# Chapter 73
There was no time to explain everything clearly. After hanging up the phone, Ha Sungjin gave up on everything and carried the slumped Han Jiwoo on his back.
“Let’s go. Every second counts.”
They needed to find a solution through thorough examination by any means necessary. The worst-case scenario flashed through Deputy Manager Ha Sungjin’s and the doctors’ minds. But they moved quickly without saying a word.
Faced with the situation he had tried so hard to avoid, Han Jiwoo stopped resisting. This made the examination easier, but his compliance was nothing to be happy about.
“Oh no, another nosebleed… Bring some cotton!”
If judging by his crime alone, there was no need to treat him this carefully. But they couldn’t handle Han Jiwoo roughly when he was bleeding from his nose just from breathing and his face was deathly pale.
The reason wasn’t humanitarian. It was the desperate belief that in Hajin’s absence, the only solution to resolve the situation had to come from Han Jiwoo. So Han Jiwoo couldn’t die.
They stuffed cotton into his nose to stop the bleeding and conducted new tests. Han Jiwoo showed no reaction as various machines and devices were attached to his body, or as he was dragged from place to place to enter different examination machines.
“…”
Those conducting the tests considered his reaction to be resignation—resignation to having his hidden secrets discovered.
But the reality was different. Han Jiwoo wasn’t one to give up everything just because one escape attempt had been thwarted.
‘My body won’t move…’
Even if he wanted to escape, his body had no strength. Han Jiwoo instinctively sensed his approaching death. With each nosebleed, his vision darkened, and his consciousness drifted away as if he were about to fall asleep.
Even when he tried to regain his senses, it only worked momentarily.
“Cough…! Keurheuk, keok!”
Just before the final test among all possible examinations, Han Jiwoo suddenly started vomiting blood.
“Oh no!”
The doctor immediately turned his face and took measures to prevent his airway from being blocked, but there was nothing more they could do. They couldn’t administer medication since tests still remained.
Even if they wanted to take physical measures, they knew this kind of hemorrhaging couldn’t be stopped by such means.
After briefly exchanging glances, they ultimately chose to complete the examination before Han Jiwoo’s breathing ceased.
“…Proceeding with the examination.”
It was a choice a doctor shouldn’t make, but if they couldn’t find a solution, the problem wouldn’t end with just one person’s death.
Cold sweat covered the faces of everyone in the laboratory due to the gravity of the task entrusted to them.
Han Jiwoo struggled to breathe, forcibly keeping his eyes open as they tried to close.
Blood kept flowing into his airway, causing him to cough repeatedly, but his body was too weak to even cough properly.
“No…”
A faint voice escaped through his parched lips. But he couldn’t even finish the two-syllable word “Silheo” (I don’t want to).
The examination machine started with a whirring sound. As the lid closed, a dark shadow fell over Han Jiwoo’s entire body.
‘Want to live…’
The final examination ended. The medical staff removed Han Jiwoo from the machine.
“Guide Han Jiwoo. Pronounced dead at X month X day X hour X minute.”
The declaration of death was made. Ironically, despite thinking he wanted to live until the moment of his death, his face looked the most peaceful it had been in days.
But Han Jiwoo’s body left behind could not be as peaceful as the death he met.
“Send him straight to the autopsy room. Tell them to search thoroughly for anything remaining in his body.”
Through several tests, they were able to identify the components of the drug Han Jiwoo had taken. However, half of the components were unfamiliar.
To investigate the components, they needed to find any drug residues that might remain in Han Jiwoo’s body.
“Yes, understood.”
The wheels of the bed carrying Han Jiwoo’s body made a quiet noise as they headed underground, deep underground.
* * *
“So you’re saying that bastard at the Association was actually conspiring with Seo Juan to sell you out?”
It wasn’t a difficult explanation. Han Seungho summarized it to confirm what he had heard and to contain his anger.
He had to speak or the rage inside him would explode. The others’ reactions were no different from Han Seungho’s. Baek Jaan’s reaction in particular was so frightening that it was the first time Hajin found him scary.
Though he had anticipated it, Hajin swallowed hard at their reaction, which was even more vicious than expected.
‘…But if I don’t dislike them being this angry, does that mean I’m crazy too?’
The time he had been kidnapped had clearly affected Hajin greatly. Before this, he would have found such excessive reactions burdensome, yet now he didn’t dislike them.
‘Get a grip.’
Hajin chastised himself. The kidnapping, his father whom he thought was dead, and nearly being killed by that same father had shaken Hajin’s mental state.
Just because he felt reassured now didn’t mean he should maintain this relationship. A relationship of mutual obsession couldn’t end well. Hajin resolved to schedule a psychiatric consultation once the situation was resolved.
“I don’t know what the deal was. But to think Guide Han Jiwoo became an S-rank Guide…”
“We need to return quickly.”
Cha Jinwoo’s sharp mind had already grasped the situation beyond that point. He slowly clenched and unclenched his fist.
Somehow, it felt like the berserk levels were rising quickly, and it wasn’t just his imagination.
Their bodies were affected despite not having received Guiding from Han Jiwoo a few times due to an inexplicable uneasiness. What about the other S-rank Espers who had eagerly received Guiding, celebrating Han Jiwoo’s S-rank Guide status?
Cha Jinwoo rarely broke into a cold sweat.
“We’ll move faster.”
“Wait a moment!”
Cha Jinwoo, who was about to push off the ground, stopped. Hajin, who had been carried comfortably by the Espers as they ran, had now recovered some strength.
‘A little more Guiding and I should return to normal.’
Perhaps due to psychological stability, not only Hajin’s complexion, which had been moaning and groaning, but also his Guiding was rapidly stabilizing.
“Baek Jaan-ssi. Please put me down.”
“Yes…”
It was now Cha Jinwoo’s turn. Understanding Hajin’s intention, Baek Jaan couldn’t hide his disappointment but obediently set Hajin down.
For some reason, it felt like stepping on the ground after a long time, and Hajin fumbled his feet for a moment due to the awkwardness, but he walked straight to Cha Jinwoo without staggering. Then, spreading his arms, he said:
“Carry me. You need to receive Guiding.”
Cha Jinwoo felt momentarily dizzy at the action of Hajin spreading his arms first, waiting to be embraced. It was childish, but he felt regret that he couldn’t share this sight with the other team members.
“I’m jealous…”
Cha Jinwoo quickly embraced Hajin as he heard Han Seungho unknowingly murmur from the side.
As Hajin wrapped his arms around Cha Jinwoo’s neck, Cha Jinwoo pushed off the ground and ran again.
They were not far from the Association now. Fortunately, there had been no pursuit so far. However, Cha Jinwoo found that even more strange.
‘Suspicious…’
No matter how much they had ransacked the headquarters, they had stupidly spent time in a place that was practically above the enemies’ heads, overcome with joy at reuniting with Hajin.
Although they had regained their senses and moved, albeit belatedly, it was strange that there was no pursuit despite their delayed escape.
‘And Seo Jihan. Why did he do that?’
Cha Jinwoo recalled the situation at the time.
At that time, Alpha Team, including Cha Jinwoo, had been using their abilities and throwing punches at everything and everyone in sight to find Hajin.
It was then, as they were acting like madmen while remaining wary of Seo Juan and his gang who hadn’t shown themselves, that Seo Jihan appeared.
It was a tense moment when another S-rank, someone who knew each other well through numerous battles, appeared. Seo Jihan, whose face seemed somehow downcast, attacked first.
That was unlike him. Seo Jihan, who normally preferred a cautious fighting style, was rampaging at that moment just like the Alpha Team who had lost their minds after losing Hajin.
Even as others were swept up in the aftermath, Seo Jihan continued to rampage violently. At first, they thought it was because he had discovered Hajin’s Guiding.
After all, no Esper would remain calm when their Guide was being taken away.
But for someone who was supposedly rampaging, Seo Jihan wasn’t launching precise attacks against Alpha Team.
The building cracked, walls collapsed, and debris flew everywhere, turning the scene into a complete mess, but there were no strong attacks directed at Alpha Team.
Not only Cha Jinwoo, but even Lee Doyoon and Baek Jaan felt something was off. Seo Jihan not properly attacking them? It made no sense.
“What’s your angle?”
Lee Doyoon, unable to hold back, asked, but there was no way he would get an answer. Instead, Seo Jihan quickly dove in and swung his fist.
But his opponent was Lee Doyoon, whose ability was physical enhancement. He reflexively swung his leg at the charging Seo Jihan, striking him in the side.
“Keuhuk!”
Even though they sensed something was off, they couldn’t just leave Seo Jihan who had collapsed in disarray. Lee Doyoon, not missing the opportunity, rushed in and delivered the final blow.
Cha Jinwoo tried to figure out his intentions, but at that moment, Han Seungho’s radio message forced them to leave Seo Jihan behind.
Coming out of his reminiscence, Cha Jinwoo called to Hajin.
“Hajin-ssi.”
“Yes?”
Cha Jinwoo wondered if Hajin had done something. Otherwise, there was no way Seo Jihan would act as if he were helping them.
“Do you know Seo Jihan by any chance?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
