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“What the hell. Get lost.”
Siwoo’s sharp voice pierced towards Jihan, who was blocking the doorway. Siwoo warned Jihan again to move aside with a fierce expression.
“What’s wrong with your face?”
However, Jihan showed no intention of moving. The moment he saw the wound on Siwoo’s cheek, the back of his neck tingled.
“Did Geonho do this?”
Jihan suddenly touched Siwoo’s cheek. He hadn’t heard about any facial injury. There were red nail marks on the once smooth right cheek. Though there was no bleeding, the scratch marks were clearly visible.
“Don’t touch me!”
Siwoo yelled, tilting his head back to avoid the sudden hand, as if snarling. At this, Jihan immediately withdrew his hand but couldn’t take his eyes off Siwoo’s pale face.
“I scratched it myself! Can’t you tell by looking?”
“Why did you scratch it?”
“It was itchy.”
Siwoo warned Jihan with his eyes to get lost. When Jihan still didn’t back down, Siwoo used his full weight to push him with his body.
“I said move!”
Jihan finally stepped back but closely followed Siwoo as he headed to the bathroom.
“It’s not an allergy, right? You don’t need to take medicine?”
He bombarded Siwoo with questions while blocking him from closing the bathroom door.
“Why the bathroom? Feeling sick again?”
“Mind your own business.”
Siwoo, disgusted by Jihan’s persistent questioning, shoved him with his shoulder like a rugby player. Of course, it was Siwoo who ended up being pushed back.
Jihan used his telekinesis to catch Siwoo, who was falling back weakly. Siwoo’s face was flushed, seemingly from wounded pride.
“Okay, calm down.”
Jihan quickly stepped back and closed the bathroom door himself. He hadn’t meant to anger Siwoo at all. Yet he had managed to upset him again.
Jihan slowly rubbed his forehead while looking at the door. His silent smile was full of bitterness.
Since the contact guiding, Siwoo hadn’t given him a chance to talk. Worried, he wanted to do something for Siwoo, but being rejected repeatedly made him even more cautious in his actions.
“This is upsetting…”
He didn’t know what expression to make anymore. If he smiled brightly, Siwoo would be disgusted, but crying seemed too pathetic.
Why did he scratch his cheek? Does he have a habit of scratching his skin when stressed? What should I do in this situation?
“It’s difficult. Our guide.”
He muttered quietly to himself, leaning his back against the wall. His gaze never left the bathroom door. His eyes seemed tied to the door with thread, unable to look away even for a moment.
Just then, another ‘thump thump!’ sound came from upstairs. This time it sounded louder, as if someone was banging their head against the wall instead of the floor.
Just as he thought Siwoo might hear it too, the bathroom door opened.
“What’s that sound?”
Siwoo’s eyes widened in surprise at the loud echo from the wall. His face was wet, as if he had just washed it. The tips of his hair were slightly damp too.
“Seems like construction. In the apartment above us.”
Jihan answered slowly, briefly looking at the water droplet on the tip of Siwoo’s chin. Hearing this, Siwoo tilted his head and then frowned again.
“We don’t have an upstairs neighbor.”
Ah, that’s right.
Jihan had forgotten they lived on the top floor. He should have come up with a better excuse.
“Is Kang Geonho awake?”
Siwoo wiped the moisture with his bare hands as he left the bathroom. Jihan, who had grabbed a towel instead, subtly blocked Siwoo’s path. With a slightly surprised face.
“Are you going up?”
Jihan thought Siwoo would avoid meeting Geonho just as he was avoiding him. He expected Siwoo to distance himself from Geonho even more.
“He’s causing trouble again, isn’t he?”
However, contrary to expectations, Siwoo was trying to meet Geonho without hesitation. Even though it wasn’t a situation where he necessarily needed to intervene.
“I’ll go check.”
“Forget it. I’m going.”
This time, instead of pushing Jihan away, Siwoo walked around him. He had been planning to check on Geonho’s condition anyway. He would have gone on his own even without the strange noises.
Siwoo, who had quickly climbed the stairs, squeezed his eyes shut as he saw Jihan blocking his path again.
Jihan, who had teleported, stood in front of Siwoo with his arms stretched out horizontally. As if to say, don’t go up any further.
“Guide, you shouldn’t stress yourself more here. Rest for a while.”
“You’re the one stressing me out right now.”
“That’s why. You shouldn’t get more stressed.”
Jihan softened his gaze and suggested they go back down. But Siwoo wasn’t one to easily follow others’ words.
“You go. I’m going to talk to him.”
“Talk to me. I’ll relay everything to him.”
“Stop being so annoying!”
Siwoo, who had raised his voice again, suddenly grabbed his waist. Seeing him grind his molars and rub his stomach, it seemed he was having abdominal pain.
Seeing this, Jihan lowered his arms that were stretched out horizontally. But he didn’t step aside.
“I’m worried you might get hurt more, Guide. Geonho’s not in a good state either.”
“Is he really unwell?”
Siwoo asked almost reflexively. The news of Geonho’s poor condition made him momentarily forget his stomach pain.
“Are you worried?”
What, did you think I asked out of boredom? Siwoo bit his lower lip, holding back a curse with his eyes. He disliked Yoo Jihan’s particularly persistent behavior today even more.
“You don’t seem to be in a state to worry about others right now.”
Jihan spoke deliberately lightly, lowering his eyebrows. His light brown eyes, scanning Siwoo’s complexion, moved down to his slender neck.
Seeing Siwoo’s neck covered in flesh-colored bandages made him even less inclined to let him meet Geonho.
“Guide, you’re still in pain.”
Siwoo lowered his head, avoiding Jihan’s gaze that seemed to pierce through his neck. Even so, the bandages covering his neck weren’t hidden at all. Beneath the bandages were red marks left by Geonho. Marks he absolutely didn’t want others to see.
“I’m not in pain. Get lost while I’m asking nicely.”
“No. You’re in a lot of pain, Guide.”
“Why are you making such a fuss when I said I’m not in pain!”
“Don’t just say you’re fine without thinking.”
Jihan took a step closer to Siwoo. He was still smiling, but couldn’t hide his sunken eyes.
“If you go to Geonho now, you’ll just say everything’s fine, won’t you?”
Judging by his expression, it seemed Jihan’s prediction was spot on. He had hoped it wouldn’t be the case.
“Are you going to forgive him right away after getting hurt like this?”
Tilting his head, Jihan used his telekinesis to remove the bandage covering Siwoo’s neck. Even after two days, the red marks were still clear. Moreover, there were blue bruises where the teeth marks were.
It definitely wasn’t an injury to be overlooked. An Esper leaving bruises on a guide’s body was a very serious matter. Especially within the Baekya Guild, it was an absolutely unacceptable mistake.
“Fuck, how many times do I have to say it. He didn’t do it on purpose.”
However, the guide who had actually been harmed was trying to bury this situation. Even with his neck so terribly bitten, he didn’t blame Geonho at all.
“Why are you so weak only towards Geonho?”
Jihan made a dry laughing sound as if sighing and wore a hurt expression.
“While you’re so merciless to me.”
After saying it, real hurt washed over him. This expression was genuine.
If he had bitten Siwoo’s neck like that, how would Siwoo have reacted? No. He would have left the dormitory without even letting him check his reaction. Without giving him a chance to apologize.
“Look at your own attitude before you curse at me.”
Siwoo, who had retorted sharply, suddenly turned his head. Jihan, at a loss for words, just kept his mouth tightly shut.
“Kang Geonho.”
Siwoo glared at Geonho’s room door at the end of the corridor and nodded once.
“If you’re listening, come out.”
At this, the slightly open door quietly closed.
