Chapter 16: Another S-Rank Is Watching

From the start, it wasn’t an issue that had anything to do with how extraordinary Chaewon’s power actually was, but Su-ha couldn’t help thinking that no matter how he tried to explain it, nothing would change from Chaewon’s perspective, anyway.

The tight, stifled feeling that had been bothering him since earlier only worsened.

It felt like something was stuck in his chest.

“According to the ward attendant, there was blood on the blanket. I think he probably tried practicing on his own.”

“…Why are you telling me this?”

In the end, unable to endure the discomfort any longer, Su-ha cut Eunho off.

Chaewon was weak.

He had been shrinking back.

He hadn’t even realized how dangerous it was, practiced alone, and ended up bleeding, what exactly was Eunho expecting Su-ha to do about that?

That was what Su-ha wanted to snap back about.

Eunho looked at Su-ha quietly for a moment before carefully opening his mouth.

“…You’re Chaewon’s guide, Su-ha.”

“…”

The words Su-ha had been ready to fire back caught in his throat and stopped.

Eunho continued.

“Shouldn’t you be aware of these things?”

Only then did Su-ha realize that beneath what he’d thought was Eunho’s calm tone, there had been a faint note of reproach.

If you had paid just a little more attention.

If you had understood what kind of resolve he came here with.

Then Chaewon wouldn’t have pushed himself so recklessly today.

That was what Lee Eunho was saying.

‘What, had he grown attached in the meantime or something?’

Su-ha felt a flash of resistance toward Eunho’s words, yet he couldn’t bring himself to argue back.

Because he knew himself that Eunho wasn’t wrong.

Like it or not, Chaewon was now Su-ha’s esper.

As his guide, Su-ha had an obligation to grasp and manage Chaewon’s physical and emotional condition in its entirety.

Just as espers were obligated to protect their guides under any circumstances.

After a brief silence, Eunho turned away from Su-ha and looked back down at Chaewon, gently smoothing Chaewon’s slightly disheveled bangs with his fingertips.

Su-ha frowned faintly, and Eunho, unaware of that expression, spoke.

“There’s nothing seriously wrong, so he’ll regain consciousness soon. If anything happens, call me right away.”

“…Understood.”

There was no particular reason for it, yet Su-ha replied reluctantly, sensing a subtle emotional rift forming between Eunho and himself.
Even then, Eunho fussed unnecessarily, tucking Chaewon’s hands back under the blanket several times, before finally leaving the room.

Only then did Su-ha let out a sigh and step closer to Chaewon’s side.

His face, peaceful as if he were merely sleeping, had already been cleaned up, yet Su-ha kept imagining the earlier sight of him drenched in blood.

He had clearly been told not to overdo it, yet he still took the risk.

It was an incredibly foolish action.

Chaewon might have thought that at worst, he alone would bear the side effects, but if that act had led to an S-rank esper’s rampage, the situation would have become dire.

Of course, it wasn’t a combat scenario, and the likelihood of an esper rampaging during an examination was extremely low.

But Chaewon was exceptional in many ways.

It could easily have turned into a dangerous situation.

And yet, if someone asked whether that was truly the reason for the unpleasant, unsettled feeling twisting in Su-ha’s chest right now, he couldn’t honestly say he was certain.

If Chaewon had been harboring anxiety that he might be expelled from this place, then Su-ha’s confession, that he didn’t want to be his guide, would have been a threat to him.

It could have sounded like a warning that he might be driven out at any moment.

Su-ha recalled Chaewon’s eyes as he’d looked at him just before losing consciousness.

Was it desperation?

Was he trying to say that he was doing everything he could, that he was trying so hard, so please don’t push him out of this place?

Su-ha’s gaze shifted to Chaewon’s arm, an IV needle inserted into it.

Even if Chaewon was unconscious, Guiding could still be performed, and if Su-ha stepped in now, Chaewon’s condition might improve more quickly.

Su-ha’s hand moved toward Chaewon, painfully slowly.

“Ugh…”

The moment their energies intertwined, the pain Chaewon must still have been feeling was transmitted to Su-ha, diluted yet unmistakable.

…You’re Chaewon’s guide, Su-ha.

Trying not to dwell on Eunho’s words echoing in his ears, Su-ha silently held onto Chaewon’s wrist for a long time.

****

“Wow, isn’t this basically being treated like an angel descending from the heavens?”

At Ihyeon’s blunt reaction as he stared at the tablet, Ye-seon shrugged and said, “That’s what I’m saying.”

They’d supposedly all been granted leave to celebrate successfully finishing the operation, yet Ihyeon had suddenly made his way to the center.

Ye-seon had briefly wondered what was going on, but the moment he returned to his office and saw Ihyeon already seated there, his bright face waiting, he understood the reason.

And just as Ye-seon had guessed, Hyun was now watching Chaewon’s examination footage, repeatedly expressing his amazement.

“They said he was S-rank with severe side effects, so I wondered what kind of case that was, but side effects aren’t even the issue here.”

As someone who had borne the full brunt of media and public response more than anyone, Hyun immediately grasped the significance of Lee Chaewon’s existence without any explanation from Ye-seon.

In Ihyeon’s eyes, shining with interest, Chaewon appeared on screen, bleeding profusely yet insisting he could endure more.

The gentle face Ye-seon had seen at the hospital not long ago came to mind.

Back then, Chaewon had looked so small and fragile that it was hard to believe he was truly S-rank.

Now it was clear that such a slight body was hiding something enormous.

“His skill’s improving fast… but the side effects are getting worse along with it, huh.”

At Hyun’s muttered remark, Ye-seon nodded from across the table.

“Yeah. The one good thing is, if you can even call it a blessing, is that it looks like we might be able to extend the time before he loses consciousness. But the problem is, if that happens, he could end up bleeding like today, or showing even more severe side effects.”

“Well, he’s only just getting started. If he keeps receiving Guiding and undergoes combined treatment, won’t things improve?”

The moment the word Guiding left Ihyeon’s mouth, Ye-seon’s fingers, which had been holding his glass, twitched slightly.

The man sitting across from him had no idea that he himself was becoming a small obstacle in Chaewon’s path.

As that thought surfaced, the face of the one who still desperately wanted to be Ihyeon’s guide came to mind.

Ye-seon opened his mouth carefully.

“By the way… Team Leader Min still doesn’t want to receive paired guiding?”

Ihyeon looked at Ye-seon as if he were saying something strange.

“Why bring that up all of a sudden?”

“No reason, really. It’s been a long time, and there are plenty of people aiming for that paired guide position.”

Ihyeon watched Ye-seon quietly for a moment as Ye-seon shrugged, pretending it was nothing important.

Sensing Ihyeon’s probing gaze, Ye-seon lifted his brows playfully, as if to say, what are you looking at?

Ihyeon burst out laughing at that and said,

“If our Team Leader Woo Ye-seon were a guide, I’d have scooped you up immediately.”

“There you go changing the subject again.”

Knowing this was Ihyeon’s way of sidestepping the question, Ye-seon didn’t push further and simply rolled his eyes lightly, letting the matter drop.

Since Ihyeon clearly still had no intention of receiving paired guiding, there was no need for Ye-seon to feel guilty about Su-ha.

No matter how much someone wanted it, no matter how well-qualified or how hard they tried, if Ihyeon didn’t want it, it was all meaningless.

In that case, it would be better for everyone, both Su-ha and Chaewon, if Su-ha could fully apply his abilities to Chaewon instead.

Just then, Ihyeon rose from his seat and spoke.

“Anyway, if there’s any new update about Lee Chaewon, let me know too.”

“…Why are you so interested?”

Standing up as well, Ye-seon tilted his head at the unexpected interest and asked.

Ihyeon shrugged, just as Ye-seon had earlier.

“Can’t one esper take an interest in another?”

“And what would you do with that interest? You can’t even be on the same team.”

Ihyeon smiled lightly and replied,

“Why not? Until he grows enough to form his own team, I think it’d be fine for him to work under me.”

“What?”

“Who else would be a better teacher than me?”

“You’re joking, right?”

Unable to read what lay behind Ihyeon’s spotless smile, Ye-seon asked again.

Ihyeon merely answered with an ambiguous, “Who knows.”

“Anyway, I’ll get going. See you again, Team Leader.”

With that casually chosen title, Ihyeon waved lightly and left Ye-seon’s office.

Left alone, Ye-seon sank back onto the sofa and stared absently at Chaewon’s examination files spread across the table.

Ihyeon was the core of the Special Response Team, while Chaewon was slated to join the Accident Response Team.

In reality, the two of them ending up on the same team was unlikely, but Ihyeon’s excessive interest in Chaewon still bothered Ye-seon.

Of course, since Chaewon was a newly awakened S-rank esper, Ihyeon’s claim that it was natural for espers to take interest in one another wasn’t entirely wrong.

But the moment the name “Jin Su-ha” entered the equation, the relationship dynamics were bound to become complicated.

“It’s pointless to worry about it…”

Ye-seon deliberately stopped himself from thinking any further and wrapped his fingers around the cup that still held coffee.

Worrying about things that hadn’t even happened yet was nothing but foolishness.