# Chapter 79
***
[Breaking News] ‘Monster’ Appears in the Heart of Seoul… S-class Esper Ji Sangjun’s Brilliant Performance
A dimensional rift occurred inside the Korean Ability Management Headquarters located in the heart of downtown Seoul.
According to the briefing from the Korean Ability Management Authority on the XX day, a dimensional rift occurred about 10m away from the research building of the Headquarters at 2:39 PM that day, and 5 A-class monsters appeared, but they were subdued within 19 minutes thanks to the performance of S-class Esper Ji Sangjun at the Headquarters. In the process, Building B of the research institute was damaged, but those involved at the Headquarters were promptly evacuated, resulting in no additional casualties.
According to Dr. Choi Jongwook’s interview, unlike the research data that was backed up through a state-of-the-art backup system, various research samples were destroyed, and it is expected to take more than 5 months to recover the damage to the research building.
“They’re really using my name a lot. It’s gonna wear out.”
“Sangjun, you should use nice words.”
“Yes, hyung-nim.”
Sangjun, who was sitting askew on the sofa checking his phone, answered obediently to Junwoo’s admonition.
“Why is Ji Sangjun here?”
Junseo, who was stuck close to Dohyuk under the pretext of guiding and had his chin on Dohyuk’s shoulder, said without hiding his irritation.
“This ill-mannered brat doesn’t even thank the person who helped him.”
Ignoring Sangjun, Junseo asked Junwoo again.
“Why did you bring Ji Sangjun along?”
“I happened to meet him on my way out of Headquarters and was glad to see him, so I brought him along. I was planning to treat him to dinner. Thanks to Sangjun, Dohyuk also finished without any extra trouble.”
Junwoo was right. Sangjun had reported that the cat died during the suppression of the Eudeuksini, and that the monster fragments melted by Dohyuk’s poison energy, which were unrecognizable in form, were the cat’s remains. It was also Sangjun who defended Dohyuk against the Esper Director who scolded him for not protecting the valuable sample.
“Thank you, Esper Ji Sangjun.”
“Well, it’s fine. That’s already the umpteenth time you’ve thanked me. I owe your hyung a bit, so I just helped to repay that.”
“A debt?”
The answer came from Junseo, who was rubbing his cheek against Dohyuk’s shoulder and purring.
“He’s the one who saved this guy when he was about to go berserk.”
“Saved from going berserk? But Dr. Yu Junwoo is an Esper.”
“That’s why mental-type Espers are valued. They can perform simple first aid. Thanks to that, he bought a little time until a Guide arrived, or otherwise he wouldn’t be in front of me now.”
“Hey, do you really sound disappointed?”
Sangjun frowned severely, so Dohyuk subtly shielded Junseo with his body.
In Dohyuk’s arms, a pitch-black cat was sleeping soundly. Compared to the cat, which had gradually regained its luster after hours of Dohyuk’s poison energy flowing into it, Dohyuk’s face was in an utterly terrible state from fatigue. If not for Junseo, it might have been Dohyuk who collapsed first.
“Anyway, thanks to Dohyuk, we discovered a new fact. The researchers have defined the cat as a ‘monster’ born from nuclear energy until now, but they didn’t think of it as the ‘core’ itself in the form of a living being. Excessive nuclear energy also came from Iol’s body, so they thought the cat would be similar.”
In fact, Dohyuk had just taken a gamble, recalling that the injured Changgwi in the dungeon had approached the cat. It was sheer luck that everything worked out according to plan.
The dungeon core attracts monsters. Therefore, cores brought from dungeons are placed in special facilities that block energy. It is a facility classified as level B among national important facilities divided into A, B, and C according to importance, and except for the single core held for research at the Headquarters research building, they were all located near the East Sea coast, away from the center of Seoul.
The cause of the dimensional rift was that the cat was not considered a core and was only confined in a monster cage.
“Then what about this pig? If it’s a core, won’t it attract monsters again?”
“Since the research sample is officially dead, I should return to my lab. I’ll take it. Our research institute also has a nuclear energy shielding facility. I’ll leave tomorrow, so there’s plenty of time.”
“Ah…”
When Dohyuk murmured, Junwoo smiled faintly.
“Don’t tell me you suspect me too? That I’ll abuse and experiment on it?”
“That’s not it. It would have been difficult for me to take care of it anyway, since I’m on field duty. It’s just a little…”
He felt regretful.
Dohyuk gently stroked the drowsy body sleeping in his arms. Today, the day felt exceptionally long. Junseo leaned in closer to him, and Dohyuk reflexively stroked his black hair too. As Dohyuk comforted the two who were purring so nonchalantly, Junseo’s clear voice flowed into his ear.
“Develop something for me. Like a portable nuclear energy blocker. In a pretty bell necklace design.”
“Junseo. Your hyung might be a genius, but I can’t develop things just like that. Though come to think of it, it does seem possible. Because theoretically, this…”
Junwoo, who had been mumbling something that sounded like code to Dohyuk, fell into deep thought and then turned on his phone and began frantically taking notes. Ignoring his brother, Junseo continued to rub his head against Dohyuk’s shoulder and whispered to him.
“If you wait patiently, he’ll make it for you. Just be patient until then. It’s not like we’re completely saying goodbye. Don’t feel down.”
“I thought you were afraid of cats.”
“If master brought it home… we have to live together.”
‘But will it use a cat tower?’ Junseo whispered, and Dohyuk felt like he could go crazy with how lovable he was, so he finally buried his face in Junseo’s nape. Unlike his soft voice, his solid shoulders were comfortable. It felt like a shelter he had finally found after wandering for a long, long time.
“Maybe I gave too much energy to the cat… I’m dizzy.”
As Dohyuk mumbled as if making an excuse, feeling his face flush, he heard laughter that sounded like raindrops falling.
“Hyung, you’re so cute when you lie because it’s so obvious.”
It’s puzzling why that clear voice couldn’t cool down his body.
***
The day before being dispatched to the Underground Nation, Dohyuk’s annual leave was finally approved. It was because Seungmin, who had gone on a dispatch mission to another region, returned one day early.
[I told you to rest well, but I hear you exerted yourself again? Tomorrow is the dungeon mission, what were you thinking?]
“Are you in separate contact with Junseo?”
[Of course. Unlike you, he knows when my dungeon dispatch date is and even sends me regards. Saying ‘have a safe trip.’ The kid is really gentle.]
“You crazy.”
Dohyuk frowned with reasonable suspicion, thinking, ‘It’s not like he’s a senior who hints at things, was he secretly acting like an old fogey?’
[You don’t even appreciate that I returned a day early so you could rest. Listen, buddy, your leave was rejected because there were no A-class or above at the Headquarters, right? Get some good rest, at least today. Really. You’ve been looking so gaunt lately, it’s terrible.]
“I got much better while you were in the dungeon. Really.”
That was true. Since their strange cohabitation, after work, Dohyuk had been receiving Junseo’s customized guiding every day at home, along with unexpected care.
One of them was a well-structured diet with balanced necessary nutrients, the kind that national team athletes might eat. Though he had never met them in person, it was certain that there was an employee. And a professional chef at that. Otherwise, there was no way Buddha Jumps Over the Wall would appear on the dinner menu. It was the highest-grade Chinese tonic food with precious ingredients generously used, such as cordyceps, seahorse, scallops, wild ginseng, soft-shelled turtle, and shark fin. He was dumbfounded to receive such tonic food, which he had never eaten before and had never even thought of eating, from the kitchen in his house.
[Oh, right. Are you living with Junseo?]
Did he mumble his thoughts out loud? Dohyuk froze.
“…Huh? How, did, you know that?”
[Seah was saying it? That you seemed to be living together.]
This is crazy. Dohyuk gently rubbed his forehead. As perceptive as Seah was, he didn’t expect her to notice from that brief conversation that day. Dohyuk earnestly defended himself to avoid becoming trash that couldn’t even be recycled.
“Junseo hasn’t charged me rent so far, but I’ve been faithfully paying the living expenses.”
[What are you talking about?]
Junseo, who had made a fuss with strange logic saying how could someone charge rent to a person they’re living with, that this shakes the foundation of Korean jeong culture, that families would collapse and whatnot, strangely accepted the modest living expenses Dohyuk was offering. He seemed to be fixated on the term “living expenses” itself. He said it was cute, like playing house.
After that, whenever Dohyuk felt a little burdened, Junseo would lie saying, “I bought it with the living expenses hyung gave me,” but no matter what, Dohyuk’s living expenses weren’t a magic pot, they were limited, but the things being bought were infinite. At this rate, he would be gifting Dohyuk a foreign car with his living expenses, which didn’t even amount to ten million won.
“…I don’t know either.”
[Well, good is good. It’s good to have a Guide with you, especially when your condition wasn’t good. You like him too.]
The shock must have been quite significant on the day Dohyuk collapsed and was unconscious. Dohyuk suddenly questioned Seungmin’s reaction, which was so different from the past.
“Are you okay?”
[About what?]
“You used to say not to mistake it because it was just due to a high matching rate.”
[I don’t think that way anymore when I see you. You seem to be just openly head over heels. Why bring up old things suddenly?]
