Joo-hyun used his abilities to lift the two monsters and carefully set them down by the brook where the gate was located. The monsters, recognising the entrance, headed straight for the gate. Just before stepping through, the mother turned and gazed at Joo-hyun, her look lingering as if expressing gratitude.
"This is quite an unexpected situation," Seo-chan remarked, watching the monsters slowly swim into the water. Beom-jin nodded in agreement.
"You'll be punished when we get back," Beom-jin stated.
"What?" Seo-chan responded, confused.
"For the crime of sparing the monsters," Beom-jin clarified.
Joo-hyun, trying to shake off as much of the slime from his clothes as possible, combed through his still damp hair and turned to face them. "The mission is complete. Let's head back to the others."
Deciding against crossing the gate again due to the energy they had expended, the three of them chose to walk through the mountains. Although the gate offered a quicker passage, their extensive use of powers had left them wary.
"Is it time to head back now?" Seo-chan asked.
"Yes. We just need to file the report," Joo-hyun replied.
"Do you write it yourself?" Seo-chan inquired.
"Every runaway esper writes their own reports," Joo-hyun said. Although assassination missions, which Joo-hyun frequently undertook, did not require reports, gate-related missions necessitated them for information gathering.
"Why did you spare those monsters?" Beom-jin asked.
Joo-hyun remained silent, unsure of the exact reason himself. He had felt a simple compassion, but that alone did not seem a sufficient excuse to risk punishment. Then, the image of the red eyes filled with pain and despair flashed in his mind, and he understood. It was a sense of kinship.
"…They didn't come here by choice," he said, stepping on a branch that snapped under his boot. His wet shoes were uncomfortable, but his life had never been easy.
"We should seal the gate by the brook to prevent this from happening again," Joo-hyun continued.
"Is it possible to close a gate?" Seo-chan asked, curious.
"Usually not. But since this gate is on the ground underwater, it can be blocked."
Most gates floated in midair, and blocking them usually attracted more attention, leading to even more monsters breaking through. Hence, the best approach was regular monitoring.
Climbing the rough mountain was arduous, but thanks to the tracker on the BE-16 gate, they did not get lost. The team, waiting at the gate, looked bewildered as the trio emerged from the bushes. Only after listening to the explanation did they realise that monsters had indeed been out in the world, leaving them stunned.
"Getting down is somehow harder than climbing up."
"That's how mountains are. One wrong step, and you're done for."
Joo-hyun, adept at navigating rough terrains, pricked up his ears at the conversation behind him. He moved slowly, ready to assist if someone slipped, noticing that the team's chatter had dwindled to a murmur.
People tend to lower their voices when discussing matters they wish to keep private. Joo-hyun, not intending to eavesdrop, was about to offer his help to the panting Seo-chan when one of the crew members approached him.
"Could you use your ability to help us out a bit?"
The question caught Joo-hyun and the quietly descending Beom-jin off guard.
"Other espers have helped us in the past. You can lift people with psychokinesis, right?"
Joo-hyun could indeed lift them effortlessly, floating them down safely. However, he could not agree to it. As a runaway esper without his guide nearby, using his power carelessly was tantamount to triggering a ticking time bomb, and he was already anxious enough.
There were too many reasons, too difficult to explain. After a moment's hesitation, Joo-hyun replied slowly, "My matching guide is incredibly busy, yet he makes time to guide me. I can't use my powers lightly. I'm sorry."
The crew member's expression soured at the unexpected response. Another staff member, already irritated by the arduous descent, voiced his frustration.
"You're making a big deal out of nothing. Using your powers a bit more won't change anything."
"Hey, knock it off."
"No, seriously. We didn't want to come here in the first place, but we did. Is a bit of help too much to ask?"
The man's gaze met Joo-hyun's, his irritation clear. The dark red eyes, starkly visible in the sunlight filtering through the leaves, gleamed menacingly.
"There's no need to be so harsh about it…" the man's voice trailed off, realising that Joo-hyun was not an ordinary esper, but a runaway esper.
Seeing the evident fear in the man's eyes, Joo-hyun's thoughts drifted to someone else—Cha In-ho, who met his red eyes without flinching or tensing. In-ho, who would meet his gaze head-on and smile.
Joo-hyun sighed quietly, feeling his thoughts returning to In-ho more frequently of late. He resumed walking, feeling guilty about the heavy mood but unable to alleviate it.
By the time they reached the waiting vehicles, everyone was covered in dust. Joo-hyun, followed by Seo-chan, tapped on the window to wake the driver who was napping in the front seat.
The journey back was bathed in the hues of the setting sun. Seo-chan's voice broke the silence.
"I'm about to ask something that might make you uncomfortable, but please bear with me. The higher-ups insisted."
Seo-chan, looking genuinely concerned, watched Joo-hyun closely. Understanding the necessity, Joo-hyun straightened up, signalling he was ready.
"Can you tell me how you ended up being matched with In-ho?"
Joo-hyun had anticipated this question. It was the primary reason for his notoriety among the runaway espers.
"When I first heard, I thought it was absurd. Who could ever match with a runaway esper?"
Joo-hyun and the other espers in Block C had laughed it off as a ridiculous rumour. But what seemed impossible became reality.
"Then In-ho showed up, and somehow, we ended up signing the contract."
There was no need to share every detail—the glares exchanged, In-ho accidentally pressing the summoner, leading to Joo-hyun's bloodied emergence. Some memories were best kept private.
"Do you get along with him?"
"We don't have a bad relationship," Joo-hyun replied, omitting his uncertainty.
"What kind of guide is Cha In-ho?"
Joo-hyun pondered, wishing for multiple-choice options. He knew only two types of guides: the trash heaps and Cha In-ho. Compared to the former, In-ho was an excellent guide, though he suspected Seo-chan wanted a different answer.
"He's a very warm guide," Joo-hyun finally said.
Unlike the cold, painful guidance he had received before, In-ho's was warm and gentle. Smiling slightly, Joo-hyun looked down.
"He scolds me when I get hurt but always guides me anyway. He asks if I'm lacking anything and shares interesting stories I didn't know. He's sometimes playful too."
The sunset lit Joo-hyun's face, his amber eyes glinting like tiny lanterns. Lost in thought, he exhaled a laugh and looked at the camera.
"I'm glad he's my matching guide… But please edit that out."
Seo-chan laughed awkwardly at Joo-hyun's suddenly serious request.
Realising his words were embarrassing, Joo-hyun felt his cheeks flush. He wanted assurance that the scene would be cut, but Seo-chan avoided eye contact, raising his hand apologetically.
"Sorry, but that's not up to me."
Joo-hyun sighed, his head drooping. He really hated being on camera.