"…There is a safety mechanism."
"How does the safety mechanism work?"
"If I start to go rogue, the device detects the change in wavelength. It's monitored 24 hours a day, so they can respond quickly."
"What happens after the device detects it?"
When it detected a runaway esper, Doo-sik or Tae-seok would press the button. Then, the bomb attached to the collar around the neck would explode, and the tragedy would end.
At Beom-jin's insistence that they should continue as planned, the car they were in was divided in half by reinforced glass, and Joo-hyun had guiding drugs in his pocket in case of an emergency. The drugs had significant side effects, which were why ordinary espers refused them, but for them, it was a lifeline.
"To prevent greater harm, the esper in question is terminated."
Joo-hyun said, staring straight at the camera. He hoped the meaning—that people could feel safe even if he went rogue—was conveyed properly.
"It is done remotely, so no one gets hurt."
With those words, the car stopped at the mission site.
Joo-hyun got out of the car, and Seo-chan followed closely behind. Beom-jin, who had followed them in another vehicle, approached the two. In front of them was a tall mountain that appeared sparsely populated.
"Do we have to climb this? There doesn't seem to be a path.""Why would there be a path to a gate? If ordinary people wander in, it could lead to accidents."
Listening to Beom-jin's rebuke, Joo-hyun checked his weapons and emergency tools once again. Finally, he made sure the choker under his scarf was securely fastened before leading the way up the mountain.
Though the production crew of Gate Date followed with displeased expressions, they did so diligently.
Initially, it was burdensome and uncomfortable knowing they were filming his every move, but he quickly adapted.
"Whoa!"
Joo-hyun lifted Seo-chan, who almost slipped, with his psychokinesis.
"Be careful. If you fall down there, we won't even be able to retrieve your body."
"Th-thank you."
Still clutching the camera, Seo-chan placed his hand over his chest, clearly relieved. Though he seemed quite startled, he recovered quickly and began walking again, prompting Joo-hyun to follow suit.
"What is your ability, Joo-hyun?"
After they had gone a bit further, Beom-jin, who was sweating less than the others, asked.
Each esper's abilities varied in form and scope. However, similar abilities could be categorised together, and psychokinesis was one of the more common abilities. While it was rare to control it physically as Joo-hyun did, there was no need to elaborate on that.
"Psychokinesis."
"A convenient ability."
"Then you must have never turned off the lights by hand at night."
Even with the large camera, Seo-chan still had the energy to smile, his lips curling upward.
Joo-hyun considered using his ability to lighten the camera's weight but decided against it, fearing he might waste energy and lose control. Instead, he slowed down a bit, parting the knee-high grass as he spoke.
"I've never used my ability for such trivial things."
"Not even to fetch the remote? Or pick up a fallen sock while carrying laundry? ...Why not?!"
Seo-chan's voice rose as if he genuinely couldn't understand. Even Beom-jin, who raised his hand to stop Seo-chan, glanced at Joo-hyun, seemingly curious. The rest of the crew followed suit, some muttering that it was unbelievable.
Not used to being the centre of attention, Joo-hyun lowered his eyes and replied honestly.
"Because I don't want to waste the guiding I've received."
Both Beom-jin and Seo-chan looked shocked at his straightforward answer. For Joo-hyun, the reason was so obvious that he couldn't understand their reactions.
"My colleagues and I avoid using our abilities unless absolutely necessary."
Most of Joo-hyun's colleagues had manifested as espers for over ten years before going berserk, so they adapted quickly to refraining from using their abilities in daily life. The trauma from the memories of going berserk also helped them adapt faster.
"From here on, you need to be really careful. The gate is just ahead."
Joo-hyun pocketed the blinking detector and scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.
It would be ideal if every gate could have an esper standing guard, but practically, it was impossible. Relatively small gates with fewer monster appearances were inevitably lower in priority, and BE-16 was one of those gates.
"Shouldn't you be taking on more dangerous missions to showcase the hardships of espers?" When Joo-hyun had asked this, Tae-seok had closed his eyes tightly, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"That's for other espers. Have you forgotten? You are a runaway esper. People are already scared enough when you're just standing still. What would they think if they saw you barely defeating monsters, looking like a mess?" Was his answer.
It would appear as if the countdown on a ticking time bomb had rapidly decreased.
Therefore, as a runaway esper, Joo-hyun had to carry out his missions calmly and smoothly. Only then could public interest remain favourable. Or perhaps people would realise that runaway espers weren't always dangerous.
Both Tae-seok and Beom-jin had said so, but Joo-hyun believed it was only natural to think of dangerous people as dangerous. Having positive interest in runaway espers was worse than having none. He didn't want to run away, given the collective effort that went into filming, but he couldn't help being sceptical about the project.
* * *
BE-16 was a small circular gate among the trees. There were no signs of monster activity around the gate, which was just large enough for one person to enter.
"I'm going in now. Please wait here."
"We came here to film; there's no way we'll let you go in alone. We'll go together, of course."
The person who first opposed Beom-jin's words wasn't Joo-hyun. The usually silent production crew, who had been quietly following, raised their voices in horror.
"Producer, it's too dangerous to rely solely on a runaway esper!"
"That's right. Until now, there were guides and high-ranking espers, but not today."
Apart from the runaway esper standing right next to them, it was understandable. But Beom-jin seemed to disagree. His eyes were very cold behind his glasses.
"You knew you were going into a gate when you came here, didn't you?"
"Yes, but... We didn't expect there to be no one else here."
There were no guides, medical staff, or even backup personnel for emergencies, just Joo-hyun. Trusting only him to get through the gate was daunting.
Beom-jin showed no signs of backing down, but neither did the crew. Some even said they'd rather go back than risk their lives, making Beom-jin sigh heavily.
"Then I'll go alone. You all stay here."
"I'll go, too."
The unexpected volunteer was Seo-chan, who had been silently holding the camera. With a determined expression, he faced Beom-jin. Somewhat surprised, Beom-jin nodded, looking around, but no one else volunteered.
Joo-hyun had told them all to stay outside, but the two were adamant. In the end, it was Beom-jin, Joo-hyun, and Seo-chan who crossed into the gate.
Having crossed into gates nine times while filming "Gate Date," Beom-jin and Seo-chan handled the transition adeptly. Unlike ES-23, which was newly discovered and had unknown conditions, BE-16 was a well-explored gate, so no one was caught off guard.
Joo-hyun waded through the water that lapped at his ankles. All around, there was nothing but water and unknown green trees that jutted out from it.
Beom-jin and Seo-chan, having changed into boots, followed Joo-hyun much more cautiously.
"There are holes everywhere, so follow carefully."
The holes were about the size of an adult man's fist, not big enough for a foot to fall through but large enough to cause a slip. Beom-jin and Seo-chan, who swallowed nervously, nodded and followed behind Joo-hyun.
"When did you go runaway, Joo-hyun?"
With no monsters in sight and only the sound of water splashing, Beom-jin asked, perhaps because the tension had eased a bit.
"When I was fourteen."
Joo-hyun squinted as he checked the gate's position again with the detector. According to prior information, this gate shouldn't be this quiet. Something felt off.
"That's right after you manifested, isn't it?"
"I went berserk at the same time as I manifested."
"Is that... is that possible?"
"I didn't know it was, but apparently, it is."
Joo-hyun stopped. A large tree, wide enough that even spreading both arms wouldn't fully encircle it, was strangely broken. It looked as if it had been gnawed at with a spiky axe.
"Were any people involved?"
Joo-hyun, examining the tree seriously, turned his head abruptly. Meeting his gaze, Beom-jin seemed determined not to back down.
A round full moon shimmered before his eyes. The red-stained night clung to the inside of his eyelids, reminding him of his sins each time he blinked. Joo-hyun, whispering like a defeated dog, spoke weakly.
"My family."