TTOA Chapter 117
by VolareAt that moment, Seo Eui-woo bared his white teeth and retorted aggressively. His growling voice was sinister.
“There’s no such thing as ability enhancement. And even if Guiding had such an effect, it wouldn’t matter.”
“It wouldn’t matter?”
“Kwon Jae-jin is my Guide. As you can see, he’s been rated S-rank, so he should be matched with me from now on. Enhancing an Esper’s ability? Then what… are you going to use that as an excuse to match him with other Espers? Who are you planning to have him Guide?”
“Well… that’s something the higher-ups will decide. I have no authority.”
“The higher-ups don’t have authority either.”
Although he was using polite language, Seo Eui-woo was completely out of his mind.
Before anyone could stop him, Seo Eui-woo reached out and grabbed Lieutenant Colonel Jang by the collar. The stiff black combat uniform was crumpled mercilessly in Seo Eui-woo’s grasp.
“Lieutenant Colonel, please convey to the higher-ups not to even think about doing anything foolish.”
Seo Eui-woo, pulling on the collar, muttered a warning to Lieutenant Colonel Jang. His cool face was devoid of any color, utterly cold.
“If something unfortunate happens, I won’t let it go, no matter who the other party is. If anyone so much as touches Kwon Jae-jin’s fingertip, I’ll make sure they can’t function as an Esper for the rest of their life… Do you understand?”
At his act of outright insubordination, going beyond just disobeying a superior, Lieutenant Colonel Jang and the researchers in the examination room all held their breath. It was different from when he had intimidated the researchers. Compared to his current intensity, that was child’s play.
Seo Eui-woo’s blazing gray eyes were ferocious, and, more than anything, serious.
“…I expected it, but this is no small matter.”
Lieutenant Colonel Jang frowned deeply and muttered.
If it were an ordinary Esper, their mind would have been paralyzed by fear, but Lieutenant Colonel Jang Tae-san possessed the courage and steadfastness to overcome fear.
“Major Ma was the same. He had the look of someone who wouldn’t care about disobeying orders from above if it meant he could get S-rank Guiding.”
“…Who are you comparing me to?”
Seo Eui-woo became even more enraged at those words.
He seemed particularly unable to bear being put on the same level as Ma Tae-o.
“Kwon Jae-jin, do you see what kind of trouble you’re causing? The existence of an S-rank Guide is like a drug to Espers. It’s poison. Captain Seo, get a grip. I’m saying this for your own good!”
Seo Eui-woo gritted his teeth so hard they seemed like they would break. Immense power flowed from him, and the floor material in the examination room began to crack. The walls warped, and the lights flickered.
Lieutenant Colonel Jang also drew upon his Enhancement Type ability to strengthen his own body. Lieutenant Colonel Jang’s massive muscles became as hard as steel plates. Even so, they both knew that he couldn’t stand up to Seo Eui-woo.
Just as Kwon Jae-jin thought that Lieutenant Colonel Jang would once again bleed from his eyes, ears, and every other orifice, he stepped between them.
“Stop! Lieutenant Colonel Jang, Seo Eui-woo is right. I will also refuse to be matched with any Esper other than Seo Eui-woo!”
It had only been a few minutes since he had felt relieved at receiving the S-rank rating, but he had been swept up in turmoil as if to prove him wrong. It seemed as though a constant storm was raging in Kwon Jae-jin’s life.
“I don’t know if my Guiding enhances an Esper’s ability or not, but whatever the result, I will only Guide Seo Eui-woo. That fact will not change.”
Ability enhancement…
Could Kwon Jae-jin really enhance the abilities of other Espers? Through Guiding?
‘Guiding Seo Eui-woo only relieved his imbalance. So, does that effect only occur when Guiding Espers of a lower rank than me, like Ma Tae-o…? A-rank or lower, that is, the remaining Espers except for Seo Eui-woo…?’
‘No, could it be…? Such a….’
Kwon Jae-jin squeezed his eyes shut and slowly opened them.
Perhaps this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Jae-jin, who had been looking down, lowered his gaze. The floor material that Seo Eui-woo had broken was raised, making the ground uneven under his feet.
Ma Tae-o, who had been buried in the depths of his memory, came to mind.
At the time of contact with him, he had been disgusted, and the situation had been so urgent that he would have rather died.
He had been horrified by having his lips and tongue touched with his body battered by creatures. When his chest was grabbed and his status as a mutant was exposed, he really thought it was all over.
Compared to then, everything was different now. The knife was now in Kwon Jae-jin’s hand.
Now Kwon Jae-jin could choose.
‘If Ma Tae-o’s ability was enhanced with just that much contact at that time, then….’
Jae-jin took a step forward and said.
“…If it’s Guiding in the existing way, then yes. I absolutely cannot agree to Guiding any Esper other than Seo Eui-woo.”
As he moved forward, he reached out slightly.
“However, if it’s a humane method of Guiding….”
“Skin contact instead of mucous membrane contact. I am willing to try Guiding if it’s just holding hands for a moment.”
If Kwon Jae-jin were to wield the knife in his hand now, could he take the first step towards a new method of Guiding, a new history?
With that… could things be changed…?
*
The moment Kwon Jae-jin uttered those words, a pure white light flashed.
Light droplets scattered intensely in all directions like an explosion, and when he came to his senses, the place had changed.
The basement of the mansion, a bunker.
White sheets were spread on the floor, just as he had left it when he woke up that morning, and opened packages of emergency food and empty water bottles were placed around.
“What is this…”
Kwon Jae-jin looked back at Seo Eui-woo in a daze. He couldn’t understand why he had suddenly used spatial teleportation to return to the mansion.
Moreover, Kwon Jae-jin was still wearing the white gown-like examination clothes. To be moved after leaving his clothes in the dressing room…
“Eui-woo?”
Was there some dangerous sign that Kwon Jae-jin hadn’t noticed?
Was there a reason why they had to leave immediately?
Jae-jin looked at Seo Eui-woo with questioning eyes. Seo Eui-woo’s figure was reflected in his calm, black eyes.
He was pale. Like a corpse.
“…Why, why did you do that?”
Seo Eui-woo, who was looking down, questioned Kwon Jae-jin. His eyes were not visible properly because his scattered hair covered his eyes.
“Jae-jin, what on earth… are you thinking?”
“What, what are you talking about?”
“Hold, holding hands, why!”
“Huh…?”
“Hands… no, hands… you’d hold them? Really?”
Seo Eui-woo trembled and shuddered as if he was having a seizure. He didn’t seem to be in his right mind. Panting heavily as he took a deep breath, he lifted his head sharply and cornered Kwon Jae-jin with frightening eyes.
Jae-jin took a step back, and his back touched the cold wall.
“Yes, well… is it such a big problem? It’s just shaking hands.”
“Jae-jin, are you out of your mind?! It’s Guiding!”
Seo Eui-woo shouted fiercely.
Jae-jin was startled and froze at the extremely violent reaction. He couldn’t believe that Seo Eui-woo was so madly angry at Kwon Jae-jin. Jae-jin didn’t even know what such a serious mistake he had made.
“I know it’s Guiding! I know, but isn’t just holding hands okay…? And maybe this will change everything.”
Although it wasn’t certain, it was Guiding that enhanced an Esper’s ability.
If such an effect could be elicited by merely holding hands, the fixed ideas of Espers that had been controlled for so long would be shattered. They would know that they could receive Guiding without mucous membrane contact, and that there was no need to be thrown into holes for the sake of efficiency.
That alone was worth trying.
“Just holding hands…?”
Seo Eui-woo, who chuckled in disbelief, grabbed Kwon Jae-jin’s wrist and pulled him.
“Just holding hands?”
He forcibly unfolded Jae-jin’s clenched fist and interlaced his fingers between Jae-jin’s. A stinging pain was felt in his knuckles because Seo Eui-woo was holding him down with force in his fury.
“Then I’ll ask you one question. What do you think an Esper will think while holding Jae-jin’s hand?”
“Ugh, ah. Wait.”
“Answer me. Eui-woo is asking.”
Seo Eui-woo stood close to Kwon Jae-jin, who was pressed against the wall. Their chests touched, and their thighs intertwined.
“Don’t you know? Won’t you answer? Then what do you think I’m thinking while holding Jae-jin’s hand right now?”
“…….”
“Jae-jin, do you still not know why I’m doing this?”
Seo Eui-woo massaged Kwon Jae-jin’s hand a few times while holding it. Just that alone was enough for Seo Eui-woo to get an erection.
“Why are you so defenseless…? How many times have I told you? Espers… Espers are a bunch of sleazy people with eyes bulging at Guiding, huh…?”