# Chapter 57
The atmosphere was different than usual. Around the examination room building where Geonwoo was, Jaehee spotted Espers with faces he hadn’t seen before. Yet no one seemed to find this strange. No one except Jaehee.
‘Even back then, they had quite a grip on the Espers’ leashes.’
After the regression, following Cheon Taeyun, there were quite a number of Espers who had been assigned to the upper-level direct unit. He couldn’t remember all of them, but he did recall those who stood out.
“Hello, Guide Lee Jaehee-nim.”
Like this Esper approaching him with a smile, if they had a flashy appearance with piercings covering their face, they weren’t easily forgotten from memory.
“Hello,” Jaehee replied.
Jaehee greeted the Esper whose face was covered in piercings with a brief nod before entering the examination room. Inside, an examiner was recording something in front of a bed. Geonwoo was lying on that bed.
“Is Esper Choi Geonwoo alright?” Jaehee asked.
The examiner turned to meet Jaehee’s gaze.
“Yes, we gave him an Esper-specific sedative. Since he hasn’t manifested yet, even a small dose had a tremendous effect.”
The examiner looked at Geonwoo lying on the bed as he spoke.
Geonwoo had been given an Esper sedative and was now lying down to suppress his frequently manifesting abilities.
Looking at Geonwoo, Jaehee asked the examiner, “When will he wake up?”
“It’ll be difficult for him to wake up today. We shouldn’t normally use sedatives before manifestation, but we had no choice to suppress his abilities. This is a side effect. The drug is so potent that it would be more accurate to say he won’t wake up until tomorrow, not just today.”
It was rare to use a sedative that forcibly suppressed abilities on an unmanifested Esper. This was because the drug could potentially damage the abilities of Espers who hadn’t yet manifested.
If it was occasionally used, it was in cases like now—when there was a high-level Esper close to manifestation. Because randomly manifesting abilities could harm those around them. Only in these cases was it used carefully and temporarily.
“Still, Esper Choi Geonwoo’s condition has improved a lot,” the examiner said with a meaningful smile.
“After you finished your phone call and came back, I checked his wave readings. Though they fluctuate a bit, they’re relatively stable.”
At those words, Jaehee approached the examiner and checked the data recording Geonwoo’s wave readings. The readings from when he had briefly stepped out, and the readings after Jaehee had returned. There was a clear difference, but both were stable.
“It’s amazing. His readings used to fluctuate wildly every day, like walking on thin ice, but now that Guide Lee Jaehee-nim has accepted Esper Choi Geonwoo, the readings have changed like this,” the examiner said with amazement.
“Indeed,” Jaehee agreed.
“He could have gotten better… this quickly.”
A slightly bitter tone escaped Jaehee’s lips. As he spoke, Jaehee approached the bed where Geonwoo was lying and examined him. Geonwoo, who had been struggling with controlling his abilities, was now peacefully sleeping with his eyes closed thanks to the sedative.
Jaehee brushed aside the bangs that had fallen onto Geonwoo’s forehead and checked his temperature. It was higher than Jaehee’s own. This meant the manifestation pain was gradually intensifying.
“But there are a lot of people today,” Jaehee commented in a casual tone while checking Geonwoo’s condition. The examiner nodded slightly and met Jaehee’s eyes.
“It is a bit noisy, isn’t it?”
The examiner said with a slight grimace.
“I just received word from above that the Center Director is suddenly returning tomorrow. I think they’re preparing various things for that.”
The examiner relayed the news he had just received to Jaehee. Someone behind them asked a question in response.
“Wasn’t he supposed to come back later?”
Jaehee and the examiner turned toward the voice. Taeyun was standing there. The examiner gave Taeyun a small bow and answered his question.
“Yes, that’s what I understood too, but they suddenly said he’s coming back. I didn’t expect him to return so soon either. His health was in terrible condition.”
The examiner recalled the Center Director’s face and added:
“Strangely, he had suddenly fallen ill recently. He said he was taking a break to recuperate, but then suddenly went to another branch that only has a research facility.”
The examiner thought of the research facility not far from here as he spoke.
“I don’t know why he went to a place that only has a research facility. But there’s a Dr. Yoon there who knows all sorts of things and is very skilled. I think his condition might have improved thanks to him.”
The examiner said while lowering his head toward the pad, recording Geonwoo’s condition one by one.
“I see,” Taeyun replied to the examiner’s words. Then he stood behind the examiner and carefully examined Geonwoo’s condition.
“Still, I didn’t expect him to return so quickly. I heard it would take at least a few more months.”
Taeyun added quietly.
Taeyun had a bit of a headache. He had expected the Center Director to return later, but the news of his return wasn’t very welcome to Taeyun. And not just to him. The higher-ups involved with Choi Geonwoo’s case felt the same way. The main figure in this matter was the Deputy Center Director, and the relationship between the Center Director and Deputy Center Director was, contrary to appearances, not good at all.
That meant they needed to hurry. It would certainly be more difficult to touch Geonwoo once the Center Director returned. Because of this, Taeyun’s gaze was a bit more subdued than usual. He focused only on checking Geonwoo’s condition.
Jaehee glanced at Taeyun. He observed each of his expressions carefully. Then suddenly, Jaehee threw out a question.
“Then the Deputy Center Director’s role as acting Center Director will end today?”
The question was directed at the examiner, who reacted to it.
“Well, yes! The Deputy Center Director has worked hard all this time, but once the Center Director returns, he can finally rest a bit.”
Then, as if something had occurred to him, the examiner added:
“Still, this experience might prove valuable next year, right? I heard the Deputy Center Director will become the Center Director next year, so if we consider this a rehearsal, it wasn’t a bad experience. The job of Center Director is quite demanding, after all.”
Although Jaehee had directed his words to the examiner, what he was paying attention to was Taeyun’s reaction. Taeyun had slightly furrowed his brow, as if displeased.
‘He must be anxious.’
Since everything had to be finished before the Center Director arrived, he couldn’t help but feel rushed. Jaehee looked at Taeyun once more and then glanced out the window. The Espers naturally surveying the surroundings caught his eye.
‘They’re planning to do it today.’
The subtly different Taeyun, his persistent gaze on Geonwoo, and even the Espers kept by the higher-ups gathered in this situation.
And then…
“Guide Lee Jaehee-nim,” Taeyun called out to Jaehee. He approached the table, picked up a cup, and took out a small glass bottle from his chest. Then he poured a dark red liquid into the cup.
“You haven’t taken today’s dose yet, right?”
Taeyun smiled as if taking care of Jaehee and held out the cup. It was more than the usual amount.
“Ah, I forgot. Thank you.”
Jaehee smiled upon hearing this. All of these signs indicated that today was the D-day they had urgently decided on.
‘Today is the last day.’
Jaehee brought the cup to his lips. The appearance of unnecessary supporting characters would end today. Jaehee planned to sweep all of them away today.
Taeyun lowered his gaze and quietly watched until Jaehee had drunk all the medicine.
At that moment.
“I’m here!” a Guide said cheerfully as they entered the examination room. The examiner and Jaehee turned their attention to the Guide, but Taeyun did not. After confirming that Jaehee’s cup was completely empty, he stood up. It was time to prepare.
“I have some business to attend to, so I’ll come back in the evening.”
With those final words, Taeyun left the examination room. The Guide, who had been glancing at Taeyun, immediately approached Jaehee and whispered secretly in his ear once Taeyun had left.
“Guide Lee Jaehee-nim. I’ve delivered everything you mentioned last time to each branch!”
The Guide stopped there but then continued as if remembering something else.
“And I’ve brought Cheon Taeyun’s old information too. But it turns out he performed a one-sided bond before.”
The Guide handed the materials to Jaehee.
Jaehee smiled faintly and said, “Thank you.”
The Guide smiled back at Jaehee in response. Then, with a face full of question marks, he asked:
“But what is it that you had me deliver to everyone?”
The Guide even tilted his head to show his curiosity.
“Just information needed by each branch.”
Jaehee said that and made one more request to the Guide.
“Could you let each branch know that it’s today?”
It was just the beginning—both sweeping away the supporting characters who were ruining the play and erasing Geonwoo’s bond.
Notes:
Center Director (Male, Head of the Center)
Deputy Center Director (Male, Second in command at the Center)
