STJ_11
Perhaps due to the large amount of nutrients mixed into the IV or a full day's rest, his body was much better the next day.
Whatever the reason, Esper's injury was recognized as an industrial accident and he received treatment and compensation. Of course, this could actually be a bribe to keep his mouth shut so he would not speak out.
His bankbook was getting fat and he was living in a comfortable treatment room. He had nothing to complain about except that he couldn't smoke at the moment.
"Chief Joo Doyoung, let me help you to the examination room."
After noon, a middle-aged nurse came and pushed a wheelchair into Doyoung's room. As she brought the wheelchair closer to the bed, she saw something on the floor and picked it up.
"There's something like that under the bed? Ah, it's Yopy. My son used to love it when he was little."
"Yes?"
"Here."
In his hand was a small doll with a hook ring at the top so it could be hung somewhere.
The soft, fluffy stuffed dog looked familiar. It must be the one hanging from Sa Iijun's waist. It looked like he dropped it during his visit yesterday.
"My son who grew up with Yopy is already 20 years old. It reminds me of the past. This."
The nurse handed the doll to Doyoung. After gently patting the doll's head a few times, he stared at it for a moment before placing it in the drawer of him bedside table.
He would return it the next time they met.
Somehow, he had a strange feeling that he would see Sa Iijun again soon.
Soon after, Doyoung climbed into the wheelchair and left the infirmary for the examination room, where he unexpectedly got a chance to experience the atmosphere of the UEFC.
The medical department, which took up the entire sixth floor of the main building, felt like a large hospital.
Doyoung was led by nurses to undergo various tests. Like a patient who had been in a car accident, he recognized the events of a few days ago as he underwent a series of tests, including CT scans and MRIs.
Since he had been here, he had never had a quiet day. Every day he was surprised by new things.
As he thought about it while waiting for his blood test results, the air around him changed and people started making noise.
But the thing that surprised Doyoung was just beginning.
Dr. Ji Heeyoung, a researcher in the non-medical research department, appeared with a small group of researchers and told him about his blood test results. Seeing their serious expressions, Doyoung was worried that something was wrong with his body.
"Chief Joo Doyoung, that... there was an anomaly found in the blood test results."
"Anomaly? What, what is it?"
He swallowed his saliva heavily. The names of every deadly disease he knew flashed through his mind.
Heeyoung looked down at the ipad in her hand and made a diagnosis.
"I think you're a Guide."
"......."
There was a moment of silence.
"Less than half a year ago, I had an examination at the company. It was you who did the blood test."
"That was strange for us too. So we repeated the test three times, but the results remained the same."
"......."
Doyoung looked at them in disbelief while they were talking nonsense.
"Therefore, I advise you to take the Guide test again."
"Is that a test with something in my mouth?"
"Yes.”
Suspecting that something was wrong with the testing machine and asking him to undergo another examination, he began to doubt the UEFC's professionalism at this point.
Doyoung let out a long sigh and followed them into the examination room. He lay down on the bed, guided by the nurse.
Silicone pads were placed all over his body and a wired tube was inserted into his mouth. When the doctor pressed the button, the machine made a small noise and the measuring process began.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw the crowd discussing in front of the monitor that showed the test results in real time.
There was no way he was a Guide. He thought there might be something wrong with his blood test results.
"What's wrong with the numbers? Is this a mistake? Bring me another machine."
"There is nothing wrong. It's working."
They whispered to each other and approached Doyoung with serious faces like a judge ready to pass a sentence. Heeyoung, standing in front, said.
"There is no mistaking that you are a Guide. And also... A high-ranking Guide. It is estimated that it reaches A-class."
“....Me?”
"You think it doesn't make sense, right?
He was grateful that she had spoken on her behalf, Heeyoung continued to Doyoung.
"I have a theory."
"....What is it?"
She was obviously about to say something ridiculous again, but Doyoung was waiting to hear it.
"It's a very rare case.... I believe Chief Joo Doyoung is one of them."
Not only Doyoung, but also the nurses and researchers standing around were listening.
"A dozen years ago, a British Guide imprinted by Esper died of gunshot wounds in battle. Do you know what will happen if one of the imprinted Esper and Guide die?"
"The imprint will be erased.”
"However, there was an S-class Esper Healer nearby, and thanks to him, the Guide was saved even though she was actually dead because her heart had stopped beating. Only after she recovered, her imprint was erased. The reason..."
"Because death is the condition for the imprint to be erased, so whether the condition is long or short, the Guide must die."
"That's right."
Doyoung raised his hand.
"That sounds good, but there seems to be a gap in the logic. An imprint? Although I became a Guide from the beginning to do just that, I have never met an Esper in person in my entire life, and I have no memory of such a thing. Whenever I have been admitted, I have always been considered a normal human. I think a more plausible hypothesis would be that I suddenly manifested at this age, right?
The neighborhood was buzzing again. However, Heeyoung did not give up on her hypothesis.
"However, given the circumstances, this hypothesis is the most likely. Of course, you've been judged as an ordinary person in the trial so far. An imprinted Guide only sends his guiding energy to his own Esper."
Just then, a researcher took a step forward and interrupted the conversation as if he had something to show.
"Ah, by the way, it was Lieutenant Colonel Sa Kangjun who reported you when you were rescued that day. I thought you were his Guide."
Heeyoung's eyes lit up as her hypothesis grew stronger.
"Have you met Esper Sa Kangjun before?"
"No. Not at all.”
Although there were clues, the threads had not yet come together completely. In the end, the research and medical departments considered the matter in their own ways and agreed to discuss it at a later time, having decided to postpone the decision.
But what hasn't changed is that Doyoung has become a Guide.
***
"As an Esper or Guide, you are subject to compulsory military service. There is freedom of asylum, but no freedom in the whole country. After you have checked it, write your name and sign it."
This meant that he could choose to die as a soldier in this country or, if he refused, to flee to another country.
After a long and incomprehensible explanation, a personnel officer asked him to sign at the bottom. It was a request, but more like an order. Doyoung had no choice.
As absurd as it was, there was an inescapable legitimacy to the situation where gates and Creatures preying on humans appeared everywhere. It was confusing in many ways.
He was suddenly curious about the reactions of the other people who had signed this document. When he looked at it, there were some difficult Chinese and English characters. At 27 years old, he wondered if people who manifested at a younger age would understand all this and sign it.
"Did the Esper also... sign this?"
"Of course. The UEFC makes no distinction between Esper and Guide."
"Ah, that's not what I meant... Did Sa Kangjun and Sa Iijun sign it as well?"
"Yes. It is a legal requirement to join the military after manifesting. They did it right after they both manifested, Lieutenant Colonel Sa Kangjun when he was eight years old and Second Lieutenant Sa Iijun when he was six years old."
"......."
They had been soldiers since they were young.... Suddenly, he felt a lump in his stomach.
"Oh, and please fill out the Guide preference survey on the back."
"Okay."
"Just a reminder before you fill it out, this questionnaire is only meant to gather some basic information about your guiding preferences and does not guarantee that it will match the Guide's wishes."
Doyoung picked up the pen and began to write as he listened to the officer give him instructions in an emotionless voice like a pre-recorded robot.
[Guide Preference Survey - Type B (Adult)]
1. I prefer to guiding partners of the following gender:
A. Same sex ( )
B. Opposite sex (○)
2. If you need to guiding an Espers of a gender other than the one you chose, choose one possible guiding method (multiple choices allowed)
A. Guiding by close emission (○)
B. Guiding by skin contact (○)
C. Guiding by mucosal contact ( )
D. Guiding by sexual contact ( )
Doyoung hesitated a bit when he circled option B in the second question. It didn't seem important to him to shake hands or hug lightly.
And he didn't think he needed to look at the two options underneath, since Doyoung was the perfect straight guy.
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