AAGULT Ch 70

Chapter 70

It had been quite a while since Jaeha last saw Aiden. He didn’t know the details, but it seemed Aiden had been very busy.

The Association had chosen not to inform Jaeha, fearing he would become anxious and unable to focus on treatment if he knew too much. Unaware of that, Jaeha simply found himself caught off guard, pulling Aiden—who had snugly wrapped himself into his arms—into an embrace.

“I missed you. Have you been well? Were you getting proper treatment?”

“Yes…”

Jaeha hadn’t gone for many walks, focusing solely on rehabilitation, but Aiden carried the fresh scent of wind. Unconsciously, he leaned his face slightly against Aiden’s shoulder and inhaled. Aiden let out a soft chuckle and affectionately nuzzled his head.

“Haha. If I’d known, I would’ve worn cologne. Right?”

“…No. I like this. The scent of your skin mixed with the wind…”

“You little perv.”

“…”

Had he spoken too candidly, without filtering his thoughts? He’d been living without tension here for a while, and it felt like… well, overall, his mental state had grown soft. Realizing this belatedly, he gave a small, awkward cough.

Aiden stepped back and pulled over the chair Kwon Ido had used for guiding, taking a seat. Seeing that reminded Jaeha of something.

“Um, Aiden…”

He hadn’t told the Association, but shouldn’t he at least tell Aiden? But then again, if the Association already knew, was he just being needlessly nosy?

“Yes?”

“About… Ido.”

“Guide Kwon Ido? Is he bothering you?”

“No! That’s not it.”

As Aiden took off his coat and hung it beside him, he widened his eyes in surprise at Jaeha’s hesitant words. He looked like he’d charge over and scold Ido if Jaeha just said, “He’s been bothering me.”

“…”

After a moment of hesitation, Jaeha kept silent. He was certain that Ido was one of the Chairman’s people, but without concrete proof, it was nothing more than suspicion. And he didn’t want to betray the Chairman based solely on that.

“Well, I met Esper Jung Iseok before receiving guiding from Ido. Do you know him?”

In the end, he redirected the topic. Aiden thought for a moment, eyes turning briefly, then nodded.

“Slight build, small stature… mental-type Esper with glasses, right?”

“Yes, that’s him. I met him to see if he could help with my memory issues…”

Jaeha scratched his cheek lightly. For some reason, he found it incredibly difficult to bring up the request Jung Iseok had made, and couldn’t bring himself to say it.

He was afraid Aiden would actually agree to guide him. But he couldn’t understand why he’d had such a selfish thought. Was it the possessiveness typical of Espers? Was it a terrible, presumptuous feeling?

Swallowing his self-loathing, Jaeha instead explained the hypothesis Jung Iseok had proposed. Aiden listened with keen interest.

“Did you tell the doctor?”

“Yes. Because of my current status, I was given permission to go out on the condition that I’m accompanied by an Association official. I haven’t spoken to them yet, but, um…”

“But?”

“…”

Thinking it over slowly, it was clear he needed to return to the place where he’d first met the Chairman.

That realization struck him as strange. How had he met the Chairman in the first place? Right—shortly after leaving the orphanage, he’d been swindled and left floundering when someone introduced him to the Chairman. But who was it?

The director.

So Jaeha had to return to the orphanage where he’d grown up—but he didn’t feel confident going alone.

“Could you come with me?”

“…”

And that courageous request sounded, to Aiden, like the most perfect date invitation imaginable.

For the first time in his life, Aiden felt genuinely dumbfounded, then he thought—

“Jaeha.”

“Yes?”

“Can you hear what I’m thinking right now?”

“No…?”

Because Jaeha’s current rank had dropped,

And because he couldn’t read Aiden’s thoughts—that was a tremendous relief.

Aiden, as always, smiled with pure innocence, as if filled with joy. That was all.

The stalled outing request was resolved within three hours once Aiden stepped in. Frankly, Jaeha had assumed he’d have to wait about a week, given Aiden’s own schedule, so he’d made the request somewhat blindly. But before he knew it, Aiden appeared the next day, perfectly dressed in casual clothes, waiting outside his hospital room.

Flustered, Jaeha quickly changed out of his patient gown and into regular clothes, took Aiden’s hand, and left the hospital for the first time in a while. The orphanage wasn’t far, so they arrived around noon.

The orphanage looked exactly as he remembered it. The building hadn’t been glamorized or tarnished by memory; it simply looked worn. The colorful sign that read “Joy Orphanage” was faded and slightly tilted.

“…”

Standing in front of the orphanage with Aiden by his side, it all felt surreal. Perhaps because he had never imagined bringing Aiden to the place he once lived.

“You haven’t been back since you left?”

“…No.”

Instead of asking why he didn’t go in, Aiden kindly whispered something else.

It was still a cold January winter; their breaths came out in cloudy puffs. The warm air brushed against his ear, and Jaeha slightly shrank back, burying his face in his fluffy teal scarf like a turtle retreating into its shell.

“You’re nervous.”

“…I think so.”

“Why?”

“…”

Why was he nervous? Because he was seeing the director again after so long? Or because he had returned to a place he thought he’d never see again?

Or…

“If you’re not ready, we can come back another time.”

Maybe it was because he wasn’t ready to face the truth.

The arm that gently wrapped around his back and the soft patting was so kind, so tender. It felt safe, and he wanted to lean into it. Aiden needed clues that might lie within Jaeha’s hidden memories just as much—but he gave only comfort, trying not to burden him. That made Jaeha both grateful and sorry.

“We can save the formal family meeting for later.”

“Haha…”

“What’s so funny, Jaeha? I wasn’t joking.”

His lighthearted joke made Jaeha chuckle—thanks to that, his nerves eased slightly.

“No, Aiden. I want to do this.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t easy. He still had to face the occasional anxious thought: Wasn’t losing my memory all part of the Chairman’s plan? Maybe I should just leave it alone.

But every time, he remembered Aiden’s pained expression from his own memory loss—and the number of victims the Chairman was said to have harmed.

He lifted a hand that felt heavy, as if weighed down by lead, and rang the doorbell. Had he been alone, he would have turned and run, avoided it like always. But beside him stood someone he loved, someone he had to protect.

Ding-dong.

He felt a warm touch wrap around his hand as if to say, “You did well.” The guilt that had been squirming in his chest—like he was betraying someone—eased a little.

“Jaeha?”

“Director…”

The director, who had received advance notice of their visit, soon opened the door. He didn’t look too different from Jaeha’s memory. But after seven or eight years, time had inevitably left its traces on his face.

Jaeha awkwardly smiled, and the director beamed, opening his arms wide and pulling him into a hug. Jaeha stiffly returned the gesture with one hand, patting the man’s back. The director felt smaller than he remembered, which made the experience feel strange.

“It’s been a while. Why didn’t you come sooner?”

“I’m sorry… Oh, this is Aiden.”

“Aiden from the Guide Association. Pleased to meet you.”

Aiden smiled politely and extended his hand. The director chuckled and shook it, and after a brief greeting, the three of them entered the orphanage.

“The kids would’ve been thrilled to know you were coming. But they’re all at school right now.”

“Oh… there are still kids who remember me?”

Since it had been nearly eight years since his last visit, Jaeha hadn’t expected anyone to remember him. The news that some still did made him blink in surprise. The director gave a slightly bitter smile.

“A few, yes. Anyway… Oh my, it’s freezing outside. I’ve kept you standing too long. Have a seat, and I’ll bring you some hot tea.”

“Thank you.”

Perhaps realizing the conversation was becoming too personal, the director turned his attention to Aiden and led them into the sitting room with a warm smile. Aiden, who had been listening to their story with great interest, followed cheerfully. It was a little amusing, but just as Aiden had joked earlier, he really did seem like someone being introduced at a formal family meeting. After some hesitation, Jaeha sat next to him.

The director returned with hot tea and served it to them. As they sipped and warmed their chilled bodies, he took a seat across from them.

“So, I heard you awakened as an Esper? First of all, congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

Since the matter concerning the Chairman was classified, Jaeha used his Esper awakening as a pretext. He then asked if the orphanage still had his admission form or any related documents—something he would need to register formally as an Esper.