SOG Ch 7

The Espers abused their abilities and relied solely on the abundant guide personnel as they were unaware that the guides were fighting for their lives due to vomiting and abdominal pain. In the end, the Espers were brought in as a group after believing only the on-site guidance and demonstrating their abilities beyond the safety level, which was the entire story of the incident that day.

But the problem did not end there.

After investigating the lunchbox delivery company, it became known that the lunchboxes given to Espers and Guides during fieldwork were completely different. The fire had spread in the wrong direction.

“We need to protest the United Guides Committee as a group. We must make a powerful statement. Food poisoning is food poisoning, but we have to start by addressing excessive discrimination!”

Excited Yu-ram, with her hair disheveled as much as a roadside tree hit by a typhoon, showed the news with enthusiasm. Jae-chan just shook his head as he munched on his sandwich.

That was it. Yu-ram looked at Jae-chan, who disagreed with her despite being a Guide as well, and picked up a take-out cup. He felt refreshed as he sucked the carbonated drink through a straw.

“But you. Are you really going to eat lunch here?”

Yu-ram, who was obsessed with one thing at the time, looked back at Jae-Chan.

“You’re avoiding them.”

The ‘them’ that Yu-ram refers to were originally the group with whom Seon Jae-chan was friends and hung out. High guide rating, promising future, and a nice family. Seon Jae-chan has been avoiding ‘them’ for the past few days.

“I’m going to stay away from them now.”

Jae-chan replied. It was because most of the perfect ‘them’ would be held accountable in various ways six years later. Selling Jae-chan’s information to a superior, clinging to him like a parasite, or becoming a traitor by joining Black Swan. He used to think he had good friends, so how come he only chose those idiots?

“Then why are you eating with me? Do you want to be friends with me?”

Yu-ram had a particularly straightforward personality. It was convenient because he didn’t have to calculate from the answer’s perspective.

“I want to eat with you. I like to eat with someone.”

“You’re not a good lunch partner. Look, I’m always the only one talking.”

“Yeah. I hate talking.”

Jae-chan crumpled the wrapping paper from his sandwich. He wiped the powder from his mouth with a napkin before opening the second sandwich.

“Just being with someone is nice.”

Jae-chan, who had been brazenly taking a big bite of the fatty chicken sandwich, paused. He felt like he’d made another selfish statement. He was lonely and wanted someone to be by his side, but he didn’t think about the needs of the person who could fulfill that needs.

He ate the sandwich with hesitance. It’s been like this recently. After Go Woo-jin left the emergency guiding center two days ago, Jae-chan kept looking back at himself.

“I’m sorry. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

Jae-chan swallowed the sandwich and said. If he said he didn’t like sightseeing, he was willing to go somewhere else to eat.

“Huh? No problem.”

Yu-ram, who had been blinking her eyes, took out her second sandwich from the paper bag. She wrinkled her nose as she peeled off the thin coated wrapping paper layer by layer.

“A free meal is always welcome.”

Seon Jae-chan bought all of the sandwiches and drinks. These were the organic sandwich shop’s most expensive premium menus, even with an avocado option added.

“Tell me if you don’t like it.”

“Awesome. Will you continue to do this in the future? It’s scary now. Shameless is your virtue.”

Jae-chan chuckled and bit into his salty chicken sandwich. He then pulls out his cell phone. Yu-ram was taken aback for a moment when she realized he was really only going to eat. Well, good is good, isn’t it? Not to mention quality free meals…

Yu-ram remembered Jae-chan from a while ago. The appearance of apologizing with round eyes, as if suddenly stepping on someone else’s foot while eating a sandwich.

‘I didn’t expect him to look lonely.’

Maybe it’s because he is so shy. I’m worried about nothing. Well, I should worry about myself. Yu-ram licked the sauce that flowed to her lips and evoked miscellaneous thoughts.

Meanwhile, Seon Jae-chan was looking at his cell phone carefully. It was because when Yu-ram showed the article a while ago, he caught a glimpse of Go Woo-jin’s face on the main portal.

[Seven S-class Espers, “Economic effect of 8.6 trillion won”]

Looking at it, it appeared to be an economic article with only Go Woo-jin’s photograph as the main focus. Thank God. It was not about an accident. He couldn’t remember everything that happened, no matter how smart he was. Even after the emergency incident two days ago, he didn’t remember the contents until after it happened.

Relieved, he bit the sandwich again. He skimmed through articles about defense budget savings while enjoying the chewiness of the bread and the fantastic combination of crunchy lettuce. The photo of Go Woo-jin on the main page was attached halfway through.

[▲August 14, 578, Mentosa Island, District 4. Go Woo-jin Esper (S-class) a member of the special operation unit succeeded in suppressing the pirates in two days.]

It was a picture from a few days ago. Woo-jin was seen disembarking from an armed ship as if he had just finished a field mission. He is dressed in a military uniform, with slightly disheveled black hair, eyes that are still sharp from the ferocity of battle, and an assault machine gun E7A11 worn on one shoulder, which has been improved to fit his robust physique.

The 14th was the day right before Woo-jin visited the emergency guiding center.  According to the article, he went looking for him after suppressing the rough waves of various missions.

‘If you’re really sorry, don’t cancel the contract. Be my guide.’

Go Woo-jin had said that that day. Jae-chan looked at the neat looking face in the article and launched the Guide app.

[Go Woo-jin (Esper S) – no call]

The siren sign continues to die in black and white next to Woo-jin’s name. There were no calls or messengers. Go Woo-jin has been silent ever since he left the emergency guiding center.

‘I thought I’d serve you as a guide right away.’

Jae-chan thought that Woo-jin would call him right away. At this time, he hated being in the field, so summoning him to a field mission would be an excellent means of revenge. However, the guide notification app was silent.

‘If it’s not revenge, what’s the reason to keep the pair contract?’

If Woo-jin didn’t want to call him, he should be paired up with another A-level guide as soon as possible so that he could receive guiding comfortably. Jae-chan didn’t know what he was thinking.

Jae-chan was confused as he couldn’t read Go Woo-jin’s mind again.  But. It was not only yesterday or today that Go Woo-jin was difficult to understand.   Despite his S-class status, he accepts any mission, devotes himself wholeheartedly to activities that were not profitable, and so on. He was a different type of person than Seon Jae-chan from the start.

Jae-chan opened the portal site again. He searched for Go Woo-jin’s name impulsively.

[Personal Information]

• Go Woo-jin (Esper, S-Class) 

• Birth: December 31, 557, 21 years old

• Attribute: Physical/element complex type

• Affiliation: Aesop (E-SOF, Esper Special Operation Force, Esper) 1st Special Operations Unit) 

• Family: father Go Young-chang, mother Yoon Seo-mi

(…)

Jae-chan, who had been looking that far, suddenly thought of Woo-jin’s parents who were just as famous as Go Woo-jin.

Go Woo-jin’s father, chairman Go Young-chang, was an A-Class Esper and the owner of a multinational pharmaceutical and medical device company. ‘J’ company. The world’s largest distributor and supplier of Esper-Guide-related medicines and medical devices.

Woo-jin’s mother was also quite famous. Yoon Seo-mi. She is the heiress of the YN Group, a major conglomerate family, and the director of the ‘Tera’ art museum. In fact, Go Woo-jin was not her biological child. He was the outside-born son of Chairman Go Young-chang. Seon Jae-chan had previously approached her in order to obtain Go Woo-jin.

It was one of his biggest regrets.

“You really like Esper Go Woo-jin.”

A voice suddenly rang next to his ear. Park Yu-ram, who had stuffed a sandwich into one cheek, bowed her head and looked at the screen.

“Nope.”

“What do you mean no. Even that day the atmosphere around you was unusual.”

Yu-ram remembered seeing Esper Go Woo-Jin and Jae-Chan at the emergency guiding center. It was the first time she had ever seen her comrade, who is usually cold and calm-faced, so captivated.

That’s why rumors spread like wildfire. For two years, rumors had circulated that Seon Jae-chan, a guide from a prominent Esper family, was hanging onto Go Woo-jin, an S-class Esper.

Yu-ram felt sorry for Jae-chan. She didn’t realize it from afar, but Jae-chan, who spoke with her briefly, belonged to the normal axis. That’s not bad in terms of appearance. Yu-ram glanced at him. Seon Jae-chan, who was chewing on the sandwich slowly with his lips tightly closed and his calm eyebrow frowned. Perhaps it’s because he looks normal, but he also looks pretty good.

Still, the fact that Go Woo-jin didn’t like him…

‘Go Woo-jin is a total hetero.’

It was clear that he did not like men. Couples that transcend Gender are common, perhaps because of the uniqueness of Guides and Espers, and it was a social environment in which such couples were often regarded as strange. Crossing the wall would have been difficult if he was naturally heterosexual. She feels sorry for Seon Jae-chan, who has an unfulfilling love.

“Not really. I’m thinking of quitting the pair.”