The Espers Who Regretted Losing Me Chapter 61

Well, if you thought about it, it was only natural. One year wasn’t a short time, but it wasn’t that long either.

The operations room hadn’t moved anywhere, and there hadn’t been a full remodel. So it wasn’t strange that everything looked the same.

This is all because those guys changed too much.

Even now, Yeon Dogyeong and Lee Shinra were calmly explaining things one by one— “What’s that?” “This is for what?” It all felt very unfamiliar.

After taking our time looking around the operations room, we still had time left. So I listened to Cha Eunhwi explain gates, espers, and guides again.

Of course, everything matched what I already remembered.

Still, there was one thing that bothered me.

“You said monsters started targeting guides, so their numbers went down. Do you know why?”

“No. The only thing we’re sure about is that when a guide tries guiding, monsters can find them and attack.
It doesn’t matter if they’re hiding far away or protected inside a barrier.”

He said many guides had died, and many had left.

I wondered if any guides I knew were among the dead.

I didn’t really have anyone I could call a friend, but even thinking that someone I recognized had died made my chest feel heavy.

Still, I didn’t want to ask, ‘Did someone I know die too?’

Cha Eunhwi, Yeon Dogyeong, and Lee Shinra didn’t drag the topic out either.

Time passed like that, and before I knew it, an hour and thirty minutes were gone.

After checking the time, Cha Eunhwi spoke.

“Let’s head to the examination room. But, um…”

“What? Is there a problem? Don’t tell me you’re saying only you’ll go with Yoon Hyeya—”

As Cha Eunhwi hesitated, Yeon Dogyeong frowned. He glanced at me and whispered very quietly,

“I’ll cry.”

He probably didn’t mean for me to hear, but we were too close.

Then Lee Shinra walked closer to Cha Eunhwi and whispered,

“I’ll cry too…”

Cha Eunhwi looked at them with an awkward expression and sighed.

“That’s not it. The news that Hyeya is back has probably spread already. I’m just worried something might happen on the way to the exam room.”

Something might happen.

That made me think of other espers.

They said the number of guides started dropping months ago. Of course everyone would want guiding.

Ability stabilizer drugs were still being developed, but I’d heard it would take several more years before they could be produced in large amounts.

I had spent one year inside the gate. The chance that a perfect stabilizer had been completed during that time was very low.

Yeon Dogyeong looked serious as he glanced at me.

“Should we wear hoodies or something?”

“If we’re together, won’t people recognize her as Hyeya anyway?”

“Damn it. I don’t want to cause a scene.”

“…Can’t you teleport there? Like when we came here?”

The exam room was on another floor, but it wasn’t a place where teleportation didn’t work.

I already knew why they wanted to walk, but I asked on purpose.

“I can, but my condition isn’t good right now.”

Cha Eunhwi, the reason for that, apologized with a guilty look.

I already knew he wasn’t in good shape.

Yeon Dogyeong and Lee Shinra had been coughing up blood inside the gate. There was no way Cha Eunhwi was fine.

Even earlier, he was holding on just by taking medicine.

Right now, even if he wanted to use his ability, he probably couldn’t. Medicine alone wouldn’t be enough.

But Cha Eunhwi didn’t ask me for guiding. He didn’t even hint at it.

He just kept thinking about how to move me without drawing attention.

Feeling awkward, I hid my emotions and held out my hand.

“Take it. I’ll guide you more.”

“…Huh? No, no, it’s fine. That’s not what I meant—”

“Just take it.”

Maybe he was worried I misunderstood. Urgency showed on his face.

At my flat tone, Cha Eunhwi hesitated, then reached out.

Even then, he didn’t grab my hand properly, so I took it myself and started guiding.

About one minute passed.

Then he said, “I’m okay now,” and pulled his hand away.

You don’t look okay at all.

If he refused, I didn’t feel the need to force it.

But this was a situation where he needed to use teleportation.

“Can you really use your ability? If you’re going to cough up blood, just get more guiding. I’m not doing this because I’m worried about you. I just don’t want to become a spectacle.”

I said it calmly and waited with my arm still out.

Cha Eunhwi stared at my arm, hesitated, then grabbed my hand again.

After a few minutes, his unstable energy settled down a bit.

“…Thank you, Hyeya. I’m really okay now.”

At his quiet voice, I stopped guiding without hesitation.

In the past, Lee Shinra and Yeon Dogyeong would’ve complained— “Why only him?”—but now they said nothing.

They just moved close to Cha Eunhwi and got ready to teleport.

I tightened my grip on Cha Eunhwi’s hand.

Soon, the scenery blurred white.

I closed my eyes.

“We’re here.”

At Cha Eunhwi’s voice, I opened my eyes.

The familiar sight greeted me again.

This place was usually crowded, but today the hallway was completely empty.

Feeling strange, I opened the exam room door.

“Excuse us.”

As I entered, Lee Shinra, Yeon Dogyeong, and Cha Eunhwi followed in a line.

The waiting room was empty too.

But as soon as the door closed, someone familiar came out from inside.

Messy bangs loosely pinned back, dark circles under his eyes, glasses on his nose— Doctor Song Yuseong from the exam department.

I’d seen him since I was a child.

It’s been a year, but he hasn’t changed either.

Not because time hadn’t passed— he’d looked the same even when I first met him eight years ago.

Back then, I heard he was already almost thirty.
Now he should be well into his thirties, yet he still looked young.

He wasn’t especially kind or friendly, but we didn’t have a bad relationship either.

Looks like the other doctors aren’t here.

This place handled regular checkups, matching rates, and health conditions.

Our unit had me, so the espers were always stable. But other units had to come in often.

That meant emergencies could happen, so at least three people usually stayed on duty.

All the staff here were espers too.

Seeing no one in the hallway or the exam room except Doctor Song, it seemed like the Director had arranged something.

Doctor Song stared at us—no, at me—for a long moment before speaking.

“This isn’t… a doppelgänger, right?”

A doppelgänger. A monster that looks exactly like someone, from head to toe, like a mirror image.

It copies the person’s behavior to lure others in. A pretty nasty kind of monster.

He probably wasn’t serious, but I let out a dry laugh.

Yeon Dogyeong answered with a displeased face.

“Doctor, did your eyesight get worse? How does Yoon Hyeya look like a monster?”

“Calm down. It’s not because she looks like one. I just had to ask, just in case. Anyway, I’m glad you came back safely. The Director said Guide Yoon Hyeya lost her memories… So you don’t know who I am either, right?”

With his tired-sounding voice, he replied to Dogyeong and pushed up his glasses.

Even without much expression, I could tell he was suspicious.

That was a normal reaction, so I answered calmly.

“The man called the Director told me to get examined and sent me here. And since Yeon Dogyeong called you ‘Doctor,’ I figured you’re the one in charge here.”