DB Vol 2 Part 1
Espers are obsessed with Guides. To Seo-na, who had never received a single satisfying guiding in her entire life, it sounded like a myth. But now, she understood those words all too well. It felt as if a radiance was emanating from Ji Won-woo’s face as he wore a soft smile. She felt as though she could cut off her own arm if that were the price he demanded for his guiding. However, the actual request he made was so simple it made her doubt her ears.
“You want me to stop some gangsters?”
“Yes. Gangsters hired by a loan shark. They’re forcing Director Hwang to take out more loans. It seems he’s been harassed quite a bit.”
“Who is Director Hwang?”
“Ah, Hwang Sang-cheon-ssi.”
Is he some celebrity I don’t know? Seo-na figured it was just because she had little interest in the world.
“Why is the loan shark forcing him to take more loans?”
“Because Director Hwang is diligent. Since they think he’ll pay it all back, they’re forcing more loans on him to squeeze out more interest.”
Ah. I guess that’s how their business works. Seo-na nodded, then paused.
“How did such a diligent person end up taking loans… No, forget it. Other people’s business is none of my concern.”
“According to Hwang Nani, it seems he was cheated out of money by a friend.”
Who is that now? Hwang Sang-cheon’s daughter? The more they talked, the more questions piled up. Seo-na raised her hand to stop Won-woo, trying to organize the conversation.
“So, if I stop those gangsters, you’ll guide me? Any other conditions?”
“None.”
Seo-na’s expression instantly turned cold.
“Don’t talk nonsense. How can that be the only price?”
“Is it not enough if that’s all?”
“Everything in this world comes with a corresponding price.”
“That’s not true.”
Won-woo shook his head slowly.
“There are things that require no price. And those things can determine the course of one’s life.”
“What is that?”
“Luck.”
Luck? As Seo-na frowned, Won-woo turned his gaze aside. The sky, which had grown dark, covered the rooftop of the Center building like a blanket. Because of that, the city glowing like a swarm of fireflies below and the rooftop where the two stood felt like different worlds. Won-woo looked down upon that world like a god.
“Luck takes up a large part of life, but the problem is that it’s unfair. That’s why those who don’t strive can end up having more. Conversely, those who work hard and diligently can see their dreams vanish like bubbles. That’s why you shouldn’t hesitate out of caution when luck comes your way. Just shamelessly seize it.”
Then are you saying you’re my luck? The sarcasm didn’t come out. If what Ji Won-woo had just shown her was truly guiding, it wasn’t just luck; she should practically worship him as the God of Luck.
“No, still, it’s a bit… for a stranger to suddenly help me like this…”
“Han Seo-na-ssi, you helped me too.”
“…I just happened to.”
“You were luck to me as well, Han Seo-na-ssi.”
He was clearly talking about the help she gave, but Won-woo’s eyes wavered as if he were about to cry. It was a depth of emotion that Seo-na couldn’t understand. Because of that, she couldn’t argue further, nor could she reject his kindness with cold words. Does he look like someone I know? While she remained silent with a strange feeling, a serious request followed.
“Even if you receive guiding from me, please keep it a secret for the time being. Right now, I can’t officially designate Han Seo-na-ssi as my Guide. It would be better to reveal it after I’ve resolved some annoying problems.”
Seo-na asked back with a confused look.
“How do you plan to resolve them? There’s no way the Center would accept your request, and the Guide Center wouldn’t allow an S-rank Guide to guide someone like me, who’s only B-rank.”
“I’m not an S-rank Guide.”
“Then are you Ultra S-rank?”
Even as she said it, Seo-na wondered if such a rank even existed. She had asked quite seriously, but Won-woo took it as a joke and let out a small laugh. The sound of his voice was quite pleasant, so Seo-na steadied her mind to avoid being enchanted.
“I’m D-rank.”
“I don’t really like jokes about ranks.”
“It’s not a joke. I’m different from ordinary Guides. You felt it through my guiding, didn’t you?”
Feel it? Indeed. She had never experienced guiding like this in her life.
“If you’re not a Guide, then what on earth are you?”
“Are you going to seize your luck?”
Is this really just luck? No price required, no debt to pay? Seo-na had never once considered herself lucky in her life. That’s why the word ‘luck’ that Ji Won-woo spoke of felt foreign and awkward. She looked at Won-woo for a moment, tightened her jaw, and spoke.
“Whether it’s luck or misfortune, I don’t have a choice. I have to seize it.”
Won-woo grinned silently. That smile looked like proof of luck, and without realizing it, she began to expect something. But this, too, was unfamiliar. Don’t expect anything. As she suppressed the feeling out of habit, the answer to her previous question came.
“My identity is a bit unfamiliar here. I’ll explain it to you slowly later. Anyway, for Seo-na-ssi, the stability of your power is more important than my identity.”
“But if you guide me, it’ll be revealed that you’re not D-rank.”
“That’s why I need you to keep it well-hidden until I leave the Guide Center.”
Leave the Guide Center? Seo-na quickly shook her head.
“Preventative medicine for Guide disease isn’t supplied to those who aren’t members of the Guide Center. Leaving is dangerous. No, it’s a place you can’t leave of your own will. Not until you’re kicked out.”
“Then I’ll just have to be kicked out. Since I have no chance of contracting Guide disease.”
At this point, Seo-na seriously worried about him again. Did something happen to his head because his Guide rank suddenly jumped?
“I’m not saying this because I don’t trust you, but [stolen content]site" style="display:none;" aria-label="visit our site">visit our siteWon-woo-ssi, you went into a monster Farm recently, right? I heard your life was in danger. Why don’t you get a consultation at the Center? …Why are you laughing?”
“I just thought you were a truly kind person. Director Hwang said the same thing.”
The person being threatened by gangsters? Since he sounded quite friendly when referring to Director Hwang, she figured they were close. She thought he was a loner both at the Center and at home, so it was a relief that he had someone to rely on.
As soon as the thought occurred, Seo-na scolded herself. Why do you care so much about someone you’ve only spoken to twice? As her expression hardened, Won-woo conversely gave her a soft smile.
“You don’t have to worry about me getting Guide disease. So, I’ll work hard to be kicked out of the Guide Center as soon as possible.”
At those words, Seo-na’s expression became peculiar as if she remembered something.
“Are you planning to make a Guide contract with a place forbidden by the Guide Center?”
“No. I think another method will be easier, so I’ll use that.”
Another method? Unless a Guide kills an Esper, was there another way? As Seo-na tilted her head in confusion, a question followed.
“Come to think of it, I heard there’s [visit our site]copy" style="display:none;" [stolen content]aria-label="unauthorized copy">unauthorized copyone place where the Guide Center forbids guiding. Where is it?”
“You don’t know that? Ah, you said you had problems with your memory.”
Seo-na remained silent for a moment before cautiously uttering the name.
“Um, the Gye Family. The rulers of the North.”
“I told you to go and keep a leash on Ji Won-woo, and you come back after filming your own reality show?”
At his brother’s irritated voice, Ji Seong-hyeon barely managed to hold back a string of curses. Considering that the son of a bitch had stood him up, it wouldn’t have been enough to just scream and curse, even in front of his brother.
But today was different. Because the CEO managing the business he had met just moments ago had been wailing in misery to Seong-hyeon.
‘I can’t even pay the rent, so I’m in a position where I have to pull out all the main stores located downtown. On top of that, the costs for the new business are blocked due to loans, so I can’t even open, and next week all our debts come due at once. The bank? You know. Since last year, the banks haven’t been cooperating with the Ji family. This is all because of the Gye Family. The Gye Family is putting pressure on the banks. Haa, please save me, President. We’re all going to die at this rate.’
The CEO had always been prone to complaining, but this time it wasn’t an exaggeration. Even Seong-hyeon, who usually just scoffed, had no choice but to take it seriously this time. He had tried to arrange meals with a bank president he was acquainted with all last week, but he was rejected every time with the excuse of being busy.
The reason was indeed pressure from the Gye Family. Since their power didn’t work on Espers and Guides, they were applying every possible pressure using money. Money [unauthorized copy]earned filthily and wit[stolen content]hout a shred of shame. While outwardly demanding Guides, they were relentlessly picking fights behind the scenes.
At first, Seong-hyeon was angry, wondering if there was nowhere else to borrow money besides them. But there truly was nowhere to pull funds from. Only then did he realize the fire was at his feet, and looking around, there was only one place to cling to.
As much as he hated it, he had no choice but to beg his brother. That’s why he had obediently followed his brother’s instructions this time. But that son of a bitch, Ji Won-woo.
“What am I supposed to do about Won-woo running away?”
He had suppressed his temper, but he couldn’t hide his sense of injustice. Ji Dong-hyeon, who was focused on the monitor, cast a displeased look at his younger brother.
“Is it the first or second time that piece of trash has hidden? Even after feeding him drugs for years to make him listen, he tried to run away several times. You should have gone expecting him to hide. Don’t you know that entering the Center noisily with a broadcasting team is basically telling him you’ve arrived and to run away? You idiot.”
Seong-hyeon flared up again at Dong-hyeon’s insult, but he bowed his head, remembering the favor he had to ask today. He had to pretend to be repentant, even if it was a lie.
“I’m sorry. You know I do my filming almost in real-time. My viewership has been dropping lately, so I was trying hard, and I didn’t think it would turn out like this.”
With his head bowed, Seong-hyeon glanced up at his brother. Since childhood, whenever he acted subservient like this, Dong-hyeon would be satisfied and throw him the prey he wanted.
Ji Won-woo, on the other hand, was different. He always talked back [unauthorized copy]and rebelled against Dong-hyeon’s [stolen [unauthorized copy]content]orders. Seong-hyeon had helped Dong-hyeon by contributing to making Ji Won-woo fall out of favor with their father.
It didn’t take much effort. Anyway, it was a miracle that Ji Won-woo hadn’t been discarded with his useless D-rank ability. However, Dong-hyeon seemed to find it distasteful that Won-woo was suppressed by drugs rather than his own power, viewing him as a thorn in his side. Seong-hyeon couldn’t understand why he cared so much about a useless idiot.
“I’ll try to meet him again within this week. I’ll educate him properly this time. So, Hyung.”
Seong-hyeon carefully gauged Dong-hyeon’s reaction and made his request.
“Just this once, release some funds. I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
“Don’t make me laugh. Do you not know the current state of the family?”
“I know. That the family’s money has dried up because Father is lobbying everywhere to get Guide voting rights. How desperate do you think I am to even bring this up? If it’s hard for you to do it, just give the central bank president a call.”
Having lowered his tail this much, he expected an easy agreement, but the answer that came was firm.
“No.”
“Ah, why?!”
“Stop acting like a child, you brat. Do you think I’m doing this because I don’t want to help?”
Even Seong-hyeon, who was known as the dim-witted one in the family, immediately understood his brother’s meaning.
“Fuck, did the Gye Family block our family’s money line too? Haa, those damn Gye bastards.”
Seong-hyeon ruffled his hair with both hands and poured out curses.
“How the hell are those bastards still alive without a Guide? Are they cockroaches? This is driving me crazy, fuck. Hyung, don’t be like that, tell Father to send a Guide. They’re acting out like that because they don’t have a Guide.”
“Talk sense. The river between the Gye Family and us has already been crossed. Once Father brings the voting rights, we can crush them more decisively, so just endure it.”
“I’m telling you I can’t endure it!”
Seong-hyeon jumped up from his seat, went in front of his brother, and pleaded as if begging.
“Hyung, if money won’t work, just let me use one Alpha seed. Just one is enough. With just [class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">visit our site]one, all my problems will be solved…”
“Stop spouting immature nonsense.”
When Dong-hyeon spoke fiercely with a stern face, Seong-hyeon finally shut his mouth. When his brother spoke like that without even cursing, he knew he couldn’t cling any further. But what am I supposed to do? Irritation spread in Dong-hyeon’s eyes as he read his brother’s inner thoughts.
“Do you not know how much Father cherishes the Alpha seeds?”
He knew. Their father was the kind of man who would secure one more Alpha seed even if his child died. Seong-hyeon ruffled his hair again as if tearing it out.
“Still, Father has plenty of Alpha seeds. He has hundreds piled up in his vault, so if he just lets me use one…”
The pleading Seong-hyeon paused upon seeing his brother’s expression. Dong-hyeon was expressionless, but Seong-hyeon, who had known him for a long time, could tell immediately. He was currently feeling troubled. Why?
“Don’t tell me Father doesn’t have any Alpha seeds left?”
“No.”
“Then is he almost out?”
“Shut your mouth.”
Seeing Dong-hyeon speak so savagely, Seong-hyeon’s eyes widened.
“Is it true? Really none left? Then, could it be that Father is striving for the voting rights because he has no Alpha seeds and wants to seize power…?”
“Fuck, I told you to shut your mouth, why do you keep babbling!”
Flinching, Seong-hyeon finally lowered his eyes and shut his mouth, but he couldn’t calm his pounding heart.
“Tell Director Shin on your way out. He’ll block the urgent matters for you.”
The words he wanted finally came from his brother’s mouth, but they didn’t properly register in Seong-hyeon’s ears. Father has no more Alpha seeds? Then what happens to our Ji family now?
The Gye Family. By the time Won-woo moved his base to the North, the Gye Family had already fallen. However, even after the master of the North disappeared, people remembered their name for a long time. In the North, there were quite a few families who believed that the strong power of an Esper was passed down through the maternal line, and the Gye Family was one of them.
The name Gye had been the maternal surname of that house for generations, and [Read [visit our site]on Read BL Novels]the family head was always a woman. These female leaders were more bold and strict than anyone, but they respected the free ideology of the North and greatly helped establish a social foundation where even commoners could succeed if given the chance.
That’s why even when the Gye Family was entirely sacrificed in an unexpected accident, people who had not forgotten their contributions instead flocked to the North. The North became a free city, and Purifiers flocked there, becoming the foundation of the free government. However, to Won-woo, who had never encountered the Gye Family, their story was merely like a legend.
“Is the Gye Family still doing well?”
Won-woo muttered unconsciously, and an immediate rebuttal followed.
“No, it’s a bit much to say they’re doing well.”
“Why? It’s not like a war broke out.”
Does a person have to die or be injured in a war for it to be a downfall? For the Gye Family, the current situation was no different from a war. And the people of the Ji family shouldn’t be in a position to speak so nonchalantly, right?
“To an observer, the fight between the two families looks like a war.”
“Which family are they fighting?”
“…Are you joking?”
No. Won-woo denied it, then his expression turned to one of realization as something came to mind.
“Ah, the Ji family. Is the Guide Center not providing Guides to the Gye Family?”
Because he looked like he was truly asking without knowing, Seo-na was puzzled but nodded.
“Yes. Because of the Guides, the Gye Family grinds their teeth at the mention of the Ji family. So, the Gye Family will absolutely never contract with Ji Won-woo-ssi. The reason the Gye Family has become so vicious is all because of the Ji family.”
Vicious? The Gye Family? In the Gye Family that Won-woo remembered, there was one person everyone praised. The wise and great family head.
“I understood the Gye family head to be a wise and impartial person.”
“Ah, that was the previous family head. The current family head, um, she took over the family during a difficult time. Moreover, since the supply of Guides wasn’t proper, she had no choice but to become cold-blooded. The Gye Family’s unique wave is so strong it’s called a curse. So, it’s not that I don’t understand what the Gye Family is doing now, but still…”
Seo-na trailed off, but the word ‘vicious’ seemed to echo again. The current Gye Family is vicious.
“Anyway, don’t even think about contacting the Gye Family. Honestly, if they found out Won-woo-ssi was mentioning [unauthorized copy]wm: unauthorized copy -->the Gye Family, their swordsman might jump out. It’s a relief they’re locked up for now.”
“Swordsman?”
“The current Gye family head is an A-rank Esper. While the heads of other families are all S-rank Espers, the Gye family head ascended to the position because she is a woman. However, the reason no one could ignore the Gye Family was because of the family head’s younger brother, who acted as the swordsman.”
“Is he strong?”
Strong? Seo-na swallowed a bewildered laugh.
“He’s strong to a terrifying degree.”
‘Right now, the Gye family head has one daughter. She’s the next successor. But as expected, she couldn’t escape the curse, so guiding is an issue. About a year ago, the Gye Family formed something like an agreement with the Ji Family for the first time, and the reason was the successor. At that time, the Ji Family set a condition in exchange for providing exactly one Guide.
They told them to isolate the Gye Family’s scoundrel… ahem, the family head’s younger brother, because he has a high possibility of rampage, for the safety of others. The pretext was safety, but it really meant tying the hands of the Gye Family’s swordsman. All the Esper families agreed with the Ji Family.’
Seo-na’s voice held a certain hatred for the Espers who had agreed. Espers are stronger than anyone else, yet they display an ugly jealousy toward those stronger than themselves.
The way the Espers were wary of the Gye Family while pushing the Ji Family was familiar to Won-woo. That was exactly visit our sitehow [Read [stolen content]on Read BL Novels]the Espers had behaved when the Purifier first appeared. And they had pushed Ji Geun-woo, who stood on their side, so much. Won-woo felt like laughing.
[Did it go well meeting Han Seo-na-ssi today?]
Nani’s question came, perhaps misinterpreting Won-woo’s smile. Won-woo nodded just as he opened the gate to enter his house.
“Yeah. She’s still wary of me, but fortunately, she’s following my lead…”
Won-woo stopped mid-sentence. At the same time, his footsteps halted. A dagger, which he had pulled out without anyone noticing, was gripped in his hand. He held his breath and scanned the dark interior of the house as if glaring into it.
[What is it?]
Nani asked, but Won-woo entered the house silently, shoes still on. He pressed his body against the wall and carefully checked around the corner. No sound could be heard, and the interior was shrouded in darkness due to the closed curtains, but Won-woo utilized all his senses to scan every nook and cranny.
Only after he was certain that no one was there did he finally exhale the breath he had been holding. However, he did not lower his guard. He turned on the lights and walked slowly through the house, checking the condition of the place with his eyes.
[Are there signs that someone broke in?]
“There are no visible traces, but someone definitely came in.”
[How do you know?]
“The smell. There’s a scent of perfume remaining in the house.”
Of course, it was an unfamiliar scent to Won-woo. Won-woo didn’t use any fragrances. He chose fragrance-free soap and shampoo whenever possible, and if unavoidable, he changed them frequently rather than using one for a long time.
Perhaps because Espers have blind faith in their abilities, they sometimes do stupid things. To boldly infiltrate while wearing such a strong perfume. This is why Ji Won-woo had reported to the management office that he had a stalker.
[Who, and why?]
“Who knows. Most Espers are perverts.”
[…Is that so?]
“Yeah. Once an Esper is satisfied with guiding, they lose their minds.”
[It’s probably because it feels amazing just to have the pain disappear.]
It was surely a general opinion about Espers, but strangely, it sounded like a personal experience. Won-woo shook his head at his own delusion. He kept forgetting that Nani was a machine.
“That doesn’t justify perverted obsession, though.”
[Is normal obsession okay, then?]
“In the first place, one shouldn’t be obsessed.”
[You shouldn’t speak carelessly unless you’ve experienced the pain yourself.]
Won-woo paused again.
“You’re talking like an Esper.”
[…You are mistaken.]
Ah, I guess so. Won-woo nodded and asked jokingly.
“Then, if you were an Esper, you’d naturally be obsessed with a Guide who relieves your pain, right?”
[No.]
“I thought you said Esper obsession is inevitable because of the pain?”
He thought he heard a faint sigh. Won-woo’s lips curled silently. Wow, this guy really seems human.
[Since survival is at stake, I would continuously track the Guide’s location, but obsession is different. I have tastes; I am not so stupid as to be obsessed with just anyone.]
“You have tastes?”
[…Probably.]
He didn’t know much about AI, but he was surprised by how far it could go. Did Sang-cheon reflect a specific person’s data? Then can an AI develop tastes? Once again, he accepted the theory that Hwang Sang-cheon was a genius.
“So you’re saying if the partner relieves your pain and fits unauthorized copyyour taste, [Read on Read BL Novels]you’d be obsessed?”
[There is no one who fits my taste anyway.]
Won-woo tilted his head at the coldly dismissive voice.
“Mr. Hwang would be your taste, wouldn’t he?”
[Ha. Absolutely not.]
A response of utter disgust burst out, as if he were appalled. It was such a human-like reaction that Won-woo was genuinely surprised.
“You really seem like a person.”
[Is that not allowed?]
“It’s not,” Won-woo replied lightly, moving his steps to scan the house again to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. “Because when I’m with you, I keep letting my guard down. I’m afraid I might say something I shouldn’t.”
[…That’s what I want…]
“What? It crackled, I couldn’t hear you well.”
[I said don’t worry. If you let your guard down and talk nonsense, I’ll warn you accordingly.]
“Huh? You used the word ‘nonsense’?”
As soon as Won-woo pointed it out, a response came as if he were swallowing a sigh.
[It’s not a swear word, is it?]
“Still, it’s a word that can be unpleasant, so you shouldn’t use it.”
[…Can I use it if I make sure it doesn’t sound unpleasant?]
Won-woo stopped walking and asked curiously.
“How do you make it not sound unpleasant?”
A short silence followed, making it feel as if Nani were contemplating. Just as Won-woo was tightening his lips to keep from smiling, Nani’s answer came.
[I will warn you when Ji Won-woo-ssi says… cute nonsense.]
Cute nonsense. You’re the one who’s cuter. Won-woo couldn’t help but smile, but he quickly covered his face with his hand.
Nani could tell even when he smiled silently, like a ghost. Sure enough, this time, he didn’t notice.
[Is this also unpleasant?]
The serious question made him laugh even more. Won-woo’s hand wouldn’t leave his face. Does he want to use the word ‘nonsense’ that badly? Was he programmed to utilize as many words as possible?
“I think it’s not bad.”
He barely managed to mutter the answer and changed the subject to avoid laughing again.
“So, what kind of person is your taste?”
[None.]
At the indifferent reply, Won-woo felt like teasing him.
“What about me?”
[…Do you want to make love with a machine?]
This time, he couldn’t hold it back and burst out laughing. Considering the situation, Won-woo bit his lip and tried to calm down. To think he’d be laughing foolishly after confirming signs of an intruder. But even though it wasn’t much, it was so funny when Nani said it.
“No. Sex should be done with a human.”
Won-woo replied without much thought and, forgetting the silent Nani, meticulously scanned the house again. He checked if any items were missing. Fortunately, nothing was gone. Then, an unexpected name came from Nani.
[Hong Seung-wook?]
“What about him?”
[I’m asking if you had sex with Hong Seung-wook.]
Won-woo, who was heading toward the bathroom, stopped his movements and blinked. Why did the question sound displeased? Puzzled, he answered nonchalantly.
“Well. I don’t remember, but the old me might have.”
Won-woo thought of the dying Ji Won-woo. The one who accepted death with a smile on his face. That is a peace only those with no lingering attachments can possess.
No matter how exceptional his abilities were, he himself had been hollowed out by loss and longing, but Ji Won-woo, despite being infinitely fragile, was firmer than anyone in the face of death. Like a seeker who found peace after letting everything go.
Even though he had faced him for only a short time, he could tell. He couldn’t forget those eyes that had finally found peace. Since everyone lives with lingering attachments and regrets, he was almost envious of his death. Won-woo knew how difficult it was to endure the worst situations.
A world where there is no reason not to die. What meaning is there in forcing oneself to live in such a place? One pushes through day by day, carrying that agony. Because death was met in such a way, it might have been a gift-like victory for Ji Won-woo.
Compared to that, how small and wretched was he? He was stronger than anyone and could do whatever he wanted after escaping the Ji Family. Yet, he didn’t know how helplessly he had spent his time simply because all his people had died.
He should have filled the void in his heart himself, but he couldn’t let go of memories and clung to lingering attachments. But it can’t be helped even if he’s fragile. The opportunity has come, hasn’t it? The opportunity [stolen content]stolen content -->to turn [visit our site]those memories back into reality. As he was justifying himself, Nani’s blunt voice was heard.
[You probably don’t remember because he was mediocre.]
Mediocre? What was? After a moment of confusion, he realized it was an extension of the previous conversation. Ah, he’s saying Hong Seung-wook is mediocre?
“No. Hong Seung-wook is probably good at it.”
[I thought you said you didn’t remember?]
“Regardless of memory, I can tell just by looking. He’s an Esper, so he’d have great stamina, and I heard he’s popular with Guides.”
[…F*ck, my stamina is…]
Another crackle and some unintelligible words were heard, but Won-woo didn’t pay attention as he clicked on the bathroom light and looked inside. Nothing was missing from the bathroom either. However, there was something that caught his eye. The inside of the toilet was wet. As if someone had just flushed it.
“What reason would someone have to sneak into another person’s house just to flush the toilet?”
[Maybe they had an urgent need to go.]
Thanks to Nani’s innocent answer, Won-woo’s cold expression softened.
“It would be nice if all humans were as simple as you.”
[I’m not that simple.]
Following the firm denial, Nani asked as if his pride were hurt.
[Then what other reasons are there?]
“Well. Either they had an urgent need to go, or…”
Won-woo turned on the bathroom exhaust fan and calmly gave another opinion.
“They wanted to cum.”
The smell of semen in the bathroom was faint, but it was more nauseating than any other waste. The humming sound of [unauthorized copy]the exhaust fan filled the silence for a while.
Won-woo went out to the living room and looked outside through a scope between the gaps in the curtains. It was something he did every day lately, but today he looked more thoroughly and for a longer time. After a while, Nani’s voice was heard.
[Want me to find the culprit?]
Won-woo didn’t know why the low voice felt momentarily angry. Was it because of the crackling that he misheard again? Puzzled, he shook his head.
“Forget it.”
[Why? Do you think I can’t find them?]
“No. Because I can find them.”
There’s a high possibility it’s someone close. Then it’s easy to find. Won-woo’s scope stopped at one spot. The silhouette of a person standing as if hiding under a dark street tree.
It was a spot directly facing Won-woo’s window. However, the face was hidden by the shadows. Nevertheless, Won-woo was certain that person was the stalker.
Perverts always linger around their target, unable to leave. Such people, a hundred percent of the time, want to see the reaction of the victim [stolen [stolen content]content]on Read BL Novels" style="display:none;" aria-label="Read on Read BL Novels">Read on Read BL Novelsor the audience. They are the kind of people who are only satisfied when they see the results of their actions.
Won-woo looked around the quiet house for a moment. It occurred to him that perhaps Ji Won-woo had also guessed the identity of the stalker. He was him, after all.
But would he have just stayed still because he had no power? This was the Center’s dormitory, so it would have been easy to move out, yet Ji Won-woo didn’t move.
Did he endure by ignoring them instead of running away? People believe that confronting is the only way to fight, but for the weak, enduring and running away are also ways of fighting. Still, if it was too hard, he could have asked for help…
Ah, he probably had nowhere to ask. Won-woo realized it like a deep sigh. He was lucky enough to escape the mire of the Ji Family, but Ji Won-woo wasn’t.
He knew all too well how the people of the Ji Family isolate others, strip away their confidence, and break their will. In the same situation, could he have endured? A negative answer came easily to this question. No, I couldn’t have.
[Do you have a guess who the culprit is?]
“I’ll let you know after I check.”
Won-woo stripped all the bedding, replaced it with new ones, and laid his tired body down.
[Are you just going to sleep?]
“Yeah. It’s time to sleep.”
[What if the pervert comes again?]
Nani is an AI, so he’s probably just curious. His tone was dry, too. But to Won-woo, it sounded like worry for some reason, which felt good. He closed his eyes and muttered.
“They won’t. This pervert is a coward who sneaks in without the homeowner knowing, even though he’s an Esper. But if he’s not satisfied with this and needs a bigger stimulus, he’ll come then.”
I’ll deal with him before that, though. Won-woo muttered the last part to himself and turned on his side. On the dark bed, although no one was there, the small crackling noise in his ear felt like someone else’s breathing, which brought relief. He felt pathetic for filling his loneliness with the existence of an AI that wasn’t even human, but it was hard to push away this satisfaction.
When he lived in the North in the past, there were nights when he felt relief at the sound of someone’s breathing. That person was like family that Won-woo had to protect. But he didn’t speak, nor did he make a sound. Still, when the night became quiet, he could hear his sound in the silence. It was a faint sound of breathing. In fact, Won-woo used to lean against the bed where he lay to fall asleep, just to hear that breathing.
He felt relieved only after hearing the breathing that proved his survival. My ally is still alive. Rejoicing in this fact, he would chatter to the unresponsive partner for a long time before falling asleep. And for some reason, this crackling now reminded him of the peace he felt back then.
“It’s nice.”
He muttered it unconsciously, and a rebuke immediately followed.
[Do you like that a pervert visited?]
“No, just lying down like this.”
[The pervert might have lain on that bed too.]
Won-woo immediately retracted the thought that it was similar to the peace of the past. He must have been able to be that peaceful because he was chatting alone. He didn’t know that an AI who couldn’t stand perverts would disturb his peace.
“There are plenty of perverts, so don’t worry too much.”
[…Did you suffer that much?]
The voice sounded sharp as a blade. I must be tired, imagining things. Won-woo took a deep breath and replied as if laughing.
“Suffer? I just met a lot of perverts.”
[Is it true that you’ve never been ‘suffered’?]
“Do you even know what ‘suffering’ means to ask that?”
The communication was cut off for a moment. Ah, he must be flustered because he doesn’t know. Won-woo felt pleased by Nani’s innocence. However, he didn’t want to give sex education to an AI just yet.
“I was lucky, so I never suffered. But not all Guides are like that.”
No matter how much the Center and the Guide Association try to protect Guides by imposing sanctions on Espers, those who hold the upper hand in power do not easily listen. They say that once you experience guiding sex with a Guide whose Wave matches well, it’s hard to control like a drug, but that’s bullshit.
He doesn’t understand why only male Espers are particularly unable to control themselves. In the first place, once Espers reach a certain age, they should just be neutered…
[I should catch the pervert and cut off his dick.]
Won-woo opened his closed eyes.
“Hey, that word…”
[It has not been registered as inappropriate yet.]
Was Mr. Hwang busy? Won-woo tossed and turned, looking up at the dark ceiling.
“But you’re right. It’s better to castrate all Espers.”
[There are Espers who aren’t perverts.]
A somewhat urgent reply came. Won-woo chuckled.
“If there are, they’d be unique wave Espers who haven’t experienced guiding sex yet.”
[…Experiencing it doesn’t necessarily mean one becomes a pervert.]
“No. They will. You could call them potential perverts.”
For some reason, the communication was cut off again. Thinking he might have teased him too much, Won-woo laughed softly and called him.
“Nani, I’m joking. Of course, not all Espers are perverts.”
[Yes. Still, if they are definitely perverts, all their dicks should be cut off.]
As an AI, he’s cold toward humans. Won-woo realized once again that the other party was a machine.
“That’s not bad either. If only the real perverts are punished, Espers will soon go extinct.”
[Do you want Espers to go extinct?]
If it were the past, when his head was full of thoughts of killing Espers, he would have answered yes immediately. But now it was different.
“Even if Espers disappear, the world won’t improve much. New power-holders will appear and fight again to gain power.”
He had barely won the war against the Espers, but after that, the survivors began to divide themselves by rank and started another war. Is power the problem? Or is it because humans are greedy and struggle so much to possess power?
Those who loudly proclaimed human equality and freedom disappeared at some point. Instead, those who were more unscrupulous and selfish than others incited people to satisfy their own greed.
“So it doesn’t matter whether Espers disappear or not. I just need my people by my side.”
[Have you ever felt sorrowful because you had no one on your side?]
Won-woo laughed shortly and rolled over to the other side. He curled up, resting his head on his hand.
“I’m not sorrowful. I’m just empty.”
[….]
“Because I’ve come to know a happiness I wouldn’t have known if I had been alone from the start.”
[….]
“I’ll protect them well this time.”
I really must protect them well. Won-woo relaxed his body as if surrendering to the rapidly approaching sleep.
“Nani, shall I tell you a story from the old days?”
[…S… Please sleep.]
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