DMG Chapter 7 (Part 2)

Kang I-won nodded obediently. At least for now, he had no intention of delaying guiding, whether Han Kang-jin reminded him or not.

Han Kang-jin sighed deeply at Kang I-won’s annoyingly perfect responses.

“Alright. I trust you’ll handle this properly. Even if you don’t like guiding, make sure you get it done on time. That’s all I wanted to say. I don’t want to see this happen again.”

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“Yes.”

“I’m going to have a smoke before heading back. You go ahead first.”

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“Alright. I’ll head back in now.”

Leaving Han Kang-jin on the bench, Kang I-won returned to the center, sipping on his strawberry latte. By the time he reached the building, his drink was finished, so he tossed the empty cup into a trash bin.

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With an awkward amount of time left before his guiding session, Kang I-won decided to head to the cafeteria. Skipping breakfast earlier due to his morning test had left him hungry, and unfortunately, the strawberry latte wasn’t enough to fill him up.

In the cafeteria, a few people were eating despite the off-hour. He grabbed a light meal to satisfy his hunger and then made his way to the lounge. Settling down, he began searching for more information about ability loss.

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There wasn’t much available. For regenerative Espers like himself—already a rare category—the data was even scarcer. In the end, he found only three cases.

Even so, three was better than none. Kang I-won carefully reviewed the cases. One of them turned out to be irrelevant, so he focused on the other two. After reading through them multiple times, he noticed a significant commonality between the two Espers.

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At first, the time it took for wounds to regenerate began to gradually lengthen, and then, at a certain point, it dramatically increased.

When the regeneration time stretched to about two or three times the usual duration, the regenerative ability itself began to decline. There were no warning signs. The sudden loss of ability occurred abruptly, without any forewarning.

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Injuries that would typically heal without issue showed no signs of recovery. Because of this, a B-rank Esper died from excessive blood loss, and a D-rank Esper retired with a permanent disability.

The only Esper who remained unscathed was the C-rank Esper in the unrelated case. One day, they noticed the loss of their ability, underwent testing, and confirmed that their power was gone. However, the exact point of loss remained undetermined.

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It appeared that this Esper either avoided fieldwork entirely or exercised extreme caution when deployed.

Kang I-won searched for additional information but found nothing new. Frustrated, he reread the cases several times before receiving a call from Heo Do-gyeong. Tidying up his things, Kang I-won stood and headed straight to the guiding room.

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As he entered through the unlocked door, he found Heo Do-gyeong waiting for him in his usual manner.

Kang I-won walked down the short corridor and took a seat across from Heo Do-gyeong, separated by the table. Instead of extending his hand, Heo Do-gyeong leaned back in his chair and stared at Kang I-won.

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Without preamble, Heo Do-gyeong spoke.

“Come to think of it, I never got an answer yesterday.”

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“About what?”

“So, why exactly did you try to choke me?”

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“……”

Wasn’t that matter already settled yesterday? Caught off guard by the sudden revival of the topic, Kang I-won was at a loss for words. Amused by his reaction, Heo Do-gyeong smirked.

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“What’s the point in holding back now? We’re well past that.”

At this, Kang I-won, utterly baffled, asked back,

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“…What exactly are we past?”

“We’re at the stage where we can have deep conversations about all sorts of things. So, why did you do it?”

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Kang I-won wanted to argue against the idea that they were close enough to have “deep conversations,” but considering he had already talked about his younger sibling, he didn’t feel the need to bother.

Still, explaining himself while completely sober felt a bit embarrassing. Kang I-won was at least aware that what he had done wasn’t exactly normal. That awareness made it hard to start talking. However, Heo Do-gyeong patiently waited, leaving Kang I-won no choice but to eventually speak.

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“I was trying to sleep.”

“I didn’t catch that. Speak up.”

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“I… I was trying to sleep.”

“Right. You were trying to sleep.”

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There was a brief silence before Heo Do-gyeong spoke again, his tone laced with disbelief.

“So, you’re saying you choked yourself… to sleep?”

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Unable to hide his bewilderment, Heo Do-gyeong stumbled over his words slightly. Kang I-won nodded.

“Yes.”

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“…Do you even hear yourself right now?”

“It’s true.”

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Finally losing his composure, Heo Do-gyeong blurted out, “What kind of lunatic chokes himself to sleep? If anything, just take some sleeping pills!”

The “lunatic” in question looked slightly embarrassed, avoiding his gaze as he mumbled defensively, “I told you, I have nightmares. If I fall asleep that way, I don’t dream. And sleeping pills don’t work.”

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“That’s not sleeping! That’s passing out!”

Exasperated, Heo Do-gyeong buried his face in his hand, groaning like he was about to lose his mind. Kang I-won, slightly flustered, couldn’t understand why he was making such a fuss. It wasn’t like choking himself was going to kill him or anything….

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If Heo Do-gyeong had known what was going through Kang I-won’s head, he would’ve exploded in anger. Fortunately, he didn’t. Instead, he sighed deeply and said,

“Don’t ever do something like that again. Seriously. And when did this even start? From how naturally your hand went to your neck, it doesn’t seem like this is a one-time thing.”

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His sharp gaze made Kang I-won avert his eyes.

“……”

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“Don’t even think about hiding it now.”

Even with his gaze turned away, he could feel the intensity of Heo Do-gyeong’s stare. Finally, Kang I-won mumbled in a small voice,

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“…About a month ago, I guess.”

“A month ago. Right before you left for Seoul,” Kang I-won said.

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Hearing this, something flashed through Heo Do-gyeong’s mind—a memory of a day when Kang I-won, unusually pale and visibly unsteady, looked as though he might collapse at any moment.

“Wait, don’t tell me it was that day?”

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“If you put it like that, I don’t know,” Kang I-won replied, feigning ignorance.

“…Ha. I wondered why your wavelengths were so unstable even though you hadn’t used your ability. Turns out…”

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Even without hearing Kang I-won’s confirmation, Heo Do-gyeong was certain that day was the start. Rubbing his face in exasperation, Heo muttered as he looked at Kang I-won.

“You really have a talent for driving people crazy, Esper Kang I-won. Honestly, I’d rather—”

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He stopped mid-sentence, cutting himself off as if realizing something, and covered his mouth with his hand. Whatever he had been about to say, it left him looking both flustered and conflicted.

“No, this isn’t right.”

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Mumbling to himself, Heo Do-gyeong pressed his lips tightly shut. Kang I-won, unable to hide his curiosity, watched him silently, waiting for him to calm down.

At least Heo wasn’t asking why Kang had used guiding medication again. That was a relief. He either didn’t know or had forgotten.

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After a while, as if organizing his thoughts, Heo Do-gyeong’s gaze sharpened, and he asked pointedly, “Let’s move on, then. Why did you use two doses of guiding medication in a row? The center had a perfectly capable temporary Guide, didn’t it?”

Oh no. Kang I-won frowned slightly.

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“What? Did you think I forgot?”

“That was… as I said, I couldn’t sleep….”

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In the end, Kang I-won could only repeat the same excuse, like a parrot: because of the dreams, because he couldn’t dream in a guiding-deficient state, because he thought it would be fine just that once.

“Do you even hear yourself? That’s your excuse? Watching you, Esper Kang I-won, I swear…”

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Whatever Heo Do-gyeong was about to say, he cut himself off again. Instead of speaking further, he sighed deeply, pulled off his gloves, and extended his bare hand.

“…Forget it. Let’s just get this over with. Give me your hand.”

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Without protest, Kang I-won reached out and clasped his hand. Heo Do-gyeong channeled his energy into Kang I-won sharply, almost irritably. Yet, despite the roughness with which it surged in, the guiding itself was unnecessarily soft and gentle.

The unfamiliar sensation made Kang I-won flinch.

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This wasn’t the bland, neutral guiding they had agreed upon. It was vivid and undeniable, brushing directly against his wavelengths. Startled, Kang I-won trembled.

“W-Wait a second.”

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“What the hell did you do this time to mess up your wavelengths like this? This is driving me insane.”

“Why are you doing this? We agreed to keep it neutral!”

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Flustered by Kang I-won’s protest, Heo Do-gyeong replied in a curt tone.

“You’re the one who broke our agreement first, Esper Kang I-won. So just keep quiet and accept the guiding.”

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“But that’s a bit diffe—”

Kang I-won started to argue but quickly shut his mouth. After all, he had already pushed his luck; he figured it wouldn’t hurt to let this slide. Relaxing his stiff body, he let himself surrender to Heo Do-gyeong’s energy.

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With Kang I-won falling silent, Heo Do-gyeong refocused and continued the guiding session.

Having thoroughly assessed Kang I-won’s condition once before, confirming it again wasn’t difficult. There was a slight resistance from Kang’s wavelengths, as if trying to push him away, but Heo ignored it effortlessly.

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His energy meticulously traced along Kang I-won’s battered wavelengths.

Despite the extensive and careful guiding session the day before, Kang’s wavelengths were still ragged and frayed. This would require steady, continuous guiding over time to restore properly.

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Heo Do-gyeong couldn’t hide his displeasure at Kang I-won’s apparent disregard for taking care of himself.

As he guided, he occasionally glanced at Kang I-won. Gradually, the corners of Heo’s mouth lifted as he noticed something new: a hint of satisfaction spreading across Kang’s flushed face.

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Unlike his usual demeanor—stoic, lips pressed tightly, and devoid of emotion—Kang I-won seemed more vibrant, his expression softened with contentment.

For some reason, the sight pleased Heo. Yes, this was the expression he wanted to see. Not that cold, detached face, but one that showed genuine relief and satisfaction from his guiding.

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* * *

The living room was particularly dark, shrouded in shadows due to the tightly drawn curtains that let not even a sliver of moonlight seep through.

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There was no need to go to such lengths. All he had to do was wait. Yet, simply waiting left him uneasy. What if his suspicions were wrong?

Even if he waited, there was no guarantee the result he hoped for would come. All he had was speculation. That uncertainty gnawed at him, driving him to seek even the smallest measure of assurance.

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This seemed like the most reliable way. Muttering to himself, Kang I-won stared at the glowing screen of the device strapped to his wrist.

00:14.58…

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00:57.12…

01:25.69…

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Fixated on the stopwatch as the seconds ticked by, Kang I-won eventually pressed the stop button.

02:12.09

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He stared at the record on the screen for a long moment before turning the device off. The faint light that had illuminated the room vanished, leaving him in the pitch-black space consumed by shadows.

In the overwhelming darkness, Kang I-won sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, unmoving and lost in thought.

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