# Chapter 80
After leaving Jeongyun’s guiding room almost like he was running away, Hwayeon couldn’t get his bearings for a while. Though he thought Jeongyun would be worried since he left without a proper explanation, sorting out his jumbled thoughts was more urgent right now.
He was extremely confused because of memories that surfaced without any warning. Even after thoroughly searching through his limited memories, it was all unfamiliar, yet the voice was definitely one he’d heard somewhere.
‘Is this possible?’
Once it surfaced, the same voice kept ringing in his ears. It told him not to forget what it said, but the next part was obscured as if there was noise, making it impossible to hear.
That hidden part seemed important, but trying to recall it made his head feel like it was splitting. Semin approached Hwayeon, who was suffering alone in a corner of the training room, tossed him a water bottle, and said:
“What are you doing? Get up.”
“…Sigh.”
With a deep sigh, Hwayeon struggled to his feet. Rather than suffering because of vague memories, it might be better to exhaust his body and clear his mind. For that, training with Semin was the best method.
“I’m coming.”
As Hwayeon approached listlessly, Semin patted his broad back, telling him to cheer up. The training, which was supposed to be light since it was his first day, showed no signs of ending even as quitting time approached.
Moving without rest was good because it kept annoying thoughts away, but the problem was that he really was training without any breaks.
Semin, who had decided to train Hwayeon intensely during the one-month adaptation period he had left, showed no mercy. The training continued with an intensity that couldn’t be compared to what he received at the Center.
The time passed mercilessly, and it was already approaching six o’clock. Checking the clock on the wall, Hwayeon stopped Semin, who was preparing for the next attack.
“I need, hah, to contact…”
“Who?”
“Jeongyun hyung… huff, we were supposed to, leave together, just a message.”
Semin, who had been quietly listening to Hwayeon’s stuttering words, allowed a short break. After bowing, Hwayeon went to find his bag thrown in a corner of the training room.
The only numbers saved on his phone, issued by the headquarters along with his pager, were Jeongyun’s and Semin’s, the Grey Team leader. Still unfamiliar with using a phone, Hwayeon fumbled as he found Jeongyun’s number and sent a message.
[training not endd yet cant go togetehr pleas go first.]
The result of diligently pressing the keypad smaller than his finger was disastrous. But since he had already pressed the send button, he couldn’t fix it.
Sitting in a chair, Hwayeon waited for the number 1 next to the message to disappear. Not long after, it seemed Jeongyun checked the message as the 1 disappeared.
Jeongyun hyung
[Can’t be helped. Do well in training and come home^^]
Jeongyun’s awaited reply was much more plain than Hwayeon had expected. Was he the only one disappointed about not being able to leave together? His lips unconsciously pouted.
“Hwayeon.”
As break time ended, Semin called him sharply. Putting aside his disappointment for now, Hwayeon put his phone back in his bag and headed to the center of the training room where Semin was.
* * *
The training that resumed went well past quitting time and finally ended at midnight. Unlike Hwayeon, who was exhausted from moving without rest, Semin was still full of energy.
“Good work. Clean up and go home.”
Semin patted Hwayeon’s shoulder and left the training room without hesitation. Though he understood Semin’s urgency, if this was just the first day, Hwayeon couldn’t even imagine what the rest would be like.
‘I miss Jeongyun hyung.’
Originally, he would have left work with Jeongyun, had dinner, shared a brief chat, and gone to sleep together by now. Of course, Jeongyun would have tried to go back to his own home, but if Hwayeon had asked him to stay, he would have ultimately stayed together.
Jeongyun was generally generous with Hwayeon. Though he had firm aspects too, he usually gave in when Hwayeon pleaded with big eyes. Hwayeon really liked that about Jeongyun.
‘I should go home if I want to go to work together tomorrow.’
Contrary to his thoughts, Hwayeon lay down on the floor and stared at the ceiling of the training room. As his back touched the floor, his tired body gradually began to loosen up.
Telling himself to rest just a little, Hwayeon closed his eyes and fell asleep right there. And when he opened his eyes again, dawn had already arrived.
“Ah…”
Sitting up, Hwayeon belatedly understood the situation. Having slept uncomfortably on the bare floor, his fatigue remained unresolved, and he hadn’t even gone home.
Shaking out his disheveled hair, Hwayeon let out curses he never used in front of Jeongyun. It was still dawn, so if he left now, he could easily make it in time for work.
‘Let’s hurry.’
Dusting off his pants and standing up, Hwayeon found his bag thrown in the corner of the training room. Though it only contained his phone and pager, it felt incredibly heavy, perhaps due to his exhausted body.
Before opening the door, he took out his phone from his bag to check if there were any missed messages or calls. Disappointingly, there was nothing from Jeongyun.
‘He must be sleeping.’
Pushing aside his disappointment, Hwayeon soon left the training room.
Passing through the quiet lobby and exiting the headquarters, the dim dawn light was illuminating the streets. The streets, tinged with a blue hue, looked mysterious.
Due to the early hour, the subway wasn’t running yet. The distance to his home was considerable, but not too far to walk, so Hwayeon had no choice but to walk through the empty streets with no people.
‘It’s quiet.’
Stopping his steps, Hwayeon closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the cold dawn air. How strange. Surely this was his first time seeing the streets at dawn, yet it felt both unfamiliar and familiar.
They said that while manifestation pain was severe, cases like Hwayeon’s where all memories were lost were extremely rare. But memories before his manifestation didn’t surface at all, as if covered by a white fog.
‘Maybe I wanted to forget.’
A researcher at the Center had said that the reason Hwayeon’s memories weren’t intact might be because he was refusing to recall them. He wondered if that was true, but honestly, he wasn’t sure.
‘Maybe it wasn’t that important.’
That voice he suddenly heard today would be similar. It was probably not an important person, which is why only that much came back. Hwayeon decided to think that way.
“…?”
Just as he was about to continue walking, a stranger appeared in front of Hwayeon. Due to the deeply pulled hood, the face wasn’t visible, but judging by the height and build, it was likely a man.
‘No choker.’
Though the confirmation was delayed due to the hood, there was no choker on the man’s neck indicating he was a government-affiliated Esper. That meant there was a high probability he was an unregistered Esper.
‘I can handle it alone.’
Sparks flew from the fingertips of Hwayeon, who was on high alert. But since there was also a possibility that the person blocking his way was an ordinary citizen, he couldn’t attack rashly.
Government-affiliated Espers had to prioritize citizen safety. Even at the risk of being injured or dying themselves, they had to follow that rule. So Hwayeon waited. Until the opponent revealed their identity.
“A—10.”
At that moment, the man muttered something incomprehensible.
In that instant, a sense of discomfort arose in Hwayeon’s mind. He didn’t know why, but it felt like the man’s words had touched something within him.
The man took one step toward Hwayeon. Hwayeon should have warned him not to move, but his lips wouldn’t move, as if they were stuck together.
‘…What’s happening to me?’
Though his consciousness was clear, his body wouldn’t move according to his thoughts. The sparks that had been flying from his fingertips had already died down. Meanwhile, the man was gradually getting closer to Hwayeon.
The man who had been walking leisurely stood before the frightened Hwayeon. Thanks to their similar eye level, Hwayeon could see the man’s eyes, which had been hidden by the hood.
Hwayeon knew these eyes with their eerie gleam. One memory hidden in the hazy fog surfaced.
‘Remember. Your task.’
As an unknown voice came to him, a headache that felt like his head would split began. When Hwayeon, holding his head with both hands, staggered greatly, the man reached out.
Thanks to the man’s grip, Hwayeon avoided the fate of hitting the ground. But the man’s hand touching him through his clothes felt so cold and chilling that it was unpleasant.
“Let go of this…”
As Hwayeon tried to shake off the hand, the man who had been still suddenly thrust his face forward. At the same time, his hood came off, fully revealing the man’s face under the bluish dawn light.
Hwayeon unknowingly called out the man’s name.
“…Juan.”
Hearing this, the man smiled gently.
“Found you.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
