CHAPTER 7
Standing before a rampaging S-Class Esper was no ordinary feat of courage. Though Gu Jei stood motionless, Hanseo's nervous system blared with warning signals.
Hanseo barely suppressed the urge to turn and flee.
"Esper Gu Jei, can you hear me?"
Instead of a reply, dark blood flowed from Gu Jei's nose—a classic symptom of overload.
Gu Jei appeared to be in a precarious state, teetering on the brink of a full-blown rampage. The last thread of his rationality was desperately clinging to his surging energy, holding it in check.
But maintaining control over such volatile energy was no easy task. If he continued to resist, the worst-case scenario could be brain death.
Well, that won't happen.
Knowing the future, Hanseo didn't waste time worrying. Of course, after this incident, Gu Jei disappeared for about a month, sparking all sorts of rumors, but he eventually returned unharmed.
Come to think of it, he first met Gu Jei when he was in hiding.
Still, seeing him in this state made Hanseo wonder how he had managed to avoid going berserk.
Is it even possible for an Esper to stop the progression of a berserk state on their own?
If it's Gu Jei, maybe it's possible.
Regardless, there was no time to dwell on these questions. It was time for Hanseo to act.
"I know you can hear me," Hanseo said softly, careful not to provoke Gu Jei.
"I'm going to approach you now, Esper Gu Jei. Please... stay still."
Knowing that Gu Jei still retained some rationality, Hanseo gave this warning before taking a step forward.
One step, then another.
Thankfully, Gu Jei remained still, only watching him.
Hanseo reached out his hand, his fingertips trembling.
If I can just touch Gu Jei like this...
BANG!
"Cough!"
His vision went black for a moment before flooding with white.
Gu Jei had blasted him away.
That lunatic...
He couldn't help but curse, even though he tried not to. Fortunately, no bones seemed broken, but the impact was severe.
"Ugh..."
After the shock subsided somewhat, Hanseo staggered to his feet, bracing himself against the wall. Gu Jei stood in the same spot, unchanged.
This is infuriating.
It was a thought that always crossed his mind when facing Gu Jei. Telekinesis was truly an infuriating ability. The opponent didn't even have to lift a finger, yet the damage inflicted was always devastating.
Hanseo glared at Gu Jei with narrowed eyes, then swallowed a sigh. What else could he do? He was in a position where he had to save this infuriating man, no matter what.
He spat out the blood pooling in his mouth.
"Esper Gu Jei! Please don't use your ability! I'm trying to help you!" he shouted quickly, afraid Gu Jei might blast him away again.
"I'm weak! If you use your ability again, you'll kill me! Then I won't be able to help you either! So please! Don't! Use! Your ability!"
He might as well have been begging on his knees.
Whether his plea got through or Gu Jei was too preoccupied controlling his energy to notice, Gu Jei let Hanseo approach.
And so, Hanseo managed to close the distance to the same spot as before.
But something was different this time. A faint light flickered in Gu Jei's pitch-black, bottomless eyes as he looked at Hanseo.
"Esper...Gu Jei?"
In that moment, Hanseo realized:
For the first time since returning to the past, Gu Jei was truly recognizing him.
Thump, thump, thump.
What's that sound?
Startled by the loud thumping, Hanseo quickly realized the sound was coming from his left chest. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest.
Am I really this afraid of Gu Jei?
Come to think of it, he'd occasionally experienced this reaction in his previous life whenever he saw Gu Jei. It must be the trauma of nearly dying resurfacing.
Just then, Gu Jei's lips moved slightly. Hanseo's entire focus snapped to them.
Gu Jei spoke, his words directed at Hanseo.
"...Get lost."
"......"
In that instant, Hanseo's heart, which had been pounding wildly, instantly returned to its normal rhythm. Looks like he forgot his fear in his anger.
Even so, why did his first words have to be "Get lost"?
But getting angry at an Esper on the verge of losing control was like fanning the flames of a fire. Especially with Gu Jei's personality—if you came at him strong, he'd retaliate even harder. It was easier to handle him by pretending to be weak.
Hanseo cautiously opened his mouth.
"I know you're struggling right now. But it's okay now. I'll help you..."
His words were immediately cut off.
"You can't... do anything."
As if bleeding from his nose wasn't enough, dark blood now streamed from Gu Jei's eyes. Even his handsome face, now stained crimson, only looked terrifying.
"...No one," he muttered.
Hanseo couldn't make out what he was saying, but Gu Jei's condition seemed to be deteriorating rapidly.
Hanseo urgently reached out, but Gu Jei dodged sideways. Hanseo's expression froze. It wasn't the dodge itself that alarmed him, but the realization that Gu Jei had avoided him without using his Esper abilities—a clear sign he lacked confidence in controlling his powers.
The faint light that had flickered in Gu Jei's eyes was fading again. The signs were ominous.
Is he about to lose control here?
In the past, Gu Jei hadn't lost control at this point. Though the building had collapsed and he'd needed a brief recovery period, he had ultimately emerged unscathed.
"I have to... do it..." Gu Jei mumbled, but his voice was too soft for Hanseo to hear clearly.
Yet Hanseo instinctively sensed what Gu Jei was about to do.
This madman!
His actions were even faster than Hanseo had anticipated.
Hanseo grabbed Gu Jei's jaw and immediately shoved his fingers into his open mouth.
"......!"
As expected, his fingertips brushed against something.
He couldn't identify what it was precisely, but it was easy to guess.
Poison or a small bomb, most likely.
He knew this because he had seen many people in his past life carry such things in their mouths for suicide.
Is this guy really insane?
Now he finally understood how Gu Jei had managed to avoid going berserk in his previous life.
Gu Jei, on the verge of losing control, had attempted suicide.
Even for Gu Jei, swallowing poison or a bomb wouldn't have left him unscathed. He might not die, but he would be terrifyingly close to death.
A kid who's barely 21 years old...
Hanseo barely managed to grip the object between his index and middle fingers, preventing Gu Jei from swallowing it.
"Esper Gu Jei, there's no need for this. I can help you."
Instead of answering, Gu Jei's teeth sank painfully into Hanseo's fingers.
"I'm..."
Before Gu Jei could bite off his fingers, Hanseo preempted him.
"I'm a Guide!"
The Guiding energy Hanseo released poured directly into Gu Jei's body. Simultaneously, the crushing force that had threatened to sever his fingers gradually weakened.
Of course, the bite being released didn't make the pain disappear. It still hurts like hell.
Surely it wasn't severed, right?
No, even if it had been, now that he'd started Guiding, he couldn't stop here.
"Normally, Guiding without the other party's consent is illegal, but given the emergency, I hope you'll understand."
"......"
"Then I'll proceed with the Guiding."
He notified belatedly, but since Gu Jei didn't seem to be in a state to properly comprehend it anyway, it should be fine.
More importantly, this might not be enough.
Gu Jei's energy waves were so chaotic that they wouldn't stabilize easily.
So this isn't enough after all?
Lost in thought, Hanseo subtly withdrew his finger from Gu Jei's mouth. More blood than expected was flowing, but thankfully, it hadn't been severed.
'It was poison.'
Hanseo slipped the capsule-shaped pill, smaller than his pinky fingernail, from between his fingers into his pocket. Then he finally voiced the words he'd been rehearsing in his mind.
"Um, Esper Gu Jei... Your condition has deteriorated so much that simple skin contact isn't enough for Guiding anymore. So... we're going to move on to the next stage."
But when he tried to proceed, Gu Jei's towering height proved to be a problem. Hanseo had no choice but to stand on his tiptoes while simultaneously grabbing Gu Jei's cheeks to force his head down.
He tried to sound calm, but his voice trembled slightly.
"Open your mouth."
"......"
"Don't resist. This is for your treatment."
Hanseo knew about Gu Jei's mysophobia and had anticipated his possible refusal, which was why he added that last line.
To Hanseo's surprise, Gu Jei readily opened his mouth.
Gu Jei is actually listening to me.
A strange feeling washed over him.
Of course, it's because he's not in his right mind.
Still, the fact that Gu Jei was accepting Guiding without resistance in his irrational state... didn't that mean he had some desire to live?
So...
Hanseo soothed Gu Jei's wildly surging energy as if caressing it.
Live this time.
In the past, Gu Jei's death wasn't due to a rampage caused by insufficient Guiding.
Gu Jei's rampage had resulted in dozens of casualties.
Overwhelmed by guilt, the 23-year-old Gu Jei had taken his own life.
I'll make sure you live.
This time, things wouldn't end that way.
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