Chapter 71: Family of Scammers

“This is nothing short of a family of scammers.”

A disgruntled voice escaped from Oh Seonggyu’s mouth.

I don’t know why this old man, whom I never even called for, has come here to say unpleasant things.

I also don’t like the way he’s occupying the living room sofa as if he owns the place.

“What do you mean, scam? You knew everything, didn’t you, mister?”

“You think I knew both of you were SS-rank? Well… I had some idea about Jaeyul, but still, SS-rank!”

Wasn’t he someone who had watched me since I was 22 and Jaeyul was 18?

He was practically an accomplice who had colluded in faking Jaeyul’s rank.

“What got into you two, revealing the power you hid so well? Jaeyul, you endured for two years as a B-rank even while seeing all that dirty treatment, so why the sudden change!”

Perhaps if Jaeyul had properly displayed his true power even after the first awakening examination, he wouldn’t have lived such an arduous life.

Come to think of it, I’m curious too.

Why did Jaeyul remain a B-rank all this time, taking on all the dirty work at the Center?

“Because I promised. You told me four years ago to never reveal all my power, hyung.”

“…Ah….”

As if that was such a grand promise.

I had only said that because I was worried Jaeyul’s life would become difficult with such immense power.

If his life would have been this hard even with moderate abilities, perhaps it would have been better to reveal his power sooner.

“And it wasn’t that hard. Just… a little annoying. But thanks to that, it was good training for controlling my power. I learned not to burn down the whole house just to catch a single flea.”

Is he more patient than I thought…?

Just from the few scenes I glimpsed, I was boiling with anger.

Perhaps Jaeyul, like the past me, hadn’t even realized that it was wrongful treatment.

People are like that.

When you’re repeatedly put in crappy situations, at some point you start to accept it as normal.

It’s similar to gaslighting, I suppose.

“Anyway! Do I really have to come and deliver your clothes, huh!”

Oh Seonggyu irritably kicked the paper bag he had brought.

…I thought that mister was a very polite and serious person, but I guess you really have to get to know someone.

What’s the point of taking good care of his team members if his personality is trash.

“It’s probably because you’re the closest to me, Team Leader-nim. I can’t exactly say I’m on good terms with the others.”

“…You punk. You do know. That’s why you should, huh! Get along with the other staff! So what’s your plan! Why are you rolling into this shithole when nobody asked you to!”

It’s strange.

He’s clearly fuming with irritation, but it feels like Oh Seonggyu is worried about us.

Honestly, he and I aren’t even what you’d call close, so that can’t be it.

“Just because I want to.”

“…What? That’s all?”

I told a moderate lie.

To be precise, it’s not that I want to, but because Jaeyul wants to, but it’s one and the same.

“Yes. That’s all. Is this my uniform?”

I didn’t want to reveal the full story, so I changed the subject.

Inside the paper bag Oh Seonggyu brought was a Special Abilities Center formal uniform.

It was an outfit one would hardly wear unless it was for an official event.

Seeing the formal uniform after so long felt unfamiliar, yet it stirred a strange feeling within me.

“Try it on, hyung. Let’s see if it fits.”

“…It’s fine….”

“Hurry up. I want to see.”

At Jaeyul’s urging, I had no choice but to take the uniform, change into it, and come out.

It was similar to my past memories, yet subtly different.

Back then, I was an esper, not a Guide, so I think I was a bit more muscular, but now, having awakened as a Guide, my body was a bit frailer.

Just a little better than a normal Beta, I’d say.

Well… it’s also due to my Omega trait, so it can’t be helped.

“I don’t know why this uniform is so heavy. I won’t even be able to wear it around.”

Feeling awkward in the uniform, I said something unnecessary as I entered the living room.

The gazes of Jaeyul and Oh Seonggyu, who had been talking, fell on me.

Receiving two pairs of eyes on me made my embarrassment grow even more.

“I-it’s weird, right? This uniform is like that. It’s like it was made exclusively for espers.”

The short silence was uncomfortable, and my mouth started rambling on its own again.

“No, it’s pretty. The uniform suits you well too, hyung.”

“Uh, uh! It suits you well, uh! Wow. The clothes make the man, hey!”

…I saw it all.

Jaeyul subtly stepping on Oh Seonggyu’s foot.

That compliment must definitely be a lie.

…It’s not ‘the clothes make the man,’ it’s ‘fine feathers make fine birds’….

You bad esper bastards….

You guys have bulging muscles and great physiques, so any clothes look good on you; you wouldn’t know the sorrow of a normal person like me.

Perhaps because I sent him a look of disbelief, Jaeyul came over.

“Your tie is all messy like this, and the sleeves are too long by half a hand’s breadth.”

With a skillful touch, he retied my necktie and folded the sleeves of the jacket.

“Still, you’re pretty, hyung.”

It’s truly… a strange thing.

It was always my job to fix Jaeyul’s clothes.

But now that the situation is reversed, it feels somewhat… strange.

It’s a complicated emotion that’s hard to describe.

I can’t even gauge whether it’s positive or negative.

…It’s just a compliment that the clothes suit me well….

“You’re both being ridiculous.”

“Hmph.”

If it weren’t for the twin sighs from Oh Seonggyu and Poppy, I might have been consumed by a strange feeling.

“W-why did you bring such crappy clothes! I’ll have to go to work tomorrow and get them changed!”

Coming to my senses, I took out my misplaced frustration on Oh Seonggyu who brought the uniform.

“You’re starting work tomorrow? Both of you?”

“Ah, yes. If we’re going to do it anyway, what’s the point of dragging it out. We’re going from tomorrow.”

Tomorrow, finally, I will return to the Special Abilities Center after nine years.

This time, I will absolutely not repeat the mistakes of the past.

***

…That’s what I thought.

But the world, as always, does not flow as I wish.

Was it a mistake to leave all the cleanup to the Branch Director of the Seoul 2nd Center…?

“We will never! Acknowledge this!”

A very unusual situation was unfolding.

A protest was taking place in front of the Seoul 2nd Center.

It wasn’t the regular staff, as there was no such thing as a union there.

It wasn’t the citizens either, as assemblies were officially banned in this area.

It was… officials from other Centers.

“…How are we supposed to get through that….”

Jaeyul and I were trying to drive in, but the entrance was blocked.

“Ha. What is all this, really. Should we just push through them all, hyung?”

Jaeyul, too, seemed to be getting annoyed after being unable to get to work for nearly an hour.

The reason those people were acting like that was simple.

It was because it was unfair for one Center to monopolize the SS-rank ability users.

“We understand about Team Leader Seon Jaeyul, okay? Then hand over Agent Jin Sehyeon! Our center doesn’t even have a B-rank Guide right now!”

To be precise, it was a show of force to hand me over.

They knew it wouldn’t be easy to take Jaeyul, who was originally affiliated with the Seoul 2nd Center, so they seemed to have targeted me instead.

It was plain to see that the Branch Director of the Seoul 2nd Center, who was blocking our car and preventing officials from other Centers from approaching, was also in a difficult position.

It seemed he hadn’t expected them to take collective action like this.

And crucially, the biggest problem was….

“Everyone, stand back. Are you going to ignore my orders now?”

That man right there.

The Head of the Special Abilities Support Agency.

The man who oversees all special ability institutions in Korea had even made an appearance.

…Agency Head Han Dongil.

A bastard who remains very clearly in my memory.

Remembered as a nightmare.

“Agency Head-nim… this is not what we agreed upon, this is….”

“The situation has changed, hasn’t it! We all have to live, how can you be so greedy in times like these!”

He was a middle-aged man who, perhaps because he was a former esper agent, exuded a remarkable physique and an intimidating presence.

With a peculiar face that made it difficult to even guess his age.

“This won’t do, hyung. Let’s get out.”

“What are you going to do?”

“That thing. We were going to do it anyway.”

Ah, that.

After exchanging a look with Jaeyul, we voluntarily got out of the car.

But as soon as I got out of the car, a very unpleasant gaze latched onto me.

“Are you Jin Sehyeon?”

The owner of the gaze approached me as if he had been waiting.

Then, as if appraising an object, he grabbed my chin and lifted my head to make me look at him.

“Good, very good.”

Without even hiding the filthy desire filling his eyes.