Chapter 15: An Unexpected Interrogation

“Ah, have you committed the script to memory?”

“Of course.”

They had received a list of anticipated questions beforehand, each more dramatic than the last. These queries delved into how terror drills were conducted, what dangers were perceived during missions, and the mindset required to selflessly save the nation.

Sa-yoon knew that if he merely admitted to defusing the bomb while consumed by dread, the Director would surely have flayed him alive, metaphorically speaking. Therefore, he had diligently crafted his responses.

He spent several days meticulously memorizing the plausible script, which had been further refined with edits from his superiors.

“Ah-jun. I’m going to the shoot, so wait here.”

“Really?”

“But if you get caught with your hand down, your week is extended. You know that, right?”

“……”

Kang Ah-jun’s face fell, his hopes of freedom upon Sa-yoon’s departure from the waiting room dashed. ‘Where do you think you’re going?’

“Your hand. Higher.”

“Yes, sir. Raising it again…”

‘Well then, shall I go play the hero?’

“……”

“Is something the matter?”

Sa-yoon had momentarily forgotten. He wasn’t the only hero of this incident. Seeing Han Do-hoon in the waiting room after such a long time, Sa-yoon awkwardly waved a hand.

“Yo. Long time no see.”

“What’s with that awkward tone?”

‘What else could it be? My tongue’s stiff because I’m trying to lie about not being glad to see you.’ Sa-yoon gave a perfunctory wave with his awkwardly raised hand before shoving it back into his pocket.

It was a blunder, a genuine oversight, to have forgotten that Han Do-hoon would obviously be present if they were interviewing the heroes of the incident.

Jin Sa-yoon grumbled under his breath as he scrutinized Han Do-hoon. Despite the rumors of him constantly being with a Guide, his complexion seemed worse than expected.

Indeed, before the ‘constantly with a Guide’ rumors, there had been whispers throughout the headquarters about him barely surviving several crises.

The Guiding Sa-yoon had performed underground was merely a minimal treatment to prevent a rampage. Although Jin Sa-yoon had struggled to the point of collapse, a C-rank Guide’s efforts would have been akin to pouring a single plastic bottle of water into a desert.

He’d heard that after Sa-yoon’s intervention, the headquarters’ Guides had toiled tirelessly to restore Han Do-hoon to a semblance of humanity. Yet, Han Do-hoon’s expression still remained poor.

“I heard you were having a grand time with the Guides, but what’s with that complexion?”

“That was the case, yes.”

Han Do-hoon, speaking of his own situation as if it were someone else’s, unbuttoned the collar of his dress shirt with a finger. A faint reddish mark was visible around his neck. It seemed the residual heat from their intense session still lingered.

Observing Han Do-hoon, who sat blankly, blinking his eyes, Sa-yoon couldn’t help but recall the man’s state after he’d absorbed the bomb and collapsed.

‘He’s number one at stubbornly enduring things, even when it’s foolish.’ What was so important about this interview that he was forcing himself to sit through it, clearly struggling?

“Just get this interview over with and go rest. Your complexion looks like you’re about to collapse any second. It’s uncomfortable to look at.”

“It’s not that bad. I thought it then, too, but Sa-yoon, you’re quite kind.”

Having never heard himself called ‘kind’ before, Jin Sa-yoon furrowed his brows, then brazenly puffed out his chest.

“Well, I am naturally kind.”

Sa-yoon, who had shamelessly uttered words that would make the Director clutch his neck and faint, quickly ran calculations in his mind. ‘When did Han Do-hoon mean by “then”?’ Before the mission? Or when he went to stop the bomb? Surely, he wasn’t referring to the Guiding when he lost consciousness.

Calming his rapidly beating heart, Sa-yoon feigned indifference and asked again.

“But how can you be so exhausted even after receiving so much Guiding? I heard half the headquarters’ Guides were assigned just to you. Isn’t that a problem?”

“I can’t help it. I have an adverse reaction to the Esper Inhibitor.”

“What?”

“It’s a secret, but you already know my condition is unusual.”

Sa-yoon hastily glanced around. There was no one else nearby, but this was hardly the place to reveal such a secret. Contrary to Sa-yoon’s concern, Han Do-hoon’s face remained utterly calm.

“There are no recorders or microphones around. Speaking softly will be fine.”

“You nearly gave me a heart attack! But was what you just said true?”

“If you’re asking about the adverse reaction, yes, it’s true.”

The Esper Inhibitor was a device designed to suppress an Esper’s power, preventing them from harming Guides. It was mandatory to wear it after a certain level of contact with a Guide, a device used countless times since childhood.

When Sa-yoon had last seen Han Do-hoon, he’d been plastered with black inhibitors from his neck to his ankles. Sa-yoon lowered his voice and asked.

“Is the adverse reaction severe?”

“It’s nothing much. Headaches, chills, phantom pain, tinnitus… It’s similar to continuously using my abilities. The pain is familiar, so it’s not difficult, but the problem is that these symptoms reduce Guiding efficiency.”

“How can you perform missions in such a state…?”

“That’s why I always carry that medicine. I have to take it when things get rough.”

Sa-yoon was dumbfounded by Han Do-hoon’s casual description of his symptoms. This explained why he always carried a potent drug like Pentosamic. Han Do-hoon’s nonchalant attitude toward symptoms directly impacting his life was astounding.

“When you’re conscious, can’t you just take off the inhibitor and receive Guiding?”

While the inhibitor was usually mandatory, exceptions could be made for such unique circumstances. At that, Han Do-hoon shook his head.

“People around me advised against it, saying I tend to become rougher than usual when receiving Guiding.”

“…I see.”

At those words, Sa-yoon instinctively turned his head away. The warnings from others about his loss of self-control during Guiding were likely not unfounded. After all, the person who had experienced it firsthand and suffered the consequences was right before his eyes.

Even Jin Sa-yoon, an S-rank Esper, had ended up with a nasty bruise on his wrist. An ordinary Guide would likely have lost limbs. Reconsidering, the advice of those around him was indeed wise.

“It must be tough, regardless.”

“Well, I’m used to it now.”

This implied that the Guiding he needed for life wasn’t proceeding smoothly. Even if he claimed to be used to it, these side effects were likely of a nature difficult to truly acclimate to. Sa-yoon, having heard such unsettling news, found himself staring blankly into a mirror he didn’t even need.

“We’re starting the shoot soon. Please get ready.”

Hearing a staff member shout from a distance, Sa-yoon hastily rose. The task of simply reciting the memorized script, which should have been quickly done, had been delayed for far too long.

As he stood up, script in hand, Han Do-hoon moved to follow. His listless, trailing presence was quite annoying.

The shoot proceeded swiftly. It involved striking various poses for a few photos inside the studio, moving around as instructed, and finally, reading the memorized script.

The time spent preparing and feeling nervous seemed almost laughable. As the final cut sign was given, Sa-yoon, his face devoid of a single bead of sweat, offered a slight bow.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Applause erupted from all directions. Jin Sa-yoon, who had received applause for merely reading a few lines of a script, raised his hands high like a musical actor to acknowledge the crowd’s enthusiastic response. He waved once more as another round of applause broke out.

“Are you heading straight back to headquarters?”

Just as Sa-yoon was basking in the accolades, a voice poured cold water over the moment. The culprit was Han Do-hoon. Though he had finished his shoot earlier than Sa-yoon, he had lingered for a while, only to approach and act familiar the moment Sa-yoon’s segment concluded.

The conversation between the two Espers drew the attention of the staff members who were busy tidying up the props.

“If you have a moment, let’s talk briefly.”

“I don’t have time. I’m just going to go… no.”

Sa-yoon, who had intended to simply brush him off and escape as he usually would, found himself stopping due to the surrounding gazes. Within headquarters, where his capricious nature was known, it would have been fine, but fleeing so coldly here would be problematic.

Tomorrow’s front page headline might very well blare: ‘S-Rank Esper, Discord Rumors?’

“I don’t have time, but I’m incredibly generous, so I’ll listen. Tell me in twenty characters or less.”

“Mr. Jin Sa-yoon, do you have a designated sleeping partner?”

“Huh?”

“That was eighteen characters.”

Han Do-hoon’s unexpected question sent a sudden chill down Sa-yoon’s spine. He’d agreed to listen, mindful of the public’s attention, only for Han Do-hoon to casually drop a question that absolutely should not be discussed in front of so many people, momentarily making Sa-yoon’s vision go white.

“What did you just…”

“Sa-yoon, you…”

“Ah, hold on. Let’s go to the waiting room. We can talk there, just the two of us.”

Sa-yoon seized Han Do-hoon’s hand, preventing him from speaking further, and strode purposefully toward the waiting room. Han Do-hoon, whose legs were longer than Sa-yoon’s, followed effortlessly behind him.

Bursting into the waiting room, Sa-yoon practically shoved Han Do-hoon inside, then yelled at Kang Ah-jun, who was still standing with his hand raised.

“Kang Ah-jun, get out. Go far away.”

“Really? Can I leave by myself? Can I put my hand down?”

“It’s fine, just scram. Your one-week surveillance is over as of now, so report straight back to headquarters.”

He shooed away Kang Ah-jun, who stood bewildered in the waiting room. It then occurred to Sa-yoon that Han Do-hoon, whom he’d expected to be accompanied by his Team 1 members, was alone.

Just as Sa-yoon pondered this for a moment, Han Do-hoon helpfully disclosed the whereabouts of his Team 1 members.

“I ordered my team members to pull weeds in the training ground until I return. Since they’re exposed outside, they won’t be able to slack off.”

“……”

Kang Ah-jun truly ought to be grateful to Jin Sa-yoon. If he had been in Team 1, he would have been pulling weeds under the scorching sun, waiting for a shoot of unknown duration to end.