Beyond The Control

Chapter 19

While he gained public attention as a dual awakener, he became an unlucky figure who received an unprecedented double C-grade assessment and endured undeserved criticism. After living quietly, as if no one knew whether he was dead or alive, he unexpectedly got a second chance at life with an over 80% guiding match rate with an S-grade Esper.

Both events happened regardless of my will, and to be frank, they didn’t harm anyone else. Yet, looking at today’s comments, there was a truckload of people mocking me.

‘In the end, they’re just hurting their own fingers.’

This wasn’t just forced positive thinking; it was truly how I felt. If it were me, I’d rather play another round of a game than waste time insulting someone I don’t even know.

However, while I could be extremely easygoing about myself, I couldn’t tolerate anyone messing with my sister. To prevent that, it was best not to give them any bait in the first place.

After ordering another bottle of soju, I started feeling the effects of the alcohol. Since we were on the topic of family, I asked Song Ji-hyeok:

“You and your brother…”

Before I could finish, Song Ji-hyeok’s expression twisted. He furrowed his brow so hard that you could probably slip a piece of paper between the creases.

“I told you not to mention that bastard.”

He even gritted his teeth. Surprised by his intense reaction, I hesitated, during which Song Ji-hyeok roughly grabbed the soju bottle.

He filled his glass to the brim and downed it in one go, then wiped his wet lips. Still wearing an expression like he had bitten into a bug, he added a few words.

“He’s a narcissistic lunatic and a crazy psychopath.”

It seems their relationship is extremely bad. Judging by such raw emotion being expressed.

I became curious about what had happened between the brothers, but I didn’t push to ask. If he had wanted to say more, he would have done so already, but he had clamped his mouth shut.

‘It’s really annoying when someone pries into things you don’t want to talk about.’

Understanding that feeling better than anyone, I spoke calmly after a short while. Not to make him feel pressured, but also not too lightly. I’m exceptionally good at this kind of thing.

“If you ever have troubles or worries, feel free to talk to me. My nickname is ‘Bamboo Forest.'”

Song Ji-hyeok, who had been sulking, suddenly snickered as if he found it ridiculous.

“Doesn’t that mean rumors spread when the wind blows?”

I couldn’t help but look a bit surprised at his response. Was he really joking just now?

“What wind? It’s a forest where not even an ant can approach.”

As I thumped my chest as if to say he could trust me, Song Ji-hyeok laughed again. I sipped the half-empty drink and inwardly praised myself. It was really good that I suggested having dinner together.

By the time we left the room, I was in a great mood. With a full stomach from the extra-large bowl of cold noodles and feeling pleasantly tipsy, I thought I’d sleep like a baby as soon as I got home.

‘If this had been a company dinner, we would’ve gone for a second round. What a sha— Oops!’

I almost bumped into Song Ji-hyeok, who suddenly stopped in front of me. Just as I was about to ask why, someone called out to him first. It was a voice that sounded genuinely pleased.

“Ji-hyeok!”

What’s this? Someone he knows?

As I peeked out, I saw two men standing right in front of us. Judging by the open door nearby, it seemed they had run into Song Ji-hyeok just as they were leaving their room.

One was smiling brightly, while the other was clearly showing his displeasure. The one who called out to Song Ji-hyeok seemed to be the man with the gentle impression. He looked to be in his early 30s, and black-framed glasses suited him very well. He spoke with a smile all over his face.

“Did you come to eat?”

“Yeah.”

“If I’d known we’d meet here, I should have contacted you earlier… Oh?”

The man who had been speaking happily suddenly looked at me with wide eyes. Then he abruptly addressed me.

“Are you perhaps Lee Su-hyeon?”

“Huh? Yes…”

The man then smiled brightly and immediately offered a handshake. Unlike his gentle appearance, his actions were quite bold.

“I’m Jung Seok-hoon, Ji-hyeok’s cousin. And this is Song Tae-hyeok, his older brother and an Esper.”

I was surprised by this. I had been wondering what kind of person he was, but I never dreamed we’d suddenly meet like this.

Unconsciously, my gaze shifted towards them. Song Ji-hyeok’s brother, with his deeply furrowed brow, still looked displeased. While he had more pronounced features, his nose bridge and lips seemed somewhat similar to Ji-hyeok’s.

There wasn’t time to stare for long. The man who introduced himself as Jung Seok-hoon spoke again.

“It seems you came to have dinner with Ji-hyeok.”

“Ah, yes.”

I quickly shifted my gaze back and answered. Now it was my turn to ask him.

“But how did you know my name…”

“I look up articles about these two whenever I have time. I’ve been worried about Ji-hyeok since he awakened not long ago, but seeing him with you, Su-hyeon, makes me feel so glad and relieved.”

I awkwardly smiled along with his broad grin. But inside, I felt as uncomfortable as if I were sitting on a bed of thorns. I realized that the two brothers weren’t even looking at each other, let alone greeting each other.

At this level, it wasn’t just a bad relationship; it was like mortal enemies meeting on a narrow bridge.

The man who had shaken my hand spoke to Song Ji-hyeok again.

“Let’s have a meal with your brother next time. I’ll contact you tomorrow.”

Then he gave a nod to Song Ji-hyeok’s brother. I thought he would ignore it completely, but despite his fierce expression, he did speak.

“Make sure you don’t bring shame to our parents’ names.”

“I don’t think an A-grade should be saying that.”

“Don’t get so full of yourself over that.”

“Are you having a meltdown?”

I felt a chill colder than the Siberian plains. My eyes darted back and forth between the two, flickering uneasily like a candle in the wind.

‘Are they going to start throwing punches?’

The mere thought made my face turn pale. If they each used their skills just once, this whole area would be devastated like a war zone. That’s why awakened individuals receive severe penalties for using their powers in undesignated areas or causing social disturbances, and Song Ji-hyeok surely knew this.

But alcohol was the wild card. As I watched nervously, worried they might throw a punch in their drunken state, thankfully nothing of the sort happened. It was thanks to Song Ji-hyeok’s cousin hurriedly stepping between them to mediate.

“That’s enough, you two.”

From his form, it seemed he was no stranger to breaking up their fights. The surprising thing was how effective it was. With just a light gesture of restraint, the icy aura they were emitting seemed to subside. It reminded me of a veteran trainer easily subduing two fierce dogs.

His gaze turned to me again. I managed to lift the corners of my mouth in an awkward smile, mirroring his embarrassed grin.

“It would be nice if we could have a meal together sometime. Please take good care of our Ji-hyeok.”

With that, the two of them left first. As I watched their retreating backs, I suddenly realized something. Unlike the cousin who had offered a handshake even when parting, Song Ji-hyeok’s brother hadn’t greeted me once until the end. He had treated me like air.

‘This feels really weird.’

Is this how a shrimp with its back split feels? Feeling somewhat deflated, I glanced up at Song Ji-hyeok. His expression was still not good.

Feeling that parting like this would leave a bad aftertaste, I casually suggested to Song Ji-hyeok:

“Want to go for a second round? There’s a great bar with good side dishes just a short walk from here.”

“……”

“Never mind if you don’t want to.”

The key in these situations is not to come across as clingy. I made the suggestion lightly, with an attitude of ‘it’s fine either way,’ and he took the bait.

“Let’s go.”

Glad I suggested it. Thinking this to myself, we belatedly started walking again.

As I said, I took Song Ji-hyeok to a bar not far from the meat restaurant. We chose a couple of standard side dishes, and ordered one bottle each of soju and beer. It was customary in places like this to mix soju and beer.

As I showed off my mixing skills here too, Song Ji-hyeok watched intently. Noticing his gaze, I asked him:

“Want me to mix one for you too? You’ve never had somaek before, right?”

“…Does it taste good like that?”

“It just tastes like soju and beer mixed together. But we don’t drink alcohol for the taste anyway.”

I placed the finished glass in front of him, and Song Ji-hyeok didn’t refuse. I quickly mixed mine too, and we made a friendly toast… After that, our glasses were rarely empty. As we drank back and forth, I tried to keep the conversation going with light topics.

“The fried chicken is delicious, right? This place is even better than franchise chicken shops.”

“It’s not bad.”

“How did it feel when you got your S-grade?”

“It felt fucking great.”

“I’m so jealous, seriously.”

From talking about the food to discussing our common ground of awakening – just like at the restaurant earlier, Song Ji-hyeok was more responsive than I expected, and we had quite a lot of conversation.

Throughout this time, I didn’t bring up anything about Song Ji-hyeok’s brother at all. That wasn’t why I had suggested a second round. I know better than anyone how much I hate it when people pry into others’ weaknesses or private matters for gossip.