Approximal Guide Vol. 5 Chapter 4

“So, where is it?”

According to the file Kim Moohyuk had organized, Accent’s base changed location every four days. Espers deployed waves to confuse the location to prevent tracking. It wouldn’t be detected by radar searching for missiles or fighter jets.

“…”

Goh Seunghwan didn’t answer immediately but clicked his tongue and deployed his waves. I had expected his skills to be considerable since he was an A-Class, but the precision and subtlety of his tracking ability were impressive. Despite his young age, his ESP handling skills were remarkable.

While Goh Seunghwan searched for Accent’s base, I explained the operation to Bang Gaeun and Ham Jungjoo.

“I plan to take on the role Captain Kim Moohyuk was supposed to play in this operation.”

“That’s impossible.”

Lieutenant Bang quickly shook her head. Kim Moohyuk’s role was obvious: draw attention and take down as many enemies as possible. While I wasn’t an esper and couldn’t eliminate all the enemies, I could at least hold them off.

“It’s too dangerous. If you get into trouble, we won’t be able to face the captain when he returns.”

Ham Jungjoo, who had been silent, tried to dissuade me. I didn’t respond and stood up.

“Let’s think about it on the way. I can handle myself, so just focus on your roles.”

The espers looked reluctant, but they didn’t argue further, agreeing with my assessment of the operation’s success rate. I contacted Kim Inhak and requested a van for four people and weapons. Despite his reluctance, he promised to prepare everything as quickly as possible.

-I’m really going to die because of you, Sunbae. Couldn’t you wait until Moohyuk wakes up?

“You told me to start quickly. You said you couldn’t hold them off for long.”

-Still, sending you alone and thinking about how much Moohyuk will scold me when he wakes up… Do we really have to go now?

I answered while packing the rifle magazine.

“Yes, now is the right time. They’re lying low, waiting to come for me. They’ll be so focused on us that there will be gaps.”

The best hunting method is to sink your fangs into the neck of a predator targeting other prey. After putting on the ceramic body armor, I placed the remaining magazines in the vest pockets. The vest pockets were filled with various items, including a wire saw and fishing line. Even if they weren’t immediately necessary, I packed them for close combat.

-But have you thought about how Kim Moohyuk would feel?

“…”

I couldn’t help but pause at that. I had thought about Kim Moohyuk’s feelings. He always wanted to be recognized as an esper by me. That hadn’t changed even after our ranks shifted from Colonel and Lieutenant to Captain and Sergeant.

Kim Moohyuk always seemed to seek my approval. Of course, I acknowledged his growth. I couldn’t deny it. There was no esper as strong as Kim Moohyuk. But as a man, I had my pride. I couldn’t just stand by while Ha Seonghan did this to him.

…Besides, I had unfinished business with Ha Seonghan. I felt that I needed to settle things, whether it meant Ha Seonghan’s death or facing danger. That’s why I was going to confront him before Kim Moohyuk woke up. If Kim Moohyuk knew, he wouldn’t let me go.

-You really… I don’t know. Anyway, when Moohyuk wakes up, I’ll tell him everything. You should know how precious he is.

“Do you want to keep talking nonsense? I’m doing this because I care about him.”

I tucked the tactical boots’ laces into the combat pants and stood up. Bang Gaeun, who had been wearing a sleeveless shirt, glanced at me and tugged at my body armor vest, as if worried. The bulletproof vest, made by the center, was sturdy, but she seemed uneasy. I patted her shoulder a couple of times without ending the call.

“Alright, send the combat vehicle. It won’t be detected by radar, right?”

Ignoring Kim Inhak’s loud confirmation, I hung up. Since we decided to keep our departure secret, the vehicle was parked near the north gate, by the mountain. I glanced towards the ward. I felt guilty for leaving without telling Kim Moohyuk, as Kim Inhak had mentioned.

“…No, I told you. You just didn’t hear me.”

“What did you say, Colonel?”

Bang Gaeun asked, and I shook my head. My muttered excuse was for my ears only. Meanwhile, the combat vehicle approached. It was a black, ordinary-looking van. Despite its appearance, it was equipped with the latest technology to send jamming signals to search radars. Kim Inhak had sent the best vehicle the center had.

Kim Inhak’s secretary got out of the car. After discussing a few precautions, I instructed Ham Jungjoo to check the weapons and equipment in the car.

“Everything is ready. There’s something suitable for you too, Colonel.”

Kim Inhak’s secretary gave Ham Jungjoo a look as if he’d seen it all when he called me Colonel. We ignored it, got into the car, and soon left the center.

Goh Seunghwan had finally found Accent’s base location.

* * *

The van sped down the road. Goh Seunghwan, using his finder ability, drove following the coordinates imprinted in his mind. However, soon we were all taken aback.

“What? Is this the right way?”

Lieutenant Bang asked, her face mirroring the surprise in Goh Seunghwan’s expression. Goh Seunghwan cursed under his breath and answered,

“The coordinates are correct. Ha Seonghan is definitely here.”

The van was heading to a cinema in the city, not far from the center. Since it was a new town and a bedroom community of Seoul, there weren’t many people during the day, but still, it was a public place with people around.

The entire building wasn’t a cinema, but the floor Goh Seunghwan mentioned had cinema screens. Something felt off. I didn’t doubt Goh Seunghwan’s finder ability, but Ha Seonghan wouldn’t be leisurely watching a movie after causing such chaos at the center.

“Does he think he can just watch a movie after turning the center upside down?”

Ham Jungjoo muttered quietly. From the way his ESP waves were fluctuating, it was clear he had no good feelings toward Ha Seonghan either. But I couldn’t agree with the idea that Ha Seonghan was watching a movie.

“It might be a trap, so be extra cautious.”

“Yes.”

The espers nodded seriously. I was the first to place my palm on the wall of the cinema’s first floor. It would have been better to find the pipelines, but I settled for sending guiding through the steel frame of the wall. I felt the thin guiding net climbing up to the 8th floor where the cinema was. I inspected the guiding net, checking for any other espers besides Ha Seonghan.

“…It seems like there are no other espers besides Ha Seonghan, but let’s go up separately just in case.”

The espers nodded in agreement. Goh Seunghwan would take the emergency stairs on the left side of the building, Ham Jungjoo the emergency stairs on the right, while I would take the exterior elevator. Lieutenant Bang would take the escalator in the middle of the building.

“Why does the Colonel get to take the elevator?”

Goh Seunghwan asked incredulously. His question made me scowl.

“Are you kidding? Do you think a guide has the same stamina as you, Lieutenant Goh? If you can’t even understand the situation because you don’t like me, what are we supposed to do?”

Goh Seunghwan finally looked abashed, as if he hadn’t expected such a reprimand. I sighed and added,

“All good, but focus. Ha Seonghan is as strong as Kim Moohyuk. You all know that better than anyone.”

“Yes, sir. Hey, apologize now.”

Bang Gaeun bowed her head slightly and smacked Goh Seunghwan on the back of his head. It wasn’t a soft tap; it made a loud slapping sound. Rubbing the back of his head, Goh Seunghwan apologized. I waved it off.

“We’re in a hurry, so save the apologies for later. You all understand the operation briefing I gave in the car, right?”

I had explained the operation to them several times on the way to the cinema. The change of location to a building with civilians was unexpected, but if we were to fight Ha Seonghan, it was impossible to avoid being seen, even in a less populated area. Quickly subduing him might minimize other casualties.

“We need to minimize civilian casualties, so we’ll follow Ha Seonghan without contact until he leaves the building. According to Lieutenant Goh, Ha Seonghan is in one of the theaters now. We’ll check the screening schedules. Signal as soon as you spot him, but don’t reveal your position or attack first.”

The Mars team members nodded obediently this time. The absence of their team leader, their greatest strength, was clearly weighing on them. I suppressed a sigh and radiated guiding to the team members. I felt the tension in their faces ease as they received the guiding waves.

“You might not trust me. But I want you to know that Kim Moohyuk, whom you trust, trusts me. Believe it or not, I’m a pretty strong guide.”

They quietly looked at me. With a high-grade guide’s guiding waves intentionally deployed, they couldn’t argue against my words. Their nervous systems naturally welcomed the guide providing supreme serenity. Even if they didn’t welcome me emotionally, they couldn’t physically oppose me.

Seeing their relieved expressions, I felt a bit more at ease. Acting as their temporary team leader was a burden, but seeing their tension lift was a small relief. Their lives depended on me.

But now was the time to shake off that pressure and focus. We needed to make the most of the time Ha Seonghan was alone. The plan was to ambush him as soon as he left the cinema and headed to the deserted parking lot. We would take all his guiding to prevent him from using ESP and have Ham Jungjoo subdue him by force.

“The final showdown will be in the underground parking lot. Remember, don’t engage first.”

“Yes, understood.”

I placed my hand against the wall again and searched for espers. There were a total of four espers in the building—only Mars team members and Ha Seonghan.

“There are no other guys, so let’s take care of this quickly.”

Securing Ha Seonghan would open the possibility of negotiating with Accent. At that point, Director Kim Inhak could lead the effort to request support to wipe out Accent. The central department wouldn’t be able to refuse Kim Inhak’s request twice. If they did, they’d raise suspicions from other centers beyond the Seogyeong Center for missing the opportunity to eliminate the enemy.

Capturing Ha Seonghan alive was crucial. It might be better for me to capture him than Kim Moohyuk. I’ve never completely taken away the guiding from an S-Class esper to the point of making them ischemic.

But it’s said that the best offense is a good defense. Attacking first seemed like the most promising strategy at the moment. With that thought, I split up with the team members. Watching them move to their positions, I got on the elevator. Meanwhile, my guiding net grew denser, encompassing the entire building. Even though I had pinpointed Ha Seonghan’s location, I kept the net up to monitor the positions of the Mars team members.

Regardless of the communication equipment, it was better for the control tower—me—to know the team members’ locations. The elevator was slowly heading to the 8th floor.

There weren’t many people inside the building, and the cinema was no different. I quickly approached the ticket booth and asked the staff,

“How many movies are showing right now?”

“Huh? Oh, three.”

The staff member in a beret looked at me as if I had asked something strange. Other espers, who found body armor cumbersome due to their quick recovery, wore only black jumpsuits as their mission uniforms. Unlike them, I wore plate armor for protection. My appearance, including my in-ear device, seemed suspicious to the cinema staff, who looked at me more curiously.

“I’m here to buy a ticket. My friend went in without telling me which theater they’re in because they were late.”

Though my hastily made excuse wasn’t convincing, the staff member nodded slowly and showed me the screenings. I saw a familiar title. Sighing briefly, I bought tickets for each of the movies showing.

I then asked about the audience for one of the movies.

“…How many people are watching this movie right now?”

“Just a moment. There aren’t many viewers. Ah, one person is watching.”

The staff’s response made my expression harden instinctively. I realized that the person in the theater was Ha Seonghan.

Barely managing to thank the staff, I turned and headed to the indicated theater. The familiar movie title was one I had watched with Ha Seonghan during my cadet days. We were excited to see it at a civilian theater after getting early leave from training. That was years ago… such useless nostalgia.

Passing a poster advertising the director’s cut, I entered the theater. As soon as I opened the black theater door, the original soundtrack, which could be called the movie’s theme, was playing. Hearing the long violin notes, I stood at the top of the theater stairs and looked down. Among the numerous red seats, I fixed my gaze on the one occupied by a single person.

“The movie started a while ago. Why are you so late?”

Ha Seonghan spoke in a calm tone, as if he knew I would come. …Yeah, I knew you would. You wouldn’t come to watch a movie in a situation like this. Instead, it seemed more like you lured me here. Holding my breath, I moved my stiff fingers and grabbed the handgun tucked into my tactical vest. The cold metal felt snug against my palm.

“You liked this movie. You even bought the DVD.”

Without turning to look at me, Ha Seonghan spoke again. Sighing, I tapped my in-ear device twice. It was the signal that I had found Ha Seonghan.

— 8th floor?!

Lieutenant Bang asked through the earpiece. I tapped twice again, confirming her words. I slowly walked and sat in the seat diagonally behind Ha Seonghan. On the screen, the contrasting movements of the female and male protagonists in a narrow alley were accompanied by the violin melody. The woman holding the noodle container had no expression. The light from the screen cast the same expressionless look on Ha Seonghan’s profile.

“…What’s your game?”

Unable to hold back, I asked him, even though I had planned not to reveal myself. On the screen, the male protagonist with pomade hair was chewing noodles with an expression as if swallowing loneliness. There was a reason I had come here despite knowing I was being lured. I remembered what Ha Seonghan had said to me.

“The central department didn’t want to let you go, Hajung. They didn’t seem to want to tie you down with just one esper.”

At the time, I couldn’t focus on his words due to the situation with Kim Moohyuk and me. But while watching over Moohyuk, who was in a coma, Ha Seonghan’s words kept coming back to me. He had acted as if he had a reason for his actions. I hesitated briefly. Should I ask him now, or should I just subdue him?

— Colonel! Should we proceed?

The voices of the team members came through the in-ear communicator at that moment. Startled as if waking from a dream, I immediately deployed my wavelength. It seemed necessary to revise the plan to lure Ha Seonghan elsewhere to subdue him. Since there was no one in the theater, it seemed better to weaken Ha Seonghan’s strength as much as possible here. Ha Seonghan seemed to grasp the intent of my guiding wavelength, as he turned to me and smirked.

“So that’s your answer. That, in the end, my reasons don’t matter.”

“…You know, your reason wasn’t even that great, was it?”

At my words, a crack appeared in Ha Seonghan’s expression. Narrowing my eyes, I continued.

“You said it was for me? Then why am I only finding out about it now?”

After the terrorist incident, I had once asked Kim Inhak about the things I had heard, trying to confirm whether Ha Seonghan had really joined Accent for that reason.

“…There were rumors like that. Sunbae Ha did get angry at the time. But realistically, it doesn’t make any sense. The source of the claim is unclear, and… I even asked a junior from the Central Division. While similar rumors did circulate, they said there’s no way Sunbae Ha did what he claimed, like keeping Sunbae Kang tied up to guide. That was years ago, and even back then, the Human Rights Commission would have caused such an uproar that anyone involved would have had to write a statement just for hearing such rumors.”

I thought the same as Kim Inhak. While the Central Division might be full of bastards, they put a lot of effort into maintaining their public image. Something like what Ha Seonghan described—tying a guide down and using them solely for guiding—was unthinkable.

“If anything, Accent would have been more likely to do that. Sure, there are bad guys in the military too, but they’re smarter about draining people dry. The Central Division has too much to lose to openly commit human rights abuses against a guide.”

Kim Inhak’s words seemed more credible. So where on earth had Ha Seonghan heard such things, and why did it lead him to kill Colonel Kim Dongjin? But there was no time to dwell on it further, as Ha Seonghan unleashed an ESP wavelength.

“Proceed.”

I spoke briefly into the in-ear communicator. The espers waiting by the emergency exits and entrances around the theater rushed inside. Immediately, I retracted the guiding net that had been spread across the entire building. The condensed guiding energy in my hands was in a microscopic state, invisible to the eye but still palpable. I expanded it and spread it outward toward Ha Seonghan as if emitting a radiating guide.

“That looks dangerous.”

The problem was that Ha Seonghan knew my combat pattern inside out. With a smirk, he leapt onto the seats, balancing on their edges as if gravity had no hold on him. Standing on his heels atop the seats, Ha Seonghan exuded an uncanny stability.

“Lieutenant Ham!”

I called out to Ham Jungjoo immediately. Ham Jungjoo cupped his hands near his mouth and blew into them. The nitroglycerin created by his explosive breath would trigger an explosion. While a B-grade explosive esper could only control the size and intensity of explosions, an A-grade esper like him could even control their timing.

The invisible nitroglycerin would cling to Ha Seonghan’s collar. As a gas with minimal mass, it would be far less affected by the gravity Ha Seonghan manipulated compared to other objects. While someone like Kim Moohyuk might be able to control the gravity affecting gas particles, I knew Ha Seonghan couldn’t.

As expected, simultaneous explosions erupted with a “pop” from Ha Seonghan’s collar. Though they looked like small firecrackers, their power was enough to expose bone and cause fatal injuries.

“Not in the mood for childish games.”

However, Ha Seonghan dismissed Ham Jungjoo’s ability as mere play. Despite the loud explosions, he casually dusted off the remnants from his collar, which remained perfectly intact without a single tear. By drastically increasing the air pressure around his body, he had nullified the effects of the explosion.

“Jungjoo!”

Captain Bang shouted as Ha Seonghan’s ability sent Ham Jungjoo hurtling against the theater wall. On the screen, still playing in the background, a scene showed a woman in a red raincoat entering a hotel with red doors and walls. The vivid red light illuminated Ham Jungjoo’s twisted face.

“Damn it!”

Go Seunghwan charged straight at Ha Seonghan. Though his abilities were focused on exploration, he seemed to have decent hand-to-hand combat skills. Avoiding the ESP waves that Ha Seonghan launched defensively, he managed to land a punch squarely on his solar plexus.

“Take that, you psycho!”

Ha Seonghan, who had been calmly standing atop the seats, lost his balance momentarily but landed lightly. As he waved his hand in the air, the theater seats bent with a metallic groan and lifted into the air, flying toward Go Seunghwan.

Clicking my tongue, I signaled to Captain Bang. The shield esper’s ability expanded and focused tightly on Ha Seonghan. The ESP waves transformed into a defensive barrier. Captain Bang inverted the barrier’s surface. What had been a dome-shaped shield protecting us curved inward, forming a semi-sphere that encased Ha Seonghan. Ironically, the protective semi-sphere surrounding Ha Seonghan still bore the mark of Mars. It was no more than a prison that Captain Bang had crafted for him.

“Jungjoo! Get your ass over here already!”

Bang Gaeun shouted at Ham Jungjoo. Following his superior’s order, Ham Jungjoo brought his hands to his lips and blew. The bulging substance inside flew and hit the hemisphere. The hemisphere seemed to welcome Ham Jungjoo’s ability, swallowing it up instantly. Soon, a massive explosion was heard. A napalm bomb had detonated inside the hemisphere containing Ha Seonghan.

“It’s done…!”

Bang Gaeun gritted her teeth, making her ability’s waves denser to maintain the barrier. But I thought differently. I ran straight to the small, smoke-filled hemisphere.

“Colonel! It’s dangerous!”

Ham Jungjoo rarely raised his voice, but he did now. I didn’t stop. I reached out to the barrier. Recognizing me as someone to protect, the barrier melted at my touch, allowing me inside the hemisphere. I swung my arm and grabbed someone’s wrist. It was, of course, Ha Seonghan’s. Without hesitation, I tried to take his guiding.

“Ugh―!”

That is, if he hadn’t shaken me off. I was lifted into the air by Ha Seonghan’s ability. Just before hitting the wall, Bang Gaeun’s barrier cushioned my fall. But the impact was still there.

“Ugh―.”

“Colonel!”

Even while lying down, my whole body ached. I barely stood up and shouted at my worried team members.

“Focus ahead! Why are you looking at me!”

The espers snapped back to attention and focused on Ha Seonghan. As the smoke inside the hemisphere cleared, Ha Seonghan, with a blackened face but eyes shining brightly, glared at me. His gaze dripped with hatred and something else I couldn’t identify.

“Hajung, you really tried to kill me, didn’t you?”

“…”

I didn’t answer, but he wasn’t wrong. Ha Seonghan must have sensed my intent in that brief moment. When I didn’t deny it, he smirked.

“Shall we talk alone for a moment?”

As he said that, the railings on either side of the theater rose like sentient beings and quickly moved toward the espers. Moving like centipedes, they wrapped around the espers’ bodies.

“This is insane―!”

Goh Seunghwan shouted, struggling. Ham Jungjoo and Bang Gaeun were the same. Multiple railings, not just one, rose simultaneously, wrapping around them like ropes and dragging them out of the theater. The theater entrance door was dented from the espers’ resistance.

There were no screams from outside, suggesting the other theaters were also empty due to screening times. Since the existence of espers and guides was a secret, I didn’t want to add to Kim Inhak’s workload. I reached out and made my waves denser. I aimed to take all of Ha Seonghan’s guiding within my influence.

Even though I hadn’t used this precise technique in front of him, Ha Seonghan sensed the danger and used his telekinesis to increase the surrounding gravity, distorting my guiding waves. The seats, crushed by his gravity ability, made grinding noises.

“…They planned to keep you, erase your cognition with drugs, and use you as a guiding machine. Should I have just let that happen?”

Ha Seonghan spat out bitterly. His bangs were disheveled, likely from the effort of deflecting my guiding waves.

I sighed. The frustration and resentment toward Ha Seonghan, and the weight of what he had done for me, hit me hard. But it wasn’t what I wanted.

“I get it, but if that’s true, why didn’t you tell me?”

“…What?”

“You wouldn’t keep something like that from me. Why didn’t you tell me? What were you thinking?”

The frown on his face slowly eased, and his expression disappeared. He muttered darkly.

“You don’t trust me that much? But how do you trust that guy?”

“What? …Stop deflecting and answer my question.”

Veins bulged on Ha Seonghan’s neck. The blood vessels on his forehead stood out. His eyes blazed with anger.

“How can you trust him? He’s no different from me.”

The furrowed brows that had been tense from anger slowly relaxed, and Ha Seonghan’s face became expressionless. He muttered darkly.

“Don’t trust me like that? But how can you trust that bastard?”

“What? …Stop with the nonsense and answer the question I asked.”

At that, Ha Seonghan’s neck veins bulged. Even the blood vessels on his forehead were sticking out. The glare in his eyes sparked with intensity.

“Why do you keep that bastard around? You and he are the same.”

It was at that moment that I thought, “I don’t know what’s the same.” Perhaps because they were trying to confirm my safety, Bang Gaeun shouted, “Colonel!” from outside. Without even glancing in that direction, I deployed my guiding wave again toward Ha Seonghan.

Perhaps sensing my clear intent in the wave, Ha Seonghan leaned back, his face showing that he had been betrayed. The one who chose the theater we had watched the movie in, where he had many things to say to me, was him. I found it absurd. You took my life without consulting me—why should I listen to everything you have to say? I wanted to shout that, but there was no time.

Ha Seonghan’s powers surged toward me. They swirled around, and suddenly, the seats began to rise all at once, trapping me like a prison. Just as I turned to sprint toward the emergency exit, Ha Seonghan grabbed me and shoved me into the wall. Then he sneered.

“I wondered how I’d get you out of the center… I figured you’d come looking for me for that bastard.”

“…”

“But now that my guess was right, I feel pretty dirty about it.”

He then lowered his head. I turned in surprise. His lips, which had lost direction, touched my cheek.

“What the hell are you doing?”

I shouted in shock. Trying to get out of his grip, I hit his chest repeatedly.

“What the hell is this? Get off me!”

“Poor Kang Hajung. You don’t even know what kind of eyes espers look at you with.”

My brow furrowed. He wasn’t talking about me in Sergeant Kang’s body. He was referring to me when I was Colonel Kang.

“No matter how you look, to espers, you’re just a tasty morsel ready to be devoured the moment you’re born. I’m the one who cleared away all the bastards circling around you.”

“…So you killed me? Because you thought I had no way out after you cleared them?”

At my words, Ha Seonghan slammed his fist into the wall. The wall, soundproofed, cracked with a deafening noise.

“Watch your words. Don’t you see I’m holding back, Hajung?”

Even under his threat, I asked without blinking.

“What did you do to the center?”

Normally, I would’ve been more concerned about my own safety. But now, Kim Moohyuk was unconscious in the center’s ward. If I didn’t subdue Ha Seonghan here, I felt like something terrible was going to happen. It seemed like Ha Seonghan knew my anxiety, as he asked with a sly smile.

“Are you worried about that?”

Ha Seonghan squinted his eyes as he asked, then twisted his mouth into a strange smile. He even cursed with disbelief. Then he turned back to me. It felt like I saw sparks flying from his eyes again, just like before.

“Mmm—!”

His grip tightened on my chin. In the shock of my lips colliding with his, I froze with wide eyes. His hands pressing against both of my cheeks forced my mouth open, and something slid inside. I chewed it without thinking.

“—!”

“Ha… So, you bastard, why are you sticking your mouth in my face?”

Blood stained both our lips. It was all Ha Seonghan’s. He didn’t seem to want to take the guiding wave, but the sudden kiss left me stunned. It felt as if an unknown emotion was dripping from his eyes, something that might invade and consume me.

Ha Seonghan pressed his body against me again. His hard chest against mine made me feel suffocated.

“Did that bastard kiss you like this too?”

His voice was heavily subdued. I frowned. This was the first time Ha Seonghan kissed me. We had only ever embraced when we were both badly injured. We’d never gone beyond that, and even then, I had only ever embraced him when he was hurt. But a kiss? It made me feel disgusted, as if it were the same as when I kissed Hyungje.

I spat on the ground without hiding my feelings. Ha Seonghan, glancing at me, let out a sneer. His face was twisted.

“I told you I killed you to save you. Hajung, don’t you understand?”

He swung his fist. The punch landed on Ha Seonghan’s jaw. Even so, he only slightly turned his head and looked down at me.

“Thanks, but I didn’t need it.”

“…”

“I wanted you to be by my side. I wanted us to retire safely, as friends, as partners, depending on each other.”

His gaze, which had been glaring at me, burned once more. He grabbed the back of my head.

“Ugh―!”

My head involuntarily snapped back, and I furrowed my brow.

“Shit, Hajung, why can’t you understand?”

With his grip on my head, I glared at him. I spat out, just as coldly.

“I understand perfectly. You betrayed me, and you betrayed the place you swore allegiance to.”

“So I should’ve just tolerated it, huh?”

Rage shot out from his eyes. I replied indifferently.

“At least you should’ve said something to me.”

Ha Seonghan’s plan had always been aimed at himself. It was never for me.

“How could you just go without saying a word? Didn’t you ever think about how I’d survive?”

“…”

It was Kim Moohyuk who saved me from that hell. So for you, the one who pushed me into that hell, to curse him and everyone else is nonsensical.

Ha Seonghan, with a cold look in his eyes, reached for the buckle of my pants. In shock, I grabbed his wrist.

“What are you doing?”

“I should’ve done this when I first heard your damn words. What do you think?”

His voice was icy. I knew that whenever Ha Seonghan got enraged, he actually became colder. And yet, why was he touching my body? I couldn’t understand him. I started to fight back fiercely, pushing him away.

“Stay the hell away!”

Frustrated that he couldn’t pin me down, Ha Seonghan shook me roughly. This time, I spat at his cheek. Then, I spoke with a biting tone.

“I’d rather fuck a dog than you.”

At that, Ha Seonghan smirked mockingly and grabbed my hair, dragging me forward. When I was caught by Kang Jinseong before, I should’ve shaved it all off right then, but maybe I’d subconsciously held onto some lingering attachment in hopes of impressing Kim Moohyuk.

“Ugh!”

Ha Seonghan dragged me, and I ended up tumbling down the stairs in the theater. Even though I tried to brace myself, it felt like my scalp was going to tear off, making it hard to endure.

Unable to steady myself, I fumbled in my vest pocket and pulled out a small knife. I sliced off my own hair, the strands now held in Ha Seonghan’s grip. One side was deeply gouged, but that wasn’t important right now. As Ha Seonghan looked at his now lighter hand, he smirked as if he couldn’t believe this was happening.

That was the question I wanted to ask. Was this really why he left the military, faked his death, and lived like this? And now he wanted me to believe it? Without hesitation, I deployed my wave.

“Kang Hajung―!”

Ha Seonghan shouted my name, enraged.

I didn’t stop. Kim Moohyuk was still unconscious in the center. I had to take care of Ha Seonghan and then go to him. If I couldn’t go, at least I had to stop Ha Seonghan here to ensure he wouldn’t attack the center again. My goal was clear and simple. Take care of Ha Seonghan and then leave.

With my wave in full force, I wrapped it around him. I felt the guiding energy move through my body via the lymphatic system, something I would normally never notice. I drew out every last trace of guiding energy that had been dormant in Sergeant Kang’s body. I had to stop Ha Seonghan here. I had no time to waste.

Guiding depends on the guide’s mental strength. The desire to save my esper powers was the driving force behind this. I turned it around, taking everything from this esper. If the mutation inscribed in our genes created espers and guides, then that mutation must have wished for the guide to save the esper. It must have wanted normal humans to stop the powerful, god-like espers.

Thus, I was betraying the very genetic mutation that gave me this tremendous ability. The mutation that allowed a being with the strength to be unmatched on Earth to become helpless in front of a guide.

“But if this is for my esper, who could oppose it?”

I muttered with a smile. Ha Seonghan’s face twisted. He seemed to scream in disbelief, as though it didn’t make sense.

“Let’s end this now, Seonghan. You and I, we’ve come too far, haven’t we?”

“……”

Ha Seonghan didn’t respond to my words, but something mixed with anger swirled in his eyes. I didn’t speak to hear an answer. I simply wanted to put an end to the bad blood between us. I held onto Ha Seonghan and exploded the Guiding. Pulling the wave inward, like gas moving from high pressure to low, I expelled all the Guiding inside my body and sent it out of the theater.

“Kang Hajung―!”

My vision blurred. Ha Seonghan called my name again in shock. Even without seeing his face, I knew my condition must be dire. The blood vessels in my eyes had burst, and I was probably on the verge of tears from the strain. My skin had turned a bluish hue, like a drowning corpse. I’d seen the bodies of guides whose Guiding had been drained during battle. I knew I must look like one of them now.

It was the moment when Ha Seonghan grabbed me in surprise.

“Seonghan… I’m sorry.”

I apologized to my long-time friend. I watched as his eyes widened in disbelief. Then, I began to absorb his Guiding into my body.

Ha Seonghan was a powerful Esper, so it wasn’t easy. As a result, I too had to risk my life. But if I failed to stop him here, I couldn’t be certain what would happen to Kim Moohyuk. I couldn’t let Kim Moohyuk remain like that.

“You…”

Ha Seonghan looked at me with a face that seemed unable to believe it. Just then, the entrance to the theater grew noisy.

Several Espers were rushing in. Some wore the Center’s combat uniforms, while others wore different-colored ones. They appeared to be Accent’s troops and Center’s reinforcements.

The theater soon descended into chaos. Espers flew around using their abilities. The arrival of the Center’s forces meant that there were now personnel capable of commanding civilians. They continued to fight relentlessly.

“Sergeant Kang!”

Far away, Bang Geun called my name. It seemed he couldn’t address me as Colonel in front of others. I looked around blankly. How had the Center’s forces and Accent’s troops arrived together…?

But my confusion didn’t last long. No matter what they were doing here, all I needed to do was take care of Ha Seonghan. I couldn’t afford to focus on other people’s battles.

If Ha Seonghan was so distraught, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to take him along as a companion. If he caused all this for me, I could at least accompany him. But I couldn’t take Kim Moohyuk with me. After all, I was the one who saved him. If anything, I should have thanked Kim Moohyuk for saving me first. If there was any regret, it was only that.

I continued to strip Ha Seonghan of his Guiding. The influx of outside Guiding caused my capillaries to burst, and purple bruises were beginning to form from my fingertips. The bruises crawled up my arms, and soon they might cover my whole body.

Despite knowing this, I didn’t let go of Ha Seonghan. The amount of Guiding I was taking from him was diminishing. He looked at me blankly as I did so.

“You, until the end…”

Ha Seonghan’s words trailed off. With a twisted expression, he tried to push me off. I held his waist tightly with trembling hands, my fingers locked together. In my hand, I held the SoHyung electric shocker, a device developed by the Center. It sent a shock to my muscles, preventing me from letting go. For a moment, I was glad I’d packed it in my tactical vest.

It seemed Ha Seonghan had realized that the only way to shake me off was to sever my wrist. His eyes flickered with hesitation.

“Die―!”

Just then, a voice filled with murderous intent came from behind me. One of Accent’s Espers was rushing toward me, having seen me holding onto Ha Seonghan. I didn’t know what ability they had, but being a non-Esper, I wouldn’t be able to stand against it. I had no choice but to keep holding onto Ha Seonghan. If I let go now, I wouldn’t be able to control him.

I was already struggling just with Ha Seonghan. The Guiding I had taken from him was rapidly filling my body. The blood drained from my skin, which had turned blue, and now it was becoming red. My whole body burned with intense heat. Every cell felt like it was drying out. Ha Seonghan must have felt the same.

While still clinging to me, Ha Seonghan looked down at me. His face had become bluish, his blood vessels swollen. He was experiencing the effects of Guiding anemia. I only needed to continue inducing his rampage until his organs began to burst. At that point, I could push Guiding back into him to prevent the crisis. It wasn’t far off. The signs of his breakdown had already begun, with debris scattered across the floor of the theater starting to float around.

I didn’t avoid the screw that flew toward me from a dislodged seat. With a thud, it struck my cheek, leaving a painful tear.

“Kang Hajung…”

Ha Seonghan muttered my name in disbelief. I couldn’t help but read the emotions of the Esper who was losing his Guiding. Although I hadn’t shared a bond with him, because I had taken his Guiding and given him mine in the past, I could sense some of his feelings.

Ha Seonghan felt sorrow, mixed with anger and resignation, and couldn’t hold back his endless frustration. Why was he so upset? Maybe it was true that he had planned to use me for his own amusement. But I wasn’t the type to be easily manipulated. If it had been me and Ha Seonghan back then, I could have refused him. He had simply acted on his greed. His desire to monopolize the Guide’s Guiding. His selfishness to make that Guiding solely for him. But was that what I wanted? He should have known that it wasn’t.

Despite everything, I felt sorry for Ha Seonghan. As he wandered through the streets and eventually became the leader of the anarchist forces, he still didn’t realize how much the misguided desires that had trapped him had distanced him from me. I felt pity and sorrow for him, not understanding how far he had drifted.

So, if he wanted me, I was willing to give him some leeway. After all, all I needed to do was save Kim Moohyuk. Kim Moohyuk would likely resent me for a while. He might even forget me this time. But if this was the way to save Kim Moohyuk, I wouldn’t hesitate. I had a strong feeling that if I didn’t act today, there might not be another chance.

So, you’re coming with me. I spoke to Ha Seonghan, still holding him, trying to calm him down despite his contorted face.

“I’ll end it with my own hands, so don’t worry. Seonghan.”

The moment I spoke those words, his eyes widened. For a brief moment, it seemed like some kind of relief had washed over his expression. That’s when it happened.

“Cough—!”

I felt an intense heat near my back and side as an Esper rushed toward me, trying to shove something into me. The heat suddenly disappeared, and someone urgently pulled me away. The sudden movement caused me to drop the electric shock device I had been holding, and I had no choice but to release Ha Seonghan from my grip.

“Ugh—!”

Something solid touched my back. I let out a groan as a purple bruise spread across my back. Startled, I looked up to see who had come to my aid. The Esper’s wave was one I knew all too well.

“Kim Moohyuk…”

It was him. Kim Moohyuk. He was still wearing a patient’s gown. I couldn’t even get a word out, my lips trembling. I was about to ask how he ended up here when he spoke.

“Stop with the crap and come play with me, Sunbae.”

Kim Moohyuk muttered indifferently and grabbed Ha Seonghan by the nape of the neck.

“Ck!”

With his guiding energy lost, Ha Seonghan’s sclera turned red with burst blood vessels, and his skin, once blue, was now turning into a deep shade of purple as veins began to protrude. Even as his neck was seized, Ha Seonghan still looked at me, trying to say something. It seemed like he couldn’t speak due to his labored breathing. Kim Moohyuk glanced at him, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Your bond looks pretty damn intense. Feels like crap, though.”

I froze, unable to respond. I didn’t expect Kim Moohyuk to show this kind of emotion. His tone was laced with clear mockery and disdain.

I stared in disbelief at Kim Moohyuk’s back. Just then, he unleashed his energy and slammed Ha Seonghan to the ground. He then formed several spheres of energy and sent them flying. I had never considered the possibility of microscopic energy waves clumping together like that.

The invisible energy waves swirled, creating a mirage-like effect, and I barely recognized them as waves. Kim Moohyuk launched the energy spheres at the other Espers of Accent.

“Ahk—!”

“Ugh!”

Screams filled the air as chaos erupted. I couldn’t hold myself up any longer and collapsed to the floor. The excess guiding energy inside me felt like it was destroying my internal organs. My right ring and pinky fingers had stopped moving, likely broken again, just as they had been fractured by Ha Seonghan earlier. When I collapsed, Kim Moohyuk glanced back at me before walking toward me again. He grabbed my waist and helped me to my feet, then kissed me.

“Ugh…”

Breath escaped through my lips as they met his. Kim Moohyuk was taking my guiding energy through the kiss, but he did it with his eyes closed. I was left frozen, unable to react, enduring the kiss.

It was an unusual contact for Kim Moohyuk. There was no warmth or affection that I usually felt from him. The guiding energy continued to transfer, but whenever I tried to speak, I realized that he was still kissing me, so I had to stop myself.

As the kiss finally broke…

“Kim Moohyuk…”

“Shut up. I don’t want to hear it.”

Kim Moohyuk threw me away from his embrace, as though discarding me. It was then that I was certain how furious he was. …Perhaps it was because I had left the hospital without saying a word. But at the time, I had to do something. I wanted to do something, anything, rather than sit and wait for you to wake up. Then it suddenly occurred to me. Did you really want that? I stared blankly at his retreating back.

Kim Moohyuk, without turning back at the sight of me, who had lost my balance and fallen, unfolded his ability-based energy wave using the guiding he took from me. The delicate energy threads he wove from his fingertips spread like a net, choking the life out of the enemies. Just like Ha Seonghan had done, he used the torn railing of the theater to bind multiple Espers at once, and deflected incoming energy waves by flicking the floating seats in the air.

Many things were rising into the air, moving exactly as Kim Moohyuk desired. It felt like I was watching planets move around him. …He seemed even more powerful after getting up, his rage apparent. How could I explain my situation back then? Even now, I couldn’t help but wonder.

If I were in his shoes, I would blame him for going into battle alone while I was asleep. But knowing something and experiencing it firsthand are vastly different. He didn’t seem to care about what I was thinking and continued to obliterate all the Accent Espers in the theater without a single glance in my direction. I tried hard not to focus on him. I was out of my element, almost like a stranger to myself in the battlefield. Just as I was about to snap out of it and try to guide Mars’ other Espers…

I heard a ringing in my ears. No, it was more like a sharp blade scraping against my temples. I was suddenly overwhelmed by a familiar sensation. I quickly glanced around. My spine shivered, and my knees buckled. I hoped my premonition was wrong, but the heaviness in my chest grew even more intense, and dizziness set in. I couldn’t deny it.

“Fuck…”

I cursed. There was no room for other thoughts. It was a feeling I had already experienced once before. And I realized I had to act without any calculations, just like I did back then.

Everyone faces a life-and-death moment at least once. In those moments, we throw ourselves into action without thinking. Like a person who jumps into water to save someone or someone who, startled by an oncoming car, instinctively avoids it. I thought that this was a similar feeling.

A sensation fate had given me. A sudden command to protect something precious. Without hesitation, I threw myself into it again. At the same time, my eyes met Ha Seonghan’s. A line seemed to appear on his cheek, as though the ground was splitting. Light leaked from the crack as if an earthquake had occurred. This was a sign of total rampage. I had foreseen the outbreak of an S-class Esper.

It was an eternity in that instant. Ha Seonghan whispered to me.

“I did it because I love you.”

…What? And who? But I couldn’t ask, and instead, I pushed Kim Moohyuk away and covered Ha Seonghan’s body. Then, I poured all my guiding into him. As much as I could to suppress the rampage.

However, due to Ha Seonghan’s internal guiding system, which had already been disturbed by having his guiding taken once before, his tension kicked in, and before I knew it, he was rapidly taking my guiding from me. The speed was terrifying. I could feel my swollen abdomen loosening quickly.

“Kang Hajung—!”

I heard Kim Moohyuk’s shout. As he started to approach me, I shook my head.

“Go.”

I whispered, unable to say more. Surprised Espers began to flee out of the theater. Their movements were swift. High Seunghwan, Ham Jungjoo, and Bang Ga-eun blocked Kim Moohyuk, trying to drag him outside.

“Let go of me, you bastards—!”

He was roaring like that, though his subordinates had probably never heard him curse. He flung Espers clinging to him away, causing Ham Jungjoo and High Seunghwan to bleed from their noses, their movements becoming strange, likely from dislocated shoulders.

While Kim Moohyuk resisted like that, I shook my head. It meant he should not come any closer. Slowly, I used reverse-guiding to take a handful of his guiding, just enough to weaken his resistance against Mars team members. I felt a slight relief as his guiding entered my body. Kim Moohyuk’s eyes were wide, his pupils turned upside down like a monster’s.

“Kang Hajung, you’ll regret this—!”

Meanwhile, the three Espers managed to desperately drag Kim Moohyuk away. Kim Moohyuk’s face contorted as he reached the theater’s exit door.

“How can you do this to me, how can you—!”

A beast losing all four of its legs would not scream in such desperation. I thought blankly. Kim Moohyuk shook off High Seunghwan clinging to his arm and kicked Ham Jungjoo off his thigh, trying to reach me.

I shook my head once more. Ha Seonghan, who had seen it all, whispered to me.

“Hajung.”

“…”

“You were right. I lied. I just wanted you.”

As I watched Kim Moohyuk struggle to approach, bleeding from his nose due to my guiding’s pull, I froze in shock. My whole body was shaking. My complexion had likely turned pale again. My burst blood vessels were already causing blood tears to fall from my eyes. I felt the rush of blood through my veins, as though my heart was rapidly syncing with the guiding draining from me.