TG Ch 3(1) Part 1

It was late afternoon, and Baek Sijin was at the indoor shooting range. It was a facility available to anyone working at the F12 Center. Sijin’s eyesight wasn’t great, which inevitably affected his shooting skills, but he practiced often to at least improve his feel for it. 

Rumble…

But the Center kept shaking.

Sijin, who had been aiming at the target with goggles on, felt a nervous lump in his throat. He knew that the Center often shook on days when Ability Users underwent intense training, but today was different. The tremors were much stronger. Sijin focused one last time and aimed the gun. 

“Huu….”

But again, he missed. In the end, Sijin had no choice but to lower his gun and leave the shooting range. The unsettling feeling in the air made it impossible to concentrate.

Sijin walked along the lake, heading back to his dorm. He stopped in his tracks, overhearing a conversation. 

“Whoa. Do you think it’s a real earthquake? How much do they have to push those kids?”

“I don’t know, but it’s been crazy ever since they put Ham Geonwu in charge.”

‘Ham Geonwu?’

Come to think of it, Sijin had heard something about this yesterday. He recalled what Jeong Taeyul had said. Training with Ham Geonwu felt like fighting a monster….

Sijin hurriedly took out his tablet and checked the training ground’s CCTV feed. As a Diagnostic Examiner, Sijin had access to both the training grounds and examination room CCTV feeds at all times. 

[Large Obstacle Training Ground – C2]

[No Signal.]

Sijin easily found the record of Ham Geonwu entering the large training ground. But the CCTV feed was already down. 

Worried, Sijin rewound the footage by about 30 minutes. Fortunately, the recordings from that time were still intact. 

The vast concrete training ground was littered with metal containers and large steel obstacles. 

And there, Sijin spotted Ham Geonwu standing in a corner. 

‘He seems to be in a good mood…?’

Ham Geonwu, holding a water bottle, was laughing and chatting with a few trainees. It was typical of him to be at ease with anyone. Feeling puzzled, Sijin fast-forwarded the footage by a minute, then two.

Just then, Park Jaesung and Yoon Geonyeong, the two trainees he met yesterday, appeared in the corner of the screen.

They hesitated for a moment before standing at attention in front of Ham Geonwu. A look of confusion crossed Ham Geonwu’s previously cheerful face. 

‘What are they talking about?’

It was frustrating that there was no sound recorded. Sijin tried zooming in on the screen. Even though the zoomed-in image was pixelated, he could see Ham Geonwu’s face more closely. He couldn’t quite make out his expression, but Ham Geonwu was still smiling casually.

Park Jaesung continued talking to Ham Geonwu, who listened while nodding agreeably.

As the conversation went on, Ham Geonwu’s smile gradually faded. 

Soon, his face became expressionless. He dismissed the other trainees, then let out a long sigh, gazing at Park Jaesung and Yoon Geonyeong standing before him.

“…..?”

Then, scratching his forehead, Ham Geonwu nodded. Although his expression remained stiff, he patted Park Jaesung and Yoon Geonyeong’s shoulders in encouragement. Sijin, watching this, couldn’t help but frown. Then what were those loud noises from earlier?

At that moment, Ham Geonwu strode towards the center of the large training ground. A sense of foreboding washed over Sijin, and he quickly switched the CCTV view to full screen. Now, only the three of them remained in the training ground.

What Sijin saw next shocked him to his core.

With a simple gesture from Ham Geonwu, every object in the training ground levitated into the air. Metal containers, steel structures, even the benches—all of them were floating like pieces of paper. The people beneath the airborne objects looked as insignificant as ants. At the same time, the screen violently shook.

And then, the only things Sijin could see were the words ‘No Signal’ and a black screen. 

“…..”

Sijin’s eyes widened in horror at the overwhelming sight.

‘…I wonder if those two are alive.’

They were both B-rank Ability Users, but even so, wouldn’t they be dead after that?

Anxious, Sijin tried to contact Ham Geonwu. First, he tried calling him on his tablet, but Ham Geonwu didn’t answer. He stared at his tablet nervously, then tried contacting him through the examination room. However, it being the weekend, everyone was slow to respond.

Finally, Sijin rushed out, heading towards the training room.

He was starting to panic. No matter what Park Jaesung and Yoon Geonyeong had done, this wasn’t right.

‘Geonwu. What am I supposed to do with this mess… ’

Thanks to Ham Geonwu, Sijin wouldn’t be bored this weekend. 

***

“Both examinations are complete. Their energy levels were completely drained, so I made sure they’re fully stabilized.”

“Phew… You did a great job.”

The youngest examiner on duty today informed Sijin. Apparently, after putting the trainees through that extreme training, Ham Geonwu personally took them to the recovery room. Sijin felt relieved. Although Park Jaesung and Yoon Geonyeong were still unconscious from the strain, fortunately, they hadn’t sustained any major injuries. It seemed that Ham Geonwu had exercised some level of restraint.

Feeling relieved, Sijin expressed his gratitude to the exhausted examiner. He also made sure to double-check their readings himself and asked the examiner to call him anytime if their condition deteriorated, no matter how bothersome it might seem. Work was work, after all. 

“Phew…”

Sijin let out a sigh, calming his racing heart as he exited the research and examination wing. He had honestly thought that Park Jaesung and Yoon Geonyeong would be seriously injured. It seemed that being F12 Center Ability Users wasn’t just for show. It was almost a miracle that they were alive.

Just then, he heard a call from behind. 

“Doctor!”

Startled, Sijin turned around. Ham Geonwu was approaching, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

“Doctor, are you alright?”

Ham Geonwu asked with unexpected concern. Sijin froze, eyes widening in surprise. He had never seen Ham Geonwu so serious before.

Ham Geonwu stepped closer, placing his hands on Sijin’s stiffened shoulders, his gaze intent. Sijin, looking up at the towering figure, managed to answer.

“Y-Yes. Of course, I’m alright.”

“I was really worried…”

“Ah… It was just a misunderstanding. Those guys probably made a mistake while drunk…”

“Not that. I already took care of them.” 

‘That? You call that taking care of them?’

Sijin was bewildered.

Back when he worked at the Youth Ability Users Research Institute, the kids there were barely B-rank even at their highest potential. Most of them were C or D-rank. They were practically fire-breathing golden retrievers in comparison. Here, a Guide could create a lake the size of a football field, and an Esper could toss around a container the size of a house as if it were a pebble.

Moreover, what exactly was Ham Geonwu worried about? Thinking that there might be a misunderstanding, Sijin quickly explained.

“Did Guide Park Jaesung tell you something? I just…”

“Doctor, he said you called that bastard Jeong Tae a good guy.”

“…..?”

Ham Geonwu took half a step closer, his expression still serious. Sijin froze again, eyes widening at the proximity, before his mind caught up with the situation. Ham Geonwu, who wouldn’t bat an eye at the appearance of a monster, was acting serious about something like this?

Then, Ham Geonwu spoke in a low voice, his gaze steady and sincere.

“Doctor, I have a duty to protect you. If Jeong Tae is ever threatening you, please tell me.”

‘You wouldn’t even know if it happened right next to you.’

Sijin swallowed the words that rose to his throat. It was impossible to explain.

“Well…”

“That Jeong Tae may be a sly bastard, impossible to kill, but I can at least make sure he stays away from you.” 

“Uhm, Guide Jeong Taeyul… is here.”

“…..??”

The seriousness on Ham Geonwu’s face vanished in an instant, replaced by his usual demeanor. He stood frozen for a moment before turning his head hesitantly.

There, standing right beside them, was Jeong Taeyul, listening in with an amiable smile.

Caught in an awkward silence, their eyes darted between one another. 

It was Jeong Taeyul who broke the silence, his voice as smooth as ever. 

“Will those idiotic Espers ever learn to sense when their Guide is approaching?”

“…See? That’s what I meant by ‘sly,’ Doctor.”

Ham Geonwu timidly mumbled, as if he’d been caught out.

Watching him, Sijin wondered if Ham Geonwu usually revealed his secrets to Jeong Taeyul in this manner. After all, sensing energy waves from a distance was an ability exclusive to Guides. 

Espers possessed positive energy that emanated outward from their bodies. They could only sense energy waves through direct physical contact. On the other hand, Guides possessed negative energy that flowed inwards, allowing them to sense the outward energy waves of Espers from afar. However, since Guides both possessed inward-flowing negative energy, it was difficult for them to sense each other’s energy unless they were in direct contact. 

Then, Jeong Taeyul chuckled and asked playfully.

“What’s this, Ham Geonwu? Talking behind my back?”

“Me? I’m just doing my job.”

“Is mentioning isolation part of your job description now?”

“You’d do the same if I was a threat to the doctor, wouldn’t you?”

“Well… You’re not wrong.”

Jeong Taeyul conceded unexpectedly, even nodding in agreement. However, Sijin couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling that had settled in his stomach. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what would happen if two A-rank Ability Users clashed.

As the oldest of the three, Sijin spoke up calmly. 

“Um, you two shouldn’t fight.”

“…..”

“…..”

Both men turned to look at Sijin. Suddenly caught in a 2-on-1 standoff, Sijin awkwardly glanced between them. He finally understood how Park Jaesung must have felt earlier. 

It was Jeong Taeyul who changed the subject.

“Right, Ham. They were looking for you at the Administration Office.” 

“Me? Why?” 

“Seems like there’s been a change in your position. You should go check it out.” 

“What’s going on all of a sudden?” 

Ham Geonwu pondered for a moment before nodding without much suspicion. Despite their tendency to tease each other, their trust in each other was unwavering.

Ham Geonwu handed his black field jacket to Sijin, saying, “Doctor, wait for me here, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Don’t go drinking alone!”

He called out as he walked away. As Sijin watched him go, he desperately wanted to shout after him not to go anywhere and leave him with Jeong Taeyul but managed to restrain himself. 

Still, he was relieved that the two A-ranks didn’t fight. Actually, come to think of it, although they often bickered, they never actually fought.