AAGULT Ch 60

Chapter 60

“Five people…?”

“That’s right. One is dead, one retired, one turned villain, and the remaining one is still active in the Association. His name is Esper Jung Iseok… In any case, if you were to join the Association, it would be of great help in many ways. It’s not just gates that disrupt society. People seem to misunderstand that.”

“…”

Jaeha remained silent. Everything was just overwhelming, and it all felt unreal.

The Association President let out a sigh as he looked at Jaeha, once again unresponsive. Watching Jaeha’s face, clearly lost in confusion, he muttered in a tone tinged with lament.

“I honestly don’t understand how you ended up under Baek Beomwoo in the first place. Even your parents…”

“…Sorry?”

“Hmm?”

Then the conversation took a completely unexpected turn. Parents? Parents? Naturally, Jaeha had no parents he could talk about so casually. The President, interrupted mid-sentence, raised an eyebrow, then, as if realizing something, muttered an “Ah.”

“Well, I suppose you wouldn’t know. My apologies. I got ahead of myself.”

“About what…?”

“Tell me, what do you think Baek Beomwoo’s ability is?”

“…”

It was the same question the investigator had asked earlier. Jaeha pressed his lips into a tight line. He hadn’t answered it then, and he had no reason to now. The President gave a faint chuckle.

“That was just to gauge how much you’re willing to cooperate. The Association already knows what Baek Beomwoo’s ability is, so even if you say it, it won’t be seen as a betrayal.”

“…How am I supposed to believe that…?”

“If it’s too difficult to say directly, at least tell me the category. Whatever you say, it’ll differ from what we know.”

“…”

Jaeha furrowed his brow, unable to understand what the man was getting at. Even naming the category felt like a form of betrayal, but strangely, his instincts were screaming at him to speak. His unconscious mind, his entire body, every single nerve that made up who he was, all urged him.

He hesitated, lips parting slightly, then slowly, very slowly, he answered.

“…Unique-type. He’s… a unique-type.”

Baek Beomwoo was an esper who could nullify all external abilities. The President replied evenly.

“Do you remember what I said earlier?”

“…What do you mean?”

“The number of mental-type espers. One died, one retired, one turned villain, and one is still working in the Association.”

“Yes…”

He laced his fingers together and stared at Jaeha intently, as if closely observing his reaction. Jaeha met his gaze. If not for his downgraded rank, he would’ve been able to read the man’s thoughts…

“The one who died—that was your mother.”

“…What?”

His first words struck Jaeha like a blow to the head.

That couldn’t be. He’d always been told that both his parents had died in a car accident. He was so young then, he couldn’t even remember their faces. Regardless, the man continued speaking.

“And the one who turned villain—that’s Baek Beomwoo.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Baek Beomwoo’s ability is mental-type.”

“…”

His head ached. His body wasn’t in good shape to begin with, so whether it was the aftermath of his condition or the shock, nausea surged within him, threatening to make him vomit. Jaeha clutched his head and let out a silent groan. The President observed his reaction for a moment, then clicked his tongue lightly and stood up. Judging by the way he gathered his coat from the chair, he intended to leave.

“This was too much too soon.”

“Wa-wait a moment…”

Jaeha couldn’t let him leave after dropping so many unanswered questions. No matter how busy or important the President was, he couldn’t go now. The patient monitor blared with a loud alarm. His heart rate had spiked dangerously. As he reached out desperately, the President finally spoke.

“I’ll provide both a guide and an esper to help you recover your lost memories, so start by deciding whether you want to pursue that. As for my proposal, think it over during your recovery—and try to do so with optimism.”

“Memories…?”

The President reached out and gently laid Jaeha back down as he tried to rise, answering as casually as ever. But to Jaeha, the truth hit with the force of a death sentence.

“Baek Beomwoo’s ability includes hypnosis, brainwashing, and memory manipulation.”

Jaeha was left speechless, mouth hanging open.

The Association President patted his shoulder, told him to rest, and left to call the doctor. Even when the doctor and nurses came rushing in, Jaeha’s thoughts were frozen.

His stomach churned.

Looking back now, there were things that didn’t quite add up. The boss supposedly possessed the ability to block all external powers. Jaeha had always assumed he was using that ability constantly. But then—how had they traveled together with Eunyul?

Eunyul’s powers should’ve been nullified too.

If the boss had deactivated his ability only during those moments, Jaeha should’ve sensed something. After all, their eyes had met often during those transitions.

If what the President said was true about Baek Beomwoo’s powers, then it made sense that Jaeha couldn’t read his thoughts. Either Jaeha had been brainwashed not to use his ability on him, or his memories had been manipulated to believe that Baek’s ability nullified all powers… or both. Even if his memories were altered, his mind-reading should’ve still worked.

And then… his mother.

His mother…

“…”

The sheer helplessness of it all gnawed at Jaeha from within. He clutched his head. It was hard to feel grief over the death of someone he didn’t even know existed. But as a son, wasn’t it cruel to feel nothing? The discomfort lingered, heavy and unmoving in his chest.

He’d grown up in an orphanage. His earliest memory was getting hit by the older boys there. According to the director, both his parents had died in a car accident on the same day. He didn’t know if he had any relatives. If he did, they clearly hadn’t wanted him. Maybe he should go back and ask the director again…

But what if it wasn’t true?

What if even that story was part of some elaborate trap set by the Association?

What was the truth, and what was a lie? The questions tortured him, and he lost track of time. He barely touched his hospital meals, couldn’t sleep. His torment continued into the next morning, and he was so lost in thought he didn’t even hear the knock on the door.

“Song Jaeha-ssi…? Are you in there…?”

Knock knock. The soft, cautious voice accompanying the second knock finally snapped him out of his daze.

“Ah, please come in…!”

He vaguely remembered overhearing yesterday that there were only two volunteers willing to guide the key esper witnesses in the Baek Beomwoo case. He assumed those guides would also be assigned to Eunyul, who had likely been apprehended alongside him.

…Eunyul. He needed to check on him. He had so much to ask.

But that could wait. When he turned toward the door, a guide in their early twenties hesitantly stepped into the room.

“Hello…”

“…Hello.”

Of course. There were far fewer guides than espers to begin with, and who would willingly guide a criminal suspect? He recalled hearing that the two volunteers were polar opposites—one was a young guide in their early twenties, likely new to the field and in need of income; the other was an experienced guide in their late forties.

Thanks to Aiden’s strong insistence, Jaeha had been allowed to recover in this luxurious private room without any real restrictions. But once outside parties were involved, things changed. No matter how much he resembled a witness rather than a criminal, he was technically under arrest. As such, one of his arms was cuffed to the hospital bed.

Naturally, the young guide’s gaze fixed on the handcuff the moment they stepped in. Their nervousness was palpable, and it made Jaeha feel strangely unsettled. He knew it made sense for someone to fear him in this situation, but having always been the one afraid, it was jarring to be the source of fear himself—not in a good way, but in a deeply unsettling one.

“I’m Guide Yoon Mingyeol. I’m a B-class. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Ah… Yes, thank you. The pleasure’s mine.”

Still, the idea of receiving guiding solely for himself felt unfamiliar. It made him feel squirmy and embarrassed.

“Would you like some guiding?”

He suddenly remembered what Aiden had said when they first met. He felt a twinge of guilt for rejecting him so firmly back then. Though in the end, he had received more than enough guiding from Aiden’s kindness.

Even now, he wasn’t sure. The boss had sent him to the Association, so there must’ve been a reason. As long as he played along, he probably wouldn’t be punished. But still… was it really okay for him to receive guiding?

“Here, give me your hand.”

“…”

He hesitated, not offering his hand, just sitting there in timid contemplation. Naturally, the guide’s puzzled voice urged him on. Right. If he intended to refuse guiding, he should’ve done it when he was first told a guide had been assigned. Refusing now would only be an inconvenience to Yoon Mingyeol, who had come all this way. It was time to stop being so difficult.

Though he resolved himself, his hand still trembled as he reached it out against his will. The guide gently took his hand in both of theirs and began guiding immediately.