Chapter 4: An Absurd Invitation

Light seeped in through a narrow crevice.

An ominous scent permeated the air. Though they had clearly woken to a sense of commotion, the area outside the room was eerily silent.

Normally, venturing outside the room at dawn was strictly forbidden. Yet, an unsettling premonition suggested they absolutely could not remain inside.

Pushing open the small door, sized for a child, they cautiously stepped out. Their eyes, unaccustomed to the gloom, could barely discern an inch ahead, causing their movements to be exceedingly slow.

But then… their feet felt damp.

Slowly, they crouched down. As their hand groped near their wet feet, a sticky substance coated their fingers.

A shiver of dread ran through them, and they blinked frantically, desperate to ascertain what had stained their hand.

A hand, dark against the gloom.

A metallic, acrid smell.

The blurred vision of the scene before them seemed to reveal the source of the ominous feeling. An instinctive chill crept down their spine.

“Father?”

They cautiously opened their mouth to call out. Their voice, hoarse and trembling, sounded utterly insignificant and faint.

“Mother…?”

‘They must not have heard me because my voice was too soft,’ they tried to convince themselves, gathering courage to raise their voice a little louder.

Still, no answer came.

“Father! Mother! Brother!”

The house, devoid of any sign of life, felt terrifying and alien, prompting them to unleash the loudest cry they had ever uttered. Their scream-like call found no echo.

It was a house where both sound and presence seemed to have been swallowed whole. A strange… scent of blood filled the familiar space.

Just as their brain froze in the grip of extreme terror, a laugh, one they had never heard before, echoed in their ears.

Blinking while keeping their head bowed, their eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, revealing two feet clad in gleaming shoes.

Slowly, they raised their head, only to be met by…

Eyes that glowed like phosphorescent stars in the gloom,

More sinister than any serpent’s.

With a chilling laugh, the man extended a hand.

In that instant, two powerful hands clamped around their delicate throat.

****

“Gasp…!”

Jungwon gasped, scrambling upright.

For a long moment, they couldn’t control their trembling body. Even after regaining their senses, their hands, which they now looked down at, were still quivering uncontrollably.

‘What a foolish dream,’ they thought. ‘It seems I’m more stressed than I realized.’

They were told they had to leave the country with Kang Seokjoo in a week. Initially, Jungwon wondered if calling someone who had just finished a mission, especially when departure wasn’t immediate, was merely the director’s peculiar whim. However, when asked for a reason, the director vehemently shook their head.

The director explained that Jungwon was briefed immediately because Kang Seokjoo would soon contact them. Seeing Jungwon’s annoyance at not understanding, the director earnestly clarified.

‘I’ve already given him your number,’ the director had said. ‘If I didn’t explain it beforehand, you’d just ignore it as spam, wouldn’t you?’

That was undeniably true. And indeed, if such a thing had happened, the situation would have become rather awkward.

Among Espers, a significant number were morally bankrupt. High-grade Espers, in particular, were almost invariably ill-tempered.

While constant deference from those around them certainly contributed to their arrogance, high-grade Espers also often suffered from chronic nervous breakdowns or frequent minor ailments as a side effect, their bodies unable to fully cope with their own abilities.

Given such circumstances, a foul temper was hardly surprising.

Jungwon recalled every S-class Esper they had encountered. Without exception, they were astonishingly ill-tempered and sensitive, unable to tolerate even the slightest deviation from their plans.

Would Kang Seokjoo be any different? If Jungwon had truly dismissed his call as spam, he might have become utterly enraged.

However, the idea of him contacting them first didn’t feel real. Jungwon simply couldn’t envision an S-class Esper, accustomed to having everything handed to them, initiating contact and introducing himself.

Even if they only met for the first time on the day of departure, Jungwon would have thought, ‘Just as I expected.’ In truth, they had hoped for exactly that, wishing to minimize any time spent with an S-class Esper.

Jungwon’s expectations, however, were splendidly dashed.

[Hello^^ Jungwon^^ My name is Kang Seokjoo^^ As you may have heard^^ we should coordinate^^ before departure^^ It seems we’ll need to meet in person^^ to discuss things^^ When would be a good time for you^^]

The very next day, an absurd message arrived from ‘the’ Kang Seokjoo.

In truth, upon careful reading, the content itself was unproblematic. If it was to be a long-term mission, they would continuously provide one-on-one guiding, so coordinating beforehand was a sensible suggestion.

The problem lay in the tone.

Had the tone been stiff, professional, and courteous, Jungwon might have assumed someone else sent it on his behalf. This, however, was utterly inscrutable.

The very presence of a smiling emoticon at the end of every phrase was irritating, and what was even more vexing was the inexplicable way the lines were broken.

‘Why on earth did he put a smiley after ‘coordinate’ and then break the line?’

Jungwon was not one to harbor curiosity about others, yet even they found this message perplexing.

There was no time for prolonged thought. They immediately sent a reply. The message had arrived about an hour ago; Jungwon hadn’t checked it sooner due to being on a mission. Still, there was a possibility he might get angry, thinking he had been ignored. Time was of the essence.

[My apologies for the late reply; I was on a mission. I have another engagement immediately after this today, so that won’t work. Would tomorrow afternoon be suitable? If so, I will report it to headquarters in advance.]

In stark contrast to Jungwon’s delayed response, his reply arrived instantly.

[Yes^^ Sounds good^^]

‘Does he have nothing to do? There’s no way an S-class Esper affiliated with the state wouldn’t be kept busy by the agency.’

[Where would be most convenient for us to meet?]

[Please tell me a convenient time^^ Tomorrow^^ I will come pick you up^^]

Jungwon’s expression, as they glared down at their phone, immediately soured. ‘He’ll come? Does he mean he’ll come to my house? Has he somehow found out where I live?’

This wasn’t Jungwon’s first such experience. On a previous occasion, a state agency, treating its affiliated guides as inconsequential, had arbitrarily divulged Jungwon’s home address to an Esper.

The memory of that person, who had stalked their home daily, demanding, ‘Be my personal guide,’ made Jungwon’s head spin anew.

At the time, the Esper was insignificant, so it hadn’t been overly threatening. But what if… an S-class Esper were to do such a thing?

The eyes from their dream flashed into Jungwon’s mind, sending a shiver down their spine.

‘…That’s an excessive worry,’ they mused. ‘Even among S-class Espers, I’ve never seen anyone with the same overwhelming presence as ‘that man’.’

Merely hearing ‘S-class Esper’ and associating it with those eyes, then becoming stressed, was an overreaction.

Shaking their head to calm their mind, Jungwon sent a relatively composed reply.

[Do you know my home address?]

‘Surely I don’t have to move again,’ they thought. To the sharp message sent in agitation, Kang Seokjoo again replied instantly.

[No^^]

‘What was that…?’

Jungwon’s hand, poised to immediately send, ‘Please refrain from trying to dig up any more of my private personal information,’ expecting an affirmative answer, momentarily froze.

In that interim, the next message arrived.

[Please tell me a convenient location^^]

‘Was it an overreaction to assume he meant my house, just because he said he’d pick me up?’ A slightly abashed Jungwon fell into contemplation.

It seemed he meant he would pick them up from a location they specified, which made Jungwon wonder if it wouldn’t be better to simply set a meeting point.

However, if they refused the offer to be picked up with a casual ‘Oh, it’s fine,’ he might suddenly erupt into a tantrum. Espers were not to be judged by normal human standards.

It was better to think of them not as people, but as unpredictable rubber balls.

Jungwon responded calmly. As if the thought of their home address had never crossed their mind, they sent an affirmative reply along with the location of a department store near their morning mission for the next day.

Kang Seokjoo was silent for a moment.

He had replied so quickly that Jungwon wondered if he even read the message, so why no answer this time? Just as that thought occurred, a reply came.

[See you tomorrow^^]

The timing, as if he could read Jungwon’s mind, was unsettling, but there was nothing they could say. It wasn’t as if they could ask, ‘Why are you replying now?’

‘Well… I suppose this means the appointment is set.’

Jungwon felt somewhat bewildered. They had never encountered an Esper who reacted so eccentrically.

However, Jungwon was not naive enough to let their guard down after a few messages. While shedding excessive tension, they resolved never to do anything that might offend him. Adhering to that alone should prevent conflict.

****

The next morning began with an ominous feeling. Perhaps they had slept poorly, as their shoulder ached terribly, and after wrestling with their long-used microwave that had suddenly broken, they even missed the chance for breakfast.

Just as they were finally about to leave for work, their phone rang.

– The Esper Kim Juhyeok, who was scheduled to go to the site today, had to withdraw due to his grandmother’s funeral. We urgently looked for someone else, and fortunately, Sohee’s schedule matched. Sohee will be going instead, just for your information.

“I’ve noted that,” Jungwon replied. “But didn’t Kim Juhyeok’s grandmother pass away a few months ago?”

– Oh, really? Perhaps this time it’s his maternal grandmother?

‘His maternal grandmother passed away last summer,’ Jungwon thought. It was an infuriating lie, using a grandmother as an excuse, but arguing would change nothing.

Since another person was confirmed to go, there shouldn’t be any issues with the schedule.

‘…But why does it feel so unsettling?’

Just then, their phone buzzed. ‘Could it be a message from Kang Seokjoo?’ With a tense heart, Jungwon checked the incoming text.

[Today’s% For$tune$ A new person is coming into your life. Depending on your actions, they could become a valuable acquaintance or a wretched connection. For more fortunes, click here ☞ bit.ntt/com]

‘What kind of wretched message is this?’ Jungwon wondered. Spam texts were common, but this one felt oddly fitting, making it even more unpleasant.

With an utterly displeased expression, Jungwon put away their phone.