Approximal Guide

The high-voltage tower had been pulled and bent, leaving exposed, uninsulated wires sprawled on the ground, writhing as if they had a will of their own. Guiding would be easier if I could get closer. What kind of mission could have left him in this state?

I slowly disengaged the radiation guiding. With so many espers present at the scene, it seemed more efficient to focus solely on Moohyuk rather than spread it widely. My heightened senses, sensitive due to guiding control, warned me with prickling sensations to flee quickly—the telltale sign of a berserk premonition esper nearby. A chill ran down my spine. I steadied my concentration, pooling guiding energy at my fingertips, then aimed at Kim Moohyuk with an archer-like motion to increase accuracy.

Guiding is based on neuroscience. Numerous neuroscientists have delved deeply into how willpower affects the brain, and their findings are consistent: ‘Willpower’ alters the brain. Changes begin with the desire to act. So, my will transforms my thoughts, and this shift in my consciousness will rescue you, Kim Moohyuk. No matter how far apart we are, this guiding will undoubtedly reach you. I can save you, and I will do so to the best of my ability until the end.

“Open your eyes, Kim Moohyuk.”

Making you respond to my call—that’s the essence of guiding I can show to my esper.

To make that happen, I further solidified the guiding that sparked from my fingertips. Guiding is based on waves, and waves have directionality. However, like all physical forces, waves weaken over distance. The physical-chemical force known as ‘guiding,’ which takes on wave characteristics, also diminishes significantly in intensity as it spreads. To counteract this, I transformed the guiding wave from a transverse wave, like a ripple, to a longitudinal wave, like an earthquake. Easier said than done—it’s something only a genius could manage.

Fortunately for this situation, I happened to be a genius. Though my fate is grim, with all my partnered espers constantly facing life-threatening situations, at least I had the skill to handle this level of technique. I reached out into the empty air, closed one eye, and took careful aim. It might look insane, but this image training was necessary to ensure my guiding shot at Kim Moohyuk would land accurately.

The guiding shot, gathered like a bullet, flew from my fingertips and hit the wavering figure of Kim Moohyuk, who was hovering and shaking in midair.

“Hey! You hit him, right?”

Kim Inhak shouted in surprise as the wave surged into Kim Moohyuk. Yet, even with his guiding reserves depleted, Moohyuk didn’t come out of his berserk state, seemingly dissatisfied with just the radiation guiding. Watching Moohyuk’s remaining guiding levels on my bio-monitor, I reloaded another guiding bullet.

At that moment—

“Block it—!”

A scream echoed from afar as a massive whirlwind approached, likely the work of an esper controlling the atmosphere. I shouted sharply at Kim Inhak.

“What’s that?!”

“Well, it’s… It was part of Moohyuk’s mission. He was supposed to subdue these winds mixed with special abilities that suddenly started blowing…”

Winds imbued with special abilities are usually created by an atmospheric or wind esper’s artificial convection. Such winds shouldn’t carry an esper’s wavelength unless generated by an esper. Why on earth was it happening near the Seoul-Gyeonggi Center? Silently glaring at Kim Inhak, he flinched and quickly added.

“…It’s likely those Accent guys.”

Of course. I swallowed a curse and turned my gaze back to the front. Through the sandstorm, several ability-wielding individuals were running toward us, seemingly leaping through the air. Just from their hostile esper wavelengths, I could tell they were espers from Accent. The sandstorm intensified, seemingly aiming to engulf Kim Moohyuk. I yelled at the top of my lungs.

“All units, line up!”

The support squad espers, who had been dazed, fell into formation and soon assumed combat stances. Esper wavelengths filled the area with a sharp intensity. Despite Kim Inhak being the higher-ranking Center Director, as the field leader, the command fell to me. I hobbled forward and shouted at the nine espers in formation. Dividing them into three squads, I assigned roles.

“Three of you protect Lieutenant Kim Moohyuk, three attack, and the rest provide cover. The guiding personnel will split into two groups: one team supports the attack squad with radiation guiding, while the other team follows me to guide Lieutenant Kim Moohyuk.”

“Yes!”

The wind threatened to drown their voices, so the squad responded with extra volume. The attackers moved out quickly, buying time by engaging Accent’s espers while I tried to subdue Moohyuk’s rampage. Stabilizing him with radiation guiding could work if I could get close enough.

Through the cloud of dust, I limped toward Moohyuk. My bullet-like guiding shot appeared to be taking effect, with his guiding level now slightly more stable.

“You all don’t need to guide that fool specifically. Just scatter the esper wavelengths around us with guiding waves.”

Judging from the guiding personnel’s low ranks, it looked like someone had dragged in a bunch of rookies. Sighing, I refocused my guiding at my fingertips, gathering the wave into a longitudinal wave like an earthquake, so it would reach Moohyuk.

Amid the chaotic sounds of yelling espers, sandstorm roars, gunshots, and abilities clashing, I focused solely on guiding the best of my energy to Moohyuk. Why couldn’t he just wait for me? Why wander off recklessly like this?

I understood Moohyuk’s efforts. It’s a phenomenon similar to an aging parent struggling for a much younger child or between partners with a significant age difference. As one succumbs to the passage of time, the younger partner also bears the weight of time alongside them. I was relatively old for active duty and, even for my age, my body wasn’t in perfect condition. Moohyuk must have worked even harder, trying to prove my relevance to the military.

Such efforts probably became a heavy burden for young Moohyuk. That’s why he likely seized this opportunity to attempt a solo mission. Knowing his situation made me feel even more pity. My compassion toward my esper manifested as a guiding impulse, which my mind instructed my brain to focus, drawing all my guiding energy to my fingertips.

Amid the swirling sandstorm, I carefully took aim at him and fired another guiding bullet.

Beep—

In response to my determination, Moohyuk’s level finally edged into the safe zone. Now, all that was left was to stabilize him with direct guiding, and he could join the fight without risk. As for the enemy’s forces, unless they had at least five S+ grade espers, they wouldn’t stand a chance against him. S++ is rare because even S+ espers are few, and the power gap is significant. If Moohyuk fought at full strength, their numbers wouldn’t matter—he’d crush them. We might even capture Accent’s espers alive to force a confession.

With that in mind, I boldly charged into the sandstorm.

“Colonel!”

He could hear the guides trying to stop him, but he couldn’t just stand there in a daze. The guiding bullet was a skill that couldn’t be fired consecutively, and if his mind grew tired, the quality of the guiding would drop significantly. The only way to bring Kim Moohyuk back to normal and overcome the situation was through direct contact guiding. Dragging his barely responsive knees, he moved toward Moohyuk.

A whirlwind mixed with sand blew even more fiercely, blocking the space between him and Kim Moohyuk. It had grown large enough to make it difficult even to stand, like a small storm. Even as the wind blew so hard he couldn’t open his eyes, he limped forward, driven by a single determination: to reach Kim Moohyuk.

As Moohyuk’s guiding level barely stabilized, he subconsciously withdrew the surrounding esper waves that had been creating chaos. This was the right moment. The distance between them was now minimal. The instant he took Moohyuk’s hand, Kim Moohyuk would recover all his abilities.

“…Colonel?”

Moohyuk, now gradually regaining consciousness, opened his eyes with a squint against the sandstorm. Seeing him like that, he couldn’t help but smile a little, even in such a dire situation. Rarely, on days when he was unusually tired, Moohyuk would wake up with that just-awoken look, usually before him. That image came to mind for some reason.

Moohyuk looked around, then fixed his gaze on him as he dragged himself forward on his knees. When their eyes met, he thought he’d say his name, perhaps offer reassurance for the confusion in Moohyuk’s eyes. Tell him everything would be okay, that they could go home now. Maybe even scold him for being a fool and making him suffer by entrusting his precious watch to him.

But the shock that pierced his chest prevented those words from escaping his mouth. He didn’t even have time to feel the pain from the strong impact. Only an intense feeling that something was wrong washed over him.

“Kang Hajung—!”

Moohyuk called his name.

In Moohyuk’s eyes, there was only overflowing disbelief and despair. He wanted to soothe his esper disciple, tell him it was okay, that they’d promised to eat before heading back. He wanted to say he’d never broken a promise to him. But the moment he opened his mouth, blood spurted out.

The rock pierced through him and grazed Moohyuk’s brow. Despite the impact, Moohyuk didn’t blink, his eyes fixed on him. It felt less like pain and more like the disbelief of seeing a cracked screen on a dropped phone. Breathing was difficult, but that was all.

After all, he had never thought he would die.

Yet, without even uttering a final gasp, all he could do was stare helplessly at the rock that pierced him and left a mark on Moohyuk’s brow.

“Kang Hajung!”

Moohyuk called his name again. He stopped the rock that had grazed his brow mid-air and hurled it backward. If he turned around, he’d see the esper of Accent, who had caused all this. He wanted to turn and check, but for some reason, he couldn’t take his eyes off Kim Moohyuk’s face.

His clenched jaw, furrowed brow, and eyes filled with emotions only those witnessing the unimaginable could have. With a last thought of “This brat, he’s calling his master’s name until the end,” he lost consciousness.

He probably wouldn’t wake up. A feeling settled over him:

As a guide with a good sense of intuition, he was precisely aware of his end, even up to his own death.

Yes, he died that day.

***

When he woke up in the morning, Kim Moohyuk had wrapped himself around him again.

Apparently, lacking guiding overnight, Moohyuk had crawled into his bed. Waking up every morning in the embrace of that huge guy was nothing short of annoying.

“Ah, this brat again…”

And the heavy presence pressing against his tailbone from Moohyuk, who’d fallen asleep hugging him from behind, was significant. He knew it was a common morning occurrence for guys, but he didn’t understand why he had to wake up to this situation every day. Moohyuk wanted to press something firm against the back of a man twelve years his senior…?

No matter how much guiding he gave before bed, like some feline in search of warmth, Moohyuk would always crawl into his bed by morning. Even though it was spacious enough for one, his poor bed felt tiny when shared with a giant like Kim Moohyuk.

The stress hormones exploded exponentially thanks to the guy who had ignored his frustrated plea to sleep in his own bed.

“Hey, Kim Moohyuk—! Wake up, why are you sleeping here again, hey, you brat—!”

As he tried to lift his torso, dodging the unsettling weight pressing on his tailbone, he was pulled back into Moohyuk’s arms.

Espers had hearing akin to hunting dogs, so there was no way he hadn’t woken up from his shouting, yet Moohyuk only tightened his grip around his waist, frustratingly silent. Man, why had this guy grown so huge? When he’d first met him, he’d been somewhat cute, even affectionate.

As he got older, he’d grown bigger and was now almost his height. Espers’ growth often continued until age twenty-five, so he’d likely grow even taller. Imagining that made him feel not just irritated but genuinely unsettled. Of course, given his high rank, Moohyuk’s body was constantly craving guiding, so it made sense that he’d unconsciously seek out a guide close by in the same quarters.

But still, he had no desire to wake up every morning with the discomfort of his disciple’s considerable weight pressing into his tailbone and lower back.

“Wake up. You’re gross.”

“Sleep more. You didn’t look good yesterday.”

Despite his retort, Moohyuk was as brazen as ever. He could feel his blood pressure rising from the low point it had been.

“Hey, you brat! If you hadn’t clung to me, I would’ve slept fine. Aren’t you going to get off?”

He pressed his palm against Moohyuk’s chin to push him away, but he wouldn’t budge, and instead, tightened his arms around his waist, pulling him closer with words that left him speechless.

“…Stop moving. You’re making it worse.”

“You brat, don’t you…! Do you have any idea who your master is? Acting up from the start of the day! Are you going to get off?”

Espers had an overwhelming fixation on their guides. It wasn’t that Moohyuk had romantic feelings for him or saw him as a partner, but his body reacted to the guiding waves that flowed from a guide’s skin.

Usually, espers who hadn’t undergone training in dual academies and had developed into espers midway had difficulty adjusting to their bodies’ reactions to guides, regardless of the guide’s gender. Yet Moohyuk had no such difficulty. He wanted to applaud his adaptability, as he comfortably slept beside him every night, embracing him despite their twelve-year age gap. One of his juniors had even avoided guiding to the point of nearing an outburst, saying the thought of receiving guiding from a male guide repulsed him.

Compared to him, look at Kim Moohyuk. Regardless of the fact that his guide is also a man or that he’s twelve years older than him, doesn’t he sneak into his room every night, pick the lock with chopsticks, and hug his waist as they sleep, even going so far as to press his weight against his master’s backside? It was almost unbelievable how well this boy, who grew up “outside” until adulthood, adapted so naturally to the Center’s atmosphere.

Ignoring his master’s morning exasperation, Kim Moohyuk opened his mouth, his voice low and calm.

“You’ve created this situation with your Esper, yet you’re not taking responsibility? That’s neglecting your duty, Instructor.”

“What nonsense. Get up and make breakfast.”

Even as I hit his arm with firm pats to shoo him away, he didn’t flinch but instead slowly lifted his upper body. Since he was hugging me from behind, I couldn’t turn around to look at him, but I suspected—and was indeed correct—that he wasn’t wearing anything on his upper body. In the faint light peeking through the blackout curtains, his bare torso was revealed. It was a body like that of a beast, dense with muscle. I once had a body like that in my prime. Feeling oddly bitter, I quickly regained my senses.

“Why do you keep crawling into my bed? I gave you a Guiding session before bed last night, wasn’t that enough?”

“Does it seem enough?”

“Do you want to play word games?”

As I asked, beginning to get truly annoyed, Kim Moohyuk, with a knack for getting out of situations, got up from the bed, looking disinterested.

“I’ll make you an omelet. Keep sleeping.”

Even though I’d been grouchy all morning from the sleep disturbance, he laid me back down as if soothing a child, tucking the blanket around me and gently patting my abdomen before he left.

It was as if he was completely used to my grumpy morning personality, courtesy of my low blood pressure. I let out a long sigh as I lay there. While Moohyuk and I are a pair, our relationship is primarily that of master and apprentice, so we haven’t bonded. Perhaps that’s why he’s so attached to me, the one guide who’s around him. I tried to find him another guide, wanting to settle him down and send him off like a father marrying off a grown child, but none were compatible with him, or their levels were far lower than his, making it hard to find a suitable match.

It seems I’ll have to keep him by my side for now, but as days pass, his growing attachment to me makes me increasingly uneasy. Even though I’ve told him multiple times that when he was starting elementary school, I was already legally buying alcohol, he pretends not to understand. Surely, he doesn’t have genuine affection for an old guy like me; it must be his nature as a high-level Esper with constant Guiding needs that makes him unknowingly drawn to me. Before I end up messing up a young man’s life, I thought I’d find him another guide quickly and finally take the discharge I’ve been eagerly awaiting.

I thought I had drifted back to sleep.

…Or, at least, that I had died then and there. But rather than reviewing my life at the entrance to the afterlife, it turned out it had all just been a dream.

And so, from the state I believed was death, I awoke.

“Ah—huff—!”

Just breathing felt like the air was tearing at my lungs, and the intense light piercing through my half-open eyes made them throb. It was agony like that of someone trapped in a cave for ages or unable to open their eyes for months. My lungs, collapsed from the sudden intake of air, felt unable to expand fully, leaving me in so much pain I nearly gagged.

Squinting against the blinding light, I scratched at my nose, feeling a strange tickle. I thought it was just an itch, but my hand encountered a thin hose. I gripped it and slowly pulled, feeling the thin tube trailing out from inside my nose, which was nothing short of horrific.

“Ugh, cough—!”

I coughed for a long while. What was this? I was certain I’d died. After all, the boulder that had pierced through my sternum had been thrown by Accent’s Esper. Not being one to heal quickly, it was only natural that I should’ve died from shock before any treatment could even start. Yet here I was, inexplicably alive, staring at the hospital ceiling.

But the incessant ringing in my ears and the deep ache in my skull made it hard to think clearly. Blinking, I noticed a bandage taped to the back of my hand. What was this? I would need some time for my foggy mind to fully clear. This seemed to be a guide-only hospital ward… but something felt strangely unfamiliar. I was sure I had died. Could it be that Kim Moohyuk had managed to rush me to the ward at Mach speed and put me into surgery?

I ran my fingers over the hospital gown I was wearing but couldn’t find any surgical scars. Oddly enough, there wasn’t a single stitch or bandage, only smooth skin with no trace of any injury. And my skin looked unusually pale, as if I hadn’t seen a ray of sunlight in ages. Had I been unconscious for three months?

Growing more confused, I pressed the nurse call button, but no one came. I figured it might be faster to just get up and look for Kim Moohyuk or Han Byeongeun. Feeling unexpectedly pleased to be alive, I propped myself up on the bed to sit up, only to find a bandage on my wrist. A new injury? Before my chest was torn open, I’d had no such wound on my wrist. Shaking off the fogginess, I got up.

“Ah, my head…”

A groan escaped me involuntarily, sounding unfamiliar. Was it just my imagination, or had my voice changed slightly? Maybe it was from being unconscious so long, but even my perspective seemed lower… Had they removed a few vertebrae from my spine during surgery? Well, maybe that wasn’t so bad. It’d make my legs look longer compared to my torso. I was ready to leave the room with that light-hearted thought.

“Ugh… why does my body feel like it’s been through a grinder…”

It must really have been a long time since I last moved; otherwise, my body wouldn’t be in this terrible shape. Just how many days had I been out? It would be nice if I’d woken up after the joint training was over. Stretching out my stiff joints, I tried to get used to moving again.

But things felt off in more ways than one. My wrists and thighs felt oddly different… Was it muscle loss? Before my knee injury, I’d been heavily built, enough to be considered bulky. But after the injury, I’d mostly stopped training and spent time advising Kim Moohyuk, so I’d lost a fair bit of muscle. Still, I’d never been this thin. My wrists and ankles looked alarmingly narrow.

“Why hasn’t anyone come to check on me yet…?”

Surely someone would have come to see a person awakening from a coma. Muttering irritably about the no-show nurse, I pushed myself to my feet. I found an old pair of slippers stashed in the corner, slipped them on, and stepped out of the room.

That idiot Esper Kim Moohyuk couldn’t even be bothered to watch over his injured master. I glanced around the empty hallways with an angry glint in my eye. The hallway was deserted. It wasn’t dark outside, but everyone seemed to be gone. The nurse’s station was also empty. Moving slowly, I took cautious steps, my legs shaking. Just how long had I been lying down?

Another strange thing was the heating. Although we were indoors, there was a gentle warmth radiating from the ceiling ducts. The season when I had lost consciousness was definitely summer. The warmth wasn’t intense, but it was there… Was it really months later?

With still-trembling steps, he found the elevator and pressed the button to go down. Oddly, the button on the wall seemed higher up than usual. What normally sat around his hip level seemed closer to his navel… He figured it was just his imagination and focused on his steps, noticing that the elevator doors opened right then. Gratefully, he got on, with the IV pole becoming his unwavering support.

“Kim Moohyuk, that useless brat. He should’ve been at his teacher’s side every single day. Just where did he think he could run off to, not knowing when I’d wake up? I’ll kill him when I find him.”

Feeling physically strained, he felt a bit of resentment toward Kim Moohyuk. Normally, even if it annoyed him, that kid would stick to him like glue. But with Kim gone, moving his body had become too difficult. At least it seemed his knee hadn’t been left untreated, so he wasn’t dealing with any painful stiffness in his joint.

“Did the new medicine really work? Or did they use me as a test subject while I was lying down?”

With the military medical unit, he wouldn’t put it past them. Using him as an experiment? But surely, Kim Moohyuk wouldn’t have let that happen. Though he may be negligent enough to leave his unconscious teacher’s bedside, he wasn’t the type to allow any reckless testing. Reassuring himself, he stepped out of the elevator and into the ward lobby, where a few people were milling around. He glanced around curiously.

“Wait, isn’t this the guide ward? It feels a bit off…”

Muttering under his breath, he pushed the IV pole forward. The interior didn’t match the guide ward he remembered. He observed the unfamiliar surroundings as he slowly made his way toward the exit, feeling someone’s gaze on him. When he turned to look, the people staring quickly averted their eyes.

“…What’s their deal?”

He was known within the military, but because he had a rather unremarkable, almost middle-aged face, people often didn’t recognize him as

Kang Hajung, even when he was right next to them. But today, the way they looked at him felt intense… Almost as if they, too, thought he’d been unconscious for a long time. While it was unsettling, finding Kim Moohyuk to get an update seemed the priority. Since he hadn’t found a phone in his room, tracking him down himself was probably quickest.

There were only so many places Kim could be—either their shared quarters or his office, assuming he hadn’t been assigned elsewhere. As he pushed through the ward door, the cold bit into him sharply.

“Ugh, it’s freezing.”

His own voice sounded strangely unfamiliar. It didn’t seem hoarse from a cold, so what was wrong? Clearing his throat a few times, he tugged the IV pole along. He wanted to ditch it, but without leaning on it, he doubted he could walk.

A chill wind stung his bare feet in the slippers. This wasn’t autumn weather, it was winter… Confused, he tilted his head, his mind numbed by the cold. Now he had another reason to find Kim Moohyuk quickly.

After a few more steps—what felt like ten miles mentally—he barely made it to the smoking booth by the ward’s emergency center. Since when did they set that up? He’d been to this ward often enough for knee treatments that it was strange he’d never noticed. Anyway, the booth was irrelevant. He stepped past it, intending to head out toward the main road.

Then he stopped, looking back at the booth in surprise.

“Wait, Kim Moohyuk…?”

There was a familiar face. But the man lighting a cigarette by the vent didn’t seem like the Kim Moohyuk he knew. He wasn’t even looking his way, yet the physical distance and the glass barrier between them did nothing to lessen his imposing presence. For a moment, thinking he was Kim Moohyuk felt absurd.

There was a scar above his right eyebrow, as if it had narrowly missed his eye. He was taller, with a dangerous-looking face and a sharp, intimidating gaze that made it hard to believe he was the same person, no matter the resemblance.

‘Is he an esper from the continent? But the allied training isn’t until autumn…’

Then again, given the weather, it was indeed autumn. Finally noticing how he was shivering, he turned back around. The clanking sound of the IV pole echoed miserably. He longed to hop onto a cart inside and let it carry him. He’d barely walked, yet his body was already exhausted. The moment he reached the hospital’s front entrance, someone yanked his wrist backward.

“Hey, Kang Hajung!”

It was an impolite grip, accompanied by a rude gesture, but the worst part was how his body wobbled without any resistance. Had he really gotten this weak? Feeling dumbfounded, he turned to look at the person who’d grabbed him.

With that cocky attitude and calling him by name, he’d expected someone of at least one-star rank, but it turned out to be just a second lieutenant. For some reason, though, this lowly officer felt entitled to block a colonel’s path. With an incredulous expression, he stared at the guy, who flinched.

“What, gonna hit me? Word came out you went missing from the hospital, and everyone was searching for you.”

Oh, so they’d actually looked for him? He nodded, causing the young man to look even more dumbfounded.

“You seem more arrogant than usual today. Anyway, now that you’re up, get to work. You know what happens if you pull another ‘dying’ stunt.”

What did he mean, ‘dying stunt’? It wasn’t like he wanted to be in that state. He wanted to retort, but as the man dragged him along, he didn’t get a chance. The guy gripped his wrist firmly, ignoring the IV pole that clattered to the ground. Thankfully, the bag hanging on the pole was a plastic pack, not glass, so it didn’t shatter. But as the IV line was tugged, the bandage on the back of his hand was pulled off, and the needle tore a bit of skin as it was yanked out.

“Ouch…!”

He let out a reflexive groan from the pain, but the man just gave him an annoyed look, as if he were overreacting.

“Stop whining. You’ve had enough bed rest.”

“How long was I lying down?”

He asked, finally voicing his curiosity. The young officer’s face twisted in irritation.

“Are you out of your mind? Now you’re speaking informally?”

“So what?”

What was he supposed to do, show this kid respect? Just because he was staring blankly, the young officer’s face grew even harsher.

“You’re seriously crazy. Fine, whatever. Talking to a nutcase like you is a waste of my breath. Just come along already.”

The truth was, he

a bit crazy, so he let himself be pulled along. The cold had made getting into the guy’s car seem like the better option. Although he didn’t like this brazen officer’s insubordination, he must have a reason for acting this way. Otherwise, who would dare address him, a colonel, like that and practically drag him into a car?

The center grounds were about the size of two or three neighborhoods combined, so it was impossible to cover the distance on foot. Since it looked like he would give me a ride, I kept quiet, figuring that if things went south, I could just punch him in the jaw and get dropped off somewhere along the way. As I calmly got into the passenger seat, the man kept grumbling, unfazed by my presence. He kept muttering things like “malingerer” and “suicide attempt,” which was baffling. They call it a suicide attempt when I threw myself out there to rescue the center’s only S++ esper? It felt unfair, to say the least.

I fastened my seatbelt and focused on the road ahead, aware that this guy didn’t seem like the safest driver.

“Hey, put on your belt… Well, that was fast. Really taking care of yourself, huh?” he remarked with a hint of sarcasm.

He was the one who was out of line. A little brat mouthing off to a Colonel like that. But since it was too cold to get out of the car, I decided I’d tell Han Byeongeun to discipline him later.

After that, we drove on in relative silence. I kept brushing my bangs back while looking out the window at the center passing by. Had they done some major renovations? Things looked different; there were new structures and even the streetlight colors seemed to have changed. It was unlikely the military, known for being stingy, would renovate a relatively new center without a reason. What happened here?

Could it be that instead of a season or two passing while I was out, it’s actually been a whole year? That chilling thought made me wrap my arms around myself, but then the car stopped, and the man spoke.

“Get out. There’s an event right now, and because of you, I didn’t even get to change into my dress uniform. Go change into yours and come out. Head to the Yeonghyeong Hall when you’re done.”

Yeonghyeong Hall was the military’s event auditorium. So, there really was an event, huh. If they were bringing me, a recent patient, it must be important. I clicked my tongue, looking at the building in front of us. It was the tailoring room for guide uniforms—only used when you need a new fit or your uniform is damaged. I thought it was odd since my uniform would still be back in my quarters.

“Don’t you remember? The one you wore was disposed of!”

Somehow, the guy picked up on my hesitation and snapped. Unbelievable—they’d disposed of my uniform while I was bedridden after getting injured on the job? Muttering to myself, I got out of the car. From behind, he shouted, “Hey! Did you just curse at me?” I ignored him, leaving the door open as I walked off.

Leaving the door open was likely to annoy him even more than slamming it shut. Sure enough, he yelled after me. I kept walking, unfazed.

“Should’ve gotten his name. The nerve of that brat getting a badge these days. I’ll have Inhak give him a lesson in respect,” I muttered, slowly making my way into the tailoring building. Strangely enough, I was met with similar treatment there. The tailor barely glanced at me before gesturing with his chin toward a uniform with “Kang Hajung” embroidered on the chest.

“The uniform is over there. Put it on and head out,” he said.

He may not be acting impressed, but I’m one of the key figures who led the military to victory in the Battle of Haeindang. They even included the battle in the latest textbooks used at the academy. While I may not be Admiral Yi Sun-sin, I thought I’d earned some respect in the military. So, I couldn’t understand why I was being treated this way. They seemed to recognize me, too. It was baffling—no one in the center, from the corner-store tobacco vendor to the cafeteria cook, could have forgotten me.

It made me think I’d better grill Kim Inhak after meeting Kim Moohyuk. I changed out of the patient’s gown and into the uniform, only to notice that the rank insignia on the shoulder didn’t seem to be for a Colonel. I wanted to ask the tailor, but he’d disappeared, and the mirror in the room was blocked by a massive clothing rack thick with dust. I had no desire to move it.

“Really? Blocking the mirror in a tailoring room?” I clicked my tongue and headed out toward Yeonghyeong Hall. Meeting Kim Moohyuk at the event seemed like my best bet now.

Luckily, the tailoring room wasn’t far from the hall, as it was an annex connected to the center’s main building. Along the way, though, I felt a lot of eyes on me. What’s with the stares? Have they never seen a Colonel with his uniform scrapped, ignored by his paired esper, and dismissed by a fresh-faced newbie? I scowled and kept walking. The combat boots they’d given me looked smaller than my usual ones, but they fit snugly, which puzzled me. Given my role in the Special Forces, they probably issued me boots instead of dress shoes, but still, it was odd.

Wondering about this, I walked until Yeonghyeong Hall came into view. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far, so I wasn’t too winded. Just a slight feeling of breathlessness, which I could ignore. A few minutes later, I finally made it inside the building. The place was packed with soldiers milling about, so it looked like the event hadn’t started yet.

How am I supposed to find Kim Moohyuk in all this? Just as a sigh escaped me, I felt a wave of psychic energy that made me shiver. It was familiar yet strangely different. It felt like Moohyuk’s energy, but sharper, and the wave pattern was very similar, though noticeably different. Moohyuk’s energy had always been gentle, as if asking permission to approach. But this felt aggressive, like it was probing for something. Startled, I looked toward the source of the wave.

There, on the edge of a row of chairs along the wall of the grand auditorium, sat a man watching something intently. Even though the place was bustling, the seats around him were conspicuously empty. It was as if people were unconsciously avoiding him, leaving him sitting there like an isolated island. He seemed unfocused, either looking into the corner or toward the front of the hall. His broad shoulders, thick arms with bulging veins, and one leg crossed over the other immediately drew my attention, not to mention the scar at the end of his right eyebrow.

“Whoa—”

A gasp escaped me before I could stop it, and I walked straight toward him.

“Kim Moohyuk, you bastard!”

I threw my arm around his neck, pulling him into a headlock. At last, I’d found my esper, the one I’d been looking for, Kim Moohyuk. So, the man smoking by the ward earlier was indeed Moohyuk. I’d hesitated because he seemed taller and his aura felt so different.

He’d even looked right at me and pretended not to recognize me. I tightened my grip and asked, “Why did you pretend not to know me earlier?”

Just then, before Moohyuk could respond, the young officer who’d given me a ride earlier approached with a pale face, grabbed my wrist, and said, “I-I apologize, Captain Kim! Sergeant Kang Hajung has only just regained consciousness… Please let it slide this once; I’ll make sure to educate him thoroughly!”

Educate me? Ridiculous. And since when was I just a sergeant? So this kid’s been disrespecting me because he thinks I’m a sergeant? Unreal. And here I thought he knew me well enough by the way he was talking.

He thought something was off. There was more than one suspicious element. Aside from the lieutenant in front of him, every Esper and Guide in sight seemed to have looks of shock on their faces. Why were they all acting this way? Just as he wondered, the lieutenant forcefully pressed down on the back of his neck, making him bow awkwardly to Kim Moohyuk. He was truly annoyed.

“Hey, take it easy. Who the hell are you to be acting familiar all of a sudden?”

“Look, Captain Kim! Now he’s even talking back to his superior as if he’s lost his mind! Haha, I’ll take this crazy guy off your hands for some discipline, then. Thank you, Captain!”

The lieutenant ignored his question, giving another forced bow to Kim Moohyuk before dragging him out. Unable to pick up the beret that had fallen to the ground, he was once again dragged out by someone he didn’t even know, all the way out of the main hall. Despite everything, the sight of Kim Moohyuk straightening his clothes without even glancing his way was a small shock.

Was his master just going to stand there as he was being dragged away by some unknown Esper? This made him furious, feeling as if the years spent raising him had been wasted. And as soon as the door shut, the lieutenant began yelling.

“Are you insane?!”

He looked at the guy whose face had turned red with anger and replied calmly.

“If anyone’s insane, it’s you.”

He wasn’t the type to stir up trouble and generally tolerated lower ranks as long as they didn’t cross the line. But this guy had gone too far. He’d been using informal language and forcibly shoving his superior’s head down. This was absurd. He stood with a slouched posture, staring him down, amused that his right knee didn’t hurt even while putting his weight on it.

“You really—!”

The lieutenant was about to raise his voice again when he caught sight of his own reflection in the glass door of the hall behind the lieutenant’s shoulder, making his eyes widen in shock.

“What?”

“Now you’re not even listening to your superior? Hey, I’m talking—where are you looking…”

He barely heard the lieutenant’s voice. Brushing past him, he pressed himself against the glass door of Yonghyeon Hall.

“What is this?”

That was all he could say upon seeing his reflection. Unable to believe it, he moved, waving his arms. His reflection looked strange.

“Hey! Where are you going?”

Ignoring the lieutenant calling after him, he headed back inside Yonghyeon Hall in a daze, searching for a bathroom.

“Bathroom, bathroom…”

His mumbling barely registered in his own ears as he entered a state of panic.

“Where…”

He ran all the way down the hall but couldn’t find a bathroom. Looking around once more, he finally spotted a sign pointing to the restroom down a side corridor. He rushed inside, immediately going to the mirror.

“What… What is this…”

What he’d seen in the glass door was real. Shocked, he touched his face: smooth skin, a high, manly nose, thin but defined eyebrows, large eyes with a slightly lifted outer corner, a slender jawline, and light-colored hair.

“What on earth…”

Running his hands over his face, then reaching out to touch the mirror, he felt his body all over. Finally, he let out a scream.

“What the hell is going on here?!”

The person in the mirror wasn’t him. Staring back was a young man with strikingly handsome, delicate features looking at him with an expression of shock. His usual masculine face, often described as neat even if not classically handsome, was nowhere to be seen. Who was this scrawny brat in the mirror? Holding back his urge to faint, he bent over and rolled up the right leg of his uniform pants above his knee.

“…It’s gone.”

It was gone. The scar from his knee surgery. Kim Moohyuk had repeatedly urged him to have an Esper healer remove it, but he’d refused, finding it bothersome. Feeling a wave of nausea, he dashed back out of the restroom, running down the hall towards the main entrance of Yonghyeon Hall. The lieutenant was still there, pointing at him and saying, “Hey, you.” in informal speech again. Now, he thought he understood why the guy had been talking down to him. Even if he hadn’t wanted to know, he’d figured it out.

Stifling a scream, he grabbed the back of the lieutenant’s neck and pulled him along. The Esper yelped as he was dragged down the hall. He opened a random office door and shoved the guy inside.

“Are you insane?!”

Yes, he knew he wasn’t exactly stable himself. But wasn’t the situation quite serious? Suppressing what he wanted to say, he pushed the guy further inside and closed the door behind him. He needed to find out more about this situation. That was all that occupied his mind.

He was running, and cursing as he went.

“Damn it…”

No matter how much he tried to deny it, the words he’d heard echoed in his mind, refusing to disappear.

“I don’t know what nonsense you’re talking about, but yes, you’re Kang Hajung. You enlisted under the same name as the war hero, Kang Hajung, and then you went and messed up your image as a Guide.”

The cocky lieutenant’s name was supposedly Ahn Changhyun. He pressed the guy for details. Initially throwing around words about obedience and respect, the guy had gone pale, sensing something off, and eventually gave a brief explanation.

The information was simple. “This body” was a Guide named “Kang Hajung,” a sergeant who shared a name with the war hero “Colonel Kang Hajung.” He’d joined as a D-class Guide right after “Colonel Kang Hajung” died saving Kim Moohyuk, stirring up a lot of attention at the center. Although people initially had high hopes for him after the hero’s death, he was assigned a D-class rating and quickly became the target of people’s disdain.

He was apparently a junior Guide on Team 12, led by none other than Ahn Changhyun. Several things were inferred from his conversation with Ahn, so he figured he needed to get as much information as possible.

“But why are you asking about this… Hey! Where are you going—!”

Ignoring Ahn Changhyun’s questions, he walked out. He barely registered the curses Ahn threw at his back about being rude. He needed to find Han Byeongeun as soon as possible. Han Byeongeun was the only one he could trust. Asking Kim Moohyuk was out of the question, as the guy’s current demeanor was anything but stable. His aura felt extremely volatile, like an Esper on the verge of losing control.

And then there was that remark from Ahn Changhyun that kept bothering him.

“The fallen war hero, Kang Hajung Colonel.”

Fallen? Not as in Special Forces but dead, as in kicked the bucket? So, are they saying I’m dead now? And judging from how this “Sergeant Kang Hajung” enlisted after I died, quite a bit of time must have passed since. Rushing off to find Han Byeongeun, my legs pumped as I took in that my knee didn’t ache despite my full-out sprint. And yet, I couldn’t believe this wasn’t just some bizarre dream.

With that, I began piecing together a few theories:

I could infer number 3 from Second Lieutenant Ahn Changsal’s response. When I asked about Kim Moohyuk, he shot me a sour look and said, “Are you still hung up on Captain Kim? Didn’t you even try to off yourself over that? Seriously, it’s people like you who give Guides a bad name.”

Hung up? Strange wording, but I didn’t have the luxury to dwell on it. All I could do was keep running toward where I figured I’d find Han Byeongeun. If nothing else changed, he’d still be holed up in his lab like always. Given the time it’d take for Kim Moohyuk to reach Captain, it was likely Han Byeongeun had been promoted too, but I doubted he’d leave his lab for that.

Thankfully, the main building and the research wing were close enough to walk between on foot. But what I hadn’t counted on was the stamina of this “Sergeant Kang Hajung.”

“Whew, huff… Why is this guy’s endurance so… pathetic…?”

Barely any distance covered, and my lungs felt shredded. I could even taste blood. My lungs must have taken micro-damage with how they were struggling, and my heart felt like it would burst out of my chest. Sergeant Kang’s cardiovascular condition was awful. Maybe Ahn Changsal wasn’t exaggerating when he said the guy had a serious addiction to suicidal thoughts.

“Just look at the scars on his wrists…”

Glancing down at the cuffs of my uniform, I clicked my tongue. Kang Hajung Sergeant’s repeated suicide attempts had left layers of stress on his body, meaning that while I was stuck in this frame, I’d have to endure the side effects of his behavior. His efforts to end himself were literally etched into his body. Otherwise, there’s no way a few strides would leave me heaving, retching, and feeling a headache squeezing my skull like this.

“You’re throwing your life away like it’s nothing?”

Apparently, Second Lieutenant Ahn Changsal—or was it Ahn Changhyun?—gazed at me with such disdain, oblivious that someone else had taken over this body. Finally, I began to understand why he’d been so prickly. The last time I was in a hospital bed, it must have been another failed suicide attempt that got me admitted. I’d heard he was the team leader, so it’s no wonder he’d be irked if a team member kept creating problems.

“Ugh, it’s still so damn far…”

I quickened my pace, glancing ahead to the distant building where Han Byeongeun worked. As painful as it was to run, I pressed on, finally making it to the research wing. The security seemed tighter here, so I waited until one researcher left the entrance and slipped inside. I avoided the guards near the lobby and skimmed the floor directory beside the elevator.

“Han Byeongeun… Han Byeongeun… Doctor Han… There we go.”

To my relief, there was a placard showing Han Byeongeun’s lab.

“16th floor, Han Byeongeun, Head of Guiding Research? Seriously, when did this guy make department head?”

The last time I’d seen him, he was a junior officer, splitting his time between hospital duties and his beloved research. And now he was head of a department? What had gone down here while I was out cold? The urgency to grill Han Byeongeun for answers grew as I thought about it.

I slipped into the elevator with a group and exited on the 17th floor. Then I took the emergency stairwell down a floor, carefully searching each lab.

“Han Byeongeun… Han Byeongeun… Ah, here it is.”

It wasn’t far from the stairwell, on the sunny side of the building—prime real estate. I was getting more eager to corner this guy and demand answers about his sudden climb. With a deep breath, I stealthily opened the lab door. It swung smoothly, well-oiled and thankfully silent. Perfect for staying under the radar. As I entered, an all-too-familiar voice piped up.

“Just leave the sample data there. Don’t wake me.”

I glanced over and smirked. There he was, reclining in his chair with his feet up on the desk, an eye mask pulled over his eyes. Just perfect.

I walked up, stifling a chuckle at his audacity, and waited silently. Sensing my presence, Han Byeongeun wrinkled his nose, peeled off his eye mask, and looked up to see me standing there, arms crossed.

“Who the hell are you?”

Glaring down at him with a cool smile, I began reciting something I’d long memorized.

“The day you confessed to your sister-in-law, Kwon Seongmi, with that little fiancé ring and got rejected, you drowned your sorrows at Bubble Hope and then threw up all over her blue shirt when you visited her.”

“W-What the…”

“Next, the day you had your hemorrhoid surgery. Even an Esper like you ended up with hemorrhoids and got saddled with the nickname ‘Patient Butt’ for a while. Only Director Kim Inhak and Kang Hajung Colonel know about that, by the way. Loyal to the core, they kept it from your sister-in-law. But curious about that odd nickname, she asked about it, and that idiot, Han Byeongeun, ended up spilling the beans. For a while, even she called you ‘Butt.’”

“How… how do you know all that… and who the hell are you?”

Han Byeongeun practically toppled over, clutching his desk in horror as I rattled off his most embarrassing secrets. By now, it seemed high time to reveal the truth. With a solemn expression, I said,

“It’s me, Byeongeun. Instructor Kang Hajung.”

“…What?”

“Is that any way to talk to me, kid?”

I smacked him on the back of the head, shoved his chair away, and plopped myself down on a stool tucked in the corner.