DP Episode 1

Chapter 1. Agnes

Deep Pivot Episode 1

There weren’t many good days in Cha Yeon-woo’s life.

Even if one were to search hard for them, one finger would be enough to count them. Since miraculously surviving with his younger sibling in a collapsed orphanage at the age of thirteen, there really hadn’t been any good days.

“Cha Yeon-woo, am I right?”

A man dressed in a white gown approached with a friendly smile. Just from his attire, it was impossible to tell whether he was a researcher or a doctor.

“Wow, I was surprised when I saw your profile, but you’re even more handsome in person.”

Yeon-woo thought the man was teasing him. The profile picture he submitted to the center when he underwent the guide judgment couldn’t even be described as decent. It was taken while he was under anesthesia after days of fasting and undergoing various tests at the hospital.

Despite his lukewarm reaction, the man continued cheerfully.

“It seems like the manifestation symptoms are showing in your direction. It suits you well. You look like an idol.”

He pointed to his own head with his index finger. Yeon-woo, who had tidied up his messy hair with his hand, glanced down coyly.

Among those who manifest as espers or guides, there are often traces of these symptoms left on their bodies. Commonly, changes in iris color or hair color occur, and occasionally even changes in skin color.

In just a few months, Yeon-woo’s hair had turned dazzlingly white.

“I bet you were surprised by the sudden contact. You probably had your training camp schedule all figured out.”

“Well, yeah…”

In truth, Yeon-woo had been counting down the days for that moment. As soon as he graduated, he was scheduled to enter the camp immediately. Although he didn’t know exactly what he would be doing at the Guide Training Center, trainees received a basic stipend during the training process.

It was more money than the combined amount he earned from his part-time jobs at the convenience store’s night counter and parcel handling. Plus, with meals provided, he could reduce the monthly rent for his basement studio apartment.

After deducting the monthly rent, utility bills, and his younger brother’s medical expenses, Yeon-woo would have almost nothing left in his hands. So, from Yeon-woo’s perspective, it was an undeniable stroke of luck.

“I saw some of your medical records, and there are a few things I’d like to check out. Oh, I’m the director here. I’m Kang Hee-min. Everyone calls me Doctor Kang.”

The man who introduced himself as Kang Hee-min exchanged handshakes with a smile and turned away. Yeon-woo’s gaze followed him as he wandered through the unfamiliar corridor.

The Awakening Management Center was located in the heart of the affluent 1st District. Since the Gate incident, it had become the safest and most prosperous city center. For the original Yeon-woo, it would have been unthinkable to set foot in such a place.

Inside the center, people dressed in white gowns, uniforms, or suits bustled around. Those passing by only glanced at Yeon-woo once before turning their attention elsewhere.

The sight of the center on his first visit reminded him of a research facility from a zombie movie. It was almost certain that somewhere on the desolate Earth, devastated by an unknown virus outbreak, there would be such a research center.

Unlike the outside world, it was a clean and cold space with not a drop of blood in sight.

The dim lighting made everything in the building look pale, and in the stark white light, things like the toe of his worn-out sneakers and the lint on his old school shirt stood out like a sore thumb, making Yeon-woo feel intimidated.

The interior of the building was much larger and more complex than what he had vaguely imagined from the outside. Hee-min scanned his ID card around his neck and changed elevators twice. Even Yeon-woo, who knew nothing, could feel that he was now stepping into a secure area.

Leading Yeon-woo through the maze-like corridors like leading him home, Hee-min suddenly turned around.

“Um… Do you know why you’re here today?”

They were supposed to undergo an esper matching test. He still didn’t know who the other party was.

“I heard there’s a matching test.”

“Yes, but…”

Hee-min trailed off, scratching his eyebrows with a puzzled expression.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this originally. But the current condition of that esper is a bit…”

He held the ID card hanging around his neck to the door and ushered Yeon-woo into the room.

“It shouldn’t be dangerous, so don’t be surprised or scared.”

Hee-min, who had brought a small machine with numerous thin cables connected, placed it at Yeon-woo’s waist. With practiced hands, he deftly attached the round chip at the end of the cable to Yeon-woo’s carotid artery and neck.

“This is my personal research lab, and the device I’m attaching now is for monitoring Mr. Cha’s condition in real-time.”

He lifted the tablet he had attached to his side and projected a large hologram into the air. A slow undulating curve of rise and fall repeated on it.

It was a sight that seemed decades ahead in terms of technology compared to the outside world. But Yeon-woo had no leisure to marvel at the hologram in front of him.

“In fact, Mr. Cha has a wide frequency range, so his matching rate with any esper would be quite high. However, there’s a slight deviation in a specific wavelength.”

That’s why I contacted you… Hee-min explained briefly as he brought the hologram closer. The graph in front of him was called the guiding wavelength, derived from comprehensive data such as Yeon-woo’s current heart rate, brainwave signals, and changes in body hormones.

“The matching test is simple. It’s usually more complicated, but considering the current situation, we’ll keep it brief. We’ll conduct a detailed examination after the test results come out.”

Hee-min gestured towards the sturdy iron door inside the research lab.

“There’s an esper waiting for matching inside. Just follow my instructions.”

Following his gesture, Yeon-woo stood in front of the door.

“I’m starting the recording now. Please enter.”

With Hee-min’s voice, the iron door slid open smoothly. The intense lighting that could wipe out everything pale and bright did not exist inside.

Unaccustomed to the suddenly dim lighting, Yeon-woo’s gaze wandered without capturing the entire scene inside. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the door closing softly behind him. It felt like being trapped somehow.

Blinking, Yeon-woo, who had adapted to the darkness, looked around the room with a slightly perplexed expression. Perhaps the esper, a man, was sitting alone in a corner of the empty room.

No, it would be more accurate to say he was sprawled rather than sitting. Despite Yeon-woo’s entry, the man, with a lump of metal-like object overturned on his head and his head deeply bowed, showed no reaction.

His hands tied behind his back seemed to be connected to chains fixed to the wall, making it seem like he couldn’t move beyond a certain distance. His appearance resembled a beast tethered with a leash.

– Well, it might not be a pleasant sight.

Somewhere, Hee-min’s voice could be heard.

– Don’t get the wrong idea, it’s a self-inflicted wound. We’re not that kind of people…

Despite the person involved saying nothing, a verbose excuse flowed through the speaker. Even he seemed to know that this scene looked quite dubious.

– Approach slowly. Even if any unexpected situation occurs, don’t scream or run away hastily.

There was no cheerfulness in the instructive voice anymore. Hearing the quite stiff voice, Yeon-woo also became tense.

Yeon-woo approached the other person. Just as he reached a distance where he could almost touch, the sound of chains dragging on the floor rang softly.

– Uh, why aren’t you moving?

A bewildered voice flowed from the speaker. Yeon-woo felt perplexed too, seeing such a strong reaction when the esper had only slightly bowed his upper body.

If an unexpected situation occurred, Would he really open the door for him? (Emergency door)

However, there was no reason to be afraid when nothing had happened yet. The matching test was Yeon-woo’s first opportunity. If the results were good, he could be deployed directly into practical work without going through the training camp process.

Thinking about his brother’s medical expenses and the two months’ worth of rent and utility bills that had already piled up, Yeon-woo cautiously sat in front of the other person.

The lowered head gradually lifted. Although the face wasn’t clearly visible, the man had his eyes closed.

He didn’t seem threatening at all.

– Uh… B-because we need to conduct the test, please attempt contact.

Contact? The man’s upper body was trapped in a special restraint suit, and a sturdy iron muzzle covered his entire head. It meant there was hardly any suitable place to touch.

As Yeon-woo hesitated, a desperate voice came from the speaker.

– Anywhere you can reach. Whether it’s the neck or the face…

Upon closer inspection, Yeon-woo noticed that the same chip as his was attached to the man’s carotid artery and neck. Yeon-woo, getting closer to the man by kneeling on the floor, reached out his hand. His fingertips, piercing through the cold iron restraints, touched the lukewarm cheek.

The closed eyes slowly opened.

With a faint sound, traces of breath were faintly visible through the muzzle. The black pupil, torn vertically and surrounded by gray irises, quietly faced Yeon-woo. A faint sound of breathing, resembling a growling beast, echoed faintly from his throat.

Yeon-woo hesitated, withdrawing his hand.

– Don’t be afraid. It’s okay.

Despite the voice reassuring him, there was a trembling sensation that didn’t feel okay at all.

However, Yeon-woo didn’t withdraw his hand out of fear.

Even though he could only see his eyes, he recognized the man immediately.

【Ji Seo-joon】

The white letters embroidered on the navy blue uniform’s chest badge.

A name he hadn’t forgotten since he was sixteen struck his mind like a flash.

His heart pounded. Yeon-woo cautiously reached out his hand and wrapped it around the other’s neck. He felt the texture of the collarbone softly trembling under his thumb. Once, twice. The eyes that had been staring at Yeon-woo, slowly opening and closing, finally closed without a trace of life.

– Uh, uh…! Mr. Cha, backup, backup…

Thunk. The slowly tilting head bumped into Yeon-woo’s chest. Yeon-woo, frozen with his hand suspended in the air, soon enveloped the body that had entered his arms.

– …

Suddenly, as if the power had been cut off, not even the sound of breathing could be heard from the speaker. Slowly moving one hand, Yeon-woo gently cupped the back of the other’s head.

He felt the body in his arms relax a little more and sink into his chest. Sigh… The other’s exhaled breath brushed coldly against Yeon-woo’s shoulder.

Thud. A large hologram appeared suddenly on the right wall. It emitted a flashing purple light, showing two wavelengths.

They were the wavelengths of the almost perfectly matched esper and guide.

– Congratulations, Mr. Cha.

Numbers rapidly ascending were seen above the slowly flowing wavelengths.

– You can skip the trainee process.

The rapidly ticking numbers reached the final value.

98.8%

There hadn’t been many good days in Cha Yeon-woo’s life. In such a life of his, the second miracle came.

T/N: Hi guys, This is Brie. I’m a new translator and this is my first ever BL novel. I hope you guys will enjoy it. If you guys find any mistakes feel free to correct me. But please don’t report me for it. As I said, I’m new, so there will be a lot of mistakes. I tried my best to make the content simplified and Smooth if there are still mistakes I’m open to edit it. I hope you guys will enjoy this novel.