39 – TDG 39

The ​permitted ​time ​was ​a mere fifteen ​minutes. ​This ​wasn’t ​the ​time for this, but ​he ​remained stubborn, oblivious ​to my feelings. ​His ​attitude ​was ​firm; ​he ​wouldn’t listen to ​anything ​other ​than those specific ​words. Left with no ​choice, I ​gave a ​vague answer.

“…He’s ​a high ​school ​classmate. ​As you can ​tell, we ​weren’t on very good ​terms.”

Ji-hyuk stared at me ​silently across from me, ​slowly leaning ​his ​body in. His arm reached out, ​passing my ear to ​lean ​against ​the ​wall ​behind me. As ​a shadow ​cast ​over my head, ​I ​reluctantly looked up, only to ​find eyes ​that ​held no trace ​of ​a ​smile, ​waiting ​intently.

“Is that ​all?”

On ​the surface, ​Han Ji-hyuk looked very calm, but inside ​him, a fire ​that refused to ​be extinguished was still ​lurking. A ​tension permeated the ​air, ​making even the ​act of inhaling ​feel cautious. ​The ​fuse to ​that ​flame, which ​could ​explode at ​any ​moment, ​was held in ​my ​hand. In ​this ​situation, ​there ​was no need to recklessly babble about the eyes and pour oil on the fire.

“…Yeah.”

When I barely managed to answer, Ji-hyuk nodded as if understanding and backed away slightly. At the same time, the suffocating air dispersed, and I could finally breathe. Now it was my turn.

“What on earth did Kwon Cheon-beom say to you?”

Ji-hyuk kept his mouth shut, pretending not to know, and simply toyed with my hand. I was anxious, but [visit our site]he didn’t seem to be. You can [visit our site]at least tell me. Do you hate that too?

“Ji-hyuk. Hyung is serious. I’m truly okay, so just say it. The humiliation is only temporary. If things stay like this, you’re the only one who will be unfairly condemned.”

As expected, it didn’t work.

Damn it, should I even call my father? I’d hate to leave a stain on my father’s record because of my mistake. I really didn’t want to do that.

Ji-hyuk’s fingers, which had been weaving in and out of mine, suddenly stopped. Then, he suddenly curled the corners of his mouth into a smile, making me doubt my eyes for a moment. Ji-hyuk slowly lifted his head, revealing a calm face as still as a windless sea.

“…….”

It wasn’t an illusion that he had looked comfortable and stable from the moment he entered. Why hadn’t I noticed while holding his hand? The eerie and powerful waveform rising above his broad, gently sloping shoulders was absolutely not at the level of an A to B-rank Esper. Surprisingly, the sixteen control devices were truly having no effect on him. There was not a single trace of intimidation on Ji-hyuk’s face; instead, a frost-like composure and a clear, sharp rationality glinted in his eyes.

The belated realization hit me like a wave. Just as a god is not bound by human laws, Han Ji-hyuk had never cared about the results of the Ethics Committee from the very beginning.

His gaze, fixed on a single point, was unconstrained by trivial realities and directed only toward me. The deep blue pupils within his dark eyes blinked slowly once.

“Did you forget, Hyung?”

Releasing the hand he had been holding and wrapping his arm around my back, Ji-hyuk murmured in a whisper. As I approached and pressed my visit our sitebody against him, following his lead without resistance, [Read on Read BL Novels]Ji-hyuk quietly rested his chin on my shoulder. His soft, low voice seeped into my ear, soaking it.

“I told you I wouldn’t let you hear it.”

The chill that made my heart drop was hot and intense. A night from the past that I had completely forgotten came back to me. When Im Seong-joon had proposed a pair with inappropriate words, Han Ji-hyuk had been soft just like this, but in reality, he had been furious to the top of his head. The tremor that had once shaken my insides revived, becoming a wave far more violent than before, surging through my entire body.

The skin where Ji-hyuk rested his chin was excessively hot.

“…….”

As I trembled and tried to pull away, Ji-hyuk moved his arm to lock around my waist as if telling me not to. Before I could resist, I was pulled deep into his embrace. I felt like I was suffocating because he held me so tight, but for some reason, the arms I used to push him away lacked strength and only slid uselessly. No, it felt as if I shouldn’t push him away.

An unknown sensation radiated from where Ji-hyuk’s fingers touched. It spread to every corner of my body that had never been touched, warming me up with a humid heat. My heart beat so loudly that I worried it might be heard from the outside.

Strange.

Jung Ah-yoon’s face, which always flickered in my mind at times like this, no longer appeared.

Damn it. The committee wasn’t the problem. Everyone, including me, had been mistaken. Han Ji-hyuk wasn’t unable to move because he was shackled; he had simply allowed himself to be captured.

The currently used control devices are guaranteed to be effective up to S-rank Espers. But what [unauthorized copy]if it’s beyond that? They become useless in the face of Read on Read BL Novelsbrainwaves that exceed the standard value.

‘I feel this every time, but this novel really is a munchkin story.’

Even so, this is too fast. According to the novel’s setting, he’s supposed to reach L-rank after unlocking psychokinesis—he couldn’t have already arrived, right? Since when did the control devices stop working? Since the aptitude evaluation? Or after that?

“…….”

The stray thoughts boiling in my head without end scattered all at once with a single sigh. It was because of Ji-hyuk’s scent that wafted over me from somewhere. The person in question has already left, so why can I still perceive this smell so vividly? Memory truly is a cunning thing.

Taking a deep breath, I raised my hand and aimlessly wrapped it around my arm. The sensation of being held tightly in Han Ji-hyuk’s embrace was so vivid that now that it was gone, a void filled my chest. I couldn’t understand it. I had hugged Ji-hyuk frequently whenever there was a chance before, so what had changed this time to make me feel like this?

‘I wouldn’t let you hear it… huh.’

My mouth dried up from an inexplicable thirst. I swallowed hard through a throat tight with tension.

“Why is your face so red?”

“…Huh?”

As I snapped my head up, Song Hyun-ho had already approached.

My face is red? Like a thief caught in the act, I hurriedly covered my cheeks. Ah, hot! It’s true! Song Hyun-ho was looking at me with strange eyes as I flustered. This was no time to be spaced out. I had to snap out of it quickly.

“Ah, no. It’s nothing… Where is Ji-hyuk?”

“I’m on my way back from sending him off. By the way, that kid is stubborn. He says he absolutely won’t speak.”

…I know.

I let out a drained smile.

“This is a problem. Isn’t there any way? At this rate, disciplinary action will be taken.”

Disciplinary action. I’m not sure which side is the one in real trouble right now, Mr. Song Hyun-ho.

The Song Hyun-ho before me is a man strong enough to compete for the 1st or 2nd rank in South Korea, but if he wore sixteen control devices, his physical strength would drop to be only slightly stronger than an average person. That was a natural result, without exception for anyone.

How would Song Hyun-ho react if he found out that the control devices didn’t work on Han Ji-hyuk?

Inside Han Ji-hyuk, whom I had just confirmed, there was a boiling rage that wanted to [visit our site]kill Kwon Cheon-beom instantly, regardless of the law. He was suppressing it, but Read on Read BL Novelsif the committee unauthorized copypoured oil on the fire with nonsense, the thread of patience he was barely maintaining might snap.

If he flipped everything over and quit, would Ji-hyuk have anything to regret? Not at all. As an S-rank Esper, he would be welcomed with open arms anywhere in the world. Even if he abandoned Korea, the whole world is his stage, so what’s the problem? Don’t make the protagonist lose his nationality, you damn old geezers.

“This won’t do. I’ll have to step in.”

Song Hyun-ho’s energetic voice instantly calmed my cluttered emotions.

“You will, Esper Song Hyun-ho?”

As if telling me to trust him, he tapped his chest with his thick, rough hand.

“I will step forward and actively defend Han Ji-hyuk. I intend to ask for leniency, stating that I will take responsibility and keep him under my control. My words will likely work.”

“Really…?”

“I’m the one who brought Ji-hyuk here, so of course.”

This man is truly magnanimous. He must have been embarrassed by this incident, yet he doesn’t utter a single word of blame.

A surge of gratitude welled up in my heart.

I must have been so exhausted that I have no memory from the moment I got in the car after leaving work. When I came to, I was standing in front of Ji-hyuk’s house.

I don’t know if people are fickle or if I am, but having lived there for only a week, I had already become accustomed to it and ended up here unconsciously… But since I was already here, I decided to go in and rest.

Trudging through the entrance and into the living room, I took Ji-hyuk’s laundry out of my bag and sat down for a moment, feeling drained. Just as I gathered my strength and picked them up to put them in the laundry bin, a strange sensation suddenly scratched against the clothes.

‘What’s this?’

My eyes widened.

The recorder Senior Jae-young had given me. It was attached to Ji-hyuk’s clothes. Since we lived together, it must have slipped and attached itself without me knowing.

‘He said it sticks well anywhere, and he was right.’

I struggled to peel it off the shirt, but a smile overflowed on my lips.

I went as far as seeking a god—whom I usually didn’t even believe in—to be cautious while listening to the recorded amount, and after two hours, I finally succeeded in finding the desired section.

This will close the case. A triumphant smile crossed my lips.

In the hearing resumed the next day, Song Hyun-ho stepped forward to protect Han Ji-hyuk, just as he had said. While the response felt a bit excessive, he wasn’t the type of person to do so without reason. He appealed for Han Ji-hyuk’s feelings for his Guide and emphasized that many Espers are vulnerable when their Guide is attacked.

After Song Hyun-ho finished speaking, the chairman remained silent for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts. Then, he looked at Han Ji-hyuk and asked.

“In the end, you have no intention of saying what that insult was about, do you?”

Tsk. He hits the nail on the head. When Ji-hyuk answered that he didn’t, the chairman clicked his tongue and spoke.

“First, regarding the words that caused the incident, the claims are contradictory, and since there are no recordings or evidence, we cannot make a judgment. What is certain is that the party who first wielded violence was Esper Han Ji-hyuk. While we cannot confirm it based on only two instances, it is considered that he has a strong dependency and exhibits significant obsession specifically toward Guide Seo Joo-won, leading to this incident due to an inability to control his emotions. Therefore, as a disposition for this, the committee intends to temporarily separate Esper Han Ji-hyuk and Guide Seo Joo-won.”

What?

Song Hyun-ho immediately stood up to protest.

“This is unfair! There has never been a case where an Esper’s Guide matching was forced in such a manner, and I believe this judgment was made by collecting only one side’s opinion.”

“Esper Song Hyun-ho. You are misunderstanding; this is a disposition handed down much more leniently than usual, actively incorporating your defense. If Esper Han Ji-hyuk can get along while performing missions with another Guide, wouldn’t there be any problem? Or are you saying that Esper Han Ji-hyuk is in such an unstable state that he cannot even be deployed for missions if it isn’t Mr. Seo Joo-won? That sounds even more precarious.”