* * *
It was only when he had recovered enough to jog lightly on his own that Haeram realized the man was not a ‘healing-type’ Esper.
However, Haeram still didn’t know what his actual ability was. He only knew that he was an Esper famous enough to appear on TV and was currently resting due to aftereffects from an accident.
For instance, the Mind Training partner of Seungjoon, who shared the same hospital room, was a flame-type.
That Esper often threatened to burn Seungjoon’s hair off whenever he was uncooperative. Haeram wondered if famous people were required to keep their abilities a secret.
“Haeram, it would be a big problem if you found out what my ability is.”
“Why?”
“Well… because then you’d have to take responsibility for me?”
Whenever Haeram grew curious, the man always responded playfully.
Combined with the strong physique typical of an Esper and his characteristic relaxation, he always appeared at ease.
Despite hearing that he had been in an accident, his body looked perfectly fine.
Haeram was always curious why such a great person was killing time in a ward like this.
In Building D, there were people like Haeram and Seungjoon who had severe symptoms as unawakened individuals, while others with milder symptoms received training through outpatient visits.
For the past six months, the biggest center of attention for all of them was undoubtedly the Espers who helped with Mind Training.
Among them, the top-tier Esper Seo Jungwoo—with his striking looks, mysterious aura, and widespread fame through the media—was the center of conversation in every group.
However, his actions were quite different from other Espers.
He wasn’t like the “drifter” Espers who came and went for a few months as if doing volunteer work, nor was he like the Espers who stayed for a long time to help various Guide candidates.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t seen in Building D, but when no one came forward saying they had received training from him, some people grew dissatisfied and protested to the medical staff.
Their goal was to have at least one contact with Seo Jungwoo.
They wondered why a top-tier Esper was acting as a ‘therapist’ in a quiet corner of this hospital, and why such a powerful individual was only seeing a single unawakened person.
Some even whispered that perhaps “treating” was just a smokescreen and that he had actually lost his powers as an Esper.
Of course, Haeram knew all of that was nonsense.
Even when Haeram got worked up and angry at the false rumors, the man didn’t care, even finding it amusing.
“Those rumors only start because things are peaceful and idle.”
“Doesn’t it make you feel bad?”
“Not at all, I don’t care about things like that. It must mean the other Espers are doing their jobs well. If people have the energy to gossip, there’s even less reason for me to return.”
“……Well, I feel bad.”
“You’re kind. Haeram, don’t worry about it either. I’m fine.”
Among the Guide candidates, those with wealthy backgrounds sometimes personally selected Espers they might be compatible with for private Mind Training.
However, Seo Jungwoo remained unreachable for any inquiries or private consultation appointments.
He dedicated his time solely to Han Haeram. Haeram, however, simply thought it was because he was the patient with the shortest time left and the most serious condition.
He had no idea what the man did during the hours outside of their three-hour daily sessions.
“Three hours a day. The time I give is only for Han Haeram.”
“……Pardon?”
“So, let’s awaken quickly.”
Strangely, his words didn’t feel like pressure.
When he held Haeram’s hands and said such things with a gentle smile, Haeram would feel a surge of courage that was hard to explain.
An unknown sense of confidence in himself would bloom.
The memory of his father’s shouting—calling him a half-wit who failed to awaken in his teens and claiming there wasn’t a penny to spend on his treatment—strangely began to fade, feeling like someone else’s story.
“Once you regain your health and can provide Guiding, take responsibility for me first.”
“Why do you keep telling me to take responsibility…….”
“I’m looking forward to it—the taste of Haeram’s Guiding.”
‘You should only have expectations for someone worthy; why do you keep saying you expect things from me? Those kinds of words aren’t meant for someone useless and unlucky like me.’
Perhaps Haeram, who had been given up on even by his parents and couldn’t even earn his keep, had used up all his luck just by being born with the ‘Guide factor’ in his body.
Thanks to that, he was eating free meals and receiving free treatment.
“I know. Haeram, you will definitely overcome this when the time comes.”
“There is no Guide as strong and beautiful as you, Haeram.”
Whenever he felt like giving up, Haeram thought of Seo Jungwoo, who would hold his hand and whisper to him with a smile.
“You always told me that.”
Saying he was “expecting it” felt like a promise that he would wait for him.
The reason those long training sessions—lasting a thousand hours over the past year—weren’t boring, and why he even looked forward to them with a racing heart, was because of the hope Seo Jungwoo had planted in him.
Did he think Haeram enjoyed having a terminal life?
It took a lot of giving up before he could talk about his own end dryly, like a joke.
He had lived his life trying to cut out hope, but the man had made him start to want something. He had whispered sweetly that he was waiting.
After taming him like that, if the man now said being a Guide wasn’t a good thing, what was Haeram supposed to do?
From late afternoon, Haeram had to do the exercise he hated most.
They said exercising would make him live longer, but one of his friends in the same ward said they would rather not exercise and just die earlier by the amount of time spent exercising.
That friend was younger than Haeram and had a Guide wavelength that moved more actively.
He already didn’t want to go, but today was even worse because Seungjoon wasn’t there, and he had heard nonsense from the teacher he trusted. His feet felt like lead, unwilling to move.
Just getting to the rehabilitation center exhausted him so much that by the time he took his sneakers out of the locker and put them on, he felt like he had already done his entire day’s worth of exercise.
“You’re late, Haeram.”
Haeram pouted at the nagging that flew his way as soon as he opened the glass door.
He wanted to sit down and cough as much as he wanted, but if he did that, it was certain that Shim Jihye would glare at him and say, “See? I told you.”
“I really tried my best to get here. Don’t scold me. It’ll hurt my feelings.”
“Oh, who’s scolding anyone? Now, come this way. Let’s start with some light stretching.”
Sob.
Haeram pretended to cry as he stepped onto the soft mat.
“Now, straighten your back and stretch your arms upward…….”
If there was one thing Haeram was confident in, it was flexibility, so stretching was the only thing he did with any enthusiasm.
He would fall apart rapidly starting from the aerobic exercise afterward, but until the stretching, he was a bit of a model student.
“Next, lift your leg…….”
He was following the instructions step by step, but today, it wasn’t Haeram who was failing to concentrate—it was the trainer.
The trainer kept glancing elsewhere, causing the sequence to get tangled, so Haeram also turned his head toward where the trainer was looking.
By the window, where a crowd had gathered noisily, a muscular man in a black full-body tights was surrounded by several trainers.
His massive build played a part in catching everyone’s eye, but more than anything, the metal bands attached all over his body were impressive.
They looked thick and heavy, making him look more like a robot than a person.
“Oh, that person is an Esper, right?”
“Yeah, they say he came for rehab. One of his arms was cut off and then reattached. Isn’t he handsome?”
The trainer, who Haeram thought would scold him for looking away, answered enthusiastically.
“A lot of people were injured while suppressing a large gate recently. They say our rehab center is going to get busier. I’ve only been working for a year, and it looks like I might get to be in charge of an Esper.”
“Hmm…….”
A combat-type Esper certainly stood out.
They were usually a head taller than normal people.
The trainers huddling around him almost looked cute in comparison.
And those trainers were already considered muscular “gym-rats” when standing next to ordinary humans.
However, if asked if he was handsome, well……. Haeram reflexively thought of Seo Jungwoo and bit his lip.
His face suddenly flushed hot.
“I don’t know about handsome…… but he does look cool. He looks really strong.”
“Exactly, that’s what I mean. Look at all the seniors from my team gathered over there.”
The trainer’s eyes were full of admiration.
“I see. Everyone is so jealous of Esper-Guide pairs, so I don’t know why someone would say being a Guide isn’t that great.”
Haeram muttered with a bit of irritation.
When the goal he was working so hard for was dismissed, a surge of resentment rose up, even if the person who said it was Seo Jungwoo.
* * *
