Chapter 12: The Price of Righteousness

Sa-yoon calmly dressed himself again. Each movement brought a wince, his lower body and waist aching indescribably, yet he meticulously fastened every buckle.

He retrieved the ring from his chest pocket and slid it deep onto his fourth finger. Only after restoring everything to its original state, as if nothing had happened, did he collapse onto the floor, almost falling. The dark ceiling swirled above him.

‘…Sniff.’

He sniffled, his nose raw from crying. He had steeled himself to do something good, but the world simply felt too heavy. Calmly, he smoothed the buttons of his shirt, fastened all the way to his neck. Only after ensuring there wasn’t a single wrinkle could he finally relax and lean against the wall.

‘It’s fine,’ he thought. ‘This, too, will fade into a distant memory with time.’ ‘At least I saved a life. I saved a good guy, even if he was crazy.’

After a brief rest, Sa-yoon hoisted Han Do-hoon’s collapsed body as if it were a sack of luggage. Observing his steady breathing, Sa-yoon deduced that the antidote was working effectively.

“You should truly consider yourself honored that I saved you,” he muttered.

This was the first person Jin Sa-yoon had ever guided to save. He had pulled out a card he swore he would never use, all for the sake of a righteous madman.

Sa-yoon read the coordinates, selecting the safest ground available, and slowly ascended. Each awkward step up the makeshift stairs brought a twinge to an area that absolutely shouldn’t ache, prompting him to punch Han Do-hoon’s thigh several times.

‘He might get a bruise or two, but that’s certainly better than dying,’ he mused. As Sa-yoon exacted his small revenge, the sunlight from the surface slowly began to reach them. Upon arriving at A-13, their initial entry point, unit members came rushing towards them, screaming from a distance. Seeing their welcoming faces, Sa-yoon offered a broad grin.

At this moment, he should have raised a hand, displaying the composure of a survivor, but he found he had no strength left. He had prevented the first explosion and calmed a rampaging S-class Esper. Even for Jin Sa-yoon, anything more was simply impossible.

Sa-yoon felt Dr. Jung Hyun-woo’s startled face supporting him, and then, beneath the bright sky, he fainted.

The moment Sa-yoon’s consciousness ceased, Han Do-hoon’s hand, resting on his back, subtly stirred.

“I’m going to be a righteous person,” the boy declared.

With both hands on his hips, the boy spoke with unwavering confidence.

“A righteous person?”

“A strong person who saves people, makes them happy, and defeats enemies! I’m going to be famous, just like a hero in a movie!”

Jin Sa-yoon’s only childhood friend was a boy full of dreams, one who, despite being old enough to abandon such fantasies, still spoke confidently of helping others.

“What kind of person will you be?”

“Me? I suppose I’ll just… live vaguely.”

“Do you want to be a righteous person with me?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure,” Sa-yoon mumbled.

Sa-yoon mumbled in a small voice. His circumstances were hardly conducive to dreaming alongside his friend.

What could a C-class Guide, with no outstanding abilities, accomplish while caring for his ailing single mother? To be a righteous person, as Myeong-ah suggested? That was even harder for Sa-yoon, who struggled even to save himself.

“Sa-yoon, then… can I decide for you?”

Sa-yoon nodded indifferently at Myeong-ah’s proposal.

“Then you’ll be my sidekick. You’ll be the companion who helps the hero.”

“A sidekick?”

“When I roam the night like a hero and defeat villains, you’ll be beside me, tying them up and watching my back. How about that?”

“Well, I suppose I could do that much.”

He figured he could manage tying up defeated villains and keeping an eye on their rear. Sa-yoon recalled the sidekick from a hero movie he had recently watched.

“If I’m a sidekick, wouldn’t I have to shield you when you’re in danger and fight alongside you?”

“No! When I’m in danger, you should run! Why would you step in instead?”

“Isn’t that what a sidekick does?”

“You really don’t get it. A true hero fights for themselves even when in danger. You just need to admire my awesome performance! I’ll win every time.”

“Ah, right. Good luck.”

Myeong-ah, who had confidently declared his ambition with hands on his hips, smiled primly and puffed out his chest. Even though he was old enough to know better, Myeong-ah hadn’t changed. Sa-yoon clapped half-heartedly, his smile a mix of encouragement and mockery.

Despite his indifferent reaction, Sa-yoon didn’t dislike Myeong-ah. Myeong-ah was entirely different from him—a person bright, hopeful, and always looking towards the future.

He was a friend who stood on the complete opposite side of Sa-yoon, who was always negative and worried about the future.

“If that happens, let’s leave this place and go to Seoul! We’ll be on TV, in the news, and people will look up to us, calling us amazing. We’ll make a grand entrance into the capital, showered in confetti!”

“Uh…”

The mention of Seoul made Sa-yoon hesitate. Seoul was out of the question. His mother, who had fled to the countryside carrying Sa-yoon in her womb to escape his unknown biological father, had repeatedly implored him: ‘Never even think about going to Seoul.’ ‘Let’s live happily together forever in this secluded place.’

After the Rain swept across 80% of the country, the provinces, save for a few cities, lost their functionality. Even in cities barely sustained, public safety was poor. The power of local factions often overshadowed that of the government.

‘Local factions’ was a polite term; frankly, it was controlled by thugs. His mother had raised her son alone in such an environment. No matter how appealing Seoul might be, Sa-yoon could never turn his back on his mother.

Sa-yoon wanted to go to Seoul with Myeong-ah. Myeong-ah was clearly not a child suited for such a remote town. He wished, with all his heart, to go to Seoul with him and watch Myeong-ah live the life he desired. However, his mother was the most precious person to Sa-yoon.

Myeong-ah firmly grasped Sa-yoon’s hesitant hand.

“Sa-yoon, you’re a Guide. Our parents said that Guides and Espers must go to Seoul. They say you can live a different life there. So, when I awaken as an Esper, let’s go together.”

Even though Myeong-ah hadn’t yet awakened as an Esper, he was always certain he would become one. He frequently asked Sa-yoon to be his Guide.

Sa-yoon knew it was an unlikely prospect, yet he nodded every time.

“Ugh. What do you brats know?”

Jung Hyun-woo, who had been listening to their conversation, approached with a scoff. He was Jung Myeong-ah’s older brother, with a significant age gap between them.

Jung Hyun-woo was renowned in their neighborhood as a genius. His parents proudly boasted endlessly about him studying medicine in Seoul and earning a great deal of money. Thanks to him, Myeong-ah’s family lived quite comfortably, and Sa-yoon, being close to Myeong-ah, also benefited from it.

“Do you think just anyone can become an Esper?”

“I will be one. It’s already decided.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

Jung Hyun-woo replied indifferently to Myeong-ah’s words. Feeling wronged, Myeong-ah’s face flushed.

“It’s true, I’m telling you! I saw it in a dream recently…!”

“Again. Always with those dreams.”

“Just believe your little brother for once, you rotten older brother. In my dream, Sa-yoon was standing in a large plaza, showered in confetti! And beside him was an Esper. If it was next to Sa-yoon, it would naturally be me. With such a huge roar of cheers, I must have become an incredible Esper.”

Jung Hyun-woo, having heard the story dozens of times, picked at his ear, signaling his weariness. The average age for Espers and Guides to awaken was 15. Sa-yoon had awakened at 13, and now both of them were already 16.

“Myeong-ah, it’s time to grow up. And Sa-yoon, you should really think about it: Guides are treated well in Seoul. You could live safely, guiding even as an adult.”

Jung Hyun-woo, who was endlessly harsh towards his brother, kindly suggested Sa-yoon move to Seoul. The worse the public safety, the worse the situation for Guides. They were often easily harassed and swayed by temperamental Espers.

For a beautiful child like Sa-yoon, one couldn’t help but worry about their future. While no one dared to touch a minor yet, that protection wouldn’t last for more than a few years.

“Our Sa-yoon is going to Seoul, so don’t worry about it, big brother. When I awaken as an Esper, we’ll go right away.”

“That’s precisely why I’m worried you might never go.”

“I’m really, truly certain.”

Sa-yoon chuckled, watching the brothers resume their familiar bickering. The two of them were like family to Sa-yoon, an only child.

“Sa-yoon, you really need to think about this seriously. If you need it, I’ll even get your mother a ticket.”

“Yes. Thank you, Hyun-woo hyung.”

Sa-yoon casually dismissed Jung Hyun-woo’s earnest offer, yet a bitter feeling settled within him. His brother was right. As he approached adulthood, Sa-yoon, a Guide without backing, would find himself in a precarious position.

Guides in the lawless provincial cities sought Espers to protect them before they came of age. The lives of Guides who failed to do so were seldom happy.

One didn’t need to look far for an example. A Guide in the neighboring town lived just such a life. It was said that this Guide had lost their Esper, whom they had met at a young age, prematurely.

Different Espers frequented the Guide’s house every day, as they had no dedicated Esper of their own. Every night, screams mingled with sobs would escape, and the Guide’s shoulders and neck were always red and swollen. It was a fact every villager knew, yet tacitly ignored.

Even if Guides were rare in terms of population ratio, the situation in the provinces was different. All capable Espers moved to Seoul, leaving only those who remained to act as thugs in other cities, or those expelled from higher ranks due to their poor character.