Guide to the Fallen World - Chapter 21

#21. Esper Luring Technique

“Guide… the blocker… broken… now… guiding…”

The Esper, who had been rambling incoherently, finally managed to form a proper sentence.

“…It seems the guiding blocker is broken. You accidentally fell—are you alright?”

“My wrist hurts. You hugged me too tightly, so my shoulder hurts as well.”

The moment she spoke, the crushing grip that had been suffocating her chest loosened. Yeowon grabbed Dohyeok’s shoulder with her uninjured hand.

At the same time, the Esper’s neck stiffened, and the tendons in his shoulders became prominent. His face was tense, fine hairs beneath his ears standing on end.

Just from this single touch, he looked as if he didn’t know what to do, like a startled animal caught off guard.

Holding onto Dohyeok, Yeowon thought to herself. She didn’t know what tactics Jay had used to win over Kang Dohyeok, the Esper. But this time, *I’ll be the one to win him over.*

What she witnessed after leaving the Ark was a world where glory had crumbled into ruins—a desolate wasteland. That was all it was. Yet, it was unmistakably freedom.

And Kang Dohyeok Esper, was a trace of the freedom she had experienced over the past few days.

Esper or not, at his core, he was just like her—a person. A part of her fragile heart wanted to lean on him, even if only a little.

“Could you… take me to the infirmary?”

“I’ll support you,” he replied.

“No. Just hold me like this.”

“Did you hurt yourself?”

“No, it’s not that. You’re warm.”

Yeowon leaned her head against Dohyeok’s chest, almost intentionally.

“And I can hear your heartbeat too.”

“….”

“All I ever have around me are androids. I’ve missed this kind of thing.”

“I… see.”

“Thank you for helping me.”

Yeowon whispered softly near his ear, her breath brushing against it as if by accident. The Esper’s face flushed a deep red, burning as if set on fire. She was almost startled at how immediate his reaction was.

But why was she suddenly feeling embarrassed as well?

Yeowon, trying to ignore the unexpected emotion that surfaced, rotated her aching wrist. Ah, it hurt quite a bit. The sharp pain brought her back to her senses.

At the same time, Jay’s face flashed in her mind, and a cold clarity returned to her.

If things continued like this, Kang Dohyeok would remain nothing more than Jay’s ally—not ‘her’ Esper.

Although I feel resentment, I don’t dislike Jay. I know that I’m enjoying all the benefits within the fence Jay has created. Still, someday in the distant future, I might have to break free from it.

Whether that happens through Jay letting me go, or through the Espers destroying Jay’s true form, I don’t know yet, but I keep the possibility open.

For now, let’s set aside thoughts of the future and focus on the Esper in front of me.

That’s the first thing.

***

Now that I’ve fallen out of the guide’s favor, I need to avoid her as much as possible.

It would make her upset if she sees me, after all. If I continue to irritate her, my access level might decrease, or I could be banished.

But if that guide is holding onto me, what should I do? I’m happy to be needed.

No matter what kind of request she makes, I will follow it.

Becoming her legs to find the medical room and gently carrying her to the dining hall because she said she was hungry—that’s why I did it.

I felt it was just the right thing to do. I’m even happy to think I could help.

It feels like she’s depending on me, and it makes my heart swell.

“Open your mouth. Ah.”

At the guide’s persistent urging, Dohyeok reluctantly opened his mouth. As if waiting for this moment, a piece of cake slipped in.

“You don’t dislike sweets, do you?”

“No.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve had some, and the coffee tastes great. Coffee and cake really are the best when you’re feeling down.”

It sounded like she was implying that he was the reason for her gloom, so Dohyeok tactfully lowered his gaze. Noticing this subtle change, Yeowon spoke up.

“Jay usually doesn’t allow me to have snacks like this. She says caffeine makes people overly stimulated, and cake is bad for vascular health.”

“I see.”

“I still like it. If I didn’t have coffee, I’d probably drink it like water whenever it’s available.”

“I see.”

“I also like Esper Kang Dohyeok too.”

“is that so…Wha? what?”

“I’m sorry for being so harsh back then. I got a little emotional. I thought I had become close with Do-hyeok, but I was disappointed and embarrassed to find out that it was just me…
Ah, is it okay if I call you Dohyeok? Calling you Kang Dohyeok Esper all the time feels too formal.”

As she waited for his response, Yeowon radiated guiding energy to its fullest extent.

This was the reason she had remained in Kang Dohyeok Esper’s arms all this time. Even when he tried to set her down on the bed in the medical room or seat her in a chair at the dining hall, she stubbornly refused without a valid excuse.

It all led to this moment.

‘Let’s see if you can resist this.’

Her actions were the embodiment of that challenge, unspoken but deliberate.

It was a typical and sly attempt, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t genuine. After all, her feelings were real. Her anticipation for his response was sincere as well.

He was someone who appeared at the end of her lonely and stifling life aboard the Ark. It would be stranger not to feel drawn to him.

Yeowon truly looked forward to it—the reaction he would show, and the possibilities that might unfold because of it.

Did her feelings reach him?

Dohyeok, unable to hide the helpless wavering in his eyes, stared at Yeowon’s face as if spellbound.

A smile full of warmth. A confession laced with expectation and earnestness. Eyes brimming with complex emotions as they awaited his response.

She likes me.

“Dohyeok?”

Why?

Was she being sincere? What exactly did she like about him? He didn’t have a fancy shelter like other Espers, and all he had was his notorious reputation. So why?

Ah, maybe it’s that. A cruel game of giving false hope and then taking it away. The person who remained unshaken despite being mocked for his sincerity and having his confession trampled upon, but still, he found himself wanting to be the target of such a game.

I finally understand. Espers who cried from heartbreak, got pushed aside due to lack of ability, but dusted themselves off and stood back up as if nothing happened, competing for their usefulness and value. The countless fathers and governments.

‘Did they feel the same way? Were they this desperate?’

“……Do-hyuk?”

“Yes.”

“Uh, did I reveal too much of my feelings? Or was I too forward… No, that’s not it. If I made you uncomfortable, I should apologize…”

“It’s not that.”

“Oh… then.”

“I did it because I like you. I also like you, Guide Jeong Yeowon.”

“Ah, um, I see. Thank you so much. But, it feels like there’s a big difference between the ‘liking’ I’m talking about and the ‘liking’ you’re talking about…”

“I know. I understand it’s not the same feeling.”

“…I’m sorry. I’m the worst, aren’t I?”

“On the contrary. It’s the best. To me.”

“You’re teasing me. Yes, it’s my fault, so go ahead and tease me all you want. I’ll take it all.”

“I’m serious. I always have been.”

Hearing a voice that felt somewhat constrained, Yeowon shut her mouth as if on purpose. At this point, it didn’t seem like teasing but genuine sincerity. No, it ‘was’ genuine.

And that’s why it felt burdensome. Doesn’t this make me, who approached this with a light heart, feel like total trash?

No, let’s admit what needs to be admitted. Trash belongs in the trash can. I belong in the trash can too. That’s how it should be.

But, was I always like this?

Yeowon blinked and looked up at Dohyeok, who was smiling brightly.

She never knew he could smile like this. Having only seen shadows cast over his face all this time, she had no idea.

Ah, what should I do? What on earth have I done to someone like this?

‘But really, what should I do?’

I feel like I’ll want to see him smile like this often. Somehow, I just have that feeling.

Caught up in that very thought, Yeowon didn’t even realize that Dohyeok had reactivated the guiding suppressor on her wrist. It was only much later that she noticed the waves pooling back inside her body.

At this point, even though he knew everything, he still went along with it and matched my pace. It was truly embarrassing. I realized this was what the difference in levels really meant.

But still, one thing I’ve learned is that he’s really a good person.

He’s so kind and considerate that I almost forgot about the roughness of the espers I had watched until now. He’s almost like a mutant in the esper world.

Of course, it might all be an act, just a facade. He might be putting on a grand deception, like a peacock puffing out its feathers.

Still, I want to believe.

It’s not wrong for a person to trust another.

It’s human nature for people to be drawn to one another.

Only then did Yeowon carefully realize how lonely she truly was.

Perhaps it was because her position required her to classify everyone in the world as a potential threat that made her feel even more isolated.

Being a guide is special like that. The moment you reveal your identity, you never know what might happen to you, and that’s why she couldn’t trust anyone.

But for today, I’m glad I’m a guide.

Yeowon reflected on this thought for a long time, a thought she would have immediately rejected on any other day.

***

In the early morning, Jay looked up at the massive hologram she had spread out.

The hologram was filled with images of the key figures who had established and formed the Western Shelter Alliance. Each one was either a prominent politician or an esper. They were all giants at the pinnacle of the shelter, a city-state.

Above their photos, countless X marks were displayed. The marks were a kind of status check, indicating that there was no need to pay further attention to them. Most of the checked names had “dead” or “missing” next to them.

Though there were some who had escaped, it wouldn’t be long before the entire list was marked with Xs. It was likely that soon, all of them would be marked as dead.

More than half of those on the list are my work. But since I’m in the process of wiping out the West, I couldn’t go after every single one of the people who fled and kill them. As a result, quite a few espers managed to escape.

Each one could be targeted, and I could adjust the guiding drugs to make them die, but there are too many of them. The number of escaped espers has reached nearly eighty.

So, I outsourced the task.

What’s important is making sure the intention for retaliation is clearly shown.

After the Western Union incident, the supply of guiding drugs to the surrounding areas was cut off, and they also dealt with the Espers of Shelter Yeouido for this reason.

For those who rebelled, the only outcome was death. Jay intended to solidify this message with this event.

That’s why the task was entrusted to Yeouido—to track down and eliminate the remnants of the Western Shelter Union.