[Esper Penal Labor Sentence]
[Maximum Term for Penal Labor]
[Aggravated Sentencing for Espers]
Anxious fingers tapped restlessly at the phone screen, over and over again. All it did was pile up a useless trail of search history. His leg had started trembling at some point, and now it was shaking uncontrollably.
Penal labor was the harshest sentence an Esper could receive—being barred from returning to the Center and forced to clear dungeons continuously for a fixed period. The only Guiding permitted was the limited support Guiding available inside the dungeons. If the Esper had a Bonded Pair Guide, the Imprint would, of course, be forcibly nullified as part of the punishment.
He’d heard that most Espers sentenced to penal labor didn’t even make it through the year.
It was said to be worse than a death sentence. No one had received it in recent years, but if an Esper—especially one as highly ranked as Park Woo-jun—inflicted serious injury on a civilian, there’d be no escaping it.
What do I do…? I’ve got to fix my face before Woo-jun comes back…
Using the front camera like a mirror, Lee Han-seo turned his grotesquely swollen face from side to side, inspecting it carefully. He wasn’t just overreacting. Park Woo-jun, who usually wore a dopey grin no matter what, transformed into an entirely different person the moment anything involved Han-seo’s well-being. This wasn’t new. Not at all.
The fact that Han-seo had managed to go five full years without setting foot in a dungeon—despite being a Guide with a Bonded Pair—spoke volumes.
He’d assumed there’d be at least one Healing Esper on call. That assumption had been a critical mistake.
“…Excuse me, but if any Healing Esper returns today, could you please contact me right away? It doesn’t matter what time.”
“Yes, of course. Where should we reach you?”
“Here’s my number. Seriously, anytime—please let me know.”
“Got it. Don’t worry.”
For now, the priority was to avoid crossing paths with Park Woo-jun. If he could buy himself some time, patch up his face, and play it off like nothing happened—or at worst, pretend it was no big deal—then maybe he could manage.
Steeling himself, Han-seo opened the chat window filled with Woo-jun’s excited messages saying he was almost there and couldn’t wait to see him. He started replying, his fingers flying across the screen.
[Baby, my mom’s not feeling well. I think I need to check on her. Might end up staying the night, depending on how she’s doing.]
He added a crying emoticon and sent it. Woo-jun called immediately.
—Is she okay? What happened? Is it serious?
His voice was filled with panic.
Han-seo didn’t even have time to feel guilty—his mouth just moved on autopilot. Every word sent sharp pain shooting through the muscles in his face, but he couldn’t afford to care.
“Uh, I don’t think it’s serious? I just heard about it. I’ll go check on her and let you know.”
—Okay. Got it.
“Sorry for heading out so suddenly.”
—If it’s your mom, of course you should go. Why are you apologizing? Don’t worry about me—just go check on her.
This guy’s seriously going to get conned someday at this rate… I’ll have to stay glued to him for life…
As if he wasn’t the one doing the conning right now. Shaking his head, Han-seo mumbled back, “Mhm. I’ll go and come back. Love you too. Mwah mwah.”
The staff member at the Guide Ward’s front desk gave him a startled, slightly horrified look, eyeing him from head to toe. He didn’t care. As long as he could avoid Woo-jun’s gaze, the rest didn’t matter. After ending the call, he offered an overly polite thank-you about protecting patient confidentiality—a roundabout way of saying don’t say a word to Woo-jun.
After borrowing a PC at the desk to log his attendance, Han-seo quickly headed to the parking lot. He couldn’t risk running into Woo-jun. As he started the car and pulled out of the Center’s front gate, he just barely avoided a returning vehicle. Good thing he’d moved fast.
First stop: his lawyer’s office, to drop off the medical report. If Woo-jun tried calling his parents, they needed to already be on the same page.
Taking advantage of a red light, he made the call. The phone hadn’t even rung twice when a cheerful voice boomed from the speaker.
—Son!
“Dad, are you busy?”
—Not at all. I always have time to talk to my boy.
In the background, his secretary’s sharp cry of “Sir!” made it clear that wasn’t exactly true. Han-seo sighed, deciding to keep it brief. He swallowed hard, nerves kicking in.
“Um… okay, so listen. Don’t freak out, okay?”
—Why do you sound so tense? Did you hit someone? Are we talking legal damages here? It’s fine, just say it. Honestly, with your temper, I’ve been expecting this day since you were a kid.
“DAD!!”
What kind of father thinks that about his own son? Sure, Han-seo had a fiery temper, but unfortunately, he didn’t have the kind of physique that made him look threatening. He was more the type to take someone down with words than fists. And thanks to his solid backing, people usually avoided crossing him altogether.
The loud shout made his face throb in pain again. “Ow, ow…” he muttered, wincing.
—Jeez, Han-seo, my ears! I swear I’m gonna need hearing aids at this rate.
“It’s not about paying damages. I’m the one getting compensated.”
—Wait, what? Don’t tell me… Did someone hit you?
“Yup. Your son got hit. And I figured it’d be easier for you to handle if there’s clear proof of physical assault.”
—…!
“Hello? Dad?”
—…!!
“You’re listening, right? I got the medical certificate—three weeks, just like you said. And yeah, I made sure it happened right in front of a CCTV, like you told me. After that, I even logged a psych consultation for extra measure. I’m on my way to your office now, so I’ll hand everything over in person. Do I need to do anything else? Oh, and the Center’s surveillance footage auto-deletes after 24 hours, so can you go ahead and request the video be preserved?”
Why was it so quiet? Han-seo had been rambling nonstop, but not a single word came back. Still gripping the wheel, he flicked his eyes toward the phone screen. The call was still live.
—H-Hhhheuuugh…
“Dad! Hello?! Dad!”
—Sir, it’s time to head out for your next appointment—wait, sir! Please, get ahold of yourself!!
Han-seo let out a long, heavy sigh. Unbelievable. That glass heart of his… He’d forgotten just how easily his dad crumbled. When it came to anything involving Lee Han-seo, the original drama king wasn’t Park Woo-jun—it was this guy. Honestly, he probably keeled over the moment he heard “Yeah, Dad, your son got hit.”
Seriously… at this point, Woo-jun might be the better one. How does Mom deal with Dad? At least my boyfriend’s hot.
With the self-awareness of a world-class delinquent son, Han-seo ended the call without another word. His foot pressed a little heavier on the gas.
***
“Son!!”
“Ugh, Dad, could you not? Everyone’s watching…”
“How am I supposed to keep calm when your eye looks like you got into a bar fight?!”
Attorney Lee looked like he was about to pass out. Even though Han-seo had left several messages saying he’d be up to the executive office soon, the moment he heard his precious only son had been attacked, he canceled all his client meetings and made a beeline for the parking lot.
Han-seo caught a glimpse of the secretary who’d sprinted down with him and was now doubled over, catching her breath.
Deciding his dad needed calming before anything else, Han-seo put on his best nonchalant act and pushed through the throbbing in his face.
“Attorney Lee. Let’s keep things accurate, yeah? My eye is fine, thanks. And you’re the one who said getting hit once would make legal stuff easier. So why the meltdown?”
“I meant a push! A shove! I told you even a brush on the arm would count as assault! Who told you to go and get actually punched?! Oh my God, that looks awful… Did you get treated? That’s it—I’m calling Dr. Jang.”
“I said I’m fine. The Medical Team already took care of it, and they said they’ll contact me as soon as a Healing Esper is back on site. I’ll heal up soon.”
Trying his best to pacify his teary-eyed father, Han-seo kept up his smooth, calm tone—mentally giving himself a pat on the back. Wow, look at me. Mature, composed… I’ve really grown, haven’t I?
“I’m really okay. It just looks bad, that’s all. Doesn’t even hurt that much.”
Meanwhile, completely unaware, Park Woo-jun had just arrived at the Center—and was already meeting someone.
