# Chapter 99
It was Jo Wooyeon who discovered the dark red jewel. This was because he remained for a long time at the spot where Choi Young had died from going berserk, unable to leave.
Jiwon was there too, staying beside Wooyeon out of concern as he completely lost himself in grief.
‘…Is it okay for you not to go to Esper-nim?’
‘I can feel that person’s wavelength better here.’
Since the wavelength of a berserk Esper doesn’t disappear for quite a while, it seemed Wooyeon wanted to feel Choi Young’s presence in whatever way he could.
Jiwon silently watched over Wooyeon. In the precarious atmosphere, he couldn’t take his eyes off him, afraid that he might also disappear like Choi Young.
‘Oh…’
After who knows how much time had passed.
Wooyeon, who hadn’t moved at all, suddenly stood up as if possessed by something.
‘Hyung!’
The memory of fear washing over him as Wooyeon suddenly started running frantically was still vivid.
‘Why, what are you doing…!’
He frantically dug through the spot where Choi Young had fallen like a madman, while Jiwon, unable to do anything, kept asking questions that received no answers.
Could Wooyeon have gone crazy? What should he do then?
Though he couldn’t express it properly, Jiwon, who trusted and followed Wooyeon more than anyone, felt completely lost. He was only frustrated because he had no idea what to say or how to act toward him.
‘Haah….’
Fortunately, Wooyeon didn’t continue his strange behavior for too long.
He knelt down and opened his palm. That’s when Jiwon saw the dark red jewel in his hand.
‘What is that…?’
‘…I don’t know.’
At the time, Wooyeon shook his head as if he didn’t know what it was, yet he gripped the jewel tightly in his hand.
Jiwon couldn’t ask him any more questions. This was because tears started falling again from his eyes that had briefly dried.
Back then, both Jiwon and Wooyeon thought the jewel was one of Choi Young’s possessions. After all, a jewel found at the exact spot where Choi Young died certainly looked like something he had left behind.
Jiwon bit his lower lip, recalling the image of Wooyeon attending Choi Young’s funeral while clutching that jewel tightly. No matter how much time had passed, it was a moment he shouldn’t forget, and he felt pathetic for not remembering the jewel despite having seen it up close.
“…It wasn’t his belonging.”
Wooyeon laughed hollowly.
Jiwon looked at him with a somewhat guilty expression. If he had known earlier, he would have told him directly. He wouldn’t have shocked him like this.
“He was also a victim.”
Jiwon closed his eyes tightly and opened them again.
The dark red jewel is Riska’s power. What Wooyeon held was the same as what Jiwon had seen in Riska’s stronghold.
Wooyeon grasped the meaning accurately. That Riska was connected to Choi Young’s death.
-Power for us, accumulated layer upon layer over a long time.
They had said they had accumulated power over a long time.
-Noble sacrifices make us stronger.
-With the power of humans who expected destruction.
-With the wishes of humans who desired rest.
The words that had been difficult to understand now seemed to make a little more sense.
Riska has existed since ancient times. And they accumulated their power through berserk Espers.
Considering that Riska utilizes wavelengths, it was highly likely that the distorted wavelengths produced as Espers went berserk became their power.
Then this jewel…
“…Could it be that Esper Choi Young’s berserk wavelength was concentrated into this crystal?”
As if he had reached the same conclusion at the same time, Suhyun spoke first. Jiwon nodded slowly.
“Yes, probably… that’s what I think.”
“…”
Wooyeon lowered his gaze with a devastated expression. Jiwon couldn’t even begin to fathom his emotions.
Silence filled the Division Director’s office for a while. After quite some time, it was Wooyeon who finally spoke.
“…We should research this jewel. If this is their power.”
Jiwon’s face contorted at his exceptionally cold tone.
It would have been less upsetting if he had shown pain and sorrow.
“In the end, we just need to get rid of it. It could also help trace that space you saw, Jiwon.”
“…”
“He might not have experienced the ‘Guiding Rejection Reaction’ at all. He was a victim of Riska. There could be more similar cases. No, perhaps the notion of a rejection reaction itself is an illusion we created, attaching any reason we could think of because we were unaware of Riska.”
Whether his words had merit or not wasn’t important right now. Jiwon wished Wooyeon would stop talking. The more detached he appeared, the harder it became to bear.
“I sometimes thought it was strange anyway. Loving each other equally, only seeing each other, yet some Espers develop the ‘Guiding Rejection Reaction’ and others don’t. Even as I dismissed it as luck, I wondered if it made sense…”
He shook his head and sighed.
“…Division Director-nim.”
Jiwon couldn’t hold back and called out to Wooyeon. But Wooyeon only stared at the dark red jewel as he muttered:
“If it never existed to begin with, then yes, it would be better for you and Esper Suhyun. Then, you could just like each other without worrying…”
But the expression that had been deliberately masked as being fine was gradually crumbling. Wooyeon’s eyes turned bright red. Jiwon grabbed his arm.
“Hyung, stop it.”
“…”
Wooyeon’s face scrunched up as he tightly closed his mouth. With his determination not to show himself breaking down, Jiwon spoke again.
“It hurts, doesn’t it, hyung?”
“…”
“It’s normal not to be okay. Why are you trying to act calm in a situation like this? Don’t try to endure it.”
“…”
“I’ll do it. Work at the Association. Request research from the research team, uncover the cause… I’ll even take care of the revenge…”
“Ungh…”
Wooyeon, who had been unable to respond to Jiwon’s words, finally broke down. The face that had been pretending to be calm instantly became soaked. Jiwon turned his head away, unable to witness the tears falling as if a dam had burst.
“Ungh… kkeuk…”
How often must he have cried like this, stifling his sobs?
Jiwon’s eyes also stung at Wooyeon’s suppressed cries, having been unable to fully express his pain until now.
“…”
Suhyun, who had silently approached Jiwon, slowly patted his shoulder. Eventually, tears also dripped from Jiwon’s eyes.
***
[He’s sleeping like a newborn. Don’t worry, just focus on your tasks, Guide Jiwon.]
After checking Won Jungyeom’s message, Jiwon let out a short sigh and sent a reply.
[Please take good care of him. Make sure he eats too.]
[Are you his dad or something? I’ll handle it, so just focus on your work.]
Despite the somewhat snappy reply, Jiwon felt more at ease than before. At least Wooyeon wasn’t alone.
After shedding a flood of tears, Wooyeon had returned to his usual self. But Jiwon thought he was absolutely not okay.
That’s why he had suggested that he would take charge of investigating this matter for the time being so Wooyeon could rest.
The problem was that Wooyeon lived alone, and Jiwon didn’t want him to be shut up by himself at home.
‘You said you’d handle everything. I’m fine. So, take responsibility and just do your job.’
‘But it’s not good for you to be alone. I’ll come to your place…’
‘Guide Jiwon. You’ve been calling me “hyung” for a while now, which is quite informal. I want to rest alone, so just do your work.’
‘Ah, damn…’
So Jiwon had insisted on going to Wooyeon’s house but was flatly refused. No matter how many times he asked, Wooyeon wouldn’t even pretend to listen, making Jiwon terribly anxious.
‘What about asking Esper Won Jungyeom?’
In the end, as Jiwon was feeling uneasy watching Wooyeon return home alone, Suhyun reminded him of Won Jungyeom’s existence.
The meddlesome Won Jungyeom was the most suitable person to ask for such a favor.
He was also the type to just barge in no matter how much Wooyeon refused.
“That’s a relief…”
At any rate, one worry was off his mind.
Jiwon stretched out on the bed and exhaled a sigh of relief.
“What an eventful day, really.”
Can a day even be this long? With so many things happening, sleep wouldn’t come even though the night had grown deep long ago.
“…”
Jiwon glanced at his bedroom door. He suddenly wondered if Suhyun was sleeping well. His day must have been extremely long too.
He would be tired enough just from dealing with the Riska dungeon, but he had also gone to the Association twice, engaged in a romantic relationship with Jiwon, and gone back and forth between the R&D Division and the Esper Division to report on and investigate the dark red jewel.
Literally, the day had flown by in a whirlwind.
‘He must be sleeping…’
Jiwon turned his gaze away from the door and tightly closed his eyes. Suhyun must be tired, so he shouldn’t disturb him. That’s why he wasn’t going out.
This was absolutely not because he felt guilty for failing to understand Wooyeon’s anxiety at the mention of the dark red jewel, for being negligent in thinking he should just get to the point quickly, and now couldn’t face Suhyun comfortably.
“…Let’s just die.”
No, the truth was he couldn’t bring himself to smile at Suhyun, feeling it wasn’t right at the moment, so he was hiding away.
He knew it was stupid. But even if he tried to just go out with eyes wide open, the image of Wooyeon crying kept coming to mind, making it impossible.
The thought that this was not the time to be happily dating kept recurring.
“Ha…”
Jiwon rubbed his face vigorously. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to date, but…
“…”
He was confused by his own feelings, not even understanding what he wanted to do. He just felt that he shouldn’t be happy seeing Suhyun right now.
Knock knock.
“Ah.”
But there was no benefit to having suppressed his desire to turn the doorknob and go out.
“I’m coming in.”
The knocking sound had barely registered when, before he could answer, Suhyun flung the door open and entered.
