#104
“Which division are you from!”
Ho-woo stopped at the shouting voice from a distance. They faced each other at a certain distance, showing full vigilance towards the suspicious figures who suddenly appeared.
It was understandable, as Moon Jin-hyuk was carrying two unconscious men under his arms.
“I’m A-class Esper Moon Jin-hyuk from the Central City division.”
Moon Jin-hyuk shouted loudly and put down the men he was carrying, almost throwing them to the ground. He raised both hands above his head to show he had no intention of attacking. Ho-woo, who also raised his hands following Moon Jin-hyuk, nodded in greeting when his eyes met with a young man at the back of the approaching group.
“Central City? Were there people supposed to come from there today?”
“No, boss. There wasn’t any specific communication.”
“Same here. Maybe they were supposed to arrive during another team’s patrol time? If they came by car, they should have arrived already.”
“That could be the case.”
The Espers, wearing uniforms with subtly different decorations, whispered among themselves. Since travel between cities wasn’t easy, it was common to notify the other city in advance when moving. To those still not lowering their guard, Moon Jin-hyuk added:
“S-class Esper Oh-yul from Central City will vouch for my identity and this person’s.”
“……”
Even in different cities, if you’re an Esper, you can’t not know the name of an S-class Esper, so their expressions hardened. However, the one who seemed to have the highest position among them quickly composed his expression and gestured to the back. It was the man Ho-woo had nodded to earlier.
“Bring the satellite phone. Let’s contact and confirm first.”
The young man moved swiftly. It was an agile movement befitting an Esper. After about five minutes, the young man who brought a mobile device with a long antenna politely handed it to the man standing at the front.
Whether he had used his ability, both of his eyes had turned green, similar to Moon Jin-hyuk’s.
A wind-type Esper, huh.
It was a dramatic improvement compared to when he knew nothing about Espers. While Ho-woo felt proud of himself, the man who looked like the leader skillfully operated the device.
-Yes, this is the Central City Management Corporation.
After a short signal tone, a voice that sounded somewhat sleepy and vaguely familiar came through.
-Yes, this is Esper Seo Jae-hwan from the Central City Center Communication Network.
“Hello. This is A-class Esper Lee Cheong-min from the Southern City’s Team 5. I’m calling at the request of some castaways who just arrived at our city.”
-Castaways? What kind of request?
“The castaways asked for S-class Esper Oh-yul to verify their identities.”
-…
A long silence followed on the other end of the phone. It was such a long silence that if it weren’t for the deep sighs being exhaled, one might think the call had been disconnected.
-Wait a moment. Who did you say it was again?
“He said he was A-class Esper Moon Jin-hyuk. And…”
The man’s gaze fell on Ho-woo.
“I’m Lee Ho-woo.”
“Yes, he says his name is Lee Ho-woo.”
The person on the other end fell silent again upon hearing Ho-woo’s name. This time, after a short silence, a voice mixed with shock burst out.
-Who did you say?! No, wait, why is he there? This is crazy! Don’t hang up, wait! I’ll bring him right away!
Bang! There was a loud sound of a chair falling over. The sound of running footsteps gradually faded away, and at the same time, the man’s strange gaze fell on Ho-woo and Moon Jin-hyuk.
Not long after the person who answered the phone had run off, the sound of heavy footsteps was heard.
-Ho-woo.
And then a familiar voice.
At the languid and gentle voice calling his name, Ho-woo’s legs gave out and he collapsed on the spot.
It’s okay now.
The tension that had been holding up until the limit released, and a terrible fatigue belatedly rushed in.
“Uh, uhhh? Hyung!”
Ho-woo closed his eyes, with the last image of Moon Jin-hyuk reaching out to him.
***
“Ugh…”
“Ah! Hyung, you’re awake!”
Moon Jin-hyuk quickly clung to the side of the bed at the faint groan. His eyes, which had been completely green, had somehow returned to black, as if he had received guiding. Ho-woo read relief in Moon Jin-hyuk’s face, who was looking at him with round, eager eyes.
“How long was I out?”
“About a day. In the meantime, the boss helped verify our identities, and the kidnappers we brought have been temporarily imprisoned.”
“A day? So it’s Monday today?”
Ho-woo grabbed his throbbing head at the fact that he had been unconscious longer than he thought. Damn, work.
“The boss said he’d take care of the parts you’re worried about. He said to just rest while we’re in another city.”
“Huh?”
“The boss’s minister appointment ceremony is in two weeks, right? Espers from here will also send a congratulatory delegation then. He said to come back together then.”
Moon Jin-hyuk seemed to welcome the unexpected vacation, but Ho-woo worried about practical matters. It’s nonsense to talk about a trip when he doesn’t have enough money to enjoy a 2-week trip in another city, and he doesn’t even have clothes to change into or a place to stay.
“Can’t we go back right away?”
“…Well. I could go alone, but it’s a bit difficult to take care of you and go? We can’t walk, after all.”
After all, being powerless is the greatest sin. Ho-woo heaved a deep sigh. Well, I guess we should find a place to stay first.
“Jin-hyuk, do you have any money?”
Ho-woo was currently penniless, as he had been carrying only his phone without a separate card when he was kidnapped and his phone was taken away. Moon Jin-hyuk smiled brightly at Ho-woo’s question, as if he had realized something.
“Ah! Is that what you were worried about? Don’t worry. The boss said he’d vouch for us in his name. He said to spend and enjoy freely… Found it!”
Moon Jin-hyuk, who had been rummaging through his pockets, pulled out a black card and handed it to Ho-woo. The black card had only the Management Corporation’s logo printed on it.
Isn’t this a corporate card?
“It’s a fresh card just issued by the corporation.”
So it is a corporate card.
Ho-woo gripped the card tightly with a reluctant expression. Oh-yul’s guarantee, huh? You shouldn’t even guarantee for family, how can he be so naive? It was fortunate for Ho-woo, but he’d have to scold him sternly when they got back.
“He said it’ll be deducted directly from the boss’s next month’s salary, so use it without burden.”
It’s more burdensome than a corporate card. An advance card? So it means using Oh-yul’s next month’s salary in advance? He probably earns a lot, but who knows how much. Moreover, staying for a period of 2 weeks would cost a considerable amount.
Feeling dizzy, Ho-woo squeezed his eyes shut. The naive person in front of him was genuinely happy. He really intends to use the card to its fullest.
“I don’t think I can use it like that because my account is in a state of bankruptcy.”
“Why? What could possibly bankrupt your account? It’s the boss’s money.”
“…Because I’ll have to pay it back later?”
Ho-woo and Moon Jin-hyuk looked at each other as if they truly couldn’t understand each other.
“The boss said to use it, why pay it back? …Don’t tell me the boss asked you to pay it back?”
“No, no. Isn’t it natural to pay back borrowed money?”
Moon Jin-hyuk seemed to finally understand what Ho-woo meant and cleared his throat with a cough. He was clearly trying to hold back laughter.
“Well, do as you like. But it’s not money for you to use alone, so I’ll chip in too. Then it won’t be burdensome, right?”
Ho-woo, who had been thinking ‘How much money could a kid who just turned twenty have?’, remembered that the young man in front of him wasn’t an ordinary youth but an A-class Esper, and nodded. Though young, he probably has more money than Ho-woo. Then it won’t be burdensome.
Moon Jin-hyuk grinned at Ho-woo’s agreement.
“Shall we book accommodation first? I can’t sleep unless it’s a 5-star hotel. My body feels quite uncomfortable otherwise.”
“……”
“Of course, since it’s my insistence, I’ll cover the cost. Is that okay?”
“I’m fine staying at a different hotel.”
“I’m your bodyguard for the next two weeks, so it doesn’t make sense to stay separately. So don’t feel burdened.”
Moon Jin-hyuk took out his phone and, before Ho-woo could stop him, booked the largest hotel in the city with a big smile. After instantly entering the card number and completing the payment, he thoroughly drove in the final nail, saying it couldn’t be canceled now.
“The cancellation fee is huge. This one.”
“…Sigh.”
“Do you want to rest a bit more before going to the hotel?”
They probably already paid the hospital bill with this card too. Ho-woo shook his head with weary eyes. His legs were a bit sore from walking for a long time, but his body was fine. Building up his stamina had clearly helped.
“No, let’s buy some clothes first.”
Both Ho-woo and Moon Jin-hyuk looked quite disheveled. Moreover, Moon Jin-hyuk hadn’t even wiped off the monster blood splattered on his coat, leaving stains all over his clothes. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant sight.
“Oh! Shopping sounds good! I want to buy some clothes too!”
The young man, excited and bouncing on the spot, ran out with light steps saying he would handle the discharge procedures. Although he seemed to run lightly, Moon Jin-hyuk disappeared in an instant, making Ho-woo smile lightly as he got out of bed. The scenery visible through the window wasn’t much different from the city where he originally lived. The tall buildings, roads, and people passing by were similar. Except that the edge of the sea was visible in the distance. The horizon was quite long, as if one side of the city faced the sea.
