What Kind of Relationship (7)
“Hyung, what are you looking at so intently?”
Sa Hae-geon asked, holding a strawberry to my mouth, seemingly curious about why I was concentrating on the TV. I naturally ate the strawberry he offered and replied.
“Ah, I saw someone on the rooftop of the building across from the terminal yesterday. And they’re on the CCTV footage too.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I wonder if no one else saw them? There’s no separate description of that person.”
“Was it someone you knew, hyung?”
“Well… It looked like a familiar face, but I’m not sure.”
Even if I said it was Shin Woo-jun, I didn’t think Hae-geon would know him, and honestly, I couldn’t be certain yet. Woo-jun hadn’t openly shown himself, and anyone could pretend to be Woo-jun.
Even when we worked together at the Central Center, Woo-jun had many enemies. Espers from other centers and various guilds especially disliked him. He was overly obsessed with rank and didn’t even acknowledge Espers of lower ranks than himself.
There were quite a few Espers who expressed their displeasure, saying he treated them like insects. Because of this, Woo-jun was always surrounded by bad rumors, and malicious gazes targeting him only increased. Although it wasn’t sad since he brought it upon himself, paradoxically, it was his teammates who suffered both big and small damages from these incidents.
Some people sarcastically asked if the team working with Woo-jun was any different, while others looked at them with pity. After Woo-jun joined, the Field Team 1 of the Central Center frequently became the subject of gossip.
“Is he an unaffiliated Esper?”
“Well, he originally had an affiliation. But he was expelled and imprisoned for causing trouble.”
“You’re talking about Shin Woo-jun, right?”
I couldn’t help but be surprised at Hae-geon’s response. How does he know about Woo-jun? It was unexpected that this guy, who seemed to know nothing about the world, knew about Woo-jun.
“How do you know about him?”
“A little bit.”
Is it natural for him to know about Woo-jun since he was trying to apply to the Central Center like me? Thinking that, I nodded.
“Anyway, most unaffiliated Espers often join illegal organizations and cause trouble, or carry out terrorism like this, so everyone is wary of them. That’s why I was surprised when I heard your story.”
“Hmm, I see.”
“So you should quickly find a good place, whether it’s a center or a guild, and join.”
It was sincere advice. Ability users without affiliation receive unfavorable gazes wherever they go. There are cases like Hae-geon who live in hiding, but their identity is inevitably discovered.
Of course, Hae-geon’s case was very different from theirs. After awakening, there had never been an Esper who substituted Guiding with regulators and suppressants. Maybe that’s why he was able to hide his identity until now. Usually, they were caught during illegal Guiding and had to undergo education bordering on brainwashing, sleeping only three hours a day.
I hoped Hae-geon wouldn’t go through the same process as them. Regardless of how this relationship ends, I hoped he would belong somewhere and live normal days before being forced to undergo education by the Ability Department. Whether he knew my wish or not, Hae-geon kept saying foolish things.
“I don’t want anywhere but the Central Center.”
“…Why are you so insistent on the Central Center? You can work with me even if you go to another center.”
Despite my explanation, Hae-geon shook his head and then held another strawberry to my mouth, as if he didn’t want to discuss this topic anymore. I sighed and ate the strawberry, and only then did he smile with a satisfied look, which was just bewildering.
“Who knows when the Central Center will recruit Espers. And even if the timing works out and you come to the Central Center, you might not be on the same team as me?”
“That’s not possible. All the other teams in the Central Center have fifteen Espers, but Field Team 1, where you are, only has eleven.”
“…Where did you get that information?”
“I just happened to know. Anyway, I have no intention of joining anywhere else.”
When he said it like that, I couldn’t push any further. I just nodded and said I understood, ending the conversation with Hae-geon.
* * *
[259303] Did anyone see the news on SBC during lunch today??? [581]
Author: Anonymous E
A famous doctor appeared, and it seems the doctor also thinks it’s SWJ
At this point, shouldn’t the Incompetent Department step in and confirm if it’s really SWJ?
Why is the Incompetent Department so quiet?
It’s unsettling, are they up to something again; Does anyone know?
I don’t understand what the Ability Department is thinking these days..
Dungeons are increasing like crazy and it’s tough, but why are these bastards silent..
[581 comments]
Anonymous &. 1 – I was already worried because of the high frequency of dungeon occurrences…. Please tell us if something happens, guys ㅠㅠ This is the only community I have ㅜㅜ
Anonymous G. 1 – Are these bastards hiding something again. . . It’s too quiet these days
Anonymous G. 2 – ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I saw it briefly before entering a dungeon, the doctor was busy pushing up his glasses
Anonymous E. 1 – Shouldn’t we change it so only Es can see the post?
⤷ Author – Hmm, isn’t this much okay?
⤷ Anonymous E. 1 – It’s a kind of anxiety-inducing, so ㅇㅇ it doesn’t hurt to be cautious
⤷ Author – Hmm, is that so..? If there’s more talk, I’ll change it then. Thanks
⤷ Anonymous &. 4 – Why???? Let us see it too ㅠㅠㅠ We have the right to know too ㅜㅜㅜ Honestly, the stories here are more trustworthy than the news or articles these days..ㅜ
Anonymous G. 3 – Even if they know, everyone’s probably keeping quiet. And as E1 said, it might be better to restrict access
⤷ Author – Sigh.. Okay, thanks. I’ll keep it in mind
⤷ Anonymous &. 4 – Please,, we want to see it too ㅠ
Anonymous E. 2 – Huh, but isn’t restricting access more anxiety-inducing? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ And the posts are moved periodically anyway, so isn’t it okay?
⤷ Author – I think similarly, but others might think differently ㅇㅇ For now, I’m leaving it as is
Anonymous E. 3 – Hey, but didn’t everyone already know it was S/WJ? Why are you late to the party?
⤷ Author – The news handles these issues more cautiously
Anonymous &. 2 – I wish you’d leave it so we could see the post too,,,,,, I don’t like forced blindfolding and deafening ㅠㅠ
⤷ Author – ㅇㅇ I’ll leave it for now
Anonymous G. 4 – But didn’t you see something in the CCTV footage at the end? Am I the only one?;
⤷ Author – What are you talking about? Did you see something?
⤷ Anonymous G. 4 – Didn’t you see something like a human figure? It was so quick that I thought I might have seen wrong,, it looked like dust though;;
⤷ Author – Hmm, I’m not sure. If anyone else saw it, please comment
⤷ Anonymous E. 13 – Oh, I saw it too. Wasn’t it on the rooftop? It suddenly disappeared, so I wondered what it was. Was it really a person, not dust?
⤷ Anonymous G. 4 – Right?? I’m not the only one who saw it???? It really looked like a person; Could it be S.W.J?
⤷ Anonymous &. 7 – ㄷㄷ I just saw it too;; What was that?
Anonymous G. 5 – I think something big is coming soon, guys. Be prepared. When the Incompetent Department is this quiet, it’s not a good sign. I give it a month at most. It seems like there’s an embargo now, and people around me think similarly. Just take it as a wild guess if you want, but be prepared. I’m saying this out of concern before the post gets locked. If you’re skeptical, just ignore this
⤷ Anonymous E. 7 – We should trust the Guide
⤷ Anonymous E. 10 – How do you know?? No wrong information please
⤷ Anonymous &. 9 – Why are you commenting when they said skeptics should just ignore it?
⤷ Anonymous E. 10 – ㅋㅋㅋㅋ It’s ridiculous, what are we supposed to believe?? They just said something big is coming, what exactly should we believe and prepare for? And how are we supposed to prepare? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Take a leave from school? Take a vacation? Quit our jobs? Emigrate? What are we supposed to do? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
⤷ Anonymous G. 13 – 10, why are you so angry.. Go outside a bit, okay? Take a walk ㅜ
⤷ Anonymous E. 10 – I’m commenting because I feel sorry for those who get incited by such comments;
⤷ Anonymous &. 18 – This comment isn’t causing us any big harm, so why are you so angry?;
⤷ Anonymous E. 10 – Isn’t it harmful when people capture these comments and spread them on other communities, and then ordinary people who see them bombard centers and guilds with inquiries?
⤷ Anonymous E. 21 – I understand what 10 is saying, but your tone is too sharp,,,
⤷ Anonymous E. 10 – You don’t want to listen even when I’m saying the right thing because my tone is sharp?? Why are you nitpicking about my tone? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
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Author – There’s too much fighting in the comments, so I’m just going to delete the post in 5 minutes
