Chapter 133: Chaewon’s First Mission

As those memories surfaced one by one, Ye-seon felt the chaos in his mind gradually settle as well.

He spoke.

“Chaewon.”

“…Yes.”

“I’m sorry. I made the wrong decision.”

“…”

“I shouldn’t have even passed this order on to you. As the head of the Esper Management Team, I should have handled it on my end. I was too careless.”

If Chaewon’s power hadn’t been telekinesis, Ye-seon would never have accepted such an absurd order.

But he knew Chaewon possessed a power that could save an enormous number of lives in an instant.

A power that might protect dozens of people.

And because of that thought, because of that possibility, Ye-seon had called him here despite knowing how unreasonable it was.

Maybe… maybe Chaewon could do it.

In other words, Ye-seon had wanted to ask Chaewon to sacrifice himself a little more for the sake of many others’ lives.

Shamelessly so.

“Go back, Chaewon. I’ll handle this myself.”

“Team Leader.”

“This isn’t for your sake. I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do as the management team leader. So don’t blame yourself and go back. I’ll take care of the rest.”

He had almost made a terrible mistake.

Thinking he should deal with the urgent matters first and apologize properly to Chaewon later, Ye-seon stood up from his seat. Without Chaewon’s power, he would have to consider other forms of support.

“Chaewon, let’s go.”

Looking uneasy, Tae-jun gently tugged at Chaewon’s arm.

But Chaewon remained seated, deep in thought.

Just as Tae-jun began to feel an inexplicable sense of anxiety, Chaewon lifted his head and spoke to Ye-seon.

“Team Leader… please let me go too.”

“…Chaewon.”

“I know I’m still lacking. I’m not saying this out of emotion.”

His voice trembled.

It wasn’t the fearless tone people usually imagined when they thought of an S-class Esper.

His voice revealed the tension and fear he was feeling at that moment.

Chaewon continued.

“I’m not trying to play some big role there. I know better than anyone that I’m not at that level yet. If I rush in recklessly, I’ll probably just cause more trouble.”

“Then why…?”

“But with my ability, I can at least move people trapped in the building from a distance, right?”

Ye-seon’s mouth, which had opened to argue, closed instantly.

“I won’t try to do anything else. I won’t get any closer than necessary. I won’t try to solve the case, catch the culprit, or anything like that. I couldn’t even if I wanted to.”

“…”

“I’ll just… rescue the people I can from far away. If there’s a second explosion, I might even be able to protect people from debris or shockwaves. Just putting up a barrier would be enough for that.”

If it really was terrorism, Chaewon had no ability to charge into the center and capture the perpetrator.

He couldn’t extinguish the fire instantly.

He couldn’t heal the injured or take command of the chaotic scene.

But there were things he could do.

Things he could do without recklessly putting others in danger.

Whether this mission was forced upon him or had ulterior motives didn’t matter.

If he could simply do what he was capable of and save even one more person, that was enough.

Wasn’t that exactly what he had been striving for all this time?

Silence fell.

The air grew so heavy it felt suffocating.

Finally, Ye-seon spoke.

“I’ll contact Jin Su-ha and tell him to head to the scene right away. Until then, Guide Gong Tae-jun will accompany you as backup.”

Relief spread across Chaewon’s face.

Tae-jun still wanted to protest, but the moment he saw that expression, he closed his mouth.

Even if he managed to persuade Ye-seon here, Chaewon’s resolve clearly wouldn’t waver.

“Yes. I’ll go with him.”

“Thank you! Thank you!”

Normally, Chaewon would have refused, saying he couldn’t drag Tae-jun into danger because of him.

But with Su-ha not by his side, there was no other option.

Chaewon still couldn’t properly use his powers without a guide.

As Chaewon hurriedly stood up, Ye-seon approached him with a stern expression and warned him.

“Remember this. Esper Lee Chaewon’s mission is to evacuate people who can be rescued from a distance using telekinesis. Even if fighting breaks out at the scene, Esper Lee Chaewon is not permitted to intervene.”

Despite the cold firmness of Ye-seon’s voice, genuine concern for Chaewon was evident.

Chaewon nodded.

“Yes. I understand. Don’t worry, Team Leader. I’ll only do what I can… and do it well.”

With a heavy sigh, Ye-seon nodded.

It was Chaewon’s first mission.

****

After finishing his lecture and before beginning the Q&A session with students, Su-ha returned to the lounge during the short break.

He had just taken a sip of the coffee that had been prepared for him when a loud vibration came from his pocket.

As an active guide, he never knew when something might happen, so he always kept his phone on, even during lectures.

“…”

Su-ha set down the coffee and pulled out his phone.

The moment he saw the caller ID, his expression stiffened.

It was Ye-seon.

Ye-seon knew he was here. If he was calling anyway, it definitely wasn’t a personal matter.

Even before hearing anything, Su-ha’s heart began pounding violently.

It wasn’t a good feeling.

Moistening his lips nervously with his tongue, Su-ha answered immediately.

“Team Leader. What’s going on?”

“Jin Su-ha. Cancel your schedule there and leave right now.”

“…Did something happen to Chaewon?”

Su-ha asked again, his voice turning frighteningly cold.

More than anything, he needed to know whether Chaewon was safe.

Ye-seon replied.

“I’ll send you the address. Finish up there, get in your car, and call me again. I’ll explain.”

“Just tell me whether Chaewon is okay.”

Su-ha’s voice began to tremble.

He knew there shouldn’t be any problem.

Chaewon rarely left the center, and as far as Su-ha knew, he didn’t have any particularly strenuous training scheduled today.

There was no reason for Chaewon to be in danger.

And yet his heart felt so uneasy he could barely breathe.

As if some nameless premonition was creeping in.

Finally, Ye-seon’s voice came through the phone like a sigh.

“…Chaewon just received a mission and headed out to the scene.”

In that instant, a piercing ringing filled Su-ha’s ears.

****

“Whew…”

Inside the car, Chaewon gripped the Esper combat suit he was wearing for the first time in his life and took deep breaths.

No matter how hard he tried, his heart refused to calm down.

“Chaewon, are you okay?”

Beside him, Tae-jun asked with concern.

Chaewon nodded, but his pale face betrayed his tension.

“Give me your hand.”

Chaewon stared at Tae-jun’s outstretched hand for a moment before finally gripping it tightly.

There was no need for explanation.

He understood the intention immediately.

“Starting guidance.”

As soon as he spoke, Tae-jun slowly began channeling his energy into Chaewon.

Chaewon instinctively frowned slightly before closing his eyes and leaning back against the seat.

Tae-jun’s energy still felt unfamiliar to him, but he didn’t have the luxury of worrying about that right now.

Without Su-ha’s guidance available, Tae-jun was the only person who could help him stay calm and use his power effectively.

“Don’t push yourself. Remember what Team Leader Woo said, focus only on rescuing people from a distance.”

Tae-jun’s voice cut through the dim silence of the car.

Chaewon nodded, repeatedly wetting his dry lips.

There would already be many experienced awakened individuals at the scene.

Even Joo Gi-yoon from Response Team 1 was there.

So Chaewon wouldn’t need to do anything extraordinary.

All he had to do was stay behind and pull people out of the building with his power.

That was all.

He kept reminding himself of that fact over and over, trying to calm his wildly beating heart.

Even if the task itself was simple, it was still his first mission.

Feeling afraid and nervous was unavoidable.

But he couldn’t let that stop him from doing what he could.

He didn’t need to accomplish something spectacular like others might.

But at the very least, he wanted to do what he was capable of.

After all, that was exactly what he had been striving toward all this time.

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