# Chapter 40
A response different from what was expected came from Jaehee’s mouth.
“In the end… it’s just extending the time one can endure the pain.”
Was it just his imagination? Jaehee’s voice seemed to have dropped by a tone.
“That’s true, but right now, that’s the only method we have.”
Being an Esper himself, Taeyun could guess how painful it would be. The method he just explained was to make someone endure that pain for a longer time. From the perspective of the one experiencing it, it might be so terrible that they’d rather ask to be killed.
“What’s important is increasing the probability of survival.”
Yes, isn’t that the most important thing? As if he didn’t want to give Jaehee time to think about anything, Taeyun immediately explained the method.
“First, to accelerate the manifestation of his body, there are things that Guide Lee Jaehee needs to do. Don’t stimulate him too much. His wavelength can jump wildly at just a word or action from you. If wounds keep forming repeatedly like that, the body’s manifestation will be delayed accordingly.”
Taeyun continued speaking while looking at Jaehee. Jaehee was just listening silently. But as the next words followed, Jaehee’s expression changed.
“And fully accept Esper Choi Geonwoo as much as possible.”
“…Accept him? What does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said. So he doesn’t feel anxious, don’t push him away. Accept him completely.”
Seeing Jaehee’s stiffened face, Taeyun spoke a bit more clearly.
“It would be easier to think of it as treating Esper Choi Geonwoo like you would accept him as your bonding partner.”
At those words, Jaehee’s expression contorted.
“What are you…!”
Taeyun continued, trying to calm Jaehee.
“I understand your surprise at suddenly being told to treat him like a bonding partner. But that’s necessary to induce the manifestation of his body. Psychological stability helps the body strengthen more stably and grow faster.”
Psychological anxiety ultimately causes wavelengths to spike, which wounds the body and slows down physical enhancement. So conversely, psychological stability must be provided to stabilize the wavelengths that interfere with physical enhancement.
Taeyun was telling Jaehee to accept Geonwoo and lead him to psychological stability.
But those words made Jaehee’s expression complicated. After being silent for a while, Jaehee opened his mouth.
“But what if his feelings grow even stronger than they are now…?”
Understanding Jaehee’s concern, Taeyun nodded.
“Right. If you treat him that way and then can’t remove the bond, the problem would become incomparably larger than it is now.”
Because it would make those already deep feelings even more profoundly deep.
“But we’re going to remove the bond, right? Then there won’t be any problem.”
Although he spoke as lightly as possible, in reality, it wasn’t such a light matter. It was no different from asking someone to build even deeper feelings for someone who already had deep feelings. And that would certainly be poison to Jaehee. Whether the bond was removed or not.
But to accelerate the manifestation of the body, this was the only method.
“Besides, even if feelings accumulate, they’re stacking on top of emotions created by illusion. When the one-way bond is removed, the foundational emotions will disappear, and those built on top can’t possibly remain intact. As soon as the bond is removed, the other emotions will collapse emptily.”
And when that happens, the emotions built on top of the one-way bond would simply fall and crumble, becoming damaged. With the framework gone, the fallen and broken emotions would all transform into resentment toward the one who caused the one-way bond.
But he didn’t tell Jaehee about that risk. There was no need to. He just continued his explanation.
“Don’t try to make him absorb guiding energy from other Guides either. It will only increase his anxiety unnecessarily.”
After saying that, Taeyun took out a small glass vial from his chest.
“And… one more thing is needed.”
Although he had been carrying it just in case, Taeyun never dreamed he would be handing it to Jaehee today.
“Even if physical enhancement occurs, it only increases the probability of survival; it doesn’t guarantee it. So we need to increase that probability a bit more. And this will help raise that probability.”
Saying that, Taeyun handed the small glass vial to Jaehee.
“What… is this?”
Jaehee looked down at the small glass vial he received and asked. Inside the vial was a dark red liquid.
“That’s a medicine that changes the properties of guiding energy. If you take it and perform guiding, it will confuse Esper Choi Geonwoo’s senses.”
Taeyun looked at the small glass vial in Jaehee’s hand, briefly frowned, then smoothed his expression and slowly added an explanation.
“For example, if Guide Lee Jaehee’s guiding energy is red, right now Esper Choi Geonwoo is only accepting red guiding energy. But if this medicine changes the guiding energy to blue, it would confuse the senses that have only been receiving red.”
Hearing those words, Jaehee narrowed his eyes. Then, as if thinking, he slowly spoke.
“…And if this continues.”
“Yes, as such confusion accumulates, eventually the probability of absorbing guiding energy from Guides with different colors will increase.”
That’s what needed to be done so that when another’s guiding energy was forcibly injected, the rejection reaction would be reduced.
After saying that, Taeyun saw Jaehee staring at the medicine and hastily added.
“Ah, it’s not a dangerous drug or anything like that, so you don’t need to worry.”
Taeyun spoke as if to reassure him. But Jaehee, as if not interested in that, immediately asked something else.
“Then how do we determine when we can remove the bond?”
That was the most important question. Jaehee wanted to advance that timing, while the upper ranks wanted to push it back as much as possible.
“When the body’s growth is complete, the abilities will start to manifest. That’s when we’ll have the opportunity to remove the bond.”
And eventually, that timing would be advanced as Jaehee wanted. Because Jaehee would make it happen from now on.
But Taeyun didn’t know that.
“Guide Lee Jaehee.”
So Taeyun was just subtly pressuring Jaehee, so he couldn’t make excuses about not being able to find a method and giving up.
“So let’s work hard again. Now that we know the method.”
***
After Taeyun left, only Jaehee and Geonwoo remained in the examination room.
Jaehee, holding a small glass vial containing a dark red liquid in one hand, was on a call with someone.
“Dr. Yoon, I’d like to ask a favor.”
-A favor? What kind?
A middle-aged man’s voice spread from the receiver.
“There’s a medicine I’d like you to analyze.”
Although he had received an explanation from Cheon Taeyun, he wasn’t someone who could be fully trusted. The researchers within the Center were the same. Because it was impossible to know how far the upper ranks had extended their influence. That’s why he asked Dr. Yoon, who was at a different branch. Jaehee needed an accurate confirmation about the medicine.
-Medicine? I heard you’re trying to remove a one-way bond these days, is it related to that?
“Yes, I’ll send a little bit over later, so…”
Jaehee couldn’t continue his words. Suddenly his vision blurred, and his head felt dizzy. It was because he had used too much guiding energy. Because of that, his body periodically sent abnormal signals like this.
Jaehee waited for a moment until the dizziness subsided a little. Geonwoo firmly held Jaehee’s waist. He seemed to have felt Jaehee’s movement and reached out even while asleep.
-Guide Lee Jaehee? Why did you suddenly stop talking?
Dr. Yoon’s urging was heard from the phone.
“Ah, it’s nothing. I’ll be counting on you then.”
Jaehee spoke in a tone that suggested nothing was wrong, making his voice as composed as possible.
-Alright, send me the medicine and I’ll analyze it and let you know.
After the call ended, Jaehee leaned his body against the bed headboard. His blurry vision wasn’t quickly returning to normal. Jaehee closed his eyes for a while and then opened them, waiting until his vision fully returned.
“Haah…”
Jaehee let out a weak sigh. He reached out to the table again and picked up the small medicine bottle. Since he needed to send the medicine to Dr. Yoon, he had to take out a little. So he opened the lid of the glass vial he had received from Taeyun. At the same time, a peculiar scent brushed against the tip of his nose. It was a scent not commonly encountered. The kind of scent that, once smelled, wouldn’t easily be forgotten in memory.
‘The scent is really unique.’
But something was strange. Though it was clearly a unique scent not easily encountered, somehow it felt familiar. It felt like he had smelled this scent somewhere before. Also, the dark red liquid that subtly changed color under light also gave him the feeling that he had seen it somewhere before.
Jaehee frowned.
‘What is this? Why does it feel familiar?’
He had a strange sense of déjà vu, as if he had experienced this medicine before. When? Jaehee pondered for a long time. But no matter how much he searched his memories, nothing came to mind.
‘Am I being too sensitive…?’
Jaehee tried to push away the unsettling feeling and focused only on what he needed to do next. What was important now was to remove Geonwoo’s bond as quickly as possible.
