AAGULT Ch 76

Chapter 76

The Association President lightly patted Jaeha on the shoulder himself, then gathered the signed contracts, tapping them neatly on the desk before securing them.

“I heard you’re being discharged today, is that right? You must’ve heard about the Esper Association’s housing support program. Let’s save the salary negotiations for another time.”

“Yes.”

“Do you have any plans for today?”

“No…”

At that, he smiled. Holding the documents under his arm, he calmly explained,

“Come to the Association. You have four compatibility tests scheduled.”

“…”

The Association President observed Jaeha, who blinked in confusion and couldn’t even respond, and gave him a moment to collect himself.

“If I hadn’t signed… what would you have done…”

He was aware that even saying such a thing might be considered quite rude. But the situation itself was so absurd that he had to momentarily set aside his shock that as many as four Guides had volunteered to undergo compatibility testing with him.

“How many Espers do you think I’ve recruited into this new Association?”

To be precise, it was a natural conclusion for someone who had already discerned Jaeha’s sensitive inner feelings. It was a bit unexpected that Jaeha had made his decision so quickly, though.

“…”

In any case, Jaeha couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been tricked somehow, and was at a loss for words. The Association President stood from his seat and retrieved something from his inner pocket, placing it on the desk.

“Thank you for making the right choice. This is a gift.”

“This is…”

“See you at the Association building in two hours.”

With that brief farewell, he left the hospital room. Jaeha had wanted to bid him a safe journey, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was a faint sigh.

“…”

Where the documents had been just moments ago, an old photograph now lay on the small desk. Hesitating slightly, Jaeha picked it up. The paper, touched by time, crackled faintly beneath his fingers. Afraid the photo might tear, he loosened his grip.

It looked like an ordinary family photo.

And yet, the realization that he was the subject of that family photo struck him as deeply bizarre and surreal.

Was he around five years old? His black hair shimmered with sunlight and love, and his muted teal eyes sparkled with curiosity about the world. Like most children his age, he was grinning widely, the reason for his joy unknown but overflowing. That child—himself, as a child—looked utterly lovable. It was obvious he had been well-loved.

On either side, an adult man and woman were embracing him as if to support him, smiling warmly. The woman’s thick eyebrows and slightly sharp eyes were oddly familiar. It was only then that Jaeha realized, for the first time, that he resembled his mother. Her mischievous smile fully revealed her lively personality.

In contrast, the man—presumably his father—looked far more composed. His neatly styled hair and the tidy Guide Association uniform he wore spoke of a quiet, serious nature. Sitting on his father’s lap, the child version of Jaeha leaned comfortably against his chest. The arm wrapped securely around him conveyed strength and a protective instinct more than anything else.

The background was a modest front yard. The trees and flowers suggested that it was spring. A wall could be faintly seen in the distance. The colors of the photo had faded a little, and the edges were slightly worn, likely from frequent handling.

It felt like he was facing something long lost from his memory. Though the smiles in the old photo were bright and warm, Jaeha was overwhelmed by an odd emptiness and discomfort that churned in his stomach. The fact that there had once been a time when people could smile at him like that felt somehow unreal to him now.

The mix of emotions he felt was too complex to be described with a single word. In the end, he could only stare blankly at the photo, trying to understand what he was feeling. He sat there until the nurse came to prepare him for discharge. But even then, Jaeha still couldn’t figure out what this feeling was.

It was just strange.

Just… like that.

Facing a truth he had deliberately avoided for so long without any preparation made him regret not having searched for it sooner. Now that he had finally confronted it, he truly wanted to know everything to the end.

As he made his way toward the guiding building connected to the Association’s hospital, Jaeha began searching on his phone. It had already been over a month since he had been hospitalized there—far too late to be looking this up.

Because the name of the man presumed to be his father was printed on the chest of the Guide uniform, it wasn’t difficult to find the information. And his mother was said to be a rare mental-type Esper…

Typing in a few keywords brought up exactly what he was looking for. Though he had grown up as an orphan, so he already knew his parents had died, the article that suddenly appeared on the screen was enough to make him stop in his tracks.

[Society] Esper-Guide Couple Found Dead in Home… 3 Dead Including Child

On the afternoon of XX day, in a home located in the XX district of Seoul, Mr. Kim (35), an Esper, and his spouse Ms. Song (32), a Guide, were found dead from gunshot wounds. Shockingly, their child, presumed to be Master Song (5), was also found dead at the scene.

According to the police investigation, the Kim couple were found seated side by side on the living room couch, while their child was discovered in the upstairs closet. A suicide note believed to be written by the couple was also found in the house. The note read, “We have been considering this for a long time. We believe this is the best path for all. Please understand.”

However, since a handgun was not recovered at the scene, police are not ruling out the possibility of foul play. A police spokesperson said, “Although the note and death circumstances suggest a double suicide, the absence of a firearm is strange,” adding, “We are currently investigating the exact cause of death.”

[Society] Esper Couple Found Dead in Home… Possible Link to Internal Association Issues

The deceased, Mr. Kim and Ms. Song, were affiliated with the Esper Association and were known for their social contributions through their abilities. However, recent rumors of internal conflicts within the Association have come to light, prompting police to investigate whether the Association may have played a role in the incident.

[Society] Association Expresses “Deep Condolences… Promises Strong Response to False Rumors”

On XX day, the Esper Association expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy of the Kim family and stated that they would fully cooperate with the police investigation to ensure the truth is revealed.

Regarding recent allegations of internal conflict, they strongly denied them as “baseless” and emphasized that “legal action will be taken against the spread of false information and unfounded rumors as necessary.”

Police are currently conducting a forensic analysis of the scene and reviewing CCTV footage to clarify the cause of the incident.

“…”

He had known they were dead, but it struck him just how major the incident had been. The magnitude of it was so great that it almost didn’t feel real.

‘I don’t even know how you ended up under Baek Beomwoo in the first place. Even your parents…’

He recalled the Association President muttering in frustration when they first met. It dawned on him that, to the world, he had been considered dead. The year and his age matched perfectly, leaving no doubt that the “Master Song” in the article was him. On top of that, the closet mentioned in his faint memories was the same place the deceased child had been found in the report. He was indeed “Master Song.”

…Why, how had he ended up being recorded as dead?

He thought of the President. How had the President pulled him out? No—why had the President even…?

No matter how he looked at it, nothing added up. Eventually, he stopped thinking altogether.

“Jaeha-ssi?”

“Ah, yes!”

What pulled him back from his daze as he stood in the hallway was a passing staff member. He didn’t even question how they knew his name. As he replied reflexively and looked up, a stranger smiled and said,

“Are you looking for the compatibility testing room? Go into the third room over there.”

“Ah… thank you.”

So time had passed this much already. He knew thinking about these unresolved mysteries now wouldn’t bring any answers, so he simply shut down the thoughts and walked forward.

When he arrived at the compatibility testing room, he carefully knocked on the door. Since he now knew that four people had volunteered to take a compatibility test with him, he couldn’t know exactly who would be inside. He just felt a little embarrassed that he was so sure one of them would be Aiden-ssi.

In any case, Jaeha cautiously opened the door.

And because the person inside was someone he had never expected, he opened his mouth in surprise.

“Jaeha-ssi.”

“…”

“It’s been a while.”

“…Dowon-ssi?”

It was Seong Dowon, the Guide who had worked at the illegal guiding facility Jaeha had been involved with—who turned out to be an undercover agent from the Association.