Chapter 102: Downpour

A new day dawned, but the sky was overcast due to the dark clouds that had gathered.

Just like Tae Hwan’s mood.

Tae Hwan tried to meditate to relieve his sunken mood but gave up after 30 seconds and headed to the fitness center.

He wanted to smash a gate if he could, but he couldn’t even take his anger out on a creature because his ability use was restricted until the rampage incidents were resolved.

“Haa- shit.”

He had already burst the sixth punching bag.

Even after turning the Esper-use punching bag into rags, his mood didn’t improve.

He monopolized all the exercise equipment for a very long time, as if he had rented the whole place.

In reality, Tae Hwan had purchased the place.

Because he didn’t want to share the space he often used with other people.

“Friend…”

The word that had infiltrated his mind, which was filled with Yoon Bodam, like a virus, pricked his heart.

Friend.

Right, I was the one who asked for it first.

A friend, not family or anything else.

“Should I just tear my mouth off…”

Thinking of Yoon Bodam, who seemed excessively loyal, made his stomach churn with such intensity it felt like nausea.

To Yoon Bodam, who sang “Jeon Jo Yeon, Jeon Jo Yeon” every time he opened his mouth, it seemed that once a friend was a friend forever.

The thought of remaining his friend until he died made him feel suffocated.

Even knowing his place.

“No, but still, a friend, shi-“

He slammed his own mouth, which was about to spit out a curse unconsciously, with a dumbbell.

His loose front tooth recovered in an instant, but his mouth, filled with the smell of blood, was bitter.

“Keep your conscience in check, you bastard.”

Lying on the floor, Tae Hwan repeated the words to himself as he cooled his sweat.

Even when he resolved to be satisfied with at least being a friend, his emotions played separately.

‘How can you be friends with someone you’re dying to be with?’

‘I miss him when he’s not here, and when he’s next to me, I’m going crazy wanting to touch him.’

Thump!

Tae Hwan slammed the floor with enough force to break it and cut off all thoughts.

He closed his eyes to control the emotions that were digging an endless hole.

He tried to attempt meditation again, whose effects he didn’t know at all.

Out of a desire to try anything Yoon Bodam did.

“I’m so f*cking happy. I’m so grateful I could die.”

He remembered the meditation method he had seen in the book ‘Let’s, Meditate, Together’ and hypnotized himself.

He didn’t forget to stretch his limbs out in a star shape and exhale and inhale deeply.

“Friend, right, shi-, it’s f*cking great. Frie, nd.”

‘No, it’s not great. I absolutely hate it, even if I die and come back to life. A friend with Yoon Bodam. I’d rather rampage.’

He had hit the floor so hard that it had cracked, and he wiped his face with a hand covered in dust.

He was going to ignore the vibration of his watch, but it naturally came into view.

Because his hand was near his eyes.

“Uh…”

A weak sound escaped Tae Hwan’s lips, his gaze fixed on the small watch screen.

‘Did the watch malfunction?’

The watch that was said to be fine even if put in lava, no way.

“…Huh?”

‘This can’t be happening.’

***

Ji Oh, who had finished his morning shower in his own bathroom, headed to the terrace with an ice pack.

His face, which usually didn’t swell up even after sleeping his fill, looked unusually sullen.

His eyes, which were always slanted upwards like an angry person’s, had softened thanks to being puffy.

“The weather’s f*cking shitty, damn it.”

Of course, there was no way his mouth would soften too.

He lay down on the hammock installed on the terrace, letting out a string of rough curses like a sigh.

He glared at the cloudy sky, then placed the ice pack on his heavy head, which had stayed up all night.

He also applied a cold compress to his swollen eyelids.

He felt like he wanted to split open his complicated head and pour ice water into it.

‘What did I do yesterday?’

‘I’m sorry! I’m sorry!! I’m so f*cking sorry!!’

He had gotten on his knees and apologized to Yoon Bodam.

Like a bigger idiot than anyone else.

“Ah…”

As he recalled his actions, which made him want to kick his blankets, his face turned red again.

He was so embarrassed he wanted to just rampage and be reborn.

Even Min Ji Oh was aware that his apology had been exceptionally dramatic.

“Should I just die.”

Deep in serious thought, Ji Oh ignored the vibration of the watch on his wrist.

If he was going to die anyway, he wanted to cut off his shackled wrist first.

He just cooled his hot face with the ice pack, contemplating how to die less painfully.

Unaware that a notification that would make his heart stop had appeared.

***

Yi Jun opened his eyes.

No one noticed he was awake because his eyes were covered with a black cloth.

Yi Jun, who had regained consciousness, consciously focused on the guiding machine attached to his body and absorbed the guiding.

He pulled it in with enough force to suck up even the heat of the already overheated machines.

“Have you woken up. Esper Kang Yi Jun.”

The voice of the Esper Bureau Director, who had noticed the change, was heard.

Yi Jun, bound by a restraining barrier, couldn’t even detect his wavelength.

‘Ah, this is annoying.’

The thud of a cane hitting the floor approached the head of the bed.

At the same time, the Barrier Espers surrounding the bed and the researchers behind them all cleared the way.

Only Yi Jun and the Esper Bureau Director remained in the spacious hospital room.

“Let’s talk. Sit comfortably.”

The Esper Bureau Director, who had sent the Barrier Espers out, released Yi Jun’s restraining barrier.

His impatience was contained in the sound of his cane, which he couldn’t keep still and kept tapping.

It was an attitude that couldn’t hide his emotions, so much so that even Yi Jun, who couldn’t read thoughts, could notice.

While pretending to be calm and speaking in a leisurely voice on the outside, a stench seeped out from his seething insides.

“The readings were going down. That’s a relief.”

‘I wonder what Dam-hyung is doing.’

“The Center Director is also waiting for you to recover as soon as possible. To think you’ve been tied to this narrow bed for over two months now, really.”

‘What is he doing that makes him so happy? Did he go back home?’

Yi Jun predicted Bodam’s mood through their connected emotions.

He closed his ears to the Bureau Director’s words and thought only of Bodam.

The only thing that drew his interest was Yoon Bodam.

‘Did he leave the Center?’ He couldn’t think of anything else that would make hyung happy.

“Esper Kang Yi Jun. Are you listening.”

‘He lived every day waiting for the day he would leave.’

“Esper Kang Yi Jun!”

The Esper Bureau Director, who slammed his cane on the floor, raised his voice.

Even the small and large props in the hospital room shook at his fierce wavelength.

He wanted to crush that young pup who dared to treat him as if he weren’t there.

‘If only I could shove my hand into his uncommunicative earhole and burst his brain.’

“I need your power.”

But it was all just imagination; in reality, he had to ask for help.

Catching the unregistered came first.

“Don’t you want to form an imprint with Guide Yoon Bodam.”

He, who had caught his breath and readjusted his grip on his cane, lowered his voice.

As he pulled out the only card that could sway Kang Yi Jun.

“I’m talking about a real imprint, not a half-assed one.”

A rotten smile spread across the Bureau Director’s lips.

The hideous face, covered in dark blue bruises from the stagnant, uncirculated wavelength, finally moved towards him.

Originally, he had hoped to persuade Han Seung Ho and have him coax Kang Yi Jun.

Since Attack Team 3 only responded to their team leader’s words.

But since he had been cut off from contact after Han Seung Ho was caught in a rampage and injured, he had to step in himself.

“I won’t beat around the bush. If you cooperate with our Attack Team 1, I promise you an imprint with Guide Yoon Bodam.”

A venomous energy filled his flashing golden eyes.

Yi Jun lifted his head, following that fierce energy.

“I’ll release all your restraints at the right time, so you can take care of it yourself after that. I can even set up a meeting for you two. Without anyone knowing.”

If they just formed an imprint, Kang Yi Jun’s weakened body would also return.

‘I just need to be able to use his ability. Until all the unregistered are wiped out.’

Tiiik-.

A mechanical sound like a single scream grazed by, and the overloaded guiding machines went out one by one.

They had reached the end of their lifespan, unable to withstand the force with which Yi Jun was extracting guiding.

“K-Kang-!”

The Bureau Director, who had been pushed over by Yi Jun’s feet as he instantly got off the bed, swung his cane.

Yi Jun, who caught it, pressed the cane down and choked the Bureau Director’s neck.

A transcendent power welled up from Yi Jun, who had absorbed guiding to its maximum.

He rushed at him with enough force to cut off his neck, emitting an energy that even the Bureau Director, who was also an Esper, couldn’t handle.

The Bureau Director had to pour all his strength into just protecting his airway.

“Don’t provoke me.”

“A gate has opened! In a civilian area! Those who should be living in hiding for the rest of their lives are daring to mock us!!”

Yi Jun, who pressed down on the Bureau Director’s chest with his knee, moved the cane to the mouth that was spouting words he wasn’t curious about.

He put the old stick that he carried around like a clone every day in his mouth and applied pressure until the corners of his mouth spread.

“If I had wanted to, I would have done it long ago. Without anyone knowing.”

“Isn’t that right?” A smile also hung on Yi Jun’s lips.

He smiled along with the widely spread corners of the Bureau Director’s mouth.

“Don’t say hyung’s name.”

The blood vessels in the Bureau Director’s whites, who had endured the pain without letting out a single groan, burst.

He glared at Yi Jun as if to kill him with eyes as red as the blood that stained the corners of his torn mouth.

The Bureau Director’s ability didn’t work on Yi Jun.

“Should I just kill you.”

Yi Jun, who sensed his gaze even though his eyes were covered with a cloth, muttered.

‘Would hyung like it if I kill this guy? Because he tried to threaten hyung and me, I killed him for hyung.’

‘This is why I hate you!’

Just as he was about to press the cane down to the floor, Bodam’s voice grazed by.

‘Just leave me alone!!’

As the faint conversation that had been floating in his dream came to mind, Yi Jun’s smile slowly disappeared.

Leaving behind only a dark blue shell.