27 – TDG 27
“Once the evacuation of the citizens is complete, Team 1 will enter first. Team 1 will stand by in this vicinity and pin the monsters in one place the moment the gate break occurs. The remaining Espers are to stand by here and, upon the second signal, begin concentrated fire on the target point, starting with Team A. When firepower is depleted, you will rotate with Team B. This process will be repeated until the enemy is completely annihilated; the estimated time required is between 2 to 4 hours. Guides, please do your utmost to ensure that the Pair Espers do not experience any distress beyond their assigned duties.”
“Yes, sir!”
Having finished speaking, Song Hyun-ho gestured toward me.
“Han Ji-hyuk, over here.”
The eyes of the team members shifted toward Ji-hyuk as he stood up and walked over.
“Given the urgency of the situation, we’ll handle the formalities later, so I’ll introduce him briefly. As you’ve likely heard through the rumors, this is S-rank Esper Han Ji-hyuk, who has joined our Team 1. He is a fire-type ability user and will serve as the main firepower for this operation.”
Main? It’s his first deployment, and he’s being thrown straight in as the main dealer?
They said he was a strategic asset, and the treatment is indeed exceptional. It also means they intend to squeeze every last drop of utility out of him.
I wasn’t the only one surprised; a small stir broke out among the Espers.
“We have to head out soon, so let’s exchange greetings among Team 1 first.”
At Song Hyun-ho’s words, a woman standing in the back row stepped forward.
“I’m Lee Seo-ah. We’ve met before, right? Looking forward to working with you.”
As she tilted her head, her voluminous hair swayed beautifully. This time, instead of leaving it down, she had it loosely braided and draped over her shoulder.
“I’m Park Je-geon. You’ll see what I do when I use my area-of-effect skills.”
A man in his mid-forties with a broad build and a solemn expression greeted him in a deep baritone. From behind his massive frame, a fox-faced man wearing round black sunglasses peeked out with a smirk.
“I’m Heo Jo-yoon. With my clairvoyance and X-ray vision, I can see through anything.”
Hmm? A guy with great eyesight is wearing glasses? If it’s not for fashion, there’s only one reason.
‘His ability must activate involuntarily.’
Just like mine, those glasses must have a special skill applied to prevent unauthorized copythe [stolen content]ability from triggering.
Song Hyun-ho checked his watch and shouted.
“Time’s almost up. Alright, Team 1! Move to the coordinates sent to your respective watches now!”
“Yes, sir.”
“Seo-ah, I’m counting on you to look after Ji-hyuk.”
“Yeah. Don’t worry.”
Having received a separate word from Song Hyun-ho, Lee Seo-ah approached Han Ji-hyuk.
“Let’s go together. I’ll tell you what you need to do at first.”
Oh… wait a second.
I hurriedly searched through the plot of the original novel in my head.
Didn’t she also have… something with Ji-hyuk later on?
It’s ambiguous to call it “something,” but there were definitely scenes where Lee Seo-ah showed romantic interest in Han Ji-hyuk. Since every female character in <Lo.Pa.Da> ends up harboring feelings for Han Ji-hyuk at least once, I just accepted it while reading, but seeing it in person feels different.
They both have cold impressions and a similar, loose, aesthetic vibe… This… somehow feels like a ship that might actually sail…
I shook my head violently.
No, no way. Begone, demon! Our Ji-hyuk belongs to Ah-yoon! Ah-yoon, I’m sorry. You are the only female lead in <Lo.Pa.Da>. I swear I didn’t look elsewhere! I will never betray you, no matter who tries to tempt me!
While I was fervently offering a prayer of atonement, Ji-hyuk, who had finished preparing for departure, gave me a nod.
I’ll be back.
I raised my arm so high it felt like my shoulder might pop and waved vigorously.
Fighting, Han Ji-hyuk! Go and sweep them all away!
His receding figure looked very gallant. I felt proud and impressed, but at the same time, a sense of loneliness washed over me.
‘Has the time really come for our Ji-hyuk to leave my side…?’
Just thinking that made me feel an emptiness, as if someone had carved a piece out of my chest.
What do they call this? Empty Nest Syndrome?
I spent day and night praying for him to become independent and leave, and now that it’s happening, I’m left with a bitter taste of regret. I don’t know why the human heart is so fickle.
Han Ji-hyuk and Esper Team 1 all headed toward the gate, leaving only Song Hyun-ho behind, who had been relegated to reserve personnel due to his injury.
I stared blankly at the large screen in front, watching the pointer indicating Team 1 move slowly toward the coordinate point. From now on, my job was to endure the time. Until the moment my Pair Esper successfully completed the mission and returned.
‘To think a green rookie like that is an S-rank. The world is so unfair.’
Whispers from behind pierced through my eardrums. No, they weren’t even whispers. They were speaking openly. At a volume just loud enough to be heard where I was standing.
‘His face is fucking insane, too. Damn, I’m so jealous… The Guides are going to go crazy again.’
‘What do you mean crazy? Isn’t that Guide standing right there?’
‘You idiot. Haven’t you checked the internal community? unauthorized copy[stolen content]They aren’t a dedicated assignment. Kids like that don’t last long.’
‘But who is that? I’ve never seen them before.’
‘Dunno. Heard they joined the Center not long ago.’
‘Whoa. What insane luck. How did they land an S-rank?’
‘Body trade, obviously. One hundred percent. There are tons of kids who’d strip and jump on an S-rank voluntarily.’
‘Hehe, I like those slender types. I want to try sucking on those pretty fingers once.’
‘I know, right? It’s so hot when those types cry.’
‘Let’s try and call them together next time we get a chance.’
I can hear everything, you bastards. Call who together? Do you take me for some bar hostess? The “Department 7 waste” sensibility I haven’t felt in a while is bringing back nostalgic memories of home, you pieces of shit.
Han Seung-ah, I miss you for the first time in a while. I need your carbonated “everyone die” rap…
My back was tingling because of how much they were staring at [stolen content]me with their eyes wide open, making it impossible to stay still.
If I jumped up and demanded to know if they were sexually harassing me, they’d obviously just say things that would make my blood boil, like “I wasn’t talking to you” or “It was just a joke, why are you so sensitive?” It’s not like I haven’t been through this once or twice. I stood up and moved to a spot further away from them. Not wanting to hear anything, I irritably found my Bluetooth earphones and plugged them in.
“I’m a bit late.”
I thought the situation couldn’t get any shittier, but I had underestimated it. The world was always ready to screw me over in diverse ways.
This voice, which sounded even more obnoxious because it was youthful.
“Guide Kwon Min-wook! You’ve arrived!”
Song Hyun-ho stepped forward personally to greet him.
Why the hell is that guy here?
‘Why do you only give us the nightmare clients? I see Team 1 only gets matched with well-mannered kids!’
Seonbae Yoon Soo-jeong’s complaints, which I had buried in my memories, flashed back like lightning and hit me in the back of the head.
My poker face, which had endured the barking of [stolen content]Esper dogs, almost crumbled here. I barely managed to pull myself together.
I see! Those well-mannered Espers who are frequently matched with Guide Team 1 were Song Hyun-ho’s Team 1…!
Seeing the look of steadfast trust Song Hyun-ho directed toward Kwon Min-wook made me feel nauseous.
Let’s make a prediction here. What is the probability that Song Hyun-ho is in league with Kwon Min-wook?
I think the probability is low.
Because Song Hyun-ho is a self-proclaimed sportsman who knows honor. He wasn’t the type to be swayed by Kwon Min-wook’s dirty tricks.
There was no particular mention of it in the original novel either… The possibility of him being a villain is slim. He probably trusts Kwon Min-wook as a long-time colleague.
I quickly put in my earphones and pretended not to see anything. Naturally, I didn’t play any music. Just in case some asshole came up to me and talked nonsense, I needed to be able to hear.
Please don’t come this way, Kwon Min-wook. Get lost. Preferably, disappear beyond the atmosphere.
But once again, my desperate wish went unfulfilled. Irritation crept up as I heard the sound of dress shoes approaching. Stopping exactly beside me, Kwon Min-wook leisurely sat his backside down in the adjacent seat. He must have drenched himself in it; the smell of perfume was pungent the moment he appeared.
“Accepting the card but refusing the unauthorized copydedicated assignment—your tactics are quite unauthorized copyimpressive, Guide Seo Joo-won. Just how do you exercise such skill against an S-rank Esper?”
“…….”
“Is it the body, after all? Do you possess some incredible technique that Esper Han Ji-hyuk simply cannot give up? If that’s the case, I’d like you to teach me a bit.”
“…….”
“Don’t you think you’re working too easily? A black card just for giving up your body once. This is a structure where only the poor Esper Han Ji-hyuk is being sucked dry. Does he know this?”
I shouldn’t have sat so far away.
Since there are no people around, he’s revealing his true colors and shoveling shit with his mouth.
Is he not even going to maintain appearances this time, unlike last time?
In this world’s setting, an Esper can never be the underdog, so what the hell is this “structure of being sucked dry”? What a fresh piece of forced logic. At the very least, that’s not something for you to say. Does your conscience have hair on it, seriously?
My hostility toward Kwon Min-wook evolved beyond a dislike for a villain in a novel into a loathing for his very existence.
What the hell is this guy?
No matter how much he hates me, does he not realize we work in the same industry? Does he have not a shred of conviction or pride in his profession?
When I remained unresponsive with my eyes closed, he nudged my shoulder.
Left with no choice, I opened my eyes and pretended to be surprised as I pulled out my earphones.
“Ah! I’m sorry, Seonbae! I was listening to music and didn’t realize you’d arrived… Did you call me?”
“…….”
“I’ve been really into rock lately. Do you know Metallica? They’re one of the greatest legends of the late twentieth century. ‘Enter Sandman’ is a song I love very much, although it’s undervalued by hardcore thrash metal fans. Would you like to listen to it once—”
Before I could even finish, Kwon Min-wook stood up from his chair with a stiff expression.
“We are at the scene of an incident; wouldn’t it be better for a rookie Guide to show a more passionate and serious attitude? Hiding in a corner listening to music doesn’t seem like a desirable attitude.”
And you, with so much professional calling, said that kind of thing?
I quickly shrugged my shoulders and made the most pitiful, tearful face I could.
“I’m sorry. It’s my first time being mobilized for such a large mission, so I was just too nervous. If I didn’t listen to music…”
“What’s going on with our kid?”
At the blunt voice coming from the back row, my head turned automatically.
I don’t know when she arrived, but Seonbae Soo-jeong was glaring at Kwon Min-wook with her hands on her hips.
It was a look as if she were staring at a filth-covered sewer rat that had crawled out of a drain.
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