Chapter 33: A Report on Failed Independence

The main monitor in the situation room showed nothing but an empty room.

A moment ago, Counselor Yoo Seon-woo had stepped through the reinforced glass, and Seol Yu-wol had cautiously followed him.

After that, both of them had vanished from the screen.

As time passed, no movement was detected on the monitor.

It’s been over twenty minutes. Did something happen in there…?

The team leader wet his dry lips, tapping his foot anxiously.

It was far too long to leave a counselor alone with a Caution-level Outsider.

His gaze shifted to the auxiliary monitor. Thankfully, both of their vital signs were stable, but still…

Just then.

Beep beep. Beep beep.

A sharp alarm pierced the silence of the situation room.

Seol Yu-wol’s heart rate had begun to skyrocket, the graph shooting nearly vertical.

What’s going on?

But the reaction was fleeting. As if it had never happened, the graph slowly began to settle back down.

Not long after, the door to the room opened.

Everyone’s eyes snapped to the monitor. On the screen, Counselor Yoo Seon-woo was walking out alone.

He firmly shut the glass door behind him.

Only after confirming this did the team leader let out the breath he had been holding.

He couldn’t understand what had happened, but at least nothing had gone wrong.

A moment later, Yoo Seon-woo returned to the situation room.

“Ah, Counselor. Are you finished?”

The team leader greeted him, his expression a mixture of curiosity and concern.

Yoo Seon-woo, his face etched with faint exhaustion, gave a short nod.

“Yes. For today… things ended well.”

Just as the team leader was about to sigh in relief, Lee Seo-ryeong, who had been waiting silently like a shadow in a corner of the room, stepped forward.

“Is Yu-wol… is she all right, Physician?”

Her voice was filled with a mother’s desperate worry.

Yoo Seon-woo answered calmly, “She was in a state of severe psychological shock, but she has stabilized for now.”

“In that case, may I go see her now…? As her mother, I don’t think I can rest easy until I see my child’s face with my own eyes…”

She pleaded with him, her expression so pitiful it seemed she might burst into tears at any moment, but…

He met her gaze impassively and shook his head firmly.

“I’m sorry, but that will be difficult.”

Lee Seo-ryeong’s gentle smile hardened almost imperceptibly.

“Pardon?”

The team leader was the first to look at Yoo Seon-woo with a startled expression.

“Counselor… what do you mean…?”

For an Outsider, contact with an acquaintance was, without a doubt, the fastest way to adapt to this world.

Why would he refuse contact with a guardian, something they were usually desperate to facilitate?

“The patient is not yet stable enough to meet with anyone,” he stated calmly.

“Ah… I see…”

The team leader fell silent at his words. There was nothing he could say.

According to the manual, all on-site judgments regarding an Outsider were under the authority of the assigned counselor. That was the rule.

Therefore, if Yoo Seon-woo said so, then so it was.

However.

There was one person here who had no intention of following that rule.

“Physician.”

The piteous tone in Lee Seo-ryeong’s voice was gone.

The corners of her lips were lifted slightly, but her eyes were not smiling.

In a soft, gentle voice, she continued calmly, “Might I ask… if there is a reason?”

But her voice carried a subtle pressure.

“A reason for refusing my visit with my daughter.”

Yoo Seon-woo glanced at her, then replied in an unwavering voice, “As I said, it is my judgment that Ms. Seol Yu-wol is not yet in a state to do so.”

“And the reason for that judgment is?”

“It is my professional opinion as her counselor.”

His statement implied that further questions were meaningless.

The team leader was astonished by their exchange.

The Yoo Seon-woo he knew was not this kind of person.

A gentle, smiling face. Kind to everyone, with a voice that put listeners at ease.

That was how everyone had described him from the time he frequented the Association to get his counselor certification.

But he had never seen this side of him.

He has a sharp look about him…

Without his intentional smile, his features looked remarkably sharp.

For the first time, the team leader saw him with a serious expression.

The Azure Sky Alliance Leader, Lee Seo-ryeong, was just as surprised.

When she first saw Yoo Seon-woo, she had thought him merely a pretty-faced man.

With a facial structure more delicate than a woman’s, she had underestimated him, assuming he didn’t have an ounce of grit.

But her prediction had been wrong.

Earlier, he had let her Suggestion flow past him like water.

And now, Lee Seo-ryeong was infusing her voice with a low thrum of internal energy.

It was a subtle pressure that an ordinary person would never feel, but it was designed to crush an opponent’s spirit.

Yet Yoo Seon-woo didn’t even blink.

With a composed expression, he took a step toward Lee Seo-ryeong.

And in a business-like tone, he said, “When I determine that a visit is possible, I will inform you immediately through the team leader.”

The tension between them stretched taut.

“So, you may return home for today.”

With those words, Yoo Seon-woo looked at Lee Seo-ryeong no longer.

It was a clear dismissal.

He turned his head to look at the frozen team leader.

“The next session will proceed tomorrow morning. I have already informed the patient, so please confirm the schedule.”

As if he had concluded all his business, Yoo Seon-woo stretched his neck lightly and walked out of the situation room.

Left behind was the team leader, nervously eyeing Lee Seo-ryeong.

He mustered his courage and raised his head toward the presence behind him.

Standing there was not an enraged Alliance Leader, but a woman with a languid smile.

“…Hmph.”

A hot, sweet sigh escaped her red lips.

The corners of her mouth were lifted, her gaze still fixed on the door through which Yoo Seon-woo had disappeared.

Finally, she turned her eyes to the team leader.

“It seems the Physician’s concern for Yu-wol is very… special.”

Her voice was thick with a sense of regret and disappointment.

“I suppose this mother must put aside her impatience for a while. I will come whenever you call.”

She bowed her head politely and left the situation room without a trace of reluctance.

Overwhelmed by the strange atmosphere, the team leader could only nod his head.

*

I was exhausted.

The moment I left the situation room, the tension drained away, and fatigue washed over me all at once.

‘I… don’t want to… see her…’

Seol Yu-wol’s trembling voice echoed in my ears again.

That’s what she had said.

‘I understand.’

So I told her I understood.

The process after that wasn’t difficult.

All authority rested with the counselor.

It was a unique profession, the only one of its kind in the Republic of Korea.

At least when it came to the mental state of Outsiders and Hunters, I was guaranteed absolute authority.

Neither the Association nor any guild could argue with my judgment.

What was more surprising, however, was Lee Seo-ryeong’s reaction.

I had expected her to push back more forcefully.

But the moment she confirmed the extent of my authority, she backed down cleanly.

As if she knew there was nothing to be gained by fighting further.

If Lee Seo-ryeong had taken just one more step, I was prepared to issue a restraining order against her for Seol Yu-wol, but…

It was a clean judgment, befitting the leader of a group like the Azure Sky Alliance.

“Hoo…”

For now, I had succeeded in building a fence around Seol Yu-wol.

Now, I had to help the Seol Yu-wol inside that fence learn to stand on her own.

I immediately headed to the Hunter Association’s archives.

“I need to check out the B-9 and H-5 records.”

Once again, I was reviewing case studies.

Seol Yu-wol’s case was likely not a simple dependent personality disorder.

Underneath it all, there was a high probability that something from Lee Seo-ryeong, something that had gone on for a long time, was intricately entangled.

Carrying a mountain of documents, I headed home.

After a hot shower, I sat in my chair, and a wave of fatigue crashed over me.

“Ugh…”

This was what made being a counselor so difficult.

No two illnesses of the mind were ever the same.

Even if you studied hundreds of similar cases, a single different factor could drastically change the required approach.

I looked down at the documents spread across my desk with tired eyes.

“Shall we begin?”

I started to read the papers.

How much time had passed?

Chasing away sleep with cold coffee, I focused solely on the monitor and the pile of documents.

All to find even one more clue that could be applied to Seol Yu-wol.

When I suddenly lifted my head, feeling a wave of fatigue, the clock read 4 a.m.

“That’s… enough for today.”

I muttered, rubbing my gritty eyes.

For the sake of tomorrow’s session, I began to organize the chaotically scattered materials.

It was at that very moment, as I was gathering the pristine A4 sheets I had printed from the terminal.

I felt an alien texture at my fingertips.

A single sheet of yellowed, tattered paper, mixed in with the fresh white documents I had printed just hours ago.

“Ah… please, no.”

This was the third time.

Now, I could tell just by seeing the yellowed paper.

It was a paper written by that researcher.

That insane research.

With a trembling hand, I opened the paper.

And I checked the title.

I prayed that, at the very least, the content would be useless to me.

However.

[Hunter Mental Illness: A Brief Study on Treatment Methods for a Client with Strong Dependent Tendencies.]

Damn it.

It was exactly what I needed.

The title, at least, was normal this time.

The handwriting… yes, it was definitely his.

This time, I checked the research results at the very end first.

No red seal.

It was a real record.

“Hoo…”

There was no escaping it now.

I opened the first page of the paper, which was also a report.

[Before beginning, it should be noted that this entire process has been written based on actual records…]

I know, I know.

This time, too, the author seemed to be writing from the perspective of a third-party observer.

[Case H-19: Counseling and Treatment Record of Client S, who is suffering from Severe Dependent Personality Disorder]

[Client S (A-class female hunter) had escaped from her parents’ continuous gaslighting and was receiving ongoing counseling to resolve the issue.]

I couldn’t be certain yet if Seol Yu-wol’s case was gaslighting.

But seeing her vulnerable reaction to strong pressure, it seemed quite similar.

[Session 2]

[Client S]: It’s so hard… I feel like I have no one on my side in the world, and I don’t know what to do anymore… Will counseling even help me get better…?

[Counselor]: I recognize that you are facing many worries and lack a support system.

[Counselor]: From now on, you can confide everything in me, your counselor.

Below it, there was another addendum scrawled in red.

[The counselor attempted to treat the client using standard methods but determined that the client’s dependency was high and her self-reliance was significantly lacking.]

[Therefore, the counselor opted for ‘Therapeutic Transfer,’ allowing the client to first become dependent on the counselor.]

It was a textbook approach.

It was also one of the methods I was considering.

To see the results, I quickly flipped through the session records.

[Session 7]

[Client S]: Thank you, Counselor. Yesterday, I even set goals for myself for this month. I think people at the guild are starting to like me now. Thank you so much….

[Counselor]: I’m so glad to hear that. It was all possible because of your hard work.

[Record: The result was effective. As expected of a veteran counselor, Client S’s symptoms improved day by day. Therefore, the counselor judged that the appropriate time had come. He decided to take down the fence and shift the direction of therapy toward lessening the dependency so the client could walk out on her own.]

I nodded.

“Good…”

So far, so good.

An ideal effect.

And an ideal follow-up.

The claim that he was a veteran counselor didn’t seem to be a lie.

With a much lighter heart, I checked the next page.

[Session 8]

[Counselor]: Excellent. People find joy in the process of setting their own plans and achieving them.

[Client S]: Hehe… Thank you….

(A brief silence)

[Client S]: Counselor… sometimes I think…

(Client S reaches out and gently touches the back of the counselor’s hand.)

[Client S]: Actually… Counselor… aren’t you… my real dad?

(The counselor immediately tries to pull his hand away, but his wrist is caught by the client, an A-class hunter.)

[Client S]: My mother tormented me… and you healed me. So… what I mean is, Counselor….

[Client S]: Can I… maybe… call you Dad?

[Counselor]: It’s good that you trust me, but that form of address seems somewhat inappropriate.

[Client S]: …Why?

Even for a veteran, this was not an easy process.

The counselor had become a new pillar in Client S’s world.

But he hadn’t taught her how to stand on her own, without that pillar.

The object of her dependency had simply transferred completely from her mother to the counselor.

Therefore, resolving this seemed to be the top priority.

[Record: The counselor recognized that the client wanted him to play the role of ‘father.’ He therefore attempted to make her realize that this feeling was not a present emotion, but a projection of the deficiency caused by the absence of her father in the past.]

I nodded as I read the record. From the start, his approach had been nearly perfect.

Please, let him have succeeded.

[Session 15]

But seeing as the counseling had continued to the 15th session, it seemed his goal had not been achieved.

[Counselor]: Your father, when you were young….

[Client S]: No. It’s okay. Counselor, would you please look into my eyes?

(As the counselor looks into the client’s eyes, he freezes. Soon after, the counselor, his eyes now vacant, slowly reaches out and begins to caress Client S’s cheek.)

[Counselor]: My daughter….

[Client S]: Ha… haah… Yes… Dad….

(The counselor then slowly approaches Client S)

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

The next record was filled with blocks of redaction.

“…This is insane.”

It was blatant censorship.

(The sound of the counseling room door being thrown open.)

[Counselor B]: Get a healing-specialist hunter in here! Now!!

[Client S]: Hah… Dad… pant… that was… so… ecstatic….

[Counselor]: Ugh… ah… What… what did I… just…?

[Record: Client S was an A-class mental-type hunter. She knew the counselor would give up on her if she didn’t show improvement in this session. Therefore, seeing it as her last chance, she resorted to mind control.]

[Aftermath: The counselor, though not acting of his own free will, was so shocked by the fact that he had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with his client that he retired from counseling. Client S’s punishment ended with some community service. Rumor has it that the Association showed her leniency due to the usefulness of her ability.]

[Aftermath 2: A fact discovered much later. It was revealed that Client S and the counselor married and emigrated to a foreign country.]

I closed the paper.

My hands were trembling slightly.

It was not something one could read with composure.

In the end, he had failed to lessen her dependency.

What’s more, the counselor in the paper later ended up marrying his own patient.

The worst possible outcome.

“Ha…”

Who the hell is this?

Along with a deep sigh, a question bloomed in my mind.

Who on earth was the person who conducted this insane research?

Tomorrow, when I go to the Association, I have to ask.

“No.”

I shook my head. I decided not to think about it any deeper.

It was just an extreme case.

Something like this wouldn’t happen.

It was the same with Luna’s case. Just as the descriptions and records of the beast-human in the paper were completely different from the Luna sisters.

This time would be the same.

And above all, I had something that counselor didn’t.

My ability.

I could handle any situation before it reached the worst-case scenario.

I reassured myself with that thought.

Then I pushed my exhausted body up and headed for the bedroom.

Outside the window, dawn was already breaking.

Yeah, probably.

It’ll be fine.

---

Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

Please do consider subscribing to my Patreon or donate to my Ko-fi if you like this work or to get early access to chapters