“This is a mess,” said Jo Gyeong-hoon. Jang Gijun had no response. Fortunately, Jang Gijun avoided immediate arrest and was currently holed up in his house.
However, the situation was far from good. Reporters were camped outside his house, and citizens angry at his actions had gathered. His family was also affected, and although they were sent away on a trip, this was not a sustainable solution.
“You shouldn’t have left any records that could incriminate you…” Jo Gyeong-hoon’s words grated on Jang Gijun’s nerves, already frayed by the stressful situation. He rubbed his haggard face and sighed deeply.
“I did everything as you, Chairman Jo, instructed,” Jang Gijun retorted.
“But I also told you not to leave any records,” Jo Gyeong-hoon replied.
Jang Gijun fell silent, then deflected the blame, “You must be feeling great, getting out of this alone.” His tone was sarcastic, and his bold attitude irritated Jo Gyeong-hoon.
It was true that Jo Gyeong-hoon had orchestrated everything, but he had also stressed the importance of not leaving any evidence. Jang Gijun’s failure to comply had led to this crisis. Jang Gijun had likely planned to use the records to implicate Jo Gyeong-hoon, but his scheme had backfired.
Jo Gyeong-hoon had always kept a close eye on Jang Gijun, anticipating such a move. He was now caught in this troublesome situation because of Jang Gijun’s incompetence. He wasn’t sure whether to be angry or grateful that Jang Gijun had taken the fall alone.
‘Come to think of it,’ Jo Gyeong-hoon reflected, Jang Gijun had ensured that Jo Gyeong-hoon’s name was never mentioned, making it clear that the Guide Association was behind everything. This realization came only after the scandal broke, which might have felt like a betrayal to Jang Gijun.
However, Jo Gyeong-hoon found it laughable that someone who had been plotting behind his back would feel betrayed.
“Anyway, you need to clean up this mess,” Jang Gijun demanded, his tone far from polite.
Jo Gyeong-hoon’s mouth twisted into a smirk. Did Jang Gijun still not understand his position? It was Jo Gyeong-hoon who had elevated him to the chairmanship, and yet Jang Gijun seemed to have forgotten this.
Jang Gijun was just an ordinary Guide. Jo Gyeong-hoon had promoted him because, at the time, Jang Gijun had been loyal and willing to do anything for power. He was ruthless and ambitious, qualities Jo Gyeong-hoon had valued.
But now, Jang Gijun was just a liability, plotting in the shadows and failing miserably. His incompetence had caused trouble for both of them. Although Jo Gyeong-hoon had managed to distance himself from the scandal, rumors were circulating that he was just as corrupt as Jang Gijun. This was not something he could ignore.
“Do you know who exposed this?” Jo Gyeong-hoon asked, crossing his legs and leaning back on the sofa as if he owned the place.
Jang Gijun’s expression darkened at the abrupt question. “If I knew, do you think I’d be sitting here?” he snapped, thinking that if Jo Gyeong-hoon betrayed him, he wouldn’t go down alone.
“Aren’t you curious?” Jo Gyeong-hoon pressed, unfazed.
“Of course, I’m curious. But right now, I need to—”
“I think it was Cha Jae-woo,” Jo Gyeong-hoon interjected.
“…What?” Jang Gijun stammered, taken aback by the unexpected name.
In truth, Jang Gijun had suspected that the burglars who broke into his house had planned this from the start. They had not only stolen valuable items but also taken documents hidden deep in his safe.
He had his suspicions about who might be behind it, but Cha Jae-woo was not on his list. He had considered a few Mental Espers, but Cha Jae-woo had not crossed his mind.
Jang Gijun blamed Jo Gyeong-hoon for not managing the Espers properly in the first place.
“It can’t be. Cha Jae-woo doesn’t associate with any Mental Espers,” Jang Gijun insisted.
Only Mental Espers? Cha Jae-woo kept no one close to him. The sole exception was his current Guide, Lim Haeyul. It was undeniable that Cha Jae-woo held Lim Haeyul in special regard. Jang Gijun had witnessed firsthand the change in Cha Jae-woo’s demeanor whenever Lim Haeyul was near.
However, Jang Gijun wasn’t sure if there was truly a romantic connection. The idea of Cha Jae-woo being in love with anyone seemed far-fetched. He was known to be devoid of such emotions.
Jo Gyeong-hoon likely shared this sentiment, which is why he had suggested investigating Lim Haeyul more thoroughly. However, out of a strange sense of defiance, Jang Gijun had kept putting off the investigation into Lim Haeyul.
After all, Lim Haeyul was just a D-Rank Guide. What could be so special about him? Besides, Cha Jae-woo might have had a preference for men, which could explain his attachment to Lim Haeyul and his reluctance to accept guidance from others.
Moreover, Cha Jae-woo had no reason to hide Lim Haeyul’s abilities. Before this scandal broke, Cha Jae-woo had been unaware that the matching rates were being manipulated.
“What evidence do you have to come here and make these claims? It couldn’t have been Cha Jae-woo,” Jang Gijun asserted confidently.
Jo Gyeong-hoon clicked his tongue in disapproval. “You can’t be sure of that.”
Jang Gijun frowned at Jo Gyeong-hoon’s dismissive tone but held his tongue, knowing he needed Jo Gyeong-hoon’s help.
“We can discuss this later. Right now, we need to—”
“I met with Lim Haeyul,” Jo Gyeong-hoon interjected, handing Jang Gijun a tablet. The screen displayed a video of Lim Haeyul and Lee Jae-hoon. Specifically, it showed the waves emanating from Lee Jae-hoon, captured by a special camera designed to monitor Espers’ wave states.
“…Is that really Lim Haeyul?” Jang Gijun asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He recognized Lim Haeyul’s face, making his question seem pointless.
“I told you to confirm it yourself,” Jo Gyeong-hoon replied, his expression stern.
Jang Gijun was at a loss for words. The video showed Lim Haeyul beginning to guide Lee Jae-hoon, whose waves—initially chaotic—gradually subsided at an astonishing rate.
This defied all logic. Lee Jae-hoon was an A-Rank Esper, and his matching rate with Lim Haeyul was low. Yet, Lim Haeyul was able to calm his waves with remarkable speed, something theoretically impossible.
“He’s been hiding this ability,” Jo Gyeong-hoon said, sighing deeply. “Don’t you find it suspicious? Why would he hide it? Cha Jae-woo has no reason to trust us, but neither does he have a reason to suspect and hide anything. Yet, he hid this as if he knew something.”
Jang Gijun was speechless. If Cha Jae-woo had known about Lim Haeyul’s true abilities all along, Jo Gyeong-hoon’s suspicions might be justified.
“…Yes, you’re right,” Jang Gijun finally admitted.
“So, what do you plan to do now?” Jo Gyeong-hoon asked.
Jang Gijun’s primary concern was not Cha Jae-woo but his own predicament. “What do you mean? I need to clear my name first. We can deal with Cha Jae-woo later.”
“You should just accept your punishment,” Jo Gyeong-hoon replied coldly.
“…What?” Jang Gijun stammered, shocked.
“You should have confirmed it earlier or at least not left any records. This is all your doing, so what do you expect me to do?” Jo Gyeong-hoon shrugged off Jang Gijun’s grasp easily, being an Esper himself.
“Then why did you come here?” Jang Gijun asked, desperation creeping into his voice.
“To see your face. And to warn you, for old times’ sake,” Jo Gyeong-hoon said, brushing off Jang Gijun’s hand with a look of disgust. He wiped his hand with a handkerchief before continuing, “Consider this a courtesy call. You’re on your own now.”
With that, Jo Gyeong-hoon left, leaving Jang Gijun to face the consequences of his actions alone.
“Do you really think Cha Jae-woo just happened to find out about this?” Jo Gyeong-hoon asked.
Jang Gijun fell silent, unable to respond.
“And do you think he would act solely on the basis of discovering that a Guide was hidden? That doesn’t sound like Cha Jae-woo at all.”
Indeed, Cha Jae-woo was not one to act rashly. Based on Jang Gijun’s observations over the years, Cha Jae-woo was more likely to confront him directly rather than resort to such indirect methods.
“I think this is just the beginning,” Jo Gyeong-hoon continued. “This won’t end here, and it won’t be limited to just you.”
“…I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Jang Gijun admitted, trying to push thoughts of Cha Jae-woo out of his mind. He told himself that Jo Gyeong-hoon was trying to deceive him. Cha Jae-woo couldn’t possibly be involved.
“Then think about it,” Jo Gyeong-hoon replied, his voice dripping with disdain. “There’s only one reason I can think of for Cha Jae-woo to suddenly act like this.”
Jang Gijun remained silent, waiting for Jo Gyeong-hoon to continue.
“He must have remembered something from the time of his awakening.”
Jang Gijun’s face paled instantly. Jo Gyeong-hoon turned away, as if there was nothing more to say. Just then, his phone rang. He had gone out of his way to warn Jang Gijun; the rest was up to him.
“Wait! That can’t be! If he forcefully restored erased memories, the side effects could be severe—” Jang Gijun protested desperately.
“Do you think Cha Seong-ju cares about such risks?” Jo Gyeong-hoon retorted.
“That’s…” Jang Gijun faltered, unable to finish his sentence.
“I’ve warned you. The rest is up to you. I have my own matters to attend to,” Jo Gyeong-hoon said, brushing off Jang Gijun’s grasping hands. He left the house and got into his car, finally taking out his phone to return the call he had missed.
—Yes, Chairman?
The call connected quickly. Jo Gyeong-hoon’s expression turned sour.
“I apologize, Guide Kim Sol. I’m running a bit late for our appointment. Something came up,” he said into the phone. He had no intention of being caught off guard like Jang Gijun. Everything he had built would protect him.
—That’s alright. I’ll wait.
Jo Gyeong-hoon’s smile widened, reminiscent of the smile he wore when he had sent Cha Jae-woo and his parents into the gate years ago.
