PRT | Chapter 2.6

Before the lingering headache subsided, Seo Yigyeom spoke, stepping forward. He had closed the distance so much that it seemed like he was leaning on Kim Heeseo’s shoulder, but then he fully stepped forward.

Kicking away the monster’s flesh with his shoe was done without hesitation, and his downward gaze was chillingly cold.

“You’re also quite exceptional at climbing.”

Just slightly tilting his head, Heeseo glanced at Kim Heeseo before scanning the surroundings. Kim Heeseo, who had been staring at Seo Yigyeom as if enchanted, also slowly looked around. The gazes that had been subtly felt since he used his ability had increased. Not only Kwon Joon and Hong Taebin but even Espers he had never met before were openly staring at him.

The underlying reason for these stares must be Seo Yigyeom, right?

Despite the predictable reason, Seo Yigyeom, when glanced at, just exhaled a short breath with a strange expression. He had been showing signs of displeasure, but soon clicked his tongue and bit into a white cigarette. He lit it up immediately, taking a deep drag that hollowed his cheeks. Only then did his furrowed brows relax as if he could finally breathe.

“…”

Kim Heeseo, watching Seo Yigyeom in silence, suddenly remembered his words. Hadn’t he said that when there are many Espers, it feels like pests crawling? Even here, the number of Espers was in the dozens. It wouldn’t be any different now.

Thinking about it, Seo Yigyeom always kept a certain distance from other Espers. Even Moon Jung-o seemed to not approach beyond a certain point. Kim Heeseo’s gaze fell on the space that seemed close yet distant.

‘Kim Heeseo is quite alright. Strangely.’

An exception that might or might not be toxic flashed through his mind like lightning.

“Watch closely.”

Breaking the silence, his voice overlapped with a loud thud that vibrated the ground.

“It’ll be a good reference.”

Turning his head towards the source of the noise, he saw Ha Jaewon, who looked chillingly cold even at a glance. In the next moment, an ice wall rose from one side, and sharp spears flew from the other. The bound monster shrieked as it was pierced through. Those who lost their wings fell, freezing to the ground. Ha Jaewon didn’t stop there; he dropped a massive block of ice onto the monster as if to confirm the kill.

“…”

In just a few seconds, several monsters were incapacitated. The sight of one person dealing with such a tremendous number made his blinking slow down. As he was staring in awe, Seo Yigyeom gave him a passing glance and chuckled.

“There’s no need to be surprised.”

“It’s too impressive to just take as a reference.”

“It seems you need to know yourself better.”

It felt like an unspoken urge to remember he’s an S-rank and to get a grip on reality. Kim Heeseo nodded at the pointed remark and looked at the Gate. It seemed to have shrunk a bit.

“The mechanism is simple. Remove the cause of the problem as quickly and cleanly as possible,” Ha Jaewon had said. The headquarters’ process was always straightforward and one-dimensional. So, how should the Gate be eliminated? When a Gate appeared at school last time, they only fought until the Gate, which had exhausted its life force, disappeared. That was the directive from headquarters.

But was that the best method? Sure, if you kill all the monsters, the Gate would close, but damage would surely continue until then. Was holding your ground and just attacking passively really all there was to it?

“Is there no way to destroy the Gate?”

As he asked while staring at the Gate, Seo Yigyeom gave him a look of surprise.

“…Why?”

“You seemed like a good kid; this is unexpected.”

Was that an insult or a compliment? Kim Heeseo, who had quietly asked, looked at Seo Yigyeom with a wary expression, unable to read his intentions. Seo Yigyeom, still wearing an indifferent look, slightly curled his lips into a smile.

“The headquarters once tried sending a few unregistered Espers into the Gate.”

Seo Yigyeom whispered in a low voice. Kim Heeseo’s eyes widened.

“Can one enter?”

“One can enter, yes.”

The world beyond the Gate was unknown. Even those called experts could only speculate without making definitive statements. They hadn’t even figured out why Gates form. There was no way they could know about the world of monsters beyond.

“The answer the headquarters came up with was the natural extinction of the Gate. No one came back alive.”

Seo Yigyeom concluded with a twisted smile. There was a strange light in his eyes as he looked at the Gate.

“But I believe there’s a way.”

The emotion at the corners of his red lips was confidence and self-assurance. Somehow, it felt like if it was Seo Yigyeom, he could create a method even if there wasn’t one and get rid of it himself. Kim Heeseo nodded silently. Though the thought of unregistered Espers who never returned made him uneasy, the disappearance of the Gate would be good news in any case.

“I hope that’s true.”

Following Seo Yigyeom’s wandering gaze, Kim Heeseo glanced at the Gate. In his vision, monsters from beyond the Gate once again invaded.

The monsters, breaking all the windows, approached rapidly. A strong wind blew. Unintentionally, Kim Heeseo let out an “uh” and looked at Seo Yigyeom. Seo Yigyeom’s lack of movement was unsettling.

“Uh…”

His mouth closed before he could call out to Seo Yigyeom. His body moved before the sound was fully formed. The space twisted and rippled. At the same time, the monster in front of him stopped moving with a ‘thud!’ as if it had hit something. Cracks appeared in the air like shattered glass.

Thud, the monster burst into blood and fell. It seemed to have died instantly from the impact. Kim Heeseo gasped for breath, his eyes rolling. Seo Yigyeom was still composed. Most people would have dodged, but he stood firm.

“I’m like that too.”

Only then did he give a belated response as he took a step forward.

“I’m reaching my limit with this shitty face.”

With fearless steps, Seo Yigyeom laughed as if it were the most natural thing. Then, he threw his cigarette onto the monster’s body and brutally stomped on it. The wide-open eyes burst under his shoe. Seo Yigyeom’s clothes got dirty.

“Shit.”

The low muttering was eerie. His tightly fitted shirt highlighted his fierce nature as much as his merciless character. Kim Heeseo stood silently, just blinking. As he watched, he gradually became astonished.

How does this look like a Guide’s body…?

A ragged breath escaped him. Looking at his appearance, he could understand why Seo Yigyeom wasn’t intimidated. In fact, he exuded an aura not much different from most Espers gathered here.

Was that all? His eyes gleamed unusually. The dark gray irises held a strange shine. Combined with his cold face, it irresistibly drew attention. When his red lips slightly curled up, a sigh of admiration almost escaped.

Even standing in this mess, Seo Yigyeom looked elegant.

“…”

After being momentarily shocked by Seo Yigyeom’s presence, Kim Heeseo joined in resolving the situation. Despite the Gate being large due to the unstable atmosphere, it quickly diminished thanks to the many personnel mobilized.

How many times did the loud noises repeat as the number of monsters covering the space decreased?

“Ugh.”

Suddenly, his ability cut off, and a massive headache surged. Kim Heeseo squeezed his eyes shut, momentarily losing balance and staggering. As he was about to fall to the side, he felt a strong grip pulling him back.

Barely catching his breath and opening his eyes, he saw a firm hand holding his arm. The owner of the hand, having effortlessly caught him, glanced at his now pale face with clear annoyance.

…Seems like I didn’t manage my waves properly again. Realizing it was his fault, Kim Heeseo watched Seo Yigyeom’s reaction. He expected some kind of comment, but Seo Yigyeom said nothing.

“…Aren’t you going to say something?”

“What do you want me to say?”

“…”

“You seem to know what you did wrong. I don’t need to repeat myself to an idiot.”

At the low rebuke, Kim Heeseo moistened his dry lips and just moved his eyes. He wanted to argue back, but he had no ground to stand on. Swallowing the words that didn’t fully form, he heard Seo Yigyeom click his tongue and release his grip. Then, he brushed his hand over his eyes as if to cover them before turning away.

“Stop being a nuisance and follow me.”

By the time Kim Heeseo blinked in surprise, Seo Yigyeom was already striding ahead, quickly creating distance with his long legs. Kim Heeseo, who had been standing there dazed, hurried after him, fearing another outburst if Seo Yigyeom turned around.

“Don’t break formation! With central support like now…”

As he marched forward with a throbbing head, an Esper shouted like a reprimand.

“If one person isn’t enough, why don’t we all just die?”

The moment Kim Heeseo tried to explain his situation, realizing his role, a sharp voice cut in.

“There are enough responders. Looking at the Gate, it won’t last long.”

Seo Yigyeom laid out the situation dryly. Being part of the headquarters from birth, Seo Yigyeom had a broad perspective. Thanks to his extensive field experience, he read the situation accurately.

“One person can be spared without issue, right? Or is my judgment wrong?”

Will you take responsibility if something goes wrong?

At the follow-up comment, the Esper’s face turned pale. He seemed to finally notice Kim Heeseo’s condition and recognize who he had just confronted.

“I didn’t know you were Seo Yigyeom Guide-nim’s personal Esper. I apologize!”

“There’s a limit to stupidity… Instead of dirtying my ears, do your job.”

Perhaps because he particularly disliked arrogance? Seo Yigyeom, who had shown contempt in that brief moment, cut off the situation decisively and nodded for Kim Heeseo to follow. After a moment’s hesitation, Kim Heeseo passed the frozen Esper and took a step forward.

Their destination was Seo Yigyeom’s car. He looked ahead with an indifferent face, as if he hadn’t been angry just moments ago. The silence was accompanied by a serene and clear aura.

To think he could exude such refined energy after showing such sharpness.

“…Thank you.”

Sitting stiffly in the passenger seat, Kim Heeseo leaned back in surrender and whispered quietly, “Thank you.” He knew he shouldn’t get used to this, yet the most prominent feeling was one he couldn’t shake off, willingly blending in.

In the silence that was both comfortable and uncomfortable, his body felt lighter, but his mind grew heavier.

* * *

In the dim dawn, when the sky was just about to break into day,

Though it was too early to start the day, Seo Yigyeom moved his body. He ran on the treadmill, his gaze fixed outside the window. Despite sweating after running for a while, his expression was as bored as ever.

His long legs kept stepping on the treadmill’s rail. Even at high speed, his posture didn’t falter. He was perfectly balanced, so stable that an onlooker might think he was just walking.

His shoulder blades were prominent beneath the black T-shirt. Even his arms, constantly in motion, were tense. His overworked muscles were full of complaints. The heat from exercising for so long was felt even through the fabric.

“…”