Chapter 158:
“H-how can I call you so casually after what I did…?”
Gong Ju-hyun had been tormented by guilt during his confinement in the dark basement.
He had been blinded by his desire and had hurt Seo Jae-yi.
He had almost gone insane when he learned that Park Jung-soo was the one who had orchestrated the human experiments on her in the past.
Why had he trusted that man? He had practically killed Seo Jae-yi twice.
He couldn’t bear to look at her and averted his gaze.
“I don’t blame you, Gong Ju-hyun. You can call me whatever you like.”
But he couldn’t help but look up at her words.
He finally saw her eyes clearly. There was no blame, no anger in her clear gaze.
“You didn’t know anything about what was going on between me, the government, and Park Jung-soo, right?”
“Absolutely not! I would have refused if I had known what they did to you. Human experiments… on you, when you were just a child…”
Tears welled up in Gong Ju-hyun’s eyes.
The experiments he had undergone under Park Jung-soo hadn’t been easy. It had been painful, agonizing.
He wouldn’t have endured it if it weren’t for his desire to become Seo Jae-yi’s Pair.
And yet, Seo Jae-yi, just thirteen years old, had been subjected to that same pain, to those horrific experiments.
He was disgusted with himself for having briefly sided with Park Jung-soo, the mastermind, and Jang Woo-seok, who had given the orders.
“I’m so sorry…”
He closed his eyes, overwhelmed by guilt, and bowed deeply, remembering what he had done to her.
“I don’t resent you, but I can’t say you’re completely blameless.”
Gong Ju-hyun gritted his teeth, hearing her words.
“I accept your apology.”
He hadn’t expected her to say that.
“W-what?”
“You apologized for what you did. I’m accepting your apology.”
Seo Jae-yi smiled brightly, her expression devoid of any anger or resentment.
It was the same smile that had captivated him the first time he saw her.
“Don’t be too burdened by guilt now that I’ve accepted your apology. Despite everything, I’m now paired with Baek Joo-won. So you don’t have to feel so sorry.”
“…”
“And you testified for me.”
Seo Jae-yi stepped closer and patted his shoulder.
As if trying to lift the heavy burden weighing down on him.
“That’s enough. You’ve done enough.”
Her words, her touch, her smile.
The guilt that had been consuming him in the dark basement vanished like smoke. He would always carry the regret, but even this small act of forgiveness felt like salvation.
“Th-thank you.”
Tears streamed down his face as he bowed his head.
Seo Jae-yi truly was his savior.
“How are you feeling? It must be difficult to Guide others now, after being imprinted.”
Park Jung-soo’s experiments had resulted in a one-sided Imprint on Gong Ju-hyun.
But even that had been a failure. He could only react to her, but he couldn’t Guide her properly.
He couldn’t even Guide other people.
“I met with the Center Head today because of that. I can’t Guide anyone, no matter how many times I try, so I decided to resign.”
Seo Jae-yi was surprised.
“Resign? Without further examination?”
“I’ll probably have to undergo more experiments to find a way to restore my ability, but I’m sick of experiments.”
Gong Ju-hyun’s face was etched with exhaustion.
Seo Jae-yi, who knew better than anyone how horrific experiments could be, understood his feelings completely.
“It’s the price I have to pay for my mistakes. And honestly, I don’t want to work as a Guide anymore.”
Seo Jae-yi nodded, hearing him say that he didn’t want to be constantly reminded of his past actions.
“It’s okay. Everything will be alright.”
She patted his shoulder again, and Gong Ju-hyun managed a weak smile.
“I don’t know if we’ll meet again, but let’s meet with smiles next time. I wish you all the best.”
“Please take care of yourself, Esper Seo Jae-yi. I’ll always be cheering for you.”
Seo Jae-yi said goodbye and left.
Baek Joo-won, her paired Guide, appeared as if he had been waiting nearby.
Gong Ju-hyun watched them, frozen in place, as they held hands.
He had once wanted to stand by Seo Jae-yi’s side, just like Baek Joo-won. He had been blinded by his desire, refusing to accept that it wasn’t his place, and he had hurt many people in the process.
He no longer desired to be her paired Guide. He had finally given up after realizing he had only caused her harm.
But…
‘How do I give up on these feelings?’
He had made a terrible mistake, and the guilt still gnawed at him, but it couldn’t extinguish his feelings for Seo Jae-yi.
He had given up on being her Guide, but he still wanted to be by her side, as her lover.
But that wasn’t his place either, so he had to give up, but… how?
He had loved her for too long; he didn’t know how to stop.
Perhaps it was a feeling he would carry with him for the rest of his life.
“…”
Gong Ju-hyun, watching the couple walk away hand in hand, silently wiped away his tears.
His heart ached.
“Hmm.”
Baek Joo-won, hearing a sniffle behind him, glanced back at Gong Ju-hyun. He was standing alone in the hallway, crying, his eyes and nose red.
“He must feel really guilty. He’s crying so sadly.”
Seo Jae-yi, also hearing his cries, shook her head with a sympathetic expression.
Baek Joo-won asked,
“Do you really think he’s crying out of guilt?”
“Of course. He apologized profusely, practically begging for forgiveness.”
He was probably feeling guilty. His apology had been sincere.
However…
‘He seems to be crying because he was rejected.’
Baek Joo-won knew, better than anyone, that Gong Ju-hyun had feelings for Seo Jae-yi.
He had been a nuisance, interfering with Seo Jae-yi’s attempts to seduce him.
He had been enjoying her pursuit, and Gong Ju-hyun’s feelings for her had been a distraction.
‘I was planning on becoming her Pair after she became more… interested in me, but Gong Ju-hyun forced my hand.’
He didn’t regret his decision, but he did regret not acting sooner.
If he had, those pesky government officials wouldn’t have plotted against Seo Jae-yi.
‘It’s not his fault.’
Baek Joo-won clicked his tongue. It had happened because he had hesitated, so there was no one to blame.
He should have claimed Seo Jae-yi sooner.
“Seo Jae-yi.”
“Hmm? Yes?”
He leaned in and kissed her as she looked up at him. He was pleased by her reaction, surprised yet accepting, readily responding to his kiss.
“I’m sometimes… frustrated by your obliviousness, but I also like it.”
“What? Why are you picking a fight after kissing me?”
Seo Jae-yi frowned, having just enjoyed the taste of his lips.
“Picking a fight? I’m saying this because I genuinely like your obliviousness.”
“Obliviousness isn’t a compliment!”
“But if it’s something I like, then it’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
“…What?”
Seo Jae-yi tilted her head, confused by his words.
Baek Joo-won whispered, nuzzling her cheek,
“You like me, don’t you?”
“I do.”
Baek Joo-won’s smile deepened at her immediate reply. He looked utterly smitten.
“Then you must also like what I like, right?”
“Of course.”
“So your obliviousness is a good thing.”
I’m quite fond of it.
He whispered, his lips brushing against her soft cheek.
“Hmm, is that so?”
Seo Jae-yi, used to his affectionate gestures, couldn’t help but agree, even though his logic seemed flawed.
“Yes. So stay oblivious.”
“Fine. I have no reason to be mindful of others anyway.”
Who could make Korea’s strongest Esper, with a 100% Matching Rate paired Guide, worry about others?
Even the government, which had tormented her for so long, was crumbling.
Baek Joo-won’s eyes, watching her readily agree, were filled with a smug satisfaction.
Yes, Seo Jae-yi didn’t need to be aware of other people’s feelings.
Like Gong Ju-hyun’s, or Kwon Yi-soo’s.
They would never have her anyway, but he didn’t want her to care about them, even a little.
“I love you, Seo Jae-yi.”
Seo Jae-yi, the woman everyone desired, was in his hands.
He whispered sweet nothings to her, the woman he possessed, the woman who possessed him, and kissed her again, a kiss that made her melt into him.
The impeachment motion against President Kim Joon-pil, filed by the opposition party members, was finally initiated, following the new revelations and Gong Ju-hyun’s testimony.
Suspicions of supporting human experiments on Awakened individuals, allegations of bribery from the previous Guiding Center and Esper Association, accusations of child abuse, and attempted murder.
Every single accusation was heinous and horrifying.
And though the Constitutional Court hadn’t yet delivered its verdict, the evidence was so overwhelming that they were practically facts, not just suspicions.
President Kim Joon-pil’s powers were suspended, and with the Prime Minister position also vacant, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, also a member of the ruling party appointed by the President, became the Acting President.
However, the public’s distrust of the ruling party was evident.
“The ruling party’s position has weakened considerably due to the recent revelations. The fact that the Guiding Center and the Association, their biggest supporters, turned against them seems to have hit them hard.”
Haeil Guild Leader’s Office.
Seo Jae-yi nodded at Kim Yoo-sung’s words.
The opposition parties had struggled to gain power because the ruling party had maintained a close relationship with the Center, which controlled the Awakened individuals.
The Center had been protecting the ruling party, so now that they had turned against them, the ruling party’s downfall was inevitable.
“The Acting President has been calling us non-stop because of that.”
Seo Jae-yi, who had been listening half-heartedly, chuckled at his words.
“Oh, really? What did he say?”
“He said the ruling party would also vote for the impeachment if we agreed to end it there. He even promised that all the politicians involved, including himself, wouldn’t run in the next presidential election.”
It was a desperate attempt to prevent the party’s collapse.
“Do they think we’re fools?”
What good was not running in the next election?
It was ridiculous for them to think Haeil would be satisfied with such a paltry offer.
“Even if we were kind enough to accept, it wouldn’t matter if the Guiding Center didn’t agree.”
Center Head Kwon Yi-soo’s goal was to completely dismantle the ruling party, which had been involved in the human experiments.
His ultimate goal was to prevent any future government from mistreating Awakened individuals.
There was no way he would be satisfied with such a meager offer.
“Right. Those fools seem to think they can still reform, but they’ll soon face reality.”
Kim Yoo-sung nodded.
There was only one possible outcome for the ruling party: complete collapse.