#34
‘Besides, more than anything, I feel at ease. Being with Wonwoo-hyung, it's like I have someone on my side, and that's just so...'
"Hm? Is something wrong?"
Was Jinho's gaze too intense? Wonwoo, who had been warily watching his surroundings with his hands clasped tightly as if in prayer, met Jinho's eyes. Startled by the eye contact, before Jinho could even turn away, Wonwoo carefully approached him. After checking to see if there were any other clay soldiers nearby, he cautiously extended both his hands to Jinho.
"Jinho-ssi, are you very tired? Shall I give you a Guiding?"
"......"
"If I hold your hands like this and channel my energy, you'll feel re-energized. I heard that for S-class Espers, the side effects are the hardest part of using their abilities. Is that true for you too, Jinho-ssi?"
To think there was someone who worried about him like this, who looked at him with such a gentle gaze.
That fact alone made Jinho's heart swell. The tips of his toes tingled, causing him to tense up for no reason, and as Wonwoo approached and filled his vision, he unknowingly held his breath with a gasp.
-Clank.
The moment Jinho smiled and was about to open his mouth, a sound like something unlocking was heard.
"Whoops. I think I made a little mistake."
Turning his head toward the sound, he saw Hyeonil with one hand on the wall, smiling awkwardly.
Wonwoo's gaze naturally went to the wall Hyeonil was touching. The part of the wall his hand touched was dented, unlike the rest.
Thump! Thump-thump-thump-thump!
A faint vibration was felt, and a rumbling sound, as if dozens, no, hundreds of people were stamping their feet at once, echoed.
"Hey now, you two were creating a sweet atmosphere without me... so I was just going to lean on a wall and cry out of sadness."
As Hyeonil spoke, letting the ends of his eyebrows droop, Wonwoo's face turned pale.
"This is that, right? That... trap activation... thing."
Wonwoo said, his face ashen.
"Nah, no way. It's probably not. It'll be fine."
"Wonwoo hyung is the newcomer here, so why are you the one causing trouble, Hyeonil-ssi...!"
Jinho exclaimed as if frustrated.
Mocking Hyeonil's nonchalant words, the rumbling sound grew louder, and the vibration felt under their feet became stronger.
"This sound, it's not from the front... it seems to be coming from behind, right?"
The rumbling echoed from the direction they had come from.
"Wonwoo hyung. Excuse me for a moment."
Before Wonwoo could answer, Jinho urgently lifted Wonwoo in one arm and hoisted him onto his back as if carrying a sack of rice.
"Just in case something might jump out. Hold on tight so I can run at any moment."
"Ye...s?"
Hearing Jinho, Wonwoo tensed what little core muscles he had, trying to get into as comfortable and safe a position as possible. Just as Wonwoo managed to get situated and place his arms on Jinho's shoulders, Hyeonil also took out a case of jewels from his inner jacket pocket, preparing to use his ability at any time.
"Something is approaching. Judging by the vibrations and sound alone, there seem to be dozens of them. I guess they're clay soldiers... right?"
"Hmm, what about burning them all at once, or having Jinho smash them?"
"If dozens of them come out at once, not just three or four like before... it might be too much even with Wonwoo hyung. If they suddenly swarm us, it could be dangerous..."
"Right? Hmm, Jinho and I will be fine, but Guide will be in danger."
"Yes. So I think it's better to aim to get out of this narrow path first."
"What if we run endlessly and there are dozens more clay soldiers waiting there, or the path is blocked?"
"That's..."
Either way, nothing was certain. If they were lucky, they could just get out of the path, but if the way ahead was blocked, they would have to struggle two or three times harder than now.
"Then it might be better to deal with it here and now."
Hyeonil opened the jewel case and took out a sapphire gemstone smaller than a grain of rice. "For some reason, my horoscope today said it would be good to be near water!" Hyeonil said, humming, then approached Jinho and Wonwoo.
"Guide. Can you give me your hand for a second?"
'I'm not some portable battery... or an object...' The moment Wonwoo was about to spit out the thought that had risen to his throat, Hyeonil quickly grabbed his hand.
"Ah. This is good. Really good. Our Wonwoo's hand, I felt it earlier, but it's delicate and pretty."
Jinho, who was about to ask what was going on, looked at Hyeonil, who had already grabbed Wonwoo's hand, with displeasure. Not only had he missed the timing, but he was also annoyed.
Hyeonil's grip on Wonwoo's hand tightened. Unlike Yonghyun, who had held him with a firm supportive grip, or Jinho, who had carefully carried him as if worried something might happen to him, Hyeonil's grasp felt like it was squeezing with great force.
'Like I'm being... tightly... bound...'
"I really feel like I can do anything. It feels like I've become invincible. I've never felt this way, no matter what kind of buff I received before."
Hyeonil spoke as if he were humming a tune.
"Hey, can I hug you later? Just holding your hand gives me this much strength, I feel like I'll get even more if I hug you."
Before Wonwoo could even answer, Hyeonil tightened his grip on the hand he was holding and pressed his body closer. As their already close bodies touched, Wonwoo looked at Hyeonil in a fluster.
'Is-is there a need to be this close?'
The citrus scent from Jinho's embrace and the musky wood scent from Hyeonil's mixed together.
"Hy-Hyeonil-ssi.... you sound like a pervert..."
"Haha, I get that a lot."
At the playful reply, Wonwoo's eyes widened in surprise.
"Gasp, did I say that out loud?"
"Yup. Very loudly, too."
"I'm-I'm sorry..."
"It's fine. Now that it's come to this, I have the option of becoming a real pervert."
'Even if they are S-class, is it okay to be this carefree?'Wonwoo felt wronged, as if he were the only one trembling and anxious.
"Okay, charging complete."
With those words, Hyeonil let go of Wonwoo's hand with a look of great regret. As he let go, he didn't forget to playfully tickle Wonwoo's palm a couple of times.
And as if on cue, a cloud of dust rose from behind them. The number of clay soldiers that emerged through the dust was so immense it made their previous opponents seem laughable. The sight of the densely packed formation of clay soldiers was enough to overwhelm them.
Hyeonil and Jinho watched the clay soldiers rushing toward them. As expected, a rough estimate put their numbers well over several dozen. Feeling a sense of dread, Wonwoo turned his head to look at the swarming soldiers, his face falling.
"Alright. Let's do this."
The small sapphire gemstone at Hyeonil's fingertips shattered. And like a fountain erupting, a massive torrent of water shot up from in front of Hyeonil.
The stream of water hit the ceiling hard once, showing off its power. Then it rose again like a wave and rushed towards the approaching army of clay soldiers.
A thick excitement welled up in Hyeonil's eyes as he watched the deep blue wave. And as if responding to his excitement, the wave swept away the countless clay soldiers in a single blow.
***
To sum up Hyeonil's ability in one word, it was a "wasteful spending."
If he hadn't been a member of the richest conglomerate in South Korea, his S-class rank would have been meaningless, as he wouldn't have been able to display his abilities.
Hyeonil could manipulate various natural elements like water, fire, and wind. But to do so, he had to shatter the corresponding jewels.
He had to crush rubies to make fire, sapphires to create water, and emeralds to summon wind.
In short, money flowed out every time he used his ability. This was the reason why the Black Star Guild, which belonged to the number one conglomerate in South Korea, so tenaciously attached special clauses to Hyeonil's dispatches to receive and scrape together money.
"Was Esper Kim Hyeonil's ability... originally that powerful?"
The staff of the Bureau's Dispatch Department were watching all of this through the body cams worn on Wonwoo's chest and near Jinho's neck at the temporary gate raid camp.
At Lee Mihee's tension-filled question, Yonghyun shook his head.
"From what I've seen of Esper Kim Hyeonil until now... a gem of that size was only enough to make a puddle."
As soon as Yonghyun finished speaking, everyone in the dispatch department began to murmur in surprise. It was the same for Jihyuk, who was waiting at Bureau's base camp for raid cooperation.
'Team Leader, no matter how you look at it... is there really a need to go this far?'
While writing the gate raid request form under Hyeonil's orders, Jihyuk had once asked with doubt. Due to the nature of his ability, Hyeonil needed a lot of money every time he went on a dispatch. In the first place, if an S-class like him had to step up, one or two small jewels wouldn't be enough.
But he wondered if it was really necessary to go on this Anyang Gate raid to the point of deciding not to receive a dispatch fee and giving up 90% of the profits from the gate's byproducts.
For him, it was better to write a request form instead of an apology letter, but from the guild's or Hyeonil's perspective, it was a 200% loss no matter how you looked at it.
The thought that if the Chairman found out... he might throw an ashtray instead of a book this time sent shivers down his spine.
'Hey, have you ever seen me take a loss?'
'Well... that's true, but.'
'This is about fastening the first button very well, beautifully, and with great care.'
'The first button means...'
'I have to form a connection with that friend called the Guide, no matter what. And I have to appeal to him on the spot.'
'......'
'That I am such a capable Esper. So he should join me.'
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