# Chapter 60
Hypnosis and brainwashing. He had a more frightening ability than expected.
‘I wondered how Seo Juan communicated with Han Jiwoo, was it by using this person’s ability?’
Parts that had been completely incomprehensible now made sense when considering Choi Jihyung’s ability. Hajin needed to pay more attention to his expression to appear calm.
Now that Jihyung had come around on his own, showing wariness would do no good.
As Jihyung had said, no problems occurred as the two of them—no, three including the sleeping Puppy—returned to the living quarters.
Hajin concealed his true thoughts and thanked Jihyung.
“Thank you for helping today.”
“I-it’s nothing, really.”
‘Seeing him like this, he just seems like a timid young man, yet he has such a terrifying ability.’
It was hard to imagine this innocently smiling person hypnotizing and brainwashing others. Perhaps that was why.
The reason his wariness toward Jihyung had faded faster than expected. Hajin hadn’t noticed this subtle change.
“Ah, from now on, please don’t be alone with Aji. It’s dangerous.”
Hajin thought the same. He had assumed all Espers were like Alpha Team, who had begged for Guiding but never touched him without permission, but that wasn’t the case, so he needed to be more careful. However…
“Is that something I can control?”
Would someone who never listened to a word actually stay away if asked? Hajin could confidently guarantee that he wouldn’t.
“If he were the type to listen, he would have stopped when I told him not to.”
The forcefully abused lips still felt hot and swollen.
As Hajin reflexively touched his lips, Choi Jihyung’s eyes, which had been following the movement of his fingertips, suddenly turned cold. However, Hajin was too busy shuddering at the memory to notice.
“I’ll stay by your side.”
“You, Choi Jihyung-ssi?”
Hajin looked at him with surprise. Hadn’t he tried to hide from Puppy’s anger just today?
‘I thought he was afraid, but he’s not?’
Could he possibly be summoning courage for Hajin’s sake? As that thought crossed his mind, Hajin had to compose his expression to avoid looking displeased. To Hajin, Choi Jihyung was the most difficult person to figure out.
The most suspicious person was Seo Juan. Seo Jihan was transparently wary of Hajin, and while Puppy had momentarily let his guard down, the fact that he had a simple and violent disposition remained unchanged.
But with Choi Jihyung, just when Hajin thought he had him figured out, he would show a new side, making it difficult to discern his true nature.
One moment he seemed like a strange pervert, then next he was extremely timid. And then he would show yet another aspect of himself like this.
For Hajin, who needed to quickly assess people and plan his next move, Jihyung was undeniably a difficult opponent.
It would be better if he could simply avoid him, but circumstances continued to flow in a way that forced Hajin to use him.
‘The fact that this person is my best option shows just how miserable my reality is.’
Hajin briefly closed his eyes at this bitter reality, then opened them again.
“Won’t it be a burden for you, Choi Jihyung-ssi?”
“Not at all!”
Jihyung’s glasses were disturbed as he shook his head vigorously, and while adjusting them, he rattled off words to reassure Hajin.
“He dared to touch you without permission.”
For the first time, his voice came out without trembling or stuttering. Feeling a somewhat chilling sensation, Hajin looked at him, but Jihyung’s eyes were only clear and bright.
“A-and if I can be of he-help to Hajin-ssi like this, I’d be happy…”
However, as soon as their eyes met, he reverted to the shy young man who stuttered his words, making Hajin wonder if the earlier chill had been his imagination.
“In that case, may I ask for your help?”
“Of course!”
Though his ability was unsettling, seeing how he was actually more grateful and happy to be the one helping, Hajin developed a small belief that he wouldn’t be a threat.
If he showed any suspicious signs, Hajin could simply put him to sleep with Guiding. Having already managed to put Espers to sleep with just Radiative Guiding, it wouldn’t be difficult.
It was just tiring to have to pretend to let his guard down while actually remaining vigilant.
* * *
“Hah!”
Han Jiwoo opened his eyes, gasping urgently for breath like someone who had been holding it for a long time. Looking around, the familiar sight of his quarters came into view.
He’d worried that someone might have entered if his condition had seemed strange, but fortunately, that hadn’t happened.
“Haa, haa…”
Han Jiwoo exhaled roughly while clutching his head. Unlike before he collapsed, his vision was fine, and he was no longer dizzy. But even with that fact, Han Jiwoo couldn’t be reassured.
He was an experienced Guide, too experienced to simply attribute this to having guided an S-rank Esper during an outburst.
His reaction before fainting could not possibly be considered normal.
It had never happened even when he was A-rank. In terms of difficulty, Guiding an S-rank Esper in outburst now was similar to when he, as an A-rank, had guided an S-rank Esper.
‘Although it was difficult, I never had a nosebleed and fainted like this before…’
While it was painful to guide an Esper whose rank didn’t match his own, he had never once passed out from the agony. Something was clearly wrong with his body.
However, Han Jiwoo couldn’t even receive a simple examination. The Association wouldn’t casually dismiss an issue with the body of their only S-rank Guide, as if prescribing cold medicine.
Moreover, someone had witnessed him gushing blood from his nose, and with that testimony added, they would scrutinize even the smallest blood vessel.
If it were discovered that Han Jiwoo had taken medication to elevate his Guiding rank, everything would be over.
“Damn it!”
Han Jiwoo cursed in frustration. Seo Juan had said the drug would be fully absorbed by the body within a week, but Han Jiwoo couldn’t believe it.
How could he trust the words of someone who had hidden the side effects in the first place?
Agonizing as if about to tear his hair out, Han Jiwoo lowered his head and spotted his shirt, now brown with dried blood, and got up.
It was a frightening sight for anyone to see.
‘I guess it’s natural to faint after losing this much blood.’
It was enough blood to make fainting understandable. But conversely, it also meant that there was something wrong with Han Jiwoo’s body to the point where he lost so much blood.
‘Definitely no examination.’
Normally, Han Jiwoo cared deeply about his body, but at this moment, he considered his safety more important than his health.
If it were discovered that he had taken the drug, they would inevitably try to find out its source, and if his connection with the anti-government forces was revealed, Han Jiwoo would surely be blamed for the incident that had turned the Association upside down.
No matter how much the Association valued Guides, and despite Han Jiwoo being currently the only S-rank Guide, this was an incident he couldn’t escape blame for. Moreover, wasn’t it Han Jiwoo who had handed Hajin over to them?
‘Absolutely, absolutely must not be discovered…’
Han Jiwoo shuddered from the goosebumps that covered his entire body. Perhaps the Association might try to save him.
He would probably be bound and have his Guiding exploited under the pretext of paying for his crimes, but at least he could remain alive.
But would Hajin’s Espers let him be?
Of course not. If the truth were revealed, they would return immediately and tear Han Jiwoo to shreds, not even leaving ashes behind.
Imagining a future that absolutely must not happen, Han Jiwoo hurriedly began to move. Though some dizziness remained, that wasn’t very important.
“The clothes… I’ll have to throw them away.”
It would ease his mind to burn them completely, but since he couldn’t do that, he planned to extract as much blood as possible and then hide them thoroughly before disposal.
The bloodstains that had dried while he slept wouldn’t come off easily. As the dried blood turned to powder and scattered, Han Jiwoo had to clean the bathroom despite his poor physical condition.
Since cleaners came periodically, Han Jiwoo, who had never cleaned the bathroom before, somehow managed to finish the job while constantly cursing. No sooner had he finished than the doorbell to his quarters rang.
Han Jiwoo sprang up and checked himself in the mirror. Perhaps thanks to moving around, his previously dark face now had some color, looking much better than before.
Relieved, Han Jiwoo put on clothes, composed himself, and opened the door.
‘Did that driver rat me out?’
“What is it?”
While he was considering what excuse to use if they mentioned an examination, a different Association employee from yesterday urgently got straight to the point.
“Guide Han Jiwoo! It’s an emergency. Esper Park Incheol’s levels are too high!”
“What? How is that possible? It hasn’t been long since he received Guiding!”
Han Jiwoo raised his voice at the absurd situation. Being someone who had memorized the names of most high-ranking Espers, Han Jiwoo clearly remembered the name the Association employee mentioned.
It was the name of an Esper he had guided just a week ago.
‘He’s not even one of Lee Hajin’s Espers, what could he have possibly been doing with his ability to have critical levels already?!’
Moreover, it had been just one day since he had guided Ju Seongwon. In this state, if he guided yet another Esper, who knew what reaction he would show before collapsing.
However, despite his firm attitude, the employee showed no sign of backing down. Not that he was forceful.
Rather, he seemed quite flustered himself, fidgeting and even on the verge of tears. His face was unfamiliar, so he must have been assigned to this position recently.
“W-we don’t know what the problem is either. Just for a moment, just a very brief moment, could you help? You don’t need to completely lower the levels, but could you please provide even a little Guiding?”
Upon hearing that the situation could escalate to an outburst risk level if left alone, Han Jiwoo finally gave up on managing his expression and could only frown.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
