# Chapter 1
Inside the airplane that had just taken off.
The expressions of the passengers who had started their long journey were uniformly weighed down with terror.
“…Ladies and gentlemen. Our aircraft will be returning to Incheon International Airport due to an unexpected problem. Please remain seated and check your seatbelts once more.”
Thud!
“Aaaargh!”
Even the relatively calm voice of the announcement couldn’t alleviate the passengers’ anxiety. As soon as the broadcast ended, a thunderous noise erupted as the plane suddenly tilted to the left.
“Kyaaaa!”
As the plane tilted so severely that it was difficult to maintain balance, passengers’ luggage collided everywhere, creating chaos.
“Huk, heuk!”
“What’s happening! Are we really okay?!”
In the midst of this pandemonium, there were no more announcements. Even the flight attendants were terrified.
Inside the distorted airplane, passengers breathed heavily. Soon, oxygen masks dropped from above.
Without anyone needing to go first, passengers hurriedly put on the oxygen masks.
“Hnggh, kkeuk…”
Instead of screams, sorrowful sobs could be heard. Some were praying, while others were swallowing curses.
The airplane with no escape route tilted further and further, to the point where it wouldn’t be strange if it flipped over soon.
“Haaa…”
It was then that a man walked out of a closed restroom.
His youthful face, looking like he had barely reached adulthood, had turned deathly pale. There was no life in his pitch-black eyes, but his face was creased in pain.
“Sir! Please, sit down! …First fasten your seatbelt…, ah, and the oxygen mask too…!”
The flight attendant who first noticed him shouted incoherently. In the tilted airplane where maintaining balance was difficult, she didn’t dare to unbuckle her own seatbelt to approach him directly.
“……”
The man didn’t move at all.
He just stood straight in the tilted space, watching people. His hair, as black as his eyes, shook slightly.
“Young man! Sit down. For now…!”
“Hey! Get a grip!”
People shouted at the unsteady-looking man. He blinked his eyes slowly. His pitch-black eyelashes covered his eyes and then slowly returned to their place.
At that moment, something flickered in his previously empty eyes.
“Ack, uh, uh, aaaaah!”
“Kyaaaaaa!”
The attention that had been focused on the man was suddenly withdrawn. This was because the already-tilted airplane had begun to plummet.
We’re going to die like this.
Everyone instantly sensed this and curled up in terror. No one paid any attention to the youthful boy who still hadn’t moved.
At the same time.
“Just my rotten luck.”
Moon Jiwon was moving his feet hurriedly. He was smiling, but the anger that was simmering inside him was gradually leaking out.
“An Esper has awakened on a flight to Los Angeles. We’re currently unable to communicate with the aircraft. It’s beginning to crash while returning to Incheon Airport and is expected to fall within a 1km radius.”
Something unbelievable had happened. An Esper awakening inside an airplane? The Association should bite its tongue in shame.
Narrow spaces that could cause significant casualties in a short time always required caution.
Especially for transportation like airplanes, where many people had to stay in one space for a long time, immediate response was difficult, so it was a principle that all passengers undergo a wavelength check.
Because the awakening of an Esper could happen anywhere, anytime.
Unlike ordinary people, Espers who used powers close to supernatural abilities developed wavelengths. Espers on the verge of awakening were extremely unstable, and their wavelengths could be confirmed with a simple test.
But now, failing to do that properly had led to this disaster.
“Maybe they’ll come to their senses after everyone dies…”
Jiwon ground his teeth as he moved quickly. How many victims would there be on the crashing airplane? In his anxiety, Jiwon began to sprint.
“How long until the crash?”
Jiwon asked the watch provided by the Association. The Espers who received the support request would arrive within 5 minutes. The problem was that it might take less than 5 minutes for the plane to crash.
Even if they somehow made it in time, he was worried about the Esper who had awakened on the plane. If he was currently out of his mind and attacking people…
‘They’re going to pay dearly for doing such a crappy job.’
Jiwon bit his lip. Whether it was laziness or a mistake, the price for missing an Esper on the verge of awakening was too high. There were hundreds of people on that plane right now.
“…Ah.”
“What is it?”
Jiwon’s tone sharpened in frustration.
“I, I’d like to correct myself. The plane has stopped falling and is returning to Incheon Airport.”
“…It’s returning?”
“Yes, that’s right. We still can’t communicate with the captain, but it’s certain that it stopped falling at about 700 meters altitude and is now returning. However…”
If it had been at 700 meters altitude, it would have crashed within 2 minutes.
Neither the Esper nor himself had arrived yet, but the plane had stopped falling. He should have felt relieved, but instead, tension made his body stiff.
Because…
“It’s flying unstably, still tilted to the left. And its speed is increasing.”
It was strange from the start that the plane was returning with an awakened Esper on board.
It wouldn’t be strange to return to the airport if they’d identified mechanical issues, but by now they should know it was because an Esper had awakened. So why return to the airport? Wouldn’t it be better to find a place for an emergency landing? Was there any reason to return to the airport crowded with people?
It was a choice that could lead to an even bigger accident.
‘It might not have been the captain’s decision…’
With an ominous feeling, Jiwon immediately turned his steps.
“I’ll go to the runway for now.”
“Yes. The Espers will also go directly to the runway.”
“How long will it take? They’ll arrive before the plane crashes into the airport, right?”
“Yes, yes. Before that… they’ll arrive!”
Seems like they’re not confident.
Tsk, Jiwon clicked his tongue and continued running.
As a Guide with no power to stop an airplane, he wondered what difference it would make if he arrived first, but he ran frantically anyway. Because that was all he could do.
“Estimated time until the aircraft enters the airport is less than 1 minute. It’s heading between gates 14 and 16.”
When he heard this as he was about to run out of breath, Jiwon looked around. Luckily, the gates were right in front of him.
“Heuk, what about the Espers?”
Though he could taste blood in his throat, he couldn’t stop. Jiwon was now running toward the gate entrance.
“…It seems it will take about 2 minutes.”
“That means, they’ll arrive, after, the accident, happens.”
“……”
There was nothing to say to the speechless person on the other end.
Then, outside the gate.
At the end of the wide-open runway, he could see the airplane, severely tilted to the left as he’d been told.
“Guide Moon Jiwon?”
“Oh, Guide Moon Jiwon! We’ve heard that an Esper has awakened on the plane, is this true?”
“What’s the extent of the damage?”
“Are the passengers safe?”
And even reporters he would rarely encounter under normal circumstances.
“Haaa… I don’t know since I just got here, but if that plane doesn’t slow down, not only the passengers but everyone here will die together, so the damage will be significant. The Espers are going to be late.”
Why were reporters at the scene when there weren’t even any Espers? If they wanted to add their names to the list of Esper awakening victims, it was a successful attempt.
As soon as he finished speaking, leaving the confused reporters behind, Jiwon faced the airplane flying unstably toward them.
“What about the Espers?”
“50 seconds estimated.”
“It looks like that plane will crash into the airport in about 10 seconds.”
“…Ah.”
Jiwon gave a hollow laugh.
“Actually, could you tell Team Leader Jo Wooyeon that I suspect he wanted to kill me because he didn’t like me?”
“Yes, what?”
“On the day an Esper about to awaken boarded a plane, he just happened to give me a long vacation? I wondered why he suddenly brought up vacation. So he really was planning to send me far away? Are you in on it too? You must have known I wouldn’t be able to do anything by coming here, yet you sent me.”
“Ah, that’s not it…!”
“I guess I won’t hear the answer…”
Jiwon lowered his wrist after firing off his words rapidly. He had no intention of listening to whatever the employee had to say.
Meanwhile, reporters who had gathered around, along with airport personnel, were fleeing.
‘Should have left earlier if you were going to leave.’
Despite the urgent situation, Jiwon just stood there with an indifferent attitude.
“Haaa…”
He had rushed to his death. But he didn’t want to die.
What were the chances that he would reawaken as an Esper here and stop that plane?
“Stop…”
Such a thing wouldn’t happen. It was already miraculous that he had awakened as an S-class Guide. The probability of the delayed Espers appearing heroically was much higher. If he wanted to place hope anywhere, it should be there.
‘It’s just that I don’t have faith…’
Jiwon’s eyes narrowed. He had never considered dying by being crushed under an airplane…
“Oh…!”
Jiwon’s eyes, which had been glaring at the approaching plane with a detached expression, suddenly widened.
This was because the plane, which had been approaching at tremendous speed, suddenly slowed down.
Thud! Kuuung! Kwang!
At the same time, the plane began to make a thunderous noise as it collided with the runway. One of the wings of the plane was smashed as it was dragged roughly across the ground. However, amazingly, the plane did not crash into the airport building.
It was a bit rough, but it had landed anyway.
“Ah, no… Espers have arrived yet.”
The bewildered voice of the Association employee was heard.
After looking around for a moment, Jiwon focused on the plane.
“Yes. That’s right.”
As he said, no Esper had arrived. However, the plane had landed without a major accident.
“I’ll check on the awakened Esper first.”
In this situation, there was, by his estimation, only one person who could have made this possible.
The Esper who had just awakened, who would be inside that plane.
Normally, an Esper couldn’t freely control their ability immediately after awakening. So this was something that defied common sense.
But… if such a thing had happened.
Jiwon needed to guide this Esper as quickly as possible. The wavelengths would already be fluctuating due to the awakening, and now they had used their ability on top of that.
If the Esper lost their mind after being consumed by chaotic wavelengths, everyone might die despite the Esper’s successful landing of the plane.
Kuung!
“…!”
At that moment, another thunderous noise erupted. It might be the signal of the Esper beginning an attack.
“Haaa…”
But there was no further noise. Only the door of the airplane had fallen off.
Soon, a man appeared in the doorway.
It was immediately apparent that he was an Esper. The distorted wavelengths that were almost overwhelming to look at made that fact clear.
“……”
In an eerily quiet moment, Jiwon approached him. The closer he got, the more vividly he could feel the chaotic wavelengths.
Soon, he could clearly see the other’s face.
“…Are you okay?”
Pale skin drained of all blood, wavering eyes, and lips marked with blood from how much he had bitten them.
The moment he faced the person who had maintained his sanity during awakening and guided the plane here, Jiwon’s first words were concern for him.
Normally, he should have identified himself, checked the Esper’s condition, and then immediately begun guiding.
There was no need to ask if he was okay. He wouldn’t be. But Jiwon wanted to ask, so he did. Because it felt like he should.
“…all…”
The bloodstained lips moved slowly.
“…they’re… safe…”
Jiwon couldn’t respond immediately even after hearing the man’s words. He opened his lips unconsciously only after realizing that the “they” the man referred to as being safe were none other than the passengers.
A chill ran down his spine, and after swallowing dryly, Jiwon tried to answer calmly.
“Yes. Because we landed safely.”
As if having heard the answer he wanted, the man smiled faintly, then swayed greatly as if his tension had been released. Jiwon immediately pulled him into his arms.
“It’s thanks to you.”
“…Ah.”
“Get some sleep. Everything’s fine now.”
“…thank… you…”
As his consciousness seemed to fade, his voice gradually became quieter. When the whisper from his chest disappeared, the wavelengths that the man had probably struggled to suppress surged.
‘He was suppressing this…’
It was a wavelength that felt terrible even to Jiwon, who had guided many Espers.
As he began guiding, his head felt like it was splitting in half, and a pain like his skin was being peeled off arose. His breath caught, and his heart ached as if someone was squeezing it. It wouldn’t be strange if he collapsed with a seizure right now.
“…It’s okay.”
But Jiwon clenched his teeth and instead held the man even tighter. The pain that the awakened Esper felt through his senses was overwhelming, but he could endure it.
To make this Esper comfortable quickly, he had to endure it himself.
Three days later.
[Different from the Beginning… Birth of South Korea’s First S-class Esper]
[Who is Seo Suhyun, the Esper Who Controlled an Airplane with His Ability?]
[19-Year-Old Monster… S-class Esper Seo Suhyun]
The man who returned with the airplane without a single fatality, South Korea’s first S-class Esper Seo Suhyun, captured the attention of the entire nation.
[Meeting of S-class Esper and S-class Guide… Focus on Their Matching Rate]
And Moon Jiwon, who had been the country’s only S-class Guide, was convinced that he would become Seo Suhyun’s dedicated Guide. That it was a fate that couldn’t be avoided. That his presence at the airport that day was by no means a coincidence.
Hmm… he admits it. It was an excessively sentimental thought.
