PRT | Chapter 2.9

Seo Yigyeom’s response was perfunctory. His interest had already shifted elsewhere. Specifically, he was looking at Ha Jaewon before fixing his gaze on the densely packed crowd.

“What are you all standing around gawking for? Don’t you have work to do?”

With a casual nod, the Espers around him hesitantly dispersed one by one. Even Kwon Joon and Hong Taebin with their curious looks moved away. Soon, only Seo Yigyeom and Lee Chilhyeon remained close by.

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“What’s this?”

The voice that caught everyone’s attention again was Seo Yigyeom’s. He was frowning at a monstrosity.

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“The work environment here is just shit.”

“Has it ever come out in this form before?”

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“Well, this is the first time I’ve seen it in person.”

Seo Yigyeom clicked his tongue, clearly displeased, and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

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“Let’s clean up first.”

“Yes.”

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Kim Heeseo turned to face Lee Chilhyeon, who was glaring not at Seo Yigyeom but at him, before turning away and releasing his ability. Maybe because Seo Yigyeom was by his side, his ability, which had seemed completely gone before, now flowed out smoothly.

…Is an S-rank Guide really different?

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Awed anew by Seo Yigyeom’s ability, Kim Heeseo discharged his power with a hint of curiosity, unaware that Seo Yigyeom was observing him closely.

“We’ve been seeing a lot of these lately, huh?”

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While Kim Heeseo was busy reducing the number of monstrosities, Kwon Joon approached Seo Yigyeom.

“I even see his face in my dreams now.”

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Hong Taebin, standing beside him, murmured sensitively while casting illusions. The illusions didn’t just appear; they caused mental confusion in those within them.

“The stench is unbearable.”

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Meanwhile, Seo Yigyeom paid no heed to the two, maintaining his haughty demeanor even in the midst of the street close to the Gate. Only his clear signs of irritation were visible.

The Espers present subtly gathered near Seo Yigyeom, perhaps seeking Guiding, showing signs of exhaustion and emanating an energy intense enough to sting the skin. They were unaware that this was only increasing his aversion.

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Kim Heeseo made an effort not to get too close to Seo Yigyeom, focusing on one monstrosity in front of him. He captured the image of the bizarre creature losing its strength and crashing to the ground.

How much time had passed?

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As the number of weary Espers increased, the number of monstrosities emerging from the Gate decreased, signaling the end. Only then did Kim Heeseo sigh in relief, his eyes following Seo Yigyeom.

Seo Yigyeom was standing to one side, cigarette in mouth, trying to light it. Or rather, he seemed to be about to.

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When the strong wind made it hard to light, Seo Yigyeom showed signs of irritation. He then suddenly threw the lighter at Lee Chilhyeon.

Thud!

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“Ah!”

The golden lighter hit Lee Chilhyeon’s head with a sound like breaking glass.

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It happened in an instant. Everyone’s attention turned to Seo Yigyeom. Kim Heeseo too, widened his eyes to watch him.

Despite the numerous gazes, Seo Yigyeom walked up to Lee Chilhyeon without a care. Loosening his tie, he closed the distance and, without giving him a chance to react, kicked him. One hand still in his pocket.

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“Argh!”

“Thinking about it again, it pissed me off.”

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The kicking didn’t stop there. He even smashed his chin with his shoe. Lee Chilhyeon let out a scream like a death rattle, filled with confusion and pain.

“Just to clarify, this wasn’t an accident.”

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“…”

“If you don’t like it, file a workplace injury claim.”

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Behind his light voice, there was the sound of dull impacts.

The one-sided beating continued. No one dared to intervene; they just watched in a daze.

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“Ugh, Guide-nim, why, cough!”

“Even while getting beaten, you keep talking… shut up already.”

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Seo Yigyeom trampled over him without changing his expression. His brutality was enough to make anyone tense.

Lee Chilhyeon couldn’t even fight back, his lips, which only spat out hateful words, now completely crushed. He tried to escape, but he was up against Seo Yigyeom, whom his abilities didn’t work on. The blade-like movement he tried was blocked by Seo Yigyeom, falling to the ground with a loud clang.

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Kim Heeseo stood there, watching Seo Yigyeom beat Lee Chilhyeon. Could it be because of me that he’s doing this? It seemed unlikely, but the thought that he might have been the spark for this made him feel dazed. Oddly, he felt grateful for the merciless violence.

“I hate it when my work gets messed up.”

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Thud! With another kick to Lee Chilhyeon’s now lifeless body, Seo Yigyeom spoke monotonously.

“Same goes for when subhumans act out.”

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“Huh…”

“Did I look like shit in Lee Chilhyeon Esper’s eyes? Did you think you could ignore the effort I put in?”

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With a click of his tongue as if in pity, Seo Yigyeom stomped on Lee Chilhyeon’s abdomen.

“Why can’t you understand even when I kindly explain it to you?”

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He looked down at Lee Chilhyeon with contempt, only using his shoe to deliver blows, seemingly too disgusted to touch him directly. This must be about what happened in the conference room. Kim Heeseo concluded this while remaining an observer.

“If you’re sick, you shouldn’t draw attention to yourself, why complicate things by messing with the wrong people?”

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“…”

“Not satisfied with just one time?”

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It was Seo Yigyeom who dragged him back into the center of attention. He glanced at Kim Heeseo while stepping on Lee Chilhyeon’s neck. No matter how Lee Chilhyeon’s eyes rolled back, he continued to strike his throat several times in disgust.

As the violence seemed endless, Ha Jaewon took a step forward, but Seo Yigyeom immediately stopped him.

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“Team Leader Ha, just stay put. You’re not responsible enough to look after your team now.”

He looked at Ha Jaewon with only his eyes moving. His emotionless, dark gray eyes were strangely chilling, as if they held invisible blades. The air around them turned icy.

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The standoff was brief. After calculating for a moment, Ha Jaewon gave a slight nod and turned away. Without hesitation, he distanced himself and began organizing the surroundings, ordering the dazed onlookers to move as well. Given the Gate was still active, it was perhaps a rational move.

Watching this, Kim Heeseo recalled a conversation from the past.

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‘Team Leader Ha is like a well-trained dog. Maybe even a guard dog.’

Once, Seo Yigyeom had described Ha Jaewon like that.

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‘As long as Team Leader Ha is with the Headquarters, he won’t be much help.’

‘Then… we might end up fighting with the Team Leader.’

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‘Hmm. All it would take is a change of master.’

The confident voice reciting the future was light. Kim Heeseo found this quite fascinating. How could one be so sure about themselves? Did he never consider that the world he had so firmly constructed might collapse?

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The ease with which he handled everything seemed to define Seo Yigyeom himself. This unique ease, which others could hardly mimic, seemed to complete his persona.

In the end, Kim Heeseo wondered what Seo Yigyeom was looking at, how far his vision extended.

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“Disgusting…”

When Lee Chilhyeon’s spit stained his shoe, Seo Yigyeom mercilessly wiped the dirty part on his clothes.

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“Is your jaw loose? I’m pretty sure I told you to shut up.”

Despite the visible monstrosities around, he focused solely on the man at his feet. Even with Moon Jung-o standing by his side, Seo Yigyeom’s attitude was remarkably nonchalant. Observing this, it was clear that Seo Yigyeom would act the same even without Moon Jung-o. Kim Heeseo’s gaze on Seo Yigyeom deepened.

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“Thanks to you, we get some interesting entertainment.”

While watching quietly, Kwon Joon approached Seo Yigyeom, signaling with his eyes and muttering. Despite being teammates, he seemed unbothered. He was simply interested in Seo Yigyeom’s actions.

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“It’s going to be noisy for a while. You’ve given them quite the show.”

With a shrug, Kwon Joon laughed out loud, then turned away, engulfing the monstrosities in dark shadows. Kim Heeseo paused, replaying Kwon Joon’s words in his mind.

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This person was already a subject of much gossip. How much more would today’s incident fuel the rumors? Even if Seo Yigyeom had acted on his own accord, Kim Heeseo felt uneasy, worried that he might be somehow linked to it.

At least, he didn’t want Seo Yigyeom to receive negative comments because of what happened here. Just as Kim Heeseo decided to step in and stop him, suddenly, a sweet smell wafted over.

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“…”

With the smell of burning flesh from the monstrosities, a sweet scent rushed in. Kim Heeseo froze mid-step.

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The smell of burning. And the sweet scent.

It was an unforgettable odor. Even in this bustling street, it didn’t fade but pierced his skin. It was so strong it could even overpower Seo Yigyeom’s rose scent nearby.

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Kim Heeseo, with pupils dilated to their fullest, started moving, scanning the faces around him like a man who had lost his mind. Or rather, he was desperately sniffing around for the source of the smell.

Although things had calmed down a bit, the scene was still chaotic. With so many people around, it was hard to pinpoint the source.

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Who is it? Where are they? Are they close by?

The elusive clue was driving him mad. Kim Heeseo moved chaotically, relying on his senses. He even bumped into someone, but he felt no pain. There was no time to feel pain.

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“…”

Then, he saw someone whose back resembled the silhouette of the real culprit he had faintly seen before. The memory of the criminal was blurry, possibly a figment of his imagination. Still, he took a step forward.

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His pace, close to running, couldn’t reach the man.

“Hyung!”

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Suddenly, someone grabbed him tightly. Kim Heeseo shook off the hand gripping his arm and turned around. With bloodshot eyes, he saw it was Hong Taebin. He looked completely unaware of what was happening. That calm demeanor completely clouded Kim Heeseo’s rationality.

“Is it you again?”

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A sharp, hoarse voice escaped him.

“What?”

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Hong Taebin responded, looking puzzled. At this, Kim Heeseo wiped his face with a trembling hand. He had thought Hong Taebin was using his illusion ability again, but he wasn’t. He hadn’t used any ability; he had just caught Kim Heeseo as he approached the Gate. Ah, Kim Heeseo clenched his fist with a look of dismay.

He hadn’t realized he’d walked right up to the edge of the Gate in his frenzy…

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“Sorry.”

After apologizing as if he was vomiting the words out, Hong Taebin hummed in acknowledgment. Then he bent down and reached out.

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“Are you hurt again?”

He gently checked Kim Heeseo’s forehead, his cold hands taking the temperature while observing him closely, as if he were checking his condition. Despite his own sickly appearance.

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“Is it hot? Does your head hurt?”

“…You look like you’re in more pain.”

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Kim Heeseo was confused. The same person who had carelessly dug into his wounds was now genuinely concerned. His actions were so incomprehensible that Kim Heeseo couldn’t easily define his stance towards him.

“You shouldn’t jump into the Gate just because you’re in pain. You won’t even find a body then.”

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“I was just confused for a moment, thanks for catching me.”

His voice had calmed down by then. As he stepped back to explain, Hong Taebin naturally let go of his hand, shrugged, and stepped back. Kim Heeseo, taking a deep breath, closed and then opened his eyes to look at his disheveled state.

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“…”