Chapter 37:
Seo Jae-yi, who wasn’t particularly close with Yoon Ji-hyun, only exchanged a brief nod.
She gripped Yoon Ji-hyun’s shoulders with both hands from the start, knowing that an S-rank Esper losing control could cause a major incident even in a short amount of time.
The Guiding session began.
“…Ah.”
Yoon Ji-hyun’s body flinched the moment their hands touched. After a brief moment of surprise, she looked impressed. Seo Jae-yi tensed up, seeing her react faster than Jo Won-jung or Han Ga-ram.
The trouble would start now.
“Haa…”
As expected. Yoon Ji-hyun’s eyes wavered, losing focus. A breeze swept through the enclosed room.
Seo Jae-yi gripped her shoulders tightly, just as she had done with Han Ga-ram. And she activated her ability as well.
“Ugh!”
Yoon Ji-hyun glared at Seo Jae-yi, who was standing behind her, as pain and heat surged through her.
She wanted to experience more of that refreshing energy that filled her, to possess it entirely, but this damn heat was hindering her.
Yoon Ji-hyun’s eyes turned fierce.
“Get off me!”
Seo Jae-yi shouted as soon as she saw her expression. Baek Joo-won quickly stopped Guiding and released her hand. Kwon Yi-soo wrapped his arms around Yoon Ji-hyun’s exposed neck, pouring his powerful Guiding into her.
“Gasp!”
Yoon Ji-hyun, who had been glaring at Seo Jae-yi with murderous intent, went limp, and Baek Joo-won managed to break free from her grasp.
Kwon Yi-soo’s Guiding, which could subdue and control Espers, continued to flow into Yoon Ji-hyun.
“It’s okay now.”
Yoon Ji-hyun quickly lost consciousness, unable to withstand the powerful effects of his Guiding, amplified by their high Matching Rate.
Seo Jae-yi finally released her grip. The fabric of Yoon Ji-hyun’s suit jacket was partially burned. Of course, Seo Jae-yi wasn’t unscathed either.
“I can’t conduct any more S-rank experiments.”
Yoon Ji-hyun had only lost control for a brief moment, but Seo Jae-yi’s hands and arms were covered in deep cuts.
It was the work of Yoon Ji-hyun’s violent wind, fueled by her desire for Guiding.
A metallic scent filled the small Guiding room.
“Mr. Baek Joo-won, are your hands okay? Are you hurt?”
After confirming that her own injuries weren’t life-threatening, Seo Jae-yi immediately checked on Baek Joo-won.
Fortunately, his hands were only slightly swollen, with no cuts. It seemed like Yoon Ji-hyun’s focus had been solely on Seo Jae-yi, the obstacle.
“Seo Jae-yi, worry about yourself first.”
Kwon Yi-soo, who was still calming down Yoon Ji-hyun, clicked his tongue at Seo Jae-yi. Blood was dripping from her arms, pooling on the floor.
“These wounds will heal quickly.”
“Are you at your peak condition right now?”
Right, she wasn’t. She was past her prime.
Espers rarely got injured, and even if they did, they healed quickly. S-rank Espers, in particular, had an extraordinary regeneration ability.
But that only applied when they were in good health. When their lifespans were dwindling, their remarkable healing abilities significantly diminished, especially if the injuries were inflicted by another S-rank.
Seo Jae-yi had forgotten, as it had been a while since she had been this badly injured.
She might even have scars.
‘Well, scars don’t matter.’
The wounds, inflicted by the wind, would likely leave prominent scars, but Seo Jae-yi didn’t care. This was nothing compared to the possibility of Baek Joo-won getting hurt.
“Guide Baek Joo-won, can you still Guide?”
She hadn’t expected Kwon Yi-soo to make such a suggestion.
“Just one minute of Guiding with your Matching Rate will heal all of Seo Jae-yi’s injuries. I’m asking you to do it, if you can.”
He was even asking. She was seeing all sorts of wonders thanks to her extended lifespan.
“Hold her hand.”
Fortunately, Baek Joo-won didn’t refuse and extended his hand towards Seo Jae-yi. She had no reason to refuse either and quickly reached for his hand.
“Wait, my hands are covered in blood. Let me at least wipe…”
“Wipe them later.”
Before Seo Jae-yi could pull back, Baek Joo-won grabbed her hand. Guiding energy surged into her before she could protest. Her initial flinch subsided.
The refreshing, forest-like energy gently washed away the lingering pain. It was easier to endure this time, perhaps because the Guiding was focused on her injured arm.
“Ah…”
The wounds on her arm healed rapidly, visible to the naked eye. She could vividly feel her torn muscles reconnecting and her skin regenerating.
A cool sensation swept through her core, creating a strange tingling in her lower abdomen. All her dulled senses, weakened by her deteriorating body, seemed to be reawakening with heightened sensitivity.
And all those senses were directed towards Baek Joo-won, the one filling her starved body, her Guide, whom she had been waiting for so long.
Seo Jae-yi’s eyes fluttered closed as a moan escaped her lips.
No, pull yourself together! You can’t lose control!
“Stop!”
Seo Jae-yi wrenched her hand away from Baek Joo-won and stumbled back. A wave of dizziness washed over her as the Guiding abruptly stopped.
But the refreshing sensation lingered in her healed body. Seo Jae-yi shivered, feeling as if she had just been submerged in ice-cold water.
Her mind slowly started to clear.
“Ah.”
She opened her eyes, finally regaining her composure. As she sighed in relief, she noticed his hand, covered in her blood.
There were no towels, so she tried to wipe his hand with her shirt, but Baek Joo-won flinched away.
“I’ll wash it in the bathroom, so you don’t have to do that.”
“This part is clean; there’s no blood.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“But we have to wipe it before it dries…”
“Washing with water and soap is more effective than wiping with your shirt.”
He was right. Seo Jae-yi finally relented.
“Then we’ll go wash off the blood.”
“…Okay.”
They left the Guiding room, leaving the unconscious Yoon Ji-hyun in Kwon Yi-soo’s care.
People passing by stared at them with surprised expressions, seeing their arms and hands covered in blood. Some even glared at Seo Jae-yi, walking beside Baek Joo-won, with disgust, misinterpreting the situation.
“…This is so unfair.”
Seo Jae-yi muttered, feeling wronged. But only Baek Joo-won, who knew the truth, paid attention to her words.
“Yes, I know.”
“That’s right. As long as you know.”
It didn’t matter what others thought. She wasn’t part of the Center anyway.
They arrived at a nearby bathroom, and Seo Jae-yi immediately checked the mirror.
“No wonder people are looking at us suspiciously.”
Her hair was a mess from the wind, her loose cardigan sleeves were torn, and her white T-shirt was soaked in blood, making it look like she had just murdered someone.
She took off the cardigan, deeming it beyond repair. Fortunately, she was wearing a short-sleeved shirt underneath. Fortunately, but…
“I can’t do anything about the bloodstains.”
The stains were glaringly obvious on her white T-shirt. She couldn’t take it off and wash it here, so she gave up.
She just hoped no one reported her before she got home.
“…’Can you defeat Yoon Ji-hyun?'”
Seo Jae-yi looked down at her bloodstained hands and arms.
Her own blood, her own injuries. It felt strange. It was only natural, as she had rarely been injured since mastering her ability and improving her combat skills.
Before her lifespan was drastically reduced by the overload a year ago, few could have inflicted such injuries on her.
And Yoon Ji-hyun, who was among the top S-rank Espers, was no exception.
“If only my body was healthy.”
Would she have avoided getting his hands stained with her blood if she had been healthy?
If she had been at her peak, instead of a terminally ill person with a dwindling lifespan, would it have been easier to make Baek Joo-won her Pair?
She wouldn’t have been swayed by the government, and no one would have dared to object.
‘This is strange. It’s the first time I want to live longer because I want to become stronger.’
She had always wanted to live a peaceful and free life, without fighting or bloodshed. But for the first time, she desired to regain her former strength.
Especially now that she was confident she wouldn’t be manipulated by anyone.
‘I guess I do see Mr. Baek Joo-won as my Guide.’
It was strange to have such thoughts, but she didn’t dislike them.
Seo Jae-yi washed her hands and arms and let down her tangled hair.
Baek Joo-won was waiting for her when she finished.
“Oh, you waited for me. You’re so chivalrous.”
“I thought it would be unfortunate if you got reported for walking around covered in blood.”
…He had the same thought. Her appearance must have been quite alarming.
“I heard I’m going on a dungeon practice run soon.”
Baek Joo-won spoke as they headed out of the Center, having no reason to stay after the experiment.
Seo Jae-yi had also been expecting it.
“Will you be alright? Many people dislike entering dungeons.”
“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about whether I like it or not. Actually, now that I think about it, it might be better not to go. Is it possible to skip the practice run?”
“I’d love to let you do whatever you want, but unfortunately, you have to go at least once. It’s mandated by the Global Awakened Individuals Act.”
“What if an Esper loses control in the dungeon because of my Guiding?”
“Then we’ll adjust the practice run accordingly. The purpose of dungeon practice runs is to assess whether Awakened individuals can handle being in a dungeon.”
Whether they could stay sane in the face of life-threatening monsters, whether they were willing to risk their lives.
That was the purpose of dungeon practice runs.
“The other Guides will handle the Guiding, and you’ll just participate in the subjugation without Guiding.”
“I guess there’s no choice then. I doubt that stubborn Center Head would listen even if I said I didn’t want to go.”
“He definitely won’t. He’s stubborn; he never listens to others.”
Seo Jae-yi shook her head, saying he wasn’t called a dictator for nothing.
“You must be happy now that it’s confirmed I make Espers lose control. I’ve become a liability.”
“Pfft.”
Seo Jae-yi burst out laughing at his words.