“I got it.”
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“The side effects… I’ll see if I can adjust the dosing cycle. It might be longer than two days.”
‘If that happens, it’ll take even more time until the imprint is finally released.’ At those additional words, Do Ganghyun obediently agreed.
“I don’t mind.”
“Okay. I’ll contact you once the schedule is set.”
Do Ganghui ended the call while swallowing a sigh.
Images passed through her mind in succession: her brother who called a mere stomachache a serious side effect, yet had Myeong Eunha take medication that could cause permanent damage, and the ironic sight of him being so desperate to remove the imprint yet agreeing without objection to the schedule becoming indefinitely extended.
‘He cares about his Guide so terribly much, so how is this not love? What on earth are you going to do, Ganghyun?’
However, this matter had already been predetermined. So as family, the conclusion given to her would be to stay by Do Ganghyun’s side and suffer together with him.
Do Ganghui closed her eyes, picturing the future that would soon arrive.
***
The necklace I received from Grandmother ended up staying around my neck after all. There was no real alternative. It was Grandmother’s last wish, after all.
‘I have to do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn’t become her last wish.’
The Research Director’s face suddenly came to mind. He probably didn’t have any clear method either, but still, you never knew. The Research Director was crazy about research enough to suit his position. Since I was planning to get advice regarding the artificial guiding zone anyway, asking him wouldn’t be a bad method…
‘Artificial guiding zone?’
In that instant, an idea flashed through my mind.
Grandmother’s illness was a disease caused by guiding depletion. To put it simply, it was as if the wellspring of guiding that should naturally be generated and circulating within the body had dried up. In a word, it could be expressed as ‘a Guide’s rampage.’ Her body desired death in order to follow the Esper who had departed first. But what if guiding could be replenished—then what would happen?
I didn’t know the exact principle of the new drug that had been administered to Grandmother, but it was said to be a kind of guiding supplement. Different from what Espers used, but with the same function.
And the artificial guiding zone I was attempting was a single guiding domain. If my prediction was correct and the attempt succeeded, I might be able to fully wake Grandmother.
“What are you thinking about?”
Just then, Do Ganghyun approached and spoke to me.
I stiffened in surprise. Come to think of it, Do Ganghyun didn’t like me going in and out of the research lab. It was because they conducted various experiments without secured safety, but beyond that, he disliked the human being called the Research Director himself. Even without him telling me precisely, I could sufficiently infer the reason he disliked him.
The Research Director viewed Awakened individuals only as research subjects, and deep down, Awakened individuals weren’t people to him. Anyone quick-witted could tell after just a brief conversation.
Moreover, he was someone who thoroughly looked out for only his own interests in any situation. If I visited him this time, he would probably attach conditions somehow to obtain what he wanted.
He might be interested in the artificial guiding zone itself, but there was a slightly higher possibility he’d be interested in the data that could unlock the secret of the natural imprint with Do Ganghyun. In other words, that meant he would need data about my body.
“Huh? Nothing really.”
And there was no way Do Ganghyun would allow that. I calmly shook my head, explaining that I was just spacing out.
Once a hopeful thought occurred to me, my body grew restless and it was hard to stay still. Whatever it was, I wanted to hear a definite answer from the Research Director. Despite needing to act as docile as possible to avoid Do Ganghyun’s suspicion.
“When you walk, be aware of your surroundings and focus only on walking. Don’t fall like last time.”
Do Ganghyun laughed as if finding it absurd and took my hand. Recently, because I kept spacing out thinking about Grandmother and falling while walking around, we often stayed close and walked holding hands like this. There were even times when bruises appeared on various parts of my body without me knowing, so I got checked every evening.
‘Rather than that, it seems like he deliberately talks to me whenever I’m thinking about something else.’
Was it just my imagination if he seemed vaguely anxious?
“I’ll be careful.”
I smiled lightly and squeezed the hand clasped with Do Ganghyun’s. I felt Do Ganghyun’s body stiffen with a flinch, but before long, the hand that had been loosely held properly intertwined.
Perhaps because my condition had been consistently poor since visiting the Guide ward, Do Ganghyun had begun taking exceptionally good care of me. Thanks to that, the distance between us had rapidly decreased like now. The problem was that in this situation, it wouldn’t be easy to go to the research lab while avoiding Do Ganghyun’s eyes.
‘Should I at least try contacting him?’
Of course I had the Research Director’s contact information. There were many entanglements, from my position as Do Ganghyun’s Guide to clinical trials, to providing Grandmother’s new drug, and more.
Even if I contacted him, I wondered whether a proper meeting could actually be arranged, but it was nothing ventured, nothing gained. Since Do Ganghyun was blocking meetings with me, the Research Director’s body would be just as restless. He would find a way on his own.
“If you’re tired, you can go in first. I’ll call someone for you.”
It was also a good time to contact him.
“No. It’s my first external mission as a team Guide, so I should do it properly.”
That was right. Today, I was out in the field for my first external mission as a team Guide. With the entire team participating, no less.
Since I, as a Guide, couldn’t enter inside the Gate, we decided to set up a temporary tent near the Gate entrance and wait there in case of any unforeseen situations. It was the only time when both the outsider Do Ganghyun had attached to me and the team members all disappeared from the vicinity.
‘I wonder if the signal will work well…’
However, the issue was whether I could use my cell phone. The closer to the Gate, the worse the signal reception. But if I went too far outside the tent, I might catch the eye of reporters nearby for no reason.
I kept glancing around looking for a way, and Do Ganghyun, interpreting this somehow, gently shook our clasped hands and spoke.
“Anyway, the goal is rescuing people, not clearing it, so we’ll be out soon. It’s not even that wide a Gate, and it’s a B-rank Gate, so there’s nothing to be nervous about.”
‘I’ll control things so you won’t have to do much guiding.’ Do Ganghyun added quietly.
Do Ganghyun’s ears reddened slightly as he said that, and from that sight I could read the intention that I shouldn’t guide the other team members. Now that I properly understood an Esper’s possessiveness toward their imprinted Guide, I obediently nodded.
‘Right. For now, let’s focus on the field.’
Once the clearing started, there would definitely be an opening. Even if not, there were plenty of other ways to contact the Research Director. No matter how much Do Ganghyun avoided the Research Director, he still had to get regular checkups. My regular checkup was next week, so I could aim for that time.
‘This time, there was quite significant civilian damage too.’
There had been many incidents like this recently. Gates would form in the middle of downtown without any warning signs, or conditions would be attached to entering or clearing Gates.
This Gate was both. The Gate that appeared in the middle of downtown without warning had swallowed up a nearby parking lot entirely. It would have been good if only cars were sucked into the Gate, but naturally, the people who were in the parking lot were also sucked in and disappeared together. If there was a silver lining in the misfortune, it was that it didn’t absorb the nearby department store or apartments.
The confirmed victims totaled seventeen people. Even this was only possible to ascertain because of the entry conditions presented by the Gate.
[17/25]
I checked the numbers floating above the Gate.
From what I heard, those numbers indicated the number of people who had entered the Gate so far. Fourteen people who were in the parking lot at the time were sucked in as they were, and added to them were one civilian who approached out of curiosity after seeing the form of the Gate that appeared with the numbers, and two reporters who were sucked in while trying to cover the story, becoming additional victims. It only stopped at this extent because it was in the middle of downtown and there were many who witnessed it.
Normally, unless a Gate burst or the surroundings became Gate-ified, even if civilians approached a Gate, entry was impossible. There were two cases where human casualties occurred due to Gates. One was when the Gate burst or the surrounding environment changed to become like a Gate, and the other was when people were in the location where the Gate formed. Who knows about the first fourteen victims, but the latter three probably didn’t expect to be dragged into the Gate.
“Even if it takes longer than expected, don’t come near the Gate.”
Do Ganghyun earnestly urged.
That was why he was being so sensitive, saying I could go in first from the beginning. Because I had to wait near this unfamiliar Gate that could pull in civilians. He was on edge because there had never been a Gate that pulled in civilians like this before. Even though the range affected by the Gate had already been fully identified.
The fortunate thing was that judging by the displayed headcount, there was a possibility that all the victims might have survived. If it only counted the moment of entry, even this would be a wrong guess, but since it displayed the number of people the Gate could accommodate, we weren’t giving up hope for now.
