CHAPTER 17
"Hello!"
"Hanseo, you live in this neighbourhood?"
Park Jintae arrived to pick up Hanseo in a flashy, brightly colored sports car. The car headed toward a restaurant so luxurious and extravagant it was almost intimidating.
Throughout the drive, Park Jintae kept up a constant stream of conversation.
"This place is nearly impossible to get a reservation at without connections. They're booked solid for years, but I pulled some strings to get us in. Even people from overseas are clamoring to come here. You're lucky to be meeting me, Hanseo."
It was mostly self-bragging. Hanseo offered vague agreement, following Park Jintae into the restaurant as he continued his endless boasting.
"I'll have the appetizers prepared for you."
As they sat down, dishes with names that revealed nothing about their contents began to arrive in quick succession. Park Jintae would explain each dish before the server could even open their mouth.
"How is it? Delicious, right?"
"Yes! It's my first time trying this, and it's amazing. Thanks to you, Hyung, I get to experience things like this. I'm really grateful."
Hanseo showered Park Jintae with praise throughout the meal. His eyes sparkled with admiration as he gazed at Park Jintae, instantly lifting his spirits.
Who knew the social skills I honed to survive under the Cult Leader's capricious rule would come in so handy?
Even the Cult Leader, who treated others like pawns, had taken a liking to Hanseo. Persuading someone like Park Jintae was child's play.
"Hanseo, try some of mine too."
"Huh? No, you should eat too, Hyung."
"It's okay. Just watching you eat makes me full."
"......Ah, thank you."
Hanseo smiled nonchalantly, hiding his goosebump-covered arm under the table.
Park Jintae had casually dropped the honorifics, citing his nine-year age difference. Technically, Hanseo, who had died at thirty, was actually a year older, but he simply nodded and smiled. He didn't mind whether Park Jintae spoke informally or formally, but he wished he'd stop staring at him with that greasy look. It made the expensive meal get stuck in his throat.
"By the way, Hanseo, you're really handsome. Do you get told you look like an idol a lot?"
"Ah, no. Not that much."
"I never really liked male Guides, but Hanseo... you're different. With your slender frame, you'd look stunning in a dress. What do you think about wearing one when we get married?"
Why is this conversation going in this direction? Park Jintae seemed utterly convinced that Hanseo would marry him. He didn't even touch his food, rambling endlessly about how happy Hanseo's future would be with him. It made Hanseo's stomach churn.
'I'm going to get indigestion again at this rate.'
Hanseo sighed inwardly. He'd taken a digestive aid before coming, but his stomach still felt uneasy. The aftereffects of his dinner with Gu Jei seemed to linger.
----
"Kimchi stew here?"
"I was told this is a famous Korean restaurant."
Hanseo had expected a typical neighborhood stew restaurant, but Gu Jei led him to a grand, tiled-roof house that looked like it belonged in a historical drama.
Ancient pine trees that must have been decades old, carp the size of forearms swimming in a pond, and staff dressed in modernized hanbok who politely guided them to their private room—everything about the place screamed that it wasn't the kind of establishment that would serve kimchi stew. And indeed, the menu brought by the staff didn't even mention the dish.
But when Gu Jei ordered several dishes and specifically requested kimchi stew, the staff promptly prepared the dish, even though it wasn't on the menu.
The moment Hanseo saw the food, neatly presented in moonlit white porcelain, his first thought was...
"Does it not suit your taste?"
"No, it's delicious! So delicious, I want to savor every bite!"
"...You don't have to do that. Just order more if you need it."
"Yes, thank you!"
It was a disappointment. He didn't want to show his true feelings, so he forced himself to finish all the food that arrived. It was no wonder he ended up with indigestion. Of course, he couldn't remember a single thing about the taste.
Originally, he had hoped to use the meal to build a closer connection with Gu Jei. But with his inability to even maintain a proper expression, it was impossible. The fact that Gu Jei, who had always kept his distance, asked if he was feeling unwell before leaving showed just how terrible his face must have looked. In every way, it was the worst meal imaginable.
----
"Speaking of which, Hanseo, how did you know Gu Jei?" Park Jintae's question pulled Hanseo out of his memories of the previous day. It was as if Park Jintae sensed that he was thinking about Gu Jei.
"Gu Jei? It just... happened."
"Why? Did Gu Jei tell you not to talk about it?"
"It's not like that."
"What do you mean, 'not like that'? Forget it. If it's hard for you to say, Hanseo, I'll just guess."
Park Jintae's eyes narrowed.
"You guided Gu Jei, didn't you?"
He's sharper than I thought.
"That's not it."
"Don't lie. What other reason would Gu Jei have to get to know you, Hanseo, besides guiding? I've never seen him acknowledge anyone he doesn't need. He probably doesn't even have friends."
Park Jintae's words were laced with malice, like thorns. He clearly didn't like Gu Jei, a fact that surprised Hanseo. He'd always assumed everyone liked Gu Jei, but it seems like he was wrong.
"So, what was your compatibility rate with Gu Jei? It couldn't have been higher than mine, right?"
"Um... I'm not sure what you mean, hyung."
Park Jintae persisted with his questions, as if trying to gauge Hanseo's mind. When Hanseo showed clear discomfort and avoided answering, Park Jintae finally relented and backed off.
"Alright, I get it. I won't ask any more. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, Hanseo. I was just worried."
Worried? Was guiding Gu Jei really something to worry about? As if reading Hanseo's thoughts, Park Jintae suddenly leaned in close. Ah, shit, you scared me! Hanseo gripped the spoon tightly, barely stopping himself from throwing it at Park Jintae's face.
Park Jintae's deep gaze turned toward Hanseo.
"Hanseo, I'm giving you sincere advice: whatever Gu Jei proposes, don't get close to that guy. Ignorant people might praise him as a national hero or whatever, but someone like me knows his true nature."
"True nature?" Hanseo's interest was piqued. A flicker of light returned to his eyes, which had been as lifeless as a dead fish.
Park Jintae glanced around before lowering his voice to a whisper.
"Gu Jei? He's completely like this."
Park Jintae pressed his right index finger to his temple and twirled it in a circle. Hanseo didn't fully understand the gesture, but he instinctively knew it wasn't a good sign.
"That's why a 5 year old kid was abandoned by his parents and left at the center, right?"
"......"
"If you didn't know anything, Gu Jei having multiple abilities might seem cool, but that's not the reality. Even Espers with just one ability experience severe mental overload. Gu Jei has several. What does that mean? It means either his mind, his body, or both can't function properly."
Park Jintae chuckled as if the story was amusing.
Hanseo's initial curiosity had cooled, replaced by irritation. He thought Park Jintae was about to reveal some grand secret about Gu Jei, but it was just gossip. What was so funny about that? Even if it was true, wouldn't Gu Jei's condition be a serious problem? Who will protect the world then?
Still, Hanseo knew better than to defend Gu Jei here. There was no reason to take his side anyway. He tried to force a laugh, but his lips wouldn't move, so he gave up and took a sip of water.
"Everyone whispers about it, but those who know, know. The reason Gu Jei doesn't have a compatible Guide is because he's a mutant."
"Ah, I see."
"Judging by how he clung to you, Hanseo's compatibility rate must have been better than the other Guides, but not quite up to my level, right?"
"Umm."
"To be frank, I think unstable Espers like that should be put down."
"......"
As the conversation dragged on, the expression slowly drained from Hanseo's face, but Park Jintae remained oblivious.
"I'm an Esper myself, but they're just too dangerous. Imagine an S-Class Esper going berserk. Wouldn't that be an even more catastrophic disaster than a Gate breach? Esper rights are important, but the safety of the majority comes first. That's why Mental Espers are so strictly controlled."
Park Jintae, seemingly intoxicated by his own words, passionately declared:
"Everyone keeps saying the world can't function without Gu Jei, but that's simply not true. Even if Gu Jei disappeared, the world will keep on rotating just fine."
"No."
"Huh?"
"I don't think that's right."
Hanseo set down the glass of water he was holding. He didn't control his strength properly, and the glass clattered against the table, spilling water that soaked the surface. But Hanseo didn't even notice.
A strange unease began to churn within him.
"If there's no Gu Jei, the world would have ended. Otherwise, would a mere 15 year old child risked his life entering the underwater Gate? In fact, every person alive today owes their lives to Gu Jei from that time."
"...No, what I mean is..."
Scritch. The chair slid back.
Hanseo stood up, his serious expression vanishing as he smiled down at Park Jintae.
"Hyung, I've actually been feeling unwell since yesterday. I'm sorry, but I can't eat any more. I'll be going now."
"Hanseo!"
Without looking back, Hanseo strode out. Park Jintae, who had followed him, reached out to grab Hanseo's shoulder.
Or rather, he tried to.
But Hanseo slipped away like a cat evading touch.
"Taxi!"
While Park Jintae stood frozen in shock, Hanseo swiftly hailed a taxi and sped away.
It was the skill of a seasoned fugitive, one who had evaded even an S-Class Esper in his previous life.
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