Chapter 62: Cracks Beneath the Surface

“…Understood for now.”

“Anything that used to work under Oh Seong-gyu never listens unless you curse at them.
Get it together.
Before I ship you off to some backwater rural center.”

Jaeyul reluctantly agreed with the other man’s words.

Judging by how low and subdued his voice was, he clearly wasn’t in a good mood.

And yet, he didn’t add a single complaint and listened to all that bullshit in silence.

The Special Ability Center, as an organization, was practically similar to the military.

Unreasonable orders were common.

That alone made it an unfavorable environment for someone as young as Jaeyul.

But what had just happened beyond that wall wasn’t something so simple.

No matter how young he was, he was still a team leader entrusted with leading a unit based on recognized ability.

No superior, regardless of position, had the right to spew such thoughtless remarks.

There was no doubt Jaeyul was being picked on without having done anything wrong.

How could I be so sure.

Because the owner of that abusive voice — Na Dongchan — was someone I knew all too well.

When I first met him, I’d mistakenly thought he was a decent person.

Despite outranking me, as he moved between Seoul’s First and Second Centers, he always treated me with respect.

But when I began suffering consecutive defeats against “X,” that bastard was the first to stab me in the back.

A textbook coward — weak to the strong, cruel to the weak.

“Hoo….”

A heavy sigh escaped Jaeyul’s lips as he stood alone in the hallway.

Even from a distance, I could clearly feel the suffocating weight in his chest.

I wanted nothing more than to rush over and pat his back, but I couldn’t.

If he knew I had witnessed everything, how crushed would he feel.

Even if everyone says that’s just how working life is.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes.”

I abandoned my original plan to hand Jaeyul the lunchbox and clothes personally.

Instead, I entrusted the shopping bag to a passing employee and left the Center building.

“Seriously… how has this place not changed at all….”

My chest felt completely clogged.

Anger boiled up inside me.

This was exactly why I never wanted to come back here.

Knowing all this injustice, how could I possibly mingle with them again.

My thoughts were too loud, so I turned toward the outdoor smoking area set up beside the building.

I wanted to chain-smoke cigarettes, but instead bought a carbonated drink from the vending machine and sat on a bench.

“Hooah…!”

I downed half the bottle in one go, the fizzy burn nearly tearing my throat apart.

Forcing the blockage inside me open like that made me feel a little better.

Though it didn’t calm the irritation that had already flared up.

“Hey, why are you heading in already.
Isn’t your team on standby.”

“Am I crazy enough to work overtime at my seniority.
‘That guy’ will do it.”

Since it was quitting time, Special Agents and staff who had just finished work gathered in small groups at the smoking area, enjoying their last cigarette.

Looks like I picked the wrong place to sit.

Why did I have to breathe in smoke I didn’t even use.

I finished the rest of my drink and was about to leave when—

“That guy.
You don’t mean Sun Jaeyul again, do you.”

The moment Jaeyul’s name was mentioned, all my senses sharpened toward them.

They looked easily ten or fifteen years older than him.

At a glance, they were Espers with decent skill.

“Isn’t it obvious.
If some useless bastard climbed up to team leader, the least he can do is work hard.
Our director took care of it himself.
That’s why you need to ride the right line.”

“Man, he’s stubborn, huh.
If it were me, I’d request a transfer instead of getting worked like a dog.
What kind of pride makes him take on all the dirty work.”

“Hey, I’m grateful.
He takes the team no one wanted, handles support work, and even the annoying gate subjugations.
Makes our lives easier.”

“But doesn’t he still not have a properly matched Guide.
What if he goes berserk or something.”

“So what.
B-class Espers are a dime a dozen.
Who cares.”

Listening to those bastards laugh as they tore Jaeyul apart, I realized something.

The misfortune that had followed Jaeyul since childhood still hadn’t ended.

A world especially cruel only to him.

Cruel people.

That curse-like bad luck was still ongoing.

Crunch.

I crushed the can in my hand.

Coming here today was clearly a mistake.

How did I end up hearing nothing but things I never wanted to know.

I wanted to storm back upstairs, grab Jaeyul by the hand, and drag him out.

Asking why he was pouring his heart and soul into working in a place like this.

I don’t know how long I sat in the smoking area yesterday.

I just sat there blankly until the noise in my head died down and everything went empty.

The reason I was angry at seeing Jaeyul like that was because he reminded me of myself.

That was exactly how I used to be.

I worked harder than anyone.

Even knowing I didn’t have to, I took on every task without a single complaint.

Because I liked being acknowledged.

Because I liked knowing that the harder I worked, the more people I could save.

Only now do I realize how stupid that was.

They simply used me because I obeyed.

And those whose lives I saved with my help treated it as something only natural.

Even though I had risked my life to protect them.

Sun Jaeyul taking on all the dirty work, just like that idiot version of me.

Is this also part of the process of him awakening as “X.”

Enduring hardship and injustice, building hatred toward humanity until he eventually decides to destroy the world.

Some clichéd development like that.

If that’s the case…

He might as well awaken as “X” right now.

Just hurry up and destroy this rotten world.

“Ang!”

I couldn’t sleep even after returning home.

Knowing Jaeyul wouldn’t be back, I still couldn’t bring myself to go to bed and ended up dozing lightly on the sofa.

By morning, still not fully awake, Poppy climbed onto my lap and licked my chin, demanding attention.

“Hey.
I told you to protect your hyung properly.
And this is what happens.
You don’t even know he’s out there suffering to earn money….”

My frustration was unfairly directed at Poppy.

Even knowing there was nothing this animal could do, I still vented.

“Should we sneak out and make that bastard a eunuch or something.”

Na Dongchan.

I knew instantly he was the ringleader tormenting Jaeyul.

Back then, when it was hard to harass me directly, he’d go after my team members instead.

A man with abnormal ambition, promoted quickly despite his mediocre skill.

A truly troublesome figure.

So no, it wasn’t really a joke — I genuinely wanted to ambush him on a dark street.

Beep.
Beep.
Beep……

While I was pondering revenge, the sound of the front door keypad finally rang out.

Jaeyul must have spent the entire day at the Center before coming home.

I grabbed Poppy and ran to the door.

“You’re back.”

“You’re already up.”

“Huh.
Ah….”

I didn’t say that I’d barely slept.

He already looked exhausted — I didn’t want to add unnecessary worry.

“Hyung, you really didn’t have to send all that.
I ate well, but still….”

“You ate it.
I packed plenty so you could share with your team.
How was it.
Was it good.
I sent underwear and a T-shirt too — did you change.”

“Yeah.
It was good.
I didn’t share — I ate it all myself.
And I changed into the clothes after heading out on a mission.
Thanks, hyung.
It really gave me strength.
But since you came all the way to the Center, why didn’t you at least see me before leaving.”

Hearing him say it gave him strength felt like a lie.

As Jaeyul stepped into the living room, he looked unusually drained.

“…You were busy.
I didn’t want to get in the way.
So the gate really broke.”

“Yeah.
It was a total mess.
But we wrapped it up in about two hours.”

Something felt off.

Jaeyul was absolutely not just a B-class Esper.

No matter how intense the fight, he shouldn’t be this exhausted.

…Was it because of insufficient support.

“Go wash up and sleep first.
No — let’s eat breakfast, then sleep.”

I had many questions, but decided to save them for later.

Right now, letting Jaeyul rest — slumped on the sofa with his eyes covered — felt more important.

“Hyung, um….”

Jaeyul suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me onto the sofa.

Before I could react, I was seated beside him.

Then a heavy weight settled onto my shoulder.

He leaned his head against it.

“Let me rest like this for a bit.”

He sounded drowsy, or maybe just overwhelmingly tired.

Feeling sorry for how worn out he looked after just one day, I let him lean on me.

“…This is nice.
It’s comfortable.”

“Comfortable my ass.
Wouldn’t it be better to sleep properly in bed.”

“I can’t.
I need to change clothes and go back to work.”

“What.
You just got off work…?”

This was insane.

No matter how physically superior Espers were to ordinary people, they were still human.

They needed at least minimal rest.

“Haah….
This won’t do.”

Jaeyul, who looked like he’d fall asleep any second, suddenly stood up.

He stretched, forcing himself awake.

“Why.”

“I should go.
If I keep resting like this with you, I won’t want to go back at all.
Still, I’ll get off early today.
Let’s have dinner together.
Want to go out and eat something good for once, hyung.”

“…Something good.
What.
Can we eat something expensive.”

I couldn’t help but say something so shallow.

Jaeyul was clearly hiding his exhaustion, pretending to be fine with a light tone.

So I played along.

Acting like I noticed nothing, deliberately joking around even more.

“Of course.
I’ll buy you anything.”

Maybe because of that, a faint smile appeared on Jaeyul’s face.

Sadly, it didn’t make me feel any better at all.

“Then I’ll book somewhere really expensive.
Like lobster or Korean beef steak.”

I kept listing foods I didn’t even crave until Jaeyul entered the bathroom.

At dinner tonight, I’d need to talk more seriously.

Ask if he’d ever thought about quitting the Center.

No — maybe suggest he should.

“Puh.”

“I told you not to sigh.
Poppy, do you want to get scolded for real.”

This brat sat on the bed, tearing into dried chicken, sighing nonstop.

There was no way it was a coincidence he did that every time I changed clothes.

“I know I have zero fashion sense, okay.
I should’ve worn good clothes at least once in my life.”

The dinner plan was unintentional, but I’d made a proper reservation.

A restaurant selling extremely expensive Korean beef steak.

So I was trying hard to dress well, digging through my closet, but everything in the mirror looked wrong.

The top and bottom just didn’t match.

“Grrng.
Ang!”

Poppy suddenly jumped off the bed and trotted over to the closet.

He grabbed a pair of semi-wide slacks, a white T-shirt, and a tunic-style denim shirt from the scattered clothes.

“…You’re telling me to wear this.”

“Ang!”

Poppy’s expression said it all.

‘How are you worse at picking clothes than me.’

I wanted to smack his head, but when I actually put on the outfit and looked in the mirror, it fit better than expected.

I had no choice but to admit it.

Poppy was better than me.

I wasn’t even as good as an animal….

Bzzz.
Bzzz.

Just as I finished changing and was about to leave, my phone rang.

It was Jaeyul.

“Huh.
You’re already done.
I haven’t even left yet—”

— H-Hello.
Are you perhaps Team Leader Sun Jaeyul’s guardian?!

The unfamiliar voice was trembling with panic.

A bad feeling hit me instantly.

“…Yes.”

— We need you to come to the office right now…!
As fast as possible.

I didn’t want to hear what came next.

I really didn’t.

— Team Leader Sun Jaeyul is currently in a berserk state, and it seems you may need… to prepare yourself mentally….

Ah… of course.

Bad premonitions never miss.