Chapter 54: Everyone Wants a Piece of You

A voice unfamiliar to Chaewon suddenly intruded into the space the two of them shared. When Su-ha turned his gaze to see who had approached, his expression grew a little awkward as he spoke.

“Lee Jeong-jin… what are you doing here?”

The man greeting them with a bright smile was Jeong-jin, someone who was as close to Su-ha as a real brother. After exchanging only a casual glance with Su-ha, Jeong-jin took a step forward toward Chaewon and held out his hand.

“You’re Esper Lee Chaewon, right? I’m Lee Jeong-jin. I’m a guide, and I’m really close with Su-ha hyung!” (hyung – a term used by young males to address an older male in a friendly manner in Korea.)

“Ah- hello! I’m Lee Chaewon.”

Just hearing that Jeong-jin was close to Su-ha was enough to make Chaewon feel a spark of goodwill. He warmly accepted the hand Jeong-jin offered. Su-ha still looked somewhat displeased, but Jeong-jin didn’t seem bothered by it at all.

When Su-ha had been openly wary of Chaewon before, Jeong-jin had felt too conscious of the tension to even greet him properly.

In truth, though, Jeong-jin, like everyone else, had been intensely curious about the country’s first telekinetic S-class esper. And after what had happened yesterday, it was only natural that his curiosity had exploded.

Still holding onto Chaewon’s hand, Jeong-jin asked,

“So how does it feel to become a superstar overnight?”

The excitement in his voice made it sound like he was the one more thrilled. Someone like Su-ha might not understand that kind of reaction, but whenever a new star appeared, it was usually the people around them who made the biggest fuss.

Especially for someone like Jeong-jin, who rarely encountered S-class espers, Chaewon was bound to attract attention.

At the very least, Chaewon lacked the intimidating air that most S-class espers carried, and since his guide happened to be Su-ha, whom Jeong-jin knew well, it gave him the courage to act friendly like this.

Otherwise, there was no way he’d have dared grab Chaewon’s hand and strike up a conversation so boldly.

“…What?”

The problem was that the person who had supposedly become a star had absolutely no idea what was happening.

Seeing Chaewon’s blank expression, Jeong-jin looked more baffled himself and raised his voice.

“You seriously didn’t know? Everyone’s going crazy trying to figure out who that esper is!”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

Su-ha quickly pried Jeong-jin’s hand away from Chaewon’s, cutting him off like a warning. But oblivious to Su-ha’s sharp mood, Jeong-jin kept going, his voice bubbling with excitement.

“People are losing their minds over you. They’ve never seen power like that before. And on top of that, well… you’re really good-looking.”

He almost said pretty, then hurriedly corrected himself. Some espers took offense at that kind of compliment, even if it was meant kindly. Cha-won still looked completely confused.

“Me?”

“People are already talking about starting fan clubs and posting nonstop online. You honestly didn’t know?”

“Ah… I’m not really good with that kind of thing…”

Still unable to hide his flustered feelings, Chaewon answered and instinctively glanced toward Su-ha. Whenever he encountered something he didn’t understand, he found himself leaning on Su-ha without even realizing it anymore.

Su-ha had planned to explain everything slowly, what was happening now, and what would happen next, but Jeong-jin had dumped all that information on Chaewon at once, leaving even Su-ha a little overwhelmed.

“Oh… so you really didn’t know…”

Only then did Jeong-jin finally sense the chill in Su-ha’s demeanor. He stepped back awkwardly, muttering under his breath. Judging by the way Su-ha was glaring at him, he’d definitely be in for a lecture later.

Panicking slightly, Jeong-jin hurried to change the subject.

“Anyway… let’s get along from now on.”

Despite Su-ha’s piercing stare, Jeong-jin refused to back down on that last point. Honestly, all the talk about fame and stardom had just been an excuse to say this one thing.

By now, no one at the center was unaware of how severe the side effects of a new S-class esper could be. No matter how much they tried to keep training discreet, it was impossible to completely suppress rumors about someone who drew this much attention.

Some doubted Chaewon’s power. Some pitied him. Everyone had their own opinions, but one thing was certain: all eyes were on him. And then yesterday’s incident had happened.

Jeong-jin recalled the footage he’d seen. The blue light, spoken of only in rumors, had shielded people in danger. Even awakened individuals accustomed to extraordinary sights had felt something stir at the scene.

And that wasn’t all. After saving everyone, Chaewon collapsing in a pool of blood had felt like a scene straight out of a movie, pushing the emotion to its peak.

For those at the center who knew how hard Chaewon trained despite suffering from constant side effects, the image was even more striking. So it was no wonder Jeong-jin was acting like he’d just met a celebrity.

Even after boldly saying they should get along, Jeong-jin worried for a moment that Chaewon might look down on him, a mere B-class guide. But the instant Chaewon heard him, his flustered expression vanished, replaced by a bright, genuine smile.

“Really? Thank you. I actually don’t know many people yet… so I really appreciate you saying hello first. Let’s get along well, from now on.”

The warmth in Chaewon’s face was unmistakable. His gentle eyes curved as he smiled, and without realizing it, Jeong-jin’s own face softened into a grin.

Just as Jeong-jin tried to step closer and say something more, Su-ha blocked him.

“We’ll talk more later. We’re on our way to the infirmary right now.”

Jeong-jin’s expression immediately filled with concern.

“What? Are you hurt? I shouldn’t have stopped you- go quickly.”

“It’s okay,” Chaewon said, shaking his head lightly. “It’s just a small scratch. It’s nothing serious.”

“Still, you should get it treated properly. Later… maybe the three of us can grab a meal together.”

As Jeong-jin said that, he glanced nervously at Su-ha again. Su-ha watched him with an incredulous look, wanting to ask why he bothered checking Su-ha’s reaction when he was clearly saying whatever he wanted anyway.

He hadn’t realized how much Jeong-jin’s interest in Chaewon had grown while he’d been focused on Chaewon himself.

Oblivious to Su-ha’s expression, Chaewon nodded with a gentle smile.

“I’d really like that. Then… see you next time, Jeong-jin.”

The way Chaewon stumbled slightly over Jeong-jin made him unconsciously clench his fist. It suddenly occurred to him how many names he’d started calling with warmth since coming to the center. The thought made his nose tingle faintly.

“Yes. See you.”

Jeong-jin walked away, looking like he hated to leave. Once he was gone, a brief silence settled over the hallway where only the two of them remained.

As they resumed walking, Chaewon spoke first.

“He seems to like me because he’s close with you, Su-ha.”

There was a faint excitement in Chaewon’s voice. From it, Su-ha clearly realized how unaccustomed Chaewon was to receiving goodwill from others.

Su-ha replied calmly.

“It’s not because of me. He genuinely likes you. If anything, he probably would’ve approached you sooner if I weren’t around.”

And it was true. Jeong-jin had been one of the first to view Chaewon favorably, he’d just held back out of consideration for Su-ha’s turbulent state of mind.

As Su-ha imagined the countless affection and admiration Chaewon would encounter both inside and outside this place, he continued,

“This kind of thing will happen all the time from now on. People will be lining up, desperate just to say a word to you.”

“No way,” Chaewon said with a laugh, shaking his head. “You’re just joking to cheer me up.”

It was true that many espers enjoyed celebrity-like popularity, but no matter how he thought about it, Chaewon couldn’t believe that kind of attention would apply to him.

Other espers had power and ability to match their fame. He felt different from the start. If anything, he thought he’d be criticized for wasting time and resources.

Su-ha could practically hear Chaewon’s thoughts without him saying a word. He considered responding, then decided against it. No matter what he said now, Chaewon wouldn’t understand yet.

Sooner or later, reality would make it clear.

Instead of explaining how lovable and noble Chaewon appeared in others’ eyes, Su-ha quietly matched his steps to Chaewon’s.

In truth, there was something Su-ha had wanted to say ever since yesterday. He took a silent breath, steadying himself, then asked carefully,

“After your treatment… if you’re up for it, would you like to take a walk in the park with me?”

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