# Chapter 94
If he suddenly started moving around after being confined to his home all this time, there was a high possibility that the Association Chairman would notice.
Therefore, he needed to create an atmosphere where it wouldn’t seem strange for him to be anywhere, by moving around from now on.
“The best way to do that is through Guiding. If I say I’m going to Guide Espers, the Association will welcome it, and as a result, it won’t seem strange for me to be going anywhere.”
Once people became accustomed to his presence, they wouldn’t find it odd no matter where he went. Hadn’t the Association Chairman himself raised him to Mugunghwa Grade 2?
Alpha Team understood Hajin’s explanation logically. That for him to avoid the Association’s suspicion, providing Guiding was most appropriate, and that meant he needed to Guide other Espers.
But still, they didn’t like what they didn’t like.
Every time he tried to console them, they would reluctantly back down with drooping expressions, saying they understood, but by the next day, they would cling to him again, begging him not to go. Today was already the fourth time.
“I’ll be back soon. I’ll bring back something delicious when I return.”
They wanted to tell him to stop treating them like children, but his deliberately gentle voice trying to console them made them keep clinging to him.
“That’s enough. The more you do this, the later Hajin will return home.”
Cha Jinwoo calmed the three. However, those who would normally have retreated quietly with pouting lips now glared at Cha Jinwoo with sharp eyes.
“Why is only the team leader going with Hajin hyung?”
In response to Han Seungho’s growl, Cha Jinwoo answered incredulously.
“Have you already forgotten how we nearly had a fight when I took you all last time? How can you feel wronged when all of you tried to fight without anyone holding you back?”
At these words, Han Seungho’s mouth shut tight again. As Cha Jinwoo said, initially they too could move with Hajin.
This was because Alpha Team absolutely couldn’t leave Hajin alone, and Hajin felt the same.
However, as much as they agreed on this point, it would have been better if things had gone smoothly, but from the first day, Han Seungho had thrown a punch at an Esper who had held Hajin’s hand.
That wasn’t all. Lee Doyoon had tackled an Esper who tried to embrace Hajin, and Baek Jaan had verbally destroyed an Esper who tried to seduce Hajin.
Because of this, Hajin had no choice but to separate the three from him.
Hajin’s goal was to create a naturalness where it wouldn’t be strange for him to go anywhere, not to have people avoiding him wherever he went.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Anyway, he wouldn’t be that busy with Guiding anymore. He just needed to check on the situation and provide more Guiding based on the experimental results. But the Espers and the Association were thrilled with just that.
As soon as Hajin began Guiding the Espers, the Association immediately started assigning them to missions. Not only could they no longer postpone dungeon management, but from the Association Chairman’s perspective, he wasn’t in a position to be choosy.
Today was the day to Guide Beta Team, who had returned from handling a fairly high-grade dungeon.
When he headed to the place where they were gathered, Beta Team greeted Hajin with bright faces. Of course, they made a face like they’d bitten into a bug when they spotted Cha Jinwoo.
“Guide Lee Hajin, it’s been a long time. I missed you.”
Beta Team’s leader, Kim Suhyuk, tried to take his hand, but Cha Jinwoo quickly pulled Hajin by the shoulder, causing him to fail.
Kim Suhyuk grasped at empty air, lowering the corners of his mouth and glaring at Cha Jinwoo.
“I see you brought someone unnecessary as well.”
Despite being openly treated as unnecessary, Cha Jinwoo even smiled slightly.
“Hajin still feels anxious about going around alone.”
Emphasizing his special relationship with Hajin and drawing a line, Kim Suhyuk, who had taken a hit from this, gritted his teeth and forced a smile.
“I’ll have to work harder to earn Guide Lee Hajin’s trust.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary.”
With the surrounding air almost crackling from the tension between them, Hajin intervened.
“Let’s end the greetings here and start Guiding.”
He couldn’t ignore the desperate looks from the Beta Team members sitting behind Kim Suhyuk any longer.
They couldn’t forget the Guiding they had received from Hajin, but Hajin understood that they were in a state of desperately needing Guiding.
Hajin approached the first person he made eye contact with and extended his hand. The person opposite him trembled like a fan meeting their favorite celebrity, reaching out to hold Hajin’s hand.
Such a response could have been burdensome, but Hajin casually took the person’s hand and began Guiding as if it was nothing.
‘This level of response is decent.’
Rather, fan-boy-like reactions were on the cute side. Hajin couldn’t forget someone he had met just a few days ago.
The person that Lee Doyoon had tackled out of frustration—he had trembled like someone experiencing withdrawal symptoms from the moment he saw Hajin’s face, and eventually tried to embrace Hajin, only to receive a body attack from Lee Doyoon.
Of course, if it had stopped there, Lee Doyoon would currently be guarding Hajin’s side along with Cha Jinwoo.
But Lee Doyoon had become so enraged at the thought of someone daring to look at Hajin with perverse eyes and trying to embrace him carelessly that he mercilessly punched and kicked the person, resulting in him staying home.
Anyway, Hajin gently Guided the person who was tightly gripping his hand with eyes squeezed shut.
“Haaah…”
Park Hyunjun, the Esper holding Hajin’s hand, even sniffled with tears at the Guiding that softly enveloped his body.
Unwilling to let go of his hand, he twitched several times, unable to wipe his tears, and Hajin wiped them for him instead.
“Huh…!”
Park Hyunjun was startled with a sound like he was about to lose his breath, causing Hajin to become flustered.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
Park Hyunjun shook his head vigorously as if he was overwhelmed. Seemingly unconcerned about his neck, the breeze from his head shaking reached Hajin sitting in front of him.
“It’s, it’s, it’s fi…”
Unable to complete his answer, he lowered his head with a reddened face, and seeing this, Hajin decided to finish the Guiding quickly.
Thanks to the previous Guiding that had washed away Han Jiwoo’s traces, Hajin was able to Guide Beta Team smoothly.
After finishing the Guiding for Kim Suhyuk, who had been engaged in a staring contest and battle of nerves with Cha Jinwoo until his turn came, Hajin left behind those who were disappointed to see him go.
Cha Jinwoo, who gave a glance at those left behind, especially Kim Suhyuk, claimed the seat next to Hajin as if it was natural.
Ignoring the sound of grinding teeth from behind, he asked.
“Are we going to the archives this time too?”
Hajin nodded. Once Hajin entered the archives, he would stay there until sunset. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he was Guiding other team’s Espers just to come here.
“There are still many places I need to examine.”
At first, he had wondered why there were paper records rather than digital ones in this day and age.
Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked the archives staff, who explained that when the Association was founded, digital culture wasn’t as developed, so records were kept on paper, and this had become a tradition up to now.
Of course, nicely packaged as a tradition, it could just as easily be seen as the continuation of an old-fashioned culture. The staff member cautiously added that there were digital documents stored separately later on.
Unfortunately, however, no records of Lee Hoseung could be found in the digital archives. Although he had anticipated that it would be easier to erase data from digital records, he still felt dejected to find absolutely nothing.
And what remained were the paper, physical records. With the Association being established for over 50 years, the volume of materials was truly enormous. Seeing Hajin sighing at the overwhelming task, Cha Jinwoo stepped forward.
“I’ll help too.”
“Are you sure? You’ll have to wear a blocker to enter.”
Being full of paper documents, there was a risk of damage. Especially for Espers, entry was prohibited unless they wore blockers that sealed their abilities.
Although it was simply sealing abilities, it was a sensitive issue for Espers who lived on battlefields. However, that wasn’t more important than Hajin.
Espers were even more sensitive about Hajin being alone than Hajin himself was. Rather than leaving him alone, it was better to be by his side even if it meant becoming powerless.
“Of course it’s fine.”
Cha Jinwoo willingly put on a blocker on his wrist and entered the archives with him. Having gone in and out a few times, Hajin quite familiarly passed through the shelves.
Then he stopped in front of one shelf and turned to Cha Jinwoo.
“It would be good to search through all of these, but I’m currently examining materials starting from the year that person disappeared. I’m looking at that year’s records, so could you please check the previous year?”
“Sure.”
Seeing Cha Jinwoo carefully turning the pages, Hajin began to focus on his own share.
Even though it was just one year’s worth, there were so many documents that Hajin had been stuck reviewing the materials from the year Lee Hoseung died for days.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
