PUES Chapter 4 (Part 2)

LONG CHAPTER AHEAD

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No news is good news, they said. And Hajin had clung to that, grateful that Benny had managed to go through his training without any further incidents.

Some guardians received unexpected death notifications for their wards and could do nothing but curse their fate. Hajin had spent years praying that he would never be one of them.

And now, the day had finally arrived—Benny’s graduation day.

A lot had changed for Hajin as well. He had been Benny’s guardian for ten years now, and he had spent just as long working as a purification Esper.

At least with experience, the job had become easier.

New Espers came in every year, seeking purification, but Hajin had long since mastered the art of controlling them. His sharp words could easily suppress their urges, and for those who didn’t listen, he had learned how to wield the authority of a senior Esper, ensuring no one dared to treat him carelessly.

As for the more seasoned Espers—those who had once been reckless, thoughtless kids who acted purely on impulse—age had finally humbled them. Now, they understood just how humiliating their past behavior had been.

Thanks to that, Hajin had spent the last few years relatively peacefully, with nothing to worry about except Benny’s safe return.

It had been two years since he’d last found himself pinned beneath some overzealous young Esper, forced into exhaustion.

Ever since Benny left for training, Hajin had deliberately minimized sex-based purification, relying more on medication to manage Espers with addiction withdrawal. The drugs weren’t completely free of side effects, but those built like steel tanks didn’t seem to have much trouble detoxing.

“Benny must’ve grown a lot by now…”

He could still picture him—the little angel who used to smile so brightly, his eyes filled with nothing but trust.

Hajin wished he had been allowed to visit, but of course that wasn’t an option. There were no such visitation policies in place.

And really, Hajin was the only Esper who would have wanted such a thing in the first place.

In this world, guardians barely cared about their wards. The fact that Hajin adored Benny the way he did made him an anomaly. When he first learned that visitations weren’t even considered, he had been shocked.

For the past year and a half, he had spent every single day worrying about Benny.

He had always been small—smaller than his peers. What if he was struggling? What if he was surrounded by all those giant, rough Espers, forced to endure their brutality alone?

Had he cried himself to sleep? Had he been lonely?

Hajin had imagined every worst-case scenario possible.

I’ve really turned into a full-on dad, huh?

Hajin swallowed his emotions and made his way to the auditorium—the largest space in the entire center.

The moment he stepped inside, his eyes were met with a sea of dark-clad figures—an overwhelming gathering of only men, all Esper guardians waiting for their trainees. Among them, he stood out absurdly, the only one holding a bright bouquet of flowers.

Quickly, he found a seat and sat down.

“Hajin Sunbae.”

At the familiar voice, Hajin instinctively turned his head.

There stood Ward—looking noticeably more mature since the last time they had met.

Surprised and genuinely happy to see him, Hajin immediately stood up, smiling brightly.

“Wow, it’s been forever.”

“Have you been well? I wanted to visit, but I was sent on an assignment. I was stationed elsewhere and only returned a few days ago. I’m glad we could meet like this.”

“Really? Well, our center does have a ridiculous number of transfers. Must’ve been tough.”

“Not at all.”

Ward smiled, his usual straightforwardness tinged with a bit more composure.

Hajin couldn’t help but be amused—who would’ve thought he’d ever see Ward looking this put together? It almost felt like bumping into a childhood friend’s kid and realizing they’d grown up.

As he was about to sit back down, Ward’s gaze flickered toward the bouquet in his arms.

Curious, Hajin tilted his head.

“Are you here to pick someone up too, Esper Ward?”

“Huh? No, no. I was just curious about which new Espers would be joining as my juniors, so I stopped by on my way through.”

“Ah, right. You’re a senior now, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

At the word senior, Ward’s expression brightened, his pride unmistakable.

Hajin chuckled, realizing how much time had passed.

If I’m this happy just seeing Ward again, how emotional am I going to be when I see Benny?

The closer it got to that moment, the more nervous he became.

It had only been two years—not even that long. But what if Benny didn’t recognize him? What if—

Shaking off his spiraling thoughts, Hajin decided to mess with Ward instead.

“So, you came to supervise the juniors already? Trying to act like a proper senior, huh?”

Predictably, Ward flustered at the teasing, quickly backtracking with a No! That’s not—!

Hajin laughed.

“I’m just kidding. That’s not like you at all. Actually, one of the new recruits today is my kid.”

Ward immediately straightened.

“Of course! I’ve heard plenty about your ward, Hajin senior. If they end up in my unit—”

Hajin had been about to bow his head slightly, ready to politely ask Ward to take care of his kid, but before he could finish, he noticed a sudden shift in the atmosphere.

A low murmur spread through the auditorium, and when Hajin glanced toward the stage, he saw people moving around more busily than before.

Sensing the start of the event, Ward took it as his cue to leave. “We’ll talk later,” he said before stepping away, giving Hajin space.

As soon as Ward left, Hajin sat back down and focused on waiting for the ceremony to begin.

By now, nearly every seat was filled with broad-shouldered men dressed in the standard dark Esper uniform.

Yeah… Nothing’s more depressing than a room full of men.

Hajin adjusted the bouquet in his arms, glancing around at the suffocating mass of black-clad Espers. He averted his gaze just as quickly.

Huh?

His attention had momentarily drifted to his Esper watch, idly checking if any purification requests had come in while he was off-duty.

That was when he noticed it—the buzzing.

The low murmurs around him had grown louder.

What’s going on?

Curious, Hajin looked up and around, trying to figure out what had changed. Had the ceremony already started? Had he gotten too distracted?

But before he could figure it out, he suddenly became aware of a new problem.

Espers were now sitting directly in front, behind, and beside him—completely boxing him in.

He blinked.

“What…?”

“Hello, Hajin Esper.”

“…Oh. Hello.”

One of them greeted him first, flashing a seemingly polite smile.

Another spoke up almost immediately, handing him a vitamin drink out of nowhere.

“Esper Hajin, it’s been a while. You must be busy with all your purification work.”

“…Uh, yeah, I guess.”

Hajin took the drink on reflex, though his expression remained stiff.

The moment he spoke, yet another Esper jumped into the conversation.

“I was actually thinking about scheduling a session soon. If you have a free day, let me know—”

“Hajin Sunbae, are you off duty today? If you’re free after the ceremony—”

The voices layered over each other, overlapping, closing in from all sides.

Annoyance flickered across Hajin’s face.

He hated noisy, crowded situations.

And yet, for some reason, his juniors had taken it upon themselves to swarm him, bombarding him with unnecessary chatter.

Because of them, he almost missed the actual announcement.

“Now, we will begin the graduation ceremony for the 325th batch of direct guardian-assigned Esper trainees.”

As soon as the solemn voice rang through the auditorium, the once noisy hall fell into absolute silence. Even the Espers who had been chatting around Hajin stiffened and quickly faced forward, their expressions sobering in an instant.

Finally, some peace.

With his unwanted distractions silenced, Hajin’s previous irritation melted away as if it had never existed. His eyes sparkled with anticipation as he focused entirely on the stage, eager for the ceremony to move along.

There were formalities, of course—speeches, congratulatory remarks, and procedural nonsense. But to Hajin, all of it was nothing more than bureaucratic filler, meaningless rituals that only served to delay the one thing that actually mattered—seeing Benny again.

Then came the real numbers.

“Total recruits: 58.
Survivors: 40.
Graduates: 31.
That is all.”

It sounded like a lot. But in reality, barely half of the original recruits had made it through.

Rather than a graduation, it was more akin to a discharge from military service.

Still, this was the moment Hajin had been waiting for—his child officially becoming a full-fledged Esper.

Then, the next announcement came.

“We will now share the list of trainees who were classified as deceased during training.”

A large digital screen behind the stage lit up, displaying a list of names.

The moment the words Deceased Trainees appeared, a cold chill ran down Hajin’s spine.

Swallowing hard, he quickly adjusted his glasses, his eyes scanning the names with rigid focus.

“Holy shit…”

Benny’s name wasn’t there.

Relief flooded him so suddenly that his legs almost went weak. But before he could exhale, something else caught his attention.

Among the names on the list, one stood out—one Hajin knew.

The very same kid who had once cruelly called Hajin a whore, the one who had deeply wounded Benny with that insult.

Ah… So that’s why I didn’t see his guardian today.

Hajin processed the information with a calm, detached expression.

So that’s how he ended up.

It was a pathetic, insignificant ending, and he had little sympathy.

In truth, the real failure had been that kid’s guardian—someone who had never taught him why what he did was wrong.

In the end, this was just karma.

Hajin clicked his tongue softly but still took a moment to acknowledge the loss, his gaze slowly sweeping over the list of names.

“B-rank Esper trainees, step forward.”

Click. Click. Click.

The sound of synchronized footsteps echoed through the hall as a group of young Espers marched onto the stage.

They were no longer children.

Their bodies were fully grown, their expressions composed with military discipline. Yet, to their guardians—the ones who had raised them—they would always be kids.

The rigorous training showed in their precise movements—the perfect spacing between each step, the rigid posture, the sharpness in their gazes.

The newly graduated B-rank Espers stood before their commanding officer, receiving their certifications one by one.

Then—

“A-rank Esper trainees, step forward.”

Hajin had expected to see Benny among the A-rank Espers.

But no matter how hard he looked, he wasn’t there.

What the hell?

Hajin’s brows furrowed even deeper.

Maybe he just couldn’t recognize him from this distance? He had been so sure Benny would manifest as an A-rank Esper, just like in the original novel.

His arms instinctively tightened around the bouquet in his lap, the crinkling of cellophane filling the silence as he leaned forward.

Still, no familiar golden hair stood out among the trainees.

With their crisp uniforms and tightly secured caps, all the Espers on stage looked practically identical.

Then—

“S-rank Esper trainees, step forward.”

…Wait, what?

The A-ranks stepped down, leaving behind only two men.

Two massive figures, both clad in perfectly tailored uniforms, both radiating a presence that made them look almost unreal.

From a distance, they were indistinguishable from any other high-ranking Esper. Their rigid postures, the effortless power in their movements—these were no longer kids.

No way.

Hajin instinctively craned his neck, his sharp eyes scanning every detail.

“S-rank Psychic Esper—Benny Curtis.”

“Ah.”

The instant the name was called, one of the two men moved.

A single, fluid motion—spinning on his heel with calculated precision to face the commanding officer.

And in that moment, Hajin saw.

Despite the distance, despite the uniformity of their appearances, Hajin’s eyes immediately locked onto a pair of striking, sky-blue irises.

He knew those eyes.

Benny?

The name sat on the tip of his tongue, but no sound came out.

Even though he had just heard it.

Even though he knew it was true.

His mind refused to accept it.

Because the person standing there—this towering, broad-shouldered, impossibly massive man—

—couldn’t possibly be Benny.

Benny had always been small.

This person… this mountain of a man… was anything but.

His body was so packed with muscle that his custom-made uniform looked tight.

What the fuck had happened to him?

No, no, no—there’s no way. That can’t be Benny. No way.

A flicker of desperate denial made Hajin start gesturing—raising his hand and lowering it again, as if trying to measure something in the air.

The Espers seated around him turned to stare, their expressions a mix of confusion and amusement.

What the hell was he doing?

But Hajin didn’t notice.

He was busy trying to remember.

The last time I saw Benny… Where did he stand?

His hand hovered in front of his face, roughly where he remembered Benny’s head reaching the last time they were together.

His brain couldn’t reconcile the image of that boy with the massive Esper on stage.

And in his dazed disbelief—

He completely missed the moment the S-rank certification ceremony ended.

Benny actually awakened as an S-rank?

Not just that—he’s a Psychic Esper?

It was unbelievable.

The vast majority of Espers had physical-based abilities—enhanced strength, elemental manipulation, things that directly affected the physical world.

But Psychic Espers?

They were rare.

And invaluable.

With abilities that could pierce through enemy defenses, locate weak points, and completely dominate the battlefield, they were among the most highly sought-after forces in Esper combat units.

Hajin had thought—at most—Benny would awaken as an A-rank.

Even the Esper officers, who had years of experience predicting a recruit’s potential, had never expected this.

They had a 90% accuracy rate in their assessments.

And Benny had shattered that prediction.

“…Holy shit.”

Or maybe it’s just someone with the same name?

For a fleeting moment, Hajin wanted to believe it was a coincidence.

But before he could cling to that possibility, the ceremony ended.

With this, these young Espers were officially graduates.

From now on, they would be assigned to teams, joining seasoned veterans as they set foot into the real world of battle.

The realization that Benny was now an S-rank Esper filled Hajin with both overwhelming excitement and gut-wrenching fear.

Would this mean Benny would now be assigned to only the most dangerous missions?

Would he constantly be sent to the frontlines, where survival was never guaranteed?

The thought alone made Hajin’s breath hitch.

“Senior.”

“Hajin Sunbae!”

“Huh? Oh! Yeah?”

“The ceremony is over.”

Already?!

Hajin blinked in shock, finally snapping back to reality.

The voices calling him belonged to the same group of Espers who had been trying to flirt with him earlier.

Ever since the ceremony started, they had been hovering around him, dropping shameless comments—
“Need help carrying that bouquet, Hajin Sunbae?”
“Want to grab a drink after this?”

As if I care about that right now!

All Hajin could think about was confirming Benny’s rank with his own eyes.

It was amazing, unbelievable, but… terrifying.

He barely managed to process his emotions before one thought consumed him completely—

I need to find Benny.

Without even acknowledging the Espers around him, Hajin immediately bolted from his seat.

The disappointed voices behind him quickly faded as the pack of eager beasts realized they had lost their chance—
“Damn, no luck today either.”

From a distance, Adam had been watching the whole scene unfold, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Figures.

With Benny gone, Hajin had been easier to sway, or so Adam had thought.

He had hoped to lure him into bed at least once in the past year, but it was impossible. That damn kid had Hajin wrapped around his finger, even from a distance.

And now, with Benny finally back, it was all over.

Adam clicked his tongue in irritation and leaned lazily against a wall, tapping his thigh absentmindedly.

Who the hell calls Benny Curtis a sweet, innocent little angel?

In reality, that sly rabbit was far from it.

Adam still remembered their first meeting.

It had been on Benny’s seventeenth birthday—

Adam had once again tried to get Hajin into bed, only to have everything ruined because of that kid.

Benny had been silent, barely speaking—but the look in his eyes had been deadly.

The contrast had been almost funny—one moment, those ice-cold eyes promising murder, and the next, smiling sweetly at Hajin.

Adam had immediately realized—

Ah, this little brat is trouble.