Chapter 96: Delusion is a Terminal Illness

“Why would they issue an order like that from there?”

After thinking for a long while, I finally spoke.

My own mind couldn’t deduce the reason, so I asked, looking back and forth between Song Jihan and the branch chief.

“We know nothing more than what has been explained.

The satellite phones are also down, so there’s no way to contact Seoul directly.

Honestly, in a situation where even communication is this difficult, we can’t be questioning things like that, can we?

The subjugation of an SS-rank gate is right around the corner.”

I understood Song Jihan’s point.

More than half of the wired communication networks had been lost due to numerous Gate Breaks.

To contact Seoul from Busan, one would have to find the remaining networks and go through various Centers across the country.

With an SS-rank gate on their hands, they couldn’t possibly be wasting time resolving a ‘mere’ small, meaningless question.

“I understand, for now.”

The explanation only added to my confusion, but there was no point in probing any further.

It seemed I would have to find out the rest of the story myself when I returned to the Center.

“Then I will prepare to start the guiding again.”

Was our Jihan always this clueless…?

I don’t think he was like this when we worked together.

Why was he speaking as if he was making an announcement, as if he’d done something right?

“No?

I have no intention of doing that.

You asked me to hear you out, and I did, so I’ll be on my way now.

I wonder if the planes are even flying.”

I picked up the small bag I had placed beside me and stood up.

I never really intended to leave, but I needed to teach this Jihan a lesson, since it’s been so long.

And get a few things I wanted, too.

“…Haa, what is it that you want.”

Song Jihan, who had been momentarily flustered, correctly read my intentions.

The sigh he let out seemed tinged with resignation.

But he had no choice.

They were the ones in need.

Why did they follow such a nonsensical order without a single doubt in the first place?

“Don’t you have a guide with a good matching rate?”

“…I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather lately….”

“Get lost.

Go get it from over there.”

“I’m sorry….”

My judgment was, as expected, not wrong.

Half of the agents who came for guiding were being turned away at the registration desk.

This was all thanks to the conditions I had set.

To stop the games and only guide the agents who were actually part of the subjugation team, and to personally designate the staff member who would help with registration.

“Just because he’s an SS-rank guide, every Tom, d*ck, and Harry is flocking here.

As if guiding is some kind of panacea.”

That person… Song Jihan, who was slamming his hand on the desk as if to break it.

Many of the agents were filtered out by Song Jihan before they even reached me.

It was amusing to see him getting angry, intentionally putting on a show for me.

Sorry, but nothing you do scares me one bit.

“Team Leader Song, it seems reception work really suits you, doesn’t it?”

I teased Song Jihan playfully.

As if to say, go on, get a little angrier.

But contrary to my expectation, Song Jihan looked at me with a smirk that seemed to say, ‘how pathetic.’

Don’t tell me….

“Let’s be honest now, shall we?”

“About what…?”

“Ha, are you shy?

Cute.”

Right.

Song Jihan was suffering from a serious illness, I remember now.

Song Jihan stood up with a disgusting smile and approached my seat.

He then perched on the guiding chair and stared intently at my face.

Then, in a flash, Song Jihan’s hand lightly grasped my lower jaw.

“You think I don’t know?

You deliberately singled me out and requested me because you wanted to be with me, didn’t you?

Now that it’s just us, as you wished, you can stop pretending and be honest.”

That was Song Jihan’s illness.

What was it?

An incurable, terminal disease… delusion.

To be honest, his face itself was by no means ugly.

On top of that, as an S-rank esper, his abilities were more than sufficient.

But his confidence overflowed beyond what he actually possessed.

He was the type to think someone had fallen for him just by making eye contact once with a passerby, and to make a fuss that the other person might propose if their hands accidentally brushed.

And this was from a guy who couldn’t even date properly.

Still, in the past, he wasn’t like this with me… it seems his condition is much more serious than I knew.

“Team Leader Song….”

“Yes.

I know how you feel, so speak comfortably.”

I lightly grasped Song Jihan’s wrist, which was holding my jaw.

While contemplating how to bring this bastard back to his senses.

“Do you want to get hit?”

“What?”

Song Jihan looked as shocked as if he had heard those words for the first time in his life.

Who would have ever hit an S-rank esper?

Well then, it’s time for a proper lesson.

I held onto Song Jihan’s wrist and sent my mana flowing.

I mixed in a slight attack that disrupts the opponent’s mana.

Very lightly.

“Where do you get off acting so cool, you bastard.

And why are you speaking so informally?”

“Ugh, euk…!

Hey, wait… wai…t…!”

His body began to twitch and contract as if his muscles were cramping.

It was a very natural reaction.

Of course, I had no intention of causing Song Jihan any great pain, but there was a reason I couldn’t end it with just this.

I sent as much mana as I could, scanning every corner of Song Jihan’s body.

He had suffered greatly from Gate Sickness in the past, so I needed to check his condition in advance now.

He had to be treated before it became that serious again.

It wouldn’t be as good as a hospital examination, but I should be able to screen for any serious illnesses.

It was never properly revealed in the past, but the incidence rate of Gate Sickness among espers was strangely and overwhelmingly high.

Everyone just speculated that it was probably due to some power inside the gates.

“Keok…!”

Oops.

I think I channeled my power for too long.

Song Jihan’s eyes were about to roll back into his head.

Fortunately, after confirming that there were no major problems with his body yet, I immediately started guiding, and it wasn’t long before Song Jihan’s complexion returned to normal.

“There will be big trouble if you spout nonsense from now on.

Got it, Team Leader Song?”

“You… what are you?

Haa, I almost died.”

This kid is still speaking informally to the very end?

Well… he’s the same age as me, so it’s not particularly offensive.

Besides, I consider it a success that he’s not acting all fatally charming like before.

I don’t know how much of a nuisance it was, to the point that I forgot about our reunion after such a long time.

“Want to be friends?”

Song Jihan looked at me with a face that said, ‘what kind of nonsense is this now.’

The atmosphere might be a bit off, but these were words I had wanted to say since I met Song Jihan again.

To ask him to be my friend this time, just like before.

That I won’t let him suffer as a hostage of the Center like in the past, so please… forgive the me of those past days.

I prayed every day while looking at Song Jihan lying unconscious in the hospital room.

Just for him to return to his healthy self as soon as possible.

And now, after well over a decade, I was finally seeing the face I had missed so much.

“…You really are a strange one….”

After staring into my eyes for a moment, Song Jihan took the hand I offered.

For now, this is enough.

We can restore our old relationship little by little.

I squeezed his large hand firmly.

“…What kind of confession is that… so uncool.”

But… it seems this bastard hasn’t come to his senses yet.

I don’t know what delusion he had fallen into in that short time, but he was blushing and acting shy.

…The touching feeling I had on my own was instantly chilled.

This guy’s problem isn’t Gate Sickness; his delusion disease seems to be more serious.

“Shouldn’t we postpone the subjugation for a few days?”

“It’ll be more of a headache if the gate breaks open in the meantime.”

I was drinking coffee with Song Jihan, leaning against the rooftop railing.

I was a little worried about the guy, who probably wasn’t in perfect condition yet.

It was already my fifth day in Busan.

“An SS-rank guide is definitely different, huh?

I thought it was all a scam.”

“The guy who almost died has a bad attitude now that I’ve saved him?”

Actually, the guiding for the subjugation team had ended a long time ago.

I was feeling uneasy for various reasons, so I was about to return to Seoul right away, but a problem arose on my way to the heliport.

Song Jihan had suddenly collapsed as if having a seizure.

It was mana reflux, which occurs very rarely; in simple terms, it was an abnormal phenomenon where the mana inside the body fights against itself.

“Well, I’m not saying I’m not grateful.

If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even be able to deploy like this.”

His condition was so serious that I had to pour guiding into him for over a day, so I couldn’t go to Seoul right away.

Just thinking of Jaeyul made me want to run there immediately, but Song Jihan, who had remained a thorn in my heart, was sick, so I couldn’t bring myself to turn a blind eye and leave.

I could only trust Jaeyul’s words that he was no longer a child.

That’s why the schedule had been delayed like this.

Still, I decided to stop holding it over the guy who was about to go into subjugation soon and changed the subject.

“You know they made a special team at the Seoul Center, right?”

“I know.

How could I not, when it includes two of the first SS-rank agents.”

“Then why didn’t you apply?”

“Why would I go there?

It would be full of headaches.

I want to live quietly and comfortably.”

In the past, Song Jihan had volunteered for the team I was leading.

But this time, when the special team was being formed, he didn’t even apply.

If Song Jihan had been on the list, Ri-hyun, who uses similar abilities, would have been pushed down in priority.

“Really…?

Then you have no intention of coming to Seoul?”

In the past three days, I had gotten quite close to Song Jihan.

Of course, since there was nothing I didn’t know about Song Jihan, there was no awkwardness from the start, but it seemed Song Jihan’s heart had opened up a lot in that time.

“My, my, aren’t we being a little too obvious with the flirting?”

Song Jihan shook his head, acting all fatally charming again.

This kid spouts nonsense whenever he gets a chance.

“Want to get hit again?”

“My… domestic violence is a very serious issue.”

Or maybe he was just trying to relieve his tension like this, since he had to enter an SS-rank gate soon.

No matter how S-rank he was, an unknown gate would be an object of fear.

Perhaps it was just a joke this time, as Song Jihan checked his watch once and his face hardened.

It meant that the time for laughing and talking was over.

“Anyway, we’ll be parting ways now.

You’re going straight to Seoul, right?”

“Well… I guess so.

Don’t get hurt, and if it’s dangerous, run away no matter what.

You’ll get less flak if you come out carrying an injured person or something.”

Since he’s an esper who handles the wind attribute, he should be able to escape on his own.

As long as he doesn’t try to protect his team members out of a useless sense of responsibility.

Though, considering the Song Jihan of the past, it was obvious he would value his own life more.

“I’m going.

You take care too.”

Song Jihan turned his back first.

He would go into the gate, and I would go to Seoul.

Since the regions were so far apart, it was certain that we wouldn’t be able to meet easily.

Was I the only one who felt sad?

Song Jihan walked away briskly without looking back once.

As I was watching his retreating back, Song Jihan stopped walking.

“Because I’ll be there soon.”

I was about to ask what he meant by that, but Song Jihan disappeared, literally like the wind.

You take care too… because I’ll be there soon…?

Don’t tell me, does he mean he’s coming to Seoul?

He should know that it’s not something he can do just as he pleases, so I don’t know what he’s talking about.

Anyway, the long Busan business trip was finally over.

I have to go back, to my home.

To the home where Jaeyul and Poppy are waiting.

“We will take a short break here.

We will depart in a generous hour, so you can use the restroom or go down and have a snack.”

“Ah, yes….”

This helicopter pilot seems to think I’m some kind of child.

He doesn’t have to guide me to the restroom and snacks.

But I don’t know why we’re suddenly taking a break in Daejeon.

We didn’t rest when we went to Busan.

Ah, he must have been the one who needed the restroom urgently.

He turned off the helicopter engine and ran off quickly.

Well, what can you do about a biological phenomenon.

I didn’t need the restroom, nor was I hungry, so I decided to wait for the pilot at the heliport.

I was so curious about what was happening with the Seoul gate, but not only the Busan Center staff, but no one knew the situation inside Seoul.

My phone still had no signal, so I was starting to get worried about Jaeyul.

It had only been four days since Jaeyul entered the gate, so there was no need to be like this yet, but since I couldn’t get any news at all, I couldn’t help but feel anxious.

It was when I was fiddling with my phone, which had no signal.

With a loud helicopter sound, a strong wind whipped around.

A helicopter with the Special Abilities Support Agency mark was landing at another heliport next to where our helicopter had landed.

Even before the helicopter had touched the ground, the door opened and a person jumped out from inside.

The person, who flew lightly as if carried by the wind, stopped right in front of me.

It happened in an instant, so I was only able to recognize who it was then.

“…Ri-hyun-ah.”

It was Ri-hyun.

And a Ri-hyun who was covered in wounds and a mess of tears and snot.

His red, burst lips trembled and parted, and at the words that came out of Ri-hyun’s mouth, I forgot to even ask how he had gotten here.

“Hyung…!

Jae, Jaeyul… hic, he’s missing….”

Because it was such a nonsensical story.