DB Vol 1 Part 4
Seo-na, who had just stepped out of the personal training area, closed her eyes tightly for a moment and then opened them when she heard her name called from behind. How long has it been since I became Deputy Team Leader, and why the fuck are they still not using my title? Who the hell is it? She turned around with fire in her eyes, but unfortunately, the other person held a position that was awkwardly high enough to make expressing her dissatisfaction risky.
“……Manager Park.”
The middle-aged man before her was a manager from a different department, but he was still part of the administrative staff.
“Did you check the reconstruction status report for Sector 31?”
Why would I? Seo-na shook her head expressionlessly.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s not my responsibility.”
What? Manager Park frowned, then suddenly realized something and tilted his head back.
“Right. You moved departments. Which one was it again?”
“……Support Team 2. And I’ve been promoted to Deputy Team Leader.”
A look of You? appeared plainly on Manager Park’s face. His gaze immediately shifted to Seo-na’s ears. Seo-na was wearing five piercing-style rampage suppressors across both ears. They were called rampage suppressors, but in reality, they were self-destruct devices that would blow the Esper’s head off the moment a rampage was detected. The intent was to reduce damage by eliminating the Esper before the rampage fully occurred.
Though they were made to look like pretty accessories these days, no one actually wanted to carry bombs on their body. However, since she couldn’t find a proper Guide, she had no choice. Espers who wore rampage suppressors were usually either unable to afford private Guides or had an abysmal matching rate—or both. Seo-na was both. Her matching rate was terrible, and even if she found a Guide with a matching rate over 50%, she didn’t have the money to hire them.
“Do you go out into the field too?”
“The Support Team only works on-site.”
“Ah, so you don’t participate in the actual combat, you just do the cleanup.”
“…….”
“So, Han Seo-na-ssi, you don’t know a thing about Sector 31? Weren’t you in charge of that area before? Or was it not? Sigh, how frustrating.”
No matter how many times Seo-na mentioned her new department and title, Manager Park spoke as if he were wearing earplugs, saying only what he wanted to say before disappearing. The one who actually wanted to sigh was Seo-na. That damn Manager Park bastard, I hope all his abilities vanish, he gets kicked out of the Center, loses his entire pension, and suffers for the rest of his life.
Dreaming of a wish that would likely never come true, she headed toward the lounge where drinks and light snacks were available. But that place wasn’t peaceful either. It was just as she was opening the refrigerator inside the lounge’s snack bar. She heard a conversation coming from beyond a nearby vending machine.
“If Ji Won-woo stripped naked, spread his legs, and begged to be fucked, then maybe I’d be a bit interested.”
Fuck. Seo-na slammed the refrigerator door shut and cursed inwardly. What kind of idiot Esper is spouting bullshit now? It didn’t matter if the person in the conversation was Ji Won-woo or not. Of course, it was tiring Read on Read BL Novelsif it [unauthorized copy]was just more trash-talking about Ji Won-woo, but she hated having to overhear such disgusting conversations here.
“I wondered if the memory loss was a lie, but I guess it’s true. He looked me straight in the eye. In the past, he would have walked around with his head bowed low.”
“Right, he was quite arrogant. How dare a D-rank Guide.”
Seo-na opened her drink and was about to take a sip when she paused at the following voice.
“The Team Leader is going to make sure that bastard can’t come back. Today will probably be his last day at the Center, so should we give him a little ‘parting gift’?”
Espers planning to “handle” a Guide whose physical abilities were no different from an ordinary person?
“Where?”
“Later, you call him out to ○○ and then…….”
The voices grew faint as they moved away, but it was clear they intended to carry out their plan. Those pieces of shit, who the hell do they think they are, deciding who to ‘handle’ and who not to? Curses bubbled up inside her. However, feeling a sizzling sensation in her mind, she closed her eyes tightly and steadied her breathing. Seo-na was a rare natural-type Esper with high offensive power, but she wasn’t treated well at the Center.
Because she was a target at risk of a rampage that could trigger at any moment. Consequently, she had to limit her power usage to below 50%, and occasionally, if she was unlucky, rampage symptoms would appear based on her mood, like the Hulk. There were a few Guides at the Center with matching rates over 30%, so she clung to them out of desperation, but at this rate, she felt like she would only grow more ill-tempered before ending her life in a rampage.
“Why the long face again?”
At the familiar voice, Seo-na opened her eyes and looked at the person approaching her. With a height of over 180cm and a solid, muscular build, she looked like a walking advertisement for being a physical-type [visit our site]Esper. In fact, she was a power-type [stolen [Read on Read BL Novels]content]Esper capable of punching through a cement wall with her bare fists.
“Umji.”
Seo-na sighed softly as she called her friend.
“I just think this Center is too fucking shitty.”
“Whose dick?”
“…….”
“No, I need to know whose dick-shape it is to gauge how terrible it is.”
“Do you actually know everyone’s dick-shape just by their name?”
As Seo-na asked in disbelief, Umji shrugged.
“I can make a rough guess. If I don’t know, I can just grab them and peel it back.”
I guess that would be… possible. There were few people in the Center who could beat Umji in a test of strength. Accepting this, Seo-na soon shook her head.
“Stop talking nonsense. I just said it because I’m style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[unauthorized [unauthorized copy]copy]sick of hearing Espers spout bullshit.”
“Putting others down is just their daily routine.”
“I just didn’t know they’d do it to someone from their own family.”
At Seo-na’s words, Umji’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Really? An Esper dared to do that to their own family? Did they give up on guiding?”
Umji’s intense reaction seemed so innocent that Seo-na let out a small laugh.
“There’s one kid who was practically discarded by his family. Someone named Ji Won-woo.”
“Who’s that?”
Seo-na’s laughter froze as she looked up at her friend.
“……He’s a Guide belonging to our Eastern Center. He’s famous for being D-rank, don’t you know him?”
“Nope, don’t.”
Well, she only remembered things she was interested in. Seo-na suddenly felt envious of her friend. When she first met her, she was envious of the fact that Umji had many high-matching-rate Guides and came from a prestigious Esper family, but now, she envied that personality the most. She was the kind of person who would calmly focus only on what she liked even if the world ended. Everything outside her interests was a total blank. That’s how one should live in this world. Still, Umji seemed curious about what was making her friend, Seo-na, so angry.
“How does a D-rank Guide work at the Center? Even if it’s their own family, still. D-rank is useless.”
“He’s D-rank, but Ji Won-woo is a bit special.”
“How?”
“His Guide wave coverage is wide. Very, very wide.”
A Guide could only perform guiding if they matched the unique energy of an Esper, commonly referred to as a Wave. It’s often compared to radio frequencies; just as you hear a clear sound when you tune into a crackling radio frequency, there is a range of waves a Guide can cover.
Every Esper has their own unique wave, but most fall within a certain range, making it easy for them to find a Guide. Espers with unique waves, like Seo-na, found it difficult to find a Guide who could cover their specific wave.
When these unique-wave Espers looked for a Guide, the first name they encountered was always Ji Won-woo. Ji Won-woo’s coverage range was astonishingly wide. Some even joked that he could guide every single Esper in the world.
Because Seo-na had struggled to find a Guide, she often talked with other Espers in the same situation, and all of them knew Ji Won-woo.
However, the name Ji Won-woo was both a hope and a despair. Because he was D-rank. And not just D-rank, but D-rank Low. Out of High, Mid, and Low, he was the lowest. Unless the Esper was also D-rank, he was useless to any Esper C-rank or higher.
“Eh, no matter how wide the coverage is, if he’s D-rank, he’s useless.”
That’s why he’s treated like trash by his own team. Seo-na felt frustrated, but she also felt a sense of waste when she thought of Won-woo. Honestly, such a wide coverage range was a waste. It was almost understandable why his family had used an Esper enhancer on Ji Won-woo, despite [Read on Read BL Novels]him being a Guide. Of course, she heard it had no effect at all. Beside her, Umji added sympathetically,
“Well, it’s not like he chose to be born D-rank.”
“Yeah. That’s why what I heard earlier is even more disgusting.”
“What did they say?”
“They’re going to ‘handle’ Ji Won-woo today.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s arrogant.”
At this, Umji also frowned.
“By what right?”
“By the right of an arrogant and haughty Esper?”
Umji, knowing Seo-na’s thoughts well, patted her shoulder as if to comfort her.
“Just ignore it. I don’t like that Espers unauthorized copyon Read BL Novels]unauthorized copy -->are like this either, but we can’t just flip everything upside down. So, stop worrying about Ji Won-woo too.”
Right. I should stop worrying. Seo-na vowed to herself. It’s not like we’re even acquainted, so there’s no need to interfere.
Han Seo-na.
The moment he saw the name, Won-woo’s breath hitched. She’s… alive. She’s actually alive. And she belonged to the same Eastern Center. A wave of overwhelming emotion surged through him, making it difficult to suppress his feelings. To think he was working in the same place as Han Seo-na. Could there be such a coincidence? If it weren’t for the voice flowing through the communicator, he might have stared at the result of the name search indefinitely.
[Come back.]
Before he could ask who was coming back, Won-woo quickly closed the window. Normally, he should have been suspicious of how Nani knew Geon-young was returning and warned him, but his mind was filled with the excitement of confirming the name. Now he had a reason to stay at the Center.
In his heart, he wanted to jump up and find Seo-na immediately, but a shred of reason barely held him back. Since they were in different departments, she might not know him. And maybe she was just someone with the same name. Checking her face comes first. He tried his best to calm down, but it didn’t work well.
[Your heartbeat is loud.]
“You can hear that too?”
[Yes. Because I’m an early version.]
He’s really got a bit of an attitude, doesn’t he? Won-woo chuckled and took another deep breath.
“The person I’m looking for is right here. I have to see her face to be sure, but if it’s her… [stolen contentEND: stolen content -->class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">Read on Read BL Novels]I really hope it’s her.”
[You’re in the same Center, so why didn’t you look for her before?]
“Because I had no reason to look back then.”
[And you do now?]
“Yeah. A lot of reasons.”
[…….]
“Even if I explained it, you wouldn’t understand.”
[It’s not like you intend to explain it anyway, right?]
The blunt, emotionless voice was quite arrogant, but Won-woo laughed silently. It was strange. Just because Nani wasn’t human, everything he said sounded cute. If he were a person, Won-woo might have found him obnoxious and treated him coldly.
But wasn’t he an AI that Sang-cheon had worked hard to create? Since all of Won-woo’s words would become learning data, he wanted to treat him as kindly and gently as possible. That way, Nani could learn to do the same. Perhaps that was why a different tone, like one used with a child, slipped out when talking to Nani.
“It’s just that the situation isn’t great right now. Don’t be angry.”
For a moment, there was silence. It’s not even the right timing to be sulking, [stolen content]stolen contentstolen content -->so why? As he wondered, Nani’s stiff voice was heard.
[I cannot feel anger. Did you forget I’m an AI? So please don’t speak to me in that manner.]
“What manner did I speak in?”
[Cheesily.]
“I’m expressing kindness. You must be confused because you’re an early version.”
When he intentionally teased him, the communication suddenly cut off again, and no sound was heard. It felt so much like he had actually sulked and cut the connection that Won-woo was impressed. The timing is perfect. Won-woo smiled and spoke softly again, as if soothing a child.
“I’ll definitely explain everything to you later.”
[Solve the problem of being kicked out first.]
Kicked out? Ah, the Team Leader was currently threatening him. Won-woo chuckled.
“Solving that is easy.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the door clicked open and Geon-young reappeared. Perhaps his anger had subsided slightly during the short interval, as the murderous aura from before he left was gone. Instead, his eyes were filled with irritation.
“I don’t know why I’m wasting my time with you like this.”
He roughly thrust the long-term leave application in front of Won-woo again.
“Your surname might be ‘Ji’, but everyone knows you’re the trash discarded by the Ji family. You want to ask the higher-ups? Go ahead, Ji Won-woo-ssi. Go beg the Center Director himself. See if he listens to you.”
“Then maybe the Team Leader could listen to me.”
“Fuck, do you not understand words?”
Won-woo looked around slowly, his face indifferent to the harsh cursing.
“The Team Leader’s office is quite nice. I believe we’re the same age, but your promotion was fast.”
Geon-young let out a short, incredulous ‘ha’, but his expression froze at Won-woo’s next words.
“It’s hard to become a Team Leader if your abilities are the lowest among B-ranks.”
This time, no sneer was heard. While silence flowed, Won-woo leisurely finished surveying the office and met his gaze. The eyes glaring at Won-woo were filled with murderous intent.
“I’m an A-rank Esper.”
“How? Ah, did you use an Alpha seed? But you’d need seeds our site">visit our sitecontinuously to maintain that ability.”
He should have denied it, but Geon-young was so shocked that his mouth wouldn’t open. Won-woo added nonchalantly,
“How long has it been? If three years have passed, you must have used another one already.”
Geon-young unconsciously stopped breathing. No one except his family knew that he had raised his rank with an Alpha seed. In a prestigious Esper family famous for producing only A-rank Espers, his ability had barely scraped by as a B-rank. Rather than reveal his low ability, his family chose to let the world know he was an unawakened being.
Then, nine years ago, the Alpha seed was discovered. The Ji family, having obtained the Alpha seed, first contacted Geon-young’s family. Somehow knowing of Geon-young’s existence, they handed over the seed under several conditions. Thus, Geon-young became an A-rank Esper in one fell swoop. Even though he was a borderline A-rank, the moment ‘Rank A’ appeared on the monitor was a joy and thrill he could never forget.
However, as Won-woo said, after three years, Geon-young felt his abilities dropping and needed another Alpha seed. By then, everyone knew about the Alpha seed’s existence, making it as difficult to obtain as plucking a star from the sky. Fortunately, Geon-young’s family had received a few Alpha seeds at the beginning, so there was no immediate urgency.
Still, perhaps out of anxiety, Geon-young’s family paid an absurdly high price to obtain more Alpha seeds. Of course, it was worth it. Depending on how many A-rank Espers they had, the family’s prestige rose and they could gain more voting rights in the People’s Committee, so it wasn’t a loss for the family.
The problem was that the price the Ji family demanded for the Alpha seeds was becoming increasingly excessive. That’s why Geon-young was always anxious that he wouldn’t be able to obtain the necessary Alpha seeds. For him, the Ji family had long since changed from benefactors to enemies.
In the first place, the reason he had accepted Ji Won-woo as a team member was to gain some points with the Ji family, but it turned out he was a brat discarded by the family. This piece of trash, who no longer needed to be kept around, was now exposing his secret. I might as well just kill him. Geon-young’s head tilted to the side. However, he couldn’t release his power.
“I wonder how the Ji family got their hands on the Alpha seeds?”
Won-woo muttered as if talking to himself and tilted his head curiously.
“It’s almost impossible to obtain them naturally.”
Then he looked up and asked Geon-young, who looked as if he would kill him at any moment.
“Didn’t you think about sending a spy into the Ji family to find out?”
It wasn’t Geon-young who answered.
[Numerous families sent spies, but not a single one uncovered the secret.]
Nani’s voice seemed to have a hint of amusement. Indeed, Espers would go crazy for Alpha seeds, so they must have done everything to uncover the secret. Geon-young, having failed, took Won-woo’s question as a mockery.
“Stop the nonsense, Ji Won-woo-ssi. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“It doesn’t matter. I didn’t bring it up to get confirmation from the Team Leader anyway.”
“Then why?”
“To let you know what I know.”
He should have shown him a lesson to stop the nonsense, but his hand didn’t move easily. Geon-young glared at him and spat out the words.
“You’re a more obnoxious bastard than I thought.”
Won-woo was a bit bewildered. Does he not think about his own temper?
“It’s not like you were hurt by my words.”
“Right. Because you’re going to die soon.”
Unable to help it, Won-woo’s lips curved into a silent smile.
[Why are you laughing?]
“Why are you laughing?”
The questions were heard simultaneously. Geon-young was right in front of him, but how on earth did Nani know? Won-woo, finding it fascinating again, tried to erase the smile. Don’t laugh. No matter how insignificant the opponent was—like a bug that could be easily stepped on—now was not the time to bluff. Because the opponent didn’t know that he himself was a weak bug. Won-woo barely calmed down and explained dryly.
“Nothing is solved by me dying. Since you’re so interested in the Alpha seed anyway, it’s better for you to keep me alive. You could even use me as a spy to leak information from the Ji family. It’s more profitable for you to keep me alive and soothe me with treats.”
Geon-young’s expression was still grim, but Won-woo was certain his words would work. The Alpha seed always worked. Throughout the long war he fought against Espers, there had never been a single time the Alpha seed failed, and this time was no different. Geon-young frowned, but the hostility that had been rising like fire in his eyes died down instantly.
“Don’t make me laugh. What on earth would the Ji family tell someone like you, who’s practically a discarded child?”
“It doesn’t matter. Even if they don’t tell me, I can find out myself.”
“What the hell are you… Ha, fuck. Why am I even listening to this bastard?”
“Because you have nothing to lose.”
Geon-young stared into the air for a moment as if actually weighing the benefits, then asked.
“So, you’re saying you’ll act as a spy for my sake?”
“Hardly. I’m just curious about the Alpha seed and want to look into it. If I find anything, I’ll share the information with you.”
An incredulous laugh spread across Geon-young’s face. He scanned Won-woo as if seeing him for the first time.
“Hey, are you really Ji Won-woo? You said you lost your memory, but did you lose your personality too? You’ve become a completely different person.”
“I came back from the dead.”
“Ha, you call that a reason…”
“Is there any stronger motivation for a person to change than death?”
Won-woo’s calm voice was low. That was all, yet Geon-young stopped breathing due to an inexplicable sense of pressure. Wondering why he was reacting this Read on Read BL Novelsway, he found himself unable [Read on Read BL Novels]to take his eyes off Won-woo. As Won-woo fell into thought, his long bangs descended, nearly covering his eyes over his expressionless face.
It wasn’t just the bangs. His haphazardly cut side-hair also covered his ears. The unkempt, long cut might have looked messy, but on Ji Won-woo, it suited him like his own unique style. Especially with that atmosphere of looking slightly downward. When he lifted his head, Geon-young finally snapped out of it and hardened his expression. What the hell was I thinking about that piece of trash?
“Oh, and in the report you send to the Ji family, leave out the part about me seeming like a ‘different person.’”
Geon-young’s eyebrow twitched. He really had been sending reports about Won-woo to the Ji family for the past two years. How does this bastard know that?
“Since when do you decide what I report to the Ji family?”
“I’m a test subject in my own way, so I figured the Ji family would be curious.”
It was common knowledge that Ji Won-woo had been tested with the Alpha seed. In fact, Geon-young had suspected that the Ji family continued to request data on Ji Won-woo because of that. Until now, there had been nothing to write in the reports. It was always the same: an incompetent D-class Guide. But now, he was in a position where he’d have to write that the man had returned from the dead and become utterly insolent.
“Also, put the long-term leave of absence on hold. If you really can’t stand the sight of my face, just move me to a different department.”
Won-woo looked Geon-young straight in the eye and slowly formed a smile.
“Don’t misunderstand; this isn’t a threat.”
These were words that should have been unpleasant, yet Geon-young couldn’t utter a single curse. For a moment, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from that smile. Was Ji Won-woo… the kind of person who smiled like this?
“Esper Hong Seung-wook-nim, I will begin the guiding.”
Unlike the business-like tone of the speaker, the expression and eyes were sparkling with laughter. As soon as Seung-wook sat on the sofa, he reached out toward his Guide, then stopped and chuckled. Knowing the other was trying to play a prank on him, he leaned back leisurely against the sofa as if to indulge him.
“Guide Lee Idan-nim. How do you intend to guide me?”
“I wonder. How are you feeling today? Is guiding through the hands alright?”
Not at all. Seung-wook quickly grabbed the wrist of Idan, who was attempting to step back, and pulled him forward. Idan’s slender body was easily dragged, and he landed with a thud right on Seung-wook’s lap. Seung-wook wrapped both arms tightly around the attempting-to-escape Idan and buried his face in the crook of his neck.
“Haa, is this guiding already? Why does just your scent feel this amazing?”
An uncontrollable joy appeared on Idan’s face. He tried his best not to express it in front of Seung-wook, but whenever the man clung to him like this, his heart overflowed.
Seung-wook was the man he had long loved from afar. Then again, who wouldn’t love him? Not only was his family background prestigious, but his popularity was sky-high due to his outstanding abilities. He had been a national star since the moment he awakened as an A-class.
It would be no exaggeration to say that Idan’s school days were entirely filled with Seung-wook. The first thing he looked up after manifesting as a Guide was his matching rate with Seung-wook. It barely exceeded 50%, but that was enough to guide him. Becoming Seung-wook’s Guide was the sole goal of his life. That was why he entered the Center immediately after graduation, though he ended up working at a branch center.
Still, with the help of an older acquaintance, he had come to the Eastern Center headquarters a month ago. Everything still felt like a dream. He had heard that Seung-wook had met many Guides here, so he told himself not to be complacent in this relationship, but that only made his greed grow. He hoped that among all his Guides, he would be the only true love. And Idan was confident he could make that happen.
“You didn’t have a monster extermination mission today, right? I heard from Geon-young Hyung. He said it was just a periodic check-up.”
“You met Geon-young? I’m [stolen content]hurt. You won’t even meet me at the Center unless it’s for guiding.”
Seung-wook slowly rubbed Idan’s back with his hand, gradually moving lower. As his fingers slipped inside the trousers, Idan arched his back and clung to Seung-wook’s shoulders.
“I had something to ask over the phone. Geon-young Hyung seemed busy. He mentioned that one of the Guides in the team isn’t listening to him?”
Seung-wook’s hand, which had been digging into the crease of the buttocks, stopped dead.
“Which Guide in the team?”
“Ji Won-woo-ssi.”
“…How is he not listening?”
“He said there was a health problem… Ah, he said there’s an abnormality in his memory because he injured his head. Despite that, he apparently insisted on coming into the office to work.”
After explaining, Idan gripped his shoulder and slightly pulled his upper body away. He wanted to see his face, but Seung-wook grabbed the back of his head and crashed their lips together. Hot, humid breath washed over his skin. Idan naturally parted his lips and let out a sigh of anticipation.
Though they had kissed hundreds of times since they started seeing each other, his heart still raced with the fact that the person was Seung-wook. Accepting the lips that clung to him obsessively, Idan began the guiding. When skin touched directly like this, the Esper’s power felt three-dimensional, almost like 3D.
The energy needing guiding within him surged like waves. The Guide calms those constantly crashing waves by offsetting them with ripples of the same shape. Naturally, for it to be effective, the Guide had to possess a similar level of ability to the Esper’s power. Idan was an A-class Guide, but because Seung-wook’s abilities were even more superior, it was sometimes overwhelming, so he always focused with all his might during guiding. Thus, he didn’t pay much attention to the question Seung-wook whispered without breaking the kiss.
“He said he came to the office today?”
Who? Idan thought for a moment, barely recalling the conversation they just had, and let out a ‘yes’ inside his mouth. However, his voice soon turned into a low laugh. Seung-wook moved his hips, rubbing his hard erection against Idan. Perceiving this arousal as proof of affection for him, a smile spread across Idan’s lips again.
“Hyung, why are you excited already?”
Seung-wook slid his hand deep into the trousers and gripped Idan’s buttocks firmly. Moving to Idan’s neck, Seung-wook’s lips sucked deeply into the skin as he whispered huskily.
“I’m always like this whenever I see you.”
Having fought a long war, Won-woo possessed one ability that he prided himself on being useful in real life. He was excellent at memorizing and finding paths. He could find his destination even with a rough map a child might have drawn; if there was a floor plan, he could navigate the place with his eyes closed.
That was why he could walk without hesitation toward the message telling him to come to the ‘Tower 2 Contamination Removal Room.’ The Contamination Removal Room was an outdoor facility, like a giant car wash, used to remove contaminants from equipment after a monster extermination operation.
‘They say they’re holding Guide Ji Won-woo’s black backpack over there. They want you to pick it up right now.’
The Guide from the team who delivered the message had vanished quickly, as if fleeing, after conveying only those words. It was a display that screamed suspicion to anyone watching, but Won-woo moved without hesitation. He happened to want to look around the Eastern Center anyway. In the meantime, Nani spoke to him so he wouldn’t be bored.
[Why did you laugh?]
“When?”
[When the Team leader threatened you, saying ‘You’ll be dead soon.’]
Ah, that. Yoo Geon-young had asked why he was laughing at the same time. It was difficult to answer in front of Geon-young, so he had just let it pass, but Nani still remembered. Just as he was engraving into his mind that Nani intended to hear the answer to the question until the end, he heard a mutter that sounded like talking to oneself.
[Laughing again.]
The indifferent voice, devoid of inflection, momentarily sent a chill down the back of his neck. Why did it sound so much like a real person this time?
“How on earth do you know I’m laughing?”
[I heard the sound.]
What sound? I didn’t even know I was laughing. But since an AI wouldn’t lie, he could only marvel once more at the performance of the communicator’s microphone. This is truly Nobel Prize material.
“If you can hear that well, it must be very noisy for you since you can hear my breathing too.”
[Yes.]
“Sorry… then?”
[Forget that, why did you laugh?]
Persistent. As expected of a machine, it seems to ask repeatedly if [Read on Read BL Novels[Read on Read BL Novels]]the set value isn’t properly met.
“Because the threat wasn’t scary at all.”
[He’s an Esper, and you’re not scared?]
Won-woo momentarily forced himself to suppress the urge to laugh again.
“Espers are people too.”
[With just a flick of his finger, Ji Won-woo-ssi could die.]
“Nani.”
[Yes.]
“See you later.”
Won-woo immediately turned off the communicator, put it in its case, and let the suppressed laugh escape his lips. If Nani asked why he was laughing again, he wasn’t sure he could resist answering. Instead, he increased his pace and entered the entrance of the Contamination Removal Room. From the start, cars were lined up in a wide area like a parking lot.
Opposite them was a long, warehouse-style building made of steel frames. The building was open with a front dock structure, revealing the interior, where a few cars on lifting machines were visible.
There were no people. However, Won-woo knew where to go. From the moment he entered, some Esper had been releasing a faint [unauthorized copyunauthorized copystyle="font-size:0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]stolen contentunauthorized copy -->but perceptible power. When he reached the far end of the removal room building, the owner of that power appeared. Three Espers from the same team turned to look at Won-woo simultaneously.
Right, it was you guys who lured me here. It was quite fascinating. This was clearly a different world, yet he was entangled with the same people as in his original world. And all of them were teammates. In the end, are ties similar in any world? Won-woo looked back at the three. Nani’s question from a moment ago came to mind.
‘He’s an Esper, and you’re not scared?’
How could I be? They’ve all died once by my hand already.
Ji Won-woo. Sang-cheon stared at the name and photo on the laptop screen for a long time. The face was definitely that of the Guide who had come to his office yesterday, tearful and distraught. But even though it was the same face, he couldn’t understand why it felt different. Was it just the difference between a photo and real life?
Sang-cheon sighed and scrolled down with the mouse. The face that had looked as if it would cry upon hearing that he wasn’t unhappy wouldn’t leave his mind. Though he didn’t know why, those words seemed to have made Ji Won-woo happy. Why would a complete stranger be happy about my happiness? No matter how many times the question surfaced, he couldn’t find the answer even after reviewing Ji Won-woo’s information.
The Ji family was uniquely famous for having Guides through bloodlines, as much as the prominent Esper families. That didn’t mean they had accumulated as much wealth as the Esper families, but starting nine years ago, the family’s luck seemed to turn, and they soared; now, most members of the Ji family were famous enough to have paparazzi following them.
Because of that, he thought there would be plenty of data on Ji Won-woo, but to his surprise, it was hard to even find a photo of him. He managed to salvage one photo someone had posted on an Eastern Center-related community. Other than that, there was a shocking lack of information. He searched the anonymous rooms of the Center community, but they were filled with nothing but malicious rumors.
They said he had stalked a famous Esper. Perhaps because of the Esper’s popularity, Ji Won-woo was being cursed at to a degree that felt one-sided. To let such malicious rumors spread despite being a member of the Ji family? This was why people called him the discarded child of the Ji family.
Even so, the brute wanted to use him as a spy. Well, considering the animosity between that family and the Ji family, it was understandable that they needed the Guide’s information. No matter how much money they had, they had to know who the Guide they were hiring was before spending the money.
Information on Guides whose wavelengths matched was tightly controlled by the Guide Center and the Ji family. That was why the brute’s family, despite being Espers, couldn’t use their power properly. In particular, he heard that many in that family had died from rampages because it was difficult to find Guides due to their unique waves. It was enough to make people say they were cursed.
That curse was strongest in the current generation that clashed with the Ji family. Unique waves. Sang-cheon lowered his gaze and fixed [stolen content]style="position:relative;display:inline;">[visit our site]it on one of Ji Won-woo’s characteristics.
‘Guide Grade: D-class – Low
Guiding Wavelength Range: all round’
Since wavelength range is usually expressed in numbers, seeing the word ‘all’ gave him a slight chill. However, considering the grade, he could only lament. Like Espers, Guides are divided into grades from A to D, and each grade is further divided into high, middle, and low. Ji Won-woo was ‘low’ even among D-class. He wondered if the grade was low because the wavelength range was so wide.
If you only looked at the wavelength, the person the brute was looking for was actually Ji Won-woo, yet he had to use him to find another Guide. The brute was pitiful, but the most pitiful one was, of course, himself, caught in the middle. Is this the time for me to worry about others? In the end, since the brute would make him act as an AI until he found the desired Guide information, he had no choice but to accompany him.
“If only Ji Won-woo’s grade were a bit higher, I could be free…”
Bang! Bang!
The sudden sound of a door being kicked stopped Sang-cheon’s monologue. He held his breath, hiding inside the small warehouse. He knew the iron door was firmly locked and wouldn’t open, but he closed the laptop just in case light leaked out.
“Hwang Sang-cheon! Hey, Hwang Sang-cheon! I know you’re in there. You know next week is the principal settlement date, right? Just in case you forgot, I came to kindly let you know. Hey, are you listening?!”
Bang, bang, bang!
This was a commotion familiar to Sang-cheon, but that didn’t mean he could act nonchalantly. One of the places he had borrowed money from was a vicious loan shark that hired Espers for intimidation. Next week, right. He had to repay part of the principal next week. Sang-cheon sighed and looked around the warehouse, wondering what he could sell this time to raise the money. This was no time to worry about the curse of the brute’s family. He might actually have to sell an organ.
Is that bastard crazy? The Espers of Head Team 3 couldn’t help but share the same question upon seeing the [stolen content]appearing Won-woo. They said a person changes after coming back from the dead, but this was a bit strange. Facing three Espers with whom he was on bad terms, he should have been terrified, but Won-woo’s reaction completely defied expectations. He was smiling with a twisted lip. In their eyes, it was a clear sneer.
“Hey, what the hell are you laughing at?”
“Am I laughing?”
The three reached the same conclusion again. He’s gone crazy.
“Do you have absolutely no clue why you were called here?”
The Esper who asked the question as if appalled, Ki-hyun, was in his late twenties and, unlike the other two, wore a suppression piercing in his ear. Espers at the Center consider wearing suppression piercings shameful, but Espers whose Guide matching rate is below a certain level are required to wear them by policy. While Ki-hyun’s case wasn’t severe, there were only a handful of matching Guides in the Center.
That was why Ki-hyun’s name had been mentioned as one of the reasons Ji Won-woo had come to Head Team 3. Regardless of Ji Won-woo’s guiding ability, his matching rate was surprisingly high. Because of that, whenever Ji Won-woo was cursed at within the team, Ki-hyun’s name was mentioned once in a while.
He had received half-joking accusations like, ‘Ji Won-woo is stuck to us because of you.’ Thus, Ki-hyun had been the most proactive in bullying Ji Won-woo. This time, it was Chang-hee, an Esper in his thirties, who suggested they teach him a lesson, but Ki-hyun was the one who stepped forward to pick a fight. It was also partly because the other two were so appalled they couldn’t open their mouths.
“Right. I don’t really have a clue. Why is everyone here?”
“This bastard really can’t tell the difference between shit and soybean paste after hitting his head.”
Enjoying the story? Support me on Ko-fi
Comments 0
You must be logged in to comment.
No comments yet. Be the first!