Approximal Guide Vol. 5 Chapter 2

Although his tone was awkward, I understood his meaning and nodded with a smile. He still had something in his ear, probably using a translation earpiece. I cleared my throat and replied.

“You must be hungry. Why don’t you go in and eat? Why did you call me?”

Zhang Chao quickly responded with his usual stern face, mixing formal and informal speech.

“I have something to say about Colonel Kim Dongjin. You promised to let me meet Captain Kim Moohyuk, but you didn’t keep your promise.”

Oh, right… I had completely forgotten about that. How could I have forgotten?

I nodded, signaling him to go ahead.

“Do you feed stray dogs in your neighborhood too?”

Startled by the provocative tone, I turned around to see Kim Moohyuk. He had approached me and was now poking my side.

“What are you saying? You did this last time too. Both of you, greet each other first. This is my pair esper, Captain Kim Moohyuk.”

At my words, Zhang Chao extended his hand to Kim Moohyuk.

“I am Zhang Chao, an S-Class esper of the Chinese military.”

“You’re good at speaking informally, foreigner.”

Kim Moohyuk responded indifferently, not taking his hand out of his pocket. It was a rude gesture. However, Zhang Chao didn’t seem to mind.

“Kang Hajung’s pair esper seems very jealous. I don’t restrict my guide. I am kind.”

…So what? Does he think I’m unkind? I frowned, staring at him in disbelief. Kim Moohyuk stepped between us, facing me with his back to Zhang Chao.

“Why do you show affection to a stray dog when you have a well-raised one at home?”

Although he was looking at me, it was clear his words were directed at Zhang Chao, giving me a headache. Fortunately, Zhang Chao’s Korean wasn’t as fluent as a native speaker’s.

“I didn’t understand because you spoke too fast. Did Kang Hajung’s pair esper say something about raising a dog? I don’t like dogs. I was bitten as a child.”

This is driving me crazy. I quickly asked to get rid of the headache.

“Tell me about Colonel Kim.”

Zhang Chao nodded, realizing he had forgotten. Kim Moohyuk seemed satisfied with the topic and rummaged in his pocket, probably for a cigarette. When I shook my head, he obediently took his hand out, making me feel slightly proud.

“This isn’t the place to go into detail, so I’ll be brief.”

“Alright. What is it?”

I nodded indifferently, and Zhang Chao leaned towards me. Kim Moohyuk flicked a cigarette, hitting Zhang Chao’s shoulder.

“You’re too close, you bastard.”

“Oh my, why are you being so harsh, Captain? Why did your language suddenly become so rough?”

I was shocked and tried to calm Kim Moohyuk, patting his arm. Despite my efforts, he just smiled and stared at Zhang Chao. It’s common for foreigners to learn swear words first when learning a new language. Zhang Chao seemed to understand Kim Moohyuk’s unfiltered insult.

“I know that’s a swear word. Is Kang Hajung’s pair esper picking a fight with me?”

“No, no. Calm down. It’s just an interjection. Now, tell me quickly.”

Zhang Chao didn’t seem to fully trust my words but continued talking about Colonel Kim.

“I know who killed Colonel Kim Dongjin.”

I frowned at his words. Of course, Colonel Kim was killed by Accent. But it was hard to identify the specific culprit since it happened during a battle. The report stated that he was shot in the heart and head by a bullet from somewhere and died instantly.

Kim Moohyuk, holding an unlit cigarette between his lips, narrowed his eyes. Zhang Chao was now looking directly at him.

“I originally wanted to tell this to Colonel Kang Hajung because he knows the culprit. But since he is deceased, I have no choice but to tell Esper Kim Moohyuk, who knows Colonel Kang Hajung.”

…What is he talking about? It didn’t make sense. If Colonel Kang Hajung is me, I don’t know who killed Colonel Kim during the disaster. The bullet was from Accent.

“Explain in detail.”

Kim Moohyuk, sensing my confusion, asked on my behalf. Zhang Chao lowered his voice, aware of his surroundings.

“I found a diary among Colonel Kim Dongjin’s belongings. It was in a box inherited by me, but I couldn’t open it without a key, so it was in my family’s storage. I only opened it recently.”

The diary Zhang Chao found contained unbelievable things.

“Colonel Kim Dongjin was being threatened with murder by his subordinate, Ha Seonghan.”

“…What?”

I could only stare at Zhang Chao in shock. It didn’t make sense. Threatened by Ha Seonghan?

“Why on earth…”

“It was because of Colonel Kang Hajung.”

“Stop. Talk to me.”

Kim Moohyuk interrupted Zhang Chao and pulled him aside, handing him his phone, seemingly asking for his messenger ID. I blinked in confusion, unable to process what I had heard. After exchanging IDs, Kim Moohyuk returned to me. I could feel Zhang Chao watching my expression from behind him.

“Are you dizzy?”

Kim Moohyuk asked, touching my forehead. I shook my head. I was shocked, but not to the point of physical discomfort. Strangely enough, I was starting to believe what Zhang Chao said might be true.

“Ask him to send proof. Even a photo of the diary pages will do.”

“Alright, but let me get you some water first. Stay here for a moment.”

Even though Kim Moohyuk’s voice was emotionless, it still sounded kind. Despite his question, I shook my head. Zhang Chao kept watching us, and only when his companions came out to get him did he finally go inside. I checked that no one else was around before speaking.

“I’m fine. I was just a bit surprised.”

“…”

“What… Did you know?”

It was strange how calm he was, so I asked. I couldn’t read anything from his expression, but Kim Moohyuk’s silence made me think he already knew. It was absurd. Was I really the only one who didn’t know…?

I just found out that my closest friend had killed our mentor. Ha Seonghan, what the hell have you been up to? My mind went blank, then quickly came back.

“…I need to get Colonel’s case file from Kim Inhak.”

“I’ll get it for you. Just go back to the dorm.”

I didn’t argue any further and nodded. He stood me up and went back to the restaurant to get his car keys. I felt sorry for Team Mars, who had brought us here for the dinner gathering.

“I didn’t even say goodbye.”

“It doesn’t matter. We’ll see them again.”

I nodded and followed his lead out of the restaurant and into Kim Moohyuk’s jeep. It was odd that we came with five people but were leaving with just the two of us. Kim Moohyuk drove silently, not saying a word as he dropped me off at the dorm. I opened the passenger door and said,

“Go get the file. I’ll wait.”

“Just go inside.”

He meant he would leave only after seeing me go inside. It seemed overly cautious, given the tight security at the center, making me smile weakly. But right now, checking the case file was my priority, so I headed straight to the dorm entrance.

I pressed the door lock, opened the door, and turned to Kim Moohyuk.

“Hurry back. I need to verify it.”

He nodded silently and drove off. I realized he was watching me through the rearview mirror, so I waved and went inside. As I was taking off my shoes in the entrance,

Ding-dong―.

The doorbell rang. I tilted my head in confusion. It couldn’t be Kim Moohyuk, as he hadn’t been gone long enough, and I hadn’t heard the car engine. Then a strange feeling came over me. I went inside to pick up the intercom connected to the camera at the front door.

―I was about to pick it up.

“Still cautious, aren’t you?”

A familiar voice spoke from the darkness before I could.

“You…!”

I shouted in surprise. A hand covered my mouth as another arm grabbed me from behind, preventing any struggle.

“Mmff―!”

“Shh, keep quiet, Hajung. Don’t be upset.”

The voice was unmistakably Han Jaemin’s, but his tone reminded me of Ha Seonghan, sending chills down my spine. The faint scent of the esper cologne Ha Seonghan used added to my irritation.

How did he get in here? The center’s security system was devised by espers with shield abilities. An invisible dome-shaped net covered the center, organically detecting intruders. Espers with detection abilities helped design the security system, combining abilities and automated systems to create high-level security. Yet, that security had been breached. The contrast between the untouched outer security and my helpless situation in Ha Seonghan’s grip was stark.

“How have you been? I thought I’d find you soon, but why are you so late? In the end, I had to come to you, Hajung.”

I gave up struggling. I couldn’t overcome his strength. When I stopped resisting, he took it as a sign I wanted to talk and removed his hand from my mouth. I asked in a sharp voice,

“…Are you crazy?”

“It’s surprising enough that you figured it out, but asking me that is even more surprising. Is that all you want to ask?”

In the darkness, Ha Seonghan’s eyes gleamed. His gaze, filled with obsession, anger, and other emotions, was overwhelming. I tried to turn away, but he grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him, his eyes narrowing as he asked,

“I reappeared before you, and you didn’t resent me or even try to find me, Hajung?”

“Stop talking nonsense. Did you expect me to seek revenge on you?”

I couldn’t understand the thoughts of lunatics. Faking his death and returning alive was absurd enough, but now he was upset that I didn’t resent him or try to find him. Although I had tracked Accent’s activities, it wasn’t because of Ha Seonghan. I knew it was thanks to Kim Moohyuk. He was the one who pulled me out of my years of digging metaphorical holes, mourning the supposedly dead Ha Seonghan.

Despite that, Ha Seonghan blaming me for not resenting him was too much. He turned me around to face him, holding my gaze as he murmured,

“…I knew it.”

“…”

“I knew it would be like this. You’ve always been like this.”

I didn’t understand what he meant. Instead of responding, I quietly built up guiding energy from my core. Kim Moohyuk would come soon. He promised it wouldn’t take long, and he would keep that promise. I just had to hold on until then. Given how secure the center was, Ha Seonghan must have had help, but for now, there were no signs or sounds, suggesting he insisted on talking to me alone. He was oddly soft when it came to anything involving me.

Just as I was considering using combat guiding techniques, Ha Seonghan looked at me and chuckled.

“If the one who died was that bastard Kim Moohyuk, could you still be standing there with such a calm face?”

“…What are you talking about.”

I was startled by the mention of Kim Moohyuk dying, but I tried my best not to show it on my face. However, Ha Seonghan, who had known me for a long time, didn’t seem fooled.

“I’m curious. If I kill Kim Moohyuk, how will you react?”

“…”

I tried to calm myself, telling myself not to fall for his provocation, but I couldn’t help my breathing becoming labored. My heart rate increased, and I worried that an esper with heightened hearing might notice.

Ha Seonghan seemed to mock me, driving the point home.

“Why, are you worried? That Kim Moohyuk might die just like I did, just like you did?”

“You…”

I blinked in confusion at his sudden words. There must be a reason for Ha Seonghan to say such things. The person I knew didn’t speak without purpose. Why mention not only his death but mine as well? Like me, who died with my chest torn by a stone… Wait a minute…

“Are you really…”

“Yes, Hajung.”

Ha Seonghan smiled brightly, as if confirming my thoughts. I blinked blankly.

“I killed you.”

“…”

“To make you be reborn properly.”

With those words, I parted my lips. I had suspected it, but hearing it confirmed made my ears ring.

Ha Seonghan killed me? At the time, Ha Seonghan died in a ridiculous way, just as Kim Inhak said. Hit by a stone. And I… If he really used his telekinesis ability to kill me and did the same to himself, it was as if Ha Seonghan had committed suicide.

“…Why did you go to such lengths?”

“That’s what you should have asked from the start.”

Ha Seonghan smiled. Even with Han Jaemin’s face, his smile was the same as I remembered.

“We don’t have time now, so I’ll tell you later.”

I interrupted him.

“Then… Colonel Kim Dongjin too…”

“Oh, was that his name?”

He cleared his throat, as if hearing a nostalgic name. I stared at him blankly, then clenched my jaw and tried to take guiding from his hand holding my wrist. I attempted reverse guiding.

“…Kang Hajung.”

Ha Seonghan growled my name. But it didn’t matter. Even though he gripped my wrist tightly, I continued to take guiding. I felt the guiding stored in my core stirring. As I absorbed the unique guiding from the esper, the guiding within me circulated rapidly, as if there wasn’t enough space.

Forcibly taking guiding from an S-Class esper consumed a lot of mental and physical energy. I felt the resisting ESP waves churning my insides.

Unable to endure the sudden loss of guiding, Ha Seonghan tried to release my wrist. I held onto him instead. He smirked at me.

“Do you have to go this far, Hajung?”

“Who are you to say that?”

It was Ha Seonghan who pushed me to this point. As I retorted, something surged from within. I thought it was just bile, but the metallic taste indicated internal bleeding. Even as I coughed up blood, I didn’t let go of Ha Seonghan.

He looked at me with a twisted smile.

“Alright, Hajung. I got your answer.”

With those words, he grabbed my fingers and bent them backward.

“Aaah―!”

With a crack, my index finger bent the wrong way. Both the ligament and bone seemed damaged. It was hard to suppress my groans of pain. Ha Seonghan sighed as he looked down at me.

“I hope you change your mind soon. Nothing will change otherwise.”

With that, he struck the back of my neck with his hand. The immense pain made my mind go blank. In my fading vision, Ha Seonghan looked at me with a pained expression.

…Why are you making that face after hitting me?

I wanted to ask, but everything went black.

* * *

“Yes, Moohyuk. The director is having a meal right now. Can you come back later?”

“Go ahead and eat.”

Despite his words, Inhak entered and sat down on the sofa in the director’s office, trying to maintain a kind smile as he looked at the much younger soldier.

‘What on earth does Sunbae Kang see in this brat to call him kind?’

Inhak had heard Kang Hajung say multiple times that Kim Moohyuk had a kind heart despite his somewhat arrogant tone, making him doubt Kang Hajung’s judgment. After all, Kang Hajung had never suspected even Ha Seonghan.

No one would have told him that the person smiling and walking beside him was no different from a tyrant. Kim Inhak had known about Ha Seonghan’s bad character for a long time.

‘…Espers usually have bad tempers.’

Especially when it came to matters related to guides, espers’ tempers tended to worsen. Kang Hajung thought his rugged appearance kept espers away, but to espers, a guide’s appearance wasn’t that important.

Kang Hajung’s guiding always felt clear and pure, making it a perfect respite for espers suffering from a lack of guiding. However, before they could do anything, there was always an S-Class esper by Kang Hajung’s side since childhood. This was true even after Ha Seonghan’s death. The esper Kim Moohyuk, who became his pair after a few years, was no different from Ha Seonghan.

Kang Hajung might not know, but Kim Moohyuk, who was much higher in rank and twelve years younger, had been fending off numerous Sunbae espers to stay as Kang Hajung’s pair. After Ha Seonghan’s death, espers couldn’t bring themselves to propose pairing with Kang Hajung, who was in a slump. His condition wasn’t great, and no esper would approach a guide mourning a fallen esper.

As time passed, espers played a waiting game among themselves. But no one stepped forward to propose pairing with Kang Hajung, as his condition remained poor.

Then, suddenly, a young guy took the pair esper position, leaving everyone displeased.

Kim Moohyuk naturally became an outcast among the center’s espers. And it was quite severe. Espers, full of vigor and with extraordinary physical abilities, could be extremely harsh when they decided to torment someone. They relentlessly bullied the newly enlisted Moohyuk.

‘The scariest part is that Sunbae Kang didn’t even know Kim Moohyuk was being bullied.’

Yes, that was the scariest part. Kim Moohyuk had perfectly hidden his situation from Hajung.

Unable to bear it, Kim Inhak once called Kim Moohyuk and asked,

‘Should I help you? Isn’t it too hard right now?’

‘I’m fine. Just don’t let the Instructor know.’

Kim Moohyuk replied bluntly. Due to his strong ESP, his body, which had likely lacked guiding even before manifestation, started growing again after meeting Hajung at the age of twenty. When he first arrived, he was about the same height as Hajung, but he was growing rapidly like bamboo shoots after rain.

Espers subjected the still-growing Kim Moohyuk to violent bullying. During the quarterly Esper Special Combat Training (ESCT) without guides, Kim Moohyuk was always targeted by jealous, petty espers. They would chase and attack him throughout the training period, or tie him up and bury him alive, timing his escape.

They made him stand guard in valleys that flooded during heavy rain, shooting him with air guns whenever he left his post. When the water level rose, they fired air guns around the struggling Kim Moohyuk as he surfaced for air. Despite being air guns, they were powerful. Shooting at a person indicated clear murderous intent, but Kim Moohyuk endured it. When he lost consciousness from a concussion caused by lack of air and occasional hits to the head, espers would retrieve him, hand him over to an esper with healing abilities, and repeat the same torment.

At the time, the rank difference between Lieutenant Kim Moohyuk and Kim Inhak was so great that detailed reports didn’t reach him. Kim Inhak discovered Kim Moohyuk’s bullying by chance during a visit to encourage espers participating in ESCT.

From then on, Inhak had his secretary, Lieutenant Park, investigate the incidents. Even after the details were revealed, Kim Moohyuk didn’t want them punished for one reason: Kang Hajung would worry.

‘He’ll definitely want to punish them. I don’t want him to worry about unnecessary things.’

Kim Inhak interpreted this differently. It seemed less about consideration for Kang Hajung and more about not wanting him to pay attention to those guys, no matter how angry he was.

Despite using connections to reach the director’s position, Kim Inhak thought he had seen all kinds of crazy people. But Kim Moohyuk, who had just turned twenty-one, was the most deeply insane person he had ever met. Kim Inhak, who lacked the obsessive attachment to guides typical of espers, found espers like Ha Seonghan and Kim Moohyuk, who were obsessed with their guides, fascinating. Or perhaps it was Kang Hajung, who attracted such crazy people like a magnet, who was special.

In the midst of all this, an incident occurred. Kang Hajung was killed in action. At the time, Inhak spent his days in fear that Kim Moohyuk might go berserk rather than mourning the loss of two comrades he had spent a long time with. They couldn’t find a guide with a high matching rate, and Kim Moohyuk had a strong aversion to receiving guiding from other guides. As a result, Kim Inhak couldn’t resist the central department’s pressure to put him in a bunker during each berserk crisis.

Due to the frequent berserk crises of the strongest esper in the center, Kim Inhak couldn’t properly investigate the truth behind Kang Hajung’s death.

Then one day, Kim Moohyuk stepped forward.

“I plan to dig into Accent.”

His eyes were so resolute that it seemed he would collapse and die on the spot if he was stopped. How could anyone handle an esper with such eyes? Kim Inhak granted Kim Moohyuk the authority to form an unofficial team.

Kim Moohyuk quickly gathered team members. Thus, Team 0, Mars, was formed, consisting only of espers who had lost comrades or loved ones to Accent. From that point on, Kim Moohyuk pursued Accent relentlessly. It seemed he lived solely by his instincts as a hunting dog, never taking a day off.

During this time, Accent sent clones resembling Hajung to Kim Moohyuk. Initially, they couldn’t move well, but later they mimicked Kang Hajung’s voice and expressions. Each time, Moohyuk had to personally deal with the protein constructs resembling his deceased pair guide.

At first, Moohyuk was deceived. Seeing his longed-for partner in front of him, he hesitated, even if he didn’t fully believe it. Accent’s bullet, which didn’t miss that brief hesitation, pierced the clone and hit Kim Moohyuk’s abdomen. To suppress the rapid healing and recovery abilities inherent to espers, the bullet was treated with a cell inhibitor, causing endless bleeding in Kim Moohyuk’s abdomen. His body, which had no match except for cancer treatment drugs, was breaking down.

Despite this, Moohyuk continued to eliminate Accent’s cells one by one. Even when Accent’s espers, who would self-destruct to avoid interrogation, hugged him and became living bombs, he persisted. After several such incidents, Kim Moohyuk started carrying blood packs to the field, inserting them into his arm to continue fighting. Those were brutal days.

Kim Moohyuk’s sole reason for doing this was for Kang Hajung. Sometimes, Kim Inhak found Kim Moohyuk’s determination terrifying. This made it easier for him to believe that Kang Hajung had returned. There was no way Kim Moohyuk wouldn’t recognize Kang Hajung. If Kim Moohyuk, who had denied countless clones over the years, believed that Sergeant Kang, who didn’t even resemble Hajung, was the same person, then he must truly be Kang Hajung, and there was no reason for Inhak to deny it.

Recalling these events, Inhak would sigh and put down his spoon even while eating.

“I was really looking forward to today’s lunch, but Moohyuk picked the perfect time…”

Despite Inhak’s words, Kim Moohyuk didn’t respond with a suggestion to finish eating or come back later. Inhak stared at Moohyuk’s emotionless face.

“You seem happy that Sunbae Kang is back. But if you knew he was back, you should have told the director immediately. Why did you hide it?”

“…”

Instead of answering, Moohyuk yawned widely, as if to say, “What’s the point of telling you?” Inhak felt a headache coming on.

‘How on earth did Sunbae Kang manage to persuade this arrogant guy to be his pair twice? That man must have nerves of steel…’

Knowing further conversation would be pointless, Inhak asked about Moohyuk’s purpose for coming. Kim Moohyuk answered simply.

“The case file on Colonel Kim Dongjin…”

And then it happened. Kim Moohyuk frowned and looked somewhere. It was as if he was seeing through the wall without windows. The next moment, a thunderous noise followed.

The front glass of the director’s office on the upper floor of the main building trembled and resonated. As several windows cracked under the strain, a second explosion was heard.

Before the explosion, Kim Moohyuk had heard a high-pitched sound beyond the audible frequency. The airwaves vibrated, stimulating the sensitive esper’s hearing and touch simultaneously.

“Ah―! Lieutenant Park!”

A startled Kim Inhak called for his secretary, who was waiting outside the director’s office. Meanwhile, Kim Moohyuk approached the center’s main monitor on the office wall. He pressed several buttons connected to the monitor, checking the footage from the center’s main CCTV cameras.

“What on earth is happening―!”

Kim Inhak shouted as he approached the monitor Kim Moohyuk was checking. In the meantime, Moohyuk walked past Inhak and said,

“There’s been an explosion in Ipse-dong. Reassign the troops. I’m going to Garam-dong.”

“What?! Why Garam-dong?”

Kim Moohyuk didn’t answer and continued looking around the director’s office, eventually heading towards Inhak’s desk.

Kim Inhak could only watch as Moohyuk pulled out the desk drawers, dumping their contents and tapping the edges with his hand. He couldn’t understand why Moohyuk was suddenly rummaging through the drawers in such an urgent situation.

Kim Inhak looked on in confusion, but Kim Moohyuk kept tapping the drawer. It seemed like a light tap, but it made a loud noise, and the vertical sides of the drawer broke away, leaving only the bottom plate. He then approached the window and broke the remaining glass with a piece of wood. He climbed onto the glass-covered window frame and said,

“The Instructor is there.”

Kim Moohyuk placed the piece of wood on the window frame, stepped on it, and jumped out of the window. Kim Inhak, startled, rushed to the window and saw Kim Moohyuk rapidly descending. He was using his telekinesis to lift the wood, using it as a makeshift flying device.

“Oh dear…”

Inhak realized that Kim Moohyuk was flying towards Garam-dong. The dust from the explosion in Ipse-dong was starting to settle, revealing the half-destroyed building.

“Director! There’s been an explosion!”

At that moment, Lieutenant Park, who had been outside, entered and reported. Kim Inhak shouted,

“Lieutenant Park! Do you think I’m blind?! I saw it all! Reassign the troops immediately!”

It seemed like something serious was happening, making him shudder.

“Why is this happening during my term?!”

Kim Inhak’s screams echoed in the dusty director’s office.

* * *

My head hurt as if it were splitting. The loud noises seemed to have brought me back to consciousness, but the surroundings were now quiet. My head still felt like it was being pounded. I was about to groan, thinking it was a dream, but stopped myself. I sensed movement nearby.

“―You go there first. I’ll follow soon.”

It was a familiar voice. I had heard it just before losing consciousness. I had to control my breathing to avoid my eyelids fluttering. If they realized I was awake, things would go terribly wrong. My finger, which had been twisted, throbbed and felt swollen. It seemed at least fractured, making me feel bitter. Ha Seonghan hadn’t even tied me up, likely because of my injured finger.

“Did you find it? …You did.”

I heard Ha Seonghan’s voice nearby. Thinking clearly again, I realized I was lying on a cold floor. There were sounds of boots crunching on gravel and small rocks.

The faint smell of mold and the cool, damp air suggested I was in a storage room or basement, but I couldn’t pinpoint the location.

I heard a female voice talking on the other end of Ha Seonghan’s phone. Although I couldn’t make out the details, it was a woman’s voice. …Was it Director Hwang? She was speaking loudly.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Ha Seonghan replied curtly and then turned. He seemed to be approaching me. As he got closer, my heart rate increased, and I had to try to stay calm. Someone of Ha Seonghan’s caliber had exceptional hearing. I felt him standing by my head, looking down at me. A shadow fell over my closed eyes.

“Finish up. I’ll go first.”

He spoke softly. I had to consciously focus on breathing normally. The conversation stopped, indicating he had ended the call. But I still felt his gaze. His piercing stare was fixed on my cheek.

…Had he realized I was awake? My question went unanswered as I faintly heard someone calling me.

“Kang Hajung―!”

It was Kim Moohyuk. His voice sounded far away. I couldn’t respond. Ha Seonghan moved away and walked somewhere. I finally opened my eyes slightly and saw his back. Ha Seonghan was looking out the window. I quickly scanned the surroundings. As I suspected, it was a storage room. Ha Seonghan was peering outside through a vertical gap, indicating we were above ground.

Being able to hear Kim Moohyuk’s voice meant I was still within the center. It wouldn’t have taken long for Kim Moohyuk to return from Kim Inhak and start looking for me.

…Was there a storage building like this near Garam-dong? While the Garam-dong area had changed significantly over the past five years, I knew there was a separate storage area for dorm managers. It was about 300 paces from my dorm. But the problem was that Kim Moohyuk might not immediately realize I was missing. I had told him I would wait for him to return from Kim Inhak, but I worried he might think I had gone to a common guiding room.

Even so, there was no immediate way to signal my location. Just as I was pondering this, Ha Seonghan quickly approached and picked me up. I had to muster all my strength not to flinch. Ha Seonghan opened a window opposite the one he had been looking through and climbed out.

Behind Garam-dong was a forested area filled with landmines from the Korean War. It was a military zone avoided by locals. Ha Seonghan was heading towards the minefield. He must have known this from his long military service at the center, so he was deliberately heading there. But how did he plan to avoid the mines?

At this point, I had no choice but to signal my location. Just as I took a deep breath, hoping Kim Moohyuk would hear me,

“Stay quiet, Hajung.”

Ha Seonghan smirked and covered my mouth. I looked at him in shock.

“Your acting has improved. You’re not the same as before.”

This crazy bastard… I started struggling.

Since he had caught me, there was no reason to keep pretending. Even though I couldn’t resist an esper with Sergeant Kang’s body, which could be overpowered by an ordinary man like Kang Jinseong, I thought I could at least buy some time. But Ha Seonghan seemed to think that was a delusion.

“Sorry, but give up.”

He spoke nonchalantly, as if my resistance meant nothing. But I couldn’t give up so easily. I couldn’t be dragged away helplessly. I started struggling again.

This time, instead of trying to escape his grasp, I aimed to slow down Ha Seonghan’s steps. With one arm holding me and the other covering my mouth, Ha Seonghan had no free hand to defend himself. I wrapped my arm around his neck. As he widened his eyes in surprise, I pulled him towards me and headbutted him.

“Ugh―!”

The problem was that I took significant damage too. Ha Seonghan seemed more startled than hurt and almost dropped me. I took advantage of the moment, twisting my body and falling to the ground.

“Kang Hajung!”

Since Ha Seonghan had climbed quite a bit up the mountain slope, I rolled down the hillside. If he hadn’t stopped me with his telekinesis, I would have rolled all the way to the bottom.

“Ugh―.”

The problem was that my twisted finger wasn’t okay. Now my wrist was starting to throb too. Damn it, how far did I roll? I needed to crawl away. But a shadow loomed over me again.

“So you really don’t want to come with me.”

Ha Seonghan walked down with a low voice. His eyes gleamed strangely. I tried to get up and back away, but it was just an attempt. Ha Seonghan’s boot landed squarely on my abdomen.

“Agh―!”

“Pass out again. You’ll feel better when you wake up.”

Ha Seonghan started kicking me without breaking a sweat. Kicks rained down on my body. I could only groan, unable to call for Kim Moohyuk. Ha Seonghan’s face remained expressionless. I knew that look. Ha Seonghan wasn’t pleased with the situation.

He had barged into the center and tried to kidnap me, but now he seemed resentful that I wasn’t cooperating. It was absurd and infuriating that he had forgotten everything he had done. He had even tried to take my life. How could he look at me with such eyes when all our good memories were twisted by resentment?

Ha Seonghan’s eyes, as he kicked me, burned like those of a wronged child, fueling my determination. Did he think I’d pass out and be dragged away? I wouldn’t let things go his way.

“Ugh, ah―!”

“…”

Even as his boot struck my solar plexus, making me retch, I bit the inside of my cheek to stay conscious. The flesh I bit down on with my molars tore, and blood dripped from my mouth.

“You…”

Ha Seonghan, who had been kicking me with a stern face, frowned as he looked at my pained expression. He crouched down and pinched my cheeks with his thumb and forefinger. His grip was so strong that my jaw ached, and I had to open my mouth.

Blood pooled inside my mouth, flowing out as my mouth was forced open. It was hard to breathe, and I couldn’t resist with my cheeks held.

“…”

Ha Seonghan stared at me intently. Then, with a twisted expression, he shoved his index and middle fingers into my mouth.

“Mm―!”

The thick fingers in my mouth made me gag. It was already hard to breathe, and I didn’t understand why he was doing this. But the lingering effects of the beating left me unable to resist. The fingers pressed down on my tongue, probing underneath it. If this continued, I’d gag again, and my already aching ribs wouldn’t survive. Just as I raised my trembling hand to push him away,

“…Were you trying to bite your tongue?”

The man’s eyes burned intensely as he looked at me. I couldn’t understand why he stared at me with such a gaze. I was the one who wandered aimlessly for years, thinking Ha Seonghan was dead, and the one who almost died because of him. So why did he look at me as if I were the one to blame? Yet I couldn’t say a word, as his thick fingers were inside my mouth, keeping me silent.

“Speak. Did you really want to die that badly? More than… following me.”

Ha Seonghan growled, ignoring my predicament. His voice, rough and heated like a predator, made me feel like prey about to be hunted. I wanted to retort, “What nonsense are you spouting?” but my mouth was blocked, my ribs throbbed, and the pain made my eyes feel like they were rolling back into my head. Just as I thought I couldn’t endure it any longer—

“Urgh—!”

Ha Seonghan was suddenly hurled backward, crashing into a tree trunk as if pulled by an invisible force.

“You need someone to spell it out for you? Seriously? Would you want to follow around some stalker freak? Get a grip, Sunbae.”

It was Kim Moohyuk. He strode over with unhesitating steps, yet carefully knelt to help me up.

“Ugh, ow…”

“Did he do this to you? Damn, you’re even uglier now.”

Despite his words, Kim Moohyuk’s face twisted with regret, like someone watching a treasured porcelain vase shatter. Even though I wanted to say I was fine, I sighed heavily instead—his hand trembled slightly as he cradled my cheek. After a moment, he pulled his hand away and pressed his lips to my forehead.

“Stay here.”

He leaned me against a tree and clenched his fist in the air. In response, stones buried in the ground floated upward.

“Even flies can buzz around too much, y’know. Makes you wanna swat them.”

“…”

Ha Seonghan, seemingly injured, spat out blood-tinged saliva and glared at Kim Moohyuk.

“And what if I don’t back off?”

Kim Moohyuk smirked and crooked a finger. The stones hovering in the air shot toward Ha Seonghan like bullets, their speed cutting through the atmosphere with a deafening noise. Just as they were about to strike, the stones froze midair, trembling as if held by an unseen force.

“I had lunch with Hajung’s ‘guidance’ today. Feeling pretty pumped for a fight.”

Ha Seonghan grinned as he stood. Though he stumbled briefly, he soon steadied himself. The trembling stones shattered with loud cracks, scattering into dust before falling to the ground.

Before the dust settled, the earth rumbled. Trees wrenched themselves from the soil, roots dangling, and hurtled toward Ha Seonghan. They moved as if alive, encircling him like a cage before collapsing onto him. Or rather, they clung to him, binding his body. The sight of trees moving like sentient creatures was uncanny. Even amidst this, Kim Moohyuk glanced back at me and clicked his tongue.

“Where’d you even pick up a freak like this?”

Before he finished his sentence, a cracking sound came from within the tree prison—like beams snapping under pressure.

“Kim Moohyuk, watch out—!”

I shouted in alarm, but Kim Moohyuk was already on the move. With his hands casually stuffed into his pockets, he leapt atop the splintering remains of a tree. Standing on the fractured bark like a surfer on a board, he clapped his hands together lightly, twisting them as though crushing something invisible beneath them.

“Grrrgh—!”

A pained cry rang out—it was Ha Seonghan. Leaning against a tree trunk, I finally managed to catch my breath, clutching my aching ribs as I watched.

Refusing to be subdued, Ha Seonghan raised the dirt beneath him. The earth surged like a wave, aiming to engulf Kim Moohyuk. Balancing on the broken bark, Kim Moohyuk twisted his waist and swung his fist through the air as if drawing something toward him. The earthen wave collapsed mid-motion, falling to the ground like lifeless sand.

Meanwhile, Ha Seonghan broke free from the tree bindings, shattering them as he stepped forward. Without hesitation, he charged at Kim Moohyuk. The two espers, both wielding telekinesis, engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Ha Seonghan’s fist connected with Kim Moohyuk’s jaw, just as Kim Moohyuk’s hand struck the upper part of Ha Seonghan’s right shoulder, targeting the humerus.

Both staggered back simultaneously. Ha Seonghan grimaced, gripping his dislocated shoulder as he realigned it with a crack. Kim Moohyuk, meanwhile, rubbed his aching jaw, his tongue pressing against the inside of his cheek, and chuckled lowly. At that, Ha Seonghan’s expression twisted with fury as he glared at Kim Moohyuk.

“You’re laughing now?”

“Do you think you’re something special?”

“Yes.”

Kim Moohyuk answered indifferently. His nonchalant response seemed out of place, leaving even me dumbfounded. Ha Seonghan seemed equally irritated by Kim Moohyuk’s attitude.

“Yeah, I figured. But you know what? To Hajung, you and I are just the same espers.”

…Why bring me into this? I frowned at Ha Seonghan. He continued talking to Kim Moohyuk without meeting my eyes.

“Kang Hajung is a born soldier, upright and kind-hearted. To him, guys like you and me are just stray dogs he has to feed.”

“…”

I expected Kim Moohyuk to retort, but he remained silent.

…Why aren’t you denying it? I stared at Kim Moohyuk in disbelief. His stoic profile filled my vision, but he didn’t look back at me.

Then, Ha Seonghan spat out blood-tinged saliva and smirked.

“Right?”

“…”

“So you do know you’re just a dog.”

No, that’s not true. …It’s not the same. But I didn’t know if I should say it now, so I kept my mouth shut.

Boom―!

A thunderous explosion sounded from behind. The massive blast shook the ground. The shockwave made me stagger. Just before I fell, I felt the telekinetic waves of two ESPs holding me up.

Even in this situation, I was annoyed by the two idiots using their abilities to lift me. Kim Moohyuk, who always fussed over me walking on my own two feet, was one thing, but I couldn’t understand what Ha Seonghan was thinking. He wasn’t stupid enough to try to kidnap me again while facing off against Kim Moohyuk.

Kim Moohyuk sneered at Ha Seonghan.

“What the hell are you doing? You beat me to a pulp, but you can’t stand the thought of me tripping over a rock? Damn, you’re a real pervert, aren’t you?”

His words were rough, like a street thug. …I don’t know why he’s become so rough lately… I suppressed a sigh and turned around. I was speechless. The research building had collapsed.

The research building near Garam-dong was a modern, tall structure, and seeing it crumble was shocking.

Sirens wailed throughout the center. I looked back at Kim Moohyuk. They were still facing off. It looked like they were just staring at each other, but the dense waves around them showed how intensely they were watching for openings.

Think, Kang Hajung. I urged myself. I needed to resolve this situation and send Kim Moohyuk, the center’s greatest asset, to the explosion site. How, how… Before I could think of anything, another loud noise echoed. I looked towards the sound in a daze. Being on the hillside behind Garam-dong, I could roughly gauge the explosion’s location.

This explosion came from the medical ward. I finally understood Ha Seonghan’s intention.

“You…”

“Haha, why? Surprised, Hajung?”

Ha Seonghan smiled softly. His smile was chilling. There must be a reason for destroying the research building and exploding the medical ward. The rising dust suggested something had happened in Ipse-dong too. By targeting Ipse-dong first to draw attention, then destroying the research building with Accent’s research materials, and finally exploding the medical ward with guides, he had a plan.

There was a purpose behind his orchestrated explosions. He… Kim Moohyuk seemed to read my thoughts and looked towards the ward. I muttered in disbelief.

“Did you… target the guides from the start?”

“So what?”

Ha Seonghan shrugged, as if my question was trivial. The Geneva Convention protects civilians during wartime. But there’s another agreement specifically for espers and guides. One of its provisions is that guides without their protectors, espers, cannot be massacred. Even though guides receive military training, they are no different from civilians compared to espers.

In combat or wartime situations, guides always stay with their espers. If they are killed suddenly, it can’t be helped, but targeting places with only guides or exploding wards means Ha Seonghan had something he needed to achieve, even if it meant violating the Geneva Convention.

Moreover, espers who lose their guides usually lose their sanity. Kim Moohyuk was like that too. Espers who have shared an imprint often go berserk, losing their rationality. If their guides were attacked while all the espers in the center were heading to the first explosion site in Ipse-dong, they wouldn’t be able to stay sane.

As if confirming my suspicion, Ha Seonghan smirked and said to Kim Moohyuk,

“Do you think only the other espers are screwed?”

“…”

“If you were me, who would you kill first to drive an esper mad?”

At that moment,

“―Ugh!”

I felt my heart constrict violently. It wasn’t just an arrhythmia causing my heartbeat to lose rhythm; it felt like all my heart muscles were contracting simultaneously.

“Ah…”

My heart pounded erratically, as if it would burst through my ribs.

“Kang Hajung―!”

Kim Moohyuk’s voice calling me sounded distant. He seemed ready to rush to me, but he was engaged in a fierce battle with Ha Seonghan. Every time the ESP waves of the two espers touched me, my heart beat strangely. I felt dizzy and nauseous, clutching my chest in confusion.

I couldn’t bear it and fell to my knees. I heard a voice that seemed familiar.

“是不是大致组织起来了?” (“Is it more or less organized?”)

I didn’t understand the Chinese words, but it wasn’t Zhang Chao’s voice. I turned my trembling head to see who it was. Emerging from the bushes was Accent’s spacer, Xuan.

“Damn it…”

I cursed in a trembling voice, and Xuan looked down at me with a grin.

“Here you are, Hyungsoo.”

Hyung, what…? Why is he looking for a Hyungsa here, this crazy bastard? I was in so much pain that I wanted to reach out and smack him, but even breathing was painful.

Through my blurred vision, I saw Kim Moohyuk still fighting Ha Seonghan. Their waves covered the entire mountain. The waves touching me made my heart beat irregularly, causing me to curl up like a worm on the ground.

Xuan approached and stroked my back. Guiding was being sucked out from the skin his palm touched. I tried to block it, but it was difficult because I kept retching.

“If it’s hard, ask Kim Moohyuk for help.”

“…Ugh…”

“Shout that you’re dying, that you can’t take it anymore, and ask for help.”

His words, spoken with a grin, made me grimace and spit at him. Xuan dodged slightly and laughed.

“You have a nasty temper. No wonder our boss can’t get over you. He seems to only like people with bad personalities.”

…What nonsense is he spouting? Meanwhile, the pain in my heart intensified, and I could only breathe heavily, curled up on the ground. I saw Kim Moohyuk deflecting Ha Seonghan’s attacks while looking at me. …Idiot, focus on the fight, not me… I wanted to say, but no words came out.

Then, a rock the size of a child’s head, thrown by Ha Seonghan, hit Moohyuk’s abdomen.

“…Moohyuk…”

I called out weakly. Instead of Kim Moohyuk, it was Ha Seonghan who looked at me. He sent a cold gaze towards me, lying on the ground like a worm, and launched another attack at Kim Moohyuk.

Kim Moohyuk spat out the blood pooled in his mouth and stood up, expanding his ESP waves.

“Aren’t you curious why he’s like that?”

Ha Seonghan pointed at me and asked. Before Kim Moohyuk could respond, Ha Seonghan wiped the smile off his face and said,

“I implanted a chip.”

“…”

“In Hajung’s, no, Sergeant Kang Hajung’s body.”

…What? I gasped in shock. Xuan was still patting my back, stealing my guiding. Every time he did, my heart felt like it was skipping beats, causing unbearable pain. My vision blurred, and I realized it might be because I was crying. Tears of pain flowed down my face and pooled on the ground.