Approximal Guide

Should I have stayed in Team 12, even if I was being a little harassed? Surprisingly, there was a lot to do, and it was quite annoying. Thanks to that, I could focus on my own tasks without caring what that jerk, Kim Moohyuk, was up to. While I was checking things out, he remained quiet. Now, all that was left was to write everything I’d checked into a supply request form, and I was thinking of calling Han Byeongeun since handling Excel was difficult for me.Then, I heard a groaning sound coming from the bed where Kim Moohyuk had been lying. I couldn’t ignore it, so I went to check. There, Kim Moohyuk was lying with his eyes shut, frowning and groaning, as if he was having a nightmare.“What’s wrong with him?”His pained expression reminded me of the time he had called my name before going into a frenzy. Unable to watch any longer, I grabbed his shoulder to shake him awake.“Hah—!”“Ah…”It seemed like he had been startled by something, as he gasped heavily when he woke up. I couldn’t help but gasp too, because his strong grip had seized my wrist. The pain felt like my wrist was about to snap.“It hurts.”I furrowed my brows as I said that, but Kim Moohyuk just stared at me, still confused. Various emotions flashed through his dark eyes—confusion, fear, anger, and even embarrassment. The first three were understandable for someone having a nightmare, but the last one… what was it?I suddenly wanted to ask him what kind of dream he’d been having. But he looked so confused that I decided to keep quiet and wait for him to speak, even as his grip tightened painfully on my wrist. However, Kim Moohyuk didn’t say a word. He released my wrist, stood up, and walked past me.“Captain Kim!”I called out in surprise, but he didn’t answer, just walked out of the room.“What’s wrong with him…?”I muttered in frustration, half worried and half annoyed, at the back of Kim Moohyuk, who had already left. Could his insomnia be the result of his nightmare? I was curious, so I decided to call Han Byeongeun.— Yes?“Did Kim Moohyuk develop insomnia?”I asked right away, and Han Byeongeun sighed on the other end.— Wouldn’t he? After all, his partner was taken from him.“Hey, is that my fault? Is it my fault? These guys all turned into total jerks, huh?”-Why are you so mad? You’re older… oh, wait, you’re not old, you’re a sergeant.“Forget it, is he dealing with something like anxiety disorder?”— Most espers who lose their guide end up with something like that. Kim Moohyuk is extreme, but he’s not special in this regard.“Yeah, great! Bastards!”I hung up in anger. I mean, it’s been five years, he should have gotten over it by now. How is he still having nightmares, and how is he going on missions when he has less than 30% of his guiding ability left? It was pathetic, I just wanted to slap some sense into him. Then, I realized something. The way Kim Moohyuk was acting now was exactly how I was before I met him. Just like how I experienced the same things after Seonghan changed, Moohyuk was going through it all now. I shook my aching wrist and clicked my tongue.“At least he didn’t pick up all the bad traits.”I felt bitter. I wanted to contact him, but I didn’t even know if his number had changed or not. The distance between us felt strange.After I went through everything, what had Kim Moohyuk been living for? I realized I needed to figure that out first. It didn’t seem like he was doing well after that day. I needed to understand why he was going on missions without a guide now. Maybe he was trying to take revenge on the people who did that to me… The road to that kind of revenge would be tough, but the real problem would be after he succeeded.I wondered if his motive for surviving now was revenge. If so, what would keep him alive after that goal was achieved?I was suddenly filled with dread.In the end, I couldn’t shake the feeling and found myself unable to go to work the next day. I stopped by Ippsae-dong and bought some snacks that Kim Moohyuk used to enjoy. He hated sweets, so he always preferred salty snacks. While buying a bag of “Salt & Vinegar” chips, I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.“I mean, he’s not a kid, how would food fix this?”I felt embarrassed to say, “It looks like you’re having a nightmare, so eat some snacks to cheer up.” …I don’t know. If I leave it here, he’ll probably eat it. Since he seems to come often, I just decided to leave it out like it was extra stock and let him help himself. I then headed toward the shared guiding room. After putting the snacks in a visible spot, I noticed Kim Moohyuk hadn’t arrived yet, so I was planning to look around a bit more. There was still another bed behind the curtains in the far corner of the room.Just as I was about to head in that direction, the door to the shared guiding room opened, and someone walked in. I sighed when I saw who it was. For the past few days, it felt like only unwelcome guests were showing up at the shared guiding room.“What brings you here?”I immediately asked Lee Jungkyu, who had entered. He was holding a bundle of papers, but his hands were trembling so much that even the sheets of paper were shaking. What’s with this guy and his stuff? I felt my irritation rising as I realized I had been dragged into some annoying situation since the morning. Then, Lee Jungkyu said something that could have sent my sanity into another galaxy.“Are you still selling your body?”I lost all sense of reason, and everything just froze. Could it be that Lee Jungkyu meant something else by what he said? Maybe he meant “Are you still selling your body” in a different context—”Are you still working as a bodyguard,” or “Are you still involved in physical work,” or even tried to apply some musical scale theory to it, but there was no way to misinterpret it. The phrase clearly meant what it sounded like. I responded, completely dumbfounded.“Well then, who the hell bought it? What, are you asking for a refund? But damn, I didn’t even sell it, so what the hell are you talking about, you crazy bastard?”“You’re good at swearing, huh? Must’ve been holding that in, huh?”“No, I’m pissed because I couldn’t shake your corn kernels off. Just explain what the hell you mean by that crazy shit.”As I growled fiercely, Lee Jungkyu flinched at the edges of his eyes. Then, perhaps trying not to back down, he raised his voice.“I heard your rank went up to A-grade! There’s no way you’re not selling your body—.”“What the hell? A-grade?!”I screamed in shock. A-grade, really? So, this is what life is like when it goes off the rails. If I had just been a B-grade, maybe people wouldn’t have ignored me, and I could have finished my service without making much of an impression, but A-grade? The greedy center wouldn’t just let anyone go with an A-grade. Even if the center approved, I couldn’t be sure if the higher-ups would let it pass.Sure, Kim Inhak, the center chief, might approve it if I begged him, since he’s a soft-hearted guy, but if the documents made it all the way to the central office, I’d be stuck in a lifetime contract. I couldn’t be a slave to the military again.“Who the hell said I was A-grade!?”“My thoughts exactly! Wait… today, you’re actually making sense.”Looking at the surprised expression on Lee Jungkyu’s face, I was about to storm into the guiding exam room to ask about this when a rustling sound came from the direction of the bed.“…This is fucked.”Yeah, it’s over. I frowned deeply. Lee Jungkyu seemed to notice my unusual reaction and looked at me curiously before turning his head toward the source of the noise. His eyes widened simultaneously.That’s right, from that direction…“A-grade?”Kim Moohyuk was coming out from behind the curtains, raising his eyebrow as he did. I pressed my lips tightly together and shut my eyes. Of course, it had to be him who caught me… I felt like I was in a mess of my own making. Completely ignoring the chaos of my situation, Kim Moohyuk tilted his head and gave a thoughtful hum.“So, does this mean you’re A-grade and an unassigned guide?”I didn’t answer. I couldn’t, since everything had gone dark in front of me.“Why… why is Captain here…”Lee Jungkyu seemed just as shocked. He had been pestering me to try and get close to Kim Moohyuk, so I’m sure he was trying to put on an act in front of him, but now, being caught in this situation, he seemed regretful. But honestly, isn’t this karma? If Jungkyu had even a shred of decency, he wouldn’t have been spouting nonsense about selling bodies at someone else’s workplace. It’s all his fault, really.I felt indifferent about this thought, but in reality, the situation I was in was nothing short of a mess. Kim Moohyuk now knew about my grade. A-grade, seriously? I thought I’d been careful about my rank evaluation, but was all that effort for nothing? Kim Moohyuk, with his stone-faced expression, lazily crossed his arms and leaned against the edge of the desk, watching us. He looked like a predator waiting for two prey to fight and die.A sigh escaped me involuntarily.“Jungkyu.”“W-what? Jungkyu?”Lee Jungkyu looked stunned, his mouth agape at my casual use of his name. But right now, I didn’t have the patience to deal with his confusion.“Jungkyu, just go.”Lee Jungkyu looked confused, but I didn’t care. As I pushed him, he didn’t even resist. He was too weak to put up a fight and was quickly pushed out of the room. I pushed him all the way out the door of the shared guiding room.“Hey!”“Don’t shout and go. I’m tired.”“I’m older than you, you know?!”Lee Jungkyu looked genuinely frustrated, his face turning red. I didn’t care, though, and opened the door, shoving him out. Then I locked it. I was worried more annoying people might come in. Letting out a sigh, I turned to look at Kim Moohyuk, who was still leaning against the desk, tapping a pen or something on it with his index finger. He spoke in a disinterested tone.“Why? You and your friend seem to be getting along well, why don’t you talk more?”“I’m not in the mood for jokes.”Kim Moohyuk gave a slight, crooked smile. It was the first time I’d seen him smile like that since he took over Sergeant Kang’s body. If that smile could be called a smile at all. Was he the type to sneer like that? This was another side of him I hadn’t seen, and for a moment, I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him.His broad shoulders were supported by a collarbone thick as a steel pipe. His sleeves were rolled up, showing off the striations of his forearms as he crossed his arms, his eyes indifferent and his expression emotionless. He looked like a well-polished weapon. Sharp, yet without the dangerous aura, making you dwell on the stark contrast. The atmosphere he radiated was so different from what I knew that I had to admit—Kim Moohyuk was no longer the person I knew.“As far as I know, that guide is the head of Team 12.”Kim Moohyuk started speaking as if he didn’t care much about the topic. I was on edge, waiting to hear what he would say. In a neutral tone, Kim Moohyuk said the words that stung the most.“But every time I see you, you’re here. Usually, guides who belong to teams don’t work in the shared guiding room.”“…What are you trying to say?”Kim Moohyuk uncrossed his arms at my question, and flicked the pen he’d been tapping with his finger, making it fall to the floor. The sound of the pen rolling across the floor echoed in the room.“Did you leave the team?”It wasn’t a question of ignorance, but rather a tone of confirmation. I squinted, trying to think of a way to get out of this situation, but I knew that stubborn bastard wouldn’t be convinced so easily. I nodded vaguely.“Yes. I had some circumstances…”Kim Moohyuk hummed and crossed his arms again, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at me. After a moment, he straightened up, walked past me, and headed for the door. I was about to call out and ask where he was going, or tell him to say whatever he had left to say, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak. I was afraid of what might come out of his mouth. But Kim Moohyuk walked out of the shared guiding room without a word.“…What the hell. It’s more terrifying when they don’t say anything, damn…”I muttered under my breath. I felt a chill run down my spine, shaking involuntarily, and I couldn’t stop the sigh that followed. Well, at least I had managed to survive the situation, right? I tried to think simply, but it was harder than I expected.However, my attempt at calming down was betrayed by something that happened that afternoon. I received an email through the intranet.“What the hell is this, damn it.”[Official Notice] Assignment of Kang Hajung, SergeantMission Number: A-15370Collaborating Esper: Captain Kim MoohyukMission Date: [Date and Time]On [Date], meet with Captain Kim Moohyuk at the parking lot of the main office building by 14:00 to depart for the mission location. Wishing you good luck on your mission.— Operations Department, Lieutenant Kim YongseokAssigned a mission. And just like that! I was stunned and wanted to go find Kim Moohyuk to confront him, but since I didn’t even know where he was staying, I had no choice but to calm myself down alone. In the end, the only thing I could do was badger Han Byeongeun.“Hey.”— What is it?“Why, huh?! What’s with the ‘why’—that’s like a Japanese blanket’s ‘why!’”— Haha, why are you calling me?“Has Kim Moohyuk ever gone on a mission with a guide before?”— Oh, if that bastard had done that, I’d have no complaints. No matter how much I tried to persuade him, he’s the type to go out and do the substitute guiding job. He’s an esper, so he leaves no trace, but if he weren’t, his arms would be covered in needle marks from the injections.“Hah, what should I do about that scar… Kim Moohyuk applied for an assignment for me, what’s up with that?”— Oh, does Moohyuk know that Colonel is Colonel? Looks like it’s been discovered.Han Byeongeun muttered this with a lack of enthusiasm, chewing on something in his mouth. I felt my irritation rise and hung up without answering. Based on the date, the mission was just the day after tomorrow—what was I supposed to do about it? My head started to throb. The problem was that the bad luck that began there didn’t end there. While I was lying there, frustrated, the phone in the shared guiding room rang, and when I answered, it was the security at the north gate of the center.— Ah, good day. Is this Sergeant Kang Hajung?“Yes. This is me.”— We’ve been calling around for a while, but no one picked up… Team 12 said they don’t know you, but anyway, we’ve had a hard time finding you.“Ah, I see. Sorry about that. What’s going on?”Scratching the back of my head awkwardly, the security guard continued.— Well, your uncle has been waiting at the north gate since earlier. We’ve told him several times that family visits aren’t allowed, but… it seems like he’s had a bit to drink.“Excuse me?”An uncle? I don’t have an uncle. My parents passed away long ago without siblings, and I don’t have any close relatives within six degrees of kinship. Then it struck me—it was a memory from Sergeant Kang’s past.“Wait a minute. I think he mentioned getting shaken down by his uncle. Kang Byungchan? Kang Byungbin…”I clicked my tongue and answered.“I don’t know anyone like that. Please just send him away.”— Understood.The guard responded briefly. Esperes and guides often earn high salaries, so it wasn’t unusual for estranged family members to show up looking for them, and the security seemed used to it.If Sergeant Kang’s uncle really cared about him, I would have nothing to say. He might even want to apologize for taking his nephew’s body. But this uncle of Sergeant Kang’s had never once mentioned that he was struggling while taking money from his nephew every month.The official reason Sergeant Kang sent money to his uncle was because he had raised him as an orphan, but I thought Sergeant Kang had probably been exposed to his uncle’s violence for a long time and couldn’t refuse his financial demands. There was no way I was going to let that happen again. Sergeant Kang didn’t even seem to cherish or love his uncle that much.The north gate security guard would have easily sent Kang Byungchan away as I had instructed. This was a center, and as long as Kang Byungchan didn’t manifest as an esper, there was no way he could get in. So, I could consider him a complete stranger now. It felt a little uncomfortable, but after reflecting on the memories I had glimpsed from Sergeant Kang, it seemed like the right thing to do.That day, I went home. Just thinking about the mission with Kim Moohyuk the day after tomorrow put me in a bad mood.Back at my place, I ordered some sweet and sour pork from the nearby restaurant, surprised once again by how little food Sergeant Kang could handle. I packed the leftovers. Since I had eaten, I had to do my rehabilitation training for the day, so I cheated a bit by using Han Byeongeun’s exercise program, worked out, showered, and then went to bed.Before I fell asleep, I wondered if Kim Moohyuk would show up at the guiding room tomorrow. I think I drifted off to sleep with that thought in the back of my mind.As expected, the next day, Kim Moohyuk didn’t show up at the shared guiding room. I relaxed and spent the whole day playing Freecell.Occasionally, a couple of espers came in, but they all hurriedly got their radiation guidance and left, satisfied once I set it up like a humidifier.That morning, I noticed my paycheck had been deposited, and then I realized, “Ah, that’s why Kang Byungchan came looking for me at the center.” He must have remembered the date of his nephew’s paycheck and was here to try to extort some money.I went to find Han Byeongeun and grumbled.“Do you think Moohyuk knows that I’m Kang Hajung?”— Oh, that’s possible.“But if he did, I don’t think he would have been talking to the Instructor.”— Yeah, that’s true.“But if that’s not it, why the hell would he want to go on a mission with me? Didn’t he never interact with guides?”— Right, that’s strange.His answers had been half-hearted, and I raised an eyebrow, glaring at Han Byeongeun.“You little shit, are you making fun of me now?”“Who’s making fun of you? How old are you now, Sergeant Kang? I saw on the intranet that you’re 24 this year. You’re just a kid.”I smacked Han Byeongeun on the back of the head.“Maybe you need a smack from a kid to wake up.”“Ah, why are you hitting me? Seems like you’ve become more aggressive since the body swap.”I noticed that too. I wasn’t more aggressive, but I guess… maybe because my body is younger now, I felt more impulsive, a bit quicker to act. When I was 24, I think I was like this too. As I grew older and matured, I became more calm, but before that, I was just as reckless. It might also be because my knees don’t hurt anymore, and I can be more active. Anyway, I tried to see this as a positive change.Waking up in someone else’s body after suddenly dying was already bewildering enough, and I had no intention of making things more complicated by thinking about it. With a sigh, I slumped onto the sofa in Han Byeongeun’s lab.“I just don’t get that guy. He doesn’t seem like the Kim Moohyuk I knew.”“He’s always been like that. You wouldn’t know because you spoil him, Colonel, just because you think he’s pretty.”“Just shut up, Han Byeongeun.”“You can’t deny me the chance to nag you, Colonel.”I clicked my tongue as I looked at Han Byeongeun, my former student who never lost a battle of words.“Wait, so Kim Moohyuk was always this bad? He might have been a little rude, but he was kind, what are you talking about?”“That’s exactly why you don’t know much about espers. I’ve told you this many times, right?”Han Byeongeun, who seemed to get more talkative when he wanted to nag, started babbling even though I didn’t respond.“There’s no such thing as a transparent esper. Even though I seem upright and virtuous, I treat my guide differently.”“Ah, so that’s why your wife dumped you.”“Our private matters aren’t the topic here!”Han Byeongeun screamed in protest. I was tired of him, and since I had nothing else to gain, I left his lab.Tomorrow was the day I had to go on a mission with Kim Moohyuk. The thought made me tense, and I ended up falling asleep late that night. If I hadn’t set an alarm, I might have slept in until the afternoon. But since the mission was set for the afternoon, even if I had woken up from the alarm, I probably would’ve just rolled around in bed for a while. Eventually, I had no choice but to get up when I got a call from an unknown number.— Come outside.“…Who is this?”— I can’t enter the guide dorm, so come out to the parking lot in front.I asked, just in case, who it was, but the person didn’t answer, just said their piece and hung up abruptly.The person who hung up on me was, of course, Kim Moohyuk, with his usual lack of manners. The day was just beginning, and already he was making me angry. I was dumbfounded, but since I had to go on the mission with him today, I couldn’t resist. I quickly got ready, put on the uniform I had prepared the day before, and left the dorm. Ugh, I should have stayed in D-rank. Why did I have to get involved in this troublesome mess, trying to take someone else’s revenge?Even though my body looked young, the problem was that I had the mind of a man in his mid-thirties. The reflection in the mirror by the dorm entrance showed me with a youthful, gloomy expression. It was also another problem that my face was quite handsome. With this face and a sad expression, perverts were always getting attracted to me.But looking miserable wasn’t going to make the mission go away, so I tried to manage my expression, but it wasn’t easy. I had to drag myself along, my feet dragging with every step, just thinking about spending the whole day guiding Kim Moohyuk and modifying my own guiding waves.Kim Moohyuk’s jeep was parked in the guide dorm parking lot, right in front of the main entrance. The car was parked crookedly, though it was within the lines—just like Kim Moohyuk’s temper, which was as crooked as the car. I muttered under my breath as I got into the passenger seat.“…Parking like a mess. Does he think he owns the parking lot?”“You must’ve slept in this late, huh? It’s mission day.”Kim Moohyuk, with his arms wrapped around the steering wheel, looked at me as I got into the driver’s seat. …How did he know? I must have had that “caught red-handed” look on my face because Kim Moohyuk smirked and said, shifting the gears with a judgmental expression.“You’ve got pillow marks on your face.”Oh no. I must have missed it when I glanced at the mirror earlier. It was a little embarrassing. But honestly, it wasn’t that surprising since I had overslept on a mission day. I could afford to be sluggish. I had plenty of experience leading countless successful missions. That experience gave me a level of calmness that made it impossible for me to feel nervous. The only thing that was making me tense was the fact that I had to guide this quick-witted guy all day.It didn’t make sense that Kim Moohyuk could figure me out, but with everything that had happened so far, I wouldn’t be surprised if something even more absurd happened. As I was lost in those thoughts, Moohyuk’s car started moving smoothly. Only then did I ask, a little awkwardly.“So, what’s the mission outline?”“Good student. Are you already reviewing it?”Kim Moohyuk didn’t smile and just teased me. His tone was dry and cutting, yet it was enough to make anyone bristle with irritation. And calling me a student at this age? It was both annoying and somehow pleasant because his mental age seemed so young. But there was no excuse. I had plenty of excuses for myself.“If you wanted me to quickly grasp the mission outline, maybe you shouldn’t have given me the assignment notice just three days ago.”Kim Moohyuk just turned the steering wheel smoothly, responding nonchalantly.“I don’t know how well you’ve treated me, but do you think the main office has the power to pull someone into an operation assignment or not?”“You definitely seem to have that power. Are you the one to be saying this? The highest-ranked Esper at the Center? Is that an excuse? You’re shameless.”“Do you think you’re the only one who can talk back like that, you sergeant? Now stop and put on your seatbelt.”He replied in the same indifferent tone. Though it sounded casual, if you paid attention to the words, there was something about it that grated on your nerves. I was annoyed, but I had no choice but to shut my mouth and buckle my seatbelt. Because if I didn’t wear it inside the center, I’d get a fine. I’ve become so broke these days that even one penny matters.And all that money is in the hands of this bastard… We’re not even related by blood, so why is my money with that burned face? Of course, it’s better than being reclaimed by the national treasury. The thought irritated me, and as I stared out the window, Kim Moohyuk handed me a tablet PC.“Read this.”It seemed to be an operation summary. I took it and turned on the screen, reading through it. The contents of the operation were suspicious.“Cleaning? Waste incineration? What is all this?”It was a somewhat trivial task for an S++ level Esper. The operation was to collect trash from a hillside and incinerate it. Couldn’t they just assign this to other Espers? Why send someone like Kim Moohyuk, a high-ranking Esper? Kim Moohyuk smoothly turned the steering wheel and replied. As expected, his tone was emotionless.“You’ll understand when you get there.”And it wasn’t until we arrived at the site that I understood what he meant.“What is this…”I couldn’t continue my sentence in shock. What I saw on the hillside were piles of protein dolls of me, ‘Kang Hajung Colonel.’ Clones with some eerie features were stacked motionless. Some had their ankles turned, some had their necks twisted, but they all had faint smiles and their eyes were open. The cold, lifeless figures were more unsettling than corpses. I felt disgusted and almost vomited. Kim Moohyuk leaned on the jeep’s bonnet, lighting a cigarette, leaving me behind.“If you’re going to throw up, do it over there. The smell’s annoying.”Kim Moohyuk spoke in his usual dry tone, with an indifferent face, which irritated me. He didn’t seem bothered at all. Amidst the acrid smoke, Kim Moohyuk stared silently at the mountain of clone bodies for a while. His expression looked, if anything, bored. I began to wonder what he was thinking.I also started to wonder who assigned this despicable task to Kim Moohyuk. I recalled the tablet screen from earlier in the car. Where was the operation approval from again? I don’t think it was from the Center’s operations division.…Then it must have been from the Central Bureau. These kinds of people would be the ones to do this. The fact that they had Kim Moohyuk doing things he didn’t have to do meant they were probably trying to break him in… Did Kim Moohyuk do something to get into trouble with the Central Bureau? And they even sent me out with him. Could it be that my promotion to A rank already reached the Central Bureau’s ears?As I was lost in thought, the pile of bodies slowly began to shake. I thought the mountain of clone bodies was collapsing. But it wasn’t that. Something from inside was moving to push away the bodies stacked on top and try to get out.“Did you see that?”I called out to Kim Moohyuk in surprise. Kim Moohyuk, pressing the burned-out cigarette under his boot, responded.“Sometimes there are some still alive.”His tone was as indifferent as ever, and his face unreadable. I couldn’t tell if he was acting like that on purpose or if he genuinely didn’t care. I found myself staring at him, unable to focus on anything else. The face of the Kim Moohyuk I knew, with his soft smile or the small furrow in his brow when he was worried about me, felt distant now. This Moohyuk was completely different. His face seemed to carry something inside that had crumbled to pieces.“What are you spacing out for?”At that moment, Kim Moohyuk wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me, setting me aside before deploying his power to deal with the clone charging toward me — a clone with my face. The clone, running at full speed, was thrown back by the wave of energy Kim Moohyuk had created. His telekinetic power lifted the clone into the air before slamming it down to the ground with a loud crack. The sound of bones breaking followed.I frowned. That thing was wearing my face. But even as the clone was slammed to the ground and its spine broke, it didn’t erase the faint smile on its lips. The clone, struggling to steady itself with its trembling arms, tried to stand up, but it didn’t seem easy. When it finally managed to rise, a chunk of its arm’s flesh fell to the ground. Kim Moohyuk took out another cigarette from his pack, pointed to the clone with the cigarette between his fingers, and said:“See? It’s weak.”He wore a faint smile. I could tell that Kim Moohyuk was mocking the clone with all his might. It felt strange. Seeing him laugh at the clone, who looked like me, lying there with its flesh falling apart. I couldn’t hold it in anymore and spoke.“…Isn’t that a clone of someone you know?”Even if I’m a sergeant, it wouldn’t be strange for them to know the face of Kang Hajung Colonel. My picture would be hanging next to Ha Seonghan’s on the first floor of the Center’s headquarters building, in the memorial for fallen soldiers. Kim Moohyuk seemed uninterested in my words, as he fumbled for a lighter. After rummaging through his inner pocket, he finally found a disposable lighter wedged between his cigarette pack and pulled it out to light it. The sound of flint striking and the flicker of fire followed one after another.With a cigarette hanging between his lips, Kim Moohyuk responded:“If you know the face.”“….”“Should I show respect to that thing, just because it looks like someone I know? That piece of protein?”The faint smile that had been on his lips now seemed like a low-quality joke. Kim Moohyuk returned to his usual, expressionless face, as if nothing had happened. His dry eyes seemed like they were saying nothing could dampen them, even if it rained in the middle of a monsoon.“The ones who sent that thing here, the ones who sent me to clean this up, they want only one thing from me.”Kim Moohyuk inhaled deeply, his cheeks puffing with the smoke, before flicking the burnt tip of his cigarette with his middle finger. Then, with the cigarette still hanging from his lips, he said in an unclear tone:“A high-ranked Esper’s rampage.”“…”Kim Moohyuk, not looking at me, walked over and grabbed the neck of the clone, who was shaking like a newborn giraffe trying to stand. A crack echoed as he snapped the clone’s neck, throwing it back into the pile of corpses.I thought I had seen a lot on the battlefield, but even then, I had never witnessed such grotesque scenes. It seemed that Kim Moohyuk wasn’t unfamiliar with this, as he casually threw the fallen clone into the pile of discarded ones and began lifting them all into the air, compressing them together. The sound of bones grinding could be heard. I felt like I was going to throw up.The sound of bones breaking was drowned by the sound of me gagging, hoping that Kim Moohyuk wouldn’t hear it. The sight of protein dolls, all with my face, gathered into a ball and shrinking was something straight out of a nightmare. I feared it would haunt my dreams. I had no choice but to stand there, with a disgusted expression, as the clone grave, now the size of a soccer ball, circled around Kim Moohyuk.Kim Moohyuk, seeing my discomfort, ordered me to get a small drum from the back of the jeep.“You said to incinerate them, right? Want to play with fire?”Kim Moohyuk took out another cigarette. I couldn’t believe he was going to burn them after all. This wasn’t even an assignment—it was outright ‘harassment’ from the higher-ups. If it were just an assignment, there was no way they would have asked Kim Moohyuk to incinerate clones of my face. No matter how aggressive a clone might be, even a D-rank Esper could handle it. This was clearly an assignment to mentally break Kim Moohyuk.…Who approved this absurd mission? I thought to myself as I carried the small drum from the jeep and placed it in front of him. Kim Moohyuk placed the ball of clones into the drum and dropped the burning cigarette inside. The wind must have been strong because the fire quickly caught, and soon the smell of burning pigskin filled the air as the clone ball started to burn.“…Does it always smell like this?”“Must be the protein. If you’re bothered, go inside.”Kim Moohyuk’s tone was more neutral than before, but I couldn’t help but feel worse. This wasn’t how I imagined it ending—so dry and anticlimactic. I quickly went inside the jeep, not wanting to stand there anymore. Outside, Kim Moohyuk continued to watch the flames from the burning drum. I clicked my tongue and picked up the tablet PC from the console, swiping the screen.“Approver… approver… Who the hell approved this ridiculous mission…”Scrolling down endlessly, I saw that the mission hadn’t come from the Center’s operations division, but directly from the Central Bureau.“Central Bureau Operations Chief Go Cheonsu…”I found it. Go Cheonsu, Go Cheonsu… He wasn’t someone I knew. I wasn’t on good terms with the people at the Central Bureau, but I usually knew most of their names. Since I didn’t recognize this one, it must mean he was a new addition. This bastard must have been the one torturing Kim Moohyuk.I suddenly felt a surge of anger. Even if I cursed and called him a bastard, Kim Moohyuk was still mine—present tense. Of course, my peace mattered more than revealing the truth to him, which is why I’d been keeping it to myself and reporting back to him.Anyway, that wasn’t important right now. I quickly took a picture of the mission details with my phone. After the burning was done, I watched as Kim Moohyuk emptied the drum and poured water on it to put it out. As he returned, I awkwardly smiled at him. He threw the drum back into the jeep’s trunk, got into the driver’s seat, and, without looking at me, muttered:“Why are you splitting hairs?”“…I’m just used to smiling.”I couldn’t believe it. Did I really have to be so careful around Kim Moohyuk? Well, as a sergeant, I guess I had to be careful around a captain. Trying to suppress my frustration and resentment, I watched as Kim Moohyuk clicked his tongue and fastened his seatbelt.I couldn’t believe it. Did I really have to keep watching Kim Moohyuk’s mood like this? Well, I guess if you’re a sergeant, you have to keep an eye on your captain like this. Trying to hide my frustration and resentment, I glanced at Kim Moohyuk as he fastened his seatbelt, clicking his tongue.“Instead of splitting hairs, just fasten your seatbelt.”“Ah, yes, yes.”“Answer only once.”Was he always this much of a nag? I tried to think back, and yes, Kim Moohyuk was indeed quite the nagging type. I suppressed a sigh and asked.“Where are we going now?”“I don’t know. Maybe we’ll eat and head back.”Kim Moohyuk looked tired. Despite not using much of his powers, he had the face of someone mentally and physically worn out, so he loosened his radiation guiding. Glancing at me briefly, he shifted the gear. Our jeep, now carrying us, left the mountain, piled high with clones, and headed out onto the main road.Last time, we had eaten a stew, but this time, it was a stone pot rice place. It was the kind of restaurant where you could choose several side dishes with a full course meal, and stone pot rice was served as the base. The food was quite neat. After emptying my stomach, I felt refreshed and was able to eat with a clear mind.“After all that complaining, you’re eating well.”Kim Moohyuk said dryly. I shrugged my shoulders.“I was hungry after emptying it.”He raised one eyebrow slightly at my words, but then continued eating without a response. Kim Moohyuk and I ate silently, finishing our bowls. As the meal was winding down, I couldn’t hold back and asked.“Do you often get assignments like this?”“Well, it depends on what you mean by ‘often.’”That was pretty much the same as saying it happens more frequently than I thought. I furrowed my brows.“Why… why don’t you refuse these assignments?”Kim Moohyuk took a sip from his glass, glanced at me, then put the cup down. His face, which was clearly different from the one I knew, had no expression that could be called a ‘face.’ He spoke.“If I do.”“…”“Will anything change?”Kim Moohyuk spoke in a tone that couldn’t even be called resignation. It wasn’t something you could express with simple words like ‘resignation’ or ‘futility.’ There was no trace of emotion in his voice or tone, which made it even more chilling. Suddenly, I felt a wave of fear. Did Kim Moohyuk even know where he was headed? His dry, cracked eyes lingered in my mind. Impulsively, I blurted out.“Then, you should keep receiving guidance from me.”Kim Moohyuk stared at me intently, as though trying to figure out the true meaning of my words. At this point, my discharge didn’t seem to be the issue. No, I couldn’t even consider it an issue. I couldn’t just leave Kim Moohyuk as he was. I couldn’t allow him to continue this twisted work, killing clones with the face of the dead guide, and burning them day after day.Even so, I couldn’t say it to his face while looking directly into his eyes, so I shifted my gaze. In contrast, Moohyuk was staring at me so intensely it felt like his gaze was drilling into me. His gaze made the sides of my head sting. After a heavy silence, Moohyuk asked.“What do you trust about me?”That was a ridiculous question. Then why the hell did you come to the shared guidance room and sleep there, planning to be assigned to missions with me? I thought the clone graveyard he showed me earlier was some kind of declaration of war. I didn’t know what he wanted from me, but I was so annoyed I snapped back.“Isn’t it up to you to decide what to trust? If you’re going to act all high and mighty, at least trust your own instincts. This isn’t something you should ask me.”“…”At my words, Moohyuk’s eyes momentarily widened, then narrowed. I wasn’t sure what kind of expression that was, but after the way I had been messed with all day, I didn’t even want to ask. Kim Moohyuk stared at me in silence for a while, then slowly spoke.“I’m going to smoke a cigarette, so come out slowly.”With that, he stood up and walked toward the cashier. After paying, Kim Moohyuk simply left the restaurant.“What the hell… I don’t get it.”I couldn’t figure out what was going on in his mind, and it was so frustrating. I sighed and took a drink of water in one go, feeling disgusted. Was I always this angry? I thought to myself. It felt like I was at my breaking point. Once I made up my mind, I knew I couldn’t just leave Kim Moohyuk as he was.If the reason Kim Moohyuk was so different from the person I knew was because of the sadness of losing his partner guide, I had planned to clarify things and leave once I had at least sorted things out. If I said “I’m Kang Hajung” right now, I didn’t think he would believe me. For now, I figured it would be better to resolve his insomnia or whatever was bothering him, and then calmly explain that I’m Kang Hajung, and I didn’t know how I ended up in this body.With that resolve in mind, I left the restaurant. As I opened the door, the night air was bitterly cold. I looked around, thinking Kim Moohyuk might be in the designated smoking room he had set up in the restaurant, and I started walking in that direction. That was, of course, before someone grabbed my hair.“Ugh—!”“Well, well, what do we have here, you little brat! How dare you disrespect your uncle?! It’s a good thing you were lurking around the base!”“What—what is this—?”I was so shocked that I couldn’t even speak. A middle-aged man, reeking of alcohol, had grabbed my hair and started shaking it. Sergeant Kang’s hair wasn’t too short or too long, but the way he held it and shook it indicated he wasn’t a stranger to using force like this.“Hey, what are you doing?!”I tried to pull his hand off, but with my hair caught, it wasn’t easy. Sergeant Kang’s frail body didn’t help the situation either. I could see people passing by, glancing over, wondering if they should intervene, but the man spoke first.“Just go on. This kid’s my nephew. He ran away without a word, and I’m just giving him a lesson.”Nephew? The moment I heard that, something clicked in my mind. I remembered the phone call from the gate guard at the North Gate, where I had been contacted in the shared guidance room. I realized that the person pulling my hair was Kang Byeongchan. A sudden wave of anger rushed over me.“Let go of me! Where do you think you’re acting up?!”“You’re gonna talk back to your uncle like that—!”Without hesitation, the man slapped my cheek. He didn’t seem particularly strong, but because Sergeant Kang was so weak, my head jerked to the side, and the impact was so sharp that my ear rang. He slapped me a couple more times before I could even react, and I collapsed to the ground.“Every payday, you used to send me money without fail, but now, not a word! Did you bite someone else, or get seduced by some other guy? Why haven’t you sent any money?!”It seemed like the man’s frustration was because he hadn’t been able to extort Sergeant Kang’s salary. I didn’t know how he had found me here, but since this was the closest city to the center, he must have been waiting for me to show up. He wouldn’t have come otherwise, but today, of all days, he caught me.This crazy—. I muttered a curse under my breath. Just as the man raised his arm to slap me again, his hand froze in midair and didn’t come down. He stood there, arm raised, wide-eyed in shock.“Wh-what—?! Why is this happening?”It was as if his arm had frozen in place, and he struggled, trying to bring it down. Surprised, he even let go of my collar. I collapsed to the ground, coughing. That’s when someone’s military boots appeared in my field of vision. It was Kim Moohyuk.“Every time I see you, you either prepare to get hit, or you’re already getting hit.”Kim Moohyuk spoke in a dispassionate tone. And that’s true. I thought to myself, irritated. There was nothing wrong with what he said. It felt a little pathetic, though. How did I end up in this body, with Kang Hajung, getting beaten by someone else and lying on the street? As soon as I thought about it, my anger gave me the strength to jump back up. I scowled and, still wincing from the man who hadn’t been able to move his arm, I shot out words like machine gun fire.“Hey, are you insane? Why are you beating up an innocent person? Just wait. I’ll file a lawsuit. You know who I am, don’t you? If you’re my ‘uncle,’ you should know how civilians who mess with espers or guides are punished, right? I’ve let it slide until now, but today? I’ve got evidence, and there are plenty of witnesses. I’ll make sure you rot in prison. You’ll beg for mercy, but I won’t show you any. You’re dead, you bastard.”I blew my bangs out of my face and pulled out my phone to call the military police. Soldiers in the Esper-Guide Corps, especially those who mess with guides, are punished under the National Security Law. I was thinking of handing it over to the military police first, then filing a civil suit in a regular court. I just wanted this guy out of my sight, for my own version of revenge for Sergeant Kang.“What—what—? You, you little shit—”The man seemed stunned, as if he had never been defied in his life. His face looked like someone who had just tried to hit a pillow and had the pillow shout back at him, “Don’t hit me, you idiot!” It was clear he never expected Sergeant Kang to resist. He looked ridiculous and pathetic. Where did Sergeant Kang even have the right to hit him? His face was already swollen, one eye completely swollen shut.I immediately contacted the military police. But this time, the military police were the problem.— This seems to be a family matter, so it’s better for family members to resolve it…The moment I said my name and affiliation, they responded with a lackluster attitude. Family? How many people in the Esper-Guide Corps have fled from their families and ended up at the center, and yet the military police are telling me this?It seemed like they just didn’t want to get involved. I was gathering my energy to yell at them when my phone was suddenly snatched from my hand. Looking up, I saw Kim Moohyuk, holding a cigarette that wasn’t lit yet, pressing my phone to his cheek.“Captain Kim Moohyuk here.”