DPGR 50

As soon as the sun rose, Dojin got Jiho ready and headed down to Incheon, where the counselor was located.

The hospital was smaller than expected, a little outdated, even.

But the shelves in the consultation room were crammed full of awards and certifications—enough to inspire confidence in the doctor’s skills.

“Welcome! Nice to meet you. I’m Cha Seon-gyeong,”

Seongyeong greeted them with a bright smile. Her gentle voice matched her soft impression.

“Did you have any trouble finding the place?”

“No, everything went smoothly. And thank you for scheduling us so quickly.”

“Oh, it’s nothing! I was curious, so I brought you in a bit earlier than usual. I should be the one apologizing for making you come all the way out here on a Sunday.”

The atmosphere was pleasant. As she chatted with Dojin, Seongyeong glanced sideways at Jiho, who was peeking out from behind him.

It was obvious he was wary of her, and Seongyeong chuckled quietly to herself.

“Alright, let’s have a seat first… I heard you already had a physical exam at the Center Hospital, and there were no physical issues?”

—Yes.

After observing Jiho’s response, Seongyeong moved over to the comfortable couch on one side of the room.

With the table between them, she sat diagonally across from Jiho.

“Your name’s Jiho, right? Is it alright if I call you that?”

…nod.

“Great. So, Jiho, how do you usually communicate?”

“Normally he speaks by mouthing the words. If that’s difficult, he writes them down in a notebook.”

Dojin answered in Jiho’s place. Seongyeong nodded and handed Jiho a pen and some paper.

“Then let’s just talk like you normally would. Everything we say here stays between us, so don’t worry. And when you leave, you can shred the papers in the lobby shredder.”

Since Jiho’s psychological comfort was the priority, Seongyeong didn’t ask Dojin to step out.

Jiho kept glancing nervously at Dojin, clearly afraid he’d leave, and looked visibly relieved when he stayed even after the session began.

“How old are you, Jiho? Twenty? That’s such a great age. I think I was taking a gap year back then after failing my college entrance exams… What are you doing these days? A guide? Oh wow! You help people, then. In a way, that’s similar to me, don’t you think?”

The session was more casual than expected.

Seongyeong asked questions about his age, job, and where he lived. Jiho scribbled answers on the notepad, one by one.

Is this really what counseling’s like?

It just felt like chatting with a kind stranger.

Even so, Jiho continued answering each question carefully despite his slightly puzzled expression.

Meanwhile, Dojin caught on to what Seongyeong was doing—laying the groundwork for deeper therapy later on.

“Oh, grilled mackerel for breakfast? A lot of people can’t stand fish. How about you, Jiho? Any foods you don’t like?”

[I’m not picky. I eat everything well.]

“Wow, you’re more of an adult than me. Don’t tell anyone, but I still can’t eat bell peppers or paprika.”

[Bell peppers and paprika are delicious veggies. They’re good for you, too.]

In just a short time, Jiho had relaxed a lot. He was even more engaged in the conversation than expected.

Dojin quietly watched, relieved to see Jiho opening up and enjoying himself.

The scheduled session time flew by.

“Oh my, look at the time.”

At Seongyeong’s words, Jiho glanced at the clock with surprise.

An hour had already passed.

“We really got along well, didn’t we? Kind of a shame it’s over already.”

nod nod.

Jiho nodded, lowering his gaze in visible disappointment.

Amused by his adorable reaction, Seongyeong laughed and scheduled the next appointment.

“Then I’ll see you on this day. Just drop your notes in the shredder near the counter.”

“Thank you. We’ll see you next time.”

“Take care! You too, Jiho. See you again soon.”

Jiho waved back at her, cheeks brighter than they were an hour ago.

But once they got in the car, Jiho’s mood quickly dipped again. He seemed restless, like something was missing.

The session had been enjoyable, but perhaps because there wasn’t a clear result today, he looked a little disappointed.

He must’ve hoped he’d be able to speak again right away, Dojin thought, trying to think of a way to cheer him up.

“How about we go for a drive? Want to see the ocean?”

After some thought, he asked. Jiho instantly lifted his head and looked at him.

— The ocean?

“Yeah. But if you’d rather not…”

“Mm-mm!”

Jiho accidentally cut him off out of excitement, a soft sound escaping before he could stop it. His cheeks flushed pink.

— I want to go. I really want to see the ocean.

Now that he thought about it, he’d never been to the ocean before.

Even recalling his life before regression, his only memories were of being shut away in the cold, bleak guiding facility.

Seeing his interest, Dojin quickly turned the car around.

“There should be a beach nearby. Let’s head there first.”

nod nod!

Jiho’s face, which had drooped just moments ago, lit up again.

Relieved by his simple nature, Dojin smiled softly as he drove.

The winter sea had a certain charm unique to the season.

The air was cold, and the ocean looked icy, but with few people around, Dojin could relax a bit.

“Guide Jiho, are you okay? Maybe I should just carry you…”

“Mm-mm.”

They were slowly walking along the sandy beach.

Dojin, watching Jiho stumble on the uneven sand, had offered to carry him, but Jiho refused—so they compromised by holding hands instead.

Though he still worried Jiho might trip, Dojin smiled along with him, comforted by the more relaxed expression on his face.

“Since we’re already out here, how about grabbing lunch too?”

It was just after 11 a.m.—perfect timing for an early lunch.

—Okay. I want to eat something delicious.

“Do you have anything in mind?”

Shake shake.

“Then I’ll have to look something up online.”

Just as Dojin took out his phone to search—

Rumble—

Dark clouds gathered in the distance, and faint thunder echoed.

The weather forecast hadn’t mentioned rain. But the atmosphere screamed that a storm was on its way.

Dojin began to feel uneasy.

BOOM! KA-BOOM!

A tremendous noise erupted from the middle of the sea. A bizarre vortex had formed far out in the water.

“Gasp!”

“L-Look at that!”

“What is that?”

“Quick, film it!”

Not only Dojin and Jiho, but the few other people walking around the beach all began to clamor.

Ding!

Someone had already started recording with their phone. The vortex widened, swallowing three nearby fishing boats whole.

“……!”

The commotion fell instantly silent.

The situation was far more serious than anyone expected—so much so that no one could speak.

What broke the heavy silence settling over the beach was a shrill siren.

WEEE-OOO-WEEE-OOO—

The sound came from the phones in everyone’s hands. People quietly checked their screens.

Dojin did the same.

[!EMERGENCY ALERT!]

Unidentified-grade dungeon emergence off Incheon coast

[!IMMEDIATE EVACUATION ADVISED!]

(Incheon Metropolitan City)

11:46 AM today.

Emergency alert issued for Incheon area due to unidentified-grade dungeon emergence.

“Wh-What? That’s a dungeon?”

“We should go…”

“Aw come on, let’s wait a little longer. The Center will be here soon, right?”

“Isn’t a famous Esper coming? If I film it and upload it to Insta, it’ll go viral.”

“You idiot.”

A group of reckless students giggled and joked. Their dumb banter started to thaw the frozen atmosphere.

“Yeah… let’s just hang around for now.”

“Babe, wanna watch a little? If it gets dangerous, we can leave. Okay?”

“You filming? Don’t stop, keep going. I think an Esper’s about to show up.”

Swept up in the mood, others also lingered around the scene.

Dojin’s expression hardened at the sight.

Bzz— Bzz—

His phone started vibrating. He pulled Jiho close, shielding him with his arm, and quickly answered the call.

“This is Baek Dojin.”

—“Hello, Captain Baek! We saw your coordinates ping on the system and called right away. Are you currently near the Incheon coast?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

He glanced at Jiho as he answered. Jiho’s face had gone completely pale.

Dojin gripped Jiho a little tighter, hesitating.

“…I’m right in front of the dungeon site. Three fishing boats have already been caught in the dungeon.”

—“Ah…”

“I’ll go in.”

—“W-Wait! Please don’t! The area hasn’t been surveyed yet—we don’t even know the dungeon’s grade. It’s too dangerous. Can you hold your position for now? We’re dispatching a survey team shortly.”

“…Understood. Then instead of entering the dungeon, am I authorized to rescue the civilians already caught up in it? I’ll need to use my ability.”

Dojin requested permission from the Awakening Management Center to use his power.

The staffer immediately approved and thanked him before hanging up—the Center was likely short-staffed due to it being a weekend.

After ending the call, Dojin turned to Jiho, who looked increasingly anxious.

“I have to go help those people. Jiho, please stay here. It’s dangerous.”

Shake shake!

Jiho clung to his hand with a trembling expression.

But Dojin couldn’t give in.

“It’s too dangerous. I’ll be back soon.”

“…!”

He gently but firmly pried Jiho’s hand off and activated his ability—levitating himself into the air.

It was one of his many abilities: telekinesis.

As Dojin flew toward the sea, the murmuring crowd erupted into panicked screams.