PARADOX 12

The room was enveloped in a bizarre silence.

“…Haha, Jeyi-ya. Shall we have a quick word?”

Pyo Myeongho laughed awkwardly and led Gu Jeyi out the door.

After walking down the hallway for a good while, reaching a spot where Hanseo couldn’t overhear, Pyo Myeongho looked around.

“There is no one here.”

Only after Gu Jeyi gave his assurance did Pyo Myeongho open his mouth.

“Jeyi, what on earth are you thinking? It’s a 98% matching rate—98%. Do you not know what this means? He even says he likes you! What an incredible opportunity this is!”

The more he spoke, the more his anger seemed to rise. Pyo Myeongho took off his glasses and pressed firmly on the corners of his eyes.

“He’s a kid who just came out of a Gate and doesn’t know the first thing about how the world works. On top of that, he’s not an official guide, so he hasn’t been matched with any other Esper! You have to grab him while he’s still easy to catch.”

He was a completely different person from the one who had been bowing his head in front of Hanseo, calling him “benefactor.” However, to Pyo Myeongho, his nephew was naturally more precious than a complete stranger. Besides, wasn’t he the one who had watched over Gu Jeyi more closely than anyone else?

No one knew better than Pyo Myeongho what kind of things a child, dragged to the Center as soon as he awakened as an Esper at a mere five years old, had endured.

As if oblivious to his uncle’s feelings, Gu Jeyi retorted indifferently.

“The way you’re speaking, Director, makes it sound like you want me to take advantage of that kid’s feelings.”

“Of course! Only then can you survive!”

After shouting, Pyo Myeongho let out a sigh a moment later.

“And you shouldn’t be calling him a kid. Technically, he’s only one year younger than you.”

“It’s hard to view someone who was sucked into a Gate at thirteen and returned after seven years as being truly that age.”

Pyo Myeongho put his glasses back on. His nephew’s face appeared much clearer than before. The sculpted face looked extremely rational and cold, but Pyo Myeongho knew that Gu Jeyi was being as stubborn as a child.

“Jeyi-ya, you know we have to handle this before the higher-ups find out. If the top brass gets involved, they’ll scheme to use Yeo Hanseo to pull your strings. You know full well it’s a common occurrence for the Center to blackmail Espers using Guides.”

Naturally, as an uncle, he didn’t want his nephew to get married in this manner.

However, the Center was already licking its lips, wanting to manipulate Gu Jeyi at will. They simply lacked a proper method because he was someone who desired neither money nor fame; the moment they found out his matching guide had appeared, they would be the first to pull a stunt.

If Yeo Hanseo became a team Guide, the Center would be able to control him as they pleased. They would try to train Gu Jeyi by intentionally interfering—for example, by assigning Hanseo to a different team. As long as his only Guide was held hostage, even Gu Jeyi couldn’t help but be affected.

So, the fact that Yeo Hanseo appeared before Gu Jeyi while not being an official guide was nothing short of a stroke of divine luck for them.

Gu Jeyi, however, didn’t seem to think so.

“I’ve done fine without a matching guide until now.”

“You shouldn’t call that doing fine; you should call it barely holding on,” Pyo Myeongho pointed out sternly.

“Face it, Jeyi, you’re already at your limit. In your teens, you could stabilize a bit by receiving guiding even from guides with low matching rates, but lately, it’s had almost no effect. You’ve developed an immunity to stabilizers and sleeping pills, so they don’t work well anymore. That’s been building up and up, and that’s why you had this outburst.”

“…The guiding medicine will be finished soon. I just need to hold out until then.”

“You mean that drug Barunmun Pharmaceuticals is making? Even if it passes inspections at an impossible speed and is released next year, there’s a much higher chance you’ll have another rampage before then. Why would you risk that uncertainty when a matching guide has finally appeared?”

Scanning Gu Jeyi’s expression, Pyo Myeongho had a sudden thought.

“Are you perhaps like this because of the marriage?”

“Isn’t marriage something done between people who like each other?”

Pyo Myeongho was inwardly flustered by his nephew’s reaction.

Until now, Gu Jeyi’s only interests had been Gates and monsters. To think that such an inefficient, even romantic, side remained in him.

Then again, even if he was called a national hero, Gu Jeyi was only 21 years old. Furthermore, because he had been devoted solely to clearing Gates since he was young, he hadn’t been able to socialize with ordinary people and was distanced from TV and the internet, which must be why such a pure side remained.

After some thought, Pyo Myeongho spoke carefully.

“Jeyi-ya, to gain one thing, you have to give up another. And that marriage thing, it’s not as grand as you think. To put it bluntly, once you stamp the papers, you become strangers again. If the guiding medicine really is effective, then get a divorce. I won’t stop you then.”

“…”

“Let’s not think too far into the future. We don’t have that much of a margin.”

Had Pyo Myeongho’s sincerity finally reached him? Gu Jeyi no longer said he didn’t want to. Instead, he slowly turned his gaze away from Pyo Myeongho and looked elsewhere. Toward where Yeo Hanseo was.

“…But, Mister Yeo Hanseo might not want it.”

He spoke as if he hoped that were the case.

“I’m fine with it.”

“…”

Gu Jeyi was momentarily lost for words at Yeo Hanseo’s unhesitating answer.

“…Are you serious?”

“Yes, I’m serious.”

Even though Jeyi had bluntly stated he had no intention of marrying someone like him, the man in front of him only blinked his large eyes as if he had never heard such a thing. Gu Jeyi frowned slightly as he felt the headache, which had briefly weakened, recurring.

“Mister Yeo Hanseo, you probably haven’t known me for very long. In fact, aren’t we people who have never even exchanged words?”

“But… I’ve liked you from the first moment I saw you.”

Yeo Hanseo’s answer was unhesitating this time as well. It was to the point where it seemed as if he had already decided on his answer in his head.

And that thought of Gu Jeyi’s was close to the truth.

“I saw Esper Gu Jeyi shortly after I came out of the Gate, and as soon as I saw you, my h—heart started thumping like it was going to jump out. My eyes followed you without me knowing, and I kept wanting to see you.”

Hanseo lowered his eyes softly. Completely contrary to what he was thinking inside, his appearance was utterly sorrowful, like a person who had suffered a heartbreak.

Hanseo’s words weren’t a complete lie.

His heart did thump as soon as he saw Gu Jeyi. Because he was scared!

He had watched him intently, too. Because he had to gauge the situation!

“You don’t have to like me. If I can be of help, I’ll do anything.”

Hanseo, who had even recycled a line he’d seen in some drama, swallowed a sigh internally.

Marriage with Gu Jeyi?

Naturally, he had never even considered such a thing. It gave him goosebumps just imagining himself and Gu Jeyi in place of a married couple he’d seen in a drama.

However, Hanseo had a reason why he had to avoid being a team guide at all costs, even if it meant playing the card of… marriage.

Finally, Gu Jeyi spoke.

“I understand Mister Yeo Hanseo’s feelings.”

“Then…!”

Just as intended, Gu Jeyi seemed to have lost the will to doubt him any longer. After all, it would be awkward to further doubt a kid who was charging at him saying he’d fallen in love at first sight. Moreover, if that kid was a ‘fragile victim’ who had barely survived a Gate, it went without saying.

Hanseo hadn’t acted out a weak persona for no reason. It was to give persuasiveness to Yeo Hanseo’s background, but above all, it was because he knew Gu Jeyi was weakest against people like Yeo Hanseo.

‘It worked!’

Just as Hanseo was about to be soaked in a sense of victory.

Beep.

Checking the watch on his wrist, Gu Jeyi looked up.

“What is it, a Gate?”

“Yes, I have to go.”

What? You’re going? Hanseo’s eyes widened.

‘You haven’t given your answer yet!’

“Wait, Jeyi-ya.”

Pyo Myeongho also seemed to think so and tried to grab Gu Jeyi. However, Gu Jeyi dodged Pyo Myeongho’s hand and headed for the door in an instant.

“Ah.”

Standing at the door, Gu Jeyi glanced back at Hanseo.

“Come to think of it, I’m late with my greetings. Thank you for your help.”

“It’s nothing. More importantly…”

“Let’s talk the rest after the Gate is cleared.”

Gu Jeyi bowed his head lightly. Having bowed back in a daze, by the time Hanseo lifted his head, the other man was already far away.

Staring blankly at Gu Jeyi as he became as small as a dot, Hanseo’s face crumpled.

‘That guy, he’s not planning on not doing it, is he?’

It was unsettling that a guy who liked clear-cut things had left without giving a definite answer.

Just then, a soft voice called Hanseo.

“Um, Hanseo-ssi.”

“Ah, yes.”

“I’m sorry, but could you wait for Jeyi a little longer? I know it’s shameless, but Jeyi really needs Hanseo-ssi. I’m asking you like this.”

Seeing Pyo Myeongho bowing his head, Hanseo hurriedly waved his hands.

“You don’t have to do that; of course I’ll wait.”

He had started all of this because of Gu Jeyi; there was no way he would give up here.

Pyo Myeongho seemed deeply moved by Hanseo’s unhesitating answer.

“Thank you, really, thank you so much. Hanseo-ssi must be an angel sent from heaven for me.”

…An angel? It was an unfamiliar title for Hanseo, who in the past had only heard things like demon or devil.

“Then, get home safely! I’ll be in touch soon!”

Leaving behind Pyo Myeongho, who had come out to the lobby to see him off, Hanseo’s face was complicated.

‘If Gu Jeyi says he won’t do it… can Pyo Myeongho persuade him?’

Pyo Myeongho was the person who had looked after Gu Jeyi for a long time in place of his biological parents, so Jeyi would at least listen if he spoke. However, whether he could be persuaded was another matter. Gu Jeyi was a stubborn man who didn’t easily change his mind once he decided.

Anyway, for now, there was nothing to do but wait.

‘It shouldn’t be long, though.’

If it dragged on, he himself would be in a quite difficult situation.

“Tch.”

Hanseo looked down at the paper with his test results, clicking his tongue.