Chapter 140

 

My blood ran cold.

I had finally reclaimed my identity as Kang Eui-jin, only for them to suddenly declare my “identity restoration”? What kind of bullshit was this?

“T-Then, let’s start with a fingerprint scan…”

“The fuck you will! Don’t touch me!”

I smacked away the hand holding the scanner. The startled officials hesitated, looking to Han Seo-jin for guidance.

Before he could answer, a commotion erupted at the entrance.

The Espers blocking the doorway were suddenly forced apart, creating a gap.

Through it, Lee Cho and Cheong burst into view, sprinting towards me.

“Eui-jin nim!! Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

“Whoa, whoa. Stay out of this. Step back.”

Park Moo-il moved to block Lee Cho, but before he could get another word out, Cheong swung his sword.

The long blade sliced through the air, forcing Moo-il back a step.

At some point, a long staff had appeared in his grip.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Move.”

With Cheong and Park Moo-il now locked in a standoff, tension spread to the rest of the café.

Outside, the Espers and Cheon Rang guild members faced off, the air between them turning icy.

Lee Cho let out a long, weary sigh, running a hand over his face.

“We’re in the middle of downtown Seoul. If you don’t want the news to report that the Center and Cheon Rang are fighting with their abilities in a public place, then both of you should put your weapons down.”

“I’m not with Cheon Rang.”

While Park Moo-il pretended to put his staff away, Cheong remained unmoved, still aiming his sword.

“That makes it even more of a problem. Your name, Eui-jin, will make the news!”

Finally, Cheong slowly sheathed his sword and approached me. Lee Cho turned to the Espers, his expression one of disbelief.

“What are you two doing? The Tower meeting is right around the corner. Do you really think it’s okay to interfere like this? I know that Han Seo-hyun from the Center is also participating as a representative. Is it acceptable to sabotage the meeting this way?”

“It’s not just attending the meeting that’s the issue. Cheon Rang was preparing to backstab with the publicity surrounding Kang Eui-jin’s return. Do you think we’d just let them monopolize the stars?”

At one Esper’s words, Lee Cho narrowed his eyes.

“Everything we’re doing is for Eui-jin’s protection. Besides, this has nothing to do with the Center. Eui-jin is S-rank, and only Hunters who have agreed to the oath…”

“Hahaha, you’re a funny guy. Why does it matter? We need to proceed with the quest too.”

“A quest?”

“We can see it too. That sparkling light. Did you think protecting the Constellation was just a privilege for Hunters?”

I frowned, not understanding what the Espers were saying.

What are they talking about? If they’re protecting me, only S-ranks… Wait, if it’s S-rank!

I turned around in surprise and saw Han Seojin and the faces standing beside him.

• I guess they call it that in the Center? The Esper team that Park Moo-il is part of is one of the most aggressive teams in the Center. They’re known for their purist approach and elitism, so it wouldn’t be a place where our “puppy” would get involved.

Suddenly, a surprising theory came to mind, along with something Seong San-ha had said once.

Park Moo-il, making eye contact with me, shrugged his shoulders and said,

“The ‘Protect the Constellation’ quest came up for us too. I didn’t think it would be you, though.”

“It can’t be. The Espers got a normal quest…!”

Han Seo-jin definitely told me it was a monster hunting quest!

I looked to Han Seo-jin for confirmation, but as soon as I saw his face, I realized I had been deceived.

“Didn’t you say it was just a party quest?!”

“…I just didn’t tell the outsiders it was confidential.”

“Han Seo-jin, you!!”

I trembled with betrayal. I didn’t know what to say, so I just opened and closed my mouth, while another Esper came up to me, eyes shining.

“Until now, we’ve cooperated with Cheon Rang, but if you’re a Guide, that changes things. From that point on, you’re part of the Center. The guide is the Center’s, and the hunter is the Hunter’s Association. Isn’t that obvious?”

“We have a valid reason to proceed with the test as well. If you’re truly confident, there’s no reason to avoid it, is there? Let’s give it a try.”

As the Espers continued to close the distance, Cheong placed his sword into the floor. The marble split like butter where the blade touched. Cheon put his hand on the hilt and spoke.

“No more words. If you cross this line, I’ll kill you.”

In the meantime, Lee Cho approached and whispered to me.

“The Guild Leader will be here soon. Eui-jin nim, what should we do… We don’t have time for the meeting now.”

Lee Cho’s eyes were filled with hesitation. It was obvious he was thinking that it would be easier to just let the test happen rather than continue this standoff. Since they knew I was Kang Eui-jin, it couldn’t be helped, but I clenched my fists tightly.

‘I absolutely cannot do it.’

I didn’t know exactly what kind of device they were using. But according to Han Seo-jin, just holding my hand would make the guiding sense active. So even if I didn’t guide, it wouldn’t matter.

“If the Guiding matches, what happens then?”

“That can’t be…”

“What if it does?”

Lee Cho, who had been shaking his head, closed his mouth. Perhaps sensing something strange, he stared at me with wide eyes and repeatedly twitched his lips before speaking in a troubled voice.

“Then it becomes a huge problem. According to the Esper Agreement, the center is in charge of managing Guides. For Espers and Guides, it’s almost like extraterritoriality—so the center’s wishes take priority over any law. The unity within the center is so solid that there’s very little we can do, so if you, Eui-jin nim, is revealed to be the same person… there’s no choice but to commit an illegal act.”

“Shit, that’s fucked up.”

Lee Cho, who had been observing my face, seemed to have made a decision after some hesitation. He said firmly, his expression resolute.

“Then for now, it’s best to avoid the investigation. Even if you refuse, the difference between whether the results are revealed or not is huge. San-ha nim is also coming this way, so if we can just join up somehow, it’s not impossible. There are about three possible escape routes, so it’s not entirely hopeless. For now, let’s focus on getting you out of this, Eui-jin nim.”

“Just running away isn’t enough. What about the meeting? I won’t even be able to go to my workshop.”

“…Until we find another way, you’ll have to stay in Cheon Rang.”

With Lee Cho’s words came a wave of frustration, and at the same time, an overwhelming sense of unfairness boiled inside me.

If there’s no other way, that means I’ll be trapped in Cheon Rang for days, maybe months. Damn, I can’t do that.

I glared at Han Seo-jin, who was standing with his arms crossed as if he was waiting, beyond the gap in the door. I took a step forward.

As I stepped past the crack, Han Seo-jin reached out in surprise.

“Boss!”

“…Hyung.”

“Let’s talk. Follow me.”

I grabbed Han Seo-jin’s arm and led him to a door in the corner. Han Seo-jin, slightly startled and flinching, obediently followed.

Inside the door was a storage room. I stared at Han Seo-jin, who was visible through the dim light, and suddenly asked.

“What’s the reason you’re trying so hard to trap someone you think is a pain in the ass?”

“…?”

“Is it because I’m a talented person who can even make Guiding potions? Is that why?”

Han Seo-jin, who had been silently staring at me, snapped and shouted in anger.

“Why would you even…! Do you really not know?”

“Yeah. I honestly don’t know.”

I answered without a second of hesitation, and Han Seojin wiped his face in frustration. His throat visibly tightened as he struggled to hold back his anger, and after a long pause, he finally managed to choke out a sentence.

“I like you, hyung.”

“I knew it… What?”

I thought he was going to admit he was after the guiding potion, but what I heard was something completely different. Stunned, I stepped back without realizing it.

“I said, I like you hyung.”

What the hell? 

Sweat dripped down my back. Normally, I would have just said I liked him too and brushed it off, but the atmosphere around Han Seo-jin was different. 

I could feel, deep in my skin, that if I said even one word in a joking tone, things would go south fast. I didn’t speak, but it seemed my expression betrayed me. Seeing my stiffened face, Han Seo-jin forced a smile and lowered his head.

“I know. It’s my greed, my pressure. Even though I know how much you hate the Center, even though I know this is the one place you’ve tried to escape to, pretending to be dead… I tried to hold back, but… I can’t give up. Hyung.”

“You like me because I’m a Guide, and Espers are naturally confused by guides…”

“You think I can’t tell the difference?”

Unable to hold back his feelings, Han Seo-jin grabbed my arms and shouted.

“Who the hell would get confused by a C-rank? I just like you, hyung. I want you by my side, and I don’t want to let you go!”

“That’s your problem. I’m never going back to that shitty Center, even if it kills me. Just kill me here, you bastard.”

When I shook off his grip, Han Seo-jin bit his lip with hurt in his eyes.

“Don’t say things like that so easily. You don’t know how I felt when I thought you were dead, or how I endured it.”

“…”

“There’s no need to go back to the center after my mandatory service is over. It’ll be different from before. So, hyung…”

“I’ve told you so many times. I can’t be a Guide.”

“Whether you do it or not isn’t for you to decide. You’ve lived your whole life as a guide, so why are you acting like this now?”

“Fuck, I’m not Joo Ho-hyun!!”

The words I shouted in frustration hung in the air. Han Seo-jin chuckled weakly and muttered.

“Are you still saying that? That you’re Kang Eui-jin? You think just because I’m not anyone else, I’ll just let you pass with that excuse in front of me? Do you think my words, my feelings, are just a joke?”

“I’m not joking.”

Frustrated by Han Seojin’s refusal to believe anything I said, I grabbed my head in annoyance.

‘Damn stubborn bastard. How many times do I have to say it…’

That’s when I saw Han Seo-jin’s hand, gloved in black. In a fit of anger, I yanked his hand and took off the glove. Han Seo-jin, startled, tried to pull his hand away. In the end, I threw the glove onto the floor and brought his revealed hand to my cheek.

“Hyung, what are you doing right now?”

“You read it yourself. Whether it’s true or not.”

“…What?”

“Who I am, and why I can’t be a guide. You read it yourself.”