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Light twinkled in Kang Juha’s eyes like a puppy that had been waiting only for mealtime. Watching him, it occurred to me anew that he was spending his days confined within this small space, staring at the door all day long.

Even the bastards we take as prisoners aren’t detained in a basement for this long…

“Did you sleep well last night?”

And so, I uttered a formal greeting that I usually never practiced.

I was a bit surprised at myself for letting those words out. I had never once asked anyone if they slept well. It was a question I hadn’t even asked my secretary Juyoung or Director Shin. Yet, here I was, asking Kang Juha.

“I want to say I didn’t sleep well because Teacher wasn’t here, but I actually slept well. Without even dreaming.”

It was likely an aftereffect of the supernatural power I had used. He probably didn’t feel it directly, but since I had forcibly activated his brain, he would have needed the rest. Even a laptop needs to be powered off once in a while.

He seemed a bit disgruntled about falling asleep like that, but I decided not to mention that it happened because of me.

“Sleep is important. You did well.”

“I think this is the first time I’ve been praised by Teacher. This feels really good.”

Only after hearing Kang Juha’s words did I realize belatedly that I had praised him. Was I really starting to think of Kang Juha as a seven-year-old child?

Then, looking at Kang Juha’s face, I thought again. No matter how poor someone’s eyesight might be, there was no way they could look at that face and body and treat him like a young child.

“But did you meet someone before coming here?”

“…Why?”

“Because the scent of another person is so strong… I don’t think it’s the person outside the door. And you clearly said before that you wouldn’t meet any other kids besides me. Why are you lying?”

If he meant the person outside the door, was he talking about Park Juyoung? He can smell that? What is he, a dog?

“Can you not meet that person? Because of that person’s scent, I can’t smell Teacher’s scent at all.”

I sniffed the hem of my clothes, but only the scent of fabric softener brushed the tip of my nose. I heard that Guides rarely use perfume or scented products for the sake of Espers with sensitive senses…

“It is impossible for me to not meet other people at all for work… I’ll make sure to change my clothes before coming next time. I didn’t know it would bother you to that extent.”

I had washed my hands before coming here, but I hadn’t thought to change my clothes. It wasn’t as if I could go back and change now, either. Just as I thought I should maintain a moderate distance today, Kang Juha held something out.

“Can’t you wear this?”

It was his patient gown top. When his external injuries were severe, he had been kept almost bare-chested, but since his physical condition recovered to a certain degree, we had been providing a set of top and bottom clothes to change into regularly; I never imagined he would strip off his top so unhesitatingly like that.

Having only seen his body when it was covered in blood, seeing his smooth skin revealed without a single scar left me with nowhere to put my eyes. We were both men and both S-Class Espers, but could our bodies really be this different?

I recalled Juyoung’s words about how if I lived trusting only in the natural muscles of my body, I would become haggard once I passed thirty.

…Should I start exercising.

“I’ll wear it.”

I didn’t know how developed Kang Juha’s five senses were, but I didn’t want to create an unpleasant situation for him. I draped the top he handed me over my shoulders and pulled the chair close to the side of the bed.

Only then did the look of dissatisfaction vanish from Kang Juha’s face, and he looked at me with gentle eyes as usual.

“So, I’d like to hear the meaning behind what you said yesterday about not being seven years old…”

“Ah, that.”

“How old do you think you are now? Or if there is anything you remember about yourself, please tell me.”

So I can knock you out immediately if things go south. I swallowed the latter words without speaking them.

I swear I had no intention of harming Kang Juha. However, I couldn’t help but be annoyed by how Kang Juha kept bouncing off in unexpected directions regardless of my efforts.

“I’m not sure how old I am. It’s just that memories are coming back in bits and pieces… but I know I’m not seven. I know this is the Center, too. And that I’m an Esper.”

I couldn’t suppress the rising smile. Is this how the Buddha felt? Kang Juha finally knew clearly who he was. Through this one fact alone, a peace like a river seemed to settle in my heart.

“That is enough for now. Good.”

I used my foot to roughly push the fairy tale books—which were piled on the floor because there was no bookshelf—into a corner and stood close to Kang Juha’s side.

“Since it seems you are in a state where you can sufficiently accept the situation, I will explain in detail. This is the Special Treatment Room in the Center’s basement. Esper Kang Juha, you were caught in a Gate during a mission and processed as missing, and you were transferred to the Center after half a year and are currently undergoing treatment.”

Kang Juha quietly listened to what I was saying. He looked so admirable that I almost stroked his black head. Yesterday’s Kang Juha might have been one thing, but today’s Kang Juha would surely not tolerate such behavior.

“…I see.”

Kang Juha’s voice settled calmly. It was a different feeling from when he was acting spoiled. I wondered where the child went who had liked getting a shot for the first time, saying it didn’t hurt.

“Then, Teacher… no, what did you say when you came here?”

“I am Seong Yihyeon, Information Team Leader of the Center’s National Security Bureau Information Security Department.”

“Team Leader Seong Yihyeon…?”

“You may continue to call me Teacher if it’s more comfortable for you.”

This was just a courtesy. It was a title that would never be called again once Kang Juha fully recovered anyway. I had already grown accustomed to Kang Juha calling me “Teacher, Teacher.”

“Your body is almost fully recovered. As you know, there are entanglements in the mental side, especially the memory part, so I am in charge of your treatment.”

At my words, Kang Juha hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“I learned that the National Security Bureau is a scary place.”

“…Well, it’s not exactly a bright place.”

It would be a scary place for people who committed crimes. And since people who haven’t committed crimes usually have no reason to come to the Security Bureau at all, it wasn’t exactly a wrong statement.

“But Teacher doesn’t seem like a scary person.”

“…”

My conscience pricked too much to agree with that. If Juyoung had heard that, he would have done more than just snort; he definitely would have suspected that I used supernatural power to make Kang Juha say such things.

Due to the nature of our work, there were many times we had to choose unjust methods, and as one gets used to that, one realizes that guilt or hesitation is a luxury.

Not bringing in a dedicated Guide, not having deep communication with team members, and being voluntarily isolated within the National Security Bureau were actually for the sake of others who would get involved with me rather than for myself. I still possessed something called a conscience, after all.

I know all too well why people feel reluctant and unpleasant when they see me. However, if I were to rage and throw a fit at them, it would only serve to justify their hatred, so I chose to simply keep my mouth shut.

I used to think people were wrong to call me “that kind of person,” but as time passed, I discovered that I really had become “that kind of person.”

Before I knew it, I had become used to it.

“Teacher is the best person among all the people I’ve met.”

But do I have the right to hear this.

If Kang Juha continues to tell me I’m a good person, just as others have done the opposite, could I become such a person?

“No. I’m not a particularly good person.”