# Chapter 117
The remaining Espers took care of the monsters’ aftermath, while Jaehee and Geonwoo hurriedly moved to the examination room where Dr. Yoon was waiting. It was for the treatment of Geonwoo, who had been doused with poison.
“What… is this all about?”
Dr. Yoon, who had frowned at the sight of those who burst into the examination room, looked shocked when he saw Geonwoo’s enormous wound.
“Quickly, lay him down here!”
Dr. Yoon hastily began treating Geonwoo. Beside him were several healing-type Espers. Geonwoo wasn’t the only one injured, but he had suffered the most severe wounds. Numerous healing Espers were assigned to enhance Geonwoo’s recovery ability and dedicated themselves to his treatment, assisting Dr. Yoon.
The treatment continued for several days.
“This should be enough for now.”
Exactly one week after the incident, Dr. Yoon spoke after checking Geonwoo’s wounds and examination results. His injuries, which had seemed potentially unrecoverable, had healed much faster than expected thanks to the efforts of Dr. Yoon and the healing Espers, as well as Geonwoo’s high recovery ability as an S-class Esper.
“Hmm…”
Dr. Yoon, who had been looking at Geonwoo’s wounds with a satisfied expression, suddenly looked somewhere else and slightly furrowed his brow. His gaze landed on the edge of the desk. Dr. Yoon put down the chart containing Geonwoo’s examination results on the desk and picked up the chart containing Jaehee’s examination results from yesterday.
“More importantly.”
Dr. Yoon began speaking while looking at Jaehee’s examination papers. As if concerned about something, Dr. Yoon kept tapping his index finger on the desk while holding the chart in his other hand.
“Guide Lee Jaehee is the problem.”
Geonwoo reacted immediately to those words. Dr. Yoon raised his eyebrows momentarily when he saw Geonwoo’s face darken in an instant, but then relaxed his expression and held out Jaehee’s examination results for both Geonwoo and Jaehee to see.
“Look here, he’s recovered a lot compared to before, right?”
Contrary to the words that had made Geonwoo tense up, the figures on Jaehee’s examination results that Dr. Yoon presented showed clear overall improvement. The values that had been at rock bottom had largely returned to normal levels.
“His Guiding energy has also stabilized. Overall, he’s in good condition.”
Dr. Yoon continued in a matter-of-fact tone. Then suddenly, he paused briefly, looked at Jaehee, hardened his gaze, and said:
“But that doesn’t mean he can overexert himself.”
Jaehee opened his mouth as if to say something. But Dr. Yoon was quicker.
“He’s better compared to before, but that doesn’t mean he’s back to a normal state.”
Dr. Yoon turned his gaze from Jaehee to Geonwoo and stated firmly:
“So receiving Guiding only from Guide Lee Jaehee as you’ve been doing could be dangerous.”
It took a very long time for damaged energy to return to its previous healthy state. Although the values had improved and stabilized, it was still too much strain for Jaehee to fully care for an S-class Esper alone.
“So I suggest you start matching your Guiding harmony with other Guides as well.”
After saying that, Dr. Yoon took his eyes off Geonwoo and turned his head toward the window. Outside the window, a Gate was forming.
“If nothing unusual happens, it would be fine to continue receiving Guiding only from Guide Lee Jaehee…”
Dr. Yoon, who had noticed the change in the now-closer relationship between the two, pointed to the Gate outside the window as he spoke.
“But the problem is that you’ll have to enter that Gate soon.”
Dr. Yoon furrowed his brow. His face showed worry.
“Its classification is unmeasurable so we don’t know what will happen, and there’s absolutely no information about this Gate, so we don’t know what will occur inside.”
Everyone at the Center was on edge because of the situation where nothing was known. In such circumstances, they couldn’t let them enter with an unstable element.
“What if there’s a problem with the Guiding that Esper Choi Geonwoo needs to receive inside? What if Guide Lee Jaehee’s Guiding energy becomes depleted?”
Dr. Yoon presented the worst-case scenario.
“The problem could be bigger than you think. Both of you could be in danger.”
After saying that, Dr. Yoon looked at Geonwoo and carefully continued.
“I recommend that you match harmony with other Guides as a precaution. It’s not good to create a situation where you can only receive Guiding from one Guide.”
Dr. Yoon thought he was speaking the truth. He judged this to be the best option since they couldn’t know what would happen inside the Gate.
But contrary to his firm tone, Dr. Yoon was busy glancing at Geonwoo during his speech to gauge his reaction. Geonwoo was someone who wouldn’t tolerate even the slightest erasure of his one-way Bond with Jaehee. He had thoroughly rejected the Guiding energy of other Guides. Because of this, Dr. Yoon thought Geonwoo would object to his suggestion. He expected him to insist on receiving only Jaehee’s Guiding.
“Dr. Yoon, that’s…”
Jaehee seemed to have similar thoughts, as his expression wasn’t good. Geonwoo was currently in a one-way Bond state, so Guiding from other Guides would feel repulsive and cause rejection symptoms. Since he now remembered having formed a mutual Bond with Jaehee rather than a one-way Bond, these symptoms had become even more severe. It was difficult to tell Geonwoo to receive Guiding from other Guides. Jaehee furrowed his brow and looked worried.
But completely unexpected words flowed from Geonwoo’s mouth.
“I’ll do that.”
Geonwoo said that as he approached Jaehee and placed his large hand on Jaehee’s furrowed brow. Gently, Geonwoo carefully smoothed out Jaehee’s wrinkled forehead with his fingers and said in a soft tone while looking at Jaehee:
“It would be better if I temporarily receive help from other Guides, hyung.”
“…Will you be okay?”
“I’ll be fine, so you don’t need to worry so much.”
Geonwoo smiled beautifully and reassured Jaehee.
Dr. Yoon, who was watching this from the side, opened his eyes a little wider and looked surprised. Far from objecting, Geonwoo’s face showed no sign of anxiety as he immediately agreed. Dr. Yoon watched this situation with a bewildered expression.
But Geonwoo had faith. He no longer needed to fear that this one-way Bond he held alone would be erased. Because it was Jaehee, because it was his hyung who remembered him.
As their trust in each other was firm, there was no longer any reason to be anxious.
‘When this is all over.’
Geonwoo recalled what Jaehee had said to him a few days ago.
‘Will you form a Bond with me, Geonwoo?’
It was a shy confession his hyung had offered at dawn while everyone else was asleep.
For the first time, Geonwoo heard from Jaehee the confession that he had always been the one to make. Alpha and Omega, Esper and Guide. To form all those Bonds with him. To become his mate.
Because of that promise, there was no way any anxiety could remain.
Moreover, Dr. Yoon was right. He needed the help of other Guides for the final battle. To avoid repeating the situation from before his regression, to move forward into the future, he could endure the rejection his body felt.
“Well, that’s good thinking. Oh, and also.”
Dr. Yoon, who had been briefly confused by the unexpected situation, cleared his throat and continued as if remembering something.
“Go to the combat training room.”
Dr. Yoon recalled the communication he had received a little earlier and said:
“The Center Director has summoned all ability users to prepare for battle before entering the Gate.”
It was a tense situation with a Gate of unknown classification being generated, so thorough preparation was necessary beforehand. Time was also needed for Guides and Espers to match their harmony with each other.
Geonwoo slightly bowed his head in acknowledgment and got up. Jaehee also got up as if to go with him.
But it was Dr. Yoon who stopped Jaehee.
“Guide Lee Jaehee, you stay here.”
Dr. Yoon looked alternately at Jaehee and Geonwoo and said:
“If Guide Lee Jaehee is nearby while you’re matching harmony with other Guides, it could actually strengthen the Guiding rejection symptoms.”
Dr. Yoon said that as he grabbed Jaehee’s shoulder and pushed him into the Guide recovery device.
“So go by yourself. Don’t worry, I’ll look after Guide Lee Jaehee for a while. It seems like Guide Lee Jaehee needs some recovery too, probably from using a lot of Guiding energy lately.”
