Two more days passed, but the readings remained stubbornly in the 60% range.
When Hanseo woke up, Gu Jei was sitting on the living room sofa, staring down at his watch with a fierce expression. Even though it was late summer and the air conditioner was off, the room felt as cold as if it was 18 degrees Celsius.
He's going to snap soon, Hanseo thought, sensing Gu Jei's patience wearing thin. At this rate, it wouldn't be surprising if he beat Pyo Myeongho to a pulp and stormed through the Gate.
Hanseo glanced around the living room before closing the bedroom door.
"Yeah, doesn't seem to be in a good mood."
— "Haa, I figured as much."
Ever since Gu Jei was blocked from entering the Gate, Pyo Myeongho had been contacting him daily, trying to check on Gu Jei's condition. He was probably afraid to check in person, worried about what Gu Jei might do.
Pyo Myeongho looked disappointed when Hanseo reported that there had been no significant improvement.
"It's rare for an Esper to reject Guiding, but not unheard of. You handled it appropriately, Hanseo. As the bond between the Esper and Guide deepens, the rejection will naturally fade."
"But it doesn't seem to be working well," Hanseo replied.
The Guiding wasn't entirely ineffective, but its progress was far too slow. At this rate, it was impossible to estimate when they would reach their target.
Pyo Myeongho's goal was to stabilize the readings on Gu Jei's watch to be below 50%. Hanseo, however, aimed higher: to cure Gu Jei's human contact phobia entirely. This wasn't wishful thinking. In their previous life, Gu Jei had actually touched Hanseo directly. Knowing that a cure was possible, Hanseo saw no reason not to try.
But maybe it's time to start thinking differently, Hanseo thought, clicking his tongue inwardly. Gu Jei remained defensive, even struggling to hold hands during Guiding. He tried to recall hazy memories from the past, but couldn't remember what caused Gu Jei to change.
Did he really have to resort to ‘that method’?
—"It's okay. It's only been three days. Don't rush things. Let's take it slow."
"But are you really okay with this? Is it really fine to keep blocking him from entering the gate...?"
—"Of course! Who do you think I am? You don't need to worry, Hanseo. I can keep him out for another month, probably."
Pyo Myeongho probably shouldn't have added that last part. It seemed even he wasn't entirely confident, and his honest thoughts slipped out. After all, Gu Jei wasn't the only problem; the pressure Pyo Myeongho faced from the Center must have been immense.
Yet Pyo Myeongho had chosen to withstand all that pressure, solely for Gu Jei's sake.
―"Jei has lived in an unstable state for so long that he's gotten used to it. On the surface, he seems really smart, but he's actually a fool who doesn't even realize he's hurting himself. He doesn't know how bad his own condition is."
To be honest, Hanseo couldn't fully relate with Pyo Myeongho's words.
As far as Hanseo knew, Espers were said to suffer excruciating pain the moment their wave instability exceeded 50%. Pyo Myeongho had likely chosen that threshold deliberately.
Yet Gu Jei never seemed to be suffering, either in his past life or now. His expression remained calm, his actions unfettered. If Gu Jei was truly as broken as Pyo Myeongho claimed, how could he even venture into Gate raids?
Gu Jei was an S-Class Esper with multiple abilities—a unique existence in this world. It was only natural that his standards differed from others. Perhaps S-Class Espers experienced less pain than others, even with unstable wave patterns.
However, Pyo Myeongho remained deeply concerned about Gu Jei, a worry Hanseo found utterly pointless.
― "Still, it's a relief you're here, Hanseo. It'll be tough, but I'm counting on you."
Only after his lengthy worries had subsided did Pyo Myeongho finally seem ready to end the call. Hanseo inwardly breathed a sigh of relief while diligently answering, careful not to deviate from his assigned role.
"Yes, I'll do my best."
― "Thank you so much, Hanseo."
"......"
Hanseo stared blankly at the disconnected phone. A sudden curiosity struck him: What must it feel like to have a family that worries about you so deeply?
But I'll never know the answer to that.
Hanseo slipped his phone into his pocket and left the bedroom. Gu Jei was still sitting on the sofa, his gaze fixed on Hanseo as he emerged from the room.
"That was Director Pyo. He's very worried about you, Hyung."
For an Esper of Gu Jei's caliber, a phone call within the room would have sounded as clear as a conversation held right beside him. Since he was bound to be discovered anyway, Hanseo decided to confess preemptively.
"He's just spouting nonsense. Don't pay him any mind. It's best to take half of what he says with a grain of salt."
"The Director is worried about you, Hyung."
"It's a pointless worry."
"I envy you."
The words slipped out before Hanseo could stop them. Even he was surprised by his own outburst, pausing mid-sentence. But Gu Jei was looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue, leaving Hanseo no choice but to press on.
"...Having a family who cares about you like that. What I mean is, don't trouble the Director too much. His voice has been sounding so strained lately, like he's aged ten years. Oh, I need to take my medicine!"
Hanseo busied himself unnecessarily, pulling out a packet of painkillers from the hospital. But trying to tear it open with one hand proved difficult.
Just then, the packet tore itself open, and a glass of water appeared on the table in front of Hanseo.
"Thank you."
He envied Gu Jei once again.
If only my ability was telekinesis too.
Gu Jei's telekinesis ranked second on Hanseo's list of most desired superpowers, precisely because it was so versatile and convenient. In contrast, Hanseo's own ability was largely useless, and using it recklessly would immediately brand him a criminal.
Even Gu Jei's other powers seemed more practical than Hanseo's.
No, no. It's not entirely useless.
The Guiding session that day yielded no significant change. Gu Jei's stats still hovered at 60%.
That night, Hanseo made a decision.
He entered the bathroom and stood before the sink. His reflection stared back from the spotless mirror.
Hanseo sighed.
"Haah... to think I'd have to resort to this."
If there were any other way, no matter how difficult, he would have chosen it. But no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't come up with a better idea.
In his past life, Gu Jei had initially refused to remove his gloves in Hanseo's presence, just like the current Gu Jei. But at some point, he had started going barehanded and touching Hanseo without hesitation.
The answer must lie somewhere in his memories.
The problem was that no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't remember why. Some memories from that summer five years ago were crystal clear, while others were so hazy it felt like watching a movie projected from a broken film reel.
Hanseo admitted that his memory wasn't sharp enough to recall the events of five years ago with clarity.
That's why he had no choice but to resort to this method.
"Sigh..."
Hanseo gazed at his reflection in the mirror.
Perhaps because he had no habit of looking in mirrors, his own face seemed utterly unfamiliar.
The man in the mirror looked as innocent and harmless as a clueless boy. The most crucial element in creating that impression was his eyes. Bright brown eyes, they resembled glass marbles children played with—clear and pure, as if his inner self was laid bare. Even if that wasn't actually the case.
But in the next moment, as if someone had dropped a drop of red ink into his eyes, their color gradually deepened, transforming into a crimson hue like rubies. Though only his eye color had changed, his entire demeanor seemed altered.
The man with the red eyes opened his mouth.
"From now on, every time you sleep, you will dream."
When Baekgu first awakened his ability, he didn't know exactly what it was. It wasn't until the Cult Leader later told him what people called his power that he understood.
"You will dream of what happened five years ago, during the summer you met Gu Jei."
Baekgu's ability was mental manipulation.
He could dominate the minds of others, controlling them at will.
And that included himself.
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