Approximal Guide

What is he talking about? There are many things I hide from him. Like the time he told me not to eat ramen, but I made stir-fried ramen anyway, or when I washed my jeans with his T-shirt, turning his white T-shirt blue and secretly threw it away, or when there was only one yogurt left in the fridge, and I ate it before he could.And the biggest secret of all is that I… I looked up at him blankly.“…Why again? Not enough guiding? All grown up but still so clingy, Kim Moohyuk.”“…”That I’m your guide. That’s something I can never tell you. Instead, I hugged the young Kim Moohyuk, who clung to me for guiding, just like when he was very young, when he had just manifested and become my pair, clinging to me like a broken toy soldier, calling me Colonel, Colonel, like those nights long ago.“Just for tonight, you can sleep with the Instructor. Tomorrow, I’ll really kick you out, Kim Moohyuk.”“…”If you understand what the Instructor is saying, you should say, “Yes, sir.” I should warn him like that, but I had used all my energy to turn and hug him, so I couldn’t move anymore. The person in my arms was much bigger than the Kim Moohyuk I knew.When did he grow up so much? He could get married next year. As I thought that, the gentle waves of sleep finally swallowed my consciousness.It was darkness.I dreamed of a time I missed. When the very young Kim Moohyuk would crawl into my bed every night with one excuse or another.‘Colonel, just for tonight…’He was afraid of rejection. The defiance he showed when he beat the orphanage director to a pulp had vanished, and he pretended to be a very obedient lamb.I sometimes thought he was being childish, but twenty was still an age where that was acceptable. With that in mind, I often opened my blanket and covered him, and though I found it absurd when Kim Moohyuk happily squeezed his legs between mine, I didn’t stop him. For a newly awakened esper, the warmth and touch of a guide, being able to feel the guiding waves, must have felt like a blessing.I wasn’t heartless enough to turn away a young esper who had just calmed down from a rampage. I allowed him to sleep holding me, thinking it would pass. Moohyuk and I had a larger age gap than most brothers. With all my family gone, I saw him as a nephew or a much younger brother.He had the looks for it. Pretty and fair-skinned. He was a bit shorter than me, but twenty-year-old Kim Moohyuk was a beauty who turned heads. How could I refuse when such a young boy begged to sleep with me for just one night? I often pretended not to notice when he stayed in my room instead of his.Then came a night when the temperature dropped below freezing. Kim Moohyuk had been at the center for less than a month, and it was just before the Lunar New Year. The news was full of reports about heavy snow expected during the holiday. It was a very cold night, as if warning us to prepare for the forecasted snowstorm.Unconsciously, I clung to him, who was warmer than me. It happened in my sleep, like hugging a hot water bottle. Our legs tangled, and my hand wrapped around his waist. Though I thought he was slightly smaller than me when he was beside me, hugging him made me realize his broad shoulders made it feel like I was the one being held. Half-asleep, I thought someone was hugging me.Then, with a gasp, Kim Moohyuk woke up and groaned softly.‘Ah, Colonel…’Half-awake, I realized his voice was lower and rougher, like an adult man’s. His husky voice, our still-entwined legs. I perceived it all but thought it was the boundary between dream and reality. I didn’t fully wake up until I heard him get out of bed and go to the bathroom.The water ran for a long time in the bathroom, and I thought he was taking a shower. I fell asleep again on the bed he had left. When he returned, bringing a chill with him, the bed dipped, waking me slightly. I soon fell asleep again.What did he say to me then?“If you don’t wake up.”That’s right, Moohyuk whispered to me. If you don’t wake up…“I’ll eat you.”Eat me—what? My eyes snapped open in shock.It had been from the beginning.‘It will hurt a bit more. Not much, just a little. You can bear it, right?’The guide who asked that, reaching out his large hand to hold him, had shaken Kim Moohyuk’s young life to its core.Kim Moohyuk realized that day. He had imprinted on this guide. How else could he explain all his longing? But after shaking him up like that, the guide said he would retire. The esper, who had been rated the strongest from the start, realized that his guide could easily leave him. He couldn’t do that, but Kang Hajung could. The realization that only Kang Hajung could leave him, not the other way around, came to him.So the solution he came up with was to make himself indispensable to Kang Hajung. He thought that if he could make his presence felt in every aspect of Kang Hajung’s life—walking, dressing, eating, drinking, sleeping, breathing—then Kang Hajung wouldn’t be able to live without him. He believed that if he made himself essential, like a tool that one can’t live without, Kang Hajung wouldn’t abandon him.Kim Moohyuk was confident. Patience was his greatest talent, not his esper rank, but his ability to endure and persevere. That strong patience allowed him to live as Kim Moohyuk beside Kang Hajung.Every morning, looking down at the person in his arms, that was all he thought. Just as he couldn’t live without Kang Hajung, he wanted to make it so that Kang Hajung couldn’t live without him. Even if Kang Hajung didn’t miss him, he wanted to be needed.But unfortunately, Moohyuk’s expectations were wrong. Kang Hajung wasn’t that kind of person.“Make sure he takes it after dinner. It shouldn’t burden his stomach. You don’t want him to get gastritis on top of everything else.”“…Yes.”From the center head to Han Byeongeun, everyone took care of Kang Hajung. Kim Moohyuk’s needs were secondary. His bones grew, but jealousy gnawed at him, hollowing out his marrow.Swoosh—On days when he had to remind himself of his place, it always rained. Days when Kang Hajung couldn’t hold it together. Days when, after begging him to eat just one meal, Kang Hajung would agree but end up unable to eat anything. Days when the kind man, unaware of his student’s dark thoughts, would vomit up the few spoonfuls of porridge he managed to swallow. Days when Kim Moohyuk realized he wasn’t important or needed by Kang Hajung, it always rained.“…Colonel.”“…”There was no answer from inside Kang Hajung’s room. He would likely stay like that all day unless the rain stopped. So Kim Moohyuk would wait endlessly in front of the closed door, calling out to him with just one word. And, of course, there would be no answer. From then on, Moohyuk would sit in front of the door, silently begging for it to open, keeping his desires hidden all night.Only after a long wait would Kang Hajung open the door and come out. He would see Moohyuk sitting there and laugh softly.“Why are you sitting here? Go get some sleep.”“…”How can I sleep when you’re like this?It was an unaskable question. He couldn’t confess that he called him “you” in his mind. To Kang Hajung, Kim Moohyuk was a student and fellow esper, and to Kim Moohyuk, Kang Hajung was an instructor and superior. That was the line Kang Hajung had drawn, and within that line, there was always one name.Ha Seonghan.It was around then that Kim Moohyuk started investigating him. Ha Seonghan, an esper who used the same telekinesis ability as him.Ha Seonghan wasn’t ranked higher than him but required a lot of guiding. It wasn’t because his guiding efficiency was low. Despite having an 80% matching rate compared to his 92% with Hajung, which was still high for the center, Ha Seonghan frequently and heavily demanded Kang Hajung’s guiding.Despite his stable levels, he drained Kang Hajung’s guiding like a vampire. If Kang Hajung hadn’t had the highest residual guiding levels in the country, he might have withered away like an old tree. Why did he need so much guiding, and why so frequently? Kim Moohyuk hypothesized that he might be a multi-ability esper requiring a lot of guiding. This hypothesis led to the outrageous theory that he might still be alive.Multi-ability espers, those who could handle more than one ability, were extremely rare but not nonexistent. Kim Moohyuk began his investigation from that question. At the time, he was only a second lieutenant with limited authority, and Kang Hajung had a tendency to overprotect him, making it hard to find out much on his own. Then he stumbled upon a secret experiment conducted and abandoned by the central department.Experiment name: Accent. It was an experiment to manipulate the genes of an esper with one ability to manifest another ability within their body.“Hey, Moohyuk. Want to eat tteokbokki before we go home?”“It’s nutritionally unbalanced. Choose something else.”Looking down at Kang Hajung, who was lying with his head on his knee after training, Moohyuk wasn’t sure if he had answered correctly and shook his head.Kang Hajung, accustomed to Ha Seonghan, seemed to think Kim Moohyuk always needed guiding. High-ranking espers had high guiding efficiency, allowing them to function with minimal residual guiding. This wasn’t even mentioned in the guiding manuals. High-ranking espers like Ha Seonghan and Kim Moohyuk were so rare that research wasn’t active. Valuable resources like them weren’t left to rot in labs. High-ranking espers could only return to labs to cooperate with researchers after retirement. By then, they were too old and had exhausted their abilities, becoming no different from low-ranking espers.So research on them wasn’t accurate, and Ha Seonghan seemed never to have told Kang Hajung this. Kang Hajung, out of habit, always thought he lacked residual guiding when touching Moohyuk and tried to transfer his waves. But Kim Moohyuk didn’t like being treated so preciously by Kang Hajung. He wanted to treat the other that way. Kang Hajung was precious to him. He wanted to make his need known and stay by his side forever.What should he call this feeling? Love was rare in Kim Moohyuk’s life, and the little that existed wasn’t beautiful, so he didn’t want to label his feelings as love.If this is love.‘I got that when I graduated from the academy.’‘…’‘Keep it safe and give it back when I return. They can’t do anything to me because of you. You’re my talisman. You have to keep the talisman safe; you can’t just burn it.’Why didn’t you give me a chance to return the watch? Why couldn’t I bury your watch with you?If this is love, if it’s such a light and sweet, fragile and radiant emotion. Why am I left alone, unable to die with you, believing your grave is filled with lies?Moohyuk thought and thought again. Even diagnosing himself as mentally ill, he believed Ha Seonghan couldn’t be dead. It couldn’t be. Kang Hajung wouldn’t leave him like that. If he had died, such a large person couldn’t fit into such a small urn. So Kim Moohyuk didn’t believe it. Not once did he think Kang Hajung could be dead. Their imprint remained intact. He endured the imprint ischemia symptoms from not seeing him for years.Kang Hajung didn’t die, and I believed he would come back to me. So, did I firmly believe in Kang Hajung? How could I trust someone like Kang Hajung, who had little attachment to life and was as fleeting as the wind?No, Kim Moohyuk never trusted Kang Hajung. Even after spending years with me, he always seemed on the verge of disappearing somewhere. Even when he was on the brink of death with a hole in his body, he smiled at me with a carefree face. He left me with a watch that wasn’t even valuable as collateral, without any intention of coming back for it. I didn’t trust that indifferent person.‘Kang Hajung—!’At the moment you died, in the explosion, I called out to you desperately. In that moment, amidst the loud explosion, I heard that faint voice. When Kang Hajung took his last breath in my arms, I heard the despairing voice of the one who realized that the hard stone had torn through his fragile chest.I trusted that your esper, who resembled me, would save you. I believed that he would definitely save you.I had always deeply trusted Ha Seonghan.“If you don’t wake up.”“…”“I’ll eat you.”Look, Kim Moohyuk’s faith was rewarded. The reward for believing without a doubt that Ha Seonghan would return my guide to my arms.So, Hajung, wake up. Before a much younger kid swallows you whole.Moohyuk suddenly realized that his talent for patience had been completely exhausted. He wouldn’t hold back anymore. In this fight, the first to act wins. Kim Moohyuk was ready to claim Kang Hajung.At Moohyuk’s heavy, sincere warning, Kang Hajung’s thin eyelids fluttered, and he finally opened his eyes. The moment their eyes met, Moohyuk smiled.It was time to stop holding back.I asked politely, like a civilized person.“W-what did you just say…”Of course, I stuttered a bit. Anyone would when hearing something so outrageous. Then I clenched my fist, ready to punch him in the solar plexus and run if necessary.Kim Moohyuk seemed to know my intentions, positioning himself on top of me to prevent any surprise attacks. There was a thick blanket between us, but the position was awkward. One of Kim Moohyuk’s thighs was between my legs, and our chests were somewhat pressed together. It was strange since he hadn’t clung to me like this since I changed into Sergeant Kang’s body.“What are you doing…?”“Trying to wake you up.”A confusing answer. I asked again, dazed.“Who wakes someone up like this?”“You’re awake, aren’t you? Isn’t that what matters?”I guess… Anyway, I was awake, so he had a point. Kim Moohyuk looked at me intently, then placed his hand on my forehead with an expressionless face.“Your fever’s gone.”“Yes, well… Thank you.”I had to thank him since I got better thanks to his care, but he didn’t seem to have any intention of getting off me. I squirmed, trying to hint for him to move, but he just stared at me. Thinking my gratitude wasn’t enough, I thanked him again.“I said thank you?”“Yeah. You’re polite.”…Do I have to hear this from someone a decade younger than me? I was momentarily speechless but felt the weight first. I squirmed again, trying to hint for him to move, but Kim Moohyuk didn’t look away.“…When someone gets up after being sick, you should let them rest. You’re really heavy right now. And why are you staring at me like that?”“Just wondering how your little head works to show all your thoughts.”What are you talking about? I’ve always had a great poker face. But Kim Moohyuk immediately mocked my thoughts.“You think you manage your expressions well, don’t you?”“…No, I don’t?”He’s sharp. It’s surprising how perceptive he’s become. Kim Moohyuk seemed to stop joking and got up.“Get up. Eat.”Is he haunted by a ghost that died of hunger? He’s always fussing about feeding me. He’s not even my grandmother. I grumbled but got up. As soon as I sat up, I realized all the buttons on my pajama shirt were undone. Looking down in surprise, Kim Moohyuk said,“I wiped you down to bring down the fever. I took care of you; do I have to button your shirt too?”Isn’t buttoning a patient’s shirt part of caregiving? I was about to close my mouth in disbelief but frowned instead.“Why did you wipe someone else’s body without permission? Especially while they were sleeping?”“Are we strangers?”“What?”What is he talking about? His nonsensical words made me suspicious. I frowned and asked,“Did something good happen?”He didn’t answer. He just chuckled and shook his head before leaving the room. What was that about? He should at least explain. Anyway, he seemed to be in a good mood, which was a relief. It would be troublesome if he started questioning where I had been. It was better for Kim Moohyuk to be in a good mood.I left the room and sat at the table, glancing at Kim Moohyuk. He placed a dish of crown daisy tofu salad on the table and said,“So, where did you go on a rainy night?”I didn’t expect him to ask, but he did. It felt like a surprise hit to the back of my head. I tried my best to keep a neutral expression as I answered.“Captain Han from the research department said he had something to look into.”“What was it?”“Well, you know… Things about the experiments conducted there. He wanted to know, at least roughly, after hearing about the chimeras.”Although the mission was classified, the appearance of chimeras likely meant the details and experiments wouldn’t be kept secret from the research lab. I thought it was a decent excuse, and it seemed I was right, as Kim Moohyuk didn’t press further and just served me my seaweed soup. Staring blankly at the table, I mumbled to myself.“There’s only greens.”“You don’t get to complain about the food when I earn the money and cook it too.”Kim Moohyuk scolded me with an expressionless face. Feeling guilty for being an ungrateful guest, I responded.“You really make life hard for a freeloader.”“I’ll make braised spicy chicken for dinner, so just eat.”“Yes, sir.”The ordinary conversation made the painful memories of Ha Seonghan fade a bit. …Right. If you’re really alive, I just need to find you and confirm it. Why are you there and not here? Why did you hide your death from me? I’ll listen to your reasons and make a decision then. But if your reasons go against the loyalty we swore during our academy days, I might not be able to see you the same way. I might seem carefree, but I’m quite the patriot.In that sense, Kim Moohyuk has endured well these past few years without discharging. What kept him going? I was driven solely by the desire to escape the military’s hold on me. What kept Kim Moohyuk going these past few years?As I pondered, Kim Moohyuk got up and brought a plate of stir-fried pork.“Wait, there was meat?”“I hid it to see if you’d complain.”What a peculiar personality. It was as if he was waiting for me to whine. As I stared at him with chopsticks in my mouth, Kim Moohyuk said while eating his seaweed soup.“Don’t hold your chopsticks in your mouth. It looks rude.”Do you even know what the IMF is? A kid who wasn’t even born yet talking about manners. Kim Moohyuk must have aged in my absence, but he’s still much younger than I was when I died. With the vast age difference, I’m not exactly in a position to hear about table manners from him.Anyway, I decided to eat the food my paired esper made and gain some strength. I’d need it to find or confront Ha Seonghan. I couldn’t even blame him for my years of depression, but the connection to Accent had me feeling uneasy. Fortunately, the bland seaweed soup Kim Moohyuk made was soothing enough for my upset stomach.So I sat silently with Moohyuk, eating. Even if the grave of a friend I buried yesterday was empty, I still had to live today.‘You don’t need to write a separate report.’‘…But about Lieutenant Han Jaemin…’‘I’ll discuss that with the center head separately.’‘…Had you been preparing for Lieutenant Han Jaemin’s betrayal for a long time?’Kim Moohyuk didn’t answer my question properly. He didn’t seem too shocked by Han Jaemin’s betrayal. He just glanced at me, finished his dishes, went to his room, and came out shortly after.My question about where he was going was ignored again. Kim Moohyuk left right away. I heard the sound of the jeep’s engine outside, indicating he had driven off. What a mysterious guy. We went on a mission together, but can’t he share anything? I sighed. I’d have to investigate on my own.Kim Moohyuk’s attitude towards Han Jaemin was strange. It was as if he expected the betrayal. I had been introduced to Han Jaemin as his friend, and they seemed to have spent a lot of time together. When did the pretense start? I couldn’t pinpoint it. I wanted to ask, but he was already gone. I reassured myself that I could ask after the reports were done and headed to see Han Byeongeun.As expected, Han Byeongeun didn’t welcome me warmly.“Do you know how angry Sungmi was? She told me I should’ve just left for good and filed for divorce. I thought I was really getting divorced.”“Really? If you were good-looking, do you think she’d threaten to leave over every little thing? It’s your fault for being unattractive, Byeongeun.”“Are you mocking me? You think you’re handsome…! Oh, wait, you are. Gosh, you’re saying such rude things because you suddenly became handsome with someone else’s face.”“Hey, I wasn’t that bad-looking to begin with.”However, Han Byeongeun didn’t heed my words. Sighing, I pulled a stool from the side of his lab and sat down, opening my mouth to speak again.“But Kim Moohyuk definitely seemed to know that Han Jaemin was suspicious. Could he have known that Han Jaemin was Ha Seonghan too?”“Who knows? And I still can’t believe that Lieutenant Han Jaemin is the same person as Major Ha.”Byeongeun shrugged. I understood why he thought that way. I still couldn’t believe that Han Jaemin was Ha Seonghan either. I couldn’t even believe that Ha Seonghan was alive. Seeing I had fallen silent, Byeongeun added,“…Anyway, what you need now is information about Accent. The Seogyeong Center has the most information on them, but it’s monopolized by one person.”Surprised, I raised an eyebrow and asked,“Who is that?”Byeongeun looked at me and bit his lip. He seemed troubled, and I was about to ask why when he answered my question.“Who else could it be… It’s Kim Moohyuk.”“…”I fell silent at those words. I knew Kim Moohyuk was fixated on Accent, but it always left me feeling conflicted whenever I confirmed that fact. Before, I only felt vague guilt, but now I felt like I was committing a crime against him. Rubbing my eyebrow, lost in thought, I stood up abruptly.“…So you have no information on Accent?”“That’s right. I’m more of a researcher than combat personnel, so I only recently received any information on them. And it mainly concerns the chimeras from the factory.”I couldn’t understand it. They were supposed to be a significant military threat, yet only Kim Moohyuk had any information on them. Seeing my confusion, Byeongeun elaborated.“Before you… well, that incident, information about Accent wasn’t monopolized like this.”“Then why does Kim Moohyuk have all the information now?”“Why do you think? That guy is relentless. After your funeral, he took on all the missions related to Accent, submitted the bare minimum reports, and seemed to be investigating on his own. The center head was so worried about him back then that he just let him do whatever he wanted, leading to this situation.”“…”“Do you know how many missions Kim Moohyuk took on in a day? Sometimes four, just to make sure no one else took the Accent missions.”“…”I was speechless. The more I heard about Kim Moohyuk’s path while I was away, the more dreadful it sounded. Byeongeun sighed and continued,“Of course, he’s only human, so he couldn’t take all the Accent missions. But he could monopolize the critical ones. That’s why the Seogyeong Center has almost no information on Accent now. He omitted too much in his reports.”“Is it even allowed to write reports like that?”“What choice do we have? It’s Kim Moohyuk. How can you uncover what a high-ranking esper is hiding on purpose? The center head has long considered it the price for Moohyuk’s perfect mission completions.”I nodded slowly. It seemed I had no choice but to ask Kim Moohyuk directly about Accent. I couldn’t think of any other way. I lacked the personnel and time to approach Accent and extract information.The problem was how to talk to him about it. He had warned me not to dig around, and now I couldn’t just casually ask him to spill everything he knew about Accent. And given how assertive he’d become in my absence, I doubted he’d share easily.I sighed and left Byeongeun’s lab, ignoring his grumbling about me leaving without a word.Kim Moohyuk was nowhere to be seen, likely off on another unknown mission. I decided to grab something to eat. Taking advantage of his absence, I figured I could have ramen. I headed to the cafeteria, thinking I might as well make the best of the situation.But it seemed the universe was determined to thwart my ramen plans, and I faced another obstacle.“Ipse-dong closed day…?”I stared incredulously at the notice. Ipse-dong closed day? Isn’t it supposed to operate 365 days a year? With a dumbfounded expression, I stared at the empty Ipse-dong and cafeteria. I took out my phone, thinking there might be an explanation, and found an unread text message.[Ipse-dong is closed. Today is a special day for the civilian workers of Seogyeong Center, and the Ipse-dong commercial district and cafeteria are closed. Those who wish to dine out are encouraged to use the special Seogyeong Center PASS issued today.]Huh, what? So today I can go out and eat civilian food? The thought of eating out without Kim Moohyuk’s nagging made me so happy I covered my mouth in excitement.Is there anything better for a soldier than civilian food? Honestly, everything sold in Ipse-dong is great, but there’s something different about eating food while breathing in the outside air. Maybe it’s just a feeling. Excited, I withdrew cash from the ATM in Ipse-dong and walked out cheerfully.I headed straight for the north gate, showing the pass from the text message to the guard at the checkpoint. I gave a half-hearted salute and said, “Thanks,” because teasing the guards is always fun. The guards’ expressions twisted at my sloppy salute.I needed to act silly to forget about Ha Seonghan, even if just a little.“What should I eat?”Humming like an old man, I headed to the bus stop near the north gate. Now, I could take the bus to the city near Seogyeong Center and enjoy food I couldn’t get at the center. It would be nice if Kim Moohyuk could come too… But things were a bit awkward between us lately, and he was off on some unknown mission, so it wasn’t possible. I stared at the bus stop’s display.“Next bus in 5 minutes…”I was muttering to myself about the bus I needed to take when it happened.“Ah…!”A strong hand grabbed the back of my head. Someone was pulling my hair. I was shocked and tried to remove the hand, but it wasn’t easy.“What the—! Who are you!”I was about to twist my wrist to break free when a thick palm slapped my cheek.“Ugh—!”Even with my eyes open, I saw stars, and my ears started ringing. It wasn’t so much painful as it was a disorienting shock. The person slapped my cheek several more times. I had no chance to resist.If I were in my original body, I might have done something, but Sergeant Kang Hajung’s body was weaker and had less muscle mass. No matter how much I practiced martial arts, I was vulnerable to surprise attacks like this. I frowned. I wished my vision would clear, but all I saw were flashes of light.“Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you, you bastard?”The man holding me cursed. It was a voice I had never heard before. I briefly thought of Sergeant Kang’s uncle, but it wasn’t him. The voice was too young. He dragged me by my hair like a sack.“Ouch…! Who are you!”I kept resisting and asking who he was, but he didn’t answer. Could he be related to Accent? But I didn’t sense any esper waves from him. No guiding waves either. He was an ordinary person. I thought only the uncle would treat Sergeant Kang this way, but I was wrong. I tried to recall Sergeant Kang’s memories but couldn’t think of anything.Instead, I felt a growing sense of injustice. Anger and frustration. It was sad that the only emotion this body couldn’t forget was anger. I realized Sergeant Kang knew this person. Their relationship wasn’t ordinary. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be trembling with rage despite being beaten and dragged.So who was this person? If Sergeant Kang knew him, he wasn’t related to Accent. If he were, it would mean Sergeant Kang was connected to Accent, but I hadn’t sensed that from him.Thinking that far, I resisted fiercely. I hoped the bus would arrive and someone would see me being assaulted and dragged away. But the man seemed to know that.“What are you waiting for, you bastard? Hurry up. Do you think someone will help you?”He laughed maliciously. Hearing that laugh made my anger boil. I didn’t remember everything, but Sergeant Kang had few relationships. If someone made him this angry, I should be able to recall, but I couldn’t, and it was confusing.I was silent because I couldn’t organize my thoughts, but the man thought I was scared and became more aggressive.“Why didn’t you answer my calls and suddenly cut off the money, making me angry?”“…”“Shouldn’t a Hyung help his younger brother?”And with those words, I glimpsed a fragment of Sergeant Kang’s memories.The man’s name was Kang Jinseong. Kang Byeongchan’s son and an even worse scoundrel. He was the one transferring over 2 million won to Sergeant Kang’s account every month.I also remembered that half of the death insurance money from Sergeant Kang’s father went to his uncle, and half of that went to this cousin.“You really supported both father and son.”“What?”Kang Jinseong frowned, not hearing me clearly, and yelled, asking what I was mumbling. Sergeant Kang had given up on college because of the financial drain, and it wasn’t just one person but two. It was natural to feel frustrated and angry.I had been putting off resolving Sergeant Kang’s grievances because of Accent, but now I felt it was the right time. I decided to deal with this guy too, to resolve Sergeant Kang’s injustice. Surrounded by strange people and cursed with bad luck, I felt I had to clean things up.“What are you mumbling? Have you finally gone crazy? Yeah, you must be crazy to ignore my calls and stop sending money. Haven’t you been beaten enough lately?”I didn’t answer. I wanted to see where he was taking me. He seemed familiar with dragging me, so I needed to know what he planned to do with Sergeant Kang. Only then could I plan my revenge.The man seemed to sense my thoughts and put me in his car. Despite extorting money from his cousin, he drove a flashy foreign car. Seeing the trident emblem, I was stunned.“Nice car, huh?”“Yeah? Do you know how good the engine is? The ride is great, but the exit is even better… Hey! Are you going to keep mumbling?”He responded to my words but got angry. Feeling insulted, he pulled me into the passenger seat.“Take off your shoes. You’ll get it dirty, idiot.”Was it right to be treated like this by someone whose life was like dust? Sighing, I took off my shoes. I didn’t even take off my shoes when boarding a plane, but I had to do it here. It was ridiculous. Since I decided to comply with what he wanted, I obediently took off my shoes and got into the passenger seat.“Close the door gently. This car is worth more than your life.”It was completely absurd. Do you know how much this Hyung’s salary was back in the day? Of course, all that money is with Kim Moohyuk now, and I’m left with less than five million won in my account because of you.I couldn’t say that, so I gently closed the door to avoid upsetting the car fanatic. I closed it so gently that I wondered if it was properly shut, but thankfully, no warning light came on.As soon as I got in, he drove off without checking if I had my seatbelt on. Fool. Driving off without warming up the engine will damage it. You’re only concerned about appearances, aren’t you?I sat quietly in his car. There was nothing else I could do. The music he played was too loud, and the genre was noise to my ears. Despite that, he bobbed his head and tapped the steering wheel. Occasionally, when women walked by outside, he would roll down the window and run his hand through his hair. The women’s expressions were close to ‘ugh,’ but he didn’t seem to notice. Seeing his receding hairline reminded me that Sergeant Kang’s uncle, Kang Byeongchan, didn’t have hair loss.The car eventually stopped at an industrial complex. That’s when things started to feel strange. The place was too familiar. That’s right. Just a few days ago, I had rescued hostages and fought with Accent here. It was then that I looked at Sergeant Kang’s cousin. He had parked the car and was now grinning at me.“What? Isn’t this place familiar to you? Been a while since you visited, huh?”He smirked, watching my reaction. I suppressed my annoyance and covered my mouth with both hands.“Oh, I’m so scared.”“…What?”He blinked in confusion, then frowned deeply, looking far from his earlier intimidating demeanor.“Have you gone crazy?”Why? You seemed to want me to be scared, so I did as you wished, but you’re not satisfied? I shrugged and opened the passenger door to get out. He followed, looking incredulous, then walked around the hood to threaten me.“Didn’t you get enough sense knocked into you? I’m sparing you today, not because I like you, but because I don’t want to damage the merchandise before the deal. Understand?”I nodded half-heartedly. I had no intention of provoking him until I figured out his plan. As I complied, he seemed suspicious but couldn’t pinpoint what was off. He led the way, still uneasy.I followed him, trying to gather my thoughts. His tone implied Sergeant Kang had been here often, and his attempts to intimidate me were irritating. The location was equally suspicious. This place was close to where we found the chimeras. Shouldn’t the area still be under investigation? I tried to glance at the site of our recent operation but got smacked in the back of the head.“Move faster.”I complied, quickening my pace. He led me between an abandoned factory and a closed one. It wasn’t yet sunset, so maybe he was trying to move discreetly. Eventually, we reached a small restaurant.It was odd to find a restaurant in such a deserted area, but it looked like an ordinary place. He ordered three pork set meals, ate two by himself, and handed me the third as if doing me a favor. The funny thing was, I ended up paying for the meal. Damn it, I had pork for breakfast. At least order gamjatang or something. I reluctantly paid, politely declining the receipt from the owner.It seemed this was how Sergeant Kang always paid. This younger cousin had even less manners than Kim Moohyuk. What a waste of money. Feeding this guy was less beneficial to the world than donating to a children’s charity or a human rights center.By the time we left the restaurant, the sky had darkened. Following him as he walked, he turned a corner. Figuring there was no rush, I walked leisurely, only for him to wave impatiently, urging me to hurry.“Hey, come on!”He wasn’t trying to intimidate me this time but seemed to be impressing someone ahead. Curious, I looked ahead to see a bald man staring at us. He looked like a guardian of a shady business.Why doesn’t Sergeant Kang have any decent relatives? Clicking my tongue, I approached, overhearing their conversation.“Sorry for not coming by sooner. This guy wasn’t cooperating… But we’ll be regulars from now on, so could you let us in this time?”“You said that last time too.”Their conversation didn’t provide any useful clues. I looked past the guard’s shoulder to see a narrow staircase leading down to what seemed like a basement of the factory. The dimly lit stairs, surrounded by mossy, cracked red bricks, were dark and foreboding.The place was a mystery. I tried to maintain a guarded expression, thinking it wouldn’t help to show fear. The guard glanced at me, puzzled.“You seem different from last time.”…Pretty sharp for a bald guy. I clicked my tongue internally and started acting.“Oh, woe is me. I’m 24 years old, and I’m being dragged to a place like this by my cousin. What’s the use of being handsome if my life is like this? Oh, woe.”I began to cry loudly, sensing Kang Jinseong and the guard’s bewildered stares. I didn’t relent, sobbing exaggeratedly. How’s my acting? I even winked at Kang Jinseong behind the guard’s back. Kang Jinseong, flustered, said,“What’s with the fuss all of a sudden? And why are you blinking like that? Did your facial muscles cramp?”Of course not. Useless. Despite Kang Jinseong’s poor teamwork, the guard seemed convinced, waving us inside.“Keep quiet once you’re in. You know the rules.”Kang Jinseong nodded vigorously. The guard eyed him coolly, then signaled for me to follow. The nerve of this guy, ordering me around like that. I was annoyed but had to comply since I claimed to be 24.The guard pinned a red badge on my chest. Seeing him pin a yellow badge on Kang Jinseong, I realized the colors must signify different roles.The guard smirked at my intense stare and jerked his chin, signaling me to go down. No manners, treating elders like that. Ignoring the guard, I descended the stairs. I felt Kang Jinseong following behind.“Hey, don’t go ahead. We need to greet them first.”Where is this place that you have to pay your respects as if visiting elders? Ignoring Kang Jinseong’s words, I went down the stairs and opened the iron door at the bottom. Stepping inside was like entering another world, with a club-like space filled with woofer sounds. The loud music resonated in my chest, and Kang Jinseong grabbed my arm painfully, dragging me somewhere.“Where are you taking me!”Kang Jinseong didn’t answer my question. It wasn’t that he was ignoring me on purpose; the music was too loud for him to hear. He pushed through the crowd, and I had to follow closely behind.Why are there so many people here so early in the evening? Suddenly, I felt the waves of esper power distorting around me.“……”I looked around with a cold expression. Behind the pillars, people were entwined with each other. The dim lighting in the dark interior concealed their dark desires.Waves continued to emanate from them. I realized that these people were all espers and guides, and this club was a place for illegal guiding transactions. Kang Jinseong had been forcing Sergeant Kang to sell guiding services. As I concluded this, memories supporting my claim surfaced.The flashback was brief but intense. Kang Jinseong had often called Sergeant Kang out and threatened him. Initially, he got Sergeant Kang drunk and took him to guide unregistered espers illegally. Using military law that prohibited guiding unregistered espers, he coerced Sergeant Kang into continuing the illegal guiding.When one becomes a guide or esper, only immediate family members are notified. With Sergeant Kang’s parents deceased, his guardian was his uncle, Kang Byeongchan. Kang Byeongchan informed Kang Jinseong that Sergeant Kang had manifested as a guide, and Jinseong plotted to make money through illegal means.So the car with the trident emblem parked outside was bought with Sergeant Kang’s salary and the money from forced guiding. I was so angry I could cry. How could such trash be considered family to Sergeant Kang? With Kang Byeongchan out of the picture recently, Jinseong didn’t seem to know his whereabouts, nor did he mention him to Sergeant Kang. Sighing, I realized I had to resolve Sergeant Kang’s grievances, which had been delayed due to Accent. I decided to deal with Jinseong as well, to bring closure.Ignoring my thoughts, Jinseong dragged me somewhere. He led me through the crowd to a corner with a black iron door guarded by another bald man.“Hello, sir.”Jinseong greeted brightly. The other bald man didn’t respond but stared at me. Why are there so many bald people in this family? I clicked my tongue internally. This bald man, too, seemed sharp, eyeing Jinseong suspiciously.“Something seems different.”“Oh, he’s been acting up lately, so I had to discipline him. That’s why he’s quiet now.”Jinseong spoke sheepishly. Is it a brag in a Confucian country to say you beat up your Hyung? Pathetic. Clicking my tongue, I noticed the bald man kept tilting his head, muttering to himself, “It doesn’t feel right.” But he couldn’t keep doubting a familiar face, so he took his ID card from his neck and scanned it on the door’s keypad. The door unlocked with a loud beep, even audible over the music, and opened.“Stay quiet. We have important guests today.”“Oh, can I bring my Hyung inside?”“Don’t push it. Only verified individuals are allowed. You can ask inside.”“Yes, thank you, sir.”Jinseong rubbed his hands together as if his fingerprints would wear off, then glared at me and barked for me to hurry up. Acting tough, I played along. The bald man, still suspicious, watched as I followed Jinseong inside and shut the door with a loud clang. The sound was significant because it drowned out the outside noise entirely.In the hallway, the Meditation from Thaïs played on a piano, contrasting the atmosphere outside, highlighting the exclusivity of those allowed in. It was tacky, cheap taste, typical of nouveau riche. Clicking my tongue, I watched the hurried Jinseong’s back. He seemed familiar with the place, walking to the end of the hallway and turning at the last corner.He stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall and gestured for me to come over. His face was stern, but he didn’t make a sound, indicating he couldn’t raise his voice here. How pathetic. I walked leisurely, knowing there was no rush. If this place traded guiding illegally, Accent, the anarchist military group, would be at the end. The industrial complex matching the recent operation site supported my suspicion.Standing beside Jinseong, he glared at me for being slow, then knocked on the door. Though no voice answered, he nervously turned the doorknob, bowing deeply as he opened the door a crack.“Hello.”Isn’t he just bowing to the door at this point? I clicked my tongue at his obsequious attitude and stood there indifferently. Then Kang Jinseong pressed down on the back of my head, forcing me to bow as well. There was still no response from inside. Meanwhile, the door opened wider. With my head pressed down, I straightened my back and looked into the room. I heard Kang Jinseong exclaim “Hey!” in a low voice, but I ignored him.The room had a simple layout. There was a large sofa that looked like a bed with muslin curtains, and other sofas along the walls, built-in like fixtures. In the center of the room was a large table filled with whiskey and brandy bottles, crystal decanters, an ice bucket, and Baccarat glasses. Someone seated at the head of the table was looking at me. It was a face I had never seen before. Neither Han Jaemin nor Chief Hwang from before.I turned my gaze away indifferently. Then I froze in surprise. Sitting on one of the sofas, seemingly uninterested in this side of the room, was an esper laughing with a guide sitting on his lap. My breath caught. The esper, feeling my gaze, turned his head. It was someone I knew all too well. Kim Moohyuk was watching me with sharp eyes.No, to be precise, it was Kim Moohyuk with his face altered by an ability. His height and build were the same, but his facial features were subtly different. Although he resembled Kim Moohyuk, placing his current face next to his original one made him look like a completely different person. He had used a face-altering ability.The reason I recognized him was simple. As soon as I entered the room, I felt Kim Moohyuk’s unique esper wave. There was no way I couldn’t distinguish the unique wave patterns espers have. Moreover, it was the wave of my pair esper, Kim Moohyuk.“…”“…”Our gazes briefly met in the air. But Kim Moohyuk was the first to look away. …What’s this, avoiding my gaze? I frowned. Kim Moohyuk, with an indifferent expression, crossed his legs on the sofa, listened to the guide whispering in his ear, chuckled, and then hugged the guide’s waist, burying his face in their neck. His smiling lips moved as if conversing, but I couldn’t hear it. He was wearing a black satin shirt, and seeing Kim Moohyuk in such clothing left my mouth agape.“Are you crazy?”If Kang Jinseong hadn’t pressed down on my head again, demanding I bow, I would have continued to stare daggers at Kim Moohyuk’s profile. Only then did it occur to me that this might be an illegal guiding trade center and that Kim Moohyuk could be on an undercover mission. I belatedly pretended not to notice him and looked elsewhere.Then I made eye contact with a man who had a Roman numeral III tattooed above his right eyebrow. Though short, he had a solid build, reminiscent of a professional fighter in the lightweight division. I realized it was his cauliflower ears, revealed by his short haircut, that gave off that impression. III? What could it mean? I was on the verge of figuring it out when Kang Jinseong made sure I couldn’t keep staring.“I told you not to make eye contact.”He whispered, pressing down on the back of my head even harder. Then, in a trembling voice, he spoke.“I-it’s been a while.”“Indeed. Long time no see.”The man smiled and responded casually, as if exchanging greetings was no big deal. But that one response made Kang Jinseong jump with joy.“I-I wanted to come sooner, but this idiot wouldn’t listen and didn’t answer my calls…”“You shouldn’t call your Hyung an idiot. Siblings should get along.”The man said, laughing. He seemed to be the highest-ranking person here. His tone was relaxed, and I could see all the guides in the room shifting, wanting to sit next to him. Narrowing his eyes, he asked me,“But your vibe seems different. Did you get a haircut?”Just call it a haircut, what’s with the fancy “haircut” term? I thought, maintaining an indifferent expression. Standing next to me, Kang Jinseong reacted as if the man had said, “The guide’s vibe is different, so you’ll have to die for him,” jumping and trembling.“D-do you not like it? I can go out and get it cut again right now…”“No, it’s fine. Looks good as is.”The man smiled but seemed disinterested in me. Instead, he looked at Kim Moohyuk, who had been whispering and laughing with a guide. Following his gaze, I too found myself looking at Kim Moohyuk.Seeing the guide next to him fiddling with the unbuttoned top of his shirt, seemingly wanting to undo the third button, gave me a strange feeling. …How do I describe this emotion? It’s like seeing a younger cousin, whom you thought was somewhat bratty but nice, dating someone… No, it’s even dirtier. Like seeing that cousin kiss someone you liked? But I had never met that guide before. I wasn’t jealous of the guide being close to Kim Moohyuk because I had a crush on them. Even after thinking of various examples, nothing seemed to fit perfectly.Just then, the man with the tattoo above his eyebrow asked Kim Moohyuk a question.