BME | Chapter 1.11

When​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ Hyewoo checked the place Jinwon indicated, he saw a group huddled together there. Jinwon had acted as though he intended to remain a bystander, so Hyewoo could not understand why he was helping now.

The ballroom was a wreck, to the point that the crowd that had filled it only moments ago felt like a dream. Two groups were facing each other with several pillars between them. The two defense-type Espers who had accompanied Hyewoo as his guards were also using their abilities. While blocking the terrorists’ attacks, they seemed to be evacuating people to safety one by one.

Hyewoo had thought a considerable number of people had already escaped, but unexpectedly, many still appeared to be trapped inside. Most of them were hotel employees, unawakened people in particular. They seemed to have the lowest priority for evacuation, huddling and trembling in a corner.

Bang! Bang! Ability-infused bullets struck the barrier with brutal force. Cracks spread across the translucent shield, and the people cried out in terror.

Jinwon​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ asked in a low voice.

“Are you starting to feel like going back now?”

“……No.”

Hyewoo was already scared, but Jinwon kept checking to see if he had changed his mind.

The​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ only reason Hyewoo had not been discovered by the terrorists was Jinwon’s help. If Jinwon continued assisting him, approaching that area would be easy, but Hyewoo could not be sure he would help him that far.

Jinwon was already indulging Hyewoo considerably. If Hyewoo acted even more recklessly, Jinwon might drag him away, and then Kang Jaejun would go on a rampage just as he had been meant to. It would be best to act without provoking Jinwon.

After much deliberation, Hyewoo crawled across the floor and hid beneath a tablecloth. There was no point loitering nearby during the fight, where he would only get in the way. It seemed he would have to hide here and wait for the commotion to die down.

Jinwon​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ watched Hyewoo closely, then crawled beneath the table with him.

“Young Master, is this also an extension of your earlier deviation?”

He wore a faint smile, but did not particularly look pleased. Hyewoo hunched over as he watched the situation through the folds of the tablecloth.

“…No.”

The​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ one fortunate thing amid all this misfortune was that they truly were not terrorists. Their target was the people affiliated with the deputy center director. Once all their targets had been evacuated, continuing the attack would only be a waste of time.

If things went as Jo Huitae had told him before, the battle would stop soon. With equal parts anxiety and certainty, Hyewoo waited for the attackers to withdraw.

Before long, the gunshots gradually began to grow less frequent.

Should I go out now…?

Hyewoo,​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ who had been trembling in a crouch, slowly raised his head. He checked the situation through a gap in the tablecloth, then carefully crawled outside. Perhaps there had been a teleporter among the terrorists as well, because they vanished without a trace in an instant.

The moment the barrier disappeared, frantic voices rang out.

“A Guide, we need a Guide!”

“How​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ far has Guide Jin Garam gotten? Esper Kang Jaejun is….”

“A B-rank isn’t enough. The match rate is too low.”

The brief battle was over, but the Espers still couldn’t let their guard down. Kang Jaejun was showing signs of a rampage after using his ability recklessly. And with Delta Team’s exclusive Guide, Jin Garam, absent today of all days, there was no one who could Guide him.

Waves​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ that seemed ready to erupt at any moment heated the air around them. The unawakened people huddled in the corner had no idea what was happening and stood there bewildered, until someone shouted for them to evacuate. Then they began hurrying outside.

Hyewoo crawled out from under the table and hurried toward them. He was so tense that he stumbled halfway there and barely managed to keep from falling. Swallowing nervously, Hyewoo cautiously raised one hand.

“I… I can Guide him.”

“Who,​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ ……Lee Hyewoo?”

The Esper pressing the communicator stopped moving. The unexpected appearance of the person made the others who remained stir uneasily.

Amid the people disheveled with sweat and exhaustion, Lee Hyewoo alone looked immaculate. He was the Guide everyone had assumed would have evacuated first, long ago.

“…Can​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ you really do it?”

An Esper with hostility in his eyes asked the question. Most of the people here knew that Lee Hyewoo was a Guide who only performed formal radiant guiding.

But at the same time, everyone knew that Lee Hyewoo was an S-rank Guide.

“Yes.​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ I can.”

Hyewoo answered in a firm voice.

“There’s no other choice.”

“He’s​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ on the verge of losing consciousness. We need to hurry.”

The people milling around Kang Jaejun made way. Most of them held a grudge against Lee Hyewoo, but this was no time to be selective about who helped. Even if they didn’t trust him, they had no choice.

“Hurry, Garam…. Someone get Garam….”

Kang​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ Jaejun was huddled in a corner, breathing hard. As Hyewoo approached him, he read the wavelength surrounding him. Fortunately, he still seemed to have some reason left. They had to administer emergency treatment before it was too late.

Afraid that suddenly touching Kang Jaejun’s wavelength might trigger a rampage, Hyewoo tried radiant guiding first. His guiding energy reached Kang Jaejun.

“…Guide?”

Whip, Kang Jaejun’s head suddenly turned.

His​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ gaze was hungry, as though he had found prey. One of Kang Jaejun’s eyes was slowly turning black. Signs of a rampage…. Hyewoo’s eyes met his, and he froze in place.

The more disordered an Esper’s wavelength became, the more golden their eyes grew, until at the moment of a rampage they turned completely black, as though ink had spread through them. The sight of those pitch-black eyes, with no pupils visible, sent a chill through Hyewoo. Jinwon had had eyes like that on the day Hyewoo’s father died.

“…Yes, I’m a Guide. I came to help you.”

Hyewoo​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ answered in a trembling voice. There was nothing to be afraid of, he told himself, releasing his guiding energy. Then he took another step toward Kang Jaejun to begin contact guiding. The moment he reached out to him,

“Ngh…!”

A hot hand suddenly seized Hyewoo’s wrist. He was helplessly dragged forward and pulled into Kang Jaejun’s arms.

His vision flipped upside down.

*

As​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ the entangled bodies fell to the floor, a cloud of dust billowed up.

Hyewoo clutched his head through the intense dizziness. He took deep breaths, suppressing the urge to vomit.

“…Urgh. What….”

When​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ he opened his eyes, the banquet hall was nowhere to be seen. All that lay before him were gray concrete walls. It looked like a building that was still under construction.

The place before his eyes had changed, and he was so dizzy he felt ready to throw up. He knew immediately what had happened. Kang Jaejun, a teleportation-type Esper, had abducted Hyewoo and brought him here.

Hyewoo tried to lift his body from the floor. But the moment he attempted to support his upper body with his elbows, a large hand pressed down on the small of his back.

“Ah!”

Damp​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ breath clung to the back of his neck. Gooseflesh rose along his spine. Kang Jaejun climbed onto his back and urged him to Guide him in an anxious voice.

“Guiding… Hurry, Guide me. You said you came to help.”

“Ah, it hurts….”

With​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ the hand pressing down on his back, Hyewoo could do nothing but lie helplessly on the floor. He could see that the wrist Kang Jaejun had seized was swelling. Cold sweat slowly gathered on his skin as sharp pain shot through him. When he realized he was alone with an unfamiliar Esper, his heart began pounding at a terrifying speed.

Hyewoo bit mercilessly into the inside of his lip. The metallic smell of blood burst from the wound. He bit down until a piece of flesh hung loose, and tears pricked at his eyes, but the pain brought a little of his reason back. He couldn’t lose consciousness here.

“Guiding… I have to Guide him.”

Hyewoo​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ muttered to keep from forgetting what he had to do. A hot hand slipped beneath his shirt. It was the second time he had experienced something like this today. Hyewoo calmly covered the hand wandering over his stomach with his own. Guiding was more effective when bare skin made contact.

“Esper Kang Jaejun, ngh, if you keep holding me like this….”

Hyewoo relaxed his body and merely held on to Kang Jaejun’s hand. He had learned through countless experiences that resisting an Esper only served to provoke them.

“Please…​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ take my clothes off.”

With both arms wrapped around him from behind, Hyewoo couldn’t undress even if he tried. He was absorbing Kang Jaejun’s wavelength with one hand, but that was far from enough. He thought he would at least have to embrace him with their bare bodies. In the end, Hyewoo had no choice but to beg him with his own mouth to take off his clothes.

“Ha…….”

Kang Jaejun cursed as though he were angry. While Hyewoo shrank at the threatening tone, the strong hand tore his shirt open. A button that had been sent flying rolled weakly across the floor.

Once​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ his clothes were removed, Hyewoo’s face went deathly pale. He barely held on as fear threatened to make his reason evaporate again. Kang Jaejun wasn’t the Esper who had imprisoned him. This Esper had gone into a rampage while trying to save people. Hyewoo repeated those thoughts to himself.

While his clothes were being removed, Hyewoo struggled to turn his body between Kang Jaejun and the floor. Kang Jaejun looked at him with a twisted expression and an agonized face.

“Hurry…. Hurry and do more.”

“…You​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ need to take your clothes off, too.”

Hyewoo undid one of the buttons with trembling fingers, and Kang Jaejun took off his shirt in one swift motion, as though he couldn’t stand it anymore. Thankfully, he still had enough awareness left to take off his clothes.

“Is this enough?”

The​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ pitch-black eye looked strange somehow, and Hyewoo was afraid to meet it head-on. He avoided the darkened eye and looked only at the other one.

“…Yes. I’ll Guide you now.”

After making the declaration, Hyewoo wrapped both arms around Kang Jaejun’s waist. Embracing a stranger while they were both bare from the waist up was uncomfortable, but it became a little easier to bear when he thought of the other person as someone who was ill. Kang Jaejun was someone who needed Hyewoo’s help. Thinking that, Hyewoo desperately ignored the revulsion and fear surging within him.

Hyewoo​‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍​ absorbed Kang Jaejun’s tangled wavelengths, unraveling and purifying them. Once their bare skin pressed together, the guiding accelerated explosively.

“Haa, fuck, this feels so good….”

Kang Jaejun groaned and rubbed his whole body against Hyewoo. His wavelength was tangled messily, but not so badly that it was impossible to Guide him. Compared to the time Hyewoo had guided four Espers simultaneously, this was actually manageable.