The Espers Who Regretted Losing Me Chapter 64

I had imagined violent things once in a while, but that was only because these guys were annoying enough to break even the calm logic of a peaceful intellectual like me.

Even now, talking to them makes my emotions boil up a bit, but it’s different from back then.

I might want to swear at them, but I didn’t want to hit them.

Still, you never know what might happen in life. I folded the baton and answered, just in case.

“If I ever need it later, I’ll tell you. So don’t pretend you don’t remember.”

“…Of course. And you better not say you never made that promise with me either, Yoon Hyeya.”

Even though it wasn’t a good promise—and it was one-sided with him getting hit—Yeon Dogyeong smiled happily.

While I was giving him an uncomfortable look, Doctor Song handed me something else.

“Guide Yoon Hyeya, this too. It’s a holster. You can fix it to your waist. It works with any pants, so make sure you carry it with you all the time. Now, we’re really done.”

He waved both hands quickly. His desire for us to leave was painfully obvious.

I held the holster and the shortened baton in one hand, and grabbed Cha Eunhwi’s arm with the other.

Yeon Dogyeong and Lee Shinra stuck close to Cha Eunhwi as well, resting their hands on his shoulders.

After a half-hearted goodbye, we headed back to the operation room.

That was when it happened.

I felt a strange presence—and someone rushed at me.

Instinctively, I swung the baton I was holding.

“Hyeya—agh!”

The shortened baton extended again, and a dull sound mixed with a scream.

Someone rolled across the floor. Even with his head lowered, the flashy pink hair screaming for attention made it obvious who it was.

Jung Haram?

Why was he here?

He was an esper, so being at headquarters wasn’t strange. But this was the Geumgang Second Unit’s operation room.

He shouldn’t have the key. No one gave him the password either.

“Ugh… ughhh…”

On top of that, he was exaggerating his pain, lying on the floor. That only made him more annoying.

I looked down at Jung Haram and asked,

“What is this guy? Is he an esper too?”

Yeon Dogyeong answered with a very bright face.

“Yeah! He’s trash, so you can ignore him! No need to remember him either!”

“But I think he called my name… We weren’t close, right?”

“Yeah, absolutely not. Yoon Hyeya, you had no friends. He’s just one of those trash guys who kept clinging to you.”

The wording was harsh, but considering their relationship, it made sense.

Jung Haram squirmed on the floor, then lifted his head and complained.

“That’s so mean. I was really worried about Hyeya too… But seeing you get along with Dogyeong, I guess you really did lose your memory.”

“D-do I look like that?”

“We’re not close.”

Dogyeong and I said it at the same time.

Dogyeong, who had been pretending to be shy for once, flinched.

I was about to emphasize it again, but Cha Eunhwi spoke to Jung Haram instead.

“Has that already been announced?”

“Huh? You guys didn’t know? About thirty minutes ago, the Director sent a mass message. It said a missing guide was rescued from inside a gate, but her memory and abilities are unstable, so no one should approach her. They even blocked off some areas.”

Jung Haram took out his phone and showed us the message.
The content matched exactly.

Then why did this idiot come here after reading that?

I was never comfortable being the target of one-sided attention, so I wasn’t happy to see him.

My name wasn’t mentioned, but it was obvious the missing guide was me.
…There were dead guides, but still.

We had also run into a few units earlier, so the rumor must’ve spread fast.

Anyway, the restricted area ordered by the Director covered the entire path from our operation room to the examination room.

“There was even a firewall blocking the way. Looks like you moved using Eunhwi’s ability?”

So he really had locked it down. I didn’t know because I never left the operation room.

That made me feel strangely emotional.

While that was happening, Jung Haram stood up, pressing the spot on his forehead where he’d been hit, looking miserable.

But I immediately noticed how stable his energy felt.

I’d had similar thoughts when I saw Dogyeong, Shinra, and Eunhwi inside the gate—but compared to them, his face looked almost shiny.

That meant he was getting proper guiding.

So Sister Taerin must be safe.

Or maybe guides were assigned to the Geumgang First Unit first.

No matter what, gates were opening every day.

Then Lee Shinra, who had been silent, shot a sharp question at him.

“The area was restricted. How did you get in, Haram hyung?”

He stuttered badly when talking to me, but spoke perfectly fine to Jung Haram.

Jung Haram answered with a smile.

“Obviously, I snuck in. It wasn’t hard. You guys removed all the locks and keys from your operation room, so anyone can enter.”

Now I understood why he’d been waiting here.

Did they remove the locks because their condition was bad?

I couldn’t think of any other reason.

Even so, Jung Haram barging in freely was a separate problem.

When we all stared at him unhappily, he smiled awkwardly with his gentle-looking face.

“Sorry for coming without permission. I was just worried about Hyeya, and about you guys too. I’m glad you’re safe, Hyeya. I’ve seen your face now, so I’ll go. Byeee!”

…What was that?
Did he suddenly gain common sense over the past year?

He used to cling nonstop and be so annoying, but now he left immediately just because we glared at him. That wasn’t like Jung Haram at all.

I retracted the baton I was still holding and said without hiding my discomfort,

“Seriously, who is that guy?”

“Jung Haram. An esper from the Geumgang First Unit, but—”

“He’s trash. Trash. Ignore him.”

“He used to cling to you a lot and bother you, nuna.”

Dogyeong and Shinra complained, cutting off Cha Eunhwi.

It was true that he was annoying enough to be called trash, but Cha Eunhwi looked conflicted.

When I asked, “Why?” he answered calmly.

“As Shinra said, he did bother you, and you weren’t close. But while we couldn’t operate properly, the Geumgang First Unit took on all the work without complaining. And he… worried about us.”

Doing missions because the Director ordered it was one thing, but the fact that Jung Haram worried enough for Eunhwi to notice was unexpected.

“…Were we close?”

I asked again, trying not to show my surprise.
Cha Eunhwi smiled bitterly.

“No. Not at all. I don’t want to get closer either. That’s separate from this.”

The words didn’t match his expression, but I let it go.
Cha Eunhwi was Cha Eunhwi.

After the brief disturbance ended, the three of them watched my reactions again, while I stayed slumped and waited.

About ten minutes later, Cha Eunhwi got a call from the Director.

After checking his phone with a slight frown, he sighed.

“Looks like the meeting is taking longer than expected. He says to rest well today, so let’s dismiss.”

“What? Cha Eunhwi, why already? We still—”

“That’s one thing for us, but Hyeya must be really tired. She needs time to rest alone too.”

“…Yeah, that’s true.”

Yeon Dogyeong nodded easily at Cha Eunhwi’s answer.

After seeing so many changes today, that kind of response wasn’t surprising anymore.

Leaving behind Dogyeong, who looked disappointed, Cha Eunhwi spoke to me.

“Hyeya. The Director made an announcement, but he can’t stop people from staring. So I think it’d be better if I walk you back…”