Chapter 87: A Dangerous Game

<A-Class Gate appearance in Sector 333P. A-Class Gate appearance.>

As soon as the gate appearance alert sounded, the surroundings began to stir.
P, appended to the sector number, was an abbreviation for prison.
When I hurriedly checked the gate situation, a gate had opened 100m above the prison where only the Awakened were incarcerated.

Since the Awakened prison was managed by the government, a notice was posted that government Espers would also be participating in this gate.

The gate was a high-level sudden-type A-Class, and everyone was worried because it had appeared right above the prison.
I was also worried, so I sent a text to Sehyun.

[I’m at the Sector 333P gate. Are you here too?]

[Cha Sehyun: Yes. This gate is dangerous, so you have to stay inside the shelter.]

[Okay. Let me know when the gate closes.]

[Cha Sehyun: Will you guide me when it’s over?]

[I can’t do it here, but I’ll do it at your house. Be careful.]

[Cha Sehyun: Thank you. I’ll finish quickly and contact you.]

Since I was in the shelter, the risk of getting hurt was low, but I was worried about him because he was going out to the field.
I sincerely hoped the gate would close safely.

When I looked at the gate screen, a government-side physical-type ability user was fortunately putting a barrier around the prison.

Since this prison housed many high-risk inmates, it seemed the government was paying special attention.

Before long, the gate door began to open.
Giant lizard monsters, about 3m in size, fell to the ground.
Fortunately, the area around the prison was a wide field, so the conditions were favorable for killing the monsters.

One side of the monitor showed the Association’s situation, and the other side showed the prison and the government’s situation.

“The government has a guiding shelter too?”

At Wonjae’s words, Minseong, who was with us, looked at the government-side monitor and said.

“They say that government-affiliated Awakened usually move in pairs of an Esper and a guide. It seems the guides are on standby in the shelter this time because it’s a gate.”

Just then, his figure appeared on the monitor.
He was wearing a government-issue special combat suit and was dealing with the monsters falling towards the barrier.
He followed my gaze and looked at the government-side monitor and said.

“The government side has a lot of talented people, just like the Association.”

It was then.
The boss monster, which had squeezed out of the gate, fell towards the prison.
The barrier immediately cracked from the boss monster’s magic and shattered into pieces.

The boss monster, with its massive weight, crashed into the prison building and unleashed its ability on the Espers.
I watched the scene with bated breath, and Minseong said with a sigh.

“What are they going to do? I think the inmates are going to escape.”

“Won’t it be okay since the inmates are wearing ability nullification rings?”

“There’s always the possibility of ‘what if’.”

On the screen, I could see monsters relentlessly entering the prison.
It was eerie, as if they had been waiting.

I was also worried that if the inmates were wearing ability nullification rings, they wouldn’t be able to use their abilities and would be attacked by the monsters.

The Association’s Espers entered the prison, and soon, a government Esper cast a barrier again.

I could see him using his ability on the boss monster that had fallen on the prison.
He was focusing his attacks on the boss monster.

Soon, his and his figures were captured together.
Suddenly, his words that he would make me and him break up one way or another came to mind.
Remembering that he had deliberately used his ability on him when he had participated in the gate before, I approached Minseong.

“Guide Minseong, I have something to say to Esper Hyun Taewoon. Can I borrow your earpiece for a moment?”

“Ah, yes!”

After receiving the earpiece from him, I immediately said to him.

“Hyun Taewoon, don’t you dare touch him.”

• [Shinui?]

Since it was a public place, I couldn’t mention his name.
But if it was him, who knew the situation, he would understand immediately.
He seemed happy at my sudden voice, but I became serious and said again.

“I said don’t touch him.”

When I repeated the warning, he seemed to understand my words and wiped the happy look from his face and said.

• [Is that b*stard so precious to you that you have to do this?]

“Yes. So don’t hurt him.”

I said that and gave the earpiece back to him.
He looked at me with a puzzled expression, but since it was something I couldn’t tell him in detail, I went back to my seat.

The monitor only showed the prison.
Soon, flames shot up to the sky, and the gate began to close.

Seeing the gate close, I knew that the boss monster had been annihilated.
I was a little relieved to see the gate close faster than I had thought, but my relief was short-lived, as an emergency alert began to ring from the prison’s loudspeaker.

“What’s going on?”

“Didn’t an inmate escape? The prison is completely destroyed now.”

Looking at the screen, I could see inmates who had come out of the prison building.
However, since they were all wearing nullification rings on their necks, they were no different from non-Awakened.

The scene of the government-side Espers catching the inmates was shown on the monitor and then cut off.
Since the gate had closed, the Association’s work was over, so I couldn’t know what happened after that.

After returning to the Center, I waited for his call, hoping that the inmates had been safely caught.
It was late at night when a call came from him.

• [Shinui-ssi, I’m sorry for contacting you so late.]

“Not at all. Did it end well?”

• [Not yet. So I called because I don’t think we can meet today.]

“Why not? What happened?”

• [Because of the prison incident. We couldn’t catch a few of the inmates.]

As expected, it was because of the inmates.
Still, since the area around the prison was a field and the city was at a distance, they would be able to find them soon.

“I understand. We can meet tomorrow. Be careful not to get hurt.”

• [Okay. Then I’ll contact you again tomorrow.]

He seemed busy, as he hung up right away.
I felt a slight sense of disappointment.
I had hoped he would call back, but there was no contact from him the next day either.

<An S-Class Esper, who was serving a life sentence for murder, has escaped from prison.>

The news was abuzz with the story of the Esper who had escaped during the last A-Class gate.
A message to refrain from going out until he was apprehended followed.

Because of this incident, he also seemed to have gotten very busy, and I hadn’t been able to see him for a week.
Still, we were in contact from time to time, but the response time was long.

And so I was watching the news about the inmate for a while.
The doorbell rang.

When I moved to the wall pad and checked, I saw Sung Yohan’s face.
Since he had always trespassed into my house with his ability, I felt a brief sense of wonder, but then I remembered that he had said he would no longer do things I disliked.

“Sung Yohan-ssi, what can I do for you?”

• [I came to see you.]

“You should have called first.”

• [I’m sorry. Can I see your face for a moment?]

If it were up to me, I would have told him to go, but since I thought he must have had a reason for coming all this way, I went to the front door and opened it.

He was standing in front of the door with a cake box from a famous bakery in his hand.
Contrary to my expectations, it seemed he had come to see my face.

He handed me the cake box and said.

“Can we have a cup of tea together?”

“I don’t think we can, since Wonjae is home.”

I made an excuse with him because I didn’t want to let him in unless there was a special reason.
Just then, as if he had heard our conversation, he came out of his room.

“Why is he at our house?”

“He said he came for tea.”

“We’re not close enough to have tea.”

At his words, his smiling face returned to its usual expressionless mask.

“You’re still at it, I see.”

“At what?”

He said, glaring at him.
He had a face that wanted to kick him out right away, as if he hated him that much.

“The thing that will get you killed.”

Since he knew about my physical condition before I returned to the past, I couldn’t take his words lightly.

“Wonjae, you’re still training?”

“I can’t stop yet.”

He couldn’t look me in the eye properly, like a child who was being scolded.

“I told you to stop.”

“I’ll stop soon. First, please send him away.”

Since he disliked him so much, I had no choice but to send him away.
Fortunately, he left meekly.

He went back into his room, concerned that I would nag him.
I knocked on his door and said let’s talk, but he said he didn’t want to and didn’t come out.
In the end, I sat on the sofa again and was wondering how to persuade him when my phone vibrated.

[Cha Sehyun: Shinui-ssi, can we meet for a moment?]

At his text, whom I had been waiting for, his problem was temporarily put on the back burner.
Since I was curious about how things were going, I immediately replied to him.

[I can meet. Where are you now?]

[Cha Sehyun: I’m at the main gate of your complex.]

[I’ll be down soon.]

I carefully came out the front door so as not to be caught by him and went down to the lobby.
When I went to the main gate, I saw his now-familiar car.
With a happy heart, I moved towards the car and immediately sat in the passenger seat.

“Sehyun-ssi, I’m here.”

“Shinui-ssi.”

As soon as I got in the passenger seat, he called my name in a childish manner and hugged me.
As I was held in his arms and looked up at him, he had his eyes closed tightly, as if he were tired.

He looked so exhausted that I didn’t say anything and just stayed in his arms for a while before asking about him.

“Is the work all done? And was the escaped inmate caught?”

“Not yet. It seems he had an accomplice.”

Well, since he was even wearing an ability nullification ring, it would be difficult to escape without an accomplice.

“So I think I’ll be busy for a while.”

“It’s okay. I’ll be waiting.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

We briefly caught up in the car.
I wanted to be with him longer, but not long after, he was called by the government, so we had to part again quickly.
I saw him off and was about to go back to the lobby when I saw his figure.

“Weren’t you going?”

“Shinui-ssi, are you dating Cha Sehyun?”

My relationship with him was one of the things I didn’t want him to find out about.
Thinking that he might be harmed, I immediately answered no.

“No.”

“You don’t have to lie. I don’t care if you have a lover.”

“I said no!”

Despite my words, he made his own conclusion and continued with a sneer.

“Interesting.”

I tried to explain to him again that it wasn’t true, but he quickly disappeared with his teleportation ability.
His last words rang ominously in my ears.

He was a man who I didn’t know what he would do, so I thought I would have to talk to him again tomorrow.
I tried to comfort myself, saying it would be okay.