AAGULT Ch 71

Chapter 71

“I got a call this morning and looked through the documents. But… no matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t find them. Would it be possible to have a bit more time? It seems they disappeared somewhere along the way.”

“…I see.”

Truthfully, a part of him had hoped.

He had hoped that the Association had simply misunderstood, that there was nothing wrong with his memory, and that the orphanage would still have his admission application, the documents regarding his parents’ car accident, and their death certificates…

Noticing Jaeha’s reluctant expression, the director offered an apologetic smile.

“I’ll try to find them as soon as I can, so please don’t worry too much.”

“Yes…”

“You said you had some questions as well.”

“Ah…”

While Jaeha let out a dazed groan, it was Aiden who logically stepped forward with the question.

“This might be a vague question since it happened a long time ago, but do you remember when Jaeha-ssi first entered the orphanage?”

“When he first entered, huh…”

It might have sounded like a sudden question. The director, who seemed not to have expected such an inquiry, let out a thoughtful hum and took a sip of tea.

“If I recall correctly, Jaeha came in when he was about seven. I was told his parents passed away in a car accident on the same day. The documents were submitted by a child protection agency officer and a police officer.”

The director’s memory was more precise than expected. As Jaeha fell into momentary thought, Aiden continued with his questioning.

“Was there anything unusual?”

“Unusual… hmm…”

The director took another sip of tea. Jaeha realized Aiden’s intention was likely to verify the coherence of past memories. Knowing he himself couldn’t be objective, he decided it was best to simply stay quiet and observe.

The director furrowed his brows, as if something had come to mind. Then, murmuring as if unsure whether he should say it, he glanced at Jaeha and eventually spoke up.

“It wasn’t something we paid much attention to, since it’s a behavior often seen in children with similar backgrounds… but he used to hide inside the wardrobe for a while.”

“In the wardrobe?”

Aiden tilted his head and asked again, then turned to look at Jaeha. With his lips, he mouthed, “Do you remember?” But Jaeha, blinking slowly, shook his head. He had absolutely no memory of that.

“He was young then, so it’s natural not to remember.”

The director responded with a chuckle. That was true. He had been seven at the time, so it wasn’t strange not to remember. Still, an unpleasant sensation prickled up his spine, like all his body hair was standing on end.

“Ah, and there’s one more thing. Looking back now, maybe he somehow knew you’d become an Esper one day. Haha.”

“Wh-What do you mean…?”

“Do you remember? That older boy who became an Esper and joined the Association when he was eleven.”

“…”

Jaeha knew who that was. He couldn’t recall the boy’s face, name, or personality, but everyone at the orphanage knew him. He was someone all the kids admired, and for a time, even Jaeha had chatted with friends, wondering what kind of power he’d have if he ever became an Esper like that boy.

“After you entered the orphanage, he’d come visit every few months just to see you. You’d hide in the wardrobe, and the moment he arrived, you’d come running out yelling, ‘Hyung! Hyung!’ It was such a cute sight—I still remember it vividly.”

The director, smiling as he held his teacup, didn’t seem to be making it up. He truly looked like he was reminiscing fondly.

“…”

“That ‘hyung’… is he affiliated with the Esper Association?”

Aiden, after a moment of silence, asked the question in a calm voice, and Jaeha wanted to stop him. But no sound other than his breathing escaped his gaping mouth. Then the director let out a hearty laugh. His voice was full of joy, as if he were bragging about one of the orphanage’s achievements.

“Hmm? I thought you’d know already. Guess not.”

After taking another sip of tea, the director continued.

“His name’s Baek Beomwoo… he used to be very close with Jaeha. I haven’t been able to contact him lately. Have you run into him at the Association by any chance?”

Jaeha ended up closing his eyes.

The truth he didn’t want to confirm had just stepped right up in front of him.

Undoubtedly, Jaeha had no memory of ever meeting Baek Beomwoo—his boss—before leaving the orphanage.

The director had introduced him when Jaeha turned eighteen, saying he was a generous benefactor who supported the orphanage. But when he compared that to what the director had just said, the two recollections didn’t match at all.

The director had told him, “Do you remember that older boy you used to be close with? He said he needs someone to help him inside a gate, like a manager. Would you be interested?” and then connected them.

Jaeha’s mood was utterly wrecked. Despite coming all the way to meet the director, some naive part of his mind had still been hoping it would all turn out to be a misunderstanding.

But in the end, the one who helped anchor Jaeha in his brief state of panic was none other than Aiden.

‘Would it be possible to briefly take a look at the room Jaeha used to stay in? There’s something I’d like to check.’

‘Hmm? That’s not too difficult, but other kids are using that room now…’

‘It’ll just be for a moment.’

Eventually getting permission, Aiden led Jaeha up to the room. It was the third room on the fourth floor, and Jaeha only came to his senses once they were standing at the door.

“There are three beds. Which one did you use, Jaeha?”

“I… that one, by the window.”

“This one?”

Jaeha watched Aiden’s back as he stepped into the room. In truth, there was nothing he needed to check in there.

He knew Aiden had done it to pull him away from where he had just been. That was why he was asking such irrelevant questions now.

“Yes…”

With a weak smile, Jaeha followed him into the room. Structurally, nothing about it had changed since he used it. But the unfamiliar bedding, desk, and belongings scattered around made him realize just how much time had passed.

Jaeha walked over to Aiden, who was standing by the bed he used to sleep in, gazing out the window. He stood next to him.

“…”

“…”

A silence that wasn’t uncomfortable filled the room. Then, suddenly, Aiden tilted his head and, as he often did, leaned it against Jaeha’s shoulder. With a bit of playful rubbing, he spoke up.

“I know this must be incredibly overwhelming.”

“…”

“You’re doing really well, Jaeha. But still, Jaeha.”

“Yes…”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. To me, solving this case or recovering those memories—none of it matters more than you do.”

He turned his head and placed a kiss on Jaeha’s jawline, making him chuckle from the ticklish sensation.

“What about the victims of the case?”

“Not my problem.”

“Haha…”

Aiden wrapped his arms around Jaeha’s waist.

The words that he didn’t care whether the victims of the boss got justice or whether the boss got caught meant more to Jaeha than a thousand “let’s work through this together”s.

So Jaeha tried to pull himself together.

“I want to try getting inside the wardrobe.”

“The wardrobe?”

“They said I used to hide in there all the time… Maybe if I do something similar, it’ll jog some memories.”

He recalled the advice given by Esper Jung Iseok.

‘Even without using your ability, revisiting the environment connected to a memory… it might help you find a clue. I can’t say for certain since I’m not an expert, but physical places or situations often serve as strong memory triggers.’

Doing something similar might help. So after holding Aiden in a brief embrace, Jaeha gently pulled away and walked toward the wardrobe in the corner. Aiden followed closely behind.

Creeeak.

When he opened the old wardrobe, as expected, it was filled with clothes. Jaeha felt a little guilty about climbing into a wardrobe full of someone else’s belongings, but in the end, he folded himself up and squeezed inside. Then—

“Aiden?”

“–Oof.”

Aiden climbed in too.

With two grown men squeezed into a space that wasn’t very big to begin with, they had no choice but to press close together. Their bodies touched, and the rustling of fabric sounded in the cramped space.

“Ugh.”

Jaeha groaned exaggeratedly from being squished, and Aiden gave a soft laugh with a neat smile. Then, without shame, he linked arms with Jaeha and leaned into him. Caught off guard, Jaeha ended up supporting him.

The wardrobe doors, which had been wide open, swung halfway shut from their movement. Thanks to that, the two of them ended up pressed together in a dark, narrow space.

“…”

“…”

Amid the awkward atmosphere and their physical closeness, Aiden’s playful actions gradually eased Jaeha’s tension. Eventually, Jaeha let out a small laugh. It really was quite a ridiculous situation.

He relaxed his body and quietly looked out through the crack in the wardrobe door. Just as he’d half expected, no particular memories came flooding back. Jaeha let his shoulders sag fully. Sensing this, Aiden didn’t press further about his memory or the current situation.

As Jaeha stared absentmindedly at the scene on the desk, Aiden spoke in a small voice. His low whisper matched the confined space perfectly. Yet the topic of conversation had nothing to do with their serious circumstances.

“Looks like one of the kids using this room is a senior in high school.”

“A senior?”

“Yeah, over there, on the desk.”

“Ah…”

Jaeha’s gaze shifted to the desk. A thick, worn-out book titled College Entrance Exam Special Lectures lay open. Letting out a soft exclamation, Jaeha found himself reminiscing about his own school days.