AAGULT Ch 38

Chapter 38

Press. A thick hand clad in a leather glove pressed against his cheek. It was cold. Damp. From the slight abrasion on his skin, the moisture was unmistakable, and goosebumps rose across his body. Whose blood was this?

Only after that vivid, chilling sensation swept past did he finally notice the lingering traces of guiding energy gently drifting around the man’s hand. It was far more blunt and rigid than Aiden-ssi’s—a guiding that lacked charm. In the past, even this would have driven him wild…

Feeling the guiding simply tickling his skin in a daze, he belatedly registered the situation and quickly tilted his head as if trying to follow the energy, rubbing his cheek against it to his heart’s content. He was supposed to be suffering from not receiving guiding for four and a half months.

In response to the flirtatious gesture, the man let out a faint sound like a passing breeze. It wasn’t quite a laugh, but not entirely not one either—something vague in between—and Jaeha was reassured. He didn’t seem to be in a bad mood.

“Ah, let’s do it,”

he ordered blandly.

“Ah…”

Though it was strange since he wasn’t holding a cigarette at the moment, Jaeha didn’t question it and obediently opened his mouth. The man’s thumb pressed against his slightly chapped lips, then lightly brushed across them. It didn’t seem to carry any particular desire—it was more like he was inspecting merchandise. That thumb, which had pressed down firmly, then moved to the corner of Jaeha’s lips where the skin was red and looked ready to split.

A slight wince furrowed his brow. His jaw muscles, strained earlier, throbbed dully.

“I need to draw blood.”

“…?”

“Where should I do it?”

Blood?

For a moment, Jaeha couldn’t maintain his composure—his face turned pale. The fear that surged through him was unmistakable, and surely the man noticed it instantly.

Like soothing a child afraid of getting a shot, he exhaled softly and slowly.

“As if I’d ever hurt you.”

Tense all over, Jaeha only rolled his eyes. He had seen the man setting something up on the desk earlier. What was it again…?

…

A test kit? The man clinked around and pulled out a small, transparent vial with his other hand. It seemed to be for collecting blood, and the vial was smaller than he’d feared, which brought a moment of relief.

Still, the mention of drawing blood was frightening no matter what, and with stiffened lips, he forced himself to speak.

“W-wherever you want, sir…”

“–Alright.”

The place the man chose was his lips—specifically, the spot Eden had bitten hard just a few days ago, leaving a deep scab. That made his chest ache even more. The man bent his thumb and scratched the skin forcefully. The scab tore, and blood trickled down his lips. He pressed the small vial against Jaeha’s chin, collecting the blood before pulling his hand away without hesitation.

“….”

He hadn’t been told to get up, so he remained on his knees, blankly watching what the man was doing. He dropped the blood into the test kit and inserted it into the analyzer. Only then did Jaeha recognize the device.

It was an Esper Grade Evaluator.

“Why…?”

He’d already been tested after his ability manifested. Though the equipment in their organization wasn’t as accurate as the one at the Association, the result had placed him somewhere between A and B grade. Once an Esper manifests, their grade rarely changes. So it was bewildering to see the man suddenly pulling out a grade evaluator like this.

The man’s hand roughly patted his head as if to tell him not to beg and just wait. The gesture was brusque yet strangely gentle. Still, his hair got wet because of it—sticky and unpleasant. Goosebumps ran down his back.

“….”

“….”

Without knowing the reason, he simply waited in silence. He witnessed the device beep as it completed the test and printed out the result.

And in that moment, Jaeha could not believe his eyes.

C–

“Wha…?”

A startled breath filled the room with silence.

His grade had dropped. And Jaeha, already a useless existence relegated to the fringes of the organization, was now consumed by terror at the realization.

Long-ingrained fear, carefully taught and conditioned over time, clawed at his neck, stabbing and stirring it painfully.

The fear that he might be discarded.

“M-Mister…”

Panicking, Jaeha clutched at the man’s clothes without permission, desperately clinging to him.

“I’m sorry. I really am. I’m sorry…”

His voice trembled uncontrollably. He was already barely hanging onto the organization by the grace and affection of this man alone. The one saving thought had been that, at least, he wasn’t a low-grade Esper—but now he was a C–? Why?

It didn’t make sense. Esper grades rarely changed. But it still felt like it was somehow his fault, and Jaeha, flustered, pleaded with him.

“Song Jaeha.”

“Y-yes…”

“Your hand.”

He gasped and pulled his hand away. Only then did he realize he’d touched the man without permission.

Cold sweat broke out. If the man coldly said “Get out” at this moment, Jaeha knew he’d be thrown out onto the streets. He was his savior.

Could he survive without him? It wasn’t about romantic affection. The man held such a massive role in shaping who Song Jaeha was that without him, there’d be a gaping hole in his life.

Somewhere in his mind, he knew such dependency was abnormal, but it was far too late to turn back now. The looming anxiety told him this wasn’t abnormal—it was a natural emotion felt toward a savior.

“Jaeha.”

“Yes, sir…”

He looked up at the man. What should he do now? He hadn’t brought an inhibitor this time. Besides, using the same trick twice probably wouldn’t work again. His mind went blank. What method could he use this time to cling to the man and stay by his side?

His slightly disheveled hair, the veins visible at his temple—physically, he looked angry. But his expression and tone were calm, so it was all the more confusing.

“By now, you should be down to E-grade.”

Jaeha, still dazed, looked up as the man spoke in a flat voice. Realizing what he’d said, Jaeha finally looked closely at him. His body was smeared in blood. Unlike the usual cold scent of winter he exuded, the brutality he now radiated dominated the atmosphere.

So it took him a moment to understand what had just been said.

“….”

What… did the boss just say?

The words formed a sentence, but it took an immense effort to comprehend it.

He tried to meet the man’s eyes, but all he saw were dark, crow-like irises. They reflected him clearly, but offered no glimpse of emotion.

Silence.

That was all.

But then the man gave a faint smile. Not deep enough to dimple his cheek.

“I made a ‘mistake’ not long ago.”

“….”

“I don’t want to repeat it.”

A mistake. Jaeha quickly realized what that referred to. The feeling of handing him the revolver with his own hands returned. …Ah, it was then. Then, when the boss had spoken to the doctor. That satisfied smile he’d shown back then came rushing back too.

“As you know, my body isn’t in perfect shape.”

“….”

“Sometimes I make mistakes.”

He remembered worrying whether something was wrong with the man’s body. That’s right…

“So, Jaeha.”

“Yes, sir…”

He had to respond before even finishing his thoughts. His whole mind was blank, as if he were experiencing a guiding deficiency—no sensations at all. Just moments ago, the blood on his face had given him chills, but now that felt like nothing.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“….”

Summing up what the boss said…

His downgrade was intentional…

And it had taken longer than the boss expected…

So, right now, he was…

Forcing his sluggish mind to turn, painfully grinding the gears. But even after that effort, his slow brain refused to come to a proper conclusion. Or rather, it refused to accept it.

“Ugh…”

The man’s hand gripped Jaeha’s face tightly, forcing him to face him. The pressure made him furrow his brow.

“Who did you sleep with?”

What answer could he give to survive?

“74.6% blood of an A-grade beast, Eridoke. Two minor neutralizing agents, roughly 13%. The rest, genuine Association-made suppressants.”

“Really?”

“‘Really?’ That’s all? I said it’s Eridoke’s blood.”

“I expected as much.”

Eden extended his now-healed arm and inspected it in the air. Any blemish on his body would be a big deal. That dumb, adorable guy seemed to like his face and body, after all…

, a beast that occasionally appeared within Gates. Not particularly rare, but not terribly common either. It was about five meters tall, with snake-like tendrils for hair, reminiscent of Medusa—uniquely grotesque.

Like all monsters, Eridoke’s every cell, blood, and ability contained traits designed to reject, erase, and destroy Espers—those considered their natural enemy.

But what exactly makes an Esper an Esper? Their body? Their abilities? Each person, and each institution, had a different interpretation. It was difficult to define that key trait with certainty.