Chapter 50: Resignation

As soon as I returned home from the Association, I wrote my resignation letter.
I knew it wouldn’t be processed even if I submitted it, but the reason I was writing it was for Wonjae.
The Association’s injustice regarding his case had crossed the line.

The mortality rate for guides was surprisingly high.
Unlike Espers, they couldn’t use abilities, and most of them died from reverse guiding or being killed by monsters.
Since I had also died at a gate, I was well aware of the dangers.
But for Wonjae, who had awakened less than three months ago, to be the exclusive guide for an S-Class Esper was absurd.
At the very least, he should have become an exclusive after sufficient guiding training.

In the resignation letter, I filled three A4 pages with the Association’s past contract breaches, their response when I was subjected to inappropriate behavior from Sung Yohan, and the story of me committing acts that were grounds for dismissal.

Finally, I wrote ‘Resignation Letter’ in large letters on a white envelope, folded the paper, and put it inside.
I planned to take this to the Association tomorrow.

The next day, Wonjae went to work at the Center early for training, and I headed to the Association separately.
I was waiting in front of the apartment’s main entrance to catch a taxi when I saw someone running in the distance.
It was Hyun Taewoon.

At the sight of him, my first thought was that he had followed me, but then I remembered that he also lived here.
He must have noticed me too, as he stopped at a distance.
After hesitating, he finally spoke to me.

“Where are you going?”

“Yes. Why are you here, Hyun Taewoon-ssi.”

“I just came back from a workout. Where are you going?”

Seeing him, he was wearing workout clothes instead of his usual uniform.

“To the Association.”

“If you don’t mind, shall I take you?”

A laugh escaped me at his words.
To offer to take me when he didn’t even know I was going to the Association to submit my resignation letter.

Yes, it would be good to have him take me.
I wanted him to clearly feel that this was how we were ending.

“Okay.”

He must not have expected me to agree, as he looked surprised, but he soon gave a faint smile.

“Please wait here. I’ll go get the car.”

I waited for him to bring the car.
Before long, his sports car appeared.
It was a car I knew well.
It was the same sports car I had ridden in when we went to the greenhouse at his family home.
The memory of that moment, which I could never return to, was vivid.

I saw him getting out of the car.
Knowing he was about to open the passenger door for me, I got in first.
He looked awkward and returned to the driver’s seat.

As I sat in the passenger seat and fastened my seatbelt, he also looked at me, fastened his seatbelt, and started driving.

“Shinui-ssi, did you have breakfast?”

“Yes.”

“Shall we have lunch together after you’re done at the Association?”

“No. I have something else to do.”

“I see…”

I didn’t answer anymore and looked out the side window.
We would arrive at the Association in less than 10 minutes.

“Shinui-ssi, how long will you be off from the Center?”

“I don’t know.”

I answered bluntly.
The conversation with him wasn’t awkward anymore, but being in the car alone with him made my heart feel suffocated again.

“I was so grateful that you lifted the restraining order. I’ll work hard to open your heart.”

No matter what he did, there was no way I would open my heart to him or forgive him.
This time, I didn’t answer and turned my gaze to the side window.

Before long, the Association building came into view.
The thought that I wouldn’t have to be in the same space with him anymore made me feel like I could breathe a little.

The car smoothly entered the Association’s underground parking lot and stopped in an empty space.
Even though the car had stopped, I didn’t get out and said to him in a low voice.

“Do you know why I came here?”

“No. Why did you come?”

I put my hand into my inner jacket pocket and fixed my gaze on his face.
I was curious how his expression would change.

When I took out the resignation letter and showed it to him, his eyes widened, and he tried to snatch it.
I got out of the car just like that.
In the Association building, an ability-nullifying Esper was using his power to prevent the use of abilities.
So for now, he couldn’t suppress me except with physical force.

“Shinui-ssi!”

As expected, he called my name and chased after me from behind.

“Shinui-ssi, are you really going to resign?”

I ignored his words and stood in front of the elevator.
He turned me around by the shoulder and said.

“Why are you resigning!”

“I told you not to interfere in my business.”

I said coldly and got on the elevator that had just arrived.
He also followed me onto the elevator.

“Did you lift the restraining order because you were planning to resign?”

“You caught on quickly this time, didn’t you?”

“Why won’t you give me a single chance?”

“Because I have no expectations of you.”

“Why?”

He looked at me with a face as if he were about to cry again.
After returning to the past, it seemed I was seeing new sides to him.
And I had even seen his tears.

“Do you think people can change?”

“Yes. I think they can.”

“Well, I don’t.”

At the perfect timing, the elevator door opened, and I went straight to the President’s office.

“Don’t follow me.”

To get to the President’s office, I had to go through the secretary’s office, so I approached the secretary who was sitting at her desk.
As soon as she saw me, she asked.

“Guide Shinui, what brings you here?”

“I’d like to see the President.”

“Just a moment.”

The secretary immediately made an internal call to the President’s office.
After a brief conversation, she said I could go in.
I thanked the secretary and went straight into the President’s office.

“Guide Shinui, what brings you here so early in the morning?”

The President greeted me and approached.
His smiling face, as if he were a benevolent person, was still unpleasant.

“I came to give you this.”

I gave him the resignation letter.
He didn’t look as surprised as he had, as if he knew I would bring a resignation letter.

“Please, have a seat over here first.”

The President gestured to the sofa placed in the center.
I wanted to leave right away, but I decided to at least listen to what he had to say, so I sat down.

“I’ve put up with a lot. I have no intention of cooperating with the Association anymore.”

“We will do everything as you wish, Guide Shinui. You said you wanted to terminate your pair with Esper Sung Yohan, right?”

I was surprised by the unexpected words.
Break my pair with Sung Yohan?
To be honest, I hadn’t thought the Association would meekly do as I wished.
I quickly added one more condition.

“Wonjae too. Don’t assign him an exclusive Esper until he’s skilled at guiding.”

“I understand. Then you’ll be withdrawing this resignation letter, right?”

“Yes.”

The President handed me the resignation letter back.
I was dying to resign, but since the President was backing down this much and saying he would do everything I wanted, I didn’t want to throw away the opportunity.
And I didn’t want to grow distant from Wonjae and Jihwon yet.

“But if you don’t keep your promise this time, there won’t be a second time.”

“I understand.”

“Then I’ll be going.”

If I talked with the President any longer, I would be the one to get drawn in, so I left without looking back.
Outside the President’s office, he was waiting for me with an anxious face.

“Was the resignation letter accepted?”

“No.”

At my words, his face finally relaxed with relief.
I hated the sight of him, so I passed by him and walked to the elevator.

“It seems things went well with the President?”

He walked beside me, matching my pace, and then got on the elevator with me.
I looked at the elevator door and said.

“Why do you keep approaching me when I say I dislike you?”

“Because I want to become a person who is helpful to you.”

He said immediately, without hesitation.

“Why all of a sudden? Because I’m an S-Class?”

“Because I like you.”

He had definitely not liked me before I returned to the past.
No matter how much I expressed my feelings, he had never opened his heart.
But to say he liked me as soon as I became an S-Class.
As expected, I didn’t believe him.

“That’s too bad. I dislike you.”

“It’s okay. I’ll keep liking you, and I’ll protect you.”

“Do as you please.”

As soon as the elevator door opened, I went straight across the lobby, but he followed behind me and said.

“I’ll take you home.”

“I don’t need it. Just don’t approach me, as per the written promise.”

When I spoke firmly, he finally backed down.
And so, I took the Association’s car and went back home.

As promised, the President postponed Wonjae’s exclusive assignment, and the guiding level link on my and Sung Yohan’s watches was released, as if our pair had been terminated.

At that, I thought that this time was different, and I started going to the Center again.
To be honest, I was bored and restless just being at home.

When I came back to the Center, everyone welcomed me.
As always, I trained and had lunch with Wonjae and Jihwon.
But today, Jihwon couldn’t take his eyes off his phone screen and kept looking at it.
Puzzled, I asked him why.

“It seems an S-Class gate has opened in Texas, USA.”

“An S-Class gate?”

At the words ‘S-Class gate’, I was reflexively reminded of the S-Class devil gate where I had died, and my body tensed up on its own.

“Yes. It seems serious.”

He showed me his phone screen.
On the screen was an article about the situation in the US, along with a picture.
The city, which had become a barren wasteland due to the gate, was a desolate scene.

“They say there were the most casualties ever. Many Espers and guides died too.”

Looking at the article, it seemed the gate was one of the higher-ranking S-Class gates.
I read the news article with a frown.

I prayed for the gate to close quickly, but it didn’t close for over a week.