Chapter 46: A Fork in the Road

After finishing the guiding training, I was resting in the break room.
There was a knock on the door, and Dr. Yoon and his assistant entered the room.
I was surprised by their sudden appearance, but I greeted them first.

“Dr. Yoon, what brings you here?”

“Guide Shinui, you were resting here.”

“Yes. I just finished guiding training a little while ago.”

“You said you would visit the research lab, but I haven’t heard from you.”

“I’ve been busy lately. I’m sorry.”

At my words, he nodded as if he understood.

“If you have time in the afternoon, how about we talk in my lab?”

“Yes. Then I’ll visit your lab in the afternoon.”

Thinking it would be impolite to delay any further, I made an appointment with him and headed to his lab in the afternoon.
Fortunately, I had time in the afternoon as my training was over.

It had been a while since I had been to his lab.
When I knocked and entered, he greeted me with a benevolent smile.

“Guide Shinui, welcome. How is your life at the Center?”

“Yes. I’m doing well, thanks to you.”

“That’s a relief. Which would you prefer, coffee or tea?”

“Tea.”

He must have brewed the tea in advance, as he brought a cup of tea.
We chatted about our daily lives for a while, drinking the warm tea.
When we were about to run out of things to say, he brought up the main topic.

“The research lab is conducting an important project.”

“What kind of project is it?”

“It’s a promotion project for B and C-Class Guides.”

I knew immediately that it was the project he had recommended to me before the regression.
The <S-Class Project>.

“It’s still in the implementation stage. So, I was wondering if you could help the other guides, Guide Shinui.”

I couldn’t answer right away.
If it had been the usual me, I would have answered that I would help as soon as I heard his words, but since I had a strong desire to leave the Association as soon as possible, I couldn’t easily agree.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can.”

“Is there a particular reason?”

He also seemed to have expected me to agree, as he looked surprised.

“I think I’ll be busy from now on.”

“I see…. That’s a shame.”

He said, looking at me with an unconcealed expression of disappointment.

“If you change your mind, please let me know.”

“Yes.”

My short answer was the end of our conversation.
I said my goodbyes and left the lab.

If it were up to me, I would have wanted to help the guides, but I had to make this decision to resign.

As I was coming out after finishing the gate simulation, I saw a familiar face walking from the opposite direction.
It was Minhyuk.

“Shinui!”

At his cheerful voice calling my name, a smile naturally formed on my lips.
I went to him in a single bound.

Come to think of it, it was the first time I had met him after returning to the past.
But whether before or after the regression, I was happy to see him.

“I just got back from being dispatched, and there was an S-Class guide with the same name as you! I knew it was you.”

He hugged me tightly.
I wasn’t surprised by his sudden hug and hugged him back.
Even I would have expressed my happiness like him now if my friend had awakened as an S-Class.

“Minhyuk, it’s been a long time. I missed you.”

“Me too. How have you been?”

“I’ve been training every day. What about you?”

“I just got back from being dispatched, so I’m on a break for a while.”

He and I stood in the hallway and talked.
It seemed like our conversation would be long, so I was about to suggest we move, but my Guiding Watch started to vibrate.
When I checked, it was a call from Sung Yohan.

“Ah…. I think I have to go now.”

“Why?”

“I got a call from Esper Sung Yohan.”

“Oh right, you were his pair. I want to talk more…”

He looked at me with a disappointed face.
Feeling bad, I was the one to suggest we meet next time.

“We can see each other again next time.”

At my words, his expression finally relaxed.

“Okay, see you soon.”

After parting with him, I went straight to the guiding room.
At that time, I had no idea that I would be seeing him again so soon.

A few days later, I was taking the elevator down to the lobby to go to a nearby store with Wonjae.
I heard someone calling my name.

“Shinui!”

It was Minhyuk.
As far as I remembered, he didn’t live here.

“Minhyuk, what are you doing here?”

“I just moved here.”

He was a friend I was always happy to see, but hearing that he had moved nearby made my happiness grow even more.

“You should have told me you moved.”

“I didn’t have your phone number…”

Come to think of it, I remembered that I hadn’t exchanged phone numbers with him.

“Just a moment.”

I didn’t have his number memorized, so I was about to take my phone out of my pocket, but I couldn’t find anything.
It seemed I had left it at home.

“I think I left my phone at home.”

I was contemplating whether to go back up for a moment when he pulled on my clothes.

“Hyung, when are we going?”

Since where we were going was more important, I had to look at him with a sorry face and say I would tell him next time.

“Minhyuk, I’ll tell you when I see you at the Center next time. I have to go somewhere now.”

“Okay. And come visit my house when you have time. Anytime is fine!”

“Yeah. See you at the Center.”

After saying goodbye to him, I went outside with Wonjae.
I felt sorry to him for not being able to properly arrange a time to talk.

“Hyung, who is that person?”

“A classmate. We met again at the Center this time.”

“Are you close?”

“Well, we were?”

We were really close in high school.
Even if we weren’t as close as we used to be, I could still say we were close friends.

“Then don’t be close with him from now on.”

“Why?”

I was a little surprised by his unexpected words and looked at him.
He had a displeased look on his face.

“The way he looks at you is unpleasant.”

“No, I told you we were close.”

“Still.”

I didn’t feel good about him viewing him negatively, but since people sometimes judge others by their own standards, I let it slide.

After this, I would run into him briefly at the Center, but it was just a quick greeting.

He seemed to want to talk to me more, but I was no longer free.

Even though it was the New Year, it wasn’t much different from last year.
I spent my days doing guiding training, gate simulations, and guiding Sung Yohan.
When he was not around, I spent my time in individual training.

He was often absent, and I was curious about where he went, but I didn’t ask.
In fact, it was more comfortable when he was not around, so I hoped he would go out often.

Today, too, I was helping Wonjae with his guiding training in the afternoon.
I felt a commotion outside.

Wondering what was going on, I went outside, and people were gathered near the group training room.
I caught a nearby Esper and asked.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh? Guide Shinui.”

The Esper seemed surprised by my sudden appearance, but he soon answered my question.

“Esper Hyun Taewoon is helping with the Esper training.”

“Esper Hyun Taewoon?”

“Yes. The Association has been asking him for a few years, but he’s been refusing until now. It seems he’s decided to help starting this time.”

“I see…”

Since he was someone who looked down on Awakened other than S-Classes as if they were lower life forms, I couldn’t believe his actions.

I hurriedly moved to the B and C-Class training room where he was said to be.

It was true that he was helping with the training of the B and C-Class Espers.
It seemed he was giving feedback on how to use abilities effectively and on training methods.

I couldn’t help but be surprised by his serious appearance, which was the complete opposite of what I remembered.

After returning to the past, there were times when he acted differently from the person I knew.
I had returned to the past, but was this not the past I knew?
Otherwise, there was no way he would show such an altruistic side.

“S-Classes must be amazing. Look at his attack power score.”

Following the Espers who were gathered, I moved my gaze to the monitor on the wall, and his attack power score was displayed.
It was ‘unmeasurable’.

I had heard that among the S-Class Espers, his ability score was the highest.
That’s why the Association stayed quiet even with his reckless behavior.

I was looking at his figure for a while when his wavelength clung to mine.
Since our matching rate was high, our wavelengths would naturally connect when we were close.

He must have noticed that I was there, as he was looking at me.
He looked at me for a long time and then turned his gaze to the Esper who was calling him.

My heart was in turmoil.
The thought that he might have changed made my heart stir, but on the other hand, my resentment only grew as to why he hadn’t been like that before I died.