* * *
“I told you not to drop the subject and speak clearly.”
Joo Youngha acting like a psychopath wasn’t anything new.
This kind of attitude didn’t even faze Seo Jaewon anymore.
“Are you scolding me?”
“Of course I am. It sounds weird when you leave out the subject.”
Well, most of what Espers do is killing or something similar.
Killing monsters, things like that.
Joo Youngha’s hand slowly slid around Jaewon’s waist.
“Don’t be like that, give me some praise… You said I did well this time.”
Eyes the color of warm honey, like the sky just before sunset, looked up at Seo Jaewon.
‘This guy, he doesn’t look like he’s in that much pain.’
Seo Jaewon suppressed the urge to hit him.
Anyway, a Guide’s job is to provide Guiding.
Even if he was annoying, it was better that he came crawling for Guiding now rather than the days when he used to resist it.
That version of Joo Youngha was truly a headache.
“Sigh… give me your hand.”
“My hand?”
Joo Youngha asked back, his eyes curving softly.
His hand was still firmly attached to Jaewon’s waist.
Jaewon grabbed Joo Youngha’s hand and pulled it in front of his chest.
“Your hands are cold.”
“Mmm…”
Whatever Joo Youngha was thinking, his eyes darted between Jaewon’s waist and their joined hands.
Regardless, Jaewon frowned and began to massage Joo Youngha’s hand.
“Is your circulation bad? You should drink some ginger tea.”
After a moment of daze, Joo Youngha smiled and intertwined his fingers with Jaewon’s.
“Jaewon is warm, so it feels good.”
He could feel energy surging through their joined hands.
Based on his past experiences, Jaewon carefully delved into that energy.
‘Ugh, his condition has gotten worse…’
He had seen the numbers worsen slightly on the necklace and watch, but the face-to-face reality was more serious than expected.
His mind felt cold and dizzy, as if standing on a high cliff.
The chaotic, tangled, and surging energy was overflowing at his feet.
It was a miracle he hadn’t lost control.
When they first made contact, Jaewon thought it couldn’t get any worse, but looking back, that time felt almost cute.
The only relief was that he was definitely responding to the Guiding.
!Quest! Guide Joo Youngha. (87/100)
!Quest! Guide Joo Youngha. (88/100)
!Quest! Guide Joo Youngha. (89/100)
Like untangling a knotted ball of thread, he purified the energy bit by bit.
As he continued, he saw the numbers on the system message in the corner of his vision go up.
It was still overwhelming, but he didn’t feel that uncomfortable, sudden intrusion like the first time he Guided.
It felt as if a creature as massive as a house was carefully licking his fingertips with the tip of its tongue.
Thinking about it that way was a bit gross, but…
‘Maybe he’s being careful… in his own way?’
When Jaewon stroked the clumped mass of energy as if soothing it, Joo Youngha let out a long, silent breath.
Seo Jaewon could feel what that sensation was like.
Whether it was because of his experience as an Esper or the exchange of senses during Guiding, he wasn’t sure.
It felt like coming up from the deep ocean and finally taking a breath.
At the same time, the bed felt like it was swaying as if pushed by a wave.
A strange sense of exhaustion made his whole body feel like it was sinking into the sand.
An impossibly massive presence pushed into his body.
The fact that he didn’t hate it was actually what gave him goosebumps.
A strange itch bloomed in his chest like a small spark.
He felt Joo Youngha’s existence as if they were intimately connected as one.
Every breath and every heartbeat overlapped perfectly.
He wanted to explore this sensation just a little more.
He felt impatient because the amount of energy he could take in at once was so small.
Thud. A head leaned against his shoulder.
Soft hair tickled his neck.
A flawlessly handsome nose rubbed against his collarbone.
A low voice spoke from far too close.
“Ha, Jaewon…”
Jaewon snapped back to his senses instantly.
He stiffened his body and rolled his eyes to look at Joo Youngha.
Joo Youngha met his eyes and pulled the corners of his mouth up into a languid smile.
“You really feel good…”
“…!”
Reflexively, Seo Jaewon flicked Joo Youngha on the forehead.
“I told you to get your Guiding regularly! Who’s going to clean up this mess?”
“Ouch…”
In the end, he completed the quest and received the matching rate.
Finally 42%!
He had graduated from the 30s.
That was happy news, but… on the other hand, he was utterly confused.
‘Is Guiding… usually like this?’
It was refreshing and relieving, but wasn’t it supposed to be just like a massage?
His heart was pounding from the embarrassment.
Not knowing how Jaewon felt, Joo Youngha lay down using Jaewon’s arm as a pillow like a child.
“Can’t you do that with me every day? I’ll be good.”
Then he tilted his head and blinked slowly, looking up.
He seemed sleepy after receiving the Guiding.
“Sure…”
‘Does this not feel like anything to you? Am I the only weird one?’
Jaewon swallowed the questions rising up his throat.
“I think that’s all an Esper’s trick.”
Min Yoomin, looking serious, said as he sipped his Americano.
“An Esper’s trick?”
Jaewon’s expression became equally serious, and he lowered his voice.
There were too many people in the center cafeteria.
Even though they had found a corner seat, he couldn’t help but be mindful.
“It’s the dirty tricks Espers use to seduce Guides. Oh, of course, not every Esper is like that. You weren’t like that, hyung! But the way I see it, Esper Joo Youngha is playing tricks on you…”
“No, Joo Youngha is different from that.”
Jaewon held back the polite speech that almost slipped out reflexively.
Min Yoomin was the first person to persist so much about speaking casually.
Not only that, but Yoomin was already calling all the team members, including Ji Myunghoon, “Hyung” or “Noona.”
His sociability was almost exhausting.
Anyway, Joo Youngha just has a clingy personality.
He’s picky about people, but he and Jaewon have been together for a long time and are close friends.
It was so long ago that he had forgotten, but he had been like that since they were kids.
Because of that, Jaewon was the only one Joo Youngha even pretended to listen to.
That was why Joo Youngha’s betrayal had hurt so much.
…Let’s not think too deeply. It only gives him a headache.
‘Even so, it’s not a “trick.”‘
Don’t you need some level of communication for there to be a hidden motive?
Jaewon had raised a dog before.
Even a dog that couldn’t talk communicated better than Joo Youngha.
“How is it different? It’s the first time I’ve seen Esper Joo Youngha smile. The way he treats other Guides is, well…”
Min Yoomin spoke carefully, watching Jaewon’s expression.
Even without hearing it, Jaewon could guess what he would say.
Joo Youngha was originally famous for being an ill-mannered Esper.
His specialty was overwhelming a Guide in an instant and making them faint.
Jaewon used to cover for him, saying it was because he was going through a hard time for image management, but the truth was just that he had a bad personality.
He just hated sitting with strangers for a long time.
Before the regression, no matter how much Jaewon scolded him, he didn’t change.
It only seemed to make him hate Guiding more, so Jaewon had given up.
“Ah, by any chance, he’s not overworking you during Guiding, right? If he is, there’s a Guide Grievance Center…”
‘He’s actually worrying about me.’
Jaewon felt a warm sensation in his heart.
I guess some things don’t change.
In his past life, Min Yoomin was the only one who cared and talked to him when everyone else turned away.
They hadn’t managed to become close back then, but he should really try to get along this time.
“If he clings too much, make sure to get counseling. Pushing yourself on someone who says no is a violation of Guiding rules!”
“It’s okay. Joo Youngha doesn’t have those kinds of functions.”
“Pardon…?”
A look of ‘did I hear that right?’ flashed across Min Yoomin’s face.
“He’s more like a dog than a human… No, a puppy. If you have food in your hand, he just follows you around. He can’t do high-level things like seducing someone.”
Jaewon wasn’t sure what was better about the “food” he held compared to other Guides’ food.
But as long as he held it, the guy would definitely sit when told to sit and give his paw when asked.
“High-level… No, but calling him a puppy is a bit…”
Oops, was that too harsh? Jaewon quickly corrected himself.
“Oh, sorry if you like puppies. I like dogs too.”
Min Yoomin’s expression became subtle.
He looked surprised, flustered, and a bit overwhelmed…
It must be an illusion of the shadows.
The corner seat didn’t get much light.
“But thanks for worrying. I can’t tell you how reassuring it is to have a senior Guide on the team.”
“A senior! My career isn’t even that long. And the reassuring one is you, hyung. Seeing you take down an A-rank monster with a civilian body… I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
“I was just lucky.”
Even if it was A-rank, it was just a minor mob.
It was embarrassing to be praised when he couldn’t even catch it by himself.
“How is that luck? Hyung, if you weren’t there that day, I would have died twice.”
Despite Jaewon waving off the compliments, the praise continued.
But for someone talking about dying, Min Yoomin was no ordinary person either.
After coming out of the dungeon, he had been taking pictures to post on social media.
They say field Guides are all a little crazy, and maybe it’s true.
“Being so calm in that situation too~! Is it because you were a leader? I know you have experience as an Esper, but still.”
“Calm? You’re praising me too much.”
“No, I’m not just praising you. It’s because I have a hunch.”
Min Yoomin leaned his upper body over the table with a grin. Then he spoke.
“Hyung, you’re hiding something, aren’t you?”
“…!”
* * *
