Chapter 73: The Lunatic Who Was Ready to Burn Headquarters Down

Lee Kang-wook grabbed Lee Chae’s trembling wrist and yanked it forward, twisting it this way and that. Pain shot through the joint, but Lee Chae bit down hard—he was too scared to make a sound.

Then Kang-wook suddenly bent the wrist the wrong way. The pain was too much; Lee Chae’s face crumpled.

“Argh—!”

More than the pain, the murderous glare terrified him. Kang-wook flung the wrist away like trash.

“If you were an esper, would you want guiding from a hand that can’t even hold pads properly?”

“…”

“What kind of mental state makes you think you can guide like this?”

“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t realize my wrist was this bad…”

“No excuses. This goes on your evaluation.”

The cold words stabbed like knives. It wasn’t unfair—he knew he’d screwed up. If his wrist was bad enough for others to notice, he shouldn’t have guided today. If one of the espers he’d treated had just come from a major battle, it could’ve been life-threatening.

Still, an inexplicable wave of grievance hit him. Tears threatened again; he bit his lip and bowed his head.

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

He’d lived never begging for help even when starving, always keeping the rules— but lately he kept messing up. His perfectly scheduled life was falling apart.

He covered his burning face with his hand, waiting for the verdict.

“Guide Jung Lee Chae stays. Everyone else—dismissed. Good work.”

Footsteps left. Only the hum of machines filled the empty treatment room.

Meanwhile at Legion, they were analyzing the changed monster attack patterns. Until a few days ago, the fights had been long and drawn-out. Now they were short and vicious.

Espers back from today’s battle sprawled across the meeting room. Feeling it would only drain them more, Haejin wrapped up with brief key points and ended early.

Then he called Lee Chae.

—Hello?

His voice sounded exhausted. Haejin raised his voice playfully, threw in the pervy jokes Lee Chae pretended to hate but secretly loved— but Lee Chae’s tone didn’t brighten.

—Call you later.

“Okay, honey, good wo—”

Click. Call ended before he could finish.

Break over?

Haejin ruffled his hair and sighed.

He teased Lee Chae about seduction, but his own mood had been rock-bottom lately.

Balancing battles, school, Legion, and dating wasn’t hard for him— the problem was Lee Chae was suddenly too busy to meet.

It hadn’t been like this before they registered. Ever since becoming official, Lee Chae’s cleanup-crew workload felt suspiciously heavier.

How long is he planning to keep that soul-sucking job? He wanted to tell him to quit yesterday, but the memory of Lee Chae’s furious rejection stopped him.

“Do I look like a beggar to you? You think I’m someone who’ll do anything for money?

He never wanted to hear that again.

I’ll just ask him directly.

His phone buzzed—headquarters summoning all high-rank espers. No attack, and they’re calling us in? Suddenly?

Normally he’d ignore it and go to Lee Chae, but he wanted to look good for the grade-obsessed hamster—so he turned toward headquarters.

Worst day ever.

The bar was packed—after-work rush. In a world where non-awakeners struggled to eat, almost everyone here was an awakener. The heat and pressure radiating from them made Lee Chae shift uncomfortably.

“Um… why did you call me here…?”

“Eat first. You must be starving from working without a break.”

Kang-wook ladled soup onto Lee Chae’s plate. Feeling guilty, Lee Chae couldn’t refuse and took a sip. He’d followed obediently, but sitting here felt like sitting on thorns. He kept glancing for a chance to text Haejin, but Kang-wook’s weird stare made it impossible.

I need to go to the bathroom.

He excused himself. In the stall, he checked his phone—tons of missed calls and texts from Haejin.

[Honey, should I pick you up? Headquarters called me in—if it’s nothing I’ll come right after.]

Lee Chae exhaled in relief. Better than useless misunderstandings.

[Got called for a talk, eating now. I’ll text when done.]

That should do. He returned. Kang-wook watched him with an unreadable face; Lee Chae quickly looked away.

Why did I have to mess up today of all days… Should’ve quit earlier!

Regret flooded him. He just wanted this over—scolding, firing, whatever. But Kang-wook had ordered a whole bottle of soju while he was gone. Drinks? This is gonna drag… I’m screwed.

“Can you hold your liquor?”

He wanted to refuse outright, but the glass was already poured. He didn’t plan to drink, but the arrogance of an A-rank guide ignoring boundaries was palpable.

“I’m not good with alcohol.”

Uncomfortable, but it was from his superior—he accepted the glass but set it down without drinking. Kang-wook smirked and downed his own.

“They say you’re so cold every esper who tries gets close ends up heartbroken. Looks like the rumors were true.”

Cold? What?

He must’ve overheard espers gossiping about him at the cleanup crew. Still, saying that to a subordinate he barely knew—crossing a line.

Lee Chae looked him straight in the eye.

“Chief, sorry, but I don’t understand what you’re saying. Today was my fault, and you said you’d reflect it in my evaluation…”

He had more to say—calling him out after hours, making near-harassing comments—but Kang-wook spoke first.

“You think I’d actually put that on your record? Group living is like that sometimes. You have to be harsh to maintain discipline.”

Lee Chae’s mouth snapped shut. Soju sloshed in the glass, tempting him. His chest felt tight—one shot would feel amazing.

“Were you offended?”

“No, sir. I was wrong.”

“Good. You remind me of myself—that’s why I think about you a lot.”

Kang-wook smiled gently. The total opposite of his usual scary face. Like a senior caring for a junior. Lee Chae couldn’t adjust.

“May I ask what you mean?”

“I awakened late.”

Lee Chae’s head snapped up. Kang-wook was staring right back.

“I didn’t know.”

He’d been drinking soju nonstop without touching the food.

“That’s why you catch my eye.”

“…”

“And until a few years ago… I was D-rank too.”

Lee Chae’s jaw dropped. He’d heard rare cases of re-awakening changing ranks, but never met one.

“You… re-awakened?”

“Yes.”

To calm his shock, Lee Chae unconsciously downed the soju. Kang-wook refilled his glass and continued.

“It was around your age. When I was guiding low-ranks at the cleanup crew—just like you.”

“…No way.”

The words slipped out. He grabbed the soju again.

“Haha, you drink well.”

Embarrassed, Lee Chae put it down—then refilled Kang-wook’s glass himself. Same age, same situation… Or maybe the suddenly soft atmosphere— tension melted; the soju tasted sweet. He looked up—Kang-wook’s gaze was fixed on him.