DB Vol 2 Part 2

The Gye family. By the time Won-woo had moved his base to the North, the Gye family had already fallen. But even after the rulers of the North disappeared, people remembered their name for a long time. There were quite a few families in the North that believed strong Esper power was passed down through the maternal line, and the Gye family was one of them.

Gye was the maternal surname of that family for generations, and the head of the family was always a woman. These female leaders were more generous and strict than anyone, but they respected the free ideology of the North and greatly helped establish a social foundation where even ordinary people could succeed if given the opportunity.

So even when the Gye family was all sacrificed in an unexpected accident, people who hadn’t forgotten their contributions actually gathered in the North. The North became a free city, and as purifiers flocked there, it became the foundation of the free government. But to Won-woo, who had never encountered the Gye family, their story was just like a legend.

“The Gye Family is still going strong.”

Won-woo muttered without realizing it, but he immediately heard a rebuttal.

“No, it’s not quite right to say they’re thriving.”

“Why? It’s not like a war broke out.”

Does it have to be a war with people dying and getting hurt to be considered fallen? For the Gye family, the current situation is as good as war. And a member of the Ji Family isn’t in a position to speak so carelessly.

“To an onlooker, the fight between the two families looks like a war.”

“Which family are they fighting with?”

“…Are you joking?”

No. Won-woo was about to deny it when he seemed to realize something and made an ‘oh’ expression.

“Oh, it’s the Ji family. Is Guide One not providing Guides to the Gye family?”

His expression showed he was genuinely asking without knowing, so Seona nodded, though puzzled.

“Yes. The Gye family is grinding their teeth at the mention of the Ji family because of Guides. So the Gye family will absolutely not contract with Ji Won-woo. The Gye family has become so vicious now all because of the Ji family.”

Vicious? The Gye family? In Won-woo’s memory, there was one person in the Gye family who everyone praised. A wise and great family head.

“I thought the Gye family head was known to be wise and non-discriminatory.”

“Ah, that was the previous family head. The current head, well, inherited the family in difficult times. Plus, with proper Guide supply not happening, they had no choice but to become cold-blooded. The Gye family has such a unique wavelength that it’s called a curse. So while I can understand why the Gye family is doing what they’re doing now, still…”

Seona trailed off, but the word ‘vicious’ seemed to echo again. The current Gye family is vicious.

“Anyway, don’t even think about contacting the Gye family. Honestly, if they knew you were even mentioning the Gye family right now, their family’s blade might pop out. It’s fortunate they’re locked up now.”

“Blade?”

“The current Gye family head is an A-rank Esper. While the heads of other families are all S-rank Espers, the Gye head rose to the position because she’s a woman. But the reason no one could disregard the Gye family was because of the family head’s younger brother who stepped up as the blade.”

“Is he strong?”

Strong, you say? Seona swallowed a bitter laugh.

“He’s terrifyingly strong.”

‘The current Gye family head has one daughter. She’s the next heir. But she couldn’t escape the curse either, so guiding is a problem. About a year ago, the Gye family made something like an agreement with the Ji family for the first time, and it was because of the heir. At that time, the Ji family offered to provide just one guide in exchange for a condition.

They said the Gye family’s execu… ahem, the family head’s brother had a high possibility of going berserk, so he should be isolated for people’s safety. The pretext was safety, but it was really about tying down the Gye family’s blade. All the Esper families sided with the Ji family too.’

Seona’s voice carried contempt for the Espers who sided with them. Espers show ugly jealousy towards those stronger than themselves, even though they’re stronger than anyone else.

The sight of Espers being wary of the Gye family and supporting the Ji family was familiar to Won-woo. That’s how Espers behaved when purifiers first appeared. And how much they supported Ji Geun-woo who sided with them. Won-woo laughed.

[Looks like your meeting with Han Seona went well today?]

Nani asked, misunderstanding Won-woo’s laughter. Won-woo nodded as he was about to open the front gate to enter his house.

“Yeah. She’s still wary of me, but thankfully she’s following my opinion…”

Won-woo stopped mid-sentence. He also stopped walking. In his hand was a dagger, though it wasn’t clear when he had taken it out. He held his breath and carefully scanned the dark interior of the house.

[What’s wrong?]

Nani asked, but Won-woo quietly entered the house with his shoes on. He pressed his body against the wall and cautiously peered around the corner. There was no sound, and the inside was shrouded in darkness due to the closed curtains, but Won-woo used all his senses to examine every nook and cranny.

Only after he was certain no one was there did he finally exhale. However, he didn’t let his guard down. He turned on the lights and slowly walked around the house, visually checking its condition.

[Are there signs of someone entering?]

“There are no visible signs, but someone definitely came in.”

[How do you know?]

“The smell. There’s a lingering perfume scent in the house.”

Of course, it’s an unfamiliar scent to Won-woo. He doesn’t use any fragrances. He usually chooses unscented soaps and shampoos, and if unavoidable, he frequently changes them rather than using the same one for long.

Do Espers trust their abilities too much, or are they sometimes just stupid? Entering so brazenly while wearing such strong perfume. So this is why Ji Won-woo reported having a stalker to the management office.

[Who, and why?]

“Don’t know. Most Espers are perverts anyway.”

[… Really?]

“Yeah. Espers go crazy when they find a satisfactory Guide.”

[Well, even just having the pain disappear feels so good, it’s no wonder they go crazy.]

It should have sounded like a general opinion about Espers, but strangely, it came across as personal experience. Won-woo shook his head at his own misconception. He keep forgetting that Nani is a machine.

“That doesn’t justify perverted obsession though.”

[So normal obsession is okay?]

“One shouldn’t be obsessed in the first place.”

[You shouldn’t speak carelessly unless you’ve experienced the pain yourself.]

Won-woo paused again.

“You talk like an Esper?”

[… That’s a misunderstanding.]

Ah, right? Won-woo nodded and then asked playfully.

“Then if you were an Esper, would you naturally be obsessed with a Guide who eases your pain?”

[No.]

“But you said Espers’ obsession is unavoidable due to the pain?”

He thought he heard a faint sigh. Won-woo silently curved his lips. Wow, Nani really seems like a person.

[I’d keep tracking the Guide’s whereabouts since survival depends on it, but obsession is different. I have preferences, and I’m not stupid enough to be obsessed with just anyone.]

“You have preferences?”

[… Probably.]

Though he didn’t know much about AI, it was surprisingly impressive how far it could go. Did Hwang Sang-cheon reflect specific person’s data? Can AI develop preferences then? Once again, he believed in the genius of Hwang Sang-cheon.

“So you’d be obsessed if the person eases your pain and matches your preferences?”

[There’s no one who matches my preferences anyway.]

Won-woo tilted his head at the coldly cutting voice.

“Wouldn’t Director Hwang be your type?”

[Ha. Absolutely not.]

The words came out as if thoroughly disgusted. It was such a human-like response that Won-woo was startled.

“You really seem like a person.”

[Is that not allowed?]

“It’s not.”

Won-woo answered lightly and moved to check the house again for anything he might have missed.

“When I’m with you, I keep letting my guard down. I might say something I shouldn’t.”

[… That’s what I want…]

“What? It crackled, so I couldn’t hear well.”

[Don’t worry. If you let your guard down and say nonsense, I’ll warn you.]

“Huh? You used the word ‘nonsense’?”

As soon as Won-woo pointed it out, a response came as if swallowing a sigh.

[It’s not a swear word, is it?]

“Still, it’s a word that could be offensive, so you shouldn’t use it.”

[… If I make sure it doesn’t sound offensive, can I use it?]

Won-woo stopped walking and asked curiously.

“How do you make it not sound offensive?”

A brief silence felt as if Nani was contemplating. Just as Won-woo was trying not to smile, Nani’s answer came.

[I’ll warn you when Ji Won-woo says cu… te nonsense.]

Cute nonsense? You’re the cute one. Won-woo couldn’t help but smile, but he quickly covered his face with his hand.

After all, Nani sometimes notices even when he laughs silently. Sure enough, this time she didn’t notice.

[Is this offensive too?]

The serious question made him want to laugh even more. Won-woo’s hand wouldn’t leave his face. Does it want to use the word ‘nonsense’ that badly? Has Nani learned that it needs to utilize even one more word?

“It doesn’t seem bad.”

He barely mumbled a response and then changed the subject to avoid laughing again.

“So what kind of person is your type?”

[I don’t have one.]

Won-woo wanted to tease it at the indifferent reply.

“What about me?”

[… Do you want to make love to a machine?]

This time he couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing. Won-woo tried to calm himself by forcibly biting his lip, considering the current situation. Who would have thought he’d be laughing carelessly after confirming traces of an intruder? But somehow, even the simplest things Nani said were so funny.

“No. Sex should be with humans.”

Won-woo replied without much thought and then, forgetting about Nani’s lack of response, carefully inspected the house again. Checking if anything was missing. Fortunately, nothing had disappeared. Then he heard an unexpected name from Nani.

[Hong Seung-wook?]

“What about him?”

[Did you have sex with Hong Seung-wook?]

Won-woo, who was heading to the bathroom, stopped and blinked. Why did the question sound disagreeable? Wondering, he answered nonchalantly.

“Well, I don’t remember, but the old me might have.”

Won-woo recalled the dying ‘Ji Won-woo’. Accepting death happily with his face. That was the serenity only someone without any lingering attachments could possess.

Even though he had outstanding abilities, he was left empty with loss and longing, but Ji Won-woo, despite being incredibly weak, was stronger than anyone in the face of death. Like an ascetic who had found peace after letting go of everything.

Although their encounter was brief, he could tell. Those eyes that had finally found peace were unforgettable. In a way, he envied that death, as everyone lives with regrets and attachments. Won-woo knew how difficult it was to endure in the worst situations.

A world where there’s no reason not to die. What meaning is there in forcibly living in such a place? He struggles with this anguish, trudging through each day. Perhaps for Ji Won-woo, that death was a victorious gift.

Compared to him, how small and shabby was he himself? He was stronger than anyone and could do anything he wanted after escaping his family. Yet, he had been so helpless just because all his people had died.

He should fill the empty spaces in his heart by himself, but he couldn’t let go of the memories and clung to lingering attachments. But it’s okay to be weak. An opportunity has come, hasn’t it? A chance to make those memories a reality again. As he was justifying himself, Nani’s blunt voice was heard.

[It’s probably not memorable because it wasn’t that good.]

What wasn’t good? Confused at first, he realized it was a continuation of their earlier conversation. Ah, Hong Seung-wook wasn’t good?

“No. Hong Seung-wook would probably be good.”

[I thought you didn’t remember?]

“Regardless of memory, you can tell just by looking. Being an Esper, he’d be strong and popular with Guides.”

[… Damn it, I’m the one with strength…]

There was more static and unintelligible words, but Won-woo didn’t pay attention as he turned on the bathroom light with a click and inspected the interior. Nothing was missing from the bathroom either. But there was something bothersome. The inside of the toilet was wet. As if someone had just flushed it.

“Why would someone sneak into someone else’s house and flush the toilet?”

[Maybe they had an urgent need.]

Thanks to Nani’s naive answer, Won-woo’s coldly frozen expression softened.

“If only all humans were as simple as you.”

[I’m not that simple.]

Following the firm denial, Nani asked as if her pride was hurt.

[Then what other reasons could there be?]

“Well. Either they had an urgent need, or…”

Won-woo calmly stated another opinion while turning on the bathroom fan.

“To ejaculate semen.”

The smell of semen in the bathroom now was faint, but more nauseating than any excrement odor. The whirring sound of the rotating fan filled the silence for a while.

Won-woo came out to the living room and peered outside through the curtain gap with a scope. It was something he did every day lately, but today he looked more carefully and for longer. After a while, Nani’s voice was heard.

[Want me to find the culprit?]

Won-woo couldn’t understand why the low voice suddenly felt angry. Did I mishear again because of the static? He shook his head, puzzled.

“It’s fine.”

[Why? Afraid I can’t find them?]

“No. Because I can find them.”

It’s likely someone nearby. So it should be easy to find. Won-woo’s scope stopped, focused on one spot. The figure of a person standing as if hiding under a dark street tree.

It was directly facing Won-woo’s window. But the face wasn’t visible, hidden by shadows. Nevertheless, Won-woo was certain this person was the stalker.

Perverts always hover around their targets, unable to leave. Such people, without exception, want to see the reaction of their victims or an audience. They’re the kind who aren’t satisfied until they see the results of their actions.

Won-woo briefly looked around the quiet house. Suddenly, he wondered if ‘Ji Won-woo’ had also guessed the stalker’s identity. Because he was me.

But would he have just stayed put, having no power? This was a center dormitory, so it would have been easy to move out, but Ji Won-woo didn’t relocate.

Instead of running away, did they endure by ignoring it? People believe that confrontation is the only way to fight, but for the weak, enduring and fleeing are also forms of fighting. Still, if it was too hard, they could have asked for help…

Ah, there probably wasn’t anywhere they could turn to. Won-woo realized with a deep sigh. He had been lucky enough to escape the quagmire of the Ji family, but Ji Won-woo wasn’t.

He knows all too well how the Ji family isolates people, robs them of confidence, and breaks their will. Could he have endured in the same situation? The answer to this question came easily as a negative. No, he couldn’t have endured.