PARADOX 26

Hanseo went immediately to the address Pyo Myeongho had given him. Fortunately, the place was close to the cafe, so he arrived quickly by running.

Pyo Myeongho, who had come out to meet him in front of the main gate of the Center headquarters, looked surprised to see Hanseo.

“Oh, you got here fast!”

Seeing Pyo Myeongho wearing the white gown typically worn by research institute staff, Hanseo flinched for a split second, but he fixed his expression immediately before the other could notice.

“I was nearby for an appointment. Um, where is Esper Gu Jeyi?”

“Hmm.”

At the mention of Gu Jeyi’s name, Pyo Myeongho looked around cautiously and beckoned to Hanseo.

“Follow me.”

Where he headed was not the headquarters building, but the research wing located behind it.

The entrance to the research wing was guarded by security.

“Identification check, please.”

When Pyo Myeongho held out his ID, the guard took a piece of equipment and checked it meticulously. Seeing that they followed such a thorough verification process even though they must have known Pyo Myeongho’s face, it was clear that the security level here was quite high.

Before long, the check seemed to be finished, and the guard nodded.

“Director Pyo, you may enter. As for the other person…”

“He’s my guest. I’ll guarantee his identity.”

“Understood. However, you must remain accompanied by the guest at all times within the research wing.”

The guard gave a short warning and let the two inside. After passing through a door that only opened with an ID tag, they boarded the staff elevator.

Pyo Myeongho, who pressed the button for the basement floor, let out a sigh and looked back at Hanseo with an awkward smile.

“Thanks for coming all the way here; you must have been startled. Come to think of it, this is the first time we’ve met in person since the wedding. How have you been?”

While they hadn’t met in person, Hanseo had exchanged messages with Pyo Myeongho occasionally after the wedding. Because he had seen Pyo Myeongho more often than the groom during the wedding preparation process, Hanseo felt quite familiar with him now. Pyo Myeongho’s friendly attitude likely played a part in that feeling as well.

‘Even if it’s a fake, the documents are real, so Hanseo-ssi is my nephew’s husband. So, I’ll speak comfortably with you from now on!’

It was also Pyo Myeongho who looked after Hanseo while Gu Jeyi was absent. He was the one who informed Hanseo of the fact that he needed to be careful because reporters were stationed in the neighborhood. He also taught Hanseo how to use delivery apps and installed a TV, saying he might be bored.

‘No matter how I look at him, I can’t see any resemblance to Gu Jeyi.’

Unlike a certain S-class Esper whose appearance was so striking he could be recognized instantly even in a crowd, Pyo Myeongho was a man who looked ordinarily pleasant.

Hanseo’s thoughts naturally drifted toward Gu Jeyi’s parents, whom he had seen at the wedding. Both subtly shared some features with Gu Jeyi, but the vibe was different. They seemed far more ordinary than he had imagined. He had wondered if the parents who gave birth to that Gu Jeyi might have some different quality, but it was unexpected.

‘And both of their expressions looked quite poor at the wedding. Well, it’s understandable since their brilliant son suddenly announced he was marrying some skinny guy.’

He didn’t know how much they knew about him, but Hanseo was confident that his appearance was a billion light-years away from the marriage partner they would have expected for their son. Did he have a high education? Did he have assets? He was a penniless nobody with nothing, and even a man rather than a woman.

Had Gu Jeyi shared the secret of this marriage with them? But whether they knew the secret or not, as parents, they would have been equally upset that their proud son had to marry someone like him.

He had seen many similar conflicts in daily dramas. The only reason he hadn’t been splashed with water while being called a “sly fox” by Gu Jeyi’s parents was likely because he was Gu Jeyi’s only Guide.

“Um, Hanseo?”

Pyo Myeongho’s voice cut through his drifting thoughts. Oops. While living in seclusion for a week, he had grown accustomed to falling into his own thoughts. Hanseo made a suitable excuse so as not to offend Pyo Myeongho.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was worried about Esper Gu Jeyi… I’ve been doing well.”

“Oh, Hanseo. You can be honest at times like this and say you haven’t been doing well.”

“…?”

“Jeyi entered a Gate on the very first day of your marriage; there’s no way your mind could be at ease. It’s obvious you’ve been losing sleep worrying.”

Pyo Myeongho sent a sympathetic look as if he understood Hanseo’s heart completely. Facing that gaze, Hanseo thought back to his week of seclusion—which could only be described as “idling around”—and gave an awkward smile as if he had been caught. Since the other was misunderstanding on his own without a lie being told, there was no need to clarify.

Hanseo didn’t stop there; he clasped his hands tightly and asked with an expression full of earnestness.

“The reason you called me… has Esper Gu Jeyi come out of the Gate?”

“Yes, he just came out. It’s been about an hour. It’ll be officially reported soon.”

“Is he okay? Was he injured anywhere…?”

‘Of course he’ll be fine.’

Gu Jeyi does not die in a Gate. However, contrary to his inner thoughts, Pyo Myeongho answered quickly to his trembling voice.

“There are no major injuries, so don’t worry. Actually, everyone has been anxious lately because his Gate clearing records have been generally short, but a week is about average. In the past, there was a Gate that took a year. Compared to then, this is nothing.”

Contrary to the content meant to reassure Hanseo, a somewhat unstable air could be felt from Pyo Myeongho.

It made sense. Even if he wasn’t injured in the Gate, if he had called Hanseo this urgently, there could only be one reason.

“The problem is, it seems he used his abilities quite a lot in the Gate. His condition isn’t very good, so he’s currently in isolation.”

“Isolation?”

“He’s okay, so you don’t have to make that face. It’s thanks to you Guiding him. Still, since such an incident happened recently, it’s better to be careful in advance, right?”

The “incident” Pyo Myeongho mentioned likely referred to the rampage of Gu Jeyi that Hanseo had prevented. Anyway, it was a relief that wasn’t the case… but he suddenly wondered if he had been being too complacent.

The future he already knew had begun to change. By preventing Gu Jeyi’s rampage, the Center did not collapse, and Gu Jeyi, who had disappeared after the Center collapse incident, continued to clear Gates as he usually did.

‘Come to think of it, he didn’t enter this Gate in my past life.’

He felt a cold sweat breaking out for some reason. Pyo Myeongho, unaware of Hanseo’s feelings, gave a friendly smile toward Hanseo.

“Still, I’m glad you’re here now, Hanseo. I’ll count on you in the future as well.”

As soon as Pyo Myeongho finished speaking, the elevator doors opened silently, revealing a stark white hallway.

“…”

“Ah, the atmosphere here is a bit scary, isn’t it? But don’t worry. This isn’t a scary place; it’s a place that exists to stop scary things.”

When Hanseo hesitated instead of getting out immediately, Pyo Myeongho coaxed him. The reason Hanseo had flinched wasn’t simply because the atmosphere was scary, but it was better for him to misunderstand it that way.

Hanseo grumbled to himself.

‘Why do all research institutes look the same?’

To shake off the unpleasant afterimages of the past, Hanseo followed right behind Pyo Myeongho.

On the surface, it looked like an ordinary research wing, but since it was built for a separate purpose from other places, there were differences in the details. First of all, there was the fact that there was no one else inside besides them. Instead, the ceiling was crowded with CCTVs blinking with red lights. Given the purpose of this place, it would have to be managed by an unmanned system.

After a while, Pyo Myeongho stopped in front of a firmly closed steel door.

Instead of the ID tag around his neck, Pyo Myeongho took out a rectangular card from his gown’s inner pocket. Even though he had undergone a thorough verification by the guard earlier, another card was needed to open this door.

As he swiped the card, the steel door opened with a clack.

“Oh, you should wear this before going in. It might not be necessary, but it’s part of the procedure for now.”

What Pyo Myeongho handed over was a half-moon shaped mask that covered the mouth and nose. Hanseo put on the mask and went inside.

It was a sealed room without a single window. A large man was lying on a cot placed lonely in the middle.

“He’s asleep right now because we’ve administered a stabilizer.”

The man, sleeping quietly in a straight posture, was still wearing his combat suit as if he had been moved directly from the Gate.

Hanseo shifted his gaze to the man’s wrist.

‘86%.’

He didn’t know what had happened inside the Gate during the week, but the figure had risen considerably. it was at a level not much different from when he went on a rampage.

Without thinking further, Hanseo spoke.

“I’ll begin the Guiding.”