Chapter 3: The Pervert and the Icon

Han Do-hoon boasted quite an array of impressive titles:

Hero of the Nation,

Pride of Korea,

Great Esper, and more.

His reputation was as sterling as his accolades. Never had Sa-yoon heard whispers of him being a show-off or having a debauched lifestyle.

Now, Sa-yoon understood why the Director had so vehemently warned him against befriending Han Do-hoon. Indeed, it would be a precarious situation if Esper Han Do-hoon, a national icon, were revealed to be a sexual deviant. Hence the earnest pleas to keep his distance.

“That’s right, I am Han Do-hoon.”

Hearing the half-naked pervert utter words in the very voice from public service announcements, Sa-yoon’s mind momentarily rebelled against reality. Unlike Sa-yoon, who was caught between an ideal image and a stark reality, Han Do-hoon gazed at him with a different kind of confusion.

“Oddly enough, you look familiar.”

“I haven’t been at headquarters for long, so we probably haven’t met.”

While Han Do-hoon had undoubtedly seen Sa-yoon’s face countless times through various media, Sa-yoon had no intention of graciously revealing his identity. They simply wished to escape, pretending to be an ordinary staff member handling mundane tasks.

“Team Leader Han Do-hoon, whom I’m meeting for the first time today. May I please take my leave?”

“Hmm…”

While Sa-yoon felt a blush creep up, despite not being the one half-naked, Han Do-hoon, the man in question, casually blocked their path. He shifted his body, which had been leaning against the wall, creating a minuscule gap. ‘He must mean for me to squeeze through there.’ ‘He’s really testing my patience.’ He seemed to think they wouldn’t be able to pass, but he gravely underestimated Sa-yoon.

Sa-yoon, whose audacity was second to none, pushed past Han Do-hoon through the narrow opening. Even though he was shorter than Han Do-hoon, Sa-yoon’s considerable height meant his body inevitably brushed against his firm muscles and the fabric of his clothes as they squeezed past. A wave of heat emanated through his thin shirt. All the while, they felt an intense, piercing gaze from above.

‘Why is that pervert acting like this?’ While Sa-yoon’s striking appearance had always attracted countless suitors, this kind of persistent stare was unprecedented. As he irritably shook his trembling shoulders, Han Do-hoon’s voice echoed from behind them.

“I knew I’d seen you somewhere. Are you Esper Jin Sa-yoon?”

“…”

Finally, having their identity exposed, Jin Sa-yoon let out a sigh. As much as Han Do-hoon, Jin Sa-yoon was also a public figure. It wasn’t strange for someone to have seen his photos or videos somewhere. ‘I really should have been born with a more common face, one that wouldn’t be recognized even after seeing pictures multiple times.’ ‘This is why being noticeably handsome is a disadvantage in life.’

“I don’t think so. Probably not.”

“You’ve come all this way, and I haven’t even offered you proper hospitality. Would you care to step inside for a moment?”

‘He clearly knows there’s a Guide he was just cavorting with inside his room, so where exactly does he expect me to go?’ ‘What kind of shameless jerk is this?’ Sa-yoon scowled, glaring at Han Do-hoon. Now that his identity was revealed, Sa-yoon dropped his polite facade and shifted his weight to one leg.

Sa-yoon, who had been maintaining a mechanical smile, now frowned and crossed his arms.

“Forgive me for saying this on our first meeting, but are you unwell? If you’re having such a hard time, why don’t you just finish cavorting with your Guide instead of doing these strange things?”

“As I said before, would you like to join us?”

At Han Do-hoon’s words, Jin Sa-yoon pressed a hand to his throbbing forehead.

“You’re insane—! No, no. I, as a normal person, should just avoid this. Good grief.”

It was hardly surprising that the higher the rank, the more abnormalities one encountered. Han Do-hoon, it seemed, was one of them. Sa-yoon shook his head repeatedly, turning to leave. The fact that a respectable national icon was a lunatic was something they couldn’t possibly tell anyone.

“I’m leaving now. When the support team brings new equipment, use it sparingly. And please, cover up that exposed fellow properly. What kind of world do we live in these days? Tsk, tsk.”

As Sa-yoon, having vented his frustrations, headed towards the elevator, a relaxed voice drifted from behind them.

“Next time we meet, let’s at least exchange greetings.”

“No thanks.”

Even without Han Do-hoon, countless people vied for a chance to greet Jin Sa-yoon. He had not the slightest intention of getting entangled with a pervert who was merely visiting Korea temporarily. Sa-yoon raised a hand, subtly extending his middle finger and wiggling it.

‘Would anyone believe them if they told others? That Han Do-hoon, who appeared on public television, extolling honorable sacrifices for the nation and filming videos encouraging enlistment, was, in reality, a pervert who propositioned a stranger for a threesome.’ Sa-yoon felt an overwhelming urge to find a bamboo forest and scream it all out.

“Team Leader. Look over there.”

Sa-yoon followed Chae-jun’s overly enthusiastic gaze. There, a throng of people moved as a single, coalesced mass. These days, there was only one reason for such a gathering.

It was because of Han Do-hoon, whose head conspicuously stood out, at least half a head taller than everyone else in the countless crowd.

“It looks like Team Leader Han Do-hoon is about to start his training.”

Even without actively searching, Han Do-hoon was clearly visible, towering above the crowd. With Han Do-hoon’s appearance, the headquarters regained an unexpected vibrancy. The return of an S-class Esper, famous for his very existence. It was only natural for Espers, who were infatuated with powerful beings, to be excited.

Several days had passed since Han Do-hoon’s return to headquarters. Throughout this time, the assessments of Han Do-hoon remained consistent: a flawless and perfect individual. Opinions also described him as cool-headed and possessing a clear distinction between personal and public matters.

While he might have lacked a certain human warmth, outwardly, Han Do-hoon was the epitome of a perfect leader-type Esper. Naturally, other Espers swarmed around Team Leader Han Do-hoon like cats drawn to the scent of mackerel. Even now, people were bustling in front of the training room’s display screen.

Jin Sa-yoon, who knew Han Do-hoon’s true nature, scowled, glaring at the display screen. Among the myriad rumors, there was never a single mention of Han Do-hoon’s nocturnal escapades. ‘He was incredibly thorough.’ ‘How could someone with such a debauched nature not have a single rumor leak out?’ ‘It’s a given that getting involved with such a shady character would yield no benefits.’

“Team Leader, why the long face?”

“Oh. I suppose this is why they say those who know the truth are lonely.”

“What are you talking about now?”

Chae-jun casually brushed off Sa-yoon’s words, instead admiring Han Do-hoon’s image on the display screen.

“I always thought the world was unfair when I looked at Team Leader Sa-yoon, but that guy is something else too. Talented, handsome, and even exemplary. How can a person have no flaws?”

“Hahahaha.”

Sa-yoon made a sound like an old man, scratching his chin. While Sa-yoon endured the agony of unspoken truths and bickered with Chae-jun, Han Do-hoon entered the training room. Sa-yoon clicked his tongue, watching him turn his back heartlessly on the cheering and supportive agents without so much as a wave.

“He should really cherish the people closest to him. Tsk, tsk.”

While an Esper wasn’t a celebrity and didn’t need to reciprocate the goodwill of his admirers, Sa-yoon, who had already taken an intense dislike to Han Do-hoon, found fault with everything he did.

In stark contrast to Sa-yoon, Chae-jun was gazing at Han Do-hoon with a bright smile. Sa-yoon looked down at Chae-jun with a sense of unease, seeing his ardent follower so distracted.

“Chae-jun. You used to say I was the best. Why do you look so happy seeing Team Leader Han Do-hoon?”

“To me, it’s always just Team Leader Jin Sa-yoon. Honestly, I’m just happy because it seems our Team Leader has become more diligent thanks to Team Leader Han Do-hoon.”

Chae-jun, who had always wished for Sa-yoon to live ambitiously and diligently, hummed a tune, declaring themselves happier than ever. Indeed, it had been three years since Sa-yoon, upon receiving his Team Leader rank, had used his authority to skip morning training. It was only natural for Chae-jun to be pleased by his return.

While Sa-yoon felt a pang of guilt towards Chae-jun, there was a different reason for the sleep-loving Jin Sa-yoon to participate in early morning training.

“The Director… that damn Director…”

Sa-yoon had been thoroughly tricked by the cursed Director. he had been completely fooled by the promise of being excused from night duty, even doing extra work, only to be forcibly placed in the morning training group. ‘If only I’d done night duty, I could have skipped training.’ The Director hadn’t even mentioned that crucial detail.

Instead, the Director had earnestly emphasized that this was counter-terrorism training and absolutely couldn’t be missed, practically shoving them into the training ground.

Espers below Team Leader rank were unaware of the Seoul terror warning. Thus, seeing Jin Sa-yoon diligently participate in training they usually avoided, he surmised it was a move to keep Team Leader Han Do-hoon in check. Frustrated at being unable to speak the truth, Sa-yoon stuck a straw between his fingers and bit down on it.

“Ha. I really crave a cigarette.”

“Team Leader, you’ve never smoked a cigarette in your life.”

“It’s the sentiment, the sentiment!”

“You’re holding your fingers the wrong way.”

Chae-jun gently corrected the way Jin Sa-yoon held his fingers. Sa-yoon looked at Chae-jun anew. Younger and more innocent-looking than them, yet he knew such things?

“Don’t look at me like that. I quit a long time ago.”

“When? Why? How much did you smoke?”

“Why are you curious about such things? Oh. Look, the signal just came on. It must be over. Now, Team Leader Sa-yoon, you need to get ready.”

The entrance to the virtual training room, where Espers entered in sequence, flashed. It was the signal that the training had concluded. As the entrance opened on both sides, a plume of hazy smoke and gray ash billowed out.

“He really made a flashy mess of it.”

Han Do-hoon, who had entered the training room earlier, emerged through the smoke. Come to think of it, wasn’t Team Leader Han Do-hoon’s ability fire? Flame was one of the most common types of Esper abilities. Despite having seen countless instances of it, the intensity of the heat radiating from Han Do-hoon was unlike anything Sa-yoon had ever experienced.