SOG Ch 159

Chae Seong-hwan had been stunned by his senior’s inability to distinguish between things you should and shouldn’t say in front of a child. He glanced down at the kid, who didn’t seem older than a middle schooler. Even though he must have heard everything, his expression remained calm and composed.

Moreover…

An illegitimate child? Did Go Young-chang even have s3xual desires?

Even during his active years, Go Young-chang had acted like a production machine. It was hard to believe he’d done something as unproductive as ‘making an illegitimate child’. It would have made more sense if he’d created an exceptional Esper through artificial insemination.

In any case, the ominous first impression solidified into certainty after staying at Go Young-chang’s mansion for about a year. Go Young-chang hadn’t invited Chae Seong-hwan out of love for his son. Rather, it was like bringing in a trainer to train a stud horse.

“Impressive. He doesn’t fall behind in close combat either. Next time, make sure he completely overwhelms his opponent.”

If that small child hadn’t been an S-rank Esper, if he hadn’t shown remarkable abilities, would Go Young-chang have felt any pride at all? Would he even have considered Woo-jin his son?

That impression remained a bitter stain in his heart even now.

But this wasn’t something to tell the person Woo-jin currently liked. After pondering what to say, Chae Seong-hwan continued in a light tone.

“The kid was amazing. When I didn’t know his attribute at first, I thought it might be telekinesis just based on his ability.”

Woo-jin’s attribute was registered as elemental, commonly known for handling wind. But to be precise, Go Woo-jin manipulated air. The air that exists everywhere in the world, even in water or in people’s lungs.

Wind was just a tiny means by which Woo-jin handled his ability. It was much simpler and more efficient to crush an enemy’s windpipe than to blow them away by moving the atmosphere. The thought that his ability was similar to telekinesis wasn’t entirely off-base. On the surface, it really seemed like Go Woo-jin could kill people with just a thought.

A human weapon, a perfect Esper. An ability user worthy of all sorts of strong descriptors. This was the fourteen-year-old Go Woo-jin that Chae Seong-hwan had encountered.

“Thanks to him, I overcame my PTSD a bit faster. Even though he was young enough to be my nephew, I figured that with someone that strong as my teammate, I wouldn’t die a pointless death. That I’d somehow find a way out.”

Of course, Chae Seong-hwan chuckled, saying he still wouldn’t ride a submarine ever again, even with Go Woo-jin. Seon Jae-chan also smiled involuntarily, recalling Woo-jin from his younger days.

“Do you have any photos from that time?”

“Oh, plenty. Even though he acted aloof, he’d let me take pictures if I pushed my face in. He was the same back then. I don’t have them on me now, but I’ll show them to you later.”

Chae Seong-hwan smiled brightly, saying they should meet again after getting out.

Was it because of that comfortable smile, or his gentle voice? Seon Jae-chan, who had been ignoring the pain throughout his body from lack of guiding and the fatigue clinging to him, suddenly fell asleep.

He jolted awake when a shadow fell across his face. Esper Chae Seong-hwan was reaching out his hand.

“I was about to wake you up anyway.”

Chae Seong-hwan was a bit surprised at the other’s sensitivity, then helped Jae-chan up the rest of the way.

Straightening his body that had been leaning askew against the cabinet, Seon Jae-chan first checked the wall clock in the autopsy room. His head felt heavy and dull. He thought he had slept deeply, but barely 10 minutes had passed.

“What’s the matter?”

“Oh, this… I’m so sorry… I really am.”

Chae Seong-hwan said with a troubled expression, sweeping his short bangs aside with a sigh. After a brief, tense silence, he finally spoke up.

“I forgot to mention, but isn’t your aunt’s car number 239982? A navy blue hatchback.”

Seon Jae-chan’s face froze at the unexpected topic. Any remaining drowsiness evaporated instantly. Chae Seong-hwan’s voice continued.

“You said earlier that she was leaving early because she wasn’t feeling well, right? But… I saw the car parked in Research Building 2.”

Chae Seong-hwan had a habit of closely observing his surroundings. During the standoff with the terrorists, a very familiar hatchback caught his eye, and it was natural for him to check its number plate.

Jae-chan got up immediately without asking further. He woke his mother with a soft voice.

“Mom, did you hear from Aunt?”

Gu Ji-young, waking from a light sleep with dazed eyes, shook her head.

“No, she said she left early because she was sick.”

“Please check again. Mr. Chae Seong-hwan says he saw Aunt’s car in the parking lot.”

At Seon Jae-chan’s words, Gu Ji-young’s face also gradually darkened. She carefully took out her phone, trying not to move her aching arm.

“…No reply.”

Seon Jae-chan took his mother’s phone to check himself. His mother had sent a message around 7 PM, but his aunt hadn’t even seen it.

“Could it be because of the GPS jammer?” His mother suggested quietly, but Jae-chan handed the phone back and stood up. There was no time to waste. He needed to go to Research Building 2 and see with his own eyes whether his aunt’s car was there, just as Esper Chae Seong-hwan had said.

*

“You’re going to get yourself killed!”

Chae Seong-hwan shouted, grabbing Seon Jae-chan. The sudden commotion had shattered the fragile peace in the autopsy room. Everyone inside had woken up by now. Chae Seong-hwan continued:

“If you’re going to walk straight into danger, I have no choice but to stop you. That’s why Woo-jin sent me.”

“I’m not going to die. Why would I waste my life?”

Seon Jae-chan replied with a calm expression, shaking off Chae Seong-hwan’s grip and getting ready to leave.

Although he was burning with impatience to confirm his aunt’s safety immediately, he shared the same concern as Chae Seong-hwan. Even so, he couldn’t simply give up and sit back. He needed to consider all possibilities and take action.

“Then tell me.”

Chae Seong-hwan frowned.

“Prove that you’re not walking into danger. Have you decided how far you’ll go?”

Seon Jae-chan answered.

“First, I’ll check the car in the Research Building 2 parking lot.”

“And then? What if it’s your aunt’s car?”

“I’ll go to the lab where my aunt worked. If I don’t find anything, I’ll just leave.”

As he answered, Jae-chan unfolded the overall map of the center he had drawn for the next hideout. He quickly marked the safest and most efficient route with a pen, then connected his phone to Yu-ram’s charger to show the floor plan of Research Building 2 he had received from Investigator Kwon Joon-young.

“…Then I’ll accompany you just to the front of Research Building 2.”

Chae Seong-hwan sighed, not wanting to invite danger in a situation where he had lost his ability.

Jae-chan glanced at him in slight surprise. He tried to decline, insisting it wasn’t necessary, but Chae Seong-hwan simply sat beside him, saying, “Let’s think about the route a bit more.” 

In the end, all Jae-chan could do was bow his head in gratitude.

The two of them put their heads together to plan a better route. During this process, there was continuous opposition from Gyeong Hye-in, saying “Are you crazy? You’re going to leave only non-combat personnel behind?” But when Seon Jae-chan responded, “Then come with us,” her outrage turned into stunned silence. Her defiant energy lessened slightly when Jae-chan handed his gun to his mother and Yu-ram.

Around 1:30 AM.

The two stepped out of Research Building 3.

Chae Seong-hwan, armed with a rifle, took the lead. Following behind and covering the rear, Jae-chan couldn’t shake the confusion clouding his mind.

Where did it go wrong? He thought he had prepared to the best of his ability. Since his regression, he had pushed forward relentlessly, never allowing himself any rest.

He seemed to have been overconfident. He had saved Kim Geun-won, prevented the Universal Park incident that had caused dozens of casualties, brought Black Swan’s minions and traitor Guides to justice, and created a plan to completely cut off TZ. Not a single Union citizen had been sacrificed.

He seemed to have been confident that he would continue to do well since he had saved those who had died in the past. He had arrogantly acted as if he could prevent the nuclear incident and control all events.

He hadn’t even imagined that beyond protests and explosions, there would be a shooting incident that seemed like a scaled-down version of Black Swan’s terror.

Moreover, one of the victims of an incident that hadn’t happened in the past might be his mother, Yu-ram, or his aunt.

His aunt, who had lived for several more years before his regression, was now in danger because of him. Maybe it was already too late to reverse things.

Jae-chan suddenly recalled the goal of his project and let out a bitter laugh. ‘To live contributing to precious people.’ How? How? How could he contribute when those people might have disappeared.

A sense of helplessness washed over him. It felt like all his efforts so far were going to waste. Was his effort lacking? Were there parts he could have prepared better? His mind was consumed with regret as he retraced his steps.

He only managed to regain control of his thoughts due to the sporadic gunfire that still echoed in the distance. Emotions made it difficult to make objective decisions. Jae-chan forcefully pushed aside his feelings, doing his best to clear his head.

However, when they arrived at the ground parking lot near Research Building 2, no matter how steeled his resolve, his heart sank again upon confirming his aunt’s hatchback.

“Is it the right one?”

Chae Seong-hwan, who had accompanied him, asked while guarding the surroundings with his rifle. 

“…Yes.” Jae-chan nodded slightly.