Chapter 44: Yoon Haesol

Just as Yeong-u-hyung had hidden the story about my grandmother from me, there were things I hadn’t told him either.

Ability training and the examinations.

Both were things that the worry-prone Hyung would not be pleased about.

The first time I followed Min Ji-oh, who came to pick me up during rehabilitation therapy, to get an examination, I thought I was being dragged to some underground laboratory.

However, the place we arrived at via Min Ji-oh’s Teleportation was completely different from what I had expected.

‘This is just…’

‘Don’t try to find out exactly where this is.’

Min Ji-oh, who smugly said I would never find out even if I tried, took me to an ordinary house.

No, it was too spacious and overflowing with expensive-looking furniture to be called ordinary.

A glittering chandelier even hung from the very high ceiling.

‘What kind of examination are they doing here?’

‘How old are you now? Seventeen?’

‘Yes.’

As we climbed the long staircase, Min Ji-oh suddenly asked my age.

I marveled at his sense of taking a person on crutches up the stairs when we could have just Teleported.

As I placed my crutch on the first step, Min Ji-oh turned around.

He wrinkled his face, which looked like he owned this extravagant house, and opened his mouth.

‘If a word of what I’m about to tell you gets out, you’re dead.’

I nodded at his serious demeanor, his voice even lowered.

It seemed he was finally going to explain the examination.

‘What on earth could it be?’

‘The name is—.’

THUD!

Just as he was about to start explaining, a dull thud echoed from the second floor.

It seemed to be coming from the room at the very end of the left hallway.

THUD, THUUD.

The sound, once started, continued without stopping.

‘The name is Yoon Haesol. Same age as you.’

Min Ji-oh, who had started climbing the stairs again, wasn’t surprised, as if he were used to the thudding sound.

He picked at one ear with a face full of annoyance and irritation and continued speaking nonchalantly.

‘You two will have to meet until we get some useful information from your memory, so get along. Just know that he’s very shy.’

‘What does that….’

I was puzzled by the explanation that skipped the important parts and looked up at the room from which the dull sound was echoing.

‘Don’t tell me.’

‘He’s a Mental-type Esper.’

My dreaded guess was correct.

A Mental-type Esper.

Even among rare ability users, Mental-types were extremely scarce.

Even if the ability manifested, most couldn’t use it properly, so there were almost no known Mental-type Espers.

So the ‘examination’ was about reading my memories with that ability.

‘Can he read lost memories too?’

‘I don’t know. We’ll have to try and see. He’s still young, so his ability has a lot of limitations, and he can’t even use it properly.’

He was indeed young compared to other ability users who manifested at twenty.

‘Did he have problems with his body because it manifested at an early age?’

THUD, THUD.

The sound of the wall shaking grew louder.

‘No one knows about his existence except our team and the head of the headquarters’ research institute. Even the Center’s Director doesn’t know, so keep your mouth shut.’

‘Why?’

I couldn’t understand hiding the existence of a rare ability user.

The manifestation of a Mental-type Esper was news that the Center would boast about far and wide.

Naturally, Mental-type Espers were extremely valuable overseas as well.

‘The Team Leader said so.’

It was a half-hearted answer, but the content was by no means light.

The Team Leader of Attack Team 1 meant that the order came from the Esper Director.

I had seen him in the video Hong-gi showed me.

I was surprised by his young age and doubly surprised by a face that was hard to forget after seeing it just once.

He was a man with a cold impression, as if he could slice a person in two with his gaze.

I climbed the last step, thinking of the Esper Director whom I had only seen in a video.

I don’t know much, but it seems I shouldn’t run my mouth carelessly.

The image of him ruthlessly carving up monsters and glaring at Espers who got in his way as if they were insects was vivid.

I had a feeling that my future would not be easy if I disobeyed his command.

‘But, don’t tell me… does he only live in that room?’

When I got to the second floor, I saw that only the door to the noisy room had a lock on it.

From any angle, it looked like nothing other than confinement.

‘The door can be opened from the inside too. It was installed to prevent people from entering carelessly from the outside.’

Min Ji-oh glared with a crooked expression and walked ahead towards the room.

He checked the time frequently.

‘I’m telling you in advance, we didn’t kidnap and lock this kid up, and even though his actions are weird, he’s not a strange guy. He’s just sick.’

Min Ji-oh, who added the last words with a shrug, recognized his fingerprint on the lock.

Click.

With the sound of the lock disengaging, the door burst open.

Today is our fourth meeting.

Haesol, who was as big as a polar bear, was banging his head against the wall again today.

He said that whenever the Wavelength in his body gets twisted, he has to inflict pain on his body to be able to breathe.

Because of that, we couldn’t stop his self-harm.

“Hurry up and sit!”

Min Ji-oh, who was supporting me, snapped in annoyance.

I was being supported by him instead of my broken crutch.

As usual, I sat in the chair, waiting for Haesol to calm down.

Haesol’s room, despite its large size, didn’t have much furniture.

Two chairs, a small table, and a bed were all there was.

Large Guiding machines took up most of the space.

THUD, THUD!

Every time Haesol banged his head against the wall, the long wires attached to his body swayed.

Haesol was surrounded by Guiding machines as large as his body.

His body couldn’t absorb Guiding properly, so he had to live with large machines attached to him.

Those thick wires were Haesol’s lifeline.

Haesol couldn’t feel a Guide’s energy, nor could he properly absorb Guiding from machines and pills.

Because of that, his Wavelength had remained at a stage just before a Rampage ever since it manifested, forcing him to live with a machine that forcibly injected Guiding into him.

Haesol, with his high Wavelength, had an unstable ability, and even the time he could use it was limited.

That was why Min Ji-oh kept checking the time.

Haesol’s Wavelength, which fluctuated between 72% and 76%, only manifested his ability when it dropped below 70%.

Because of the erratically fluctuating levels, Min Ji-oh had no choice but to come and get me at a moment’s notice.

“Ah, f*cking tired.”

Min Ji-oh, cracking his neck, walked to the window and stretched.

After meeting him a few times for the examination, I had slowly gotten used to his foul personality and potty mouth.

“Yoon Haesol. Cut it out and let’s start. We don’t have time.”

Min Ji-oh said irritably, looking at Haesol’s Wavelength, which could rise again at any moment.

He showed the same unpleasant attitude toward the sick Haesol.

His character was truly something, no matter how many times I saw it.

Still, I wasn’t in good condition today either, so I wanted to finish quickly.

Hoping that Haesol would calm down soon, I leaned back in my chair.

This was our fourth ‘examination,’ but so far, we hadn’t obtained any particular information.

Haesol, who could read the past by looking into the other person’s eyes, had only been able to read the events after my accident.

The process of me first meeting the naked Yeong-u-hyung in the hospital room, pushing him away, and eventually ending up living together was being repeated through Haesol’s eyes.

The moment Haesol read my past memories, my body was tricked into feeling as if it had gone back to that time.

I vividly felt the emotions and sensations of that time as if I had returned to the past.

Because of that, I had shown the disgraceful sight of shedding tears throughout the three previous examinations.

The tears I had squeezed out while staying in the hospital room were shed in the exact same way in front of Haesol and Min Ji-oh.

Min Ji-oh, being the man of great character that he was, had clutched his stomach and laughed, even taking a picture.

He laughed until he teared up, saying it was the first time he had seen a grown man cry.

He didn’t take another picture after I broke his phone, pretending it was a mistake.

Fortunately, he had lost interest now that I had cried so much.

‘Let’s just get through today without crying.’

Honestly, I didn’t want to look back on my memories today of all days.

Just thinking about having to see yesterday’s events again already made me feel bleak.

I considered just ignoring Min Ji-oh’s call but changed my mind and reluctantly followed him.

I didn’t want to be alone, and I needed to find my memories quickly.

I was convinced that with Haesol’s ability, I could find all my forgotten memories.

Squeak. Squeeeak.

At the sound of the wheels of the portable Guiding machine rolling, I opened my eyes, which I had briefly closed.

Haesol, having calmed his excitement, was approaching with a composed look.

Even though he had banged his head hard enough to make the wall shake, there wasn’t even a small scratch on Haesol’s face.

Estimated A-rank Esper.

Haesol, who was already as tall as me at seventeen, was a friend who would become an outstanding Esper in the future.

If only they could find a Guide who could Guide him.

“Are you a little better now?”

I asked, lightly checking Haesol’s complexion.

Even though I knew the same answer would come back, I asked the same question every time I came.

“Yeah.”

Haesol, who had leaned his upper body close to me before sitting in his chair, answered in a faint voice.

As if even spitting out that short word was awkward, he awkwardly dropped his gaze and sat down.

Haesol was the purest and also the most timid child I had ever met in my life.