. Apologising felt unwarranted since he didn't see himself as at fault, and he wasn't the type to comfort gently. So, he did nothing.
Feeling Beom-gyu's gaze again, Joo-hyun glanced sideways, causing Beom-gyu to flinch and turn away quickly. Joo-hyun swallowed a sigh and looked out the window.
In the reflection, he saw himself wearing a black hoodie. To avoid being recognised as an esper from the association, especially a runaway esper, he dressed like a regular person.
Inside the loose hoodie, he had concealed several lethal weapons, including a dagger and a handgun, but outwardly, he appeared normal. Or maybe he didn't. Perhaps people could tell he was a killer just by his aura.
His dark red eyes reflected dully in the window's glass. Finding it distasteful, Joo-hyun pulled his hood further down and sank into his seat.