# Chapter 37
If the names were arranged in alphabetical order, Dohyun’s name should have been among the ‘H’ files. However, it was nowhere to be seen.
“Han Seonwoo isn’t… here?”
“…Esper Baek Dohyun. Have you ever obtained your resident registration record?”
“Well… yes.”
Dohyun’s expression seemed to ask if it would obviously be listed under the name Baek Dohyun, but Haegang shook his head.
“If you include personal information changes, your previous name before the legal name change would be listed.”
Dohyun had no idea. No one had ever taught him such things. Besides, after becoming Baek Dohyun, his adoptive parents had handled all the legal procedures, and later he received help from the association, so Dohyun simply submitted whatever documents were required. Even if he had known, he wouldn’t have bothered to check his previous name as it was something he’d rather not remember.
“Esper Baek Dohyun. We should go get your resident registration record first.”
“…This situation seems to be getting much more complicated.”
The more they dug, the stranger things became.
❖ ❖ ❖
Dohyun returned home with a sheet of paper in hand. Even when he needed to print his resident registration record, he had deliberately avoided checking his name before the legal change. It was a painful memory he wanted to erase, and by ignoring it, he had missed a fact that could have been discovered with just a closer look.
“Han Seonwoo?”
“Yes.”
“…That’s an unusual family name.”
Haegang asked Dohyun, who was sitting in the living room with a complicated expression, staring blankly at the document. Having confirmed not only the name before the legal change but also discovering there was yet another name before that, Haegang fell silent.
“This complicates things. Now we don’t even know if this ‘Han Jiwhan’ name that Esper Baek Dohyun knows is his real name or not.”
That meant the only option left was to examine each Esper’s information one by one. The number of Espers in Korea exceeded 50,000. Even if they narrowed it down to D-rank Espers and above who participated in gate raids, it would be cut in half, but there was no time to check approximately 20,000 documents.
The guild’s reason for trying to find “Han Jiwhan” was simple: to investigate the terrorist attack on Dohyun. There might be no connection at all, but he was the most likely suspect.
Dohyun, too, couldn’t simply ignore “Han Jiwhan” who had casually appeared after years without contact. How did he know where to find him? It meant that, at the very least, he had been keeping an eye on Dohyun all this time.
Yet Dohyun couldn’t understand why the guild believed his word. Couldn’t his memory be wrong? Even the memory of ‘Han Jiwhan’ supposedly being dead could be incorrect, but neither the guild nor Haegang doubted Dohyun’s recollections.
Because of this, Dohyun felt somewhat burdened. No one had ever trusted him this much before.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Dohyun, who had been silent for a moment, suddenly looked at Haegang.
“…Why did you suddenly ask if I’m feeling unwell?”
“From your expression.”
“…?”
“Esper Baek Dohyun, your thoughts tend to show clearly on your face. It’s not obvious to most, but still noticeable.”
By nature, Dohyun disliked telling lies, and whenever he did, it was written all over his face. His friends gleefully took advantage of this. He also had a bad habit of unconsciously speaking his inner thoughts when he let his guard down.
“You’re the type who’d easily get scammed, so avoid going out alone if possible, and be careful if strangers approach you. Don’t follow them anywhere.”
“I don’t follow strangers. How do you see me…?”
“Don’t your friends tell you these things often? I’m sure you’ve heard it before.”
Haegang’s merciless words reminded Dohyun of his friends’ scoldings.
‘These days, don’t fall for obvious questions like ‘Do you know the Way?’, Baek Dohyun.’
‘Be most careful of people asking for directions. Don’t follow them even if they say they’ll help you.’
‘Don’t be tempted by people who claim there’s an old man or woman hanging on your back.’
‘You crazy bastards. Do I look like a child to you?’
…This is why Dohyun hated perceptive people. He lamented the fact that he was surrounded by such observant people that he could never hide his true feelings. His friends’ words had hurt enough, but Haegang’s words cut even deeper. Dohyun suppressed his sulky feelings and defended himself.
“I don’t really trust people that much.”
“Ha… Esper Baek Dohyun.”
“Yes?”
“That’s not objective.”
“…”
Haegang let out a heavy sigh. Dohyun thought he was keeping a sufficient distance from Haegang as well, so he couldn’t understand why the man was concerned.
“Esper Baek Dohyun.”
“Yes.”
“Keeping distance and not trusting are different things.”
“…?”
Dohyun had prided himself on not trusting people too much and maintaining an appropriate distance in his life. Haegang stared at Dohyun’s bewildered face before shaking his head.
“Well… you’re still young, so it’s fine. Fortunately, unlike you, the guild is quite thorough.”
“What do you mean?”
It sounds like he’s indirectly calling me naive. Though Haegang could read Dohyun’s expression, he silently placed the resident registration record back into Dohyun’s hand and got up from his seat.
For the time being, there was no reason to go to the guild. When Dohyun asked about delivering potions, the guild waved it off.
-We don’t have any orders at the moment.
“Is that so… Perhaps due to insufficient promotion…?”
-No, that’s not it. Anyway, since it’s a consumable, there are still procedures to complete.
It seemed there was anxiety about consuming something created by an Esper’s ability. Even if the actual composition was no different from regular water except for the energy, documents proving its composition had to be created and submitted. Technically, it was officially ‘selling drinking water,’ so relevant certifications were also needed.
“What should I do…?”
-Nothing for now. Later, once the documents are completed, you’ll just need to come in to sign them~.
And with that, the call ended. Dohyun felt uneasy about the situation continuing to progress without him doing anything in particular.
Sighing, Dohyun filled an empty bottle with purified water. Then, concentrating on energy, he thought of a healing Esper’s power. Soon, a red color spread from where his hand touched, quickly turning the entire bottle red. He stored the completed potion in the living room cabinet.
Haegang, who had just finished exercising and entered the living room with a towel around his neck, narrowed his eyes slightly at Dohyun’s actions. One of the previously empty cabinets was now full of red potions.
“Are you going to fill that entire space?”
“…”
Dohyun remained silent. Haegang might not understand, but this was Dohyun’s way of coping with anxiety. Not only had he filled the living room cabinet with red potions, but he had also placed pink potions in the drawer of his room. He was full of anxiety—what if ‘Han Jiwhan’ broke into the house? Shouldn’t he always be prepared for an attack?
He knew that Espers from the Somyeong Guild were living nearby for security purposes, and that CCTV was constantly monitoring the area around the house. Moreover, Haegang’s home was in a neighborhood with good security and many awakened individuals, making it difficult for anything to happen. Nevertheless, Dohyun was anxious.
Haegang furrowed his brow as if trying to understand what Dohyun was thinking, then approached him. As Dohyun closed the cabinet door and looked at Haegang, the man spoke.
“Shall we go out?”
Suddenly telling him to go out—did he mean leave the house? Was he that annoying…? Seeing Dohyun’s surprised face, Haegang’s expression mixed with irritation.
“I mean, let’s go out for some fresh air.”
“…Pardon?”
“If we move by car, even an Esper won’t be able to follow us.”
“Well, that’s…”
Dohyun recalled Jiwhan whom he had seen previously. He didn’t seem like an Esper with such abilities. At the same time, Dohyun couldn’t understand why Haegang was concerned about him.
“Do we really have to go out? The house is so warm and nice.”
At those words, a vein seemed to pop on Haegang’s forehead.
From Dohyun’s perspective, with his tendency to dislike going out, he just wanted to either make potions as he had been doing for the past few days or empty his mind by quietly staring at his phone. With everything being so complicated, he preferred to stay home and calm his anxiety, but Haegang clearly didn’t feel the same way.
“People tend to become lethargic when they stay indoors too long.”
‘Not for me. Being at home is comfortable and cozy. The bed is the most comfortable place…’
“Going outside, breathing fresh air, and moving around helps refresh your mind.”
‘I can refresh myself perfectly fine at home. I can eat delicious food too.’
“And if you stay home all the time, your body stiffens. Meeting people and having conversations is what allows good thoughts to take root.”
‘How stiff can my body get if I don’t move around at home? And you have to meet the right people…’
“If you meet bad people, wouldn’t that just ruin your mood?”
“That’s why you should meet good people.”
“There are many bad people in the world… Wait, did I say that out loud?”
“Yes.”
“…”
“It’s not the first time Esper Baek Dohyun has done this, so it’s fine.”
As Dohyun avoided eye contact, Haegang simply shrugged.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
