“You seem busy, so I’ll head out first.”
“Right. Shinui can handle it, can’t he?”
“What?”
“The guiding, I mean. Shinui, you’re Kang Taejun’s dedicated guide, so you can go inside. Honestly, why didn’t I think of that?”
Lies. There’s no way she hadn’t thought of it. Just moments ago in the training room, she’d praised his abilities until her mouth went dry, and now she was claiming she forgot? Park Shinui looked at her with eyes that clearly asked what are you scheming?, but all he got in return was Lee Haneul’s shameless wink.
“That person is Esper Kang Taejun’s guide?”
“Don’t tell me… that’s the Park Shinui we’ve only heard about?”
“Wow, it’s my first time seeing a celebrity in person, and he’s really handsome.”
“So that’s who it was… His image is completely different from the rumors.”
At Lee Haneul’s bombshell announcement, all the researchers stopped what they were doing at once and stared at Park Shinui. When their gazes sparkled with curiosity and admiration instead of wariness, Park Shinui felt a chill run down the back of his neck. Why are they looking at me with those expressions? This is unsettling.
“Wait… Noona? Guiding? You can’t be serious, right?”
Unable to hide his flustered state, Park Shinui quickly walked up to Lee Haneul. Of course, as Kang Taejun’s guide, it would be proper to help him, but that wasn’t what was important right now. The real problem was that Kang Taejun was ‘not in his right mind.’
“Of course I’m serious, Shinui-ya. You’re Esper Kang Taejun’s pair.”
Yes, yes. I know that. Park Shinui felt a throbbing pain in his head and let out a deep sigh internally. If he hadn’t understood Lee Haneul’s intention in speaking so confidently, he might have innocently volunteered to do the guiding without knowing anything.
“Just moments ago, you said Taejun was dangerous… that even civilians needed to be evacuated… that the energy waves were too strong to even approach.”
“Oh my, you heard all that? Then I don’t need to explain again.”
Lee Haneul clapped her hands as if pleased, then firmly linked her arm with Park Shinui’s. Perhaps because she was a C-rank ability user, her slender arm wrapping around him felt suffocating, like handcuffs restraining him.
“You want me to just go in to someone in that state?”
“Yes, we’ll cut off all external connections from this side so your time together won’t be disturbed as much as possible.”
“No… I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Shinui-ya, this isn’t a request—it’s a duty you must fulfill as a guide. You’re Kang Taejun’s one and only guide, and right now he’s collapsing in death-like agony waiting for you.”
“Just moments ago, you said yourself that Taejun has self-recovery abilities.”
No matter how much all of this was a dream that would end once he woke up, he didn’t want to guide Kang Taejun right now. His current state wouldn’t be resolved by something as simple as holding hands. Above all, Park Shinui knew the truth: Even if Kang Taejun’s contamination level reached 99%, or even 100%, he would absolutely never rampage.
“Yes, he does have self-recovery abilities. But that’s an extremely slow and agonizing process where he only improves bit by bit after enduring unbearable time. Kang Taejun’s power is so high it can’t even be quantified, so the recovery rate from contamination—the counteraction—is proportionally slow.”
Park Shinui nodded silently. He wasn’t hesitating because he didn’t know that. But he couldn’t exactly say that the reason for his hesitation was that physical contact with Kang Taejun made him uncomfortable.
“Shinui-ya, he desperately needs guiding right now. But we have no way to even get inside, and at best, all we can do is spray stabilizers into the air.”
“……”
“I know what you’re worried about, but because you’re Taejun’s bonding partner, you’ll hardly be affected by that violent energy. I guarantee it. You won’t even need protective gear. If you just make up your mind, lowering the numbers will be no problem at all.”
“That’s right, Park Shinui! Nice to meet you. I’m Park Changmin, the researcher in charge of Esper Kang Taejun. Right now, Esper Kang Taejun is in a very dangerous state, but that only applies to ‘ordinary people’ like us. If it’s you, Park Shinui, you’ll be safe. You can guide him anytime!”
Park Shinui stared blankly at Lee Haneul. The real power behind K Research Institute, which researched and managed Kang Taejun. So was that why she had personally taken on Park Shinui when other trainers refused? All for the sake of Kang Taejun, to properly utilize Park Shinui, his guide.
It was natural that every character in a novel moved around the protagonist, but the fact that the only purpose in how she treated him might be just that left a bitter feeling in a corner of his heart.
Still, Park Shinui knew better than anyone the pain Kang Taejun experienced in the original story. An esper on the verge of rampage loses control and falls into a state of panic. Reality and hallucinations mix together, and the boundaries between reason and sensation collapse. The body, crushed by overloaded energy, experiences twisted muscles and organs, swollen blood vessels, and burning nerves. Pain like nails being driven into the head, a feeling of the entire body being torn to shreds just from breathing. After every battle, Kang Taejun had to endure that hell alone. Sometimes to the point where he wanted to annihilate his own existence just to end that suffering.
Right, it’s ridiculous to keep being stubborn here.
“Alright. I’ll do it.”
Let’s put out the urgent fire first. Since the matching rate is overwhelming, if we’re touching anywhere, the situation should improve compared to now.
***
The bunker was a space designed for only one person, but its scale was enormous—far exceeding expectations. Park Shinui passed through the entrance with careful, slow steps, as if pushed by invisible hands. The unique coolness and heavy air of an uninhabited space clung to his skin.
— How is it? Nothing much, right?
At Lee Haneul’s voice coming through the earphone, Park Shinui slowly nodded.
“Yes.”
— I told you. You’re the only one who can withstand Esper Kang Taejun’s energy waves. Even with a full set of protective equipment, we can’t even cross the entrance threshold.
“……Yes.”
Just as she had confidently claimed, nothing had happened yet, but Park Shinui’s expression remained sullen. The doubt of ‘If it’s that dangerous, how did Kang Taejun overcome the rampage crisis before I appeared?’ wouldn’t go away.
— Even though you’ve confirmed it’s not dangerous, why does your voice sound like that? Still not good.
“No, it’s fine.”
— I guarantee it, there really won’t be any problems. No esper in the world attacks their bonded guide. If you’re still not reassured, I’ll promise you this: No matter what happens, I’ll take responsibility and rescue you first.
Just moments ago, didn’t you say that even with protective equipment, others couldn’t approach because of the waves? So how exactly are you going to take responsibility and rescue me? Are you saying you’d risk your life for someone you met for the first time today?
“……Yes.”
Suspicion suddenly arose, but even if he questioned her, nothing would change. In any case, now that he’d stepped inside, there was no turning back.
— If you follow the corridor, you’ll see a door right away. That door is the only way to get inside, so don’t hesitate and go in.
“Yes.”
After giving a short answer, Park Shinui looked around.
The alarm had stopped, but the red emergency lights embedded in the ceiling still flickered at irregular intervals, creating eerie shadows. A faint shield film spread thinly over the black metal panels that filled the walls. It was no different from a fortress designed to perfectly block energy waves and external impacts.
Park Shinui carefully moved forward following Lee Haneul’s guidance. Finally, at the end of the corridor, he reached a heavy steel door.
“I’m at the door. What do I do now?”
— Wait a moment, there’s a high-pressure energy barrier flowing through the entrance, so you can’t go in right now. I’ll deactivate it remotely, so just wait a bit.
“Yes.”
As the communication cut off briefly, silence descended. Park Shinui unconsciously hugged his arms. His body had been trembling for a while now, and it wasn’t just his imagination—the temperature inside the bunker was abnormally low. It was artificial cold to suppress the energy.
— Done. Barrier deactivation complete. Go in now.
“……Yes.”
The button that had been rotating with blue light lost its glow. Park Shinui reached out with trembling hands and pressed the button firmly.
“There’s another door inside.”
— Yeah, that’s the last one. Esper Kang Taejun is inside. Just go in.
When he stepped inside, another heavy metal door blocked his way. The floor was densely embedded with numerous locking panels, and the door’s thickness looked to be easily several dozen centimeters. Park Shinui stood before that massive barrier and stared at the red warning message blinking in the center.
Kang Taejun / Danger Level: C / Contamination Level 95% / Access Prohibited
For an ordinary esper, even exceeding 70% contamination would make them an immediate isolation target. At that level alone, they’d lose reason and reduce their surroundings to ruins. Yet Kang Taejun was maintaining only a ‘C-grade’ danger level despite a contamination reading of 95%. Does this mean he’s enduring this hellish number with a clear mind? Park Shinui, crushed by the weight of what the numbers implied, remained frozen for a long while, unable to move.
