The Espers Who Regretted Losing Me Chapter 80

“What—what do you mean?”

The moment Yeon Dogyeong’s name came up, my voice shook without me realizing it.

“…Should I say it out loud myself?”

Cha Eunhwi asked with a faint, knowing smile.

I shut my mouth.

Sharp guy…

He knew perfectly well that what I really cared about wasn’t, I said I’d try, so quitting feels wrong.

It was, I hate the idea of Yeon Dogyeong going, ‘See? I told you! I was right!’ and acting smug.

I turned my head sharply and said casually,

“Yeah, fine. I only tried twice, but it felt like a waste of time.”

“Okay. Then I’ll tell the Director that. And… let’s work hard again in the same squad. I’ll pay more attention than before. More than I did in the past.”

“……”

“Go inside. Some people will probably be returning from clears soon. Make sure you wash up and rest well.”

Did he not realize they were already paying so much attention it was almost annoying?

I stared at Eunhwi as he waved lightly, then headed upstairs.

I was about to collapse onto the sofa—

when his words, Make sure you wash, echoed in my head.

Right.

I had just come out of a gate.

I hurried into the bathroom—

and nearly screamed when I saw the mirror.

“This is seriously bad…”

I looked like a disaster.

Inside the gate and even in the operations room, there hadn’t been anything to check my appearance with.

In the mirror, I saw bits of flesh and spore-like chunks stuck in my hair, skin, and clothes.

A sour, rotten smell hit my nose.

Must be from the named monster.

The named monster called “Meat Mushroom” had a delicious-sounding name.

It did not look delicious.

While I was hitting it nonstop with my baton, pieces and blood must have splattered onto me.

Even with Lee Shinra’s barrier, some things slipped through.

That’s why he told me to wash and rest.

Eunhwi was one thing—

but Dogyeong and Shinra seeing me like this and not reacting?

Their tolerance was impressive.

Feeling gross all over, I stripped and threw my clothes onto the bathroom floor.

Turning on the shower, I soaked my hair first—

and then stomped hard on the clothes below.

Dirty water and scraps washed down the drain with the hot stream.

* * *

After escorting Yoon Hyeya back to the residential area, Cha Eunhwi returned straight to the operations room.

Yeon Dogyeong, who had been sitting on the sofa looking irritated, immediately pointed at him.

“You! More cowardly than Lee Shinra!”

“Don’t point at people, Dogyeong. Where’s Shinra?”

“Washing up. Not as bad as Hyeya, but he had Meat Mushroom pieces on him too. Did you get her home safely?”

“Yeah. And she decided to stop joining other squads. Even though there was still one left.”

Dogyeong’s face instantly brightened.

Even if it was just one more time, it didn’t matter.

Because that meant—

“So Hyeya said she’ll stay in the same squad as us?”

“I told her we should work hard together again. She didn’t say much in response. But you know this, right? If Hyeya ever says she wants to leave for another squad… we don’t have the right to stop her. …And we shouldn’t.”

“I know.”

Dogyeong answered firmly.

He could do better.

He had hurt her before with childish stubbornness, pride, and selfishness.

But not anymore.

Never again.

He clenched his fist tightly, then after a moment, spoke again.

“But Hyeya… her lost memories. They’re not coming back, right?”

At the desk, Eunhwi flinched slightly.

Dogyeong, running a hand through his newly re-dyed blond hair, looked troubled.

Whether she remembered or not, she was still Hyeya.

But for someone trying to atone, it mattered.

Dogyeong often worried that if her memories returned, she might tell him to disappear from her sight.

Eunhwi, however, felt something different.

Suspicion.

Dogyeong and Shinra hadn’t noticed.

But Eunhwi clearly remembered the moment they found her.

The brief flash of contempt that crossed her face.

Still, he had no intention of telling Hyeya—or the others.

If she had truly lost her memories, he would wait for them to return.

If she hadn’t, and was pretending—

then he would wait for her to open her heart.

Either way, what he had to do remained the same.

Lowering his eyes, Eunhwi continued organizing the documents.

A little later, a call came from Director Jeong Sigyeom.

“Shinra, let’s go. The Director called.”

“Yes.”

“I’m coming too. It’s boring alone.”

Eunhwi picked up the brief report and stood.

As always, the three of them left the operations room together.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Yoon Hyeya, good morning!”

“G-Good morning, Hyeya noona.”

This morning, Dogyeong and Shinra came together.

Eunhwi said he’d bring breakfast to the operations room again today.

It had only been a few days, but it already felt normal.

I pulled a hoodie from my closet and put it on.

Rumors about me causing chaos among espers had spread quickly.

I felt like a monkey in a zoo.

Dogyeong and Shinra tried to block people’s stares with their bodies, but they weren’t exactly good with crowds either.

Dogyeong muttered while watching the whispering people.

“If I throw a flashbang here, they’d all disappear.”

“Don’t…”

“Mm. I won’t. Just thinking.”

“……”

Unbelievable.

As long as he behaved in front of me, I’d let it slide.

Otherwise, it would just be tiring.

About ten minutes after entering the operations room, Eunhwi arrived.

Today’s breakfast was lavish.

Rice, soup, side dishes—neatly packed in containers.

But the packaging was different from yesterday.

“This isn’t cafeteria food?”

“No. I woke up early, so I made it.”

He was already handling two out of three of my dinners.

And now breakfast too?

When did he even sleep?

The annoying part was—

he was actually good at cooking.

I didn’t want to praise him.

But it tasted just as good as the cafeteria’s food.

At first, we ate in silence.

But over the past few days, the atmosphere had loosened.

We talked lightly while eating, cleaned up, brushed our teeth—

and then sat on the sofa together.

Eunhwi opened a trunk from below and started taking something out.

Neatly folded black clothes piled up.

“Our squad uniform. There’s no design difference, but here—on the right sleeve—you’ll see the squad emblem.”

That was fast.

I’d only said I’d rejoin yesterday.

Even if my measurements had been taken on the first day, they must have prepared this in advance.

Since we didn’t have a specific emblem before, Eunhwi must have designed it.

I unfolded the jacket and checked the right sleeve.

There was a simple patch.

A cross-shaped symbol.

With circles at each end.

Very simple.

Honestly, something like this could be mass-produced in hours.

“Does it mean anything?”

The answer came from Dogyeong, who was already changing into his jacket.

“Look closely. There are four circles.”

“Yeah.”

“There are four of us.”

“Okay.”

“That’s it!”

“…You came up with this?”

“Yep!”

“…What if someone joins or leaves the squad?”

A reasonable question.

In response, Dogyeong looked just as shocked as yesterday.

“That can’t happen…”

“……”

“That’s not allowed. That’s—that’s not it. No. It can’t.”

Was my question really that shocking?

He suddenly sounded like someone whose language system had broken.