Chapter 83 – ​The ​Price ​of ​a ​Misjudgment

The ​taxi ​dropped ​him ​off near the hospital. ​Near ​the hospital where ​Yoon Ki-hyun had ​gone ​through ​discharge ​procedures ​five ​days ago, the ​entrance ​to ​the gate was ​still shimmering with a ​strange light.

“Entry ​is prohibited ​for unauthorized ​personnel.”

“It is ​dangerous, ​so ​please detour to ​another road!”

The ​area around the road ​where the temporary base ​had been established was ​still under ​control. ​Yoon Ki-hyun headed toward the densely ​packed police lines. When ​he ​presented ​his ​Center ​ID to a ​police officer ​whose ​voice was half-hoarse ​from ​controlling pedestrians, the officer tilted ​his head.

“Are ​you ​a Guide?”

“Yes.”

A look ​of ​doubt ​crossed ​the ​officer’s face. ​He ​seemed to ​scan him up and down before unauthorized unauthorized copycopyour site">visit our sitebeginning ​to examine the ​ID closely.

“Your ID ​looks a bit different ​from the ​ones the people ​at ​the base have.”

“That’s ​because I’m a ​personal Guide.”

Since ​the ​existence of ​personal ​Guides wasn’t ​very ​widespread, suspicion ​flickered ​in ​the officer’s eyes.

“Sunbae!”

At ​the ​sound of ​a ​familiar ​voice, ​he glanced sideways to see Kim Sa-on, with a chocolate bar in his mouth, waving his hand vigorously. Looking delighted, Kim Sa-on ran up to the police line in one breath and chattered with his eyebrows drooping.

“What’s this? I heard you were sick. Did you come because of Team Leader Jeong?”

“For now.”

As Kim Sa-on, who had become a familiar face by frequently visiting the temporary base, acted friendly, the officer’s expression softened instantly. He handed back Yoon Ki-hyun’s visit [stolen content]style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[visit our site]our siteID, which he had been examining seriously, with an awkward smile.

“I’m sorry. It’s my first time seeing a personal Guide’s ID. After impersonating reporters, the most common thing internet broadcasters and videographers do is impersonate Guides.”

“It’s fine. You’re just doing your job.”

Yoon Ki-hyun hung the returned ID around his neck and gave a slight nod. It was a question asking if it was okay to enter. The officer bowed politely and allowed Yoon Ki-hyun into the temporary base.

“But no one has come out of the gate yet, Sunbae.”

Kim Sa-on muttered, folding the wrapper of the finished chocolate bar this way and that.

“Team Leader Seo was deployed additionally three days ago, right?”

“Yes…”

As he headed toward the Guide’s station with Kim Sa-on, he felt the gazes of familiar faces.

“…Team, hmm, Ki-hyun Sunbae.”

Among them was Hyun Ju-ho, who recognized Yoon Ki-hyun instantly and ran toward him. He cleared his throat midway, as if the title ‘Team Leader’ was still stuck to his tongue.

“Why are you calling me Sunbae?”

“I heard Sa-on calling you Sunbae, so I decided to do the same.”

“In terms of experience, I am a senior, but isn’t it a bit ambiguous?”

“What does it matter? It’s not like anyone’s going to arrest us.”

Hyun Ju-ho laughed easy-goingly and looked toward the gate, following Yoon Ki-hyun’s gaze.

“You came because you’re worried about Team Leader Jeong, right?”

“…I suppose so.”

“I heard he was originally on vacation. When he arrived at the base, his irritation was no joke, seriously.”

Kim Sa-on shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. It seemed Kim Sa-on had been sent along since the base was first established.

“He was irritated?”

“It was the last day of his vacation and he was called in, so he probably wasn’t in a good mood. Moreover, half of Special Team 2 were conquering other gates, so he went in with members drafted from other teams.”

Since the deputy team leader performs the gate conquest as the leader when the team leader is absent, it seemed Jeong Si-jun had entered a gate with an unmeasurable grade without Kim Cha-min, with whom he worked relatively well.

“What about Deputy Team Leader Kim Cha-min?”

“He said he would go in when Team Leader [unauthorized copy]style="opacity:0;font-size:0;">stolen contentwm: unauthorized copy -->Seo went in additionally, but I believe he ended up being left out because his injuries were too severe.”

“How badly was he hurt?”

“…He came in a wheelchair.”

“You’re saying he said he’d follow into the gate while in a wheelchair?”

“Yes… He said if he didn’t go in at a time like this, Team Leader Jeong wouldn’t let him die peacefully.”

“…”

Yoon Ki-hyun stared at the gate, speechless.

‘His personality is really…’

He hadn’t expected Jeong Si-jun to turn over a new leaf.

He knew the man refrained from swearing in front of him. Whenever the first syllable of a vulgar word slipped out by habit, Jeong Si-jun would crumple his face as if it were a disaster.

Since he had mostly stayed by his side during his leave, he didn’t think Jeong Si-jun had bullied Kim Cha-min during the break. Kim Cha-min’s decision to conquer a gate even in a wheelchair was likely a behavior stemming from years of accumulated bullying.

It was simply funny and absurd—that pretentious gap where he acted docile and flirted only in front of him, then rained down irritation once he returned to the Center.

‘I don’t think the nickname “Mad Dog” will ever go away.’

The low-class naming sense of the Awakened Management Center was still unpleasant, but it seemed hard to find a nickname more fitting for Jeong Si-jun than Mad Dog.

Even for a crazy person, he wasn’t a normal one. That was evident just by his tenacious personality, never intending to let go once he bit.

“How are you feeling now?”

Hyun Ju-ho asked as he walked toward a table with an electric kettle and tea bags. While habitually boiling water and picking a [visit [visit our site[Read on Read BL Novels]style="font-size:0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]our site]tea bag, he threw out another question before Yoon Ki-hyun could answer.

“What tea would you like? We have green tea, Solomon’s seal, and mix coffee.”

“…I’ll make my own.”

“While I’m making mine. Want some coffee?”

At Hyun Ju-ho’s suggestion, remembering what Yoon Ki-hyun usually drank in the pantry, Yoon Ki-hyun hesitated and asked for Solomon’s seal tea. Nodding, Hyun Ju-ho quickly handed over a paper cup containing a tea bag and pressed for an answer.

“Are you all recovered from being sick?”

“…The rumors spread already?”

“A lot of people saw Team Leader Jeong running down the hallway carrying you on his back.”

He was referring to the day water had filled his lungs. Since he hadn’t [unauthorized stolen contentcopy]gone to the Center for nearly unauthorized copya month after that, they seemed curious.

With Kim Sa-on also looking on curiously, Yoon Ki-hyun just nodded vaguely.

“I received treatment well. I’m okay.”

If it was pulmonary edema, he was okay. It was because the other illness was still the problem.

The moment the lukewarm scent of Solomon’s seal tea brushed the tip of his nose, Yoon Ki-hyun looked down at the brown liquid. He intended to stop treatment and die anyway, so why did he choose this instead of coffee?

Perhaps he still had lingering attachments. That’s probably why he had brought his coat and was sitting here.

“By the way, Sunbae.”

Kim Sa-on, who had been reading Yoon Ki-hyun’s mood since the three of them sat side by side at the temporary base, spoke up.

“I’m asking this just out of curiosity.”

“Yes.”

“By any chance, did you imprint with Team Leader Jeong?”

What on earth is he talking about?

Yoon Ki-hyun looked at Kim Sa-on and asked back.

“Imprinting?”

“No, well. After Team Leader Jeong came out of the isolation room, there was an opportunity to provide guiding during his examination.”

It seemed there was some behind-the-scenes story to the examination process where Jeong Si-jun had vaguely informed him that he was fine.

Yoon Ki-hyun nodded as if telling him to continue, and Kim Sa-on persisted in his story while still unauthorized copygauging Yoon Ki-hyun’s reaction.

“But, I couldn’t catch the wavelength.”

“Whose wavelength?”

“Who else? Team Leader Jeong’s.”

“His wavelength usually jumps around on its own.”

Yoon Ki-hyun recalled Jeong Si-jun’s wavelength.

Fitting for an S-class Esper, both the total amount and amplitude of the wavelength were large, but fitting for that wretched personality, it showed an indescribable variability that was incredibly picky.

It wasn’t for nothing that Guides shook their heads at his peculiar constitution. Therefore, a rookie Guide who had just started working as a Guide could fail to catch the wavelength. Even if that person was the only S-class Guide in the country.

“No. It didn’t feel like that. If before it felt like I didn’t dare to take [unauthorized copy[unauthorized copy]unauthorized copy -->e="font-size:0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]the initiative…”

Kim Sa-on paused for a moment as if searching for a fitting description. However, unable to explain it properly, he scratched the back of his head vigorously.

“It just wouldn’t be caught. The wavelength itself was flowing and it felt quite unpleasant, but it felt like it wasn’t coming to me? You know, like that thing.”

“…”

“Right, it felt like the description of what other Guides feel when an Esper imprints with someone!”

The moment Kim Sa-on chattered as if showing off his knowledge, Yoon Ki-hyun slowly lowered the paper cup.

‘How could that be.’

But Kim Sa-on’s claim had a point. In fact, when Yoon Ki-hyun was being trained, he had learned what sensations an imprinted Esper and Guide feel.

‘Did I imprint with Jeong Si-jun?’

Since he hadn’t had a reason to check an Esper’s wavelength in the meantime, it was hard to be sure. If he had imprinted with Jeong Si-jun, he could simply try guiding another Esper.

“Are there Espers remaining at the base?”

At Yoon Ki-hyun’s question, Hyun Ju-ho nodded.

“There are some on standby just in case. Why, Sunbae?”

Rising from his seat, Yoon Ki-hyun answered quietly.

“There’s something I need to check.”