18
Jihwan knelt beside Minjae and checked his condition. Minjae had his eyes closed, either sleeping or collapsed.
Jihwan roughly yanked open the first aid kit. Bandages? Medicine? What should I do first? Jihwan wanted to beat his stupid self senseless.
There were guiding pills next to the bandages and first aid supplies.
Jihwan remembered that guiding not only suppresses an esper’s runaway abilities but also accelerates espers’ recovery, which is already much faster than normal people.
That’s why when an esper suffers a serious injury, emergency guiding is sometimes administered before treatment. Jihwan recalled this fact.
A red warning light was glowing from Minjae’s wrist. The wrist he held was too cold.
“Sunbae, please wake up.”
Jihwan tried to open Minjae’s jaw and feed him a pill. But Minjae couldn’t swallow it.
Jihwan thought about what they did in these situations on TV shows. With little practical experience, Jihwan had no choice but to rely on such information.
What should I do? What on earth should I… Jihwan muttered.
Jihwan looked back and forth between the pill and Minjae’s face. Then, taking a deep breath, he put the pill in his own mouth.
Jihwan supported the back of Minjae’s neck with his hand and pressed their lips together. Jihwan pushed the pill into Minjae’s mouth.
It seemed that Minjae unconsciously swallowed the pill as if disliking something closing inside his tongue. Unlike his skin, Minjae’s mouth was warm, which reassured Jihwan. Second, third. Jihwan continued pushing pills in.
There were 8 pills in the box. After using all the pills, Jihwan began massaging Minjae’s cold hands and feet. It’s okay. The medicine will start working. Jihwan kept telling himself.
It bothered him that Minjae was lying in the darkness. Jihwan sat with his legs stretched out and placed Minjae’s head on his lap. In exchange, the cold seeped into Jihwan’s legs that touched the dirt floor.
Jihwan put his arms under Minjae’s armpits and lifted him so that Minjae’s upper body leaned against him. Sunbae, is this less cold? Jihwan asked in a small voice.
Feeling Minjae’s cold body, Jihwan thought of the moment he had been lying on the street unable to do anything.
The day he first saved someone, the day he collapsed thinking he would die from a runaway manifestation.
The city streets were too cold. Collapsed, Jihwan felt the chill climbing up his back and heard people whispering from a distance.
If it hadn’t been for the sound of footsteps of one person walking through that crowd, Jihwan would have died. That person, who came and disappeared like a ghost, saved Jihwan.
Maybe that person could come again. Jihwan had this nonsensical thought. That’s how desperately Jihwan needed someone to save him and Minjae right now.
They’ll come. Someone will appear. Jihwan muttered.
A pale light rose from Minjae’s body. Whether from Jihwan’s continuous massaging or not, Minjae’s hands seemed to be getting a little warmer. Jihwan became increasingly afraid that it might be his imagination.
Bang!
There was a small explosion sound. Jihwan looked up at the flare that had burst above his head.
“Jihwan, where’s sunbae? Is he okay?”
Hoyoung’s voice was heard from afar. Jihwan embraced Minjae’s body and flew up.
***
Bang.
A flash went off.
Minjae frowned at the flashing light. The photographer who was taking photos draped in black cloth pulled his head out from under the cloth and looked at Minjae with a displeased expression. The photographer’s face shape was somewhat blurry.
Is this a dream? Minjae thought.
“Sir, what if you keep frowning?”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
Well-groomed hair with subtle, natural makeup. His body was completely stiff, as if uncomfortable with the perfectly set-up appearance.
It must be a profile photo shoot. Minjae rubbed his forehead with his hand. The photographer slightly gestured to stop that action.
“Please smile gently.”
Minjae lifted the corners of his mouth. It was very awkward.
“Could you look at my finger?”
An arm extended from under the black cloth. Minjae apathetically looked at the finger stretched out from the upper right of the camera. It didn’t matter to him how the photos were taken.
“Come on, you’re one of the representative espers of the country. Please look more profound and reliable. You know, like you’re determined to protect this country!”
As if I would have such determination. And how do I look profound and reliable? Minjae slightly nodded and fixed his eyes on the finger pointing at empty space with an expression not much different from before. Then he pulled up the corners of his mouth again.
Bang!
The sharp light pierced Minjae’s eyes.
The photographer glanced at Minjae, who was looking at his own face photo with a perplexed expression.
Minjae looked at his own face. Is this my face? Minjae thought that he had never really looked carefully in a mirror, so he wasn’t sure.
If this was indeed a dream, what Minjae was seeing was just an image created by his subconscious. Thinking that way, it felt like all his facial features were in strange positions.
Among those who had first met Minjae, those brave enough to honestly state their first impression all said, “Surprisingly, he’s quite pretty.”
When they heard such comments, those around would look at Minjae with flustered expressions, checking his reaction. Minjae tended not to react to such remarks.
Whether he was pretty or not, Minjae had never liked his face. He didn’t dislike it either. He just didn’t care.
Minjae just needed to present a face that would be close to a “hero” as the public might imagine.
“Don’t you think the eyes should be more defined?”
Minjae’s soft voice echoed in the small photo studio. The photographer, who had been staring blankly at the Photoshop screen, hunched his shoulders.
“Uh… um… yes.”
The photographer quickly lifted the ends of the eyes slightly and adjusted the shadows to make the eyelids appear deeper.
“Please raise the bridge of the nose a bit more and widen the cheekbones.”
“Pardon? Then the face might look a bit flatter.”
The photographer asked as if he didn’t understand.
“I’d like a more sturdy impression to give more confidence to the citizens.”
“But it might look less attractive than your actual face…?”
“That would be even better.”
What’s good about that? Despite the photographer’s disgruntled response, Minjae smiled sweetly. If only you had smiled like that in front of the camera earlier… The photographer muttered, but when Minjae asked “Pardon?” he just shook his head.
After that, Minjae’s requests continued. Minjae’s face gradually changed.
“It seems like it’s rush hour, but it’s quiet outside.”
“It’s college entrance exam day today.”
The photographer, who was changing Minjae’s face from pale white to a slightly darker tone, replied without turning his head.
“…I see.”
It’s strange that one exam determines your future. They keep saying it will be abolished, but it never is. The photographer muttered.
“Your parents must be proud?”
The photographer was the type who couldn’t handle silence well. Pardon? Minjae asked as if he hadn’t heard.
“Well, you’re one of the most famous people in our country. You’re protecting the citizens. They must be proud, right?”
Ah, I understand now. Minjae finally realized why he was dreaming about this day. It was because of this question.
His mood plummeted. Minjae asked in a monotone voice.
“…How would you feel if your child became an esper?”
“Well, I think I’d be proud since they’d be helping people.”
The photographer, with his head buried in the Photoshop screen, hummed a tune to himself as if he wasn’t particularly interested in Minjae’s answer. It wasn’t a pleasant voice.
“…I see.”
After a brief silence, Woo Minjae gave another meaningless answer. Then he stood up.
“Please finish it as I instructed.”
After speaking to the photographer, Minjae took off his uniform jacket, stuffed it into his bag, and pulled out a gray hoodie to wear. Then he took out a black baseball cap and pulled it down low. His neatly styled hair was instantly crushed and lost its shape.
The cold wind pierced through Minjae as he stepped outside. The sensation felt too vivid for a dream. Minjae shivered slightly and began to walk.
“Isn’t he a test taker?”
“Poor thing…”
Minjae heard two women whispering as they passed by him. They hurried their steps, tightening the fronts of their coats.
College entrance exam, huh. This had nothing to do with him anyway – he had manifested at age 9, entered the Center, attended an esper-only school, and had been on missions since age 18.
As Minjae walked, he sensed people gathering in one place. People were huddled together on the roadside, constantly whispering. Minjae slowly approached to assess the situation.
In the middle of the murmuring crowd, a boy in a school uniform was convulsing on the ground. The boy’s face was pale white. Moreover, blood was leaking from his mouth, indicating signs of an impending runaway manifestation.
Espers usually go into runaway mode immediately after manifesting. If professional guides are quickly deployed, it’s fortunate; otherwise, they die.
Moreover, the runaway of espers, which occurs when they can’t contain the energy inside their bodies, usually results in an explosion. Perhaps scared of this, people were all standing at least 2 meters away from the boy.
Among the whispering people and those fleeing, a woman holding a small girl was staring intently at the boy. Her eyes were filled with tears. Is that her son? Minjae thought.
“Hey, you shouldn’t get close to him!”
Someone grabbed Minjae as he tried to approach the boy. The hand was trembling. Minjae lightly shook it off.
“The explosion radius during an esper’s runaway is about one kilometer, so you’d better back up further.”
As soon as Minjae finished speaking, everyone grabbed their companions and quickly backed away from the boy’s vicinity. However, even amid this, the woman holding the child continued to linger, constantly looking back.
Cough!
The boy vomited more blood. It looked quite dangerous. Judging by his unfocused eyes, his mind probably wasn’t fully conscious by now.
What should I do? Minjae hesitated for a moment.
“Run… away…”
Despite his likely unconscious state, the boy spoke. It was a faint voice mixed with breaths, as if barely uttered.
When manifesting as an esper, one’s senses develop several times more than ordinary people’s. It seemed he had heard all the whispering about him as he lay there with his body contorting. Minjae became interested in the boy’s words.
“Are you serious?”
Minjae asked. The boy still had some strength left and slowly extended his hand. The trembling hand lightly grabbed Minjae’s ankle. Then he pushed with his fingers.
“Qui… ckly…”
The boy’s words faded. Minjae looked down at the boy expressionlessly, then bent down. Minjae took out a guiding potion from his pocket and stuffed it into the boy’s mouth. He lifted the head to prevent it from going down the windpipe.
Then he lightly stroked the chest that had vomited blood and one leg that was bent at a slightly odd angle. A faint light emanated from Minjae’s hand.
“You’re unlucky, you know.”
The boy had completely lost consciousness, but his breathing was more stable than a moment ago. It was just emergency treatment, but the boy would probably live. Minjae stood up and continued in the direction he was heading.
It grew darker wherever Minjae walked. Minjae looked down at his pale hands.
“Minjae sunbae.”
Someone called Minjae.
“MINJAE SUNBAE!!!”
The voice was too loud. My ears hurt. Minjae tried to raise his hands to cover his ears.
But a large hand gripped Minjae’s shoulder and began shaking him. It rattled like being on a ride. I feel like I’m going to throw up. Minjae thought.
“What should we do?”
Someone asked. What do you mean, what should we do? You’re the one shaking me right now. Minjae thought.
The face of whatever was shaking Minjae kept changing. It was the photographer, then the Center Director, then his own face modified with Photoshop.
“Minjae sunbae!!!”
“Huh.”
Minjae opened his eyes, gasping for breath. And he met Jihwan’s eyes, which were filled with tears. Tears fell heavily from Jihwan’s widened eyes.
Minjae slowly blinked. Jihwan hugged Minjae with a contorted face. Because of that, Minjae felt a heavy pain in his chest. I’m alive. Minjae thought.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
