Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Self-Reliance Failure Report
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The main monitor in the situation room displayed nothing but an empty room.
A short while ago, after Counselor Yoo Seon-woo had entered through the reinforced glass, Seol Yu-wol had cautiously followed him in.
After that, both Seol Yu-wol and he had vanished from the screen.
No movement appeared on the screen even as time passed.
'It's already been over twenty minutes. What could be happening in there...'
The team leader moistened his dry lips and anxiously tapped his toes.
Twenty minutes was far too long to leave an attention-level Otherworlder alone with a counselor.
His gaze shifted to the auxiliary monitor beside it. Fortunately, both of their vital signs were stable, but...
Then.
- Beep beep. Beep beep.
A sharp warning tone pierced the quiet situation room.
Seol Yu-wol's heart rate shot up nearly vertically.
'What's going on?'
But the reaction was fleeting. The graph subsided slowly, as if nothing had happened.
Shortly after the anomaly passed, the room's door opened.
All eyes turned to the monitor. On the screen, Counselor Yoo Seon-woo emerged alone.
He firmly closed the glass wall he had just opened moments before.
Only after confirming this did the team leader finally exhale the breath he'd been holding.
He couldn't understand it, but at least nothing had gone wrong.
A moment later, Yoo Seon-woo returned to the situation room.
"Ah, Counselor. All done?"
The team leader greeted him with a mix of curiosity and relief on his face.
Yoo Seon-woo nodded briefly, his face tinged with faint fatigue.
"Yes. For today... we wrapped it up successfully."
It was right then, as the team leader started to sigh in relief at Yoo Seon-woo's response.
From one corner of the situation room, Lee Seo-ryeong—who had been waiting silently like a shadow—stepped forward.
"Is Yu-wol... okay, Counselor?"
Her voice brimmed with a mother's desperate worry.
Yoo Seon-woo replied calmly.
"She was in a state of significant psychological shock, but she's regained her stability now."
"Then... may I go in now? As her mother, I need to see her face myself to feel at ease..."
She pleaded with a pitiful expression, on the verge of tears, but...
He gazed at her impassively and shook his head firmly.
"I'm sorry, but that's not possible."
Lee Seo-ryeong's gentle smile stiffened ever so slightly.
"Pardon?"
The team leader was the first to look at Yoo Seon-woo in surprise.
"Counselor... what do you mean...?"
For an Otherworlder, if asked to choose the fastest way to adapt to this world, it was undoubtedly contact with loved ones.
Why refuse such a precious opportunity with a guardian?
"The client hasn't stabilized enough to meet anyone yet."
He stated matter-of-factly.
"Ah... I see..."
At those words, the team leader shut his mouth. He had nothing to say.
According to protocol, all on-site decisions regarding Otherworlders fell under the lead counselor's authority. That was the rule.
So if Yoo Seon-woo said so, then it was so.
However.
There was one person present who had no intention of following that rule.
"Counselor."
The tender pitifulness had vanished from Lee Seo-ryeong's voice.
Her lips curved slightly upward, but her eyes weren't smiling.
She continued in a soft, even tone.
"Is there... a reason, perhaps?"
Yet her voice carried a subtle pressure.
"A reason for denying a meeting with my daughter."
Yoo Seon-woo glanced at her, then answered steadily without a hint of agitation.
"As I said, I've determined that Seol Yu-wol isn't in a condition for it yet."
"So, what is that reason?"
"It's my judgment as the counselor."
His words implied no further questions would be entertained.
In that exchange, the team leader felt surprise.
This wasn't the Yoo Seon-woo he knew.
Always smiling gently. Kind to everyone, with a voice that put listeners at ease.
That was how everyone described him during the days he frequented the association for his counselor certification.
But he'd never seen this side before.
'He looks sharp when he doesn't smile...'
Without the intentional smile, his features appeared quite incisive.
For the first time, the team leader saw him serious.
The Azure Heaven Alliance Leader, Lee Seo-ryeong, was equally taken aback.
When she first saw Yoo Seon-woo, she'd dismissed him as just a pretty boy.
With softer features than a woman's, she figured he lacked any real backbone.
But her prediction was off.
Earlier, he'd let suggestions flow like water.
And now, she was infusing her voice with subdued inner energy—a subtle pressure that crushed the spirit, imperceptible to ordinary people.
Yet Yoo Seon-woo didn't blink.
With a composed face, he took a step toward Lee Seo-ryeong.
And spoke in a businesslike tone.
"I'll inform the team leader right away once I deem a visit possible."
Tension stretched taut between them.
"So, you can head back for today."
With that, Yoo Seon-woo no longer looked at Lee Seo-ryeong.
A clear dismissal.
He turned to the frozen team leader.
"The next session will start first thing tomorrow morning. I've informed the client, so please confirm the schedule."
As if all his business was concluded, he rolled his neck lightly and left the situation room.
All that remained was the team leader, glancing nervously at Lee Seo-ryeong.
Gathering his courage, he looked up at the figure behind him.
There stood not an enraged alliance leader, but a woman with a languid smile.
"...Hm."
A hot, sweet sigh slipped from her red lips.
Her lips still curved, her gaze fixed on the door where Yoo Seon-woo had vanished.
Finally, she turned to the team leader.
"The counselor seems to have quite a special fondness for Yu-wol."
Her voice was thick with regret and disappointment.
"I'll set aside my impatience as a mother for now. Call me anytime."
She bowed politely and left the situation room without lingering.
Overwhelmed by the bizarre atmosphere, the team leader could only nod.
I'm tired.
As I left the situation room, the tension released, and fatigue crashed over me all at once.
'I... don't want to see you...'
Seol Yu-wol's trembling voice echoed in my ears again.
That's what she had said.
'Understood.'
So I said I understood.
The rest of the process wasn't difficult.
All authority rests with the counselor.
It's the only profession like that in Korea.
At least regarding the mental aspects of Otherworlders and hunters, it holds absolute authority.
Neither the association nor any guild could challenge my judgment.
What surprised me instead was Lee Seo-ryeong's reaction.
I'd expected her to push harder.
But the moment she confirmed my authority, she withdrew cleanly.
As if fighting further offered no gain.
If she'd taken even one more step, I was prepared to issue an access ban on Seol Yu-wol...
It was a crisp decision worthy of the Azure Heaven Alliance Leader.
"Hoo..."
For now, successfully building a fence around Seol Yu-wol.
Next, I need to help the Seol Yu-wol inside that fence stand on her own.
I headed straight to the Hunter Association's archive.
"B-9 records and H-5 records. Yes, yes. Rental format."
Once again, to check some cases.
Seol Yu-wol's case isn't just simple dependent personality disorder.
At its root, there's likely a complex tangle from prolonged exposure to whatever Lee Seo-ryeong has been doing.
I lugged the mountain of documents home.
After a hot shower and settling into my chair, exhaustion hit.
"Ugh......"
That's why being a counselor is tough.
No two mental illnesses in the world are exactly alike.
Even studying hundreds of similar cases, one differing factor changes the approach drastically.
I gazed wearily at the documents spread on my desk.
"Let's get started."
I began reading the papers.
How much time passed?
Chasing sleep with cold coffee, I focused solely on the monitor and stacks of files.
Searching for any clue applicable to Seol Yu-wol.
When fatigue made me lift my head, the clock read 4 a.m.
"That's... enough for today."
I muttered, rubbing my dry eyes.
For tomorrow's session, I started organizing the scattered mess of documents.
As I gathered the fresh white A4 sheets printed from the terminal, that's when it happened.
A foreign texture brushed my fingertips.
Mixed among the pristine pages from hours ago—a single yellowed, tattered sheet.
"Ah... please no."
The third one.
Now, I could tell just by the yellowed paper.
That researcher's paper.
Insane research.
With trembling hands, I opened it.
And checked the title.
Please, let the content be irrelevant.
But.
[Hunter Mental Disorders: A Brief Consideration on Treatment Methods for Clients Exhibiting Strong Dependency]
Damn it.
It was exactly what I needed.
The title was normal again this time.
The handwriting matched that pers... no, that person's.
This time, I checked the research results at the end first.
No red sticker.
Real record.
"Hoo..."
No escape now.
I opened the first page of the paper/report.
[Prior to the paper, note that all processes are based on actual records...]
I get it. I know.
This one also seemed written by a third-party observer.
[Case H-19: Counseling and Treatment Records with Client S, Suffering from Severe Dependent Personality Disorder]
[Client S (A-rank female hunter) had escaped ongoing parental gaslighting and was receiving continuous counseling to resolve it.]
I can't say for sure if Seol Yu-wol's case involves gaslighting.
But given her vulnerability to strong pressure, it seemed roughly similar.
[Session 2]
[Client S]: It's so hard... No one in the world is on my side, and I don't know what to do anymore... Will counseling even help...?
[Counselor]: I recognize that you have many worries and no support.
[Counselor]: You can confide everything in me, your counselor, from now on.
Below it, the usual red scrawl annotation.
[The counselor attempted a textbook approach to treatment but judged the client's dependency and self-reliance to be severely lacking.]
[Thus, opted for 'therapeutic transference' to make the client depend on the counselor first.]
Textbook method.
One of the approaches I was considering too.
I quickly skipped ahead to check the results.
[Session 7]
[Client S]: Thank you, Counselor. Yesterday, I set my own goals for this month. Even the guild seems to like me now. Thank you so much...
[Counselor]: That's wonderful. It was all possible thanks to your efforts.
[Record: The results were effective. As expected of a veteran counselor, Client S's symptoms improved daily. Thus, the counselor deemed the timing right and decided to remove the support gradually, encouraging self-reliance.]
I nodded.
"Good..."
So far, so good.
Ideal effect.
Ideal follow-up.
The "veteran counselor" label seemed genuine.
With a lighter heart, I turned the page.
[Session 8]
[Counselor]: Excellent. People find joy in planning and achieving on their own.
[Client S]: Hehe... Thank you...
(Brief silence)
[Client S]: Counselor... Sometimes I think...
(Client S reaches out and gently touches the back of the counselor's hand.)
[Client S]: What if... you're really my dad?
(Counselor tries to pull away immediately, but his wrist is gripped by the A-rank hunter client.)
[Client S]: Mom tormented me... but you healed me. So... Counselor...
[Client S]: Could I... call you Dad?
[Counselor]: It's good that you trust me, but that form of address seems inappropriate.
[Client S]: ...Why?
Even for a veteran, weaning off dependency isn't easy.
The counselor had become a new pillar in Client S's world.
But he hadn't taught her to stand without that pillar.
Dependency had merely shifted perfectly from mother to counselor.
Resolving this seemed the top priority.
[Record: Counselor recognizes client desires 'father' role from him. Aims to make her realize this stems from past paternal absence, not current feelings.]
I nodded as I read. The handling had been near-perfect so far.
I hoped it succeeded.
[Session 15]
[Counselor]: When you were young, your father...
[Client S]: No. It's fine. Counselor, look into my eyes?
(Counselor looks into client's eyes and freezes. Soon, his dazed eyes reach out slowly to stroke Client S's cheek.)
[Counselor]: My daughter...
[Client S]: Ha... haa... Yes... Dad...
(Counselor gradually approaches Client S afterward)
■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
The next records were filled with red blocks.
"...This is insane."
Clear censorship.
(Sound of counseling room door bursting open urgently.)
[Counselor B]: Call a healing specialist hunter now!! Hurry!!
[Client S]: Ha... Dad... Heuk... It was... so ecstatic...
[Counselor]: Uh... Ah... W-what... have I done...?
[Record: Client S is an A-rank mental hunter. Knew counselor would quit if no improvement this session—her last chance. Thus, executed mental domination.]
[Post-Result: Though involuntary, counselor shocked by improper relations with client, retired from counseling. Client S punished lightly with community service. Rumors association overlooked due to her useful abilities.]
[Post-Result 2: Later revealed Client S and counselor married and emigrated abroad.]
I closed the paper.
My hands might be shaking a little.
Not something you can read calmly.
In the end, he failed to wean the dependency.
Worse, the counselor in the paper later got engaged to his own client.
The worst outcome.
"Ha..."
Who the hell?
A deep sigh brought up questions.
Who conducted this deranged research?
I must ask at the association tomorrow.
"No."
I shook my head. Decided not to dwell deeper.
Just an extreme case.
Nothing like this will happen.
Same with Luna. The paper's description of beastkin differed completely from the Luna sisters.
This time too.
And above all, I have something that counselor lacked.
My ability.
I can handle any situation before the worst occurs.
I reassured myself that way.
Then dragged my weary body to the bedroom.
Outside the window, dawn was breaking.
Yeah, probably.
I'll be fine.