STJ_07

With a bang, Sa Iijun burst through the door and rushed in. He was still wearing his battle uniform with blood stained hair.

Sa Iijun's brown eyes quickly scanned the room and found Doyoung. A pair of vaguely double-lidded eyes curved into a crescent moon, followed by the corner of his eyes drooping downward. It was a smiley-eye, much loved by his fans.

"Ah, this..."

Iijun's face, which had shown a happy expression after finding what he was looking for, turned cold in an instant. There, he found Doyoung sitting across from Kangjun.

"Why are you with this guy?"

"Yes?"

Confused, Doyoung expressed his surprise at the sudden question. He tried to look at the tall man from his sitting position, but his neck began to feel sore and stiff.

Aren't they siblings?

Sa Iijun glared at Kangjun as if he couldn't hide his hostility.

A 'click' sound was heard as the wind blew out, he (DY) turned his head to the other side and saw that Sa Kangjun developed the same smile.

Doyoung looked at both sides. It seemed that he was the only one who looked uncomfortable and caught in the middle. It was clear that the relationship between the two brothers shouldn't be too close.

Sa Iijun's frustrated voice sounded as if it was unfair.

"How did this happen?

Are you asking me?

Doyoung turned and looked at Sa Iijun. Those brown eyes stared directly at Doyoung.

When he looked at him again, his eyes were crystal clear. Sa Iijun, once again the embodiment of the hypothesis that madmen have clear eyes, pursed his lips and began to speak nonsense in a pleading tone.

"You are my Guide."

"......who? Me?"

Iijun seemed hurt by Doyoung's reaction.

"Of course. Why do you pretend not to know?"

"I'm sorry, but... I'm not."

"Then why are you here?"

Sa Iijun was filled with an inexplicable confidence, as if his mind couldn't be wrong. There was nothing more dangerous than an insane confidence like his.

Suddenly, he remembered that he had put the business card he had just received in his wallet. Iijun took it without knowing what it was and looked at it with bright eyes.

"Chief... Joo Doyoung? Public Relations Department?"

Eyes that seemed to be full of anticipation immediately turned to confusion. Kangjun scolded with a cold voice.

"This is none of your business, so please leave."

"What are you two doing?"

"We're discussing an article."

"Article? What article?"

"The article written by Chief Joo."

“Chief Joo wrote an article? Why?"

"As you said, of course, because he's the Chief. Stop asking and get out.”

Iijun turned his head and looked at Doyoung with a look of betrayal. Doyoung sighed helplessly, somehow he was now seen as a cheating couple.

Iijun walked over, not wanting to listen to his brother's order to leave, and grabbed the iPad from Kangjun's lap. He turned on the screen, found the article and started to read it.

Doyoung bit his lip nervously when he saw the light brown eyes looking down.

Iijun lowered his hand that was holding the iPad after reading everything and looked at Doyoung with a devastated face.

"Why..."

Doyoung, who was nervous, prepared an excuse. No matter how bad his relationship with his brother was, he would definitely feel uncomfortable if he saw a bad article about his brother.

Thinking of avoiding the situation even by making an excuse for his former boss who wasn't here, Doyoung opened his lips.

"Mine...?"

"...yes?"

"Why isn't mine here?"

However, what Iijun noticed was actually deflected.

"That... There's also an article about Sa Iijun-ssi..."

Hearing Doyoung's words, Iijun took the iPad back and fiddled with it. It seemed like he was searching for something. Soon, his eyes lit up as if he had found an article Doyoung had written about him. He read the article for what seemed like hours to Doyoung.

“This…”

Seeing Sa Iijun's serious face, Doyoung got up from his couch and prepared an excuse.

"Sa Iijun-ssi. That article..."

Before Doyoung could speak, Iijun hugged him after throwing the iPad on the couch.

"Uh..."

"Thanks."

".....yes?"

"My article is longer."

Doyoung's eyes widened in surprise.

"Did you think a lot about me when you wrote it?"

"That... Because it's an article about Sa Iijun-ssi, of course..."

"Haa... Very good."

"......"

Crazy. He's really crazy.

Doyoung raised both of his hands and touched Sa Iijun's chest, he pushed him away but he was so strong and it felt hard as if he didn't have a human body.

There was no way he could be pushed by Doyoung's strength. Iijun pulled him gently, not letting go of Doyoung's arms.

Iijun smiled brightly with satisfaction on his face as if he had just finished a full meal, slowly lowering his hands and holding Doyoung's palms tightly. A deep possessiveness was felt as he held his hands as if they were locked there.

At that moment, the door opened loudly and the soldiers entered.

The sergeant in front breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Haa... It's you? Second Lieutenant Sa Iijun, if you don't return to your cell right now, the commander will extend your imprisonment for another week."

It seemed that he had run away after receiving the punishment of being put in solitary confinement. Doyoung, who got the chance when Iijun turned his eyes to the soldiers, quickly turned his body to free himself from the embrace. Then he stepped back, out of reach.

Iijun stared at Doyoung as if the sand he held in his hand had spilled out.

"Why... Why did you leave?"

"Haa... You've been saying strange things since earlier, but you seem to have the wrong person. I'm not a Guide, and of course I'm not Sa Iijun-ssi's Guide."

"That is impossible. How could I..."

Wanting to confirm his suspicion, Iijun walked over and reached up to touch Doyoung with his own hand again, but Kangjun immediately approached and stood in front of Doyoung.

"Calm down and go to the recovery room.”

But as if Iijun wouldn't give up, he took a step to the side and tried to reach Doyoung again. Kang Jun's voice became deeper and echoed in the room.

"Second Lieutenant Sa Iijun."

"......!"

The tone of his voice or the way he spoke showed a firmness in Doyoung's ears like when his mother (DY) called him by his surname, which felt the same as if he would be scolded if he didn't listen to his words.

Maybe Iijun felt the same way, although he looked at Kangjun with a very annoyed expression on his face before stamping his feet and leaving the room with the soldiers.

Doyoung sighed now that he had calmed down. Even though he had only met Sa Iijun a few times, he always felt like he would lose his mind during those meetings.

"Esper Sa Iijun... Did he mistake me for someone else?"

"I don't know."

There was an inexplicable interest in Sa Kangjun's eyes as he looked at him(DY) with an ambiguous answer. He (DY) was skeptical of everyone here, including Commander Jeon Haesu. On the contrary, the mad Sa Iijun seemed to be the most honest.

Kangjun slowly took off his right glove and held it in his left hand. He extended his bare palm and asked Doyoung to shake his hand.

"Welcome to the UEFC, Joo Doyoung-ssi."

"Ah, thank you.”

Doyoung held the hand. The large hand and the long, straight fingers felt dry, but also a little cool to the touch.

However, Kangjun did not shake his hand like a normal greeting and just held it. He stared at the hand in his grasp with dark eyes like a black hole that could absorb all kinds of light.

He looked at his hand for a moment before the corners of his mouth curled up and he muttered.

"That's right, isn't it... no, isn't it?"

".....yes?"

Doyoung seemed to have no idea. The fact that a small amount of guiding energy was flowing out of him.

What he felt on the airplane was not a misunderstanding.

That day, Kangjun immediately took Doyoung to the UEFC and received an inconclusive report. Detailed examination tests had been conducted, but the measured wave levels were no higher than average.

But they were all wrong.

This person was emanating guidance energy even though he said he was not a Guide. With all these contradictions, what was his identity?

"Excuse me..."

The confused Doyoung looked at Kangjun. He knew that Kangjun understood his intention to let go of his hand, but Kangjun did not react. Instead, he secretly stares into Doyoung's eyes.

There were many people who couldn't even see his face clearly, but those brown eyes never let go of their attention.

"Lieutenant Colonel...? My, hand..."

"......"

After Kangjun let go of his hand, Doyoung bowed and left the room. Kangjun, who was alone in the big room, looked thoughtfully at the door where Doyoung had left.

After a while, the door opened and Kim Hangyeol, who served as Kangjun's personal assistant, rushed in holding a gel-type hand sanitizer that said '99.9% sterilization effect'.

"Lieutenant Colonel, here."

The only time he took off his gloves was when he shook hands with someone.

Hangyeol held out the hand disinfectant as usual and looked at Kangjun curiously. Kangjun, who usually wiped his hands immediately, stared at his bare hands in silence. He clenched and unclenched them.

Hangyeol held out the hand disinfectant.

"Lieutenant Colonel?"

"It's nothing."

Kangjun walked past Hangyeol and left the break room. Hangyeol, left alone, tilted her head.

***

| Reporter's Visit to the UEFC Arena: The Coliseum of the 21st Century.

‘Arena', the place we visited on the first day as the training ground for the Espers at the UEFC, is located in the east wing. When we arrived there to report, the Esper team and Sa Iijun were in the middle of a battle. |

Seeing the article that was written, Doyoung thought about many things.

It was strange that he, who was once a cynical critic of the UEFC, which seemed to be more powerful than the government, was now writing an article that would arouse envy of the same institution.

But that is the inevitable fate of any member of society. Whether in the past or present, whatever others say, do it*.

*t/n: 까라면 까야지; this expression is usually used to describe a situation in which a subordinate must unconditionally do whatever his superior asks, even if it is something difficult.

"Is this your first time in the cafeteria?"

Yeo Hyeju asked as she placed the tray in front of Doyoung.

"Yes. It reminds me of my high school days. It was fun."

"Really? But you know what? This place is a little childish. It's more like a high school cafeteria in an American teen movie."

Hearing her words, Doyoung looked around. As if the area were divided by transparent walls, ordinary people sat among ordinary people, soldiers among soldiers, and researchers among researchers.

"I think I know what you mean."

Not long after, a commotion was heard in the cafeteria. Looking at the entrance, Hyeju said in a low voice.

"And in that movie, the kids from the popular sports team were over there wearing rugby jerseys. The Espers. Looks like they're on their way home from practice."

Espers in combat uniforms were seen entering the cafeteria entrance. Wearing khaki or black combat fatigues, bulletproof vests, and holsters on their arms and thighs, they walked in confidently, chatting loudly with each other as if they owned the room.

Espers, both male and female, are generally well built. Among them, Sa Iijun is the tallest, with his head sticking out. His smooth, light brown hair, which is not soaked with blood, looks like a Sapsali dog.

Sa Iijun, who was carrying a tray while joking and laughing with his colleagues, stopped as if he felt something. He turned his head to the side where Doyoung was sitting.

He's not looking for me, is he? There's no way he's coming to me, right?

The hunch became a possibility, and the possibility became a certainty. Having found Doyoung, Iijun ran towards him with a happy face.

In an instant, all eyes were on the name he called out in a loud voice.

"Master!”

–

TL: Muji

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