Chapter 17: Unexpected Alliances and Lingering Questions

“No, I reacted too sensitively. I apologize for my excitement. While I would appreciate it if you considered my input, you are free to proceed as you deem fit.”

Their tone was quick and mechanical. Seokjoo, who had been listening with an impassive expression—as if letting the formal words pass through one ear and out the other—suddenly posed a question.

“I have something I’d like to ask. May I speak?”

“Pardon? Yes, please do.”

“So, was your wariness of me until now for the same reason? Because you disliked my arbitrary actions?”

Jungwon flinched slightly. They hadn’t thought Seokjoo would be oblivious to their caution, despite their efforts to conceal it. Still, they hadn’t expected him to address it directly.

‘Was he displeased?’

However, prolonged contemplation proved counterproductive. Jungwon simply answered honestly, though concisely.

“That was certainly one reason.”

“I see.”

Seokjoo seemed to accept the answer without further inquiry. He didn’t ask about any other reasons, which was a relief. However, the atmosphere had grown subtly tense, presenting a new problem. As Jungwon pondered what to say, Seokjoo abruptly turned his head, as if feigning distraction, and called out to them.

“Jungwon.”

“Yes?”

“I’m hungry after all that effort.”

“Pardon?”

The two “Pardon?”s carried entirely different nuances. The first had been a simple reply, but the second conveyed utter bewilderment. Yet, seeing Seokjoo’s slight smile, Jungwon realized he had deliberately changed the subject to lighten the mood, and they understood. Seokjoo then proposed.

“Eating here seems unfeasible. How about we go somewhere a bit further to eat, then head back? I’ll answer all your questions, and we can discuss the next plan.”

“The next plan?”

“This is the right way, isn’t it?”

It might have been a misconception, but in that moment, Kang Seokjoo felt less like an enigmatic Esper with a mysterious aura and more like a child seeking praise for a good deed.

‘Was it merely a clumsy team effort this time, and would he genuinely try to incorporate my opinions going forward?’

As if answering that unspoken question, Seokjoo added.

“I believe I mentioned it before: I want to get along well with you, Jungwon.”

‘What on earth was he thinking?’ Jungwon couldn’t fathom it, concluding that he must simply be an unusual Esper. They nodded, as if resigned, feeling a peculiar sensation.

****

“It seems a bit more personal today, wouldn’t you say?”

Jungwon quipped lightly, watching Seokjoo methodically stomp on the monster.

“There’s a saying, ‘Even a dog isn’t disturbed while eating,’ isn’t there? Having to leave in the middle of a meal has put me in a rather foul mood.”

‘For someone claiming to be in a foul mood, his expression was remarkably bland.’ Instead of picking a fight, Jungwon merely chuckled.

From that day forward, Jungwon learned a great deal about Seokjoo that they hadn’t known before.

Kang Seokjoo, it turned out, didn’t possess precognition to foresee anomalies. Instead, he was simply hyper-sensitive to the abilities of other Espers. He could not only distinguish an Esper from a non-Esper by sight but also roughly discern the type of their ability. Furthermore, once he experienced an Esper’s power, he could track the residual traces it left behind.

When asked if it was a form of psychometry, he replied that it wasn’t; it seemed to be purely animalistic instinct.

Even after the explanation, Jungwon wondered, ‘Is such a thing truly possible?’ His intuition was so keen, it wouldn’t have been strange to call it precognition. Nevertheless, it was a blessing that his ability allowed them to detect anomalies before they fully manifested and arrive at the scene just in time.

According to Kang Seokjoo, things would likely unfold much more smoothly than anticipated. If they had to intervene belatedly after an incident occurred, the procedures would be complicated. Private companies operating under Tefft’s influence would have already preempted them, occupying the scene.

However, by preempting the anomalies before they even began, such worries were averted. They simply had to dispatch the newly emerging monsters, deal with the markings, and then leave.

Subsequently, two more anomalies occurred. Both times, their successful prediction allowed them to resolve the situations without any casualties.

However, Seokjoo’s intuition always activated at unexpected moments. It would begin with him suddenly declaring, ‘Somewhere around here,’ taking Jungwon out to wander. After a while, he would then state he knew the exact location, prompting them to move.

During their downtime, they invariably spent time on trivial pursuits. This included admiring nearby fountains, stopping at famous dessert shops for treats, or entering every souvenir store they saw to buy peculiar items, much like that ceramic doll.

Jungwon often wondered if this was truly work or something else entirely. Yet, spending such time together, a growing sense of familiarity began to develop between the two. For Jungwon, who had no intention of growing close to an Esper, this was both strange and perplexing.

“Ah, that was exhausting. I almost got indigestion from all that moving.”

“Your expression says otherwise, though.”

Jungwon responded indifferently to Seokjoo’s playful remark. Today, they had been forced to rush out in the middle of a meal at a renowned restaurant. Giving up their expensive dinner allowed them to barely arrive at the scene before it was too late.

Approaching Seokjoo, who had effortlessly handled the situation as always, Jungwon rolled up his sleeve and asked, a hint of concern in their voice.

“Don’t you think the timing for locating the anomalies is getting slower?”

This was the sole concern amidst their otherwise smooth operations. Seokjoo, seemingly in agreement, conceded.

“It’s true. It seems they’re setting up more complex traps to avoid detection quickly. Perhaps by using Espers they haven’t employed before?”

When anomalies are caused by the same Esper’s ability, the resulting phenomena are consistently similar. For instance, if an Esper who previously summoned a monster-like anomaly unleashes their power elsewhere, a similar-looking monster will emerge from that new location.

However, the anomalies they encountered upon arriving here varied in their manifestations each time. At the first site, the ground had split open, and a dragon-shaped monster emerged. Unlike that, other locations had experienced earthquakes or torrential downpours.

Just today, they had swiftly dealt with a three-headed, lion-like monster, entirely different from anything they’d seen before. Despite this, the markings left at each scene remained consistently similar, as if deliberately flaunting that they belonged to the same organization.

“Somehow, it seems this situation… won’t be resolved quickly, will it?”

‘What could their objective be?’ Jungwon muttered distractedly, almost to themselves. Seokjoo shrugged, then smiled, reaching out to press firmly between Jungwon’s brows.

“Don’t borrow trouble by worrying already.”

Jungwon should have immediately pulled his hand away, but they missed the opportune moment.

After a brief hesitation, they finally pulled his hand down, grasping his wrist once more. As Jungwon silently began the guiding, Seokjoo chuckled like someone being tickled. He usually didn’t show such a reaction. Wondering if he was uncomfortable today, Jungwon released his hand and observed him.

Seokjoo looked down at his own wrist with an amused expression. Then, he thrust his wrist, bearing faint red marks from Jungwon’s tight grip, directly before their eyes.

“It feels a bit strange to have my wrist grabbed like this every time. Look, it even leaves a mark here. Doesn’t it look like a handcuff mark?”

“It just looks like a handprint. Doesn’t it disappear quickly anyway? Because your skin is so tough?”

‘Handcuffs, really?’ His voice was subtly playful, as anyone could tell. Despite finding the remark unnecessary, Jungwon still replied. While Seokjoo might have been joking, it was an aspect that had already been bothering Jungwon. They had been contemplating guiding methods, sensing the increasing intensity of their recent work.

Perhaps because arteries ran through them, guiding via the neck or wrist proved more effective than other areas. Naturally, however, it was still negligible compared to skinship like hugs, kisses, or s*x. Even if Seokjoo appeared composed on the surface, the work he was currently undertaking was demanding enough to challenge even a typical S-rank Esper. Caution was necessary.

“If you dislike it, perhaps we should consider other methods? I’ve been contemplating it anyway, as the mission intensity seems to be gradually increasing.”

“I was just saying it for fun, but… will you hug me next time?”

Seokjoo, with narrowed eyes, spoke in a light tone that left it unclear whether he was joking. Jungwon, without analyzing his expression, immediately nodded.

“I will.”

Seeing Jungwon’s ready agreement, Seokjoo wore an unfamiliar expression. He had likely expected a flustered reaction. However, Jungwon genuinely intended to follow through. In fact, they had thought Seokjoo himself would be reluctant, finding his suggestion quite unexpected.

“It was a joke. I thought you’d say no?”

“Why would you think that? If it’s necessary, then it must be done, mustn’t it?”

“Well… because you’re uncomfortable with me?”

‘That again.’ ‘Doesn’t he realize that his bluntness is what makes it uncomfortable?’ Jungwon was, by nature, someone who separated difficult emotions from work. In truth, to be frank, their wariness towards him had significantly softened during their shared missions. So much so, in fact, that they could even playfully retort to such a comment.

“If you know that, then you shouldn’t be like this; you should try harder.”

At the words, delivered with an impassive face, Seokjoo burst into laughter. After receiving the brief guiding, he lowered his sleeve and stood quietly, seemingly lost in thought.

Jungwon unnecessarily checked Kang Seokjoo’s demeanor again, wondering if the guiding had been insufficient. However, he looked remarkably hale. Even when using his abilities, he displayed an air of effortless composure, as if this level of anomaly wasn’t taxing. Handling anomalies of this scale consecutively should have certainly drained his energy.

“It bothers me that our meal was interrupted. Aren’t you hungry?”

“I ate plenty earlier. Why do you keep trying to feed me?”

It was about food again. Although they had left midway, Jungwon hadn’t entirely missed their meal at the restaurant earlier, nor were they hungry now. Seokjoo himself didn’t seem particularly gluttonous, yet he obsessed over food to an unusual degree. When Jungwon asked, dumbfounded, Seokjoo simply shrugged.

“I heard somewhere that’s ‘Korean hospitality.'”

‘Was he joking, or was he genuinely putting into practice something he’d simply overheard?’ Jungwon gazed at Seokjoo with narrowed eyes.

“Are you going to say that’s also because you want to get closer?”

Instead of answering, Seokjoo merely smiled. Taking that as an affirmation, Jungwon subtly turned their head, avoiding his gaze.

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