# Chapter 9
“Guide Park Garam. Are you alright? You must have been quite surprised.”
The middle-aged woman asked as if she wasn’t sorry at all. Though her words were clearly kind, her mechanical tone seemed devoid of any emotion.
“Who are you?!”
I asked while covering my body with the blanket I had been using instead of a comforter. I was still in hospital clothes. I looked around my surroundings.
“Pardon my late introduction. I am Director Kim Jeongseon from the Korean Esper Association’s Diplomatic Management Department 1.”
She pulled out a neat business card holder from inside her jacket. With one press, a card slid out. It looked as mechanical as her attitude. I accepted the card she handed me in a daze.
For a moment, my ears went numb. I looked around once more. Though it didn’t look like a regular airplane, this was definitely an airplane. It had six seats, with plenty of space between them. Moreover, they could fully recline, making them practically beds.
When Director Kim Jeongseon saw me continuing to look around, she finally began to explain the situation.
“This is the Association’s private jet for S-class ability users. You were sleeping so deeply that no matter how much we tried to wake you, you didn’t get up. So we had no choice but to depart like this.”
“Like this?”
“We moved you on the bed you were sleeping on and transferred you to the plane. Still, you wouldn’t wake up. Since the situation was urgent, we had no choice but to depart as is.”
She glanced at her watch once, then turned on the screen in front of my seat. The screen was larger than most laptop displays. It showed American police officers circling around something that looked like a black hole.
“Although it hasn’t been announced to the press yet, an S-class gate was discovered in Chicago, USA at around 4:37 AM today. The location is the lower Chicago River. After determining the gate’s rank, the US government sent requests for assistance to countries with SS-class Espers. Our government accepted the request and immediately ordered Esper Kim Haewon to the scene.”
“……”
Not knowing how to react, I bowed my head seriously. I couldn’t very well show that I already knew this. Then I asked casually:
“Aren’t there SS-class Espers with American citizenship? I believe there are two of them.”
“They are unable to participate in the operation due to injuries.”
“I see.”
I knew that fact as well, but I added a tone as if I found it unfortunate. Director Kim Jeongseon continued her explanation.
“After the private jet departed, we realized that Guide Park Garam wasn’t on board. When we confirmed this with Chief Secretary Hwang Changho, he told us that due to a minor argument between you two, Esper Kim Haewon had instructed that Guide Park Garam not be informed about this operation.”
“Ah, yes…”
“This gate suppression operation will play a very important role in Korean-US relations. Personal emotions should not be involved. Esper Department has decided to impose internal disciplinary measures on Esper Kim Haewon for his decision after the suppression is complete.”
Director Kim Jeongseon seemed quite angry. It was understandable since if he went berserk there, the Diplomatic Management Department would bear all responsibility. Feeling somewhat guilty myself, I neatly folded my hands and feet, displaying an attentive attitude to her words.
“I would like to ask for your understanding regarding the urgent situation that required departing on the private jet without prior explanation to Guide Park Garam.”
“Not at all. You did what you had to do. It’s Esper Kim Haewon who was wrong. I apologize on his behalf.”
“No need. There’s no reason for Guide Park Garam to apologize for Esper Kim Haewon’s mistake. Esper Department 1 will handle the disciplinary action internally.”
Her tone suggested you couldn’t draw a drop of blood from her even if you stabbed her. When the briefing ended, she showed me a temporary building moving around the gate in Chicago. It was a rectangular building made entirely of white.
“The Association’s private jet is significantly faster than regular planes. We will arrive within seven hours.”
“Yes.”
“The block center you see on the screen is a temporary isolation center used when S-class or higher Espers urgently need guiding. The Chicago state government is installing it, so it will be ready for use when we arrive.”
Only then did I remember what it was. It was the temporary isolation center that guides called the White Box. Though it looked like a container that could be moved around, it was equipped with various high-end medical facilities inside.
It was a system on a completely different level from regular barracks where they hastily set up tents and pushed in a few beds and medical devices. There was only one White Box for S-class and above in Korea, so I had never seen one in person. I had only seen a few photos during the guiding education process. And even those I had just glanced at casually, thinking it was a facility that would never concern me.
So I’m going to enter that White Box.
It was a special feeling. The White Box had a somewhat complicated meaning beyond just being created out of consideration for S-class Espers. It was because barriers were installed to minimize the impact if an S-class Esper exhibited violent behavior or went berserk during the guiding process.
Of course, the safety of the guide inside wasn’t guaranteed. It was either both the Esper and guide died together, or the Esper survived while the guide died. So entering the White Box was as dangerous for a guide as entering an S-class gate.
Honestly, my first thought was that I didn’t want to go in. If Kim Haewon said he didn’t need me…! Why, why, WHY should I deliberately put myself in danger?
“Um, I…”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Since Esper Kim Haewon doesn’t want my guiding, shouldn’t another guide enter the White Box instead…”
“What do you mean?”
Director Kim Jeongseon had an expression suggesting she genuinely didn’t understand. I continued awkwardly with a forced smile.
“Well, you see… Guiding also requires compatibility, and since he’s rejecting me, I’m worried about potential side effects or something…”
“……”
“The truth is, I’m not in the best condition right now. I keep forgetting things, suddenly banging my head against walls. I don’t even know why I’m doing these things…”
I spoke in a tone that seemed like I would start crying at any moment. I wanted to somehow explain the situation and get out of it. But Director Kim Jeongseon’s expression showed no emotional fluctuation.
‘I’m doomed.’
The moment I had that thought, as if reading my mind, Director Kim Jeongseon spoke up.
“Are you saying you might die during the guiding?”
“Who? Me?”
“I was referring to both of you. I’ll take it as advice to prepare for the worst-case scenario. The most we can do on our end is to prepare a temporary guide. We will also prepare emergency medical staff for Guide Park Garam.”
“……”
Her mechanical thinking concluded with finding solutions to prevent the worst-case scenario. There didn’t seem to be an option of not putting me in there. That made sense since Kim Haewon’s guide matching rates were very low, while mine was 98%. Even I wouldn’t feel the need to choose a different option.
But I didn’t want to enter the White Box. How could I get out of this? As I was frantically racking my brain, Kim Jeongseon continued firmly.
“In the current situation, there’s no alternative to Guide Park Garam.”
The word “alternative” reminded me of Kim Haewon’s cold eyes. It was what I had said sarcastically. He had made me angry, so I had talked back in irritation.
Thinking about it now, maybe I went too far. But that bastard started it first… My thoughts were going in circles. The conclusion stopped at the point that neither Kim Haewon nor I had done anything right. Kim Jeongseon continued speaking while looking at my troubled face.
“Esper Kim Haewon probably judged that he could substitute guiding with the medications he was already taking. However, our medical staff’s assessment differs. An EM situation occurred not long ago. We fully understand that this is a difficult situation, but please, we’re counting on you.”
Director Kim Jeongseon bowed. I stood up awkwardly to receive her greeting. She finished her brief bow and straightened her back.
“I’ll prepare a meal for you. For now, please rest, and we’ll guide you again when we arrive.”
After finishing her words, Director Kim Jeongseon moved to the space in the front. It seemed that the seats for the Diplomatic Management Department staff and mine were separated.
I lay down on the soft seat. It was so plush that it was questionable to even call it a seat—it was more like a fluffy bed. Even if I had fallen asleep as if I had fainted, to not wake up while leaving the hospital, boarding a plane, and while that plane was flying through the sky… I could almost picture the round-faced trainer sheepishly rubbing his nose in embarrassment before my eyes.
Damn this poor physical condition.
I scratched my head as I thought. Why had I overlooked the fact that the Association wouldn’t just leave Kim Haewon’s pair Guide, whom they had gone to such lengths to find? My thinking had been short-sighted.
Preoccupied with the personal grudge between Kim Haewon and me, I had failed to consider the various interests related to this matter.
“I was truly stupid.”
I messed up my hair thoroughly and looked at the screen. On the screen, Kim Haewon, who had just disembarked from the private jet, was talking with Chicago state government officials.
“Stubborn bastard.”
Dressed in a jet-black combat uniform, Kim Haewon moved toward the gate as soon as he finished a few words of conversation. At that moment, my phone, which was placed next to the seat, vibrated once. It was a notification about the novel’s update.
