OMH Chapter 9

9. Cha Woojin (8)

A day has passed, but Wooreen still refuses to go to the shelter. So, Lee Hwayoung took Wooreen to work with her, and I followed them today instead of going for a jog to look after Wooreen.

Lee Hwayoung did her rounds with Cha Woojin’s order last, and when it was Cha Woojin’s turn, she called me in.

I held Wooreen and followed Lee Hwayoung into Cha Woojin’s hospital room. Contrary to my expectation that he might be asleep, Cha Woojin was awake.

Lee Hwayoung informed Cha Woojin, who was lying still and watching us enter.

“Hello, Cha Woojin. As of 5 PM yesterday, you, Cha Woojin, have become a Guide affiliated with the Esper Guide Association. Since the Gate Break, Espers and Guides have been affiliated with the Association immediately upon discovery for the sake of humanity’s survival, so we ask for your understanding that your personal intentions are not reflected.”

‘Wow, the Administration Department guys really signed him up as soon as the report was filed, no questions asked. Kim Sanghyuk and those Administration Department guys are really fast at processing things.’

Cha Woojin, after hearing Lee Hwayoung’s one-sided notice, just blinked, seemingly dumbfounded. People say that when someone is too shocked, they can’t speak. It seems that is the case for Cha Woojin.

Lee Hwayoung continued the notice without waiting for Cha Woojin to accept it.

“The Association prioritizes the protection of Espers and Guides affiliated with the Association. They are protected with priority over civilians. Therefore, we have different treatment systems. Welcome to the Association as a new Guide. From now on, you will receive treatment available only to Association members.”

Lee Hwayoung, an A-grade Healing-Type Esper, had the ability to restore the body. Lee Hwayoung’s power restored everything in the body, such as severed limbs, melted and damaged skin, etc., as long as the person was still alive.

When we used to do missions together, she even restored a person whose head was half blown off. However, since her power restored the original form of the body, congenital deformities or chronic diseases were not cured.

Lee Hwayoung stood next to Cha Woojin, placed one hand on Cha Woojin’s stomach, and blocked Cha Woojin’s nose with the other hand. When Cha Woojin opened his mouth because he couldn’t breathe, she moved close to his mouth and exhaled smoke made with her power into Cha Woojin’s mouth. After feeding smoke to Cha Woojin for a while, Lee Hwayoung raised her head, signaling that the treatment was over.

“Cha Woojin’s damaged organs have been completely healed. However, please understand that my ability cannot restore physical strength or eliminate aftereffects. Also, please remember that the shock etched into your body cannot be alleviated, so you may experience intermittent pain for the time being. For the time being, we will focus on recovering your strength and observing your progress.”

Lee Hwayoung, looking pale, finished speaking and left the hospital room. I followed Lee Hwayoung outside and offered her lollipops of various kinds that I had bought in advance as a bribe. Lee Hwayoung, who had quit smoking since two years ago, now sucked on lollipops whenever her mouth felt bored.

“You worked hard, Lee Hwayoung. Thank you so much for caring!”

“I just did my job, why are you thanking me? Just know that your sweetheart Cha Woojin hasn’t moved for over a month, so he needs rehabilitation now. I’ll gladly take the candy.”

“Still, you showed a lot of consideration and cared a lot. I’m so glad Cha Woojin survived thanks to you.”

“It did bother me a bit because you, who have lived like a machine, are so hung up on him. His situation is pitiful too. But who among the rescued civilians isn’t? Then, I’ll go get Guiding now.”

Lee Hwayoung took only one lollipop, put it in her mouth, and walked through the center corridor chicly, telling me to give the rest to the baby.

When I went back into the hospital room, Cha Woojin was trembling like a newborn fawn and trying to sit up.

Seeing him trying to get up, it seems his stomach doesn’t hurt anymore. Looking at his stomach, which was visible between the clothes that had ridden up as he tried to get up, the bruises that had turned yellow had disappeared cleanly.

“Ugh…”

Cha Woojin didn’t have the strength in his body and kept slipping as he tried to get up. I helped him sit up.

‘Wow, Cha Woojin can sit up without leaning on anything now!’

His complexion is also the best I’ve ever seen. As expected, an A-grade Healing-Type is the best. However, it seems the internal injuries were terrible, judging by how Lee Hwayoung immediately went to get Guiding.

“Cha Woojin, are you okay?”

“……”

Cha Woojin still couldn’t process the events that had just swept through him and didn’t say anything. Still, he’s not having a fit at the news that he’s registered as a Guide, so the power of the treatment must be amazing.

‘They say a healthy mind resides in a healthy body. It seems health is the most important thing after all.’

Cha Woojin, who had been broken for a while, finally opened his mouth.

“……I don’t hurt anymore.”

Cha Woojin covered his face with both hands and bowed his head deeply, seeming to have complicated feelings. He asked me to leave because he wanted to be alone, so I took Wooreen and left the hospital room.

No, I came out alone because Wooreen screamed that she didn’t want to go.

*

New Espers or Guides are dispatched by people from the Ability Research Center for preliminary education, and then they receive full-fledged education at the Research Center.

The intensive training period is three months, and after that, they receive training and education according to the curriculum set by the Association.

In the case of Espers, they can adjust their schedules independently and receive training after completing the course. The course takes about 3 to 5 years in total. After that, some people voluntarily work as experimental assistants at the Research Center and receive additional allowances, while others work part-time in Downtown.

Anyway, Cha Woojin had to meet with a person dispatched from the Research Center to receive preliminary education, but the Research Team people have a lot of strange aspects, so I didn’t want to show him to them yet.

So, Lee Hwayoung used Cha Woojin’s mental and physical weakness as an excuse to dismiss the Research Team and entrusted me, who was relatively close, with the role.

After coming out of Cha Woojin’s hospital room, I went to the Central Center and received the preliminary education materials. Conducting preliminary education for new members is also part of the job, so the facilitator receives a salary.

‘I get paid, and I get to see Cha Woojin, a win-win.’

I looked through the materials to see what I needed to teach Cha Woojin.

‘…Um, I just need to explain Espers and Guides, grades, and the Guiding stages.’

Nothing special. I heard that you should strike while the iron is hot, so I went back to Cha Woojin’s hospital room to finish the work quickly.

‘I need to finish the explanation quickly if Cha Woojin’s condition is okay.’

If I hesitate, the Research Team will dispatch someone else.

I checked Cha Woojin’s condition through the hospital room window. I can’t explain to him if he’s still in shock.

Fortunately, Cha Woojin wasn’t struggling like before and was holding Wooreen to comfort her. I knocked and went inside.

“Ahaha… I’m sorry for coming back again, Cha Woojin. But I thought you should know how you’re going to live from now on. I’ve prepared a simple explanation, would you like to hear it?”

“……Yes, I will listen.”

It wasn’t a cheerful consent, but Cha Woojin answered and tried to put Wooreen down. However, Wooreen stuck to her brother like a cicada and didn’t fall off.

“Cha Wooreen, let go of your brother… go down for a while…”

“Ah, it’s not a long story, so it’s okay to just listen!”

Wooreen didn’t even look at me and buried her face deeper into Cha Woojin’s chest.

She survived alone for more than two weeks and was rescued, but there hasn’t been anyone to take care of her properly, so it’s understandable. I decided to understand Wooreen and started the explanation.

“Our Esper Guide Association began to show its face to the world two years after the Gate Break, five years ago from now. Many people probably recognized the existence of the Association around that time. But everyone knew about the existence of Espers and Guides even before that. Many people awakened as Espers and Guides due to the aftermath of the Gate Break.”

Okay, the introduction is well cut off.

“And gradually, some people may have learned that Espers and Guides existed even before the Gate Break. That’s right. Espers and Guides existed before the Gate Break. The Association also existed before that. The Association existed secretly to avoid causing chaos in the world, but it revealed itself to the world to prevent the extinction of humanity caused by the Gate Break. That’s the explanation for our Association. Now, I’ll explain Espers and Guides.”

I think I explained the Association fairly well. But Cha Woojin’s expression isn’t good.

‘Um, let’s explain as concisely as possible.’

I quickly finished explaining that Espers and Guides are people who use special abilities unlike ordinary people, along with grades from F to S, and that Espers are divided into Enhancement-Type, Nature-Type, Mental-Type, and Special-Type, and went into explaining Guides.

Cha Woojin is afraid of Espers. I was about to start explaining Guiding when Cha Woojin spoke.

“Um, you don’t have to explain Guiding… I know what it is…”

“Oh… but Cha Woojin, you weren’t a member of the Association, so you haven’t been formally educated, have you? It’s an explanation prepared with regular education materials, so please listen once.”

“Still… I know what it is. That, Guiding is… what Guides do to Espers… that, like sexual favors…”

Cha Woojin’s voice gradually became smaller as he talked about the information he claimed to know. It’s so cute that he’s avoiding my eyes and blushing. But I have to correct the wrong information right away.

“Ahaha! Guiding is an ability that Guides can exert on Espers, and it’s a medical procedure. Maybe that kind of perception was created because only information about Stage 3 was spread badly, but they don’t do that often unless it’s an emergency.”

“……”

I laughed a little because Cha Woojin, who was embarrassed by the wrong information, was so cute, and Cha Woojin’s face turned even redder.

‘Ah, he’s so cute!’

I put my hand on Cha Woojin’s palm to explain the basics of Guiding to Cha Woojin. Cha Woojin is taller than me, so his hands were long and big.

“The basis of Guiding is physical contact between the Guide and the Esper. Guides can just touch Espers like this. Guiding is an ability unique to Guides, so even if I’m holding hands with you like this, you won’t do it if you don’t want to. Guiding is an ability unique to Guides that cannot be established unless the Guide starts, even if the Esper needs it.”

Wooreen, who was in Cha Woojin’s arms, pushed me away, probably because she was stuffy from being too close while I was explaining. I think I’ve conveyed all the information to convey in the preliminary education, so I finished by telling Cha Woojin that he would be staying in a Guide-only dormitory when he is discharged from the hospital.

Now, I have to participate in afternoon training and live diligently again. The Martial Arts Tournament is just around the corner, so I had to live hard.

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