The Espers Who Regretted Losing Me Chapter 74

Yeon Dogyeong and Cha Eunhwi turned toward Lee Shinra a beat too late.

Even in that state, Lee Shinra was still keeping a barrier around me.

“Are you trying to die?!”

I ran over without hesitation and grabbed Lee Shinra’s hand, shouting.

Trying to guide him was pure instinct.

But the moment energy flowed, Lee Shinra twitched his lips and tried to pull his hand away.

The reason was obvious.

“KIIYAAAAAAAH!”

The mermaid, who had been glaring at Yeon Dogyeong and Cha Eunhwi, suddenly locked eyes on me and screamed viciously.

Along with a shriek that pierced through the earplugs, bats and crocodile monsters appeared out of nowhere and rushed straight at me.

Lee Shinra finally shook my hand off—but he kept reinforcing the barrier.

And instead of attacking the mermaid right in front of them, Yeon Dogyeong and Cha Eunhwi ran toward me.

Even though regenerated piranhas were jumping onto their bodies and biting into their flesh.

Seeing them completely lose their composure, I ripped off the earplugs and shouted,

“Get a grip, you idiots!”

My sudden yell made Yeon Dogyeong, Cha Eunhwi, and Lee Shinra flinch.

I shouted even louder—loud enough to drown out the mermaid’s voice.

“Your arms and legs are being bitten! Get them off already!”

Only then did Yeon Dogyeong and Cha Eunhwi realize they were being attacked and hurriedly shook the piranhas off.

The bats and crocodiles kept charging, but Lee Shinra’s barrier stopped them from getting close.

I grabbed Lee Shinra’s arm tightly—he was bleeding from his nose again—and said,

“If you pull your hand away again, I’ll never look at your face ever again.”

“……”

That threat worked way too well on Lee Shinra. His eyes shook violently.

When he finally relaxed his grip, I let out a breath that was half relief, half frustration.

Guiding him while holding his arm brought his condition back to normal almost instantly.

After checking that color had returned to his pale face, I glanced at Cha Eunhwi and Yeon Dogyeong fighting off the remaining monsters.

“Can you move while keeping the barrier up?”

“…Yes.”

“Then get up. We’re going to the mermaid.”

That mosquito-sound thing—her voice—was still drilling into my ears and echoing in my head.

Lee Shinra looked restless after seeing me throw away the earplugs, but I told him I was fine and urged him forward.

The mermaid was pitiful. Beautiful. Someone you wanted to protect.

That feeling hadn’t disappeared.

But—

I’m more pitiful.

With extreme self-love and self-pity, I smashed the mermaid’s head with my baton.

I put everything into it—every bit of anger and frustration I’d been holding in all day.

“KIIYAAAAAAAH!”

Unable to resist properly because of the reinforced barrier, the mermaid let out a horrible scream and collapsed.

Her face, split open like a mouth, never returned to normal.

The monster sank into the lake.

The monsters that had been swarming around vanished instantly, and the area quickly fell silent.

[ You have cleared ‘Wind Cave Where Melodies Spread’. ]

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Clear Time — 02:34:01 (New Record)
Total Deaths — 7
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Since my vision was still being shared through the system, the clear notification appeared right in front of my eyes.

At the same time, the exit gate opened.

But instead of leaving, I turned toward Yeon Dogyeong, Lee Shinra, and Cha Eunhwi—who were hesitating—and exploded.

“Did you guys want to die? C-rank means weak? You’ll be fine? Don’t joke around. What if you’d been hit in a vital spot while acting that spaced out?”

Earlier, Cha Eunhwi had told me to protect my head, neck, and chest.

But now they had been completely focused on me instead of defending themselves.

I was angry. Honestly, I’d been angry since yesterday.

The problem was, my emotions were so tangled that even I didn’t know how to sort them out.

I wanted to yell more, but my thoughts wouldn’t line up.

I was just about to start with, You guys are trash, when—

“I thought you were going to die.”

Yeon Dogyeong said quietly.

The one he meant was obviously me.

“Why would I die?”

“Yoon Hyeya, you—you’re weak……”

“What about me is weak? I sensed monsters faster than you, knocked away piranhas with one weapon, and I smashed the mermaid’s head.”

“That’s not what I mean! That’s not it! If you died again—!”

“I didn’t die. And you’re the one who said C-rank gates were easy.”

“They’re easy for us. Not for you.”

“No, why are you making me repeat myself? I sensed the monsters faster than you.”

“Still… Eunhwi, Shinra, and I can protect ourselves. But you, Yoon Hyeya—you can’t. You can’t……”

She’s weak because she’s not an esper.

If that’s what he meant, I was ready to smash his head too after breaking a mermaid’s.

But when his words came out mixed with ugly sobbing, I finally understood.

It’s not just Shinra. This guy’s broken too.

Compared to a month ago, Yeon Dogyeong had only changed his tone and hair color.

He’d cried and said nonsense the moment we met in the gate, but everyone was acting strange, so I ignored it.

Now I realized—he’d just been overshadowed by Lee Shinra.

Yeon Dogyeong had trauma too. Deep trauma about my death.

No matter what I say, he’ll just keep calling me weak.

Even though I wasn’t dead. Even though I was standing right here.

I wanted to let it slide—you avoid shit because it’s dirty—but—

“Yoon Hyeya, you’re just too weak… You’re too fragile. That’s why I worry……”

This idiot didn’t stop at one line. He went on to verse two, three, and beyond.

“Let’s see if you can still say that after your head’s cracked open.”

Even mature, adult me finally snapped.

The moment I tightened my grip on the baton and said it, Yeon Dogyeong made a How can you say something so scary? face, which only annoyed me more.

Then he continued, serious.

“Fine. If that’s how far you’ll go, Yoon Hyeya. Train with us. If you endure that, I’ll admit you’re not weak.”

“……”

“Why can’t you answer? See? Yoon Hyeya is—”

“Yeon Dogyeong.”

The moment I said his name, his sagging face twisted strangely.

I stared at him coldly and said,

“If you want to ask a favor, don’t test people or provoke them. Just say it honestly.”

I had zero intention of teaching him manners—but here we were.

Seeing me frown irritably, Yeon Dogyeong spoke timidly.

“Yoon Hyeya… I have a request. Will you train with us?”

I answered immediately.

“Nope. Don’t want to.”

I hate physical labor.

I was sick of how he’d loved training with me since we were kids.

Yeon Dogyeong froze like the crack had moved onto his face.

Didn’t care.

More importantly, it was time to leave.

Standing by the gate, Cha Eunhwi gave a bitter smile.

“Sorry for making you uncomfortable. You’re right—we should’ve handled ourselves better.”

“It’s over, so forget it. Just do better next time.”

“Yeah. But Hyeya… about the training Dogyeong mentioned. You can quit halfway. Would you try it once? We’re getting you rechecked anyway. Physical tests are part of it, so it works out. If your abilities are still improved outside the gate, I need to know how far you can go—as the squad leader.”

The old Cha Eunhwi had been blunt and unpleasant.

Now he was the opposite—and he explained his reasons clearly.

I didn’t like it, but I couldn’t deny it either.

I sighed while looking at Yeon Dogyeong, whose eyes were shining, and agreed.

And just like that—

We finished the first mission of the Platinum Squad.