# Chapter 68
Jiwon glanced at the rearview mirror. A white sedan had been catching his attention for a while now.
“Is it following me?”
It was a major road, so it was difficult to determine whether the car was actually following him. The car had only been visible for about 10 minutes, so they might just be heading in the same direction.
“……”
But something didn’t feel right.
[The person you are trying to reach is unavailable. You will be connected to voicemail. After the connection…]
It seemed Jo Wooyeon was unreachable.
The message he had received was concerning, so Jiwon had been calling since the moment he left home, but Wooyeon remained unresponsive.
Being in frequent meetings, it wasn’t unusual for Wooyeon to be unreachable. But it felt too unsettling to just assume he was busy.
Already in a sensitive situation, the persistent sight of the white car only added to his anxiety.
“……”
Jiwon tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, then suddenly turned the wheel just before the signal changed to left turn. His body was thrown to one side as he made a U-turn. The reckless driving drew honks from other cars, but Jiwon’s attention was fixed on the white car.
Even if it was just his imagination, he wanted to shake off that uneasy feeling by losing the car.
Soon Jiwon’s car passed by the white one. He kept his eyes on the rearview mirror to see if there was any sign of it following him.
However, the car didn’t bother to follow Jiwon and continued straight ahead. Eventually, it disappeared from Jiwon’s sight. He let out a sigh.
“Maybe I’m being too sensitive…”
It did feel like he was overreacting about Wooyeon not answering his calls. Still, confirming that he wasn’t being followed made him feel much better. Jiwon turned his car back toward the Association. Even so, he didn’t forget to check the rearview mirror. The car might appear again.
If he had known this would happen, he should have brought Suhyun along.
“Haha…”
Jiwon laughed dryly at his own thought. Suhyun wasn’t his bodyguard, and they weren’t going to a dungeon, so why was he thinking this way?
Was he regretting refusing Suhyun’s offer to come along? Or was this just his scheme to spend more time with him using this situation as an excuse?
[The person you are trying to reach is unavailable…]
Jiwon, who had briefly smiled, frowned at the repeated automated message. His lips were now tightly pressed together.
Something felt wrong. He couldn’t pinpoint why. Jiwon tried to convince himself that he was just having idle thoughts as he increased his speed.
He felt he wouldn’t be at ease until he reached the Association and met Wooyeon.
Thanks to his somewhat aggressive driving, he arrived at the Association earlier than planned, despite taking a detour.
Jiwon parked his car carelessly and immediately headed for the elevator to go up to the Guide Team where Wooyeon would be. His steps were hurried.
“Ah.”
It was then that he finally got a call from Wooyeon, who had been ignoring his calls.
“Yes, Team Leader.”
Greatly relieved to see Wooyeon’s name on the screen, Jiwon answered with a voice mixed with a sigh.
“Oh, Guide Jiwon. Is something wrong?”
Wooyeon’s voice sounded urgent, probably surprised by the number of calls. Jiwon laughed incredulously.
“Well, you send me a message telling me to come to the Association, then don’t answer my calls? I thought something had happened.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Why didn’t you answer your phone? Were you in a meeting? Even so… Normally you wouldn’t say anything. If you tell me to come, you should at least check your phone…”
“Wait a minute. I told Guide Jiwon to come to the Association?”
Jiwon, who had been about to complain freely, paused at Wooyeon’s confused tone. The corner of Jiwon’s mouth twitched slightly.
Immediately, the unusual message and the white car that seemed to be following him came to mind, sending a chill down his spine. It was as if someone was screaming that his uneasiness wasn’t just a feeling.
“Where are you?”
Sensing something was wrong, Wooyeon asked. Just then, the elevator arrived at the basement floor where Jiwon was. Jiwon got on the elevator and replied.
“I just arrived at the Association and got on the elevator. Someone must be playing a prank. Anyway, I’m heading up to the office.”
“Ha, I’m out in the field right now.”
“…Really?”
“Even if I leave now, it’ll take more than an hour to get back.”
“…Of all times, the Team Leader is out in the field. This is really strange.”
Jiwon muttered with a furrowed brow. He pressed the first floor button to go to the lobby where people would be, rather than staying in the parking garage.
“What about Esper Suhyun?”
“He’s at home.”
“He didn’t come with you?”
“I thought it was just some silly joke, so I didn’t bring him.”
“Call him right away. This is really suspicious. Stay in the Guide Team until Esper Suhyun arrives.”
Wooyeon’s voice became somewhat anxious. Although Jiwon’s own heart was racing, he tried hard to maintain composure.
“Do I look like I’m in danger?”
If he was in danger, what would be the reason?
To this fundamental question that remained unresolved, Wooyeon answered immediately.
“Whether you’re in danger or not, it’s better to avoid and be careful in strange situations.”
“……”
“Even the fact that I suddenly had field work this morning seems suspicious now that I think about it.”
Suddenly, he said.
Jiwon slowly closed and opened his eyes, then nodded.
“I understand. I guess I’ll have to call Esper Suhyun.”
Jiwon responded compliantly, feeling displeased at what seemed like a setup. Then, as the elevator arrived at the first floor, he stepped out and called Suhyun.
There were no suspicious individuals in sight, but there were unusually few people today.
“Yes, Guide-nim.”
Jiwon had been slightly worried that Suhyun might not answer, but fortunately, he heard his voice right away.
Jiwon let out a brief sigh.
“Can you come to the Association now?”
Although it felt a bit apologetic to call him based only on circumstantial evidence, he had no choice. It wasn’t just about anything else; he was worried something might happen to Suhyun and wanted him where he could see him.
“I’ll be right there.”
Jiwon, who had been wondering how to explain the situation, gave a short laugh at the immediate response without any questions.
It seemed contradictory that he was worried about Suhyun, who felt so reliable.
“Yes, thank you. I’ll be… um, I’ll be in the examination room.”
Wooyeon had told him to stay in the Guide Team, but if he had to find the safest place in the Association, it would be the 5th floor where the examination room was located.
The Guide Team consisted only of ordinary people and Guides, so they would be vulnerable if anything happened.
In contrast, on the 5th floor, there was a higher chance of meeting Espers visiting the examination room. Security Espers were also more concentrated on the 5th floor. So, all things considered, that would be much safer.
After hearing that Suhyun was on his way, Jiwon hung up and headed to the examination room. His steps were slow as he pondered the situation.
Were they targeting him? If so, had the white car just lost him earlier? But they hadn’t even attempted to follow him…
“Hmm…”
Could it be the Hwashin Group?
Kim Juyoung’s face suddenly appeared in Jiwon’s mind.
The Hwashin Group was still holding the Association responsible for Kim Juyoung’s death. He had heard they were now even claiming that Juyoung died because Jiwon had failed to properly Guide him.
Their anger and resentment had extended to Jiwon.
In that case, they might harbor a grudge. It wasn’t impossible. But it didn’t feel quite right.
If they were acting out of vengeance, wouldn’t they have used a simpler approach? Was there a need to lure Wooyeon out? Why call him to the Association? Did they think they needed to separate him from Suhyun, who was always by his side?
In any case, he couldn’t figure out what they were trying to do. Finally arriving at the examination room, Jiwon knocked and entered.
“Hello, Guide Moon Jiwon.”
Unlike Jiwon with his complicated thoughts, the examination staff member had a bright face. Though not someone he saw regularly, it was a face he had encountered a few times before.
“What brings you here today?”
The staff member asked with a gentle smile.
“Ah, the Guiding has been normal, but the stability has been gradually decreasing. I came to check if there might be a problem.”
Jiwon spoke in a casual tone as he glanced around. Since he was planning to wait for Suhyun anyway, getting an examination in the meantime seemed like a good idea.
“I see.”
The staff member nodded with a very serious expression at Jiwon’s words. He gestured toward the back of the examination room.
“Shall we start with a simple examination?”
“Yes, alright.”
Since checking his condition was standard procedure, Jiwon entered the examination room without much thought.
He realized something was wrong when he saw the staff member just smiling behind the transparent glass instead of attaching the examination equipment to him.
“Shi-!”
The question of why they hadn’t followed him came too late. Jiwon cursed as his face contorted from the acrid smell seeping through his nose.
“Ugh!”
Perhaps because he had been so calm, he had inhaled a large amount of gas at once, making his head spin and his vision blur immediately. Jiwon desperately tried to open the examination room door.
But the door was firmly locked. The staff member was just watching him. Waiting for him to fall asleep.
‘I’ve been tricked.’
Did they predict he would come to the examination room? How far ahead did they plan? Who orchestrated this?
His mind was becoming hazy. He couldn’t immediately find answers to these questions. With his numbed hand, Jiwon reached for his watch.
The call button was pressed several times before suddenly stopping. Jiwon lost consciousness on the spot.
