SOG Ch 185

“Should we try again? There’s no way it could be wrong. There is one possibility though…” The occasional whispers only fueled Jae-chan’s growing anxiety.

“The results are in.”

The researcher, looking almost agnostic, approached Seon Jae-chan, who took the paper in his now cold hands, tense with anticipation.

A moment later, Woo-jin, who had just woken up, entered the waiting room and came over, but Jae-chan didn’t budge. He kept his eyes fixed on the matching rate chart.

The researcher, looking back and forth between Seon Jae-chan and Go Woo-jin, spoke up.

“It seems you both will need an additional test.”

“…What kind of tests?”

Woo-jin calmly asked in place of the silent Jae-chan. The researcher glanced at his watch, realizing he wouldn’t be leaving work on time today, and answered while hiding his despair.

“Imprinting tests.”

Only then did Woo-jin lean in with Jae-chan to check the test results. 95% matching rate. That was the number Jae-chan couldn’t take his eyes off.

*

“It’s natural imprinting. It’s rare for it to happen without medicines, we haven’t seen a case like this in a while. The wavelenght spectrum is clean, so there’s no illegal substance use either. Ah, and the resonance rate is remarkable…!”

Despite hearing the researchers’ voices pouring out non-stop, Jae-chan was dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe it. Perhaps because he had suddenly obtained what he once desperately wanted, he felt bewildered.

“It’s confirmed imprinting. Congratulations to both of you.”

The researcher felt happy that Guide Seon Jae-chan had finally achieved what he wanted but also felt a slight headache. Imprinting was just a slightly special case, but with one party being S-class Esper Go Woo-jin, it was obvious that the higher-ups would make a fuss about press releases and such.

“Thank you.”

While reflexively shaking hands with the researcher, Jae-chan tried to calm himself by thinking that nothing had really changed. After all, matching rates or imprinting couldn’t be a perfect measure of his relationship with Woo-jin.

Nevertheless, as they left the lab, Jae-chan couldn’t hold back anymore and pulled Woo-jin into the emergency exit.

As soon as he confirmed they were alone, he stood on his tiptoes and hugged Woo-jin tightly. Although he had tried not to obsess over the matching rate, seeing the visualized number made it impossible not to rejoice.

“Are you that happy?”

Seeing Woo-jin smiling just as brightly and hugging him back tightly made him even happier.

“Yeah, I’m happy. So happy.”

Hugging Woo-jin again, Jae-chan decided to think of their matching rate and imprinting as a bouquet of flowers. Like flowers that aren’t absolutely necessary at a celebration, but make it even better when they’re there.

And that wasn’t the only tangible joy.

After dinner at a traditional Korean restaurant they visited to celebrate, Woo-jin took out a small box. It was placed next to a dessert decorated like a flower garden, almost too beautiful to eat, and a small flickering candlestick.

“I wanted to give this to you earlier, but it got delayed.”

What Woo-jin had prepared was a pair of rings he had been keeping in his winter coat for a long time.

He had originally planned to give them on the day of the new Guide welcome ceremony, but Jae-chan had gone down to District 5 with his mother that day, and afterward, various incidents had prevented him from giving them.

Under the soft traditional-style lamp, the simple platinum rings emitted a gentle light. Woo-jin had worried that Jae-chan might feel burdened, but fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case. Jae-chan’s eyes, reflected in the candlelight, were sparkling even more than the rings.

“It’s not late at all!”

At Jae-chan’s reaction, Woo-jin swallowed a laugh, then with slightly trembling hands, slipped the ring onto the slender finger. Jae-chan, exclaiming how pretty it was, carefully put the ring on Woo-jin’s hand too. Both fit perfectly as if they had been sized.

“Thank you.”

Half moved and half excited, Jae-chan didn’t know what to do with himself and kept saying thank you multiple times, then suddenly stood up from his seat. He rushed over to Woo-jin across from him and showered his handsome face with small kisses all over.

Woo-jin, who had caught Jae-chan as he practically jumped at him, received the kisses with his eyes tightly closed and a bright smile, then pulled Jae-chan into a tight embrace when he couldn’t stand the ticklishness anymore. Holding him so he couldn’t move, Woo-jin planted firm kisses on his sparkling eyes, small nostrils, and smiling lips as if stamping them, making Jae-chan burst into laughter.

Afterward, the two abandoned their dessert and everything else, sharing kisses sweeter than any dessert. They almost regretted that they couldn’t do more than kiss in a public place. After a long moment of kissing, Jae-chan returned a small kiss to Woo-jin’s strong jaw and then took a closer look at his own ring.

Until now, he hadn’t even thought about gifts symbolizing their bond. He had never attempted to deepen their relationship, thinking that he would have to let Woo-jin go someday.

It could have been disastrous if he hadn’t confessed about the regression and his inner anxiety. Jae-chan would have failed to do what a partner should do and made things difficult for Woo-jin.

‘I’ll definitely be the one to propose first.’

Jae-chan fiddled with the watch and ring he had received from Woo-jin about a month apart, cherishing them anew. The watch with the built-in GPS was returned on the same day he got his phone back.

Determined to be the one to propose whenever that time might come, Jae-chan recalled the money he had invested all-in on gold coins right after his regression. Calculating the future returns, it seemed he could afford a decent newlywed home.

Jae-chan’s eyes were already burning with desire for the proposal. He consoled Woo-jin, who was frustrated at not being able to touch him more, saying, “You can do as you please when we get home,” and just firmly pressed his lips against those of his precious person.

*

The next day, Woo-jin, who had gotten up early to prepare to go out, found Jae-chan emerging groggily from the bedroom.

“Sleep more,” Woo-jin said with a smile, looking into Jae-chan’s sleepy eyes. His voice naturally came out soothing.

“I’ll go alone. We can have lunch together later.”

“…No. I’ll go with you,” Jae-chan replied, his voice slightly lowered due to the effects of last night.

It was the start of the weekend, and Woo-jin had mentioned he had someone to meet. Ever since the incident in District 5, the two of them had been inseparable. Woo-jin, who hadn’t fully shed his anxiety, wanted them to stick together, and Jae-chan was naturally happy to comply.

So, after driving together to a secluded alley in the city center, the two entered a cafe that also served as a record store. An old man with hunched shoulders sat alone at a corner table where old songs were playing.

“Hello,” Woo-jin greeted. The old man was someone Chae Seong-hwan had convinced to come, even sending a plane from the 5-nation Union. The man who had adamantly refused to meet had apparently changed his mind and recently entered the union.

“I’m sorry…” the old man apologized to Go Woo-jin first, amidst the melody flowing from an old LP. His voice, not at all natural and mixed with a metallic sound, indicated the hardship he had endured.

The reason the old man had refused to enter the country was that he was afraid to face his sins. The sin of turning a blind eye to all the illegal Esper cultivation experiments carried out at Daeseong Corporation and J Pharmaceuticals.

“As you know, I was a researcher directly under the late former chairman. …I wasn’t part of it from the beginning, I joined the research team late. I think it was about a year before the disposal decision was made when I joined…”

After the disposal in Rust County 45 years ago that ended Esper production research, the researcher continued working for J Pharmaceuticals and participated in the second experiment that resumed after about 20 years. It was the experiment that gave birth to Go Woo-jin and his countless Esper siblings.

“Still, the second experiment was better than the first… Unlike the late honorary chairman, Chairman Go Young-chang kept all the children alive. …Though I’m not qualified to judge.”

As he listened to the explanation, Jae-chan’s eyebrows twitched occasionally. He had no intention of sympathizing with the Technician, but he truly felt sorry for the childhood and ultimate fate of all the first-generation test subjects.

However, not everyone with an unfortunate past becomes a terrorist. Ultimately, he didn’t know why the Technician had become such a factor. But it was clear that the military’s research for their own benefit and the greed of Daeseong’s founder, the predecessor of J Pharmaceuticals, had influenced the birth of the monster.

“Young-chang… it’s not entirely that boy’s fault.”

Having known Chairman Go Young-chang since childhood, the old man sometimes referred to him familiarly as he continued his explanation.

“The experiment that gave birth to Young-chang himself, and the experiment that gave birth to Esper Go Woo-jin… they were all ordered by the late honorary chairman.”

Even Go Young-chang hadn’t wanted to create Go Woo-jin. About 20 years ago, the experiment was resumed under the orders of the previous generation, who was still alive then. It might be considered fortunate that the former honorary chairman died two years later due to long-standing Alzheimer’s and acute cerebral infarction.

“It’s undeniable that my father was a bystander. Just like you,” Go Woo-jin replied with an expressionless face.

The old man smiled bitterly. Still, he felt that the late former chairman Go Hwang-uk and Go Young-chang were somewhat different. For example, the former chairman had chosen Go Young-chang, the highest-grade and emotionless child among those produced, but… the emotionless Go Young-chang himself had chosen Go Woo-jin. Go Young-chang had noticed Woo-jin’s sincere nature even before he manifested as S-class. Despite the former chairman’s will, he didn’t dispose of the young Espers who weren’t chosen besides Woo-jin.

However, the old man had no right to express any opinion. The only words he could utter were apologies.

“I’m truly sorry. I was blinded by money and research achievements. I’m ashamed. Even if Young-chang were to conduct such experiments again, I would try to stop him rather than participate. …I apologize once more…”

As they left the cafe with its melancholy melody, Jae-chan slightly wrinkled his nose. He felt uneasy about how the founder of Daeseong had met such an untroubled end compared to the heinous crimes he had committed. If there was an afterlife, he hoped the man would suffer in eternal hellfire.

Apart from the man’s testimony, a question suddenly arose. Hearing about the Technician inevitably reminded him of Angel, who seemed to be a pair with him.

What was Angel?

He suddenly thought of the missing Guide who had returned to his family. There were questions that weren’t neatly resolved if that unfortunate person was the real identity of Angel. In the past, Angel was known as the brain of Black Swan. While the Technician and Blink carried out the actual operations, Angel was said to oversee the entire operation tactically.

Had everyone in the Intelligence Bureau been thoroughly fooled by the Technician? Chasing after a non-existent Angel?

But this was a question difficult to resolve without going back to just before the regression point. And Jae-chan had other more important matters at hand. He tried to clear his thoughts and got into the car, following the unusually quiet Woo-jin.

Woo-jin, seated in the driver’s seat, was silent. Jae-chan stayed by his side, carefully holding his cold hand. A few minutes later, Woo-jin raised his head and murmured in a low voice, his eyes laden with heavy emotion.

“I wanted to have J Corporation. I wanted to stop such experiments from happening again.”

Why did he look like a fourteen-year-old child when he had clearly grown up stronger than anyone else?

Jae-chan reached out to Woo-jin. He cradled the back of Woo-jin’s head and buried his lips in his black hair. The warmth against his chest felt both tender and pitiful, and after holding him for a while, he asked:

“Are you okay?”

“…Yeah, I’m okay.”

“It’s okay not to be okay.”

“I’m okay because you’re here.”

Woo-jin answered with a faint smile. Jae-chan swallowed a sigh and hugged him tighter. If he had the power, he would have tracked down every researcher scattered across various countries and even Chairman Go Young-chang, dragging them all out to tear off their shameless masks and make them pay for their crimes down to the bone in front of the public. He was seething with frustration that he couldn’t do this.

Instead, Jae-chan decided to do what he could now. Sincerely hoping that Woo-jin would be alright, he held him tightly for a long time, as if embracing a child. Outside the now foggy car window, white snowflakes were starting to fall one by one.