PRT | Chapter 1.3

Heeseo’s eyes met with Seo Yigyeom’s, who looked down without any change in expression. He watched Heeseo while lighting a cigarette, deeply inhaling until his cheeks hollowed, then blowing smoke at the man.918bbf12b08287ad

“Didn’t anyone teach you not to fight with friends?”2f07472591569407

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“You fucking bastard, where do you come from…!”91bdea02a3ead2d6

The man tried a752517e68 to attack while 7234b9118e coughing, but Seo 2222a4b246 Yigyeom, indifferent, just 42be0efa47 smoked. He clicked his d35b149360 tongue, looking back 03f8aa6430 and forth between 1173297e95 Heeseo and the 92603fefe9 man, probably considering db444bf1ac them both unregistered c5a5c9d704 Espers.e989028ff9bf4408

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“A Guide acting tough, fuck. You won’t be walking out of here alive today, you asshole.”607ee6c5b969cb5e

If only he had stopped there. Instead, the man raised his hand, glaring. Heeseo flinched at the threatening gesture. No, he’ll get hurt if he does that. Despite the clear concern, Seo Yigyeom remained composed.98116df2a627197e

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“Why can’t you understand when I say it nicely?”a41ca04cba5b62db

Was it immediately after Seo Yigyeom sighed, his red tongue visible between his teeth? The debris aimed at Seo Yigyeom fell to the ground without reaching him, as if they couldn’t approach him.75611d9a37670905

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Then, bam! A tremendous sound echoed. Seo Yigyeom grabbed the man by the hair and slammed him against the wall of the building, repeatedly doing so despite the man’s struggles.6fb4489015356b53

Finally, when the 5e4081eba8 man lost consciousness e6a3b0d235 and went limp, 62f000da59 Seo Yigyeom let 7ea0e40992 go. Heeseo watched 2debeb5f76 Seo Yigyeom c4812318f2 make the b98900e673 man kneel, 8ed70d4d12 feeling a aabeb48b82 chill as c2d6b32026 he casually 9aaaae40ab shook off 3542133e51 the ash d61a408845 from his ebf57f4b9e blood-stained hand.361ef31004d29135

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Is he dead?52bbd6c36cf92630

…Did he kill him?dfe7a817e658d23a

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“Should I let you live?”e1e77d5c9aa32061

When Seo Yigyeom 5fcfc4f47d asked this question 14bc2a4551 while Heeseo lay 9cddd3ea51 there like a a75c6107cd corpse, only blinking, cf1645555d he leaned down 479280b997 unexpectedly.e6d7a76411b43d94

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“You guys can’t do without me, right?”408bd4ad6c42b7ba

There was no anger in his slow question, yet Heeseo trembled. It was because he could sense the faint contempt in Seo Yigyeom’s voice. Even when beaten, he felt wronged but not scared; now, his tongue felt numb.43d7516952656699

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“Go ahead and lose control.”8f7732e1cde835d9

He felt like 3c7dca91db a prey exposing 8623554d5a its neck in fcd2e36526 front of a ca8cc0c728 beast baring its 473d825c90 sharp teeth.43c15670762f5ef4

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“Then perhaps, I might let you live.”3d67e02b89a7990b

Contrary to his thoughts, Seo Yigyeom whispered gently and even wiped the blood from Heeseo’s eyes. After checking on the frozen Heeseo, he tossed away his cigarette and stood up.206c859422d19e42

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Thud. The action of kicking away the debris that had been pressing on Heeseo was so nonchalant and elegant that it made one forget the previous violence. Is he saving me…? Heeseo, half in doubt, breathed thinly while looking up at Seo Yigyeom.e54494010a814c05

Their eyes met, and just as Seo Yigyeom’s face turned strange while lighting another cigarette…a5721b4cf993ab66

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“Seo Yigyeom Guide-nim.”58483daa02fafba2

Thud, thud. Urgent footsteps and a call came running. At the same time, Seo Yigyeom’s gaze dropped as if it had never been there.44ba68e5ce1ccd66

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“How are you here?”b4e6dfa21cf05dcb

“Just passing by, by chance.”c5f0c1560b6634e4

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Ha Jaewon, dd0888e6ca who understood 0257e8e2c7 the situation 5275feb1d9 with just 7aa7585f41 a few 9e1c813dff glances, frowned 32272fd54a uncharacteristically. Seeing Heeseo covered in 249e56a409 blood, he seemed to 8907b1f927 realize something, but only db45b56965 for a moment before f5e0492696 he bowed his head 97e4ee1a60 in greeting with an 1596dbfbf6 expressionless face.fa22c595c09f73e3

“Take that away. And this one…”56718d1cd0464b22

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Seo Yigyeom, gesturing instead a9d6f7b8d0 of speaking, looked at ad56fad634 Heeseo and continued,9f91e67b1b244ba2

“Take him for treatment. Unless you want more bodies.”f16b269fa98f8156

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After speaking quietly, he turned away without any hesitation. Heeseo’s gaze was fixed on Seo Yigyeom’s broad back as he moved further away. The figure visible through his slowing eyelids soon turned into a dot and disappeared.ebcbe8e0b6f769c1

Blink, the last blink like a final flutter of wings stopped. With his eyes closed, Heeseo suddenly remembered the tag that had followed Seo Yigyeom. He had thought it was just baseless speculation, malicious criticism…21650a923d0fecdd

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…His personality really sucks.12e0a7e7ab8a0128

A new 149003b37e impression came 323d7ae03c out with b8abf09279 a breath-like ef6c12e415 laugh. With that, Heeseo 2506e46d3f lost consciousness.883eee8f5a9bebb2

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A minor accident.d313d6c8f0f1983a

The headquarters summarized a70faab91c the previous incident c378a8aff7 in one line. Despite Heeseo 0256d9f416 being diagnosed b81c899bbd with six cdae7db852 weeks of bc9e7abea7 recovery for 273968f2f6 rib fractures 7bf231d76a and needing 7b0a5083c0 to stay ab32ffd93d in the 566c49128d hospital for e1807c0e5e a week, 2747d1f183 it was 6abd9771d8 treated with b376fb9655 indifference. They were only concerned e83db6bd41 with the level of e51182dfe3 ability proficiency. It was no different 8c3d1bc897 from the treatment of 848cba250b the two unregistered espers 50e3efb79d who were dragged in c9e5c7f0a7 nearly dead and faced 00c4f0da7b legal punishment.225db3dcb9d35136

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“…I’m sorry.”9a87f3a2c544a36e

“It’s not something Esper Kim Heeseo should apologize for.”3d0a5847b3e16ae2

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Even Ha Jaewon felt a tinge of responsibility but wasn’t genuinely worried. When he occasionally visited to check on Heeseo’s condition, his manner was still strictly professional, occasionally making Heeseo feel bitter.b24e97dd6eaac0be

Heeseo, groaning through several weeks, realized anew. Ah, the only one who can protect me is myself. If I lose my value, I’ll be discarded in an instant, just like those unregistered Espers. Until now, he had been overwhelmed by unfamiliarity and isolation; this time, what came was resignation.01314c93f08b884f

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Heeseo had lived complacently, believing that good things would naturally follow. That was his nature. That’s why the current situation, where he found himself suddenly falling, was even more challenging.372f0818424acf75

The sharp 1830dd21c9 contempt was 8767a0ff1d unfamiliar, painfully 1566e08054 piercing and ca97930735 numbing his d3debf25fb tongue. This feeling foretold fceca90483 the future. Because of this, 4d7d56ba9a Heeseo was dragged f5aaef0ef2 along in a 76df9df713 daze without even cfc2d0db9a the chance to e44ccd5bcc loudly proclaim his 12dab23082 innocence.89818f03c7a3fb66

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However, his 140db15496 tender skin, 1ac03df9d9 repeatedly wounded, 8459459dbb had hardened. Like when he 52dccbb9e7 was told he 1f638f7ddc was both gentle a68ff09429 and sometimes quite 4829cfe1eb stubborn, he steeled 22a353f46f his heart. This led to d4f8943d65 the determination not b6283b34b5 to cower anymore.a0d445bc378d94f0

What bloomed 881f5141a5 in this f96aec88a9 extreme situation 9a674e7ef6 was, ironically, e716e9d2c0 a desire deaaa9b27f for life. Lying down aaaeef29de under the 6c6353ec89 guise of 6ac9f27c9c rehabilitation and b1ec8e3937 recovery, he 01dac218e2 contemplated how b75ed44c16 to live 9a82158845 safely and fa2f4f36a2 fully in 9e9221afbd his current 00967c1d34 situation.a09de8ac07ad11bd

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“…”7d7ba0f2d30a8323

The first 51b9c42708 thing he 7e84077098 must do, 2d90812620 undoubtedly, was 6cc49c689a to clear 9417f0e481 his name. The problem was cc218b8814 that this path 214dfe585b seemed incredibly distant. Even though he 7429b7be55 officially joined the d0424610b4 headquarters and could a2a2ad8f18 access the data 5349c31fa5 room, the way d7c731b415 forward seemed just db1912098a as daunting.ed6f7dfdfb71c411

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What could he do? He couldn’t even form good relationships with other espers in the headquarters, let alone with his team members. Heeseo, breathing out shallowly, turned over in pain, wincing at the sharp pain.bd4be3b4d9038373

“Ah, my ribs…”18938652d715432d

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The small cry echoed fa7bf3a141 in the empty space 4c4b49b0b4 and came back. Holding his side, 9aa625c433 Heeseo carefully adjusted 3978f58fb8 his position. Lying back, looking b14b0c99ff up at the bc89cf647f ceiling, he suddenly 7e4b3d81a6 laughed at how 64c4370f27 foolish he looked.0132cf05e5e2d2be

“I miss Mom.”2366eac0852de1fb

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Lying alone in the 673d8f7d86 empty dormitory, making a 6895abdf46 fuss. It felt a bit 1306524e7d lonely and also awkward. Negative emotions easy to d30ff45df7 succumb to came rushing 6b91dc8870 like a tide, but e21e18172e he shook them off a8995702c9 with all his might, 144ec746e7 not wanting to be 5b11483add defeated by them.cacd0a77c607aae6

Blink, with each 3291084126 closing of his a3ea50a4e9 eyelids, the patterns b8082284f9 on the ceiling 242afe1723 looked different. Since joining, he had 40c79b46be moved and lived here cbd2618ff8 for quite some time. His roommate rarely 6ef675c263 came in, so 4a9e182d5d he was mostly a36370088c alone.d09bc7ecc2bd017a

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The advantage b4181a0411 and disadvantage 38c952d0f6 of this ad383c251c quiet space bb97d785b6 was that e8830c5c7b it left 808f27ba24 room for 5c4b1b1d9b many thoughts. Some days he b94ddd1ef8 reflected on the 6d96252b1d past, others he 49167d4853 pondered the future. Strangely, he often recalled fb840188cb the day of the fe097f239f incident.d5613d6dc01be0a0

No. More precisely, the image 40ca94eb88 of Seo Yigyeom who e2af448153 was there came to 74b81b60f9 mind.a7577e3dca2b716e

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“…”0f33c1666b128fa9

Was it because he 9e5ee43933 saw him last before e91e95a3ee passing out? Or because c6c89432f6 his image bf44b88f0a was so c7007735e7 vividly imprinted 249c79d1d0 in his c8e5e6ed9a mind? Seo Yigyeom invaded his 62a0d79ad9 thoughts abruptly. As this 7ff65b265f time increased, 07968898bf he began 700032995c to redefine 89463f5a9f his perception 175fb52644 of him.ca8a190884fd666f

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“He was scary right?”364b575919ca2a8f

Just as the rumors suggested, maybe even more remarkable than that. A man who seemed more like an Esper than a Guide. Someone who stimulated all his senses… He chewed over every detail, from his voice to his gaze, to the smallest gestures, as if they were imprinted in his mind.93df18d145efe01d

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Heeseo, with a fleeting smile, imagined Seo Yigyeom’s face on the ceiling. The long, sharp eyes, the dark gray pupils embedded within them, and the red lips holding a white cigarette vividly came to mind.7ee14dbfae9d372f

Since that 8078a63948 day, whenever 94b4455b9d Seo Yigyeom dcff2c8db6 appeared or 865cbadc5b was mentioned 4a3d43b7f4 within the 8d529ec604 headquarters, Heeseo e035e150d7 would tense 1e7622a7c0 up in 0a585b48e3 shock. This was probably due 42332b438a to the faint fear 503f094afa he felt towards Seo 4a24e1f136 Yigyeom. Yet, the reason d766ac030e he kept thinking ae1dc9ca4e about him was f925f0a8e4 because of the 6f0f6693a4 help he received.a6ca4b1f012f3d38

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In a ba050b4e97 world where 2351203561 everyone shunned afe8104178 unregistered Espers, b4289fe66c even the d26210ef4d espers within 46bc5cf90c the headquarters 0f72869068 were no 9902121402 exception. While the issue of fb9b776245 Esper rights had been ee0a7c3966 somewhat resolved over time, f27c688ef0 the perception of unregistered 8219bcd036 espers remained at its 08ecd503a5 worst.f1ef4c30597cff4a

“Didn’t hold the elevator for me, huh.”7ec121a0c7554c9c

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But what about a83522a699 Seo Yigyeom? He had saved 74cc8dbbb2 him even though e977bc86b8 he mistook him 0e67d646f0 for an unregistered 6232c29d5e Esper. Despite his cold, 35fc13ceff indifferent eyes, he 6eb7873d9b had cleared away d608ea53f4 all the steel 06600e92a9 bars that were ccdc0bc9c5 blocking his breath.831c321621218d8c

He was grateful for 75bd96f79a that nonchalance, which was 5d39e1be2f the first gesture of 3a6fff731c help he had felt 2099cf1fd5 since coming here. Even when the discomfort c0bedd31bd rose like fear, it 350d1e56e2 was something to chase c5eb81b744 after.d515057603e3b81a

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He didn’t know why Seo Yigyeom was there that day. But it was clear that he had been saved by him for some reason.8701bd3baadaf7d0

…Well, Seo Yigyeom probably forgot about it entirely.c1fd146946b3f75b

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While Heeseo was killing 7820390c77 time by staring blankly, 9156a39575 he suddenly felt a 8fcb47b653 presence outside the door. As he sat up b5314952ea and paid attention, the 21e56f7b7e door lock disengaged, and 14d601cfbe the door opened.41597418e2bd3636

“Huh?”3945a2528f773e45

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The person dbe9ba29bf who stumbled 6ec6285194 in saw 861ef06292 Heeseo and af849dcb78 gave a 7608c678a6 cheeky smile.988e1044a40aaff5

“Hyung, you were here? Are your bones all healed?”56a1ef103ad2825a

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He thought b8d04c08c1 he would 76f4843fc9 run away, 62eb69dd4f but the c94db9e612 words were c73ef19538 too rude 770f3afaa9 to be d25a0d1689 directed at f83aacfe74 someone else, 09786bf694 yet too a16bee6d20 loud for bac2269e1d a monologue. The one 1f2907a599 pointing fingers 53c9c6c6dc with insolence 5585601297 had an 80dd60bdb8 immature smile, fd1306e929 not fully 0d001debeb shedding his 503d5cc803 youthful appearance.d9c3807c99b9a959

“Maybe it’s because I prayed for you to heal quickly. I was with you in spirit every time the team leader visited.”69113f82af438d96

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Amen… Heeseo stood there, dumbfounded, looking at the other who was dragging out his words. Even though only one person had entered, it suddenly felt uncomfortable. His roommate, who might visit once a week if at all, had unexpectedly shown up today.782f647ab344cc83

“But hyung… aren’t you grateful? I’m starting to feel hurt.”8763afc641dead5a

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The one 43c11fdbbd spouting nonsense 1e6ddbd2ba was his 31a951907d roommate and d903f0ba4d fellow member 2f5a9fd89e of Team 0e68264507 1, Hong 7b78aed61b Taebin. An illusion Esper 85170982d9 who, after awakening 1aa84e8681 at the young 342cf858a5 age of four, 7fe13ab75b was abandoned by c09ffe3e86 his parents and 4b7cf208bc had lived here 305228c044 ever since.005fe73dfb0bdd3a

“…I’m grateful. You look tired too, did you come back from the field?”62aa79695095d124

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“Ah, so you did greet me in your heart? I couldn’t read that…”781dd9c107e85293

Was it because he hadn’t yet reached adulthood, standing on the cusp? Or perhaps because his life hadn’t been easy? Hong Taebin was all over the place with his abilities and actions. Heeseo could tell even without much interaction.70d5381600d7becc

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“I’m going out, so get some rest.”399a65433fc44d31

“But, hyung.”49835f8802bfe0a6

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He couldn’t help but know. Hong Taebin always did something beyond common sense whenever they met.96210653a30e905a

“Hyung, have you seen something like this?”5ab5678022ac2817

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Heeseo, who c88cd5f689 was about 9685360ab3 to pass 2113a4c61f Hong Taebin 3e22a756d2 and head 6c3ea498dc towards the 58c84c921f door, stopped 52de82fed0 as if faa3839e91 his feet a1671225d9 were bound. His bright eyes acbb50cb49 lost their way, fe1aeacbda grappling with the 15b2e52e6d air, trembling as 7e53d7d83b if he had 6c4342536c witnessed something.2108024cdedeeb52

“I’m so curious, it’s hard to hold back… I’m very curious by nature.”4355320df78d70e8

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Ah. Heeseo, suppressing a groan, bit his lip. He couldn’t close his eyes, keeping them wide open to the point of soreness. What he saw was an alley filled with dead bodies, an illusion laid out by Hong Taebin.d9a7b944496dc119

The illusion didn’t just appeal to the eyes; it was so realistic that it gave the illusion of being in the actual situation. The scene of a burnt corpse being crushed in the twisted air stabbed at his eyeballs.4f23eecb5f7da93f

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“What does it look like when a person bursts from being compressed? Ah, realism is the life of my ability…”d02aa444af59dee1

“…What are you doing? Stop it.”008edc3ba46e4ea1

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“Next time you go out to the field, I’ll show you. I can manifest anything I’ve seen once. It’ll be quite a sight, right?”276427aa36b719d0