Chapter 40: The Lunatic Who Finally Got Headquarters to Move

“You know the situation is hectic with cleanup. We have no time or manpower to waste on a single D-rank guide. Tax money shouldn’t be squandered like that. An S-rank esper should have at least that much sense of responsibility…”

BAM—CRASH!

The moment Haejin’s head snapped twice, an entire row of books on the shelf behind the desk collapsed, and the vase on the desk smashed onto the floor.

Director Kim couldn’t continue. She simply stared at her son. Her shoulders were trembling with rage. No one—no one—dared treat an S-rank guide and headquarters director like this. Not even her own son.

“…What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“What the hell are YOU saying? No time? No manpower? Tax waste? Is taxpayer money only for high-rank awakeners? Is that really what a nation should do? Say something that makes sense if you want me to listen. And responsibility? Ha…”

Haejin let out a hollow laugh of disbelief. He clenched his fists so hard cold sweat broke out.

“How many gates have I cleared so far? I went to every single one I didn’t even want to go to, and now you can’t even spare one scout team? If you’re going to be like this, I have no choice.”

He turned to leave the office. Even if his body shattered, he’d smash every gate himself.

“Esper Cha Haejin, stop right there.”

The formal honorific from his mother made him slowly turn. She was drawing a line—no longer mother and son, but director and subordinate.

“I thought we were done talking. From now on, I’m ignoring every order headquarters gives me. If headquarters won’t support me, I have no reason to stay loyal alone.”

“Ha… when will you ever grow up…”

Kim Jung-mi stopped herself. Whatever she said would fall on deaf ears anyway.

“What exactly is your relationship with that guide? Did you imprint?”

“Yes. He’s the one I’ll imprint with. No one else matters.”

Kim Jung-mi wasn’t surprised to hear her son was planning to imprint with a guide he got along with—she’d already heard it from the people tailing him.

She’d been worried sick about how to separate her son—who responded to no one else’s guiding—from a mere D-rank. There are plenty of S-ranks with perfect compatibility if he actually looked. A D-rank, really?

So when she heard that guide might have been kidnapped today, she had secretly been glad—hoping they’d naturally drift apart.

But the moment she saw her son’s face walking in, she dropped that thought. His eyes were filled with the same madness as an esper who had lost an imprinted guide.

Like father, like son—those eyes were exactly like her husband’s when she had briefly left him years ago. And Kim Jung-mi knew better than anyone how obsessive a crazed esper could become.

“…This once. Not because your threat worked, but because it’s the first time you’ve ever asked me for anything. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

She immediately sent a cooperation request to the scout team and nodded at Haejin. He left the office without looking back. SLAM. She stared at the closed door with lonely eyes.

“You don’t know anything…”

There was no answer to her murmur.

As soon as Haejin left the office, he went straight to the scout team and demanded they start from Lee Chae’s last known location and follow his energy trail.

The scout guides reluctantly complied with Director Kim’s order, but they made no effort to hide their displeasure. Searching for traces of a D-rank guide was hard, unrewarding work that wouldn’t even raise their evaluation.

Reading their expressions, Haejin couldn’t hold back his anger. His teeth ground audibly. Feeling the dangerous energy rolling off him, every scout turned.

Haejin snarled.

“You WILL find him. No matter what.”

One S-rank guide answered.

“‘No matter what’ puts us in a difficult position.”

Haejin glared at the guide’s desk. It began shaking like an earthquake had hit.

“Esper Cha Haejin, this is too—”

Despite the protest, Haejin didn’t stop. Books started falling one by one.

“I don’t want to use my ability here either! So find him—no matter what, f*cking find him.”

As if on cue, every guide turned back to their monitors. Haejin delivered one final blow.

“If you don’t find Jung Lee Chae, I’m dropping everything—combat, all of it. Remember that.”

The guides shuddered and began working frantically. An S-rank refusing headquarters orders was no small threat.

“We’ll definitely find him.”

“Don’t worry. You’ve done contact guiding and been together often—your energy signature is strong. We’ll find him fast.”

They scrambled. Haejin stood there like a hawk, watching their every move.

Yeo-jun’s hideout — 6 hours since Jung Lee Chae’s kidnapping

“Thanks to hyung, I rested well and ate well. I don’t even remember the last time I passed out and slept properly. Thank you so much. If you find my phone, please keep it safe. See you at the cleanup crew.”

Lee Chae stood up as naturally as possible. Ki-jun’s face had gone pale—proof that Yeo-jun really had kidnapped him.

Yeo-jun said nothing. Lee Chae cautiously stepped toward the door. No “don’t go,” no “take care.” The heavy atmosphere froze his legs; he had to steady them before moving again.

Then several men appeared and surrounded him.

“W-who are you?”

No answer. Lee Chae turned to Yeo-jun. Yeo-jun stood with arms crossed, staring.

“H-hyung… who are these people? Tell them to move?”

Yeo-jun slowly approached. Over his shoulder, Lee Chae saw Ki-jun trembling violently. By size and looks, Ki-jun shouldn’t be scared of Yeo-jun—why was he shaking so much?

“You…”

Yeo-jun placed a hand slowly on Lee Chae’s shoulder. His fingers slid down Lee Chae’s neck—ice-cold, no warmth at all. A shiver ran through Lee Chae’s whole body.

“If you don’t try to run, everything will be fine.”

“Hyung, what are you talking about? That’s not funny.”

Yeo-jun’s grip tightened painfully. His voice turned frigid.

“Shall we talk? It might be a little serious.”

Lee Chae’s mind raced for escape. Yeo-jun in front, huge men behind—pushing past and running would only get him caught instantly.

Voice shaking, he asked,

“What kind of talk?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

“You think those guys behind you will let you walk away? You really think you can get out of here alone?”

He was right. Even giving everything, Lee Chae couldn’t fight them all.

He finally gave up and nodded. Yeo-jun patted his shoulder twice—“Good choice”—and jerked his chin at the men. They grabbed Lee Chae and dragged him away.

If he was locked up now, escape would become impossible. Fear and helplessness crashed over him. And in that moment—like a lie—Cha Haejin appeared vividly in his mind.

It wasn’t even funny. Not long ago he had exploded at Haejin for insulting people who lived hard, telling him never to rely on him.

Yet the instant real danger hit, Haejin was the first person he thought of. Pathetic.

Jung Lee Chae, when did you become this weak?

A child with no one to pick them up when they fall learns not to cry—no matter how young. Because crying changes nothing. That’s why Lee Chae had always believed the strength to stand alone came from having no one to lean on.

He clenched his fists and forced strength into his legs. He couldn’t beat a tiger, but even if dragged off, he’d keep his wits.

The men took him to a damp, dark basement. They forced him into a chair and tied him tight with rope.

A moment later, Yeo-jun walked in.

Don’t panic. Stay calm.

Lee Chae waited silently so as not to provoke him. But Yeo-jun only stood there, staring. In the end, Lee Chae broke the silence first.