# Chapter 43
Jeongyun had been pacing in front of the Center for dozens of minutes, mulling over yesterday’s events.
Since Domin broke his promise first, Jeongyun had impulsively decided he had no reason to keep his own promise, agreeing to take on Hwayeon’s Guiding—but that wasn’t right.
‘Why did I do that?’
Having given his word directly to the Center Director, he couldn’t take it back now, but he couldn’t help feeling regret. He should have been more careful about such an official matter.
‘But I’ve already agreed to do it.’
Jeongyun let out a deep sigh.
What was done was done, so he needed to accept the reality now, no matter how difficult. Yes, since he’d agreed to do it, he might as well do it well.
“Let’s go.”
After ending his long deliberation and steeling himself, Jeongyun finally entered the Center.
As soon as he opened the door, he made eye contact with the security guard standing watch. He was about to explain his reason for visiting in case the guard blocked him like last time, but the guard easily allowed him to enter, saying he could go in.
‘Who told them I was coming?’
Passing the guard in confusion, Jeongyun headed to the training room on the third floor that the Center Director had mentioned. When he arrived at the floor on the elevator, the doors slid open smoothly.
‘Where’s the training room?’
Jeongyun walked slowly down the corridor, looking for the training room that should be somewhere there.
Walking while reading the names on the signs, he eventually reached the end of the corridor. The training room he was looking for was there.
Knock, knock.
He knocked lightly on the door, but no one came out from the other side. Jeongyun carefully pushed the door. Through the gently opening gap, he could see inside the training room.
‘It’s huge…’
Quietly entering, Jeongyun looked around the training room. In this room surrounded by black walls on all sides, young Espers were learning how to control their abilities from trainers.
‘Where’s Hwayeon?’
But Hwayeon was nowhere to be seen. Just as he was wondering if Hwayeon hadn’t arrived yet, someone suddenly approached and spoke to him.
“This is where Espers with underdeveloped ability control train. The walls were created by defensive Espers, so they can withstand any attack.”
“Ah…”
Turning around, Jeongyun saw the researcher who had guided him yesterday, smiling brightly.
When Jeongyun awkwardly smiled and nodded, the researcher spread both arms wide and greeted him exuberantly.
“Welcome, Yeo Jeongyun Guide!”
At that voice, the attention of those training briefly turned to Jeongyun before looking away. Jeongyun smiled uncomfortably, not wanting the attention, and the researcher lowered his voice slightly.
“I heard from the Center Director. They say you’ve agreed to Guide Hwayeon.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Thank you so much. Actually, we had no other options besides you, Yeo Jeongyun Guide. You saved us.”
“…Is that so?”
“Well then, shall we go this way?”
While looking around the training room and listening to the researcher’s explanation, Jeongyun finally spotted Hwayeon, who wasn’t mixing with the others.
‘There he is.’
Jeongyun was about to approach Hwayeon with delight but hesitated for a moment.
Hwayeon, who had his face buried in his sharply raised knees, didn’t even have a trainer nearby. Not only was he excluded from training, but it seemed like he was being thoroughly ignored here.
Angry, Jeongyun immediately asked the researcher:
“Why doesn’t Hwayeon have a trainer?”
The researcher couldn’t hide his discomfort at Jeongyun’s sharp question. Last time, he had unpleasantly referred to Hwayeon as a disobedient bastard, and this was clearly discrimination no matter how you looked at it.
“If you recognize that his ability control is underdeveloped, you should have assigned him a trainer all the more.”
“We would if we could…”
The researcher trailed off and glanced somewhere. Following his gaze, Jeongyun saw a trainer cautiously approaching Hwayeon.
“Min Hwayeon Esper, are you feeling better now?”
“…”
But Hwayeon showed no reaction to the trainer’s question. The trainer called out to him again, but the result was the same.
Feeling frustrated, the trainer reached out his hand, and Hwayeon, sensing someone’s presence, slowly raised his head. A small glint passed through his dark pupils, and at that moment, the trainer’s hand caught fire.
“Aaaaah!”
Everyone in the training room froze at the sudden situation. A few people who came to their senses belatedly rushed to the trainer.
Fortunately, the fire used as a threat quickly died down, but the trainer suffered minor burns. While people took the injured trainer out of the training room, Hwayeon remained crouched down, not moving.
“He does that whenever anyone comes close.”
As soon as the researcher finished speaking, Jeongyun strode toward Hwayeon.
Sensing someone’s presence, Hwayeon raised his head again. His fierce gaze softened weakly when he saw that it was Jeongyun standing in front of him.
Jumping to his feet, Hwayeon called out to Jeongyun with joy.
“Jeongyun Hyung!”
He seemed like a completely different person compared to how he’d been cautiously eyeing the trainer earlier. Jeongyun took Hwayeon’s hand as he bounced excitedly in place and asked:
“Why did you do that?”
“What?”
“Hurting the trainer just now.”
Hwayeon paused. He apparently hadn’t thought that Jeongyun had seen what happened earlier.
Looking into Hwayeon’s trembling pupils, Jeongyun asked again.
“Why did you hurt him?”
“…Because he approached without permission.”
“I just approached you without permission too.”
“You’re different, Hyung.”
“No, I’m not different.”
At Jeongyun’s firm words, Hwayeon nodded.
Due to the aftereffects of manifestation pain, Hwayeon’s mind had become like a child’s. So, there was no choice but to teach him these concepts one by one. What’s allowed and what isn’t. What’s right and what’s wrong.
When Jeongyun tried to let go of his hand, Hwayeon urgently asked in a tearful voice:
“Do you hate me?”
“Not really, but I might start to hate you if you do that again.”
“Oh, I won’t do it again!”
At his desperate answer, Jeongyun softened his hardened expression. Only then did Hwayeon raise his arm to rub his eyes vigorously and smile brightly.
“Now let’s train, Hwayeon.”
“…Do we have to?”
Hwayeon asked, looking downcast. Jeongyun persuaded the reluctant Hwayeon. Finally, Hwayeon trudged toward where the trainers were waiting.
During theory classes, Hwayeon had been absent-minded and unable to concentrate, but once practical training began, he started to focus intently with sparkling eyes.
The goal was to hit a distant target with fire created from his hand. The flames that initially flew in odd directions gradually got closer to the target as time passed.
“Hwayeon really only listens to Yeo Jeongyun Guide.”
The researcher commented, watching how well-behaved Hwayeon had become. Jeongyun was about to say that wasn’t entirely true, but remembering what he had just witnessed, he simply smiled.
“They say Hwayeon will probably join the Gray Team.”
“The Gray Team?”
“Yes. After all, his rank is high.”
The Gray Team was the top attack team that Deputy Director Hyun Semin belonged to. It was a place all Espers looked up to, but it meant bearing the risk of facing terrorists on the front lines.
From the moment you joined the Gray Team, you had to endure a war where you might die at any time, and Hwayeon was still too young for that. Though he would become an adult in a few months, he was still a minor.
“As I mentioned, I’ll ask you to Guide Hwayeon after his training is over.”
“Ah, yes.”
Only then did Jeongyun remind himself why he had come here. Even though it wasn’t his first time doing Guiding, he felt needlessly worried about whether he could do well.
Meanwhile, Hwayeon, who got a break, trotted over to Jeongyun. He must have worked hard, as beads of sweat had formed on his white forehead.
“Look over there.”
Hwayeon raised his hand and pointed at a blackened target. None had hit the dead center, but they were definitely getting closer to the middle.
“The teacher said that if I practice a bit more, I’ll be able to hit the center.”
“That’s true. You’re doing really well for your first day.”
When Jeongyun praised him, Hwayeon lowered his head deeply. Then he glanced up with his eyes, which probably meant he wanted his head patted.
When Jeongyun patted his head as desired, Hwayeon smiled brightly like a child happy to receive praise. Seeing his innocent smile, Jeongyun’s lips also gently curved upward.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
