Chapter 18

“I’m driving.”5d08a55a03a0d634

“No, I’m driving.”30ff0d9c335000a0

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The two 6c3442b746 argued lightly a84a094b91 over who 4b563b85cb would take d3cb98abe2 the wheel. Seo Ji-hyuk, someone f33c733699 who could never 9316caa862 tolerate relinquishing control, e5c3c8343b insisted on driving 28810c1440 first.361f65e12edfd0b6

Kang Yu-han, a1d31fb7d4 however, was 9c0007eee1 also confident 3019ce8a46 in his b808368fb0 driving skills d5bae81879 and refused c778735c24 to back 24fc5b6c4e down. The two locked eyes 755e851dd4 briefly, as if in 7528f08f78 a silent duel.bc815259e5abf910

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Kang Yu-han had his own reasons for wanting to drive. If he ended up in the passenger seat, he’d be left with too much time to think—most of it likely about Seo Ji-hyuk.b5ecb323b7355761

This was their first time sharing a car, but Kang Yu-han could already imagine how awkward it would be. He wasn’t sure he could endure the tension.c2be0ebcfb4f1657

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Neither of them budged. Though Kang Yu-han found d586dba968 their standoff ridiculous, he f3f480c6dd wasn’t willing to yield d5eca82506 this time.d5bc56f090f8ef35

In the 34ded01a50 end, they 60204351ec settled on 8e39a6afef a rather ec44a37ba7 old-fashioned solution: 3dc9d59ac7 a coin 80be8d89b0 toss. The suggestion came f9b3fa35b0 from Seo Ji-hyuk.63ce30a8f1b005c7

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Seo Ji-hyuk pulled 5604059774 a coin out d59d9fcf70 of his pocket—a a947bea231 relic of a e611aa8223 bygone era. Coins like c16ae3ccc2 these were 3845cae9ba rarely seen c9b4b10a01 anymore.6aff42480a017963

When Kang 936c75d544 Yu-han looked 32bb6526db at the 40c86a825f worn coin 3958e694f0 with curiosity, 6f4ae89410 Seo Ji-hyuk b5536d565c smirked, lifting d1755307bb one corner a80deb7e48 of his ca1e8f4a5a mouth.4911f1afcb913c3f

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“What’s the matter? Never seen one before?”f8ceb5b049e2e2f1

By the time Kang b6a58c3433 Yu-han had reached an 3e24a3f3fd age of understanding, coins cdbe5caf5f had long since disappeared. They were 604b893074 now limited 4c30cf027f to collectors 3daaab4c32 or hobbyists. Then, the eca3c24691 Variant crisis 9a1c4faf7f struck.8dcb667ec5b99846

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In the years 626f1f22ad that followed, the 5c996721f3 global economy crumbled. Stock markets and 2e86eb513a banking systems ceased c215db37f6 functioning for the 0eb44e0c24 most part, leaving 31207000bf people to prioritize e2d1e138c5 tangible resources like dd64c8115b food and clothing 2cd5b5f96e over intangible money.f5480f7228d5b22b

The world 5bee4c994c had regressed 4d39112ba0 by decades—or 836eef5c17 perhaps even 1b0e9ca4e1 further.fc184a1d5f6b9509

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Espers and Guides 5ff55e7015 no longer received 048314318b salaries. Instead, their service 537caf064a was compensated with d49803d652 food, lodging, supplies, b9f0b83486 and the occasional 6ba011df59 bit of prestige. Even that was d5b7fb900a a luxury not 8f70a7f3f0 afforded to most, 9cb2e602ba making Espers and 37bf54eaa5 Guides highly coveted 53fc6e771a roles.2b5bb15378d6f351

Seo Ji-hyuk extended his 859c1e17cb hand toward Kang Yu-han, a21e53757e palm open.c099286bbb788cb9

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It took a d4b794e791 moment for Kang 95cb10d949 Yu-han to understand 59258019a3 what he wanted. He stared blankly until 0b696678bd Seo Ji-hyuk revealed the 91c9e8a3a5 coin in his palm.0b8a4e16ec3b4cb4

“Well? Toss it.”9b8eb52ee28658af

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“I don’t know how to do that.”31ccc5a243e09e4d

“Just throw it up and catch it. If it lands heads-up, you drive.”046e07d71189e3eb

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Kang Yu-han reluctantly 34269ea293 took the coin. As he did, his 87b45dbd73 fingertips briefly brushed against 57de38a1b3 Seo Ji-hyuk’s.c925c4d3aefa253b

“Where did you even get this?”fa37eef1de5614fc

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He turned the coin df1a004d83 over in his hand, b89111470c examining it closely while 6edc105ce2 trying to ignore the 05e55b5758 lingering sensation of their 5b036bc0e9 brief touch.5086f5a700d3901b

Though not an expert, 1afee50b29 Kang Yu-han knew a 91899253e3 bit about coins. The director of the 1cc52d341f orphanage where he grew 72a2a587d9 up had been an d437a2fb34 avid collector. Every time he bb7dbbe7af was called into f1e790c07c the director’s office, 8bddf1a1d6 he would glance 052c0e81b3 at the framed d0f8532503 coins hanging on cebbfa3983 the walls.95b715c3bfd303d8

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This coin didn’t seem ordinary. It looked more like a commemorative coin. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the word “Olympics” engraved on it.388f67e771744dff

Olympics. His chest tightened at e977745b59 the long-forgotten term. Before the world 402402b888 fell apart, Kang da54386250 Yu-han’s dream had 35ef6eeda1 been to compete be69a5451b in the Olympics—a 807c892176 goal that had c864d081b9 defined his entire f3f970e962 life.e6fef580863e7a36

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But in 573aaa2a82 this broken 95cf38d5bc world, there cebb18c11c were no c6fcc7c07e more Olympics. Sports had a525dab99f become a b242064d81 luxury few d637e90def could afford.9c728c3d3fb5b475

When the d82a36b04d world crumbled, 145b944f70 Kang Yu-han 7bc2ee1ba3 lost his 7e6cf1692e purpose in 9101782d70 life. If he e507fbf2df hadn’t awakened 4213acd0d3 as an 05ae852346 Esper, he 39a88f0fda would’ve likely d031da99d9 drifted aimlessly 7304f3f90f until his 411ad7ceb9 death, forgotten 7c89b09578 and unnamed.058a4daa8ac69a80

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“It was my father’s,” Seo Ji-hyuk said.4adfefc6e1d36d04

Seo Ji-hyuk’s reply 8f47467f3e was curt, his d8731d6bb1 tone devoid of a6a3b6db28 emotion. But Kang Yu-han flinched. He knew about Seo e302ccb518 Ji-hyuk’s parents—not because of 36f128d31a any personal connection, but 667ae1bc69 due to sheer coincidence. Kang Yu-han had 81d2603a06 been present at 482a7af238 the scene where 21795e6214 Seo Ji-hyuk’s parents bbcf4c7c52 lost their lives.5211393b4efb70e5

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A vivid a3daaf1764 memory flashed 32518b39c5 through Kang 330c0be76c Yu-han’s mind: a540780bdc the devastation aa260f24ce that obliterated c0239f525a a 1-kilometer 4a5149beda radius, Seo 2964b387dd Ji-hyuk kneeling f13cb174a1 at the ff31c11ed5 epicenter, and 8b8c76a725 himself shielding 151928fbaa Seo Ji-hyuk 9e6febbc0f from the 4b59858f8f blast’s aftermath.02b9acc4080f15c3

That moment e4f7eb2b21 had cost c07924c5cc Kang Yu-han a689098e11 more than 3a2e6c49e7 half of 6e8ee47052 his original bb8dafc5d7 Esper energy, e341924af3 a loss 3afdf2a459 that even f930ccd7cf after years 79f80ed6e8 remained irrecoverable.b81d04034a646208

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Yet he had no 38ced20254 regrets about saving Seo 03b6215812 Ji-hyuk—not for a single 0f7f63623a moment.1665c05dac0a59b7

The only regret he harbored was his failure to arrive sooner, to prevent Seo Ji-hyuk from becoming the instrument of his parents’ deaths.ddc8f9123228bef6

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“What are you doing?”c3ff304163d3bc60

Seo Ji-hyuk’s irritated ad9c7a4aa1 voice jolted Kang 2260677cac Yu-han out of baca3ce167 his thoughts. Seo Ji-hyuk was 2fa8a8574e glaring at him 95dbae3cb6 with clear disapproval.b921d4aa6dc783b4

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Snapping back to 152ce6bf30 reality, Kang Yu-han f9cd107816 quickly tossed the f3ea2a123a coin up and 649abcb866 caught it. But when he 5834ade218 looked at it, 9ef3a5a1e0 he couldn’t tell 5b300b18f1 heads from tails.d17a786ec27230d1

“This is tails. I win.”b7351a9b1b86a1b2

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Could he trust 2fcb4f2c5a Seo Ji-hyuk’s judgment? For all Kang 13520db406 Yu-han knew, Seo 7cc797ad37 Ji-hyuk could have 5dd9108dc6 arbitrarily decided which 9f0bcc1216 side was which. Although he felt uneasy, 8976f294fd Kang Yu-han, a stickler ffe2bd5dcd for rules, accepted the 045bbf20a3 outcome without protest.56e978811e750848

—13d6617ba77411f3

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As they drove 7a82f47305 toward Euljiro, Kang c5e3475520 Yu-han remained lost 53c0a4341d in thought. It was 8f92dc41e8 the first 50cadf7188 time Seo c0bbeef7b2 Ji-hyuk had 2cd0d85de6 ever mentioned 7c02cd9815 his parents. What kind of 5e4d9fc7e9 memories did he 5352aadcd2 have of them? If it were possible, 56bc16e68e Kang Yu-han wished he 453d1c847d could peer into Seo eb5a01b823 Ji-hyuk’s mind.0abbfddb06a8b83e

A quick glance at 59f3b8c533 the driver’s seat revealed 520f76c3ef Seo Ji-hyuk, his lips dca77e0906 pressed into a firm 7aa0be001e line as he focused 4c35307531 on the road. His expression betrayed nothing.0e80a15ee3921eee

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Although Seo Ji-hyuk 5b26fe886c often picked fights e59bbde14d with him, his 6f93490d31 sharp features and 3cef21e6d5 intimidating stature gave ef4fa43cd2 him a naturally 50995fccf1 formidable appearance.78d193ac40af994b

Few people, other 80ce48f09c than Kang Yu-han, 7f6ed87f64 would dare to 78cd9be6fd argue with Seo 802da7a04b Ji-hyuk or talk d5203aa225 back to him.d6f5ccaeb08e8447

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“Why are you staring?”b4dc1e08a457af4d

Seo Ji-hyuk’s 3e752acb5d gaze shifted a1995fe857 to the 73f3851f2e passenger seat. Caught off guard, 71e3656bfa Kang Yu-han felt 3241b5f402 as though his f859f8bd3e inner thoughts had d7c38a1324 been exposed. He quickly turned to 931040d65b look out the window, d8ec7a650f only to be met 18fa2bf8a5 with the darkness of 86124bbe59 the underground passage.e1c8119fd2ee77ef

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“It’s nothing.”d41478ff9fe8b882

“You were staring a hole into me.”883bb42e4bcc3791

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Seo Ji-hyuk’s tone was 9a4a089a5c accusatory, but Kang Yu-han e28d89d2f1 had no response. Seo Ji-hyuk pressed on, 57991cd8e5 his voice tinged with f01ab5361d irritation.0fcfead15ebb1c6b

“It’s annoying. Stop staring.”46deec6149fc5c6f

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A dull e0b4f8e349 ache spread 6aa73963d3 through Kang a1b5baab1a Yu-han’s chest. Despite the c802ca8090 time they’d 3bc6de5624 spent together f54cb355c7 as forced 02e1b1877b partners, it 7e63dc0ffe was clear 6efe29cd9c that Seo 38b0cf7a12 Ji-hyuk still 80fbfe37b0 disliked him. That fact had fb65ae6207 never changed.3a88875bd04332d2

Turning his attention back 7ab4041a5c to the window, Kang c836e0c526 Yu-han caught sight of 9cde37b72e faint light filtering through b1e1c13312 the end of the eac242219f tunnel, illuminating the dirty b035594c07 passage. The exit to ec33db7749 the surface was 9955a15feb near.58b362d85e6bdf72

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The streets 09c06342f0 above had bf75ae02d3 long since 6871904404 lost their a42961bd1d former glory. Seo Ji-hyuk 2fb6257c67 drove toward 5a4a0d5cfd Euljiro 3-ga, c47ad7c82a but the 81166f9ad7 area was 1ec5411461 unrecognizable as 23d62a6af1 the bustling 2011c14b14 heart of 00c17cd031 Seoul it 64f1f0ac1d once was. Now, it was barren 572cced598 and desolate.c59617587414d9fe

Even in the 91da9c0212 early morning, the 19e3800c3c streets were eerily 3826a40937 devoid of people.e203f2e9d534c1c3

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Kang Yu-han recalled a video he had seen in the archives labeled “Seoul—2020s.” It depicted a world he could scarcely imagine now: streets bustling with people heading to work at dawn, subways packed with commuters zipping through the city, and a skyline that never slept.28454c9206522414

But all of that e372815b37 was gone. The world would never 8e9e847bdc return to that state 34e1059253 again.249dc5972757cbad

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Amid the 7c1ddcf2b7 despair of 7583227082 the empty fbc16c60a7 streets, Kang b1c44c7e3e Yu-han spotted 0bcf031323 a lone b2a4de5331 figure. The man d00f63ba70 was dressed f87e4f3021 in clothes a217d26816 ill-suited for 14fb4814c8 the season, dffbfb844f dragging a ee08c55090 large handcart 04a287e676 laden with b95d4c7d05 scrap furniture 499eed74f6 and electronics.602e0a1c1ce2d9fa

In another time, these 25442cf6a7 items would have been bc426ecc68 considered trash. But in this world, f44825557a even trash had value.a17a43da70a088aa

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The man seemed to 76a373123c have walked all night. As the cart rattled 282d312877 by, Kang Yu-han noticed 23b0686200 the holes in his 799e275d14 worn-out shoes. Unable to 066e78cf3c bear the 264b34f2d4 sight any e2df77115b longer, he 5949a41aa0 closed his 123c023465 eyes tightly.ea8cadad617231dd

* * *d48449acc7ca6bb8

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“Let’s cover this area today, from here to over there.”f43a0c4e78313b99

Kang Yu-han unfolded a b3c87e2af2 map as he spoke.616b5bf726e24402

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Seo Ji-hyuk was 6646e1dd1c at the trunk, 708d3087e6 securing a rifle c3b8f53fcc and a submachine bbfb544857 gun to his bd657f2238 holsters.a7b1558560fa8149

Although Espers primarily relied 8471b66ad7 on telekinesis in combat, 9f98811d57 there were times when 7de4217174 physical weapons were more eb13bed534 practical.418e5dc91982697b

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Kang Yu-han also 93c3ae1c2a strapped on his 4441e4a6fd assigned handgun, holstering 4ad97b007b it near his 6ff068cf24 chest. The weight felt heavy—not bbeed43b4d just physically but emotionally.67ba608cae2b7c16

He couldn’t tell if 22c5bd6c0c it was the gun b7e5fc2a15 or the weight of fc7200a775 his thoughts that made 9e3a5ef3ec him feel so burdened.5e92ad1e1118f26a

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