* * *
He took off the white coat he’d been wearing carelessly, pulled off his loose knit sweater, and quickly unbuttoned his shirt to fully reveal his upper body.
It all happened so fast.
He undressed so smoothly that Haeram didn’t even have time to stop him.
‘Ah, is this what adult skill looks like…’
Lines from novels Haeram had read drifted helplessly through his mind.
He felt as if hot steam was about to pour out of his ears.
“Come here and sit down.”
Seo Jungwoo sat on the bed and patted the spot next to him.
“…….”
“…….”
When Haeram just stood there stiffly like a block of wood, Seo Jungwoo looked back at him, seemingly flustered, before letting out a hollow, dejected laugh.
“Ah, did I make another mistake? I’m sorry. I was too casual… Guiding is usually done like this.”
“…….”
“This is what I meant by trying something else. I wanted to try it like guiding…”
“……Guiding?”
“Haeram, there’s no way you’d be used to this, but I went too far ahead… You don’t think I’m a crazy person right now, do you?”
“Oh, no, no, I don’t. I’m… coming. I’m going now.”
Whatever his intention was, the provocation worked perfectly.
Why did the image of Lee Inho in his white uniform pop into his head at the words, ‘Oh right, you don’t know about this stuff, do you?’
Haeram moved his right arm and right leg at the same time, walking stiffly toward Seo Jungwoo like a broken robot.
Haeram’s fingers twitched as if he were performing a popping dance.
“Ugh…”
“Do you hate touching me that much?”
“Oh, no. No, no, no.”
It wasn’t that he hated it…
Haeram swallowed hard as he looked at the sturdy chest in front of him.
‘Haa… this is too much pressure. It’s so much pressure I feel like I’m going crazy. Do all Guides do this? They touch an Esper’s chest while guiding? Really?’
“Haeram, if you don’t want to do it, just be honest. I can see your eyes shaking. Your heartbeat is so loud I can practically hear it.”
Haeram finally managed to lift his eyes from Seo Jungwoo’s bare chest to look up at his face.
How could he say it was a burden or that he was reluctant to touch him when the man was looking down at him with such a disappointed expression?
“Teacher, you got your wish.”
“Hmm? What wish?”
“I feel uncomfortable looking at your chest.”
“……Ah.”
Even though Haeram spoke in a grumpy tone, Seo Jungwoo’s shoulders shook with laughter.
“You said I should feel uncomfortable. Why are you laughing?”
Haeram closed his eyes tight.
With a ‘whatever happens, happens’ attitude, he placed both hands on the man’s chest.
Ack!
‘Supple…’
That was his first impression of the texture under his fingers.
Haeram’s cheeks puffed out as if they were about to explode.
They were so bright red that it felt like they would pop if a needle touched them.
“Not there, a little lower. Try to put your palms right over my heart.”
Seo Jungwoo took Haeram’s hands and moved them slightly down.
‘Ah, ahh…… Aaaaah! I’m going crazy!’
He couldn’t stop flinching as he felt the thumping heartbeat under his palms.
He couldn’t even tell if his own pulse was racing there or if he was feeling Seo Jungwoo’s pulse.
As he held the thick chest muscles, he felt like he was losing his mind because his fingertips kept catching on the protruding nipples.
Haeram wiggled his fingers like a person being electrocuted.
“Haeram…… if you do that, it’s a bit…….”
“A-A bit, a bit what? Is it weird? Is it uncomfortable?”
As Haeram tried to pull his hands away in a startle, Seo Jungwoo covered them firmly with his own two hands.
“It tickles, so stop wiggling.”
“Ah, ahhh…….”
Seo Jungwoo locked eyes with Haeram and curled the corners of his mouth up.
“Don’t you feel anything?”
‘Ummm.…’
As if the current embarrassing atmosphere wasn’t enough, Seo Jungwoo went a step further, closing his eyes and letting out a low vibration from his throat.
The sound was so strange.
Haeram’s throat was so dry he couldn’t even find spit to swallow, so he just stared blankly at the man’s face.
Jo Yunhye had said this was a face that would keep you awake at night.
She was right.
If someone could fall asleep in front of this face, they must be a Buddha.
Perhaps Haeram wasn’t the only one feeling uncomfortable with hands on a chest, as Seo Jungwoo frowned slightly.
Was it just his imagination, or did the breath escaping from those slightly parted lips have a scent…?
‘He’s asking if I feel anything. Well, I certainly feel how erotic this is! The problem is I don’t feel anything else.’
Haeram rolled his eyes around in distress.
Usually, he should feel some kind of tickling or stinging wavelength, but maybe it was because he couldn’t focus.
Right now, all he could think about was…
‘I can only feel the texture of his chest. Only words like ‘moist’ and ‘supple’ are coming to mind!’
“I, I don’t know.”
“Hmm, that’s a problem…. Maybe it’s because it’s suddenly so unfamiliar.”
A hint of playfulness seemed to flicker in his eyes.
Seo Jungwoo suddenly lifted Haeram up and sat him right on his lap.
“No! Ack! Wait a minute!”
Sitting across from each other on the bed touching a chest was unfamiliar enough.
If so, shouldn’t the solution be to move apart?
Not to be pulled into a hug like this!
After being startled by his body being pulled along like a sheet of paper, Haeram sat on the man’s lap and jumped in fright.
He was so shocked that he mindlessly pushed against Seo Jungwoo’s chest with both hands to move away.
However, his waist was held firmly, so he failed to create any distance.
“Now, let’s relax and talk like we usually do.”
“How am I supposed to relax!”
“Well.”
Seo Jungwoo casually placed Haeram’s hands back on his chest.
With the corners of his mouth turned up and eyes meeting Haeram’s, he looked as relaxed as ever.
“You start, Haeram. Say anything.”
What should he say first? Haeram furrowed his brows deeply.
It felt like his heart was beating right under his tongue, and if he tried to say anything long, he felt like he’d bite it.
“Ugh…….”
‘So Guides always do this with Espers. That’s why Seo Jungwoo acts like it’s nothing.’
Haeram suddenly felt that he was very immature for his age.
“O-Okay. Then… please tell me what kind of person Lee Inho is.”
“……You’re curious about Lee Inho? Why?”
It seemed like a truly unexpected question, as Seo Jungwoo frowned.
“Was he twenty-four or twenty-five…. I don’t remember his unit. His Guide rank was quite high…… what was it. Just like you, he was in this hospital and then awakened as a Guide. People who awaken after being sick usually have high ranks, so Lee Inho is probably A-rank or higher.”
“When did he awaken?”
“……Five years ago, in early spring.”
‘Ah.’
Haeram nodded with a complicated heart.
He had asked because the curiosity kept popping up, but even after hearing the answer, the uncomfortable feeling wasn’t completely washed away.
Was it because he had seen those eyes full of strange hostility?
“Were you curious about that? Hmm, seeing Lee Inho and you standing together made me want to see it too.”
“See w-what?”
“You in a uniform. How about it, do you want to try wearing one? I can bring one in the perfect size.”
Haeram shook his head.
The daily morning tests, the special medicine that normal patients couldn’t take, and the mind training from a top-rank Esper were already more than enough false hope.
If he even tried on a uniform, his heart would truly become hell when he eventually had to leave the hospital without awakening.
When Haeram’s face darkened, Seo Jungwoo put his hand on Haeram’s cold cheek.
Before he knew it, the tension had vanished, and a heavy, sinking feeling pulled Haeram down.
“Okay. Then let’s have Haeram talk now. About what you want to do. we didn’t finish our talk last time.”
“About how I said I wanted to eat a meal with you?”
“Right. That was something you wanted to do for me. Now that you know you have money, you must have something you want to do for yourself. I’m curious about that.”
“Actually… I did write some things down on paper. Things that… I might be able to do within the limits of what my body allows.”
Seo Jungwoo whispered with a small smile.
“Good.” At that, the warmth returned to Haeram’s face.
“Can I ask what you wrote?”
“First… I want to buy a house. No, I’m going to buy a building.”
“…You’re more frugal than I thought, Haeram.”
“Yes. I’m a bit…… huh? Frugal?”
“Isn’t that right? Usually, someone your age… twenty-four, right? Wouldn’t they say they want to buy a car first? Or maybe luxury goods or clothes. Thinking about real estate investment first is definitely frugal.”
“Ah… I see. Actually, it’s not for investment, I’m going to give it to my younger brother.”
“……Ah, that non-Esper brother?”
* * *
