# Chapter 59
“You certainly know how to package the idea of overlaying a bond.”
At those words, the Deputy Center Director’s expression changed. His eyes flashed like a snake’s before showing momentary surprise. Then he opened his mouth and burst into laughter. He couldn’t contain his laughter, like a madman.
“I didn’t know you were aware. How did you find out about that?”
Despite Jaehee knowing the secret, the Deputy Center Director wasn’t greatly disturbed. He merely shifted his gaze to look at Taeyun once, then turned back to Jaehee. Then, with a smile on his lips again, he spoke to Jaehee in an affectionate tone.
“I’ll confirm how you found out later. Yes, this is better, makes it easier to talk.”
The Deputy Center Director moved a bit closer to Jaehee. He patted Jaehee’s shoulder lightly, as if telling him not to be tense. He smiled and opened his mouth.
“Guide Lee Jaehee. Don’t be nervous. I want to have a good relationship with Guide Lee Jaehee.”
As if he were sincere, he showed a gentle smile with crinkled eyes. Then his eyes suddenly flashed, and he spoke without fully hiding his greedy expression.
“I heard from the staff below. They say Guide Lee Jaehee has a very special ability.”
The Deputy Center Director carefully observed Jaehee’s reaction, not missing a single detail of his expression, eyes, or body language. He moved his face a bit closer.
“I heard you can control Espers at will. I’m very interested in that ability.”
The Deputy Center Director’s eyes were drenched with greed, as if his words were sincere. His desire to bring Jaehee to his side was palpable.
He voiced it directly.
“So I’d like Guide Lee Jaehee and I to have a relationship where we help each other. What do you think? About joining me?”
The Deputy Center Director spoke in a kind tone. He whispered intimately to Jaehee to think it over, saying it was a very good opportunity.
“If I let Guide Lee Jaehee hold the leash of high-ranking Espers, I’m willing to compensate accordingly. Whatever you want.”
The Deputy Center Director emphasized his last words. He was telling Jaehee to come over to his side.
But Jaehee didn’t give him the answer he wanted.
“Such a proposition in this situation… What if I refuse?”
As soon as Jaehee said that, the Deputy Center Director’s expression changed. His gentle smile disappeared, and one corner of his mouth dropped. A smile full of mockery quickly formed.
“Then there’s no reason to treat you this way.”
The Deputy Center Director stared at Jaehee with cold eyes. He reached out and grabbed the back of Jaehee’s head. The Deputy Center Director pulled Jaehee toward himself while firmly gripping his head.
“I think it’s not a bad choice for Guide Lee Jaehee either.”
It was no longer a suggestion. This was coercion. The Deputy Center Director wanted Jaehee’s ability by any means.
Soon Jaehee’s lips parted. The Deputy Center Director watched Jaehee’s lips expectantly. But again, Jaehee didn’t say what he wanted to hear.
“Are you that eager for the Center Director position?”
Instead, Jaehee was saying something completely unexpected, something the Deputy Center Director didn’t want to hear at all.
“You’ve been regularly putting strange drugs in the Center Director’s food.”
At those words, the Deputy Center Director’s expression instantly hardened.
“Like the poison you gave me, that was also deadly poison, wasn’t it?”
The Deputy Center Director frowned as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. Then his eyes quickly changed to a fierce glare. It was a look that suggested he would kill the person in front of him right away.
“Secretly administering deadly poison to the Center Director and to me, a Guide.”
But Jaehee didn’t stop talking even as he faced such a Deputy Center Director.
“Controlling Espers at will by overlaying bonds on those with one-way bonds.”
Rather, Jaehee continued speaking very slowly, as if telling the Deputy Center Director to listen carefully to what he was saying.
“And threatening me like this.”
As he spoke, the Deputy Center Director’s expression gradually changed. It grew colder and colder.
Looking at him, Jaehee raised one corner of his mouth in a faint smile.
“If all of that comes to light, could you really keep your position as Deputy Center Director, let alone hope for the Center Director position?”
At those words, the Deputy Center Director’s face completely contorted. His eyebrows rose fiercely. As if uncontrollable anger was rising, even the sound of him grinding his molars could be heard.
“Hold him tight.”
The Deputy Center Director told Taeyun. Taeyun moved closer to Jaehee. After confirming this, the Deputy Center Director raised his hand. His callused hand struck Jaehee’s face with a loud smack.
The blow was quite hard, drawing blood from Jaehee’s mouth. But Jaehee didn’t stop talking. Instead, with his eyes wide open, he formed an even deeper smile at the corner of his mouth and said:
“I must be right? Seeing how excited you are.”
The Deputy Center Director’s face contorted at Jaehee’s words. Unable to contain himself, he pulled out a jack knife with practiced ease. Twirling it around, he looked at Jaehee like prey he wanted to bite to death right away.
“Hold him more firmly.”
The Deputy Center Director told Taeyun. But Taeyun couldn’t focus on his words. His Esper senses were awakening, sharply detecting the energy around him. Geonwoo’s presence, which should have been quietly sleeping behind him, was gradually changing. His wavelength, which had been forcibly suppressed by sedatives, was awakening at a frightening speed. It was incomparable to just moments before.
But that wasn’t the only problem. There was an even bigger issue. The Esper’s keen senses alerted him that someone was coming here. And not just one person, but many people!
Taeyun’s face hardened.
‘Something has gone terribly wrong!’
Among those detected by Taeyun’s senses, not a single one was someone the Deputy Center Director had brought. The energy of the Espers brought by the Deputy Center Director had significantly diminished. That indicated they were in a state incapable of combat.
‘No! I need to tell him!’
They needed to leave this place immediately. But his body wouldn’t move. It had been like that even before the Deputy Center Director entered. The hands that were restraining Jaehee’s hands might have appeared to be holding him firmly, but in reality, they were just resting there without strength. Taeyun couldn’t move his body as he wished.
‘We need to get out of here right now!’
Taeyun raised his psychic abilities to their maximum to break free from the sensation binding him. He scraped together all the strength remaining in his body. Then Taeyun’s body twitched momentarily. As if his senses were coming back to life, he could move slightly. Taeyun tried to put more strength into his body in that state. And he tried to tell the Deputy Center Director about the current situation.
But at that moment, Guiding energy flowed in from the body pressed against him. A very minute amount of Guiding energy. Yet that energy spread throughout his entire body in an instant. And an order like tinnitus rang in his head. Don’t move. Stay still. Every cell in his body was saying that.
Unaware of Taeyun’s situation, the Deputy Center Director was simply immersed in his own mood. He made no attempt to hide his bad temper. And he was smiling at the thought of taking it out on Jaehee. The Deputy Center Director spoke without even giving Taeyun a glance.
“Heal Lee Jaehee immediately, he can’t die.”
After saying that, the Deputy Center Director laughed out loud. As if he was pleased with the current situation, he made no effort to stifle his laughter. Then he said:
“He’s S-class, so we can’t let him die. That would be a waste.”
The Deputy Center Director raised his hand holding the jack knife. The jack knife traced an arc as it flew toward Jaehee.
But Jaehee’s gaze watching it was emotionless. He had to be. Jaehee was in a situation where he could escape at any time. He was simply staying still by his own decision. There was a good reason for that.
‘This level of staging should ensure they never take the stage again.’
The stage for the exit of supporting characters unnecessary to the story was about to reach its climax. At the most critical moment, Jaehee watched the play. People would soon arrive. Seeing the blood-splattered examination room, seeing the documents he had sent, and confirming what the drug was, this situation would firmly show the severity of the problem in their eyes.
So Jaehee simply watched the blade flying toward him. His impassive gaze was also insensitive to the pain that would soon come.
That’s when it happened. Someone blocked Jaehee’s front. A large body embraced Jaehee. The large body that protected Jaehee by embracing him took the jack knife in the Deputy Center Director’s hand with his body. Blood flowed to the floor. The situation Jaehee had wanted was created. There was a commotion outside the door. People would soon enter.
But there was one thing different from the situation he had envisioned in his mind. Jaehee looked down at his hands. Hands stained bright red with blood. Then he looked at the person who had embraced him. Having lost a lot of blood, Geonwoo’s face was pale white. Whether it was difficult to move his body properly because he had taken an Esper sedative, Geonwoo was standing with difficulty, holding Jaehee.
Geonwoo, who was protecting and holding Jaehee, leaned his face on Jaehee’s shoulder and whispered in a very small voice.
“…Guide-nim.”
The sound of him calling Jaehee, accompanied by weak breathing, pierced Jaehee’s ears. Though it was a very small sound, it was incredibly clear to Jaehee.
“Things like this…, I’ll do them, Guide-nim.”
