PARADOX 47

When Seong Semin was picking a fight, asking why he didn’t know how to fire a gun since even civilians receive basic training, Gu Jeyi knew that Yeo Hanseo was hurt. Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to droop his eyebrows and act like a puppy out in the rain.

Seong Semin does not know the fact that Yeo Hanseo is a survivor of the Heukyeong-dong Gate. Thus, he also did not know that this man never had the opportunity to learn such things.

However, just because words were spoken out of ignorance didn’t mean they didn’t cause pain.

Above all, the hostility Seong Semin harbored was real. Since he already disliked Guides because of his younger brother’s situation, and on top of that, had a sense of loathing toward male Guides, there was no way Seong Semin would ever think well of Yeo Hanseo.

No matter how oblivious Yeo Hanseo might be, there was no way he could have failed to sense Seong Semin’s hostility since it had been displayed so overtly.

But…

Gu Jeyi’s black eyes took in Yeo Hanseo, who looked quite scruffy compared to how he first appeared. He thought he smelled blood, and at a glance, he saw that the man’s palms were a bloody mess. It was likely the result of climbing that long stalk to save Seong Semin.

Gu Jeyi could guess that such a feat was by no means an easy task for this man, who wasn’t even an Esper.

Furthermore, Yeo Hanseo had said he felt the wavelength becoming unstable. It wasn’t that he didn’t know an Esper on the verge of a rampage was where he was heading. Despite knowing everything, Yeo Hanseo had moved to save Seong Semin.

An ordinary person wouldn’t risk their life for someone who dislikes them.

However, looking at Yeo Hanseo’s expression, he could tell the man was sincerely relieved by the fact that he had saved Seong Semin.

Thinking back, this wasn’t the first time Yeo Hanseo had done something like this.

Had he not also saved Gu Jeyi himself, who was on the verge of a rampage, without hesitation?

At that time, Gu Jeyi suspected there must be a sinister ulterior motive behind Yeo Hanseo risking his life to save him. After pressing and questioning him as if cornering him, Yeo Hanseo answered that it was because he liked him… but Gu Jeyi still felt skepticism as to whether one could like someone enough to sacrifice their life after only meeting a few times.

But through this incident, Gu Jeyi realized. At that time, Yeo Hanseo likely had no calculations or ulterior motives.

The reason Yeo Hanseo acted that way was that he was a righteous and good-hearted person.

Someone who helps others without expecting anything in return, and who willingly reaches out when someone is in trouble, even if that person is someone who dislikes him…

That was also the image people wanted from Gu Jeyi.

That was why they poured so much effort into educating and training the young Gu Jeyi to turn him into the figure they desired.

From the day he entered the Center, Gu Jeyi had to undergo all sorts of tests every day; among them were not only tests regarding his supernatural abilities, but also mental exams such as morality tests and stress tolerance tests.

If he failed to pass the standards, he received education until he did. Naturally, corporal punishment followed that education. Thanks to his strong natural healing factor, his wounds healed quickly even if he was treated harshly, so the punishment grew more fierce by the day.

On a day he was bedridden with a fever from his injuries, the former Director of the Center visited and said:

‘Everyone insists that we must get rid of you, Jeyi. They say you are too dangerous. Even your parents think so. But my thoughts are different. Right now, you are a disaster that deserves to be eliminated, but if you use that power to conquer Gates and save people… you will become a hero.’

So Gu Jeyi decided to become a hero. Because becoming a hero seemed like a better option than suffering like this and being eliminated.

The education he received at the Center for ten years, which was no different from brainwashing, broke Gu Jeyi into pieces and reassembled him.

However, in truth, it was only the exterior that had become plausible.

Gu Jeyi’s heart was hollow. To be precise, it had been emptied out. Because an Esper’s emotions affect their supernatural abilities, the Center judged that a person with strong abilities like Gu Jeyi must not be emotional.

Gu Jeyi was not allowed to be angry, he was not allowed to be sad, and he was not allowed to be happy. He wasn’t allowed to be greedy for anything, nor was he allowed to like or dislike something too much.

Having entered the world thus emptied, Gu Jeyi became a hero.

He conquered Gates and saved people. Though he didn’t know if that was truly what he wanted for himself.

Because if he didn’t do that, he wouldn’t know what he should do or if it was okay for him to continue existing, Gu Jeyi had silently existed as the hero everyone wanted.

That was why Gu Jeyi found the man before him fascinating. He hadn’t been trained at the Center like himself, and he wasn’t even an Esper. He was just an ordinary man who had barely escaped a horrific tragedy. Yet, how could he seek to save others so without hesitation?

…Of course, the fact that Hanseo climbed the stalk until his palms were peeled was because he thought Gu Jeyi was inside the monster, and the reason he saved Seong Semin was out of concern that Gu Jeyi’s mental state would collapse. If it had been someone unrelated to Gu Jeyi, Hanseo wouldn’t have cared whether he died or not. Above all, it was all ultimately for Hanseo himself. Because if Gu Jeyi died, he would meet a horrific death just as written in the Book of Prophecy.

But to the eyes of Gu Jeyi, who was unaware of that fact, this man—who was a head shorter than him—appeared to possess stronger courage and goodness than anyone else.

Though Gu Jeyi himself hadn’t noticed, he tended to grow weak toward such people due to a secret admiration.

A faint crack appeared for the first time in the eyes that had always looked at people like objects.

“Thank you. You are the one who saved Seong Semin.”

And Gu Jeyi’s words created a ripple in Hanseo’s heart like a stone thrown into a lake.

Wha—what. Why is he being like that?

It was the first time he had heard words of gratitude for saving someone. And from Gu Jeyi, of all people.

Hanseo felt strange every time he thought about how he was living a completely different life like this.

“Seong Semin, wake up.”

In the meantime, Gu Jeyi returned to his expressionless face and slapped Seong Semin’s cheeks a few times. Hanseo thought that for some reason, there seemed to be emotion behind those strikes. When Seong Semin still didn’t wake up, Gu Jeyi stood up.

“How did Mister Yeo Hanseo wake up?”

His insides flinched, but not a trace of it showed on the outside. Hanseo answered nonchalantly with a face so innocent it seemed he wouldn’t know a lie if it hit him.

“I don’t know how it happened either. When I woke up, I was here.”

Gu Jeyi stared at him blankly without saying anything. Hanseo tried not to be nervous.

It’s fine. Gu Jeyi won’t notice my lie. Just as he hadn’t in his past life.

Hm? Did I lie to Gu Jeyi in my past life?

Of course he did. A lot, at that.

He had lied dozens of times saying he wouldn’t run away, but he was caught every time. It wasn’t because he was bad at lying, but because Gu Jeyi basically didn’t believe him whether he was telling the truth or not.

But why was I so certain that Gu Jeyi hadn’t caught my lies in my past life?

Just then, Gu Jeyi suddenly turned his head in a completely different direction. Unconsciously, Hanseo followed his gaze, but there was only a forest of plant-type monsters.

“It’s Woo Taegyu. Let’s go.”

Even looking as hard as he could, not a single hair of Woo Taegyu’s head was visible. Thinking that, Hanseo glanced back.

“Is it okay to leave Esper Seong Semin like that?”

“Right now, he’s just baggage.”

He’s merciless even to his own teammates.

“He isn’t asleep; he was hit by a mental-type ability, so for now there’s no way to wake him up. Seeing as he didn’t wake up even after the monster was dealt with, it seems this monster isn’t the main body. The main body will have the core, so once we destroy that, everyone will wake up.”

I guess this is what it means to see one thing and know ten. More than that, it was unexpected that Gu Jeyi was explaining things to him like this. He thought the man would just tell him to follow along well. Could it be that his impression has changed to someone more reliable after saving Seong Semin?

“Are you okay, hyung?”

“…Yes. We don’t have much time, so it’s best to move quickly.”

Did he just hesitate before speaking? He stole a glance at Gu Jeyi’s profile, but couldn’t find anything in particular. Regardless, since Gu Jeyi was safe, he could breathe a sigh of relief.

However, that happiness didn’t last long. It was because his stamina, which had been depleted from climbing the stalk, quickly reached its limit.

“Hah, hah… wait a moment. I, hah, don’t think I can go any further.”

He wasn’t exaggerating; it really felt like his lungs were going to tear. Gu Jeyi stopped and looked at Hanseo. Hanseo thought Gu Jeyi would leave him behind.

But surprisingly, Gu Jeyi turned his back and crouched down in front of Hanseo.

“Get on my back.”

Hanseo hesitantly climbed onto the broad back.

At that moment, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu, as if something similar had happened in the distant past. However, no matter how hard he tried to recall it, the memory wouldn’t surface, and once Gu Jeyi started running, even that thought flew away.

Crazy. Is what I’m riding a human or a sports car?