# Chapter 74
It was a name Hajin had momentarily forgotten since meeting the Alpha Team.
‘Surely he didn’t die?’
Hajin briefly had an ominous thought, but quickly concluded that wouldn’t be the case. Just because Seo Jihan had helped him at the end didn’t mean Hajin thought well of him.
However, he couldn’t forget the look in his eyes before he turned away for the last time.
They weren’t close enough for such a pitiful gaze, and Seo Jihan himself had gone out of his way to avoid Hajin. So why look at him as if he were a lover he’d never see again?
Hajin mentally clicked his tongue at the gaze that remained etched in his mind like a photograph. Then he nodded to Cha Jinwoo, who was waiting for his answer.
“Yes. I know him.”
Upon hearing the response, Cha Jinwoo signaled to the Alpha Team to continue running. The sound of wind filled Hajin’s ears again. Through that wind, Cha Jinwoo’s voice reached him.
“Before we received the message that you were rescued, I encountered Seo Jihan. Strangely, he seemed less aggressive in combat than usual. He even seemed to be subtly helping us.”
He turned his head slightly to look at Hajin.
“Perhaps you and Seo Jihan……”
It only then occurred to Hajin that such circumstances might seem suspicious.
However, he didn’t feel anxious that they might doubt him. So Hajin was able to calmly explain what had happened.
“Before you all arrived, I was captured by two anti-government Espers. My Guiding was blocked, and I was nearly dragged away, but Mr. Seo Jihan saved me.”
Those listening couldn’t gather their wits at this sudden bombshell revelation.
“W-wait a minute. So your current poor physical condition is because of those bastards?”
“Yes.”
If Choi Jihyung hadn’t tied his limbs so brutally, if the Puppy hadn’t ignored his plea for help, Hajin would have met the Alpha Team in a much healthier state.
“……What are their names?”
Baek Jaan asked, his voice calm but more unhinged than anyone else’s.
If Hajin had seen his expression, he might have hesitated to reveal the names, but he was currently nestled in Cha Jinwoo’s arms.
Hajin couldn’t even open his eyes properly due to the wind rushing against his face. So, unaware of the Alpha Team’s ominous mood, he calmly disclosed their names.
“Choi Jihyung and Puppy.”
The Alpha Team’s momentum faltered momentarily at the unfamiliar names.
“I’ve never heard those names before… Team Leader, have you heard of them?”
Lee Doyoon asked, but Cha Jinwoo could only shake his head. The Alpha Team’s reaction was understandable.
Puppy was embarrassed by his name and introduced himself to others as Black Dog. And Choi Jihyung’s existence had to be kept secret due to his abilities, so both names would be unfamiliar to the Alpha Team.
“What does it matter? We’re going to kill them anyway.”
Han Seungho spoke nonchalantly. The expression often used by those full of bluster carried a heavy weight when used by someone who actually had the power to back it up.
It was enough to make Hajin unconsciously tense up.
Noticing this brief change, Cha Jinwoo held Hajin more firmly and said:
“But first we need to return to the Association and check Hajin’s condition. Don’t forget our priorities.”
“Of course. Team Leader, can’t you run any faster? Are you already that old?”
Han Seungho nodded in agreement before sneering. The atmosphere was completely different from when Hajin had been kidnapped.
Of course, no one had been in a good mood then either, but that’s precisely why they knew exactly how it had felt.
“Don’t get cocky. I can handle someone like you easily even while carrying Hajin.”
That’s why Cha Jinwoo engaged him a bit more than usual, when normally he would have just said “don’t get cocky” and left it at that. Han Seungho took Cha Jinwoo’s dismissive provocation perfectly.
“Huh? You shouldn’t be so overconfident. Especially at your age, Team Leader.”
Despite the continued jabs about his age, Cha Jinwoo merely snorted.
“You’d better take that back.”
Cha Jinwoo had shown him a certain kindness, but Han Seungho seemed to think he had the upper hand against him for the first time, and responded with an even louder snort.
“Why is your tongue so loose, unlike your usual self, Team Leader?”
Han Seungho’s shoulders rose high with pride. Due to his hot-tempered nature, he usually lost verbal spars, but he seemed quite pleased to be winning for once.
However, that feeling was immediately shattered by Hajin’s voice.
“Age….. I suppose so.”
“Uh…?”
Han Seungho quickly turned his head toward Hajin.
Though his face wasn’t clearly visible as he had his head buried in Cha Jinwoo’s chest, the small voice that escaped was undeniably weak.
Han Seungho finally realized what he had missed and why Cha Jinwoo had spoken that way. He turned his head the other way to look at Baek Jaan and Lee Doyoon.
Sure enough, they had heard Hajin’s voice too and were staring at Han Seungho with fierce expressions.
“Hyung! That’s, that’s not what I meant!”
Han Seungho desperately tried to change what he had said, but every excuse he could think of could be countered with his own words.
“Urgh! Hyung! I’m sorry!”
Never good with words to begin with, Han Seungho couldn’t find a better way to phrase his apology.
He jumped over to Hajin and kept apologizing, not realizing that the more he did so, the more irreversible the situation became.
“Y-you idiot…!”
Finally, Lee Doyoon grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, pulled him away, and whispered something to him. Only then did Han Seungho shut his mouth. His face had gone even paler.
It was Cha Jinwoo, the only one who was the same age as Hajin and older than the others, who cleared the miserable atmosphere.
“If you react like that, Hajin, it makes me even more embarrassed.”
“Ah…..”
Having been caught up in Han Seungho’s fuss and momentarily somber, Hajin finally raised his head. He realized that the more seriously he reacted, the more embarrassed he would make Cha Jinwoo, who was older than him.
Cha Jinwoo wasn’t at all affected by Han Seungho’s words, but Hajin had become concerned.
He vowed to discipline Han Seungho once he confirmed that Hajin’s health was fine, and pushed himself to go even faster.
Thanks to running without rest, they were able to arrive before sunset. Hajin marveled anew at the familiar building visible in the distance.
Ironically, while the anti-government headquarters was located not too far away in the provinces, what amazed him was how quickly people could run.
Hajin couldn’t stop being impressed by the travel time, which was comparable to riding in a car. He had seen walls being demolished and monster-sized creatures being captured, but this seemed more tangibly real to him.
All the while, the Alpha Team continued to move quickly.
“……But doesn’t the atmosphere seem a bit strange?”
It was when Lee Doyoon, who had been surveying the surroundings, spoke up.
Almost simultaneously, those who spotted them—or more precisely, those who identified Hajin in their arms—greeted them as if screaming.
“It’s Guide Lee Hajin!”
When someone shouted, the heads of those who heard all turned toward Hajin at once. At this bizarre sight, Hajin trembled, and Baek Jaan and Han Seungho moved to block the stares.
“Huuuung! Guide Lee Hajin! You’ve returned safely!”
Han Seungho’s first reaction to the unsettling response was to be on guard.
“What’s going on? Why are they so happy to see us?”
The reaction was similar to when they’d caused trouble and people were looking for them, so Han Seungho responded sensitively, but the Association employee seemed half-crazed, not backing down even in the face of an S-rank Esper’s wariness.
“You don’t know what’s been happening while you were gone. Huuung……”
Meanwhile, Hajin, who had gotten down from Cha Jinwoo’s arms, turned his head to assess the chaotic atmosphere. Without exception, everyone had hollow faces and wrinkled clothes.
‘Did they all work overtime or something?’
There were even some who were actually crying. Hajin had an intuition that this wasn’t simply about celebrating his return—they barely knew him.
‘Somehow, it feels like I’ve gotten caught up in something troublesome as soon as I returned.’
And that prediction proved accurate. When Cha Jinwoo demanded an explanation of the situation, the employee began pouring out a detailed and extensive amount of information, as if they had been waiting for this moment.
Hajin’s face darkened as he heard about everything that had happened from the employee. It was horrifying that everyone who had received Guiding from Han Jiwoo was unable to regulate their wavelengths.
It was as if a virus had been planted in the Guiding.
Suddenly, Hajin raised his head. Hadn’t his Espers also received Guiding from Han Jiwoo? Although Hajin had suppressed their unstable wavelengths, he felt uneasy since it wasn’t a coordinated effort.
Hajin’s hand grabbed Cha Jinwoo’s arm, which was right beside him. Naturally, his gaze fell on Hajin.
“You all said you received Guiding, didn’t you? Let’s go get examined right away.”
“You should go first, Hajin.”
“I’m much better now.”
“Still, your examination comes first, Hajin.”
The argument between Hajin and Cha Jinwoo continued evenly. In reality, it wasn’t a one-on-one situation. There were four members of Alpha Team insisting that Hajin’s examination should come first.
But they were dealing with Hajin. Whether the Alpha Team had four members or eight, they couldn’t break Hajin’s stubbornness.
In the end, it was only when Hajin played his trump card—saying he wouldn’t get examined if they didn’t go first—that the Alpha Team raised both hands in surrender.
Led by Hajin’s hand, they had to undergo all sorts of tests. The Alpha Team had never received such intensive testing, even when their outbreak values were at critical levels, so they remained awkward throughout.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
