TSCEIAB Ch. 19

 

[Scoop! S-Class Esper, Hugo Alexis’ Rampage?]

[S-Class Hero’s Rampage, What Happened?]

[S-class Esper’s Guiding Shock! Caused by Excessive Guiding?]

[Interview with Center Official! “Guide Sophia was inexperienced in energy control.”]

 

 

Hugo’s guiding shock and rampage were quickly publicized. Whether it was someone within the center who had been talking or not, countless articles were pouring out at the same time.

 

“…… Yi-seo. Let’s stop looking at the internet. Okay?”

 

As soon as my mom came after a short bathroom break, she snatched the pad from my hand.

But I had already read everything on the internet and in the community.

 

 

[Subject: What if something goes wrong with Esper Hugo?

There are only eight S-class espers, and if we lose one? Isn’t that a huge loss???

 

└That’s right. Have you seen the interviews with the officials? I thought an S-class guide could use their guiding abilities as soon as they awakened.

└└They said she couldn’t control her energy, so she had to wear an artifact

└It’s S-class, but she hasn’t done contact guiding before. But what the hell did she try to guide?

└└Esper Hugo closed the Grade-A gate so the guiding numbers were unstable. Let’s not criticize Guide Sophia too much.

└└└I don’t want to criticize Guide Sophia, but I don’t understand. If the guiding value was unstable, she should have been more careful. Why would Sophia, who hasn’t guide before, step forward and do that?

└└└└The center must have ordered it. A six-year-old couldn’t decide that on her own.

└└└└└That’s right. Let’s wait for the center’s official statement.]

 

 

[Subject: Prayer for Esper Hugo’s Recovery Day 3…….

Prayer for Guide Sophia’s Expulsion Day 3…….

 

└Are you crazy? You want to do that to a six-year-old child?

└└Our Esper Hugo, who almost died, was also a seven-year-old child.

└└└So you’re telling the six-year-old guide to get out???

└└└└Why are you angry? I didn’t say in front of Sophia’s face to get out of the U.S.]

 

 

[Title: Is Guide Sophia a Spy???

I heard that Guide Sophia is Korean. Maybe she’s a spy sent by South Korea to check our country? Otherwise, why could she kill an S-class esper?

 

└Esper Hugo isn’t dead yet.

└└He hasn’t regained consciousness for several days now.

└└└So he’s still alive, just unconscious. Why are you saying he’s dead?

└└└└It was Guide Sophia who almost killed him!!

└You’re the one who’s been saying to expel Guide Sophia a few days ago, right? You’re going to get sued.

└└(This comment has been deleted)]

 

 

All sorts of things were going through my head.

It’s been four days since Hugo went on a rampage.

When a doctor said he might never wake up if we made a mistake, the people were greatly agitated.

Richard hastily issued a statement and held a press conference, but some of the arrows of criticism were also directed at me.

Of course, there were many people who defended me. Those who blamed me were beaten up by them, and even had their posts deleted.

But I saw more well-crafted articles than the numerous advocacy posts.

It’s as if someone is deliberately putting them in front of me.

 

“Yi-seo. It’s all right. It wasn’t your fault. Okay?”

 

My mom comforted me by thoroughly wiping my face with a warm towel.

I wanted to tell her that I was fine and that I was sorry for causing her concern, but I couldn’t speak, as if my throat was choked.

 

“…….”

 

“Hugo will wake up soon. Until then, you should eat well and stay strong.”

 

After that incident, I couldn’t eat properly. Anything I ate would upset my stomach, and I would throw it all up, so I just kept taking IV drips.

Hugo. What about Hugo?

I pursed my lips, and my mother somehow understood what I was trying to say and made a sad look.

 

“Not yet……. But don’t worry too much. Your guiding wavelength is gradually getting stable. Once he wakes up and gets some rest, you’ll be able to…….”

 

Drip-

The heat surged to my nose and I started to have nosebleeds again. This happened five or six times a day since that day.

 

“Don’t raise your head, Yi-seo. I’ll wipe it for you.”

 

The white hospital sheets were stained with blood. I let out a tired breath as I felt my mother’s touch.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

I had a dream that night. A terrible nightmare.

 

‘Ah, ugh, ah…..!’

‘Ah, cough! Ugh! No, please……. Ugh……. Run away…….’

 

Clank! Clank!

‘Yi-seo, ugh… Run, cough! Run away…….’

 

Clank! Clank! Clank!

‘Ah,aah…aaahh! Aahh!’

 

‘Administer sedatives!’

‘Bring me the gag!’

 

‘Ahh! Aaahhh-!’

 

Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!

Armed Espers pinned Hugo down. As he roughly peeled off his muzzle and gagged, a suppressed scream leaked out.

Hugo, writhing in pain, scowled at me with bloodshot eyes. Tears of blood streamed from his eyes.

The chains that bound Hugo’s limbs shrill as if to rebuke me for my mistakes.

 

I’m sorry, I was wrong!

I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. I wanted to run away, but I was grabbed by people whose faces I didn’t even know.

 

‘Having been praised as an S-class, you don’t even know your place!”

‘Go back to Korea, you spy!’

‘If Hugo dies, you’re a murderer!’

 

No, no!

I shook my head violently. Those who held me dragged me along and stood me in front of Hugo.

 

‘What are you doing? Hurry up and guide!’

‘It’s because of you! You take responsibility for it!’

‘You’re an S-class guide!’

‘Do your part!’

 

One of them grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him. My hand slowly moved closer to Hugo’s arm.

 

Let go! Let go! I can’t!

My cry faded into nothingness.

The moment when the fingertips that were forcibly pulled together touched Hugo’s arms.

 

“Gasp!”

I woke up from my dream.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Sophia. I heard you haven’t been able to sleep lately.”

 

The next afternoon, Daniel came to my hospital room.

It seemed my parents had called him because I couldn’t eat and sleep.

 

Squeak-

He pulled a metal chair and sat down at the bedside.

 

“What about meals? What did you eat?”

 

“…….”

 

Daniel’s blue eyes reminded me of Hugo’s.

He wasn’t Hugo, but when I saw him, I felt like he was scowling at me with tears of blood, like Hugo in my dreams.

 

“I’ve bought you some of your favorites. It’s not good to just eat dessert on an empty stomach, but if you don’t have an appetite, eat some of this.”

 

His big hand set up my bed table and placed a few small boxes of cakes on top of it.

These were slices of cake from a dessert shop I’d gone to a few times with Daniel.

As I stared at them motionlessly, Daniel grabbed my hand and tried to give me a fork.

 

“Come on. Here……”

 

“……!”

 

Snap! Clatter!

For a moment, I was frightened by the touch on my wrist and swatted his hand away.

The fork fell to the floor, and the room fell silent.

 

“Ah…….”

 

I didn’t mean to do this.

I looked up at him, my shoulders twitching. Daniel was looking at my hand with a slight frown.

Was he offended?

 

“Sophia, you……. ”

 

As I was studying his expression, Daniel suddenly said something out of the blue.

 

“Can you guide now?”

 

“……?”

 

“Wait. You don’t have to guide me, just hold my wrist.”

 

As he held out his arms, I jerked back. I was afraid that even the touch of his arm would come in contact with me.

I had a guiding suppression ring on my finger, but I still felt uneasy.

I kept thinking of Hugo screaming and writhing all over his body.

And the Espers who pinned him down and violently subdued him.

 

“Sophia.”

 

Daniel’s voice, which had always been sweet, became even lower. When he reached out to me again, I pulled the blanket over me and hid myself in it.

 

Crash!

In the process, I must have accidentally knocked over the bed table, creating a loud noise. Daniel’s low swearing could be heard outside the blankets.

 

“Ah, XX…….”

 

That’s when I thought he was upset with my attitude.

 

“-I thought it was going to be okay because you seemed so bold.”

 

…… What does that mean?

His unintelligible murmurs were mixed with a self-deprecating sneer. In a cold voice I had never heard before, he said, “You really are a child,” and left the room.

 

Step, step-

Footsteps grew distant, and soon there was the sound of a door slamming open and closing.

And silence again.

 

‘What? What was that? Did those words really come out of Daniel’s mouth?’

I poked my head out from under the covers.

All I could see were the smashed cakes on the floor, and a fork lying haphazardly neaby.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

After leaving the center, Daniel called someone.

 

Brrrrr- Brrrrr-

The phone rang, followed by a click as the call was picked up. A familiar woman’s voice was heard.

 

–“Daniel. I saw the news. It was your doing, wasn’t it?”

 

“Ah, as expected. I knew you’d recognize it, Director.”

 

The corners of Daniel’s mouth went up in a smirk.

Just as she guessed, it was Daniel himself who was leaking the story of Hugo’s guiding shock.

 

–“Honestly. You can’t just pick up bad habits.”

 

“It’s not in my nature to sit around and wait for chances. I was just trying to create my own opportunity.”

 

–“So. All you did was manipulate public opinion to seize the opportunity?”

 

Hmm?

The woman taunted him with a snort. Daniel let out a small laugh as he walked into a deserted alley.

 

“Not really. I’ve used my abilities before that.”

 

— “If it’s an ability, mind control?”

 

“It wasn’t anything grand. I just nudged some negative emotions a little.”