FETCH 72

His head was already throbbing from the shock that hadn’t yet subsided, but the words he just heard were even more shocking. Han Kang frowned, doubting his own ears.

“What, did you say? What is this?”

“An ability suppressant. Jaechan is a Guide who manifested naturally, and the Center has been deceiving him and feeding him suppressants.”

“Why?”

“Because… the Center wants us to meet the opposite sex and bear children for them.”

It was a succession of shocks.

Han Kang completely lost his soul at those inhuman words, the likes of which he had never heard in his life. He had no idea what more to say. He was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t even manage another reaction.

As he gripped the pill bottle tightly as if he were about to burst it, Choi Seokyoung began to tell the long story.

The more he heard of the Center’s behavior, the more absurd it became; at first, it was laughable.

Who do they think they are, discussing children?

It sounded as if the Center had placed the Espers and Guides on a game board they had designed and were playing with them like pieces. The way they acted as if they already held the chess pieces in their hands was funny and pathetic.

Next came annoyance, and then came rage.

During all those past years, Jeon Jaechan must have lived feeling diminished because of them. During all that long time, Jeon Jaechan must have been chipping away at himself, placing limits on his own abilities, and having no choice but to submissively follow the Center’s words.

He was furious at the fact that the Center had manipulated Jeon Jaechan—someone even he didn’t dare treat carelessly—as they pleased. He felt pity for Jeon Jaechan, who was brilliant enough to use his head, yet had been so pressed by the immediate situation that he couldn’t even turn his eyes elsewhere.

“Fuck.”

As soon as he spat out the curse in a low voice, Choi Seokyoung shrugged his shoulders. Han Kang’s rage-filled eyes immediately turned toward him.

“Why didn’t you tell Jeon Jaechan even though you knew that? You should have stopped him from taking it. Why did you just leave him be? Why didn’t you actively discourage him. Weren’t you close with Jeon Jaechan? You took good care of him, was that all just a show?”

“I told him a few times in words that it would be better to reduce the medicine. Even if I talked about the medicine, Jaechan already trusted the Center so much that it didn’t seem like he would listen, so I just gave him hints several times.”

“You should have stopped him more, you’re a fellow Guide!”

Han Kang’s chest heaved violently, filled with rage. He knew in his head that the target of this anger was not Choi Seokyoung, but his uncontrollable emotions kept heading toward the person in front of him.

It felt like his eyeballs were going to pop out. Because he was applying so much strength, it felt like his fingernails were digging into his palms. But he didn’t care about any of that. Han Kang was simply trembling all over, seething with rage.

Watching Han Kang intently, Choi Seokyoung added more words as if he hadn’t finished what he had to say.

“But what can I do when Jaechan takes that medicine like it’s some kind of lucky charm? He has a damn hard time with Center life. In the midst of that, the one thing he’s holding onto is that, so how can I tell him that even that medicine is a fake? If he hates being separated from you that much, fuck, even that smart kid can’t even suspect the medicine and is just sitting there doubting himself.”

At that, the rims of Han Kang’s eyes burned bright red. Jeon Jaechan is by no means stupid. He was a person who was clear-headed and knew how to use his brain intelligently to grasp a situation.

The fact that such a person couldn’t find a solution was no different from saying that the Center had put an enormous amount of effort into ruining Jeon Jaechan’s mind.

Even in the midst of that, he smiled. Jeon Jaechan tried his best to perform guiding, and he was just enduring the difficult situation alone without saying a single word to him.

That made his heart ache so much he felt like he was going crazy.

“Organize your thoughts properly before you go in. Don’t get angry at Jeon Jaechan, he’s a victim. And… I understand that you’re pissed off, but now isn’t the time. Don’t act recklessly and cause harm to Jaechan.”

As if he had finished what he had to say, Choi Seokyoung left a final sharp warning and quickly exited the training room. He couldn’t chase after him, nor could he pester him to talk more.

He couldn’t ask how he knew this, nor could he demand to know if it was certain. However, he knew very well that Choi Seokyoung was not the type of person to make up things that didn’t exist. That was why, despite their bad relationship, he had come to ask Choi Seokyoung about the most important matter involving Jeon Jaechan.

Han Kang sat down abruptly in the middle of the training room, unable to control his legs that had lost all their strength. His expression remained firmly hardened. The fists resting on his knees had been trembling tremendously since a moment ago. He couldn’t calm down at all.

“Whew…”

Exhaling a long sigh, Han Kang rubbed his face hard. After that, he stared straight ahead with eyes framed by deep double eyelids. Han Kang barely suppressed his boiling emotions and tried to look at the situation as rationally as possible.

He already knew that the Center’s treatment of Jeon Jaechan was unusually strange, but he never dreamed that it was treatment with such dark hidden intentions.

“If he hates being separated from you that much, fuck, even that smart kid can’t even suspect the medicine and is just sitting there doubting himself.”

The words Choi Seokyoung left behind would not be forgotten. Han Kang felt a burning sensation as if lava were flowing beneath his chest and stroked his chest downward.

“Fuck…”

Then what is it that I can do now?

First, he thought it would be best to hide the fact that he knew about the medicine from Jeon Jaechan.

And as for making him quit the medicine…

“Ah, how am I supposed to do that…”

Soothing his complicated mind, Han Kang headed toward the dormitory for now. He thought it would be good to organize his head while looking at Jaechan. While walking like that, he set up several plans on how to make him quit the medicine. At the same time, he also vowed not to get angry at Jeon Jaechan for no reason.

And it was just as he opened the dormitory door. Click.

As luck would have it, Jeon Jaechan was wandering around the living room.

Seeing him holding a white medicine bottle in his hand and glancing around furtively, it seemed he was trying to take the medicine while he was away. Having seen that far, Han Kang swung the terrace door open—thump—and stood leaning crookedly against the doorframe.

“Honey, how about not taking that medicine.”

It was a direct confrontation.

Startled, Jaechan dropped the medicine bottle he was holding. With a thud sound, the medicine bottle that fell to the floor rolled away and reached Han Kang’s feet.

Han Kang looked down at it blankly. Picking up the medicine bottle, Han Kang opened the lid and checked what the medicine looked like first. Indeed, it was the same shape as the one Choi Seokyoung had given him. He gritted his teeth again, but hiding it as much as possible, Han Kang forced a smile.

“Hmm? Honey. Let’s try not taking the medicine.”

“…Stop taking the medicine, all of a sudden?”

Jaechan lowered his head in confusion. He understood his reaction completely. He had been taking the medicine for several years now, and he was suddenly telling him not to take it.

Just as Ji Sangtaek said, he shouldn’t act prematurely. Jeon Jaechan firmly believed that he had manifested because he took the medicine, so it was obvious that saying the wrong thing would only have the opposite effect.

So Han Kang chose his words carefully and persuaded him as much as possible.

“You’re already my Guide.”

“…That, is true, but.”

“You’ll be able to prove your abilities yourself.”

Jaechan licked his dry lips with his tongue.

He knew that Han Kang’s words were very idealistic and rational. However, he was anxious because there was no guarantee that he could produce a proper wavelength without taking the medicine.

When he didn’t give an answer saying he would do so, Han Kang pushed the medicine bottle deep into his pocket and stared at him intently. There was a lot to say to the gaze asking if there was a problem.

“That… what if guiding doesn’t work because I don’t take the medicine. You’ll need guiding once you start training…”

What if we get separated then? What if Han Kang ends up receiving guiding from another Guide. In the worst case, what if the guiding wavelengths all get twisted and his utility value as a Guide disappears entirely?

What if he has to leave the Center because of that…

Facing Han Kang, who was telling him not to take the medicine, worst-case scenarios sprouted in his head like mushrooms. Since only things he never wanted to experience came to mind, Jaechan let out a trembling breath.

He even took medicine to manifest just because he wanted to stay by Han Kang’s side somehow. He had even endured the Center’s shitty treatment with perseverance. If they were to be separated, wouldn’t that be too sorrowful?

“I haven’t even been able to properly confess yet.”

Just as he was chewing on his anxiety internally, unable to even look at Han Kang.

“Jaechan.”

Han Kang called him. Wrapping both hands gently around Jaechan’s shoulders, Han Kang made Jaechan look at him.

“Trust me and just do as I say once. If guiding doesn’t work because you don’t take the medicine, you can just take the medicine again then.”

“That… is true…”

“Who knows. Maybe the problem between you and me arose because of the medicine.”

“But there hasn’t been anything like that until now.”

“Right, so we can experiment with various possibilities ourselves.”

He couldn’t really refute words delivered with such weight. Jaechan nodded his head reluctantly and peeked at Han Kang’s reaction.

Han Kang’s words made sense. Yes, maybe he had suddenly developed a tolerance to the drug and the medicine was producing side effects. Or, as he said, perhaps as someone who had now become a Guide, the wavelength he produced himself was conflicting with the drug.

He wondered why he hadn’t thought of that sooner.

Jaechan finally exhaled a relieved breath and leaned back comfortably.

“I believe in Jeon Jaechan’s ability, not some medicine like this.”

At the added words, his heart thumped helplessly, holding a rough wave.