“So, Lee Heewoo. Right now…… Are you saying that you can see wavelengths with your eyes?”
Was it his imagination that Heichi’s face, asking again, looked deathly pale?
Lee Heewoo looked at Heichi’s face once, then gave his gaze once more to the space behind him. Feeling that gaze, Heichi whipped his head around to look behind himself. But naturally, there was nothing there except the building behind them and the alley wall.
“Wavelength? What, what is that?”
“A wavelength is, well.”
Heichi’s answer didn’t continue immediately and broke off for a moment. Taking advantage of that gap, Lee Heewoo, who had been fidgeting with his fingers and hesitating, confessed honestly as if spilling out his sins.
“I f-first saw it at that convenience store…… At the time, I was so out of it, and I thought maybe I saw it wrong, so I j-just didn’t mention it.”
“……”
“Back then it kept flickering before my eyes, but from a certain point on, I could see it if I just concentrated a little……”
It wasn’t like he’d practiced seeing energy separately. Just as a young child naturally learns to stand and walk as they grow, after Lee Heewoo became able to see energy, he naturally learned. How to classify ordinary people and Espers, how to see Espers’ wavelengths, and such.
“……How is my wavelength right now? Can you describe it in detail?”
“It’s v-very torn. This end part is ragged, and also here there are holes punched all through it. Overall it’s crumpled…… Ah, ah, but.”
“But?”
“It’s incredibly big and beautiful…… Just like an aurora……”
At the end, he added shyly in a trembling voice. Though Lee Heewoo, who had never left Korea, couldn’t possibly have seen an aurora, if he actually saw an aurora, he felt it would resemble Heichi’s energy. He knew that if that torn and crumpled energy fully recovered and regained its original form, it would be magnificent beyond comparison to an aurora.
“Lee Heewoo.”
“Yes?”
“What Lee Heewoo is looking at right now is my wavelength.”
Wavelength?
He kept bringing up the word wavelength. Wavelength, what exactly was a wavelength? At the unfamiliar yet somehow once-heard word, Lee Heewoo fell into deep thought. Then he remembered.
‘A weakened state is when the operating range of a wavelength that hasn’t received purification is extremely reduced, causing problems with ability operation.’
When Heichi had collapsed, there was definitely something called a wavelength in the explanation AJ had given in the recovery room. Back then, he hadn’t even thought that the energy he was seeing could be a wavelength.
“Think of a wavelength as the core that condenses and operates an Esper’s ability energy. However, as you know, every time an Esper uses ability energy, toxins accumulate in the wavelength, so a Guide’s purification is absolutely necessary.”
“Uh……”
Lee Heewoo, who had been listening to Heichi’s explanation that continued quickly but accurately, asked with an innocent expression:
“Then, can I…… Can I fix Heichi’s wavelength?”
Every time he saw Heichi, he felt sorry for that torn and hole-riddled wavelength. It wasn’t like that wavelength conveyed any intention to him, but he also thought it was as if it was asking him for help. So Lee Heewoo had desperately hoped that Heichi’s wavelength would one day ripple beautifully.
But to think that he himself, of all people, could heal that.
Thinking that way, Lee Heewoo came to understand in succession the identity of the mysterious energies he’d seen until now and things related to Espers, and Guides’ guiding. Guide…… So in other words, he had met Heichi to purify that energy.
***
Lee Heewoo had to take Heichi’s hand and return to the battleship right away. Before that, Heichi had asked if there was anywhere else he needed to stop by, but the face asking that question looked so anxious that he couldn’t say anything else. Heichi had already said he’d send someone else to cover his Cafe Bonita shift just for today.
Returning to the battleship like that, Lee Heewoo headed somewhere else instead of going back to Heichi’s quarters where he’d stayed last night. While walking side by side with Heichi, the gazes of the Espers they met all lingered on them without exception.
Then when they stopped in front of a room at the end of the corridor, the door opened horizontally as before, revealing the interior. Two people who had arrived ahead of time were waiting for them there.
“AJ.”
“Captain, Guide Lee Heewoo. Have you arrived?”
They’d arrived somewhere, but Lee Heewoo couldn’t even tell what this place was for. One thing he could tell was that it had a similar feeling to the recovery room he’d been to before. Lee Heewoo, who had been behind Heichi, stuck his head out slightly to look inside.
“Kzar……?”
“Lee Heewoo.”
Lee Heewoo brightened considerably at seeing Kzar again. Back then they’d parted in such chaos that he hadn’t even been able to greet him properly, but fortunately it seemed he’d returned safely to the battleship. It was when Lee Heewoo took a step toward Kzar.
“Lee Heewoo. Were you hurt after parting with me that time?”
“What? Yes……?”
Kzar approached first before Lee Heewoo, leaving wet footprints as he strode over. Then he bent one knee for Lee Heewoo, who was much shorter than himself, and faced him at eye level. It was a gentle gesture, like an adult treating a young child. Lee Heewoo, who had flinched when the huge person suddenly approached, checked the concern reflected in Kzar’s emerald eyes and shook his head.
“N-no. Back then something just came up……”
“I heard you were hurt. Because I didn’t properly take you all the way home.”
It seemed Kzar thought Lee Heewoo had gotten hurt because he’d only taken him as far as the alley that day. That’s not it. That day, it was just bad luck.
“I apologize. And from now on, I won’t carelessly take you anywhere.”
“N-no, no, no! It’s f-fine, it’s fine.”
At Kzar’s appearance of apologizing as if he’d kneel right then and there, Lee Heewoo waved both hands in denial. Heichi, who had been watching that from behind, said quietly:
“Be careful from now on.”
When even Heichi said that, Lee Heewoo felt even more embarrassed. But Kzar gave Heichi a brief glance, then lowered just his eyes as if apologizing and returned to his spot. Once the situation settled, AJ stepped forward.
“So…… What exactly do you mean? That Guide Lee Heewoo can see wavelengths with their eyes?”
“Exactly as I said. He saw with his eyes that my wavelength was torn and damaged.”
“What? Well now, I heard it through the Link, but it’s hard to believe……”
AJ scratched his cheek with a quite flustered face. While doing so, he also gave Lee Heewoo a quick glance.
“So according to Guide Lee Heewoo’s words, doesn’t that mean he can directly see with his eyes the wavelength that we can only see when we examine and measure it? Is that possible, Kzar?”
AJ’s question at the end of his words was directed not at Heichi or Lee Heewoo, but at Kzar. Because Kzar was also a White-grade Guide, famous as the only one on the battleship and one of only two even in Epsilon. Kzar, who had crossed his arms, looked down at Lee Heewoo and said:
“It’s not a completely impossible story.”
“Kzar, tell me a bit more in detail. Is that possible?”
“I also feel the other Esper’s wavelength when I make contact. But to be able to see it with your eyes without even contact…… Lee Heewoo, don’t tell me you do radiation guiding?”
Radiation guiding? At the unfamiliar term, Lee Heewoo just blinked. The answer came not from him but from elsewhere.
“That’s right. When his emotions reach an extreme, guiding flows out into the air, and he can guide Espers within a certain range.”
“M-me?”
Even while hearing Heichi’s answer, Lee Heewoo looked back at him, unable to believe that was describing himself. So, all this time, that sensation of seeing wavelengths or feeling like the air around him was changing…… was because he was doing something called ‘radiation guiding’?
“If so, this must be one of the Black Dwarf Guide’s abilities as well. Since there’s never been a Guide who could do radiation guiding until now, we wouldn’t have known about the additional abilities that come with it either.”
“What?”
Lee Heewoo, who had been desperately just following along with the explanation to understand, raised his head and looked at Kzar. Then with a dazed face, he raised his index finger to poke his own chest and asked:
“Black Dwarf Guide……? Me?”
“……You didn’t know?”
If he’d known, he wouldn’t have shown such a reaction. Just in case, Lee Heewoo looked back at Heichi and AJ, but both of them were also looking at Lee Heewoo as if wondering why he was asking something obvious, just like Kzar.
“Guide Lee Heewoo. We currently presume you to be the only Black Dwarf Guide in this universe.”
Not Kim Sowoon’s Brown, not that Red that came from somewhere in South Sudan, not even Kzar’s White…… Black? Among the five stages of high-grade Guides that went Brown, Red, Yellow, White, Black—he was the very first one?
***
YO but if it’s Black, exactly how high is that?
No way;;; I saw on YouTube that the world’s first Red? kid is basically treated like royalty by Espers
Then if you’re Black level, exactly how much respect do you get..? Feels like they’d worship you like a god
Is there even a chance one could appear on Earth lololol
‣Likes(11)│Comments(6)
Anonymous1: Forget Black, we don’t even have Yellow lol
Anonymous2: I’m a Guide and Espers say there’s never been a Black in all of Epsilon’s history lololololol At this point isn’t it just a non-existent grade?
⤷Anonymous3: There must be a reason they made it lol
⤷Anonymous4: If Black is that level then White must just be the top
⤷Anonymous5: I heard even Whites are countable on one hand
Anonymous6: If a Black appears on Earth I’ll go straight to Gwanghwamun and dance tap dance naked lol
***
There’s been a lot of talk about wavelengths lately
What’s a wavelength? Is it electromagnetic waves?
Guides purify? Espers’ wavelengths or something but what does that even mean
‣Likes(22)│Comments(9)
Anonymous1: Yeah Espers’ superpowers come from wavelengths, they divide grades among themselves with that too
⤷Anonymous2: If the grade is high is the wavelength different?
⤷Anonymous3: Yeah yeah it’s different, the higher the grade the fucking huge the wavelength range is; if it’s top tier it’s almost as big as a blackboard
Anonymous4: Electromagnetic waves? I’m hungry lol
Anonymous5: Wow when I see stuff like this I think aliens really do have different genes from us.. they look so similar though
⤷Anonymous7: That’s why the whole world is in a frenzy looking for Espers to participate in experiments lololololololol But Espers are rich so they don’t need to participate in experiments right?
Anonymous6: Also if you keep getting guiding from just one Guide, the wavelength changes to match that guiding energy form, like a puzzle fitting together perfectly.. you know?
⤷Anonymous8: Yo isn’t this what they call imprinting????
⤷Anonymous9: Ahhh the legend of Anonymous21 appears here again…
***
I recently heard a weird rumor from an Esper
For reference I’m a Guide yeah, have an Esper I’m thinking of as a pair yeah
These days there’s a weird rumor going around among Espers?
Apparently an amazing Guide appeared in Korea..
Is this maybe Kim Sowoon?
But lately Browns are popping up one or two at a time right?
Doesn’t seem quite at the level of amazing though ㅇㅅㅇ;
‣Likes(35)│Comments(7)
Anonymous1: Wow you too? I heard that too;; Korea is apparently going crazy among Espers these days
Anonymous2: What???? Did a high-grade Guide really secretly appear in Korea? White level?
⤷Anonymous3(OP): Not White, there’s talk it’s Black…
⤷Anonymous4: Fuck lololololol A Black that never existed once in Epsilon’s history suddenly appears in Korea on Earth? Write a novel
Anonymous5: Yo seriously who is it, let’s report anyone we suspect around us
⤷Anonymous7: They’re hiding because they don’t want to reveal themselves, why bother;; just leave them alone
Anonymous6: That bastard who said if a Black appears on Earth he’d dance tap dance naked at Gwanghwamun is still living well, right?
