This S-Class Esper is Not an Obsessive Maniac

15.

It wasn’t difficult for the experienced Esper Management Team Leader to accurately guess the current state of Choi Jae-won and Ryu Ho-yeon from their exhausted appearance and Ho-yeon’s drooping gun barrel. Park Woo-jun hid the two behind his back and gave instructions in a businesslike manner.

“We’ll stop here for a moment. We’ll reorganize the battle formation. Esper Ryu Ho-yeon and Guide Choi Jae-won, move to the very rear, and healing Espers, focus on recovering Guide Choi Jae-won’s condition. All offensive nature-type Espers, move to the front.”

Watching Park Woo-jun’s back as he cleared the dungeon at a rapid pace, coordinating smoothly as if Ho-yeon’s absence didn’t matter at all, Choi Jae-won and Ryu Ho-yeon were lost in different thoughts.

Ho-yeon, exhausted and slumped, was primarily frustrated. It wasn’t inferiority towards Park Woo-jun. It was closer to self-deprecation and anger towards himself.

Until now, he had believed without doubt that he was the strongest and most special Esper in the world. Of course, he was indeed the strongest and most special Esper, being the only S-class materialization ability user on the entire planet. However, apart from this objective fact, he needed at least that much reason and excuse to rationalize having to live in hiding, with his existence thoroughly erased to the point of suffocation. It was a kind of self-defense.

If only a compatible Guide appeared, I would undoubtedly become the strongest Esper in the world. I would undoubtedly be the most special Esper in the world. That’s why I’m living in hiding like this, it’s not painful at all, so everything will be fine, I, my mother…

Even while vaguely knowing it was forced, he had to soak his brain in such irrational thinking to keep on living. He would eternally decline the red pill that would make him realize the truth. Because once his eyes opened to anger and resentment, he felt he could never go back.

But how was it now?

“Team Leader, how’s your guiding state?”

“Thanks to Esper Ryu Ho-yeon, I conserved a lot of energy at the beginning, so I’m fine. We should be able to clear this without using an amplifier at this rate.”

“That’s a relief. Some of the taste-type Guides say they might be able to guide, so please let me know right away if you need it.”

Park Woo-jun, whom Ho-yeon had considered not special at all, was naturally performing more than his share excellently, while Ho-yeon, who had been a frog in a well, was exhausted and collapsed, unable to walk on his own, having to be carried by another physical enhancement-type Esper who still had strength left.

He should have turned his eyes to reality a bit more. Instead of crumpling up and throwing away everything he didn’t want to see, didn’t want to think about, all the complicated things.

His fist, which couldn’t even muster strength, clenched and unclenched unnecessarily. Seeing Ho-yeon’s appearance, which seemed to have taken quite a blow to his pride, Choi Jae-won also felt uneasy. How could he be comfortable? He felt that all the negative emotions Ho-yeon was feeling now were his fault. In fact, to some extent, it was Choi Jae-won’s fault.

If there’s something Park Woo-jun has that Ryu Ho-yeon doesn’t, is there anything more than one? The existence of a pair that solidly supports guiding.

Moreover, Park Woo-jun’s pair, Lee Han-seo, didn’t even enter this dungeon. Despite being separated for days now, Park Woo-jun seemed to have almost no restrictions in displaying his abilities. He must have been at 100%, full guiding state when entering the dungeon.

In fact, it was just that no sufficiently compatible Guide had appeared, so the turn came to Choi Jae-won. To be frank, Choi Jae-won wasn’t a suitable Guide for Ryu Ho-yeon in many ways. Especially in terms of rank.

A Guide’s rank was determined by comprehensively judging two criteria: the total amount of internal guiding and the purity of the wavelength. In Choi Jae-won’s case, objectively, both indicators were about average for a B-rank Guide.

Through years of experimental participation, he somehow managed to raise his matching rate with Ryu Ho-yeon and increase his guiding purity by a hair’s breadth, receiving an A-rank assessment in a “turn a blind eye” manner, but that was really just the tip of the iceberg. The total amount of guiding showed no signs of increasing no matter what. The former chief researcher of the Center, whom Choi Jae-won had hired at great expense, firmly stated that the total amount was simply innate and there was no way to increase it.

Still, he had to find a way somehow. Unless suddenly one day, an outstanding Guide like his dear cousin appeared out of nowhere and snatched the spot next to Ryu Ho-yeon, as long as he still loved Ho-yeon to the point of desperation.

In the end, under Park Woo-jun’s direct command, the S-rank dungeon was safely closed without any major incidents. As soon as they exited the gate, as if the tension had been released, Ryu Ho-yeon fainted while still being carried by another Esper. Choi Jae-won, who was trying to complete Ho-yeon’s hospital admission procedures as his guardian, lost consciousness in the same way, with a pen in his hand, before even signing the consent form, as if following his pair. He too was in a terrible state from repeatedly pushing guiding into Ho-yeon as soon as it recovered, even though his best efforts at guiding were like pouring water into a bottomless pit for Ho-yeon.

“Ah, Guide-nim. Are you conscious?”

After a good night’s rest receiving an IV drip, Choi Jae-won, whose guiding had recovered somewhat, regained consciousness the very next morning. Even in his half-awake state, he tried to get up, seemingly looking for Ryu Ho-yeon. The medical staff, not surprised, calmly pushed Choi Jae-won back down, saying, “Your pair is in the bed right next to you,” soothing his squirming shoulders. It was a very common sight in the Center’s ward for one of a pair who collapsed at similar times to wake up first and search for the other.

“Hyung, no, how is Esper Ryu Ho-yeon’s condition? His physical exhaustion seemed severe.”

“All vital signs are normal. We’re constantly monitoring, so you can rest assured. It’s the first time he’s used his ability this long and intensively, right? Espers often react like this when they first use their ability strongly.”

“Ah… That’s a relief then. Oh, guiding. I shouldn’t be lying here, I should at least…”

It was a pure love so devoted that it was regrettable only medical staff were there to see and hear it. However, the medical staff, who knew of many Guides whose conditions had worsened from trying to engage in love play from their hospital beds, laughed heartily while skillfully dissuading Choi Jae-won.

“A full guiding substitute is being administered. Guiding is something to do after the patient’s own condition recovers first. You haven’t recovered much guiding yet anyway, right? Do you know that it’s more stressful on the Esper’s body to switch to a substitute midway after vaguely natural guiding in that state?”

As the weight of concern for the patient increased, the white gown draped over the medical staff’s shoulders often exerted a strong influence, so Choi Jae-won obediently relaxed and lay down. As they said, recovering guiding quickly seemed to be the most urgent priority.

Shortly after the medical staff who had come to check his condition left the room, Lee Han-seo burst through the door at a similar timing, asking, “Is this the ‘patient’ room?” Of course, Park Woo-jun, stuck to him like a set, was with him. Choi Jae-won’s already nonexistent appetite plummeted to the depths.

“Ho-yeon!! Choi Jae-won!! Are you both okay?”

“It’s noisy. Be quiet.”

“Seeing that rudeness, you must be all better, my little brother!”

“Come on, what ‘my little brother’…”

Choi Jae-won trailed off, glancing at Park Woo-jun’s clean face that seemed to shine. He was indeed too fine. Unlike Ryu Ho-yeon, who still couldn’t regain consciousness even though his pair Guide had been by his side continuously.

He hadn’t felt it much when people around him talked about S-rank Guides and whatnot, but now that he had actually tried guiding an Esper after entering the Center, he realized it. How powerful and amazing a Guide Lee Han-seo was, being top-tier in both total amount and purity. Also, how fortunate it was for him that such a Guide had a terrible matching rate with Ryu Ho-yeon.

“No! He’s my boyfriend! Don’t look! He’ll wear out!”

Ah, seriously unappetizing. Although Lee Han-seo had been the object of jealousy and envy ever since Choi Jae-won started coveting the spot next to Ryu Ho-yeon, he had never been as annoying as he was now.

Seeing Choi Jae-won’s terrible expression as he stopped poking at the side dishes that lacked any salt and put down his chopsticks completely, Lee Han-seo burst into laughter, finding something greatly amusing.

“Hyung, how did you really become like this? Aunt would faint from shock if she knew.”

“Well. If Uncle knew about the crazy things you’ve done just for Ho-yeon, he’d faint before my mom would, wouldn’t he?”

“…”

“Hehe, it’s funny. By the way, when they heard you collapsed, Uncle and Grandfather have been in an uproar since last night, saying they’d come right away. Whew. How did they even let you go to the Center when they cherish you so much?”

“Did you tell them?”

“Me? Why would I? If you could use your pocket money to get Ho-yeon’s photos, how many hotlines do you think our Chairman and Vice Chairman could have installed?”

There was nothing to refute. Choi Jae-won just pretended to count rice grains with a disgruntled expression. In any case, he had no intention of being depressed and dejected.

If he had planned to just bite his nails and be sad about the vast gap, he wouldn’t have stuck his head in here in the first place. He steeled himself as he looked at Ryu Ho-yeon’s pale face. They said the total amount couldn’t be increased. Then, whether it’s purity or matching rate, he just needed to increase what could be increased.

“Oh my, my eyes might fall out. Do you like Ho-yeon that much?”

“Yes. I like him. I love him.”

He was prepared to endure whatever happened in the process. He hadn’t obtained the position as Ryu Ho-yeon’s pair without at least that much resolve.